An Icon Speaks:
The Full Interview with Insooni
by: Edward Chun
Seoul,Korea
No story about K-pop would be complete without Korea’s Madonna (as she hates to be called), the golden-voiced singer with a thirty year reign, Insooni. She generously met writer Edward Chun in the middle of a very busy day to talk about Korea’s musical past, present, and future…
Who is Korea’s biggest music star? The answer to that one is always changing. After all, popularity is fleeting. One day you can be the toast of the town as your entourage of security guards blocks millions of screaming fans from mobbing you on the street. The next – you’re on a television variety show no one watches, singing your one hit from who knows when, and your name becomes the ending to every celebrity’s most dreaded question: “Hey, whatever happened to [fill in the blank]?”
Celebrities: we love to make them…and boy, do we love to break them.
Pop music is a young person’s game. However, there are exceptions to that rule and we call those exceptions “legends.”
South Korea’s Insooni is one such legend.
Born in 1957 to an African-American father and a Korean mother, Insooni did not have an easy childhood. Growing up biracial in a single-race nation could be painfully difficult for the singer, but her experiences gave her the thick skin a performer needs to survive in the music industry.
Her career began in 1978 when she debuted as a member of the “Hee Sisters,” a female trio. In the 1980s, Insooni embarked on a solo career and soon rose to prominence as South Korea’s top R&B diva. She’s managed to hold the title for the past thirty years by both embracing new pop culture trends and staying true to her musical roots.
And there is another secret to her success, one that she urges all aspiring singers to do: practice, practice, practice.
Insooni’s famous hard work ethic, coupled with her ability to stay fresh far past a singer’s usual expiration date, has given her the nickname, “Korea’s Madonna.” As she told The Korea Times’ Han Sang-hee, however, this was one moniker she could do without. What would she rather be called? She told Han that she’d rather be known as “Korea’s Insooni.”
Ever the performer, Insooni had recently accepted the starring role of Velma Kelly in the Korean stage adaptation of the musical Chicago when she graciously offered to meet me at the swanky Ritz Carlton in Seoul. We took half an hour from her busy schedule to talk about K-pop music and its chances of success in the United States:
Insooni: The musical accompaniment to K-pop follows world trends but the melody, often in a minor key like a “trot” melody, is indigenous to Korea. When Koreans hear it, these are familiar melodies that bring us comfort while exciting us at the same time. They are a good mix between Korean and Western pop music.
Insooni: I think at the very least K-pop is music that was written by Koreans in Korea. Singing songs written by foreign composers would make the song just pop music or international pop.
Insooni: Right now, since we are in the beginning stages, we are incorporating a great deal of Western influences to give us a competitive edge in the Western market so that we can relate to Western audiences. But the next step, after getting their attention, is to show them what’s unique about K-pop.
If we only rely on Western instruments, such as piano or cello, there are limits to how much we can express our unique Korean experiences or musical flavor. Eventually, we have to incorporate traditional Korean instruments and utilize them to show the world what a unique Korean tune is. This kind of experimentation is already happening in K-pop music.
Other world music has already done this. For example, Shakira has a unique Latin sound while Hindi music also has a very distinct sound as well. In the end, when they ask us what is special about K-pop, our weapon is our indigenous melody – something unique and different that has never been experienced in the west.
At some point, the scene changed where it wasn’t enough to sing – we entered the visual age.
Insooni: It’s not impossible. However, the issue is how we get there. While our writers can write as well as any other country’s writers, it seems that we are still following Western trends. Because things move so quickly in the West, we are in the position of following Western popular trends, not leading them. However, if we utilize our own melodies, I can’t help but think that the possibilities for success will improve.
When listening to K-pop artists such as BoA, Rain and Se7en, even if some people may think that they are too imitative of Western styles, the fact that they are being recognized on the Western or global stage is an important first step in finding success. Just the fact that they are recognized is success in and of itself, and getting recognition for these artists is the important point. There is no such thing as an overnight success and there always has to be a pioneer.
Insooni: In my time, we thought of music as a lifetime job. But our singing career spans got shorter and shorter, which is why people had to find other outlets, such as dancing or acting. At some point, the scene changed where it wasn’t enough to sing – we entered the visual age.
Insooni:
I want to show that while I’m not immune to time, I’m not scared of aging. I embrace it.
Insooni: I like everything, but I really like Shirley Bassey. She’s the best of the best. She’s who I want to be. Her emotionality and skill are impressive. And Diana Ross’ femininity. I love her solo career. Her sense of fashion, her music – she’s a woman in every sense of the word.
Insooni: Koreans are smart. No matter what the barriers are, we do what we have to do. Even if it means going step by step, we do it. Perhaps someone in the United States will see our efforts and want to get behind a Korean artist.
“An Icon Speaks: The Full Interview with Insooni” is a segment of MTV Iggy's comprehensive special report "K-Pop Uncovered".
