Daughter of a former diplomat, multi-faceted musician Jihae has spent her life living all over the world, and her unique cultural perspective has flourished into a distinct musical style that is nothing short of striking. Making her highly anticipated return with new release ‘Utopia’, she exhibits why she is a timeless artist who is constantly developing.
Ethereal and dreamy, her echoed vocals enter in a hypnotic, trance-like tone, with twinkling synths and a faint beat flowering into a lushly textured soundscape. Working alongside Dave Harrington, Didi Gutman, Shahzad Ismaily and Avi Bortnick, Jihae’s polished sound is futuristic and refined, and makes for a truly remarkable listening experience. Elaborating on the creation of the track, Jihae explains “I spent 16 months working on Utopia, writing and rewriting determined to make it uplifting. The process helped me pick myself off the ground. I hope the song can shed light for those feeling a lot of dark these days & the message of love & unity can calm the climate of hate & division. The theme of the song is coming together to care for one another as the realization of a utopian dream, a positive projection of our existential limbo”.
Redefining genres with her unparalleled approach, Jihae’s previous album ‘Illusion Of You'' was a major success, with legendary musician Leonard Cohen and Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart making a notable contribution on the offering. With a talent spanning even further than just her musical flair, Jihae runs her own label and is also a seasoned actress, appearing in Peter Jackson’s ‘Mortal Engines’ and HBO’s ‘Succession’, as well as landing a major role in ‘Mars’.
‘Utopia’ looks set to be yet another promising release for Jihae, and one that is an exciting taste of what’s to come.
Listen to 'Utopia' here:
Photo Credit: Ogata