I was somewhat surprised to find an introduction to J.Fla in my inbox as it really isn’t every day that I am alerted to South Korean pop acts. That being said, what I found, even more, extraordinary in this instance, J.Fla not only looks, pretty adorable, she is also a solo artist. This is quite an anomaly when it comes to K-Pop, who when crossing over to, western pop culture, usually arrive in a band, type format. BTS, Blackpink and Perfume all being among the, most well-known examples. Because of this observation, you will probably be understanding, why I found J.Fla immediately striking a chord with me.
In South Korea, J.Fla has amassed a colossal following, amounting to 13 million +, subscribers on YouTube, 2 billion streams globally. Her next move is to try and replicate some of this success with the English speaking audience. Thus on her way to releasing her debut EP sung in English, she has started to tease some tracks. The song “Good Vibe” was premiered in September, has a notably endearing video. It stands apart from other transitioning K-Pop to western pop acts because of not being highly stylized or super edgy. Instead, the track strikes a similarity to The Chainsmokers, “Memories Do Not Open” era.
With the subsequent release of follow-up single “Are You My Villan” J.Fla allows us to see her EDM style decisions were not a standalone choice. She is properly, embracing the emotive, electronic-pop direction. Her voice, although, pretty, has plenty of personality and depth. As well as delivering heartfelt vulnerability.
When we bear in mind, J.Fla never started out to be a singer. She was a songwriter originally signed to Sony Japan, (for the Korean and Japanese markets.) Her guide vocals on demos which were sung in English sparked comments that she should consider sharing cover songs. And started the ball rolling on her solo pop career which has been continuing to gather sizable momentum since. To be fair where the majority of K-POP acts are streamlined to suit the consumerist market J.Fla once again bucks the trend by creating pop where she is true to herself. It is very nice, in this respect, she is her own driving force.
Connect with J.Fla
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jfla/
Twitter: @jfla
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jfla/