Song Sohee has been performing for most of her life. She was just seven when she appeared on National Singing Contest in 2004. Since then, she’s performed on Korean TV, in commercials, and on stages around the world — including the UN Headquarters in New York and the PyeongChang Winter Paralympics. Yet even after more than 20 years in music, she’s still exploring. [Re:5], her new EP released this week, is proof. It mixes traditional Korean music with alternative rock, in a way that’s rare in K-pop.

The album is built around Oheng, the Five Elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. “I categorized each of the five tracks according to the characteristics of these elements and arranged stories that align with their respective energies,” she says. For her, the elements aren’t just an idea; they map human emotion, transformation, and the flow of life. When asked which element matches her current journey, she pauses. “I feel that I’m in a stage of new growth, creating my own music from past experiences — like a budding sprout,” she says, linking herself to Wood.

Earlier this year, her self-composed track “Not a Dream” went viral, amassing more than 17 million views before its official release. “I didn’t expect it at all,” she admits. But that response gave her confidence to pursue her own vision fully. On [Re:5], she wrote, composed, and arranged every track herself. The music carries a Korean soul but is approachable to listeners everywhere. Fans even say her songs introduced them to traditional gugak for the first time — something she never set out to do. “Hearing that always makes me happy,” she says. “It feels like I’ve become a bridge.”

Song Sohee sees her work as expanding K-pop’s boundaries rather than leaving it behind. “It’s Korean pop music created by a Korean artist, infused with a uniquely Korean soul — so wouldn’t it be fair to say that it’s part of K-pop’s expanding horizon?” she asks. For Song Sohee, this is about exploring her own sound while keeping it rooted in Korean tradition. On [Re:5], you can hear that journey — from child prodigy to singer-songwriter. At the same time, it shows how K-pop is growing. The genre is opening up to different voices and sounds. There’s freedom here, but also respect for tradition. Curiosity drives the music, and confidence shapes it. Each track moves in its own way, flowing and shifting, carrying the energy of the elements it’s based on.