Pride Month is almost over, but it’s ending with a bang, thanks to Korean-American indie-pop artist, SOOJUNG! They just released their new EP, Desire On The Assembly Line and you can stream it now! We talk all about the themes of the EP, what it means to them, and more! If SOOJUNG isn’t already one of your favorite artists, they’re about to be. Let’s jump right in!
The EP explores themes like capitalism, identity, and self-construction. Was there a specific moment or experience that inspired this project?
Rather than a specific moment, I knew I wanted a pop-inspired summer project. The first song I wrote for this project was “Monsoon.” I really wanted to create a sort of tongue-in-cheek, flamboyant pop song, and “Monsoon” sort of spilled out of me. I found that I couldn’t write a stereotypical “pop track” without feeling like a fraud, so I tried to make it my own, which ended up coming out sincere, but also almost facetious.
I think particularly in the west, in so-called America, the contradictions of our society are expanding, swimming up to the surface and laying themselves out in the light. More than ever, the things that aren’t working aren’t working, and I wanted music that showed that the stems of our sorrows, our grief, our desires, they’re all made. We do not experience these things outside of a vacuum – society shapes many of these things for us. Of course, this isn’t to say that all we are is created by society, but it takes a lot of work to unpack these things, to decide what is our own. I’ve spent the past few years unpacking desire in my life, what it means, how it’s tied up in shame due to Catholicism and Christianity and Puritan-culture of the states, and how I experience it as a Korean, feminine-presenting person in the west. How queerness ties into that, and how I construct my identity within, and in spite of, society.
Who are your biggest musical influences, especially for this release?
My biggest musical influences include Mitski and SZA, simply because I love how honest and raw they are in their lyrics, without shame. They bring into light the ugliest parts of being human, which I really appreciate. I’m also a huge fan of Rachael Yamagata for her storytelling and emotionally-driven voice. For this project, I was particularly inspired by Kate Nash and CMAT, and the way they have a more pop-leaning sound, but their lyrics examine desire, lethargy, unhappiness, horniness, etc. in a way that I think is very powerful.
I’m also inspired by my friends who produced on this project, Johanna Young, Cazo, and bradleyfromAz. I love how their minds work, the love they have for music, and how they construct themselves within and outside of music-making.
Was there a specific vibe or setting you imagined fans being in while playing this EP?
I imagine “Three!Two!One!” blasting as someone commutes to their office job, or played in their earbuds while typing away at a computer. For “Lavender & Baby Blue” and “Monsoon,” I imagine people getting ready to go out with their friends, doing their hair and makeup together and laughing. For “Don’t Forget Me,” I would love people to think about the people they love far away, and send it to them.
I think playing these songs at a beach day would be perfect.
What do you want people in communities that your writing is geared towards to take away when listening?
That no feeling is too small to write about, and no feeling is too big to unpack. And that they are never alone, and they are valued simply by just being. That there are other ways to live, and there are always to remember.
Which track are you the most excited to perform live?
I can’t wait to perform “Monsoon” live. It’s such a fun track, I feel like the chorus is almost Muppet-y, and I love The Muppets with a passion.
What is one song off of Desire On The Assembly Line that you hope listeners connect with the most? Is there a song from the project that you connected with that surprised you?
I hope the bisexuals love “Lavender & Baby Blue” and feel empowered. I hope the office workers suffering hear “Three!Two!One!” and unionize. I hope everyone who has trouble loving themselves hears “Monsoon” and agrees to try to, even if it feels like a sick joke at first. I hope everyone who is afraid of losing somebody, and who knows that trauma whether generationally or personally, hears “Don’t Forget Me” and remembers.
You explore queerness and diasporic identity in really nuanced ways. Is there a particular story or lyric on this EP that felt hardest, but most necessary, to write?
