[Exclusive Interview] SHUSHU9 Offers Comfort and Hope with Relatable Lyrics

byCiera Reeves -December 17, 2022

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ShuShu9 is a singer-songwriter indie pop, and RnB artist, who made her solo debut in September with the single 'Life Swimmer.' In November she released her second single 'Fade Away.' Her signature chill and calming music is filled with relatability and provides hope and comfort to those when they are feeling down.

A fan described it best through their commentary.

"These lyrics really touch my heart. I was feeling very down and depressed last year, and im still trying to fight it this year. Your song’s lyrics are beautiful, and represent a struggle many people might have that they are brave enough to speak about. I hope your music gets more recognition because I can tell you put a lot of hard work and time into this." (Honey Skies via YouTube)

In this interview, KpopWise gets to know ShuShu9's music and inspirations.

Hello, ShuShu9, can you introduce yourself to the audience? What does ShuShu9 mean?

Hello, nice to meet you :) I'm Shushu9.

My real name is HYESOO, so I repeated SHU, which is similar to SOO, twice for pronunciation, and I added NINE because I was born in September.

So the meaning is, in the end, Hye-soo in September. I wanted to make my stage name with a familiar pronunciation that is related to me and has been called before.

No matter how cool it is, I think I'll be a little shy when I'm called by a strange name.

I think 10 is the perfect number, but I liked the positive tension of 9 just before that.

I'm satisfied with the current combination of names because cloud9 comes to mind, which means "the happiest moment of my life."

I think it's moderately cute and moderately vague.

You were part of a band before, what is the difference between being in a band and being solo?

We've been through a lot of team activities. At first, there was a band called "The Evening."

It was a team that sang the youth that was clumsy but shiny when it was pure and dreamy.

When I worked as a team, I liked the fact that I could rely on each other because I had colleagues who shared responsibilities.

The style that you will never do alone, and the fact that you can try new things with your individuality.

'Lifeswimmer' Music Video

Your songs are relatable to many people. What are your inspirations for songwriting?

As much as I have a lot of thoughts, I feel happy about small things, and on the other hand, I tend to get depressed easily.

I think it's the beginning of the lyrics to take notes of those mood swings.

Especially when I travel listening to music on the subway or bus, I get the most thoughts.

Other than that, I get a lot of inspiration from the ever-changing weather, nature, or conversation with people.

First thing you do in the morning?

It's a habit I want to fix, but I look at my phone first.
I turn off the alarm and see if there's a new message.

What are your hobbies when you’re not creating music?

I can't stand the silence, so I habitually turn on YouTube.

The most frequently watched content is K-pop-related content, including music videos and live clip worldview analysis.

Other than that, pictures! I like to be photographed. Time goes on, but I think it's really fascinating that photos can leave the moment forever.

Photo by Yun Hae Su

If you could go on tour which countries would you visit?

I really like traveling, but it's been a long time since I couldn't go because of COVID-19.

Anywhere would be fine, but now I'm thinking of France's Giverny! I want to face the landscape in Monet's painting.

Also, I really want to go to Amsterdam, where I became more dreamy after watching the movie The Fault in Our Stars.

Are there any artists you would love to collaborate with?

Honne and KESHI! They are amazing, chill atmosphere, and sensual sound-making artists, so I want to work with them.

What is a message that your want to give through your music?

There's no big message, but each person has their own depression and patheticness that they don't say because it's trivial.

'Fade Away' Music Video

But I want people to think, "Oh, I'm not the only one who's doing this."

In the end, everyone lives in a normal day with nothing special, waiting for the sparkle that will come in a moment.

Everyone's having a boring time until they find it.

I hope those humble facts pile up one by one to be a small comfort.

Is there a genre of music that you want to try?

Just to give you a vague idea, it would be fun to try Neo Soul or a heavy industrial genre!

Photo by Yun Hae Su

What can we expect from you next?

As I showed in my previous work 'Lifeswimmer' and 'fadeaway', I think there will be a little more records about the days when I was somewhat pessimistic and helpless about life.

But I don't want to make music that makes me feel bad after listening to it.

I think it's my own rule to always end it with even a small hope.

We're preparing for our third single in the first half of next year, so please look forward to it!

And the important thing! On December 15, a new team called "FLUFFY SNOW" will release their first single.

It's a team armed with friendly language and warm sounds that go well with winter.

You'll be able to see a different charm from Shushu9.
Please interview this team later Haha.

FLUFFY SNOW - 'NOSTALGIA'