Acclaimed K-pop soloist Ailee returns with a bang! In her second full-length offering called “butterFLY” — led by the track “Room Shaker” — she showcases a unique sound that veers away from her usual musical repertoire.
In “Room Shaker,” the diva trades her high notes with ones that perfectly suit the song’s hip-hop inclination. Being laced with enjoyable beats and groove-inducing mid-tempo rap verses, the track generously provides a display of Ailee’s versatility as a vocalist — and as seen in its music video — as a dancer as well.
In a showcase promoting her latest effort, she admitted that this genre is something that she has never tried before.
“People already know me for my vocal abilities, and this time, I didn’t want to do more of that. Now, there aren’t many high notes instead I focused on delivering the lyrics,” she further shared.
The fresh-sounding “Room Shaker” is just one of the ten songs in “butterFLY” that will spotlight Ailee’s well-roundedness when it comes to her music. “Love,” another cut lifted off the record, is a collaborative track with EXO’s Chen and is leaning towards the jazzier side.
Speaking about the album, she revealed that she wanted to “fill it with tracks bearing unique sound and atmosphere,” comparing it with a colorful and varied print found in the wings of butterflies.
“butterFLY” comes two years after her last release, “Reminiscing.”
In the same year, she also made waves in the Korean music charts with “I Will Go to YouLike the First Snow,” the theme song of the hit fantasy drama series “Goblin.”
Sharing the pressure she experienced about releasing new music after the said smash hit, Ailee admitted she “felt a lot of burdens because may people look forward to the next track she will be offering.”
This burden is also what prompted her to choose meticulously as to which track will front her new album.
“I changed my title track every month, going all through the 10 songs [in the album,” she said, however clarifying that all the preparations she made for her comeback have all become an important part of her memory.
Originally from the US, the Korean-American singer broke into the K-pop scene with her 2012 hit, “Heaven.”
