Soul Lady[note 1] is the debut studio album by South Korea-based Japanese singer Yukika. It was released on July 21, 2020, by Estimate Entertainment and distributed by Dreamus. ESTi, the founder of Estimate Entertainment, served as executive producer and creative director for the project. The album marked the official solo debut of Yukika after retiring as a voice actress in Japan, and moving to South Korea in order to pursue a music career. Soul Lady is a city pop and R&B record, with house and lo-fi influences.
| Soul Lady | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Digital and streaming cover; the standard physical edition features a revised aspect ratio and white border[1] | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 21, 2020 | |||
| Recorded | 2019–2020 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 40:53 | |||
| Language | Korean | |||
| Label |
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| Director |
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| Producer |
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| Yukika chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Soul Lady | ||||
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The album was supported by four singles, including Yukika's debut song "Neon" and the titular track, which were both released to critical acclaim. Soul Lady was positively received upon its release; reviews regarded it as a solid debut album with compliments on the cohesive production, the thematic nod to the 1980s, and its contribution to the renewed popularity of city pop as a genre. The record was ranked by several publications as one of the best albums of 2020, and it was nominated for Best Pop Album at the 18th Korean Music Awards.
Background
editOn January 5, 2012, Yukika announced that she would be retiring as a voice actress in Japan in order to attend university.[3] She returned to the industry in August 2015, appearing in several commercials and stage plays.[4] The following year, Yukika successfully auditioned for The Idolmaster KR, a South Korean drama adaptation of the original game series.[5] Real Girls Project, a Korean idol group was formed for the drama.[6][7] Along with other members of Real Girls Project, Yukika was a contestant on the reality survival show Mix Nine in 2017.[8] She was eliminated in the tenth episode, ranking 34th.[4][8]
Following the disbandment of Real Girls Project, Yukika attracted the attention of Park Jin-bae (ESTi), the founder of Estimate Entertainment.[9] They connected over their shared appreciation for the city pop genre and decided to work together; Yukika signed onto his record label in late 2018.[9]
Music and influences
editMusically, Soul Lady is primarily influenced by R&B and city pop, a genre of Japanese pop music that was popularized in the 1980s.[10][11][12] The record also features bubblegum pop, electropop, house and lo-fi styles, with elements of disco and funk.[11][12][13][14] Yukika cited the music of Mariya Takeuchi, Tomoko Aran and Kim Hyun-chul as the stylistic references for the album's sound.[15] Critics have also drawn musical comparisons to Japanese R&B music of the 1990s, namely the early works of Utada Hikaru, Namie Amuro, Miki Matsubara and Taeko Onuki.[11][14] Despite city pop's common association with "retro style", Yukika was adamant that Soul Lady had to remain sonically "modern".[16] In summation of her intention behind the record, she stated: "City pop may be considered something timeless or retro, [but] I don’t consider it ‘old music’ like others would. When I sing, I don't think of myself as singing ‘older music’. When I sing, I think of myself as singing current music."[17]
Thematically, Soul Lady centers on the story of a young woman who travels from Tokyo to Seoul in search of her dreams and falls into a bittersweet romance in the process.[2][13][18] The title of the album's introductory track, "From HND to GMP" (read as "From Haneda to Gimpo"),[18] is in reference to the flight between Haneda Airport and Gimpo International Airport.[11][18] The album draws parallels to Yukika's personal life as she adjusted to living in South Korea, and it has been described as largely autobiographical.[11][17][19] Tanu I. Raj of NME noted the analogous nature of the album: "On Soul Lady, Yukika was a starry-eyed girl “full of curiosity”, new to Seoul and dazzled by the “endless lights”’, ready to “discover another me”. Her personal story – her journey from Japan to South Korea – became the gateway to an evolved version of herself, where she used her Japanese roots as a sounding board to explore sounds above and beyond."[17]
