You know that golden feeling that hits at about 2.30am on a night out, when you’ve masterfully consumed just the right amount of alcohol and a sudden wave of zen washes over you as though you’re the yogi master of the club? That’s what Brooklyn-based Yaeji’s music sounds like – or at least that’s how it will make you feel.

An electronic music maverick, Yaeji’s sound straddles the boundaries between house, rap and pop, leaving her listeners with a body of work that sounds both familiar and other at the same time. It’s probably for this reason that she made the longlist for BBC’s prestigious Sound Of 2018 award. Born to Korean parents, the popularity of her sound is emblematic of an era in which music fans have become more than accustomed to listening to lyrics in different languages, as she flits between whispering in English and Korean over bass-laden beats.

It’s tempting to compare her rise in the electronic music scene to the recent boom of K-pop, which has seen bands such as BTS and Blackpink become global phenomena. But while K-pop idols spend years prepping for stardom in boot camp-like training facilities, Yaeji began honing her craft while at university, when she became involved in the student radio station. Using the duality of her identity as her inspiration, Yaeji’s fusion of American and Korean influences has been forged from a childhood spent moving between the two countries, rather than a conscious desire to create chart topping club bangers. But the club bangers came anyway: listen to “Raingurl” or “Guap” and you’ll immediately want to round up your wildest mates and dance until 6am.

If that all sounds a little bit intense, don’t worry. Yaeji has also perfected the art of creating chilled songs that are ideal for when you want to slow things down a bit. Her cover of Drake’s “Passionfruit”, for instance, brings an ethereal futuristic quality to the rapper’s already relaxed flow, as her breathy vocals filter through slightly glitchy autotune. The trap-influenced “Drink I’m Sippin On” also highlights Yaeji’s unique ability to make rap sound otherworldly, as she plays with repetition in Korean. It’s a song for both the beginning and end of your night, or just while you’re enjoying a quiet(ish) one at home.

Those in the know are already aware of Yaeji’s talent and she’s got a hefty 173,000 Instagram followers to prove it, but this year looks as though it could be her time to truly break through. After landing a coveted spot on Coachella’s lineup last year, the DJing singer-songwriter will be hitting up the global festival circuit this summer – including a pit stop in the UK at Manchester’s Park Life – providing the perfect opportunity for her enchanting take on electronic music to be introduced to audiences worldwide. Get ahead of the curve and earn yourself cool points in the club by familiarising yourself with her sound now, because you'll likely be hearing much more of it from here on out.

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