Artist Spotlights: A Glimpse Into Uju’s Nostalgic Mind
South Korean indie artist uju puts a fresh spin on ‘80s city pop.
Artist Spotlights introduces you to artists that may not be on your radar yet, but should be. With recently cancelled tours and income loss for small artists, there’s no time like the present to find new talent to support.
Written by C.S. Harper
Photo courtesy of POCLANOS
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Despite not having a full-length record under her belt, uju is making waves in her native South Korea. With recent features in Playboy Korea and a Samsung Bixby ad, her music has quickly been gaining recognition. This attention is well-deserved — with three EPs out, uju already sounds like a seasoned musician. As a self-released artist, she takes full creative control over her work to produce captivating tracks.
Since her 2017 debut, uju has perfected her ‘80s city pop sound. As journalist Yutaka Kimura once put it, city pop is “urban pop music for those with urban lifestyles.” Combining disco, lounge music, and funk, the genre is a reflection of Japan’s economic boom in the 1980s. As the producer and composer of her songs, uju takes these aspects of city pop and adds new elements to them. Her music typically has a bouncy feel, using bright synths and gated reverb drums to produce this effect. She refuses to follow a formula, experimenting with violins and flutes on “Any Call (Call Me Any Time)” and “Reaching Out To You.” As a result, she creates repeat-worthy songs that are fun and memorable.
She takes her craft seriously, adhering to her retro image in every way. She frequently sports curled hair for promotional shoots, and her music video for “Metro 88” uses grainy filters and visuals inspired by “The Matrix.” The video shows a girl navigating a metropolitan city, which brings to mind the Japanese tech boom that gave rise to city pop.
Photo courtesy of Genie
Despite her commitment to her nostalgic influences, uju isn’t afraid to break away from the mold. In Sunday Seoul Ep. 1, she subverts listeners’ expectations with the closing track “Greeting.” Instead of creating another danceable city pop song, she uses a piano ballad to end the album on a soulful note. Similarly, she closes Sunday Seoul Ep. 2 and 3 with acoustic tracks.
Three years after uju released her debut EP, her career continues gaining momentum in 2020. She released Sunday Seoul Ep. 3 and the “Metro 88” video under license to K-indie distributor POCLANOS. Recently, she was featured in POCLANOS’ magazine and Don’t Panic Seoul’s Citypop_ An Old Future compilation album.
Uju started her career on a high note, and she shows no signs of losing traction. Thanks to her meticulous creative vision, her debut full-length album is bound to deliver. With the hype she has built around her music, listeners should expect uju to become an important artist in the Korean city pop revival movement.