"I Feel Love", the second track off the album, is a mid-tempo city pop song that borrows heavily from the funk genre.[11] The accompanying trumpet on the track is played by Yoo Seung-cheol.[14][20] Its lyrics speak about Yukika's initial excitement of moving to South Korea.[18][21]
Release and promotion
editOn December 7, 2019, Yukika announced via her Twitter account that her debut album would be released in 2020.[22] Soul Lady was primarily recorded in the Seocho District, Seoul between 2019 and 2020.[18]
Singles
edit"Neon" was released as the lead single to the then-unannounced album on February 21, 2019.[23][24] It is a city pop and R&B song that lyrically explores the story of a woman who falls in love during the silence of the city lights at night.[25] The premiere of the track was accompanied with the music video, which was directed by Digipedi.[26][27] Yukika appeared on several South Korean music programs to promote the song, the first being SBS MTV's The Show on February 26, 2019.[28] A promotional showcase for the single was held in Tokyo, Japan on April 23, 2019, and Yukika later performed "Neon" at the Makuhari Messe convention center as part of KCON Japan on May 17, 2019.[29][30] "Neon" received critical acclaim upon its release, with Seung Park from Kotaku commenting that the track was a "wonderful ode to [the] 80s",[31] and other reviewers praising it for being a part of the city pop genre resurgence.[32]
The second single, "Cherries Jubiles", was released on July 9, 2019.[33] A city pop track, Yukika sings about the difficulties of confessing your love to someone for the first time.[34] The song premiered alongside the music video, which was directed by Digipedi.[35] A director's cut of the music video was later made available on YouTube that features an updated display resolution and revised 4:3 aspect ratio.[36] Additionally, the single contains an acoustic version of the song that is present on the Soul Lady album as the final track.[37] At the time of the single's release, Yukika went on a brief hiatus for personal reasons, and was unable to promote it on music programs.[18]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Cultura |    [21] |
| IZM | [38] |
| Miojo Indie | 8/10[14] |
| Sputnikmusic | [13] |
The album's sound has been credited with influencing the South Korean newtro trend, a portmanteau of the words "new" and "retro".[15]
Year-end lists
edit| Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard | The 10 Best K-Pop Albums of 2020: Critics' Picks | 3
|
|
| Miojo Indie | The 50 Best International Records of 2020 | 19
|
|
| South China Morning Post | The Best K-pop Solo Albums of 2020 | — | |
| Teen Vogue | The Best K-Pop Moments of 2020 (Erica Russell) | — |
All-time lists
edit| Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| We Got This Covered | The 10 best K-pop albums of all time, ranked | 9
|
Accolades
edit| Year | Organization | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Korean Music Awards | Best Pop Album | Nominated |
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "From HND to GMP" (Intro) |
| 0:49 | |
| 2. | "I Feel Love" | Private |
| 3:55 |
| 3. | "Soul Lady" (서울여자; seouryeoja [lit. "Seoul Lady"]) |
|
| 3:35 |
| 4. | "Neon" (네온; neon) |
|
| 3:40 |
| 5. | "Yesterday" |
|
| 3:42 |
| 6. | "A Day for Love" (발걸음; balgeoreum [lit. "Footsteps"]) |
|
| 3:19 |
| 7. | "Pit-a-pet" (안아줘; anajwo [lit. "Hug Me"]) |
|
| 4:01 |
| 8. | "Cherries Jubiles" (좋아하고 있어요; joahago isseoyo [lit. "I Like You"]) |
|
| 4:05 |
| 9. | "I Need a Friend" (친구가 필요해; chinguga piryohae; Interlude) (featuring Kim Ha-neul) |
| 1:32 | |
| 10. | "Shade" (그늘; geuneul) |
|
| 4:16 |
| 11. | "All Flights Are Delayed" (Outro) |
| 1:32 | |
| 12. | "Neon 1989" |
|
| 2:26 |
| 13. | "Cherries Jubiles" (좋아하고 있어요; joahago isseoyo [lit. "I Like You"] (Acoustic Version) |
|
| 4:01 |
| Total length: | 40:53 | |||
Notes
edit- ^[a] "Neon" is omitted from digital international versions of the album at the request of the original distributor, Kakao M.[44]
- "I Feel Love", "Neon", "Soul Lady", "Shade", and "Neon 1989" is stylized in all uppercase.
- "Pit-a-pet" is stylized in all lowercase.
