Suran’s new EP Flyin’ (Part 1) is her personalized stamp on the music industry. Just last year she carved out a piece for herself and like-minded creators with the foundation of her own label, S-TASY. Released on March 23, 2022, the EP is the sequel to Walkin’ and Jumpin’ that unapologetically celebrates her freedom of expression and her journey to shape her musical identity. More than ever, this album highlights Suran as a vocal chameleon, shifting tone and color to match her featured artists, the message of the song, and the feelings she wants to portray. Her music intends to convey hope and is a whimsical journey through fantasy.
[INTERVIEW] Suran on “Blanket” Release, Honing Her Craft, and Her Musical Journey
The industry veteran crafts the first song on the album, “Let it Fly,” with the zest of years of experience. Sassy and clever with just a touch of the fantastical, the R&B tune is layers of musical goodness introduced in pieces. Setting the groove are the bass sounds of a 1980s drum machine most commonly referred to as “the 808,” some piano synths, and Suran’s ethereal voice uttering the song’s title. She refrains from adding more layers as she begins the first verse in lower tones, pronouncing the words with a bit of a sleepy slur that furthers the dreamy groove. “Seoul is where I live,” she sings in Korean, and continues to describe a fairytale-like world within the city while repeating lyrics to further entrench the groove. Slowly, her composition eases us into the pre-chorus, adding a single layer background music as she croons, “Don’t need to worry about a thing…I’m letting go of all I know, get lost in motion.” With these words that throw cares away, the pre-chorus builds up more layers and climaxes in an unexpected chorus with lyrics of pure fantasy. As the song ebbs and flows with the 808, Suran’s lyrics and the dreamy melody, it’s easy to get swept away to go “riding over [a] rainbow” with her.
In contrast with the dreamy fantasy of “Let It Fly,” Suran features rap veteran Dok2 to deliver her first all-English song, “Devils in the City,” a quiet, but hard-hitting mix of pop, R&B, and House that grounds the dreamer of the first track into a darker reality. Suran’s seductive lyrics are pitted over slow moving keys and rhythmic bass as she warns “One step could cost your prayer.” While she is the voice of reason in the dark city as the music builds, Dok2 is the voice of temptation as he raps over smooth chords, “Put on some music pedal to the metal out the city / Enjoy the moment this life that I choose.” Transitions between verse and chorus are made of artfully-crafted sound effects with obvious thought to how to build a darker musical world with battling synths and heavy bass.
Continuing the feeling of fantasy and otherworldliness, dance-pop and R&B mix lead single, “Diamonds (feat. TAEYONG of NCT),” takes flight back into a timeless world made of Suran’s futuristic production and poetic lyrics. Once again featuring the 808 rhythm machine, she begins with “I feel dizzy / I’m flying with my fantasy” as the pulsing synths drag her sassy vocals along on an adventure. In the music video Suran, garbed in pale, flowing, shining dresses, moves from behind a translucent screen to reveal herself as her voice is mixed with different whimsical effects to create the fantasy. After a stark pause that creates anticipation, NCT Taeyong’s charming, swinging vocals with the lyrics, “My mind is living in ghibli / I believe in the charm of classics,” pay homage to a classical Miyazaki fantasy world. Dressed in black with chains, he stands against a black background as he sings of fantasy. When the two sing together, they stand on opposite sides of a window-like structure, shining black and white reflections of each other. While the music video’s colors shift with Suran and Taeyong’s vocal tones, the tune is also a sincere pledge to always be there for her fans as an artist and a singer.
“I decided to keep believing what I believe in and I hope you never lose yourself. Through this album, I hope you can find hope, hold on to your dreams forever and open your heart.”
– Suran
At first listen, the album’s third track, “Lucky Star,” is deceptively simple, much like the quiet kid in the back of the classroom who has a lot to say. After multiple listens, Suran’s message starts to peek through the 80s style synths laid over a mix of hip-hop, bossa nova, and reggae rhythms. It is a hopeful message conveying that dreams will come true, delivered by her thoughtful lyrics and groovy R&B melody. Although unique among the album’s tracks, Suran ties “Lucky Star” thematically to the other songs with “Lucky star from when / Believe that dreams will come true / and now in this dark city /will you make me shine,” weaving together the whimsy of belief with the dark city. Suran’s vocals in this track in particular are quite airy, delicate, and explores the different colors of her voice.
