Interview: Korean Singer/Songwriter Seori Dives into Stirring Depths on Heartfelt Song “긴 밤 (The Long Night)”

With an intimate voice and spellbinding presence, Korean singer/songwriter Seori has emerged over the past year as a fast-rising force: Today, she speaks with Atwood Magazine about her lyrical depth, her musical influences, and the inspiration behind her new song “긴 밤 (The Long Night),” a stirringly vulnerable upheaval of the heart.

Stream: “긴 밤 ” (“The Long Night”) – Seori ft. GIRIBOY

With an intimate voice and spellbinding presence, Korean singer/songwriter Seori has emerged over the past year as a fast-rising force on the global pop and alternative music scenes alike.

Last May’s kaleidoscopic, breathtaking debut EP ?depacse ohw (“who escaped?” backwards) dazzled with sweeping sonics and haunting sentiments sung in a Korean and English blend. Following a label signing with 88rising, her more recent singles “Trigger” (December 2020) and “Lovers in the Night” (March 2021) have further expanded the scope of Seori’s burgeoning artistry as she, inspiringly so, refuses to “pick a lane” or stick to any one sound or style.

“My goal is to make music that is not limited to a specific genre and shows my color,” Seori, born Baek Sohyun, says. “The important point is to try to express a new sound every moment.”

The Seoul-based artist’s latest song finds her delving deep into an emotional pool where serene R&B melodies and smoldering sonics coalesce, to magnificent results: A stirringly vulnerable upheaval of the heart, “긴 밤 (The Long Night)” aches with yearning and intimacy as Seori captures a (bitter)sweet parting of ways: The kind of fond farewell that leads to an eruption of feeling. It’s an irresistibly expressive addition to Seori’s catalog – one that pays homage to music’s past, while charting a course forward into its future.

긴 밤이 오니까
The long night is on the way
널 데려가니까
Taking you away
난 또 잠이 오질 않아
I cannot sleep anyway

긴 밤이 오니까
The long night is on the way
널 데려가잖아
Taking you away
애써 돌아서기에도 아쉬워
I cannot walk away

Released June 10, 2021 via ATISPAUS / 88rising Records, “긴 밤 (The Long Night)” is a tender and touching encapsulation of love’s magnetism. When a connection blossoms, it’s all we can do to keep that person out of our thoughts; all we want to do is be together with them. Even after a long day – hours and hours spent in one another’s company – there’s nothing we won’t do to spend the long night together as well.

“‘The long night’ is a song that expresses a sad feeling that I have to be away from my lover when the night comes,” Seori shares. “At the same time, it has a sweet emotion.” Seori’s soft and soulful voice marries the euphoric elation of love with the gutting melancholy of separation as she sings a plaintive verse:

텅 빈 이 방안 속
An empty room
텅 빈 이 공기를
with the empty air
견디지 못 하고
It’s so hard to bear
혼자 서 있어
so I just stand alone

즐거이 웃다가도
The day full of laughter
밤이 되고 또 혼자가 돼
But the night comes back to be alone again
Maybe i’m so lonely
Maybe I’m so lonely
Everyday 공허한 이 밤이 내게서 널 가져가
Every day the night would take you away

Her performance is as gutting as it is uplifting, leaving listeners to find their own buoy and interpret her words in their own way.

South Korean rapper GIRIBOY’s presence lends even more nuance and depth to an already emotive song; assisting with both production and a vocal feature, his contribution rounds out the song’s experience to seemingly capture both sides of this blooming love story. All of this comes to a moving climax in the bridge, where together Seori and GIRIBOY sing:

긴 밤을 세워 달을 재워 버리자고
Pull an all-nighter putting the moon to sleep
천장을 도화지 삼아 널 그린다
Drawing you on the ceiling

해가 지듯이
As the sun sets
너도 저 멀리
Over the horizon
점이 되어 사라지듯이
Like a particle you disappear

해가 뜨면 너를 보러 달려갈게
When the sun rises, I will run to you
어두운 날을 밝혀줘 굿모닝
Illuminate the darkness, good morning

Please don’t make me alone
Please don’t make me alone
허공에 흩날려 보내
Scatter in the air

“긴 밤 (The Long Night)” reaffirms what we have already known for over a year: There is no denying Seori’s stunning talent. Atwood Magazine spoke to the up-and-coming singer/songwriter about her lyrical depth, her musical influences, and the inspiration behind her new song.

“I believe I am a person with a lot of loneliness,” Seori says. “But I don’t try to avoid or shake off the feeling; I try to accept it.”

Read on to learn more about this fast-rising artist, and stay tuned for more from Seori in the months to come!

There are many narratives in one emotion, so I think it’s fun and also meaningful to express them in my way.

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:: stream/purchase “The Long Night” here ::

A CONVERSATION WITH SEORI

Seori: I’ve always had a dream and yearned for music since I was a little child. But I decided to make music when I was in high school. I thought it was unrealistic to dream of becoming a singer, so I couldn’t easily challenge myself. For a long time, I encouraged myself to believe that my dream was only music. I wanted to comfort others by writing songs. I like to write down things like a diary, and it helps me when I make music. Whenever I have the time, I make music with the things I wrote down, making the melodies and lyrics on the spot.

Seori: My goal is to make music that is not limited to a specific genre and shows my color. But I’ve liked Avril Lavigne and Coldplay since I was young, and I still enjoy listening to alternative rock. So I think those kinds of music influenced me. The important point is to try to express a new sound every moment with my producer, Graphix.

Seori: “The Long Night” is produced and featured by Giriboy, a great producer and rapper. I always wanted to work with him, so I asked if he could participate in my album, and he happily agreed. “The Long Night” is a song about the emptiness after spending a great day with the one you love and having to say goodbye at night. While listening to the tracks Giriboy sent me, I looked out the window and stared at my empty bed in my empty room. At that moment, the hook melody and lyrics popped into my head, and that’s how I started!

GIRIBOY’s VERSE

나를 애태우는 머릿속에 사진들
The images of you in my head
너는 긴 밤에 생각났던 야식 같아
You remind me of late-night snack
아침이 오니까 너는 자러 가니까
Falling asleep in the morning
내게 밤은 시간이 아닌 그냥 장식 같아
The night feels like decor, not just time

좋은 아침
Good morning
우리는 밤을 피해 왔어 good night
We came avoiding the night, good night
우리의 맘이 마주쳤던 순간
Reminiscing our moments
들을 기억해 양을 세
Counting sheep to sleep
이 긴 밤을 이겨내지
We must survive the long night

Seori: I believe I am a person with a lot of loneliness. But I don’t try to avoid or shake off the feeling. I try to accept it. So I think I feel a lot of emptiness, but I wanted to talk about the emptiness in happiness. Like on a sunny day, the shades seem incredibly dark. I thought that loneliness comes at the end of joy, and I wanted to express how it could be bitter-sweet. There are many narratives in one emotion, so I think it’s fun and also meaningful to express them in my way.

Seori: It isn’t a sad song, but it’s a song about the sadness and emptiness that follow when you are really happy. Even when you are happy and have a great time with your loved one, you can feel lonely when you are alone. Sometimes that could be annoying. But it’s not the other person’s fault, so I blamed the long night that makes us being apart.

Seori: I hope “The Long Night” is a song that anyone can relate to. I’m sure other people feel the same emotions that I felt. It’s sad being apart from the one you love, and it feels so long. The time seems like it’s not going. And that long time makes you feel lonely and empty. I wanted to share the feelings that come to my mind when you look out the window, and there is a slight breeze coming through the window.

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:: stream/purchase “The Long Night” here ::

Stream: “긴 밤 ” (“The Long Night”) – Seori ft. GIRIBOY

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