For this week’s SOTW, we’re switching it up for a little #ThrowbackThursday! It’s been just over 5 years since Ailee released her title track ‘U&I‘ in 2013 on July 11. And while the soloist has been out of the spotlight at present and has only dropped OST singles here and there, this song remains as a reminder of how much of a powerhouse singer that Ailee is.
Six years has passed since Ailee’s debut into the Korean music industry with the spellbinding track ‘Heaven‘ and it’s undisputed that her vocals are stronger than ever. Especially as shown by her live performances during the annual award shows with ‘I will go to you like the first snow‘. Throughout the course of her career, she’s exhibited a carefully constructed vocal range that’s left audiences enchanted and in awe. With ‘U&I‘ in particular, it gave her the platform her to demonstrate that she could hit all the high notes effortlessly. If you need more convincing or if you’re relatively new to Ailee, we’d recommend watching her performing live at KCON NY in 2016, and despite four years that have passed, she shows the fans that she’s still got it.
The opening shows Ailee answering a call, a few seconds later the M/V is propelled into a broadway styled number. She leaves a casual acknowledgement of the listeners with a goosebump inducing greeting, knowing full well that she has their attention. It’s easy to tell that this was during the early stages of her career with this upbeat song as her later music gradually switched to a darker and mature tone. Nevertheless, she evidently showcases herself to be commanding and fierce, Ailee has been known to be a strong female role-model. In this M/V, she openly displays that she won’t let anyone walk over her and this is a common theme with her other title tracks, this mindset could have been influenced partly due to her background living in the US.
It’s been interesting to see her individual growth over the years and while her upcoming music (whether that’s in the form of a mini-album/full album) is yet to be announced, we’re curious to see whether she’ll go back to her debut roots or the different avenues that she has not even ventured down. What old K-Pop songs have you been listening to recently?
