INTERVIEW Young musician's gayageum covers bridge 'gugak,' K-pop
Gayageum player Oh Hyun-ji, popularly known as "Yageum Yageum" online, poses with her instrument during an interview with The Korea Times at its headquarters in central Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
In the dynamic world of music, where traditional and contemporary often run parallel, Oh Hyun-ji, popularly known online as "Yageum Yageum," finds a way to harmonize those.
This talented young gayageum (traditional Korean plucked zither) player has become an internet sensation, with a following of 694,000 on TikTok and 313,000 on YouTube, collectively amassing over 100 million views.
Oh plays the gayageum, redefining the boundaries of this traditional instrument by blending it with various genres, including K-pop, pop and even soundtracks from games and animations.
Her repertoire includes a wide range of covers, from her first gayageum rendition of BTS' 2018 hit "IDOL," which she debuted on TikTok, to their subsequent chart-topper "Dynamite." She also captured significant attention with her version of IVE's "I AM," her most-viewed cover on YouTube, and a unique interpretation of "Arabian Nights" from the "Aladdin" movie soundtrack as well as trot singer Lim Young-woong's "Love Always Run Away."
In a notable video, Oh covers Japanese duo Yoasobi's "Idol" from the anime "Oshi no Ko," showcasing an innovative "37-string ensemble." This unique approach combines the traditional 12-string gayageum, known for its pentatonic scale, with the modern 25-string variant, commonly used for its compatibility with the heptatonic scale of Western music.
"For 'Idol,' I initially used a 25-string gayageum, then switched to a 12-string when the song's tonality shifted. 'Idol' is a track with numerous modulations, which isn’t common. I wondered how to adapt this complexity to the gayageum and decided to use two instruments together, effectively creating a 37-string ensemble. However, a real 37-string gayageum doesn't actually exist," Oh explained.
This is an example of how she finds joy in experimenting with different musical styles and brings a refreshing perspective to the gayageum.
Describing herself as improvisational, Oh elaborated on her spontaneous approach.
"I do listen to K-pop and pop songs, but I also find inspiration from YouTube shorts and reels to see what's trending," she said.
Oh finds challenges in selecting songs for her gayageum covers, particularly those with numerous semitones and accidental marks, as she strives to choose songs that not only resonate well with the gayageum but are also “finger-friendly,” making them more suitable and easier to play on this traditional instrument.
"When I get hooked by a song, I tend to record immediately,” Oh explained. “I usually start playing the melody on the gayageum first, after which I focus on constructing the chords to flesh out the music further.”
The process, though varying from song to song, usually involves around an hour or two of music recording, an hour of filming and another for editing.
Recounting her most enjoyable shooting experience, Oh laughed while recalling her cover of BLACKPINK member Lisa's "Money."
"I was so embarrassed but at the same time, I was playing all these facial expressions, with a fan blowing wind in my direction to make my hair flow," she said.
Oh primarily uses a 25-string gayageum for covering popular music due to its versatility with different musical scales, but most hobbyists play the 12-string gayageum.
"When they request, I try to upload videos of me playing the 12-string gayageum. I include the names of the scales in these videos to make it easier for them to follow along and play those songs on their own instruments," she said.
Gayageum player Oh Hyun-ji, popularly known as "Yageum Yageum" online, plays the gayageum during an interview with The Korea Times at its headquarters in central Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
Gayageum's global resonance
Her gayageum cover videos, shared across multiple platforms, have captivated viewers around the world.
"Each video attracts a different age group and nationality of viewers, but TikTok draws the most international crowd," Oh said.
One of the most intriguing responses has come from viewers in the Arabic world.
"I thought my play sounds very much Korean, so I was surprised to hear that Arabs found the sound of their music in my performances and liked it. It was really interesting," Oh said.
Oh's talent took her to the grand stage of Wembley Stadium last November for a concert celebrating the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and the United Kingdom.
"I was so honored and I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest," she said, recounting the overwhelming experience of playing K-pop covers to an international audience.
"I prepared a five-minute medley of K-pop songs, selected in consultation with the coordinator to present songs that are popular in the U.K.,” she said.
Having started her video venture during the pandemic, it was her first opportunity to present her K-pop covers live to an audience.
"Seeing the faces of the foreign audience, hearing them sing along in Korean was an exhilarating and incredibly moving experience for me,” Oh said.
Oh is well-aware of the challenges facing “gugak,” or traditional Korean music.
“At a gugak concert, the audience often consists mainly of other gugak musicians, rather than the general public… I believe that playing or performing is meaningful only when there is an audience to listen,” she said.
"It seems the younger the people are, the less interest they show in this traditional art form."
However, she remains determined to make gugak more accessible, believing that her fusion covers can bridge the gap between the traditional and the modern.
Recently, Oh moved from Gangwon Province to Seoul after her contract with the Jeongseon Country Arirang Arts Company came to an end, in search of more opportunities.
Confronted with challenges such as copyright issues, she is hopeful about performing more frequently in Korea.
"I'm thinking about busking, especially at the Han River parks. Imagine the charm of playing the gayageum outdoors — it would be quite romantic, wouldn't it?" she said.