I’ll be Sending You Letters Home

Prior to the release of her debut album, Baek Yerin was known through various features with other artists, ranging from K-Pop artists to hip-hop rappers. Ironically, the 22-year-old K-Pop/R&B singer’s new album, Every letter I sent you., only has one feature with one other artist. The album showcases Baek’s unique vocal talent and lyricism with songs that are mostly in English, but also in some Korean. Although there are many K-Pop artists who make music in other languages, this indicates Baek Yerin’s new direction in her music and her attempt at appealing to the western demographic.

Even when listening to the album without much thought, the overall theme seems very uniform, as Baek is simply sticking to the ballad genre throughout the record, despite each song having a different story and meaning. Most of the album sounds almost homemade in a sense, as the production isn’t heavily overproduced, leading to a more raw sound. However, each song is unique as Baek switches the tempo around every other song. She took part in writing and producing every single song on this album, along with singer Gureum. Songs such as “Mr.gloomy” and “Meant to be” are much more melancholy and gloomy, as the lyrics discuss heartbreak and nostalgia. Baek uses imagery in “Mr.gloomy,” illustrating a rainy day through the lyrics and the feeling of yearning. On the other hand, songs like “Datoom” and “True lover” are much more upbeat but still have the soft feeling of a classic ballad that was popular on the radio years ago, and still popular now in South Korea. She also included her previously released solo song, “Square,” which was released in 2017 and is one of her favorite songs. Throughout the tracklist, Baek Yerin is able to create the perfect mix of pop ballads and R&B.  

The songs are not just about the trials and tribulations of love, but rather learning about oneself. The overarching theme of the album shows self-growth and care, with the lyrics reading as though Baek carefully crafted them to reflect her thoughts and emotions. Lyrics such as “It may not be the perfect one you’d like / But I still like me myself and I” show her progress and shift in regards to self-love, in comparison to other artists who only write songs in the theme of love. Her song “True lover” may seem like a love song on the surface, but the lyrics are about herself in the third person, in which she reflects upon her past self.

Every letter I sent you showcases the most intimate and personal array of songs Baek has released thus far. This album sets the tone and expectation that listeners should have in the future of her career. She has established herself as a professional solo artist through this album and leaves her fans wanting more through her individuality as an artist.