Album Review | LeeSun Grabs Our Attention on Debut Singing You This Song
LeeSun is a singer-songwriter from a curiously successful lineage of those who had international upbringings. Originally from Seoul, Korea, her family moved to Canada when she was an infant. From there she progressed to Leeds, England where she resides today composing music for independent releases.
Singing You This Song is her first full length release and comes off the back of months of concentrated efforts with studio musicians to realise her ideas. The core concept of the album is free, unabashed expression of one’s feelings as an act of self liberation and the discharge of negativity. The overtly sweet nature of her music may tread into the obnoxiously saccharine for some, but this is the central hook of LeeSun’s charming and radiant personality, and it’s rapidly garnering her a well-deserved fan base.
‘Wishing’ is the album opener and immediately grabs the listener’s attention with the warm and soothing vocal/acoustic mix in the spirit of Norah Jones. Not only lyrically but also atmospherically does she get across the idea of eternal optimism in spite of suffering. Relatable, endearing, and passionate.
Lead single, ‘Dry Your Tears’, is characterised by the haunting vocals, delicate, raindrop-esque guitar playing, and brilliant melodic hooks. Her part-bluesy vocals tango alongside tremolo-drenched cowboy guitars, while the beat drags on in an eerily cautious fashion. Personal pain and the process of overcoming it is a recurring theme in LeeSun’s tunes, and this song is the peak of her explorations into the more tender areas of the heart.
Follow up single, ‘My Life’, is a goofy pop number that couldn’t be more upbeat if it wanted to be. K-Pop cutesiness covers the verse while choral chants dominate the song’s melodic hook. It’s perfect single material and encapsulates LeeSun’s vision of life. Worth checking out for the music video alone.
Commenting on ‘My Life’, LeeSun captured the essence of her artistry, saying that the tune is “…all about the drum fills. In other words, it’s about doing what makes you happy, no excuses who cares what others think. Just don’t hurt others while you’re at it!”
4/5