Personnel
editCredits adapted from Tidal and the album's liner notes.[45][20]
Vocals
- Yukika Teramoto – primary artist
- Jeon Jae-hee – background vocals (tracks 2, 5)
- Choi Young-kyung – background vocals (tracks 3, 7)
- Jang Hye-ji – background vocals (track 4)
- Kim So-hyun – background vocals (track 4)
- Yoo Young-jin – background vocals (tracks 6, 8)
- Kim Ha-neul – narration (track 9)
- Hwang Hyun – background vocals (track 10)
Instrumentation
- Jam String – strings (tracks 1, 12)
- Chu Dae-gwan – bass (track 2), brass (track 8)
- Joo Hyun-woo – brass (track 2), saxophone (tracks 2, 8)
- Kim Dong-min – guitar (track 2, 8)
- Ferdy – guitar (track 2)
- Son Young-jin – keyboard (track 2)
- Park Kyung-geon – trombone (tracks 2, 8)
- Yoo Seung-cheol – trumpet (tracks 2, 8)
- Choi Sin-yeob – bass (track 3), guitar (tracks 3, 7, 9), keyboard (track 7)
- ESTi – keyboard (tracks 3, 9, 11–12)
- Iggy – bass (track 4), guitar (track 4)
- C-no – bass (track 4), keyboard (track 4)
- Woong Kim – keyboard (track 4)
- GDLO – bass (track 5), keyboard (track 5)
- Yoon Sung-ho – guitar (track 5)
- Park Ki-tae – guitar (track 6)
- Son Go-eun – keyboard (track 6)
- TAK – keyboard (track 7)
- Kim Byung-seok – bass (track 8)
- Junpi – piano (track 8)
- Park Gi-hu – flute (track 8)
- 9rota – keyboard (track 10)
- Hwang Hyun – keyboard (track 10)
- Benicx – strings arrangement (track 12)
- Jukjae – acoustic arrangement (track 13), guitar (tracks 8, 13)
Production
- ESTi – creative direction, executive production, music production (tracks 1, 3, 9, 11–12)
- Oreo – music production (tracks 1, 4, 12)
- Chu Dae-gwan – music production (tracks 2, 8, 13), vocal direction (track 2)
- MosPick – music production (track 2), vocal direction (track 2)
- Choi Young-kyung – vocal direction (track 3, 8, 13)
- C-no – music production (tracks 4, 12), vocal direction (track 4)
- Iggy – music production (tracks, 4, 12), vocal direction (track 4)
- Woong Kim – music production (tracks 4, 12), vocal direction (track 4)
- GDLO – music production (tracks 5, 8, 13), vocal direction (tracks 3, 5, 8, 13)
- Nopari – music production (track 6)
- Son Go-eun – music production (track 6), vocal direction (track 6)
- Choi Sin-yeob – music production (track 7)
- TAK – music production (track 7), vocal direction (track 7)
- 9rota – music production (track 10)
- Hwang Hyun – music production (track 10), vocal direction (track 10)
Technical
- Kwon Nam-woo – mastering (tracks 1–3, 5–7, 9–12)
- Lee Sang-deok – recording (tracks 1, 12)
- Chu Dae-gwan – digital editing (tracks 2, 8, 13), mixing (track 13), recording (tracks 8, 13)
- Koo Jong-pil – mixing (tracks 2–3, 5)
- Hong Ki-hong – recording (tracks 2, 8)
- Choi Da-in – recording assistant (track 2)
- Lee Chan-mi – recording assistant (track 2)
- Choi Young-kyung – digital editing (track 3)
- ESTi – digital editing (tracks 3, 5), mixing (tracks 9, 11–12), recording (tracks 9, 11–12)
- GDLO – digital editing (tracks 3, 8, 13), recording (tracks 8, 13)
- Jaden Jeong – A&R (track 4)
- Park Jung-eun – mastering (track 4)
- Lee Tae-seop – mixing (track 4)
- Oreo – recording (track 4)
- Nopari – digital editing (track 6)
- Son Go-eun – digital editing (track 6)
- Park Chul-geun – mixing (track 6)
- TAK – mixing (track 7)
- Bk! – mastering (tracks 8, 13)
- Noah Taylor – mixing (track 8)
- Kang Seon-young – digital editing (track 10), recording (tracks 2–3, 5–8, 10, 13)
- Hwang Hyun – digital editing (track 10)
- 9rota – mixing (track 10)
Charts
editRelease history
edit| Region | Date | Format | Version | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | July 21, 2020 | Standard |
|
[1] | |
| South Korea | August 10, 2020 | CD | [48] |
Footnotes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "유키카 YUKIKA - 1st ALBUM 「서울여자(SOUL LADY)」 앨범 예약판매중!" [YUKIKA - 1st ALBUM 「SOUL LADY」 Album on pre-order now!]. yukika.kr (in Korean). Estimate Entertainment. July 24, 2020. Archived from the original on September 23, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
- ^ a b Jung, Min-ho (August 27, 2020). "[INTERVIEW] A Seoul lady from Japan". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ Teramoto, Yukika (January 5, 2012). "皆様へ". Ameba Blogs (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 5, 2012.