“Lavender & Baby Blue” really marks a turning point in my personal life. It is both a celebration and a commitment to queerness – a vow to myself that I will not be with anyone who is not on the same page as me, someone committed to defying cisheteropatriarchy, even if we have a so-called connection. It was empowering for me to write, even though on the surface it seems a bit fun and silly, especially with the ending and the rain pouring. I love the reluctance and straight-forwardness of the line “But I know loving you means loving you more / I don’t know if that’s alright.” I think a lot of people have been there, sort of at the precipice of a life-changing realization.
You’ve called your music a reflection of what we carry forward… is there something from your Korean heritage you used to reject but now feel protective of?
I really believe in gatekeeping parts of culture. I try my best to share Korean histories with others, but I think I’m a lot more careful about which narratives to share now. My fear is that people will try to take the stories and use it for their own greed. I have such a defensiveness, but I am learning to open my heart and understand that people do love and appreciate what I love and appreciate with no ill intent. I think as long as we can have conversations about what is and what is not appropriate is good.
You’re releasing the EP on your birthday – happy birthday! What are some of your goals for this next year of your life and the next chapter of your career?
I believe in moving in silence, but I have a long list of things I hope to manifest in the future! I’m working on it. I love using my Artist of Life workbook from Lavendaire (not sponsored), it helps hold myself accountable. I definitely want to perform as much as possible and in as many places as possible.
In ‘Three!Two!One!, you unpack the contradictions of working in an office job under capitalism, can you speak more on why that is important to share through music?
I remember being absolutely miserable at an office job I had a few years back, and it’s something that has really stuck with me. I think it’s important for me to talk about how things like dread and loneliness through music, and of course those feelings don’t exist in a vacuum. When I feel depressed or anxious, I know it’s because we live in a society. You know? And I think about my friends who don’t have time to call, but will always have time to party, because capitalism isolates us from each other. The cathartic thing is partying, ie: recession club music right? But it can also severely disconnect us from each other. And that’s why when friends, you know, don’t reach out or take a long time to respond, I understand because everyone is living in capitalism, suffering from physical or mental illness, and we’re all just trying our hardest. And I wanted to communicate that through this song.
‘Monsoon’ reads as a self-love song, but there seems to be layers. Considering the title of ‘Desire on the Assembly Line,’ can you speak more as to how ‘Monsoon’ is connected with the overarching theme of the EP?”
“Monsoon” is a song that is how I would talk about myself if I had no shame or embarrassment. I do a lot of affirmations and I try to be positive in my thoughts, so I wanted to create a song or a spell of sorts that I could brush off as sort of joke-y lyrically, but also, performing it live and practicing it with myself would force me to say nice things about me. Confident things about myself, and I figured if I said them enough I would believe them, and my confidence and self-love and self-respect would grow until it became true.
If Desire on the Assembly Line is about the construction of desire, how society creates, extracts, destroys desire, then “Monsoon” is about how it’s challenging for those of us socialized as women, to conceptualize ourselves outside of the cisheteropatriarchy. So much so, that it feels fake almost to talk about ourselves in a positive way, because if you haven’t done the work, it’s someone else’s values, it’s society’s values and what they deem “good” or “desirable” traits. It’s a lot of work to unpack that, to figure out what is yours and what is society’s, and what is both, and whether or not that is okay with you.
There’s more humor and campiness on this EP compared to your previous EP, ‘Unbloom,’ was this intentional or something that naturally unfolded?
It was something that naturally unfolded. I think sometimes when I write, I want to cut out things that I think are funny, in fear of being stupid. But I thought you know what, even if someone does think it’s stupid, I think it’s hilarious and that is me. And there is vulnerability in that, and that is beautiful. Like the rain and the outro of “Lavender & Baby Blue,” not everyone will get it, but those who do, will.
We’d like to thank SOOJUNG for taking the time to chat with us! What did you think of this interview with SOOJUNG and what’s your favorite song off of Desire On The Assembly Line? Let us know on Facebook, Instagram, or by tweeting us @thehoneypop!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SOOJUNG:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | YOUTUBE
Want more exclusive interviews? We got you, honey!
