BY
Glenda Chong

Editorial Admin

Hype Issue #60

Published on

January 10, 2025

On New Year’s Eve, under a dark sky lit with twinkling city lights, I stood clinging onto a barricade with a friend before a modest yet commanding stage, littered with instruments that pulsed with the promise of what’s to come. We were at Music Day Out! – Magical Garden, a music event held at *SCAPE to celebrate the DIY ethos of independent musical acts from across Southeast Asia and to ring in the new year.

It was just past 11pm, and with bated breath, I waited for the one act I had been keeping my eyes peeled for all night to take the stage. This musical artist was none other than ADOY, a South Korean band. The band, consisting of members Juhwan, Zee, Geunchang, and Dayoung, was slated to have the longest set time of the night.

Undoubtedly, as the night’s most anticipated act, the crowd’s palpable, buzzing energy was at an all-time high. For me, however, the excitement ran much deeper: because before ADOY took the stage, tucked away in a rare moment of calm, I sat down with them to hear them outside of their melodies.

Over the last few years, Korean indie bands have risen in prominence in the global music scene. While fellow musical genre, K-pop, from the same country has dominated global headlines with its intricate performances and infectious tunes, Korea’s indie music scene has been simmering just beneath the surface. 

But with the aid of social media and the internet providing opportunities for virality, Korean indie bands like ADOY and wave to earth are now carving a path of their own, one where their music resonates just as deeply with fans worldwide as their K-pop counterparts’ does.

As the vocalist of ADOY, Juhwan’s voice is front and center in ADOY’s music. Photo by Glenda Chong.

When I asked the band what could be attributed to the growing success of Korean indie bands, member Juhwan pointed to how beyond the boom of K-pop, Korean pop culture in general, such as Korean shows like Squid Game, “is kind of helping the image as a whole”.

He also mentioned that bands like themselves are “very energetic”. Although I cannot disagree with this, as experiencing live bands is an otherworldly experience, the music and messaging seem to be the key to being a gateway for global fans to enter the indie scene.

If you take a peek at ADOY’s music, you will notice that they primarily sing in English; an artistic decision that was surprisingly intentional. When asked if their English lyrics help global fans connect with their fans further, this is what member Zee had to say:

“That’s one of the things we had in mind when we started making songs because it’s a global arena… so we wanted to include as many people as possible.”

Funnily enough, even though the band have English lyrics in most of their music, the members (except for Zee who lived abroad in France, New Zealand, America, and Canada), are only somewhat fluent in English. 

So as a workaround, sometimes the band turns to translating from their native language to English. In a video interview with Front Row Live Ent. on YouTube, Zee shared that as the group’s English speaker, he would help translate Korean lyrics written by his members. Surprisingly, this does not pose as much of a challenge as I had assumed, as according to Zee, they find that they do not struggle with being lost in translation as they do write in English from the start at times.

“I think it just comes naturally,” Zee stated. 

However, he acknowledged that at times, when attempting to express certain messages and feelings, the band “sometimes has to change a lot” as the two languages are different. “It’s quite difficult… but we do try as much as possible to retain the message”.

But beyond the English lyrics, it is the feelings ADOY’s music evokes that are universal. Like many ADOY fans, the first ADOY song I was introduced to was one of their most popular tracks Grace, a slow tune filled with smooth vocals. 

Watching the YouTube video of them performing Grace on the show Yu Heeyeol’s Sketchbook for the first time was nothing short of magical. And just from reading the Korean comments, I finally understood what people meant when they said ADOY’s music transcends borders. Just like their domestic listeners, I too found myself transported to faraway places and nostalgic moments through their sound and lyrics. It was a connection that felt universal, yet deeply personal.

ADOY jamming out at the start of their set at Music Day Out! Photo by Glenda Chong.

This universal appeal is part of why Korean indie bands like ADOY are finding such global recognition. With their rise, however, comes the inevitable question of what it means to remain ‘indie’, as the lines between ‘indie’ and ‘commercial’ can blur. Though for ADOY in particular, having dubbed themselves as “commercial indie”, they navigate this distinction  with a unique balance.

In a frank manner, member Zee explained that being “commercial indie” to them meant being able to “earn money” while doing music.

“Being indie is just making your own stuff,” Zee said. “We wanted to earn money while doing this so we can do music for a professional career. That’s what we meant [when we said] we wanted to be commercial”. 

Judging from their journey, they have stuck to these principles closely. The band is independent from major record labels and has remained true to their sound and artistic essence, even while experimenting and fusing various genres. Their efforts have proven to be fruitful, as the global appetite for Korea’s diverse music scene is roaring louder than ever. Korean indie music has found its voice on the global stage, and ADOY has become one of its most compelling icons.

Before we wrapped up our time together, I asked ADOY a very important question: which of their songs would they recommend to a first-timer of their music? Member Dayoung suggested the track Don’t Stop which appears on their first EP, CATNIP.

Dayoung plays the bass and supports Juhwan with backing vocals in the team. Photo by Glenda Chong.

“Don’t Stop because it retains that energy of youth that I think it’s quite hard to describe song-wise, but I think that song has that good picture of youth in it,” Dayoung explained. With Dayoung’s words echoing in my mind, I eagerly wondered if the band would play this track during their set. And after close to an hour of immersing in ADOY’s dreamy soundscapes, I got my answer. 

Just minutes before the clock’s hands approached the new year, unlike the past hour where ADOY moved through each track seamlessly with little to no commentary, the energy shifted. Breaking their pattern of minimal commentary, Juhwan led the crowd to do a chant which I would soon learn to be the opening refrain of the anthemic Don’t Stop. And when the drums and the first few notes kicked in, Dayoung’s words sprang to life before my very eyes and ears. 

Juhwan “handing” his microphone to the crowd to encourage us to chant along to Don’t Stop’s hook. Photo by Glenda Chong.

Dance away the whole night

Play the song

Here comes the waves, oh

Don’t stop me, I feel the ocean

Don’t stop me, we need no reason

Don’t stop me, this is the moment

Keep me young and free, yeah

In that moment – headbanging to the lyrics furiously, the live instruments booming through my chest, it was a feeling no headphones or sound device could ever replicate and my efforts would forever be in vain. It can never compare to the indelible impression left behind by the raw, intensified energy of the crowd and ADOY’s unified symphony of shared emotion.

As ADOY carried Don’t Stop in all its youthful defiance and boundless energy into 2025, it felt like more than a closing act; it was a moment of triumph. The night encapsulated the endless possibilities of the new year ahead, and for ADOY, the path is undeniably up.