Yaeji

Raised in the U.S. and Korea, singer/songwriter and producer Kathy Yaeji Lee distills a multitude of cultural influences to create dreamy deep house music. Born in Flushing, Queens, Lee was raised in Atlanta until third grade, when her parents returned to Korea, eager to immerse her in their Korean roots. There, she attended various American schools and studied Korean, bolstering her bilingual abilities. While attending college at Carnegie Mellon University, she focused on graphic design and East Asian studies, but the most pivotal influence was the college radio station, which exposed her to underground electronic music. After graduation, she moved to New York City, where she delved into the local dance music scene. Her debut single, "New York 93," appeared on her 2017 self-titled yaeji EP, which also featured songs like "Feel It Out" and "Guap." Atop throbbing bass, Lee alternated between a dreamy whisper and languid rapping, singing in English and Korean about identity, anxiety, and beauty standards. She quickly followed with the more insular EP2, which featured "Drink I'm Sippin' On" and a cover of Drake's "Passionfruit." ~ Neil Z. Yeung, Rovi