Image credit: Dan Medhurst
박혜진 Park Hye Jin has released the second single from her highly anticipated debut album ‘Before I Die’. Following the wistful house of lead single ‘Let’s Sing Let’s Dance’, ‘Whatchu Doin Later’ sees Hye Jin switching between the sung chorus and verses rapped in her native Korean and highlights another side to an album that encapsulates the electronic, rap/hip-hop and downtempo sensibilities of this multifaceted artist.
‘Before I Die’—set for release on 10th September on Ninja Tune—is entirely written, produced and performed by the South Korean-born and now LA-based the producer, rapper, singer and DJ, and comes on the heels of a string of collaborations, working with the likes of Clams Casino & Take A Daytrip (“Y DON’T U”), Blood Orange (“CALL ME (Freestyle)”) and Nosaj Thing (“CLOUDS”), plus a remix from Galcher Lustwerk (“Can you”).
It follows the release of her hugely successful ‘How can I’ EP, with Hye Jin drawing widespread support from the likes of Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Jezebel, FADER, DAZED, i-D, E!, Resident Advisor, Exclaim!, Hypebeast and many more. She was additionally featured in numerous ‘Best Of 2020’ lists from Billboard, The Guardian, NYLON and others, included in the NME 100 list of ‘Essential emerging artists for 2021’ & V Mag’s ‘Generation V’ series, and highlighted by British GQ and Stereogum as ‘One to Watch’. The EP’s lead single, ’Like this’—hailed by Mixmag as one of the “best tracks of 2020” and featured on the FIFA 2021 soundtrack—was supported across BBC Radio 1 and 6 Music (where it was playlisted for multiple weeks) with plays from Annie Mac, Clara Amfo, Lauren Laverne, Phil Taggart and many more. In the US the track was #1 of ‘Top Electronic’ in the NACC Charts (North American College and Community Radio), and in the ‘Top 200’ overall, with further support from KEXP, KCRW, SiriusXMU and more.
‘Before I Die’ is set for release on 10th September on Ninja Tune, with Hye Jin also heading out on a run of North American tour dates later this year which includes a co-headline show at Elsewhere with Shlohmo, III Points Festival in Miami and more.
North American Tour Dates:
Sept 25 – San Diego, CA – CRSSD Festival
Oct 7 – Toronto, ON – Coda
Oct 8 – Brooklyn, NY – Elsewhere
Oct 15 – San Francisco, CA – 1015 Folsom
Oct 22 – Miami, FL – III Points Festival
Oct 23 – New Orleans, LA – Buku Festival
Follow 박혜진 Park Hye Jin:
Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / YouTube / Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Spotify / AppleMusic