Her self-titled sophomore album, I LOVE YOU KIMCHI, is an ode to each shade in her kaleidoscope and an idiosyncratic manifesto for rallying people back to the dance floor.
With the release of her maximalist, off-kilter sort-of self-titled sophomore album, ilykimchi’s sound is maturing, and she’s getting intentional about her music. The model, producer and singer-songwriter’s 2023 debut album agony conceived an esoteric groundwork, created within herself in her bedroom, while this follow-up takes a more grown-up and “serious” approach. Serious seems anachronistic when referring to ilykimchi, though her playful attitude is evident, whether through the characteristic nature of her artistic aesthetic or through her light-hearted attitude throughout her Wonderland interview. But beneath her unique visuality and quippy attitude lies an artist focused on who she is and who she wants to be. With an eclectic set of references, her new album maps her sonic lineage and evolution alike.
Left-field pop music has found its seat at the wider industry table in the post-COVID contemporary industry, and ilykimichi fits the avant-garde aesthetic like a glove. Having supported the likes of Sophia Stel and Six Sex and worked with Frost Children, the Californian has risen to be one of the most exciting new creatives in the underground space. This second full-length embodies why she’s so highly thought of; merging gorgeously trashy EDM with glitch-laden hyperpop, obscure sampling with ethereal hooks, backed by her distinct visual palette that has grown wilder and weirder since her debut campaign, there’s an otherworldly vitality to her music that simultaneously feels transcendent and urgent.
Her summer plans include playing the sold-out Frost Fest alongside other underground pop artists from across the globe, and ilykimchi is not slowing down any time soon. The music video for the album’s lead single “Poser” is tinged with All-American nostalgia, featuring Coke cans as curlers and stars and stripes bikinis, and I LOVE YOU KIMCHI is set to be the upbeat soundtrack for a summer of hedonistic optimism and digital transgression. Sitting at the apex of her career so far, she sits down with Wonderland to talk collaboration, individuality, and finding her flow with this new record.
Listen to the album…
Read the interview…
Hey ilykimchi! What’s new?
Just got back from a sold-out show in Miami and am about to hit Chicago tomorrow for Summer Smash
Who’s your dream collaborator?
It would be my dream to have Nadia Oh come out of retirement and collaborate with me
You’re collaborating with Frost Children and have toured with Six Sex and Sophia Stel, some of the very best artists in the underground. Do you think this is the best time to be an artist bubbling under the surface? What’s exciting about that scene right now?
Since the internet exposes people to so many different new artists, it’s the prime time to be in the underground. And what’s exciting about the scene right now? Me! Haha jk. But it’s exciting to see so many baddies killing it right now. I also love how really theatrical live performances are coming back.
What’s your Mount Rushmore of influences?
Porter Robinson, deadmau5, Lady Gaga, and Young Thug.
Describe your look in three words?
Cute, California, princess
Is standing out natural to you?
I was born this way, so I don’t really think about it. Standing out is my lifestyle.
What’s your favourite way to spend an evening alone?
I don’t really like being alone, but if I had to, I guess I would have a glass of wine and lie out in the sun until I fall asleep.
Congratulations on your new album. How are you feeling about the release?
I’ve been anticipating this moment for almost a year, and I’m super happy with all the support so far.
You’ve entitled it I LOVE YOU KIMCHI, why?
Because I feel like each song represents a different version of myself, and I’m talking about my journey as a human throughout my life. Having it be self-titled really makes sense because it feels like who I am as a person. And I hope that everyone loves it because I love you.
It’s your sophomore album after 2023’s agony – how did you approach making an LP differently the second time around? What did you learn from agony?
With agony, I recorded most of it in my bedroom alone, not in a studio. It was mainly produced by Niles, with me mixing it. That album felt more like a compilation than an actual album with a theme and story, so with this one I really wanted to get in the studio and make everything super professional and take my art more seriously. Now we’re doing choreography; we’re doing shows all the time. It feels like the apex of my journey as an artist so far.
Describe the new album as an emotion, a colour, and a culinary dish?
The dish would have to be kimchi. The emotion is pretty optimistic. And for colour, electric pink.
What’s to come from you this year and beyond?
Tour, a remix album, record another album, and then repeat until I die.
Words – Julia Novis
