Beyond conquering the music scene, as seen with her collaboration with Becky G, BIBI is now ready to make a name for herself in the film industry, too.
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Four years ago, after captivating listeners with her self-produced gems on SoundCloud, a multifaceted individual named BIBI made her solo debut with the single Binu. Who could’ve known that this South Korean singer-songwriter, rapper, producer, and now actress would build a name for herself whose influence goes beyond the Korean music scene? Dominating the scene with her diverse, wide range of music from hip-hop to soul-soothing ballads, the 25-year-old artist simply wants to be herself, celebrating self-expression and authenticity through music. “In my world, I am the best. I love myself the most,” BIBI tells NYLON Manila.
Unafraid to tackle different kinds of topics through her music, BIBI aims to focus more on expressing herself rather than thinking about how others will perceive her. However, she also takes certain precautions to make sure that her crafts don’t hurt anyone. “I’m not always a hundred percent right, but I’m always trying hard,” she expresses.
With her newest single Amigos, a collaboration with American artist Becky G, BIBI stepped out of her usual musical style, pouring thoughts painstakingly on how she will be able to make the song glisten. “When I first heard Becky G’s voice in ‘Amigos,’ I fell in love because it was so perfect. I tried to create a blend of low and refreshing tones,” says the musician, whose hits include BIBI Vengeance, The Weekend, and KAZINO. “Although the lyrics may be somewhat suggestive and promiscuous, I am not that kind of person. As a hopeless romantic, I have a knack for falling head over heels for that one special person and my loyalty knows no bounds.”
Following the release of her new single with Becky G, we had the opportunity to sit down with BIBI to talk about Amigos, self-love, and making her acting debut. Read on below to learn more about the artist.
You did not release any EPs this year. What was it like releasing just singles for the whole year? Out of all your 2023 singles, what do you think was the most impactful and meaningful release for you?
I think my most meaningful release this year is “Amigos” with Becky G. That project was started a long time ago, so it was really relieving to let everybody listen to it now. I’m a little worried because I wrote the song almost two years ago, and I feel like I have kind of become a different person because I have been writing different lyrics over time. I was worried but at the same time, I was excited to finally release the song. Making EPs and full albums is such a big burden to me; it’s taking me a lot of time to digest albums. It takes a long time and involves a lot of preparations to make albums. For this year, releasing singles was my best choice. I love putting my singles out so everybody can lightly enjoy my music and videos.
What is the message behind “Amigos”? It means friend in English. What is it all about?
Basically, the lyrics of “Amigos” are about cheating on somebody with my friends. In Korean, we call it “남사친 (boy friend).” It’s like cheating on 남자친구 (boyfriend) with 남사친 (boy friend). Anyway, that’s not important. (laughs) I’ve never cheated, it’s just a creation of my imagination. I’m not a villain, I’m not a bad person, and I haven’t cheated yet. I hope everyone doesn’t misunderstand.
You said that you were bad at speaking and that you’re still learning how to communicate. Why is that? Do you think music plays a huge role as it helps you express your feelings?
I don’t know why I became like this. Ever since I was young, I have been a thinker kind of person. I think very deeply. I remember such complicated emotions, but I was very bad with the things outside of my world. Everything was very dull when I was young. I only consider everything inside myself as my own world. I just thought about it, but I didn’t know how to say the things I had in mind. Everybody thought I was kind of dumb, but I think I’m just extremely intuitive. That’s why I was very bad at conversations. But through that, I was able to learn and teach myself how to talk and get along with people. I think it was the cornerstone of my performance and artistic vision as an artist.
You’re eager to make all kinds of songs about all kinds of topics, but you’re also careful and mindful to a certain extent. What factors do you consider important when you write songs?
I wasn’t very mindful in the beginning. I was ignorant and up until now, I still don’t know a lot of things. There are a lot of things in the world, and I don’t want to say one is bad or good. As a musician, I just want to release beautiful art and music. At the same time, I don’t want to hurt anybody. I really hope somebody won’t get hurt by my music. I’m not always a hundred percent right, but I’m always trying hard.
What do you think is the thing you love most about yourself as a musician and yourself as a human being? Have you found your own voice and style already?
As a musician, I love myself because in my own world, I am the best, I am the most beautiful, sexy, and hot. I love myself the most. As a human being, I just know me, but I’m really not a huge fan of myself. I’m still getting to know myself these days as well as what I like and what I don’t like. I’m still in the process of finding my own voice.
You recently made your acting debut in the film Hopeless. What was it like exploring another career? How was your experience doing acting?
Acting is very fun and at the same time, it is very overwhelming. There’s a lot of pressure because my acting performance, in a series or movie, may affect the whole team and crew, director, and other actors and actresses. That’s why I’m trying really hard to become a better actress. But it’s very fun! I find the results amazing! I think that would be the reason why I will keep doing it in the future.
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