Yaeji | What We Drew
Alison Amos
Korean-American producer Yaeji unveiled her first full-length twelve track mixtape, WHAT WE DREW 우리가 그려왔던, after weeks of giddying teases. Her lead single, WAKING UP DOWN, was out March 10th, accompanied by a sweet anime-style music video and special characters designed by Yaeji herself. Her animated friends Woofa, Bird & Worm, Eggman, and Lotta Chex go on a mission to push her into a productive mindset with the help of a smoothly choreographed dance. Then, on March 31st, the music video for the title track renewed excitement further. Finally, with bated breath…the morning of Thursday, April 2nd she unleashed the joyous addition into her little onions’ lives (more on that reference later).
Calling it a mixtape rather than an album was intentional, according to Yaeji. She explains that “Each track is almost like a snippet of my life, a look into my diary or something, where it’s reflective of how I was specifically feeling during that time.” She surrounded herself with friends and family in times of darkness and in light, making them very close collaborators in this therapeutic outlet. Her emotional tribute to her Korean roots and a sense of innocent nostalgia are especially relevant and relatable right now, as we find ourselves confronting our own realities in this era of confinement and tragedy. We know she produces bangers without a shred of doubt; she’s proved that time and time again.
This mixtape, on the other hand, is a true testament to her inner strength and range, and an astounding ability to stir up intimacy and human connection in this distant time. Her ethereal, lulling voice softly blankets us in comfort and reminds us that with will and perseverance, we can also return to our loved ones and cherished moments.
She starts with MY IMAGINATION 상상 for a gentle introduction, a wavy sound that is then layered with steady bass, drum kicks, overarching vocals, and her repeating lines. Her family had a strong role in her life during the two years of the mixtape’s creation, and her father joins in for a humming sample in WHAT WE DREW 우리가 그려왔던. In the title track’s video, Yaeji and her friends cultivate and praise this magical onion deity, a concept stemming from Dasom Hahn and Dawn Jung’s vision of an elementary school experiment.
Hahn explains, “When I was younger, my most precious memory from elementary school was an onion experiment we did in science class. It was a very pure and positive experience for young children, learning about pygmalion effect—that if you desire something strongly enough it becomes reality. When I told my onion “onion, i love you so much,” it would grow taller and taller / when I told it “onion, i hate you you’re stupid” it would die. The huge onion is actually the hope that we drew together.” Meanwhile, Yaeji affectionally calls her cult following her ‘little onions’, effectively translating her delicate vulnerability into a call for reciprocal empowerment.
WHEN I GROW UP continues on this thread of personal growth and healing, as she imagines a conversation between her younger self looking to the future, and her current self reflecting on her childhood years. About halfway through the mixtape, Yaeji opens up this introspective dialogue to include some novel collaborations including Nappy Nina, Lil Rayo, trenchcoat, Sweet Pea, Yon Yon, G.L.A.M., Victoria Sin, and Shy One. At this point, her tracks have picked up speed, deepened beats, and sprinkled in rapping influences. She takes a brief step back for a darker, quasi-emo feel on IN THE MIRROR 거울 before bumping along in THE TH1NG and THESE DAYS 요즘. She rounds out the mixtape with NEVER SETTILING DOWN, ties it back to the first song using similar synth-wave undertones, and leaves off with a final declaration: that Yaeji is not shying away from plunging into her musical endeavors.
Her inspirations stem from Korean indie rock, electronic, and late 90s/Y2K hip-hop and R&B for WHAT WE DREW 우리가 그려왔던 in particular. When it comes to her music style in general though, her quintessential attributes - bilingual lyrics, and hushed ASMR-like singing - have an unexpected origin. Her solid grasp on the electronic music world and captivating sets boasts an air of confidence, but initially, she used those tactics to navigate her bashful side. Singing in Korean allowed her to hone in on personal content that she wasn’t quite ready for the world to hear just yet. In turn, the textural, whispered element comes from wanting to keep her college roommates from hearing her through thin walls at the start of her career. In contrast to her previous work, she loosened up on the former by having English language translations come with the physical editions of the mixtape.
Like all of us, Yaeji is adapting and evolving over time, and these tracks and concurrent video shoots were a self-described “life-changing experience”; allowing herself to give in to expression on a personal and musical level. Her plans for her worldwide tour have hit a bit of snag, but she was expecting to be play in Brooklyn June 19th. Nevertheless, her community-building mindset and music will surely find its way back to her stomping ground in NYC when the lockdown lifts, so more of her party series and sets will likely surface in the coming year.