Yerin Baek is an Indie Pop diva from South Korea, and we got a tantalising and beatific taste of the best of this massively popular Asian music phenomenon.
Baek Ye-Rin is close to a Millennial, being born in 1997. She was identified as a child prodigy before her teens. Spent some time in New York City, but the majority in hometown Seoul, where she graduated from Hanlin Multi Art School in 2016. A centre famous for developing professional Korean musical talent.
She was part of a K-Pop duo 15& in 2012. In 2015, she released for first solo EP FRANK, the title an homage to a favourite artist Amy Winehouse.
Around that time, the buzz from the local and wider Asian press identified what they considered her major attributes. A remarkable vocalist, talented pianist, and a natural command of the English language.
Joined a Korean Rock group Volunteers in 2018, and this is where the three musicians backing her are from.
Cloud (Koh Hyung-Seok) is a multi-instrumentalist and has been her main producer from early days in her career. Holds down keyboards and bass guitar tonight. Johnny plays guitar of course, and Chiheon Kim plays the drums.
Interestingly, the drummer sits behind a large perspex screen. It must be to improve the sound. If it’s for protection, why just the drummer?
She does look like a gorgeous Lolita when she first hits the stage. Petite and embodying classic femininity. Tattoos up and down her arms and legs are beautifully drawn flowers.
She is self-deprecating and shy which only adds to the attraction. None of this would matter if she didn’t have such a powerful and controlled pop soprano voice. No shrinking violet here.
There is far more power in sensitivity and seduction, which is the mystique of female energy. The archetypes of Witch, Goddess and Succubus, and we can park to the side Mother for now.
From the inanity of the What is a Woman? hysteria, to the answer in a heartbeat.
They start with punchy Indie Pop from the band. Her vocals are buried inside.
But with Lovegame she is out front and stays that way for the rest of the evening. Some boys are really conscious, but some are not/ They’ll try to have you in their bed, don’t deny.
Those lyrics must remind you of Madonna’s Material Girl. The sound is like the soft but gritty Soul Pop of the late Sixties and early Seventies. Especially the great Holland-Dozier-Holland writing and production team when they stepped out of Motown and started their classic Invictus label. The bass is heavy, and the guitar plays it funky. Baek has the seductive soul voice of Honey Cone, undeservedly buried as cult faves for soul aficionados. The tradition of the iconic Pop females leads of the Sixties epitomised by the school of Motown.
They segue straight from that into Hate You. Now she has the cadence and attitude of a Taylor Swift. I’m watching you lie to other people/ I decided not to give a fuck though/ But what you say is full of shit.
That’s a good burn and she still has that sweet soul voice but those barbs in there can sting.
Her first solo concert in February 2020 had a seating capacity of 4,400 and sold out in 30 seconds. Note that it was just prior to Lockdown madness for the world, but the South Koreans handled it with a more reasoned and humane approach.
I Am Not Your Ocean Anymore and we have the full Northern Soul experience. Baek unleashes her full range of piercing high soprano vocals. Aided by sparkling guitar lines and authoritative engine-room drums.
There are several Korean language songs. The first one sounds a little like the chestnut Sukiyaki by Kyu Sakamoto from the Sixties. Pardon that indulgence, that was the first (and only?) pop hit sung in Japanese. I am specifically thinking of the English version performed by Honey Cone.
They all have the sounds and styles of Western Pop, from the Sixties to contemporary. Chamber pop, soul to disco, dancefloor fillers.
I can’t identify them individually, but one starts with languid lounge Soul and moves into classic pop until she can finally rise with the powerful helium-propelled vocals of a Cyndi Lauper.
The audience tonight is unusual and quite special. The Fork is packed and tight at the front since the doors opened to a sell-out show. Of course, it’s a Korean night, but everyone is courteous. There is a special nature to populous countries, where they accommodate close proximity with a natural ease. There is no tension of latent aggression or alcoholic insensitivities.
Everyone complies with the ruling from the stage, not to take photos or videos. All the minders and security staff are relaxed. At the end of the show, all the phones come out.
That does not stop the crowd being vocal in support and singing along with many tunes, in both languages.
Cloud does get a special mention for his all-encompassing work in producing Baek’s music. As well as adding a bottom which would bring a smile to Larry Graham from Sly and the Family Stone, he also gets to play some Jazz and R’n’B Boogie piano.
A song with the lines I don’t know if I could be a friend too has the rhythmic drive of hard disco, with the surprising addition of some Surf guitar twang. The hard thud of the bass brings it back into line.
There is a sophisticated pop ballad and then Seventies Northern Soul dancefloor filler to finish the night.
Yerin Baek promises to be back with even better songs, she says. She is the Shy Superstar already.
Rev Orange Peel
Photos by Leonie Moreland
The space below is reserved for the photographs that are currently being reviewed by tour management. We’re waiting for approval.
The feature image is taken from the Yerin Baek album cover for Our Love is Great.