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Korean R&B artists have been in existence since the time of the K-pop group, Seo Taiji & The Boys. Korean R&B developed into its own separate sub-genre within R&B music with newer K-artists adding their own unique flair to it.
R&B stands for Rhythm and Blues, which has its roots in the African-American communities in the 1940s, and as the name suggests, songs of this genre are more on the feel-good and groovy side.
While R&B is one of the most listened to genres around the world, not much is known about Korean R&B artists who are currently making some of the best blues music in the music industry apart from the original creators.
In Beyond Mainstream K-pop, we introduce our readers to South Korean entertainment that goes beyond the boundaries of the idol universe. Today, we are exploring six Korean R&B artists whom every blues lover should have on their playlist.
6 Korean R&B artists to soothe the soul
1) Dean
Dean is the heartthrob of the Korean R&B community and is known as the Korean R&B Prince of Asia. Despite being popular by name, his music remains mostly unexplored.
He is an alternative Korean R&B artist known for his velvety voice who made his debut in 2015 with the single I’m Not Sorry featuring Grammy-winning singer Eric Bellinger, beginning his career in the US as opposed to South Korea.
His most famous song is Instagram, which has been widely covered by K-pop idols ever since its release in 2017. Despite it being 2356 days since his last album release, 130 Mood: TRBL, which was highly acclaimed all over the world, Dean has been busy songwriting for other K-pop artists such as IU, Block B, and Boys Republic.
2) Crush
Crush is a well-known Korean R&B artist who uses Jazz elements in his music. Despite having released a few singles and having featured in Loco’s song No More, he officially debuted in 2014 with his single Sometimes.
His first album titled Crush On You, released the same year, won best R&B & Soul Album at the 12th Korean Music Awards. His song Sofa is one of the most viral songs he has made which is still covered by K-pop idols till date.
Crush is an OST king who has made chart-topping hits for various K-dramas. His soothing vocals on the song Beautiful for the widely famous K-drama Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (Goblin) won him mainstream popularity. The OST received a nomination for Best OST at the 19th Mnet Asian Music Awards.
He released his fourth EP With Her in 2020 before enlisting for his mandatory military service.
3) Heize
Heize is one of the staples of Korean R&B music. Her unique vocals stand out in all her songs, giving them a distinctive flavor that only she can bring about.
The singer debuted in 2014 with her self-titled EP Heize. Her digital single Star, released in 2016 gave her mainstream popularity as it achieved an All-Kill, reaching first position on all South Korean music charts simultaneously. The lead singles of her third EP, /// (You, Clouds, Rain), also reached All-Kill status.
She released her first studio album, She's Fine, in March 2019. Billboard ranked the album as number 11 on its list of the "25 Best K-pop Albums of 2019."
Her collaboration with Giriboy on the song We Don’t Talk Together, produced by SUGA of BTS, only solidified her status as the princess of Korean R&B music.
The artist has lent her voice to various K-drama OSTs as well, such as Can You See My Heart for Hotel Del Luna and The Last for Our Blues. She is currently set to host KBS’ radio show Volumes Up.
4) DeVita
Despite having only debuted in 2020 with her EP Crème, DeVita has already established herself as one of the most prominent Korean R&B artists in the music industry. She is known for her powerful and intense songs that perfectly capture her sensuous and sultry vocals.
Her music videos are highly cinematic, as can be seen from the music video for her song EVITA! The artist uses her platform to speak out about social issues she believes in, promoting equality, which is another reason for her popularity amongst the youth.
In spite of having been in the industry for only two years she’s already collaborated with industry giants such as Gaeko, Changmo, B.I, and Jay Park.
5) G. Soul
G.Soul, briefly also known as Golden, trained for 15 years under K-pop entertainment agency JYP Entertainment before finally making his debut in 2015 with his EP Coming Home.
Right from the start, the Korean R&B artist gained immense popularity for his soulful and emotional voice that resonated with the listeners. Practice definitely makes perfect as nearly all of his songs are musical gems.
The singer is best known for his album Hate Everything and his song Tequila featuring hip-hop artist Hoody. The artist likes to keep a low profile and has mentioned before on his Instagram stories that he wishes to live a free life doing what he wants.
6) Lee Hi
Lee Hi debuted in 2012 with her single 1,2,3,4 and was an immediate success on the Gaon chart. The Korean R&B artist is known for her enchanting, honey-like voice that bewitches her listeners.
Lee Hi rose to fame in 2016 after the release of her songs Breathe and Hold My Hand, which spread through South Korea like wildfire. Breathe is an extremely personal song for her as it was inspired by the panic attacks she was suffering from, as mentioned by her on SBS’ Party People.
She has collaborated with Epik High on the song Here Come the Regrets and also joined forces with the film Bohemian Rhapsody to release a cover soundtrack for Queen’s song Bohemian Rhapsody. Her 2019 single No One featuring K-pop artist B.I topped all the music charts in South Korea.
It is pertinent for those interested in Korean music to not forget the Korean R&B artists that exist beyond K-pop music.
Beyond Mainstream K-pop is a weekly series. Stay tuned for more.