Much as life wavers from looking to the future to reveling in the past, so too does this album as “Wish i could” dips into an orchestral pool of sad contemplation led by the broken chords of a harp and Suran’s voice in a slow, mourning melody.
Much as life wavers from looking to the future to reveling in the past, so too does this album as “Wish i could” dips into an orchestral pool of sad contemplation led by the broken chords of a harp and followed by piano and a Suran’s voice in a slow, mourning melody. “It was like hell. I want to stop falling in love, yeah.” Unlike the fancy and twilight of earlier songs, “Wish i could” delves into sorrow of pushing through life alone with her pensive lyrics, wailing melody, and driving piano that not only crafts a world of grief, but also births a feeling of expectation at the end of heartbreak. It swells to an orchestrally driven peak, and diminishes into quiet reflection as the harp brings the song to an end.
To close out her third EP, Suran places her first digital single released under her independent label S-TASY, “Sunny.” Despite its bright name and hopeful message, “Sunny” is minimalistic in how it combines R&B and the soul of Korean ballads. Again, spacy synths play a strong role in driving the song’s drama and creating a full sonic landscape and connecting it to her newer material. It is punctuated by groovy bass, drums, and snaps that eventually fade away, leaving her voice and the synths to let the track quietly fade away.
At the end of the EP, Flyin’ (Part 1) leaves contentment. It wove through highs and lows both lyrically and musically, shaping a whimsical journey through dreams and reality. Suran’s growth as a musician, creator, and producer is reflected in each creative decision, which means you’ll assuredly be looking forward to part 2 and more from this triple threat creator.
Flyin’ (Part 1) is available now on all major streaming platforms. Watch the “Diamonds (feat. TAEYONG of NCT)” video on Youtube and stream the EP on Spotify below.
Suran’s new EP Flyin’ (Part 1) is her personalized stamp on the music industry. Just last year she carved out a piece for herself and like-minded creators with the foundation of her own label, S-TASY. Released on March 23, 2022, the EP is the sequel to Walkin’ and Jumpin’ that unapologetically celebrates her freedom of expression and her journey to shape her musical identity. More than ever, this album highlights Suran as a vocal chameleon, shifting tone and color to match her featured artists, the message of the song, and the feelings she wants to portray. Her music intends to convey hope and is a whimsical journey through fantasy.
[INTERVIEW] Suran on “Blanket” Release, Honing Her Craft, and Her Musical Journey
The industry veteran crafts the first song on the album, “Let it Fly,” with the zest of years of experience. Sassy and clever with just a touch of the fantastical, the R&B tune is layers of musical goodness introduced in pieces. Setting the groove are the bass sounds of a 1980s drum machine most commonly referred to as “the 808,” some piano synths, and Suran’s ethereal voice uttering the song’s title. She refrains from adding more layers as she begins the first verse in lower tones, pronouncing the words with a bit of a sleepy slur that furthers the dreamy groove. “Seoul is where I live,” she sings in Korean, and continues to describe a fairytale-like world within the city while repeating lyrics to further entrench the groove. Slowly, her composition eases us into the pre-chorus, adding a single layer background music as she croons, “Don’t need to worry about a thing…I’m letting go of all I know, get lost in motion.” With these words that throw cares away, the pre-chorus builds up more layers and climaxes in an unexpected chorus with lyrics of pure fantasy. As the song ebbs and flows with the 808, Suran’s lyrics and the dreamy melody, it’s easy to get swept away to go “riding over [a] rainbow” with her.