- ^ a b "元「nicola」モデル寺本來可が韓国スター発掘番組「MIXNINE」に参戦＜プロフィール＞" [Former "Nicola" model Yukika Teramoto participates in the Korean star discovery program "MIXNINE" <Profile>]. Model Press (in Japanese). October 30, 2017. Archived from the original on November 28, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
- ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (May 30, 2016). "Actress Yukika Teramoto Is Finalist for The Idolm@ster.KR Live-Action South Korean Show Auditions". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 28, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ Kitano, Shun (March 31, 2017). "『アイドルマスター.KR』唯一の日本人キャストのユキカにインタビュー――『アイドルマスター』へのアツい思いも！" [An interview with Yukika, the only Japanese cast member of "THE IDOLM@STER.KR" - Her passionate thoughts on "THE IDOLM@STER"!]. Famitsu (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ "Japanese female singers rush to the Korean K-pop market". The Dong-a Ilbo. August 8, 2019. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Abanes, Mariel (April 8, 2021). "Watch Yukika's fantastical video for new single 'Insomnia'". NME. Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
- ^ a b Kwon, Yae-rim (July 30, 2020). "[Herald Interview] Yukika's journey from Japanese actress to K-pop artist". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
- ^ "City Pop Queen Yukika and Electronic Dance Music DJ/Producer Pat Lok Release a Collaboration Song, "The Moment"". DJ Mag Asia. July 2, 2021. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Gebru, Yared (August 7, 2020). "Fly Back to 1989 With YUKIKA on 'Soul Lady'". ADP.FM. Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
- ^ a b c "The 10 Best K-Pop Albums of 2020: Critics' Picks". Billboard. November 23, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Yukika – Soul Lady Album Review". Sputnikmusic. August 2020. Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Facchi, Cleber (August 4, 2020). "Crítica – Yukika: "Soul Lady"". Miojo Indie (in Portuguese). Retrieved September 7, 2021.
- ^ a b Y., Rohan (September 26, 2019). "Talks With Newtro Pop Singer, YUKIKA In The Eve Of Neon Flashing City Exclusive Interview". Kpopmap. Archived from the original on November 27, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
- ^ St. Michael, Patrick (August 6, 2020). "City Pop on Vinyl brings back the glitzed-out sounds of Japan's bubble". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
- ^ a b c Raj, Tanu I. (January 6, 2022). "Yukika on the revival of city pop: "People that are into that niche genre will follow"". NME. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f 유키카 YUKIKA 「서울여자(SOUL LADY)」 1st Album Self Commentary Film (Commentary film). Estimate Entertainment. August 20, 2020. Archived from the original on August 7, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ "유키카 첫 정규 '서울여자', 8개국 아이튠즈 K-POP 1위" [Yukika's first full-length album 'Seoul Lady' ranked No. 1 on iTunes K-POP Chart in 8 countries]. The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). July 23, 2020. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ a b 유키카 Yukika 1st Album – Highlight Medley (13 Tracks) (Highlight medley). Estimate Entertainment. July 16, 2020. Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2020 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b Yucki, Bernadetta (July 24, 2020). "Yukika: Soul Lady Album Review". Cultura (in Indonesian). Retrieved September 7, 2021.
- ^ @YUKIKAofficial (December 7, 2019). "#YUKIKA #FULLALBUM #2020 #SOON" (Tweet). Retrieved July 27, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ Kim, Ha-jin (March 9, 2019). "'日 출신 K팝 루키' 유키카, 찰라네온과 협업 펼친다" ['Japanese K-pop rookie' Yukika debuts with Neon]. TenAsia (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
- ^ "日本人アイドルYUKIKA（ユキカ）がソロデビュー！". Wow! Korea (in Japanese). February 22, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ Yucki, Bernadetta (September 6, 2019). "City Pop: Genre Musik Estetika 80an dari Jepang". Cultura (in Indonesian). Retrieved July 25, 2020.
