hanbee unveils dreamy ode to summer double single, ‘always summer’ / ‘koi’
PRAISE FOR hanbee
“Making music that captures the highs and lows of navigating one’s twenties”
“drops lightly melancholic indie pop songs like it’s the easiest thing to do in the world”
“instead of wallowing in her solitude, hanbee embraces herself with endearing self-love letters”
“hanbee’s sharp ear for melody shines”
‘always summer’ / ‘koi’ is out now, buy/stream here.
NZ-Korean indie pop artist hanbee today returns with a new double single release, ‘always summer’ / ‘koi’. LISTEN HERE + WATCH HERE.
Boasting a live band feel in contrast to her earlier releases, ‘always summer’ and ‘koi’ sees hanbee dabble in the gentle, meditative and hypnotic, speaking to holiday memories. Replete with buttery lyricism as “Summer is here to make you stay,” she glides over buoyant guitar-lines and analogue instrumentation on ‘always summer’, while the lackadaisical ‘koi’ buoys with dual harmonies and enchanting melody. Nostalgic and ubiquitous at once, chronicled through a recount of moments that extend between past loves and solitude.
‘always summer’ / ‘koi’ is another look into the music world of hanbee, whose breezy, lo-fi pop production is delicately crafted to resonate deeply. Both halves complement each side of a shared story, standing equally at home amongst a Wes Anderson adventure, as within a multi-hour long mood inspired playlist on Youtube – both key avenues of core music discovery. Visually manifest through ‘always summer’s music video, with a vignette of treasures spliced through seasonal scene-scapes.
With a warm musicality that maintains a level of honesty and openness, hanbee shares “Every summer returns bringing memories infused with us, like a distant recurring dream. Our footprints in the sand, the trees whispering in our ears, the hot summer breeze clinging tight to our skin, and the summer rain that washes all our troubles away – memories of our summer will always come around. ‘always summer’ is a double single of two summer stories; whether it be one of past love or one of peaceful solitude – summer will always be here again for you.”
Following the release of her debut album small love last year – with her song ‘strange’ listed in Apple Music Korea’s 100 Best Songs of 2024 and hanbee awarded the platform’s Up Next artist – hanbee has been marked by steady growth and acclaim, propelled by her viral single ‘Strawberry’ and culminating in a nomination for Best New Artist at the Rolling Stone Aotearoa Awards. Along the way, she has captured audiences with her distinctive sound and introspective lyricism, earning praise from Coup De Main, Rolling Stone, 10 Magazine, Mixmag AU/NZ, Frankie Magazine, Sniffers, and Pilerats, streaming support from playlists such as EQUAL, Pop n’ Fresh, softly, and Fresh Finds and taken to the stage performing at Laneway Festival, SXSW Australia, and alongside the likes of Men I Trust, Fazerdaze, and Telenova.
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