In contrast with the dreamy fantasy of “Let It Fly,” Suran features rap veteran Dok2 to deliver her first all-English song, “Devils in the City,” a quiet, but hard-hitting mix of pop, R&B, and House that grounds the dreamer of the first track into a darker reality. Suran’s seductive lyrics are pitted over slow moving keys and rhythmic bass as she warns “One step could cost your prayer.” While she is the voice of reason in the dark city as the music builds, Dok2 is the voice of temptation as he raps over smooth chords, “Put on some music pedal to the metal out the city / Enjoy the moment this life that I choose.” Transitions between verse and chorus are made of artfully-crafted sound effects with obvious thought to how to build a darker musical world with battling synths and heavy bass.
Continuing the feeling of fantasy and otherworldliness, dance-pop and R&B mix lead single, “Diamonds (feat. TAEYONG of NCT),” takes flight back into a timeless world made of Suran’s futuristic production and poetic lyrics. Once again featuring the 808 rhythm machine, she begins with “I feel dizzy / I’m flying with my fantasy” as the pulsing synths drag her sassy vocals along on an adventure. In the music video Suran, garbed in pale, flowing, shining dresses, moves from behind a translucent screen to reveal herself as her voice is mixed with different whimsical effects to create the fantasy. After a stark pause that creates anticipation, NCT Taeyong’s charming, swinging vocals with the lyrics, “My mind is living in ghibli / I believe in the charm of classics,” pay homage to a classical Miyazaki fantasy world. Dressed in black with chains, he stands against a black background as he sings of fantasy. When the two sing together, they stand on opposite sides of a window-like structure, shining black and white reflections of each other. While the music video’s colors shift with Suran and Taeyong’s vocal tones, the tune is also a sincere pledge to always be there for her fans as an artist and a singer.
“I decided to keep believing what I believe in and I hope you never lose yourself. Through this album, I hope you can find hope, hold on to your dreams forever and open your heart.”
– Suran
At first listen, the album’s third track, “Lucky Star,” is deceptively simple, much like the quiet kid in the back of the classroom who has a lot to say. After multiple listens, Suran’s message starts to peek through the 80s style synths laid over a mix of hip-hop, bossa nova, and reggae rhythms. It is a hopeful message conveying that dreams will come true, delivered by her thoughtful lyrics and groovy R&B melody. Although unique among the album’s tracks, Suran ties “Lucky Star” thematically to the other songs with “Lucky star from when / Believe that dreams will come true / and now in this dark city /will you make me shine,” weaving together the whimsy of belief with the dark city. Suran’s vocals in this track in particular are quite airy, delicate, and explores the different colors of her voice.
Much as life wavers from looking to the future to reveling in the past, so too does this album as “Wish i could” dips into an orchestral pool of sad contemplation led by the broken chords of a harp and Suran’s voice in a slow, mourning melody.
Much as life wavers from looking to the future to reveling in the past, so too does this album as “Wish i could” dips into an orchestral pool of sad contemplation led by the broken chords of a harp and followed by piano and a Suran’s voice in a slow, mourning melody. “It was like hell. I want to stop falling in love, yeah.” Unlike the fancy and twilight of earlier songs, “Wish i could” delves into sorrow of pushing through life alone with her pensive lyrics, wailing melody, and driving piano that not only crafts a world of grief, but also births a feeling of expectation at the end of heartbreak. It swells to an orchestrally driven peak, and diminishes into quiet reflection as the harp brings the song to an end.
To close out her third EP, Suran places her first digital single released under her independent label S-TASY, “Sunny.” Despite its bright name and hopeful message, “Sunny” is minimalistic in how it combines R&B and the soul of Korean ballads. Again, spacy synths play a strong role in driving the song’s drama and creating a full sonic landscape and connecting it to her newer material. It is punctuated by groovy bass, drums, and snaps that eventually fade away, leaving her voice and the synths to let the track quietly fade away.
At the end of the EP, Flyin’ (Part 1) leaves contentment. It wove through highs and lows both lyrically and musically, shaping a whimsical journey through dreams and reality. Suran’s growth as a musician, creator, and producer is reflected in each creative decision, which means you’ll assuredly be looking forward to part 2 and more from this triple threat creator.
Flyin’ (Part 1) is available now on all major streaming platforms. Watch the “Diamonds (feat. TAEYONG of NCT)” video on Youtube and stream the EP on Spotify below.