SsingSsing (

Hangul The Korean alphabet is the modern writing system for the Korean language. In North Korea, the alphabet is known as (), and in South Korea, it is known as (). The letters for the five basic consonants reflect the shape of the speech organs ...

: 씽씽) was a South Korean band that fused

Korean folk music Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, people from the Korean peninsula or of Korean descent * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Korean **Korean dialects **See also: North–South differences in t ...

with genres including

glam rock Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was primarily defined by the flamboyant clothing, makeup, and hairstyles of its musicians, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists d ...

disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...

, and

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...

. The band formed in 2010, and gained international attention in 2017 after performing on

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

’s

Tiny Desk Concerts ''Tiny Desk Concerts'' is a video series of live concerts hosted by NPR Music at the desk of former ''All Songs Considered'' host Bob Boilen in Washington, D.C. The first ''Tiny Desk Concert'' came about in 2008 after Boilen and NPR Music edit ...

and at Globalfest at

Webster Hall Webster Hall is a nightclub and concert venue located at 125 East 11th Street, between Third and Fourth avenues, near Astor Place, in the East Village of Manhattan, New York City. It is one of New York City's most historically significant ...

. The band's six members include traditional singer Lee Hee-moon and music director Jang Young-gyu. SsingSsing ended in October, 2018 and Lee Hee-moon has said "But it is a project band that has disbanded. I loved being a part of it, but as of now, I do not have a plan to do it again."

Members

* Lee Hee-moon (vocals) * Jang Young-gyu (music director, bass guitar) * Choo Da-hye (vocals) * Shin Seung-tae (vocals) * Lee Chul-hee (drums) * Lee Tae-won (electric guitar)

Discography

Extended plays

Artistry

Visual presentation

The band describes their style as "authentic Korean traditional vocals with rock band music, combined with an extravagant visual style and stage manners." SsingSsing’s performances often feature elaborate costuming and accessories. The singers dress in drag to reinterpret old Korean shaman traditions, in what ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' describes as an "irreverent but intriguing hybrid." Music critics Anastasia Tsioulcas and Bob Boilen in NPR’s ''All Songs Considered'' describe SsingSsing as "very glam, very rock and roll and very ready to play with the concept of gender. Because male shamans in Korean traditional art need to channel male and female spirits, the men in the band cross-dress." SsingSsing Live

Vocalist Hee-moon Lee has elaborated on SsingSsing's trademark appearance, noting that the drag elements are more than just cosmetic styling:

"In Korean traditional art, male shamans, called baksu, have the body of a male. But as mediums, they need more than a single sexual identity, because they're channeling both male and female spirits. When I act a female character and sing, I have to overcome the fact of my being a male sorikkun (singer), and try my utmost to bring a more neutral,
unisex Unisex is an adjective indicating something is not sex-specific, i.e. is suitable for any type of sex. The term can also mean gender-blindness or gender neutrality. The term 'unisex' was coined in the 1960s and was used fairly informally. The co ...
feeling to the performance".

Musical style

One of the folk styles that SsingSsing incorporates into their sound includes ''gyeonggi sori,'' which originates from the central province around

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

. ''Gyeonggi sori'' is recognized as one of the important Intangible Cultural Assets of Korea (Asset #57). Other styles present in their music are ''seodo sori'' (which originates from the northwest provinces of

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

Hwanghae Hwanghae Province (''Hwanghae-do'' ) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon era. Hwanghae was located in the northwest of Korea. The provincial capital was Haeju. The regional name for the province was Haeseo (). It is a reg ...

/ Pyeongan folk songs, and the shamanistic-ritual based ''seoul gut.'' Heewon Kim calls attention to the rural elements of SsingSsing's use of folk '' minyo'' style: "we can try to define the band’s genre as alternative ''Minyo'' rock. ''Minyo'' is characterized by its emphasis on strong vocal lines and lyrics that sing about peasant lives." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea notes that "in a fast-growing society where people tend to stray away from traditional rituals, SsingSsing brings them back in touch with the cultural roots of Korea through a very playful style, accessible for 21st century urban citizens." SsingSsing has also received accolades for bringing a different style of Korean music to global audiences beyond the typical

K-Pop K-pop (; an abbreviation of "Korean popular music") is a form of popular music originating in South Korea. It emerged in the 1990s as a form of youth subculture, with Korean musicians taking influence from Western Electronic dance music, danc ...

exports.

References

{{reflist South Korean musical groups