- ^ Lee, Jeong-bum (February 21, 2019). "유키카(YUKIKA), 첫 번째 솔로 싱글 '네온(NEON)' MV 티저 공개 - 이정범 기자". Top Star News (in Korean). Retrieved July 25, 2020.
- ^ Jackson, Julie (March 6, 2016). "[Hallyu Power] Digipedi, the duo behind some of K-pop's oddest videos". The Korea Herald. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
- ^ Jeong, Seong-yi (March 19, 2019). "[HD포토] 유키카(YUKIKA), '네온보다 빛나는 미모' (더쇼) - 정송이 기자". Top Star News (in Korean). Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- ^ "YUKIKA First Japan Showcase -NEON-" (in Japanese). Konis Entertainment. Archived from the original on December 9, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
- ^ "LINE UP (数字、アルファベット順) コンベンション 出演アーティスト 5/17(金)" [LINE UP (numerical order, alphabetical order) Convention Artists, May 17] (in Japanese). KCON. Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ Park, Seung (March 21, 2019). "K-Pop Pick Of The Day: Neon". Kotaku. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- ^ Chu, Li-Wei (February 27, 2019). "YUKIKA (유키카) – "NEON (네온)"". From the Intercom. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- ^ Lee, Jeong-ho (July 9, 2019). "유키카, 오늘(9일) 신곡 '좋아하고 있어요' 발매". Star News (in Korean). Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- ^ Kim, Ye-na (July 9, 2020). "유키카는 '좋아하고 있어요'". YTN (in Korean). Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- ^ Kim, Hyo-jin (February 28, 2020). "유키카 '좋아하고 있어요' 뮤직비디오, 40만 뷰 돌파…'조용히 강한 시티팝' - 김효진 기자". Top Star News (in Korean). Retrieved July 25, 2020.
- ^ "[4K] YUKIKA(유키카) _ Cherries Jubiles(좋아하고 있어요) Director's Cut MV". Estimate Entertainment. YouTube. July 9, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- ^ "Cherries Jubiles – Single by Yukika on Apple Music". Apple Music. July 9, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- ^ Kim, Do-heon (August 2020). "유키카 '서울여자' (2020) - Neo Music Communication IZM - 이즘". IZM (in Korean). Retrieved September 7, 2020.
- ^ Facchi, Cleber (December 17, 2020). "Os 50 Melhores Discos Internacionais de 2020". Miojo Indie (in Portuguese). Retrieved September 7, 2021.
- ^ Herman, Tamar (December 17, 2020). "The best K-pop solo albums of 2020: BoA, Kai, Hwa Sa and more". South China Morning Post. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ "The Best K-Pop Moments of 2020". Teen Vogue. Condé Nast. December 18, 2020. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
- ^ White, Staci (December 26, 2022). "The 10 Best K-Pop Albums of 2020: Critics' Picks". We Got This Covered. Archived from the original on January 21, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
- ^ "Korean Music Awards unveil list of nominees – BTS, Yerin Baek, EXO's Baekhyun, HYUKOH, and more". Bandwagon Asia. January 21, 2021. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
- ^ @YUKIKAofficial (July 21, 2020). "🔔[YUKIKA Official Notice from ESTIMATE] 7/21⏰「서울여자(SOUL LADY)」 2020.07.21 6PM KST #유키카 #YUKIKA #1stALBUM #서울여자 #SoulLady #ESTIMATE" (Tweet). Retrieved July 22, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Soul Lady by Yukika". Tidal. Archived from the original on July 21, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- ^ "2020년 33주차 Album Chart". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Retrieved February 24, 2021.
- ^ "2020년 08월 Album Chart". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Retrieved February 24, 2021.
- ^ "유키카 '서울여자(SOUL LADY)' 음반 발매 일정 연기 안내" [Announcement of Delay of the 'SOUL LADY' physical album release.]. yukika.kr (in Korean). Estimate Entertainment. July 29, 2020. Archived from the original on September 23, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2024.