Versatile Korean band Se So Neon has carved a niche in the K-indie scene since its debut in 2016, but its reach is not limited to the Korean audience. They have been invited to festivals all over the world and have completed multiple world tours, and their 2023 world tour is a testament to their continued resonance with audiences of all backgrounds. Even in Portland, a city where K-pop acts shy away from in favor of areas with a denser fanbase, the band was greeted with a sold-out show at Polaris Hall.
Almost exactly on the stated start time, the band stepped onstage and was greeted with excited cheers in the sold-out venue. They launched immediately into “joke!”, an uptempo, almost abrasive song with tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Hwang SoYoon, the main vocalist, guitarist, and de facto spokesperson of the group, is charismatic in an edgy way, sporting thin-rimmed glasses and a shock of maroon hair. Despite having a bit of hoarseness in her upper register and admitting to being tired from touring activities, she poured her heart out in the middle register and rocked out on the guitar. In fact, she seemed full of energy and would stride across the stage to interact with the other band members and with the audience. Compared to bands with more guitarists, the bassist, Park Hyunjin, plays a more prominent role and often has rhythmically and melodically interesting passages. Kim Hyungkyun, the drummer, joins the duo with a relaxed yet propulsive approach to the rhythmic backbone.
Se So Neon showcased all the tracks from their latest EP, Nonadaptation, a project that examines the uncertainties that come with growing up. “Ung” opened with what sounds like a staticky recording that warped into a distorted jumble before launching into effervescent synths. The bubbly synths gave way to a dreamlike melody, reappearing at points to add a bit of sparkle. Their most well-known songs, “Go Back” and “Nan Chun,” both struck a fine balance between deliciously catchy choruses and more reflective, delicate verses. The audience was happy to sing along while swaying to the undulating beat. The band also performed a song from Soyoon’s solo project (So!YoON!) called “Athena,” which started with a catchy guitar phrase that got passed from the guitar to the bassline and wrapped up with a high-energy, grungy instrumental breakdown. Especially in solo instrumental sections like these, the band channeled a jazzy spirit of improvisation that brought a freshness to live shows.
Se So Neon’s music resonates particularly well with young adults not just because they touch upon the internal emptiness and hollowness that many feel in an age fixated on external pursuits, but also because they find pockets of meaning and rebellious joy in the face of these external pressures. Their unreleased song called “3 Revolutions” encapsulates their defiant side, with powerful belting and a chugging, cyberpunk-esque bassline. The audience even joined in during the chorus with perfectly timed “ooh ooh oooh ooh’s.”
Their latest single release, “Kidd,” opened quietly with voice and piano accompaniment before segueing into a full-blown anthemic ballad and then closing with an unexpectedly grand orchestral outro. There’s a celebratory feeling about this song, but it retains the pining, nostalgic quality consistent across Se So Neon’s discography. To close out the evening, Soyoon invited the audience to “find some planets together” during the atmospheric track “Jayu,” to which the crowd obliged by singing along and creating a shimmering sea of stars with their phone flashlights.
Se So Neon’s poetic and existential lyrics coupled with an incessant penchant for sonic experimentation leads to a versatility that remains grounded in visceral feeling. Their expressiveness comes not from theatrics, but from the pure joy they seem to feel from performing.
Click on the photo below to view our photos from the show:
