From pop ballads to electric anthems, the NYU student demonstrates her impressive range of versatility.
Photo by Josefine Cardoni
The boundaries of pop music are being increasingly challenged, and a new era of internet-driven pieces and genre hybrids are paving a more open and unconventional direction. Min.a, a Korean American NYU student, is joining the wave of young artists creating these experimental and bold sounds. After various singles and demos graced her SoundCloud presence over the past year, Min.a has released Hi-Fi – a four-track EP epitomizing her unique style, exploring feelings of longing and conflict behind diverse production.
Hi-Fi offers a glimpse into the colorful world of Min.a. Emotionally driven, each song adds a layer of vulnerability and expression. “Own Up To It” opens the EP, with the artist’s distinct style of glitch pop setting the scene as vocals distort and overlap. Lyrics are characterized by a sense of passiveness. “Following lines is easier, I wanna do what’s easier,” she sings with her voice delicate and melodious. As the project progresses, tempo builds and emotions become heavier. The versatility of Min.a’s voice is alluring; delicacies are counterbalanced by powerful choruses, with dynamic imperatives in the EP’s final track “Here For You” calling for the potential muse to “stop” before proclaiming audaciously, “I’m bored, you’re boring.”
Taking influence from pop, electronica, and alternative rock, the self-produced EP reflects the broad extent of Min.a’s artistic range. Also honing in on her cultural identity, “Close” fluctuates between English and Korean, adding to the feelings of intimacy arising throughout the project. This array of stylistic touches is what brings Hi-Fi together; elements of sentimentality and emotion immerse the listener, the irresistible catchiness provides the ethos of a pop anthem, and experimental production achieves a jarring effect without being abrasive. Through effortless alchemy, Min.a is creating an idiosyncratic sound as she serves her own twist on traditional genres in this forward-thinking release.
Listen to Hi-Fi below.