Spotify: Mic Check Podcast Features K-Pop Female Artist Sunmi

Spotify has released the newest episode of its original podcast series, “Spotify: Mic Check,” - a series aimed at connecting fans with the world’s biggest creators from around the globe through exclusively intimate conversations. 

This week’s episode features K-Pop solo artist, Sunmi in her first-ever English language interview. 

You can listen to the full episode here.

 
Fresh off of the release of her new single, “Oh Sorry Ya” and recent feature in Spotify’s EQUAL program, Sunmi sits down with Mic Check to discuss her K-Pop girl group origins, mental health struggles, the creation of the “Sunmi Pop” sub-genre and more.

Spotify’s EQUAL program is committed to fostering equity for women in music globally by amplifying their voices, extending resources and generating more opportunities for female artists. it is especially appropriate during Women's History Month.

Highlights from the episode include:

Sunmi on the influence of family early on in her career.
“When I was 13, I took the bus to Seoul by myself for almost five hours to audition for JYP. Fortunately, I passed the audition and after becoming a trainee, I started living in Seoul, and at the time, my younger brothers had to take care of my sick father instead of me. I've been always grateful and grateful to my younger brothers. They make me move forward, so whenever I go through hard times, I can get it over soon. They are always on my side and support me a lot. I love them. They mean everything to me.”

Sunmi on touring with the Jonas Brothers and introducing K-Pop to newer audiences.
“The experience of promoting K-Pop in front of a large audience on this tour with the Jonas Brothers is still very precious to me. We toured about 50 cities and we met a lot of audience. Now people around the world are enjoying K-Pop a lot, but no one knew about K-Pop at the time and even few people knew about my country, South Korea. I felt very lonely. Everything was very unfamiliar that moment.”

Sunmi on leaving Wonder Girls to finish school and eventually become a solo artist.
“When I decided to take a break from Wonder Girls in 2010, I wasn't sure whether my choice was right or wrong. I just needed some time. At that moment, I had no choice but to stop because both my body and mind were exhausted and unhealthy. When I think about the time, I feel sorry for my fans even now, but I think because at those times I can still pursue my career now doing my best.”

Sunmi on building her pop star alter-ego.
“I see Sunmi as a character who has a lot of stories to tell and show because my music is based on my emotional experience, so I can say that Sunmi is a spark created when two different egos are hitting each other. When you see my music videos, there are always two different situations creating catharsis when two conflicts crush each other.”

Sunmi on living with borderline personality disorder.
Actually, I have been fighting with. Mental illness for a long time. And the first song that revealed my pain was Borderline. I was afraid to express the raw feelings I experienced, but before I even realized I overcame all the pain at some point. So finally, I got the courage to make Borderline. I made this song to come forward and sympathize with those who are suffering.

Sunmi on her personal and professional transformation over the past decade.
In Korea, there is a saying, even rivers and mountains change in 10 years. And that's exactly how I feel. About a decade has passed since I made a big splash in the U.S. as a member of Wonder Girls, and so many things have changed since then.