FAN SERVICE Ep. 3 | Kim Seri talks AleXa rebranding and going independent

00:28:57
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euZNfIPsE8U

الملخص

TLDRIn this interview, Kim Sedi, formerly known as Alexa, discusses her journey in the music industry, her rebranding, and her experiences as a K-pop artist. She reflects on her time under a label, the challenges she faced, and her aspirations for the future. Kim emphasizes the importance of mental health in the industry and expresses her desire to maintain her artistic integrity while evolving her brand. She shares insights on the impact of winning the American Song Contest and her plans for global outreach, encouraging fans to never give up and to be patient with their goals.

الوجبات الجاهزة

  • 🎤 Kim Sedi rebranded from Alexa to showcase her organic artistry.
  • 🌍 She aims to connect with fans globally and explore new opportunities.
  • 💪 Mental health support is crucial in the K-pop industry.
  • 🏆 Success now means being recognized and performing worldwide, not just winning awards.
  • 📅 She hopes to complete her rebranding by the end of the year.
  • 💬 Kim encourages fans to never give up and be patient with their goals.
  • 🎶 She wants to maintain her artistic integrity while evolving her brand.
  • 🤝 The importance of proper promotion after winning competitions is highlighted.
  • 🚀 Kim feels some K-pop companies overlook their domestic fanbase in pursuit of American success.
  • 🔄 She acknowledges the name Alexa will always be part of her but seeks to separate from negative experiences.

الجدول الزمني

  • 00:00:00 - 00:05:00

    In 2021, the interviewer reflects on their first interview experience, which was with Omega X. They express excitement about finally getting to interview Kim Sedi after years of manifesting it. Kim shares her journey from being under a label for seven years to now having more control over her artistry and the decision to rebrand herself from Alexa to Kim Sedi, aiming to showcase her organic artistry.

  • 00:05:00 - 00:10:00

    Kim discusses her rebranding decision, emphasizing the desire to move away from the constraints of her previous label and to express her true self. She acknowledges the challenges of changing her name, especially for fans who have known her as Alexa, but believes it's a necessary step for her growth as an artist. She hopes to launch this new chapter by the end of the year, while still wanting to maintain elements of her past work.

  • 00:10:00 - 00:15:00

    The conversation shifts to Kim's unique style and how she wants to return to her roots while also evolving her sound. She reflects on her past releases and the importance of change in her artistry. Kim expresses a desire to keep the performance aspect of her work while exploring new musical directions, indicating that her rebranding is not just a name change but a significant transformation in her career.

  • 00:15:00 - 00:20:00

    Kim shares her experience attending a songwriting camp in Sweden, where she connected with producers and songwriters. She reflects on her win at the American Song Contest and the subsequent lack of promotion for her music in Korea, expressing frustration over missed opportunities to capitalize on her newfound recognition. She emphasizes the need for K-pop companies to balance global ambitions with their domestic markets.

  • 00:20:00 - 00:28:57

    As Kim looks to the future, she expresses a desire to expand her reach globally and connect with fans in various countries. She acknowledges the challenges of being independent, including financial concerns, but values the freedom it brings. Kim advocates for better mental health support within the industry and reflects on the need for K-pop companies to prioritize the well-being of their artists. She concludes with a message of perseverance and patience for her fans.

اعرض المزيد

الخريطة الذهنية

فيديو أسئلة وأجوبة

  • What is Kim Sedi's new name after rebranding?

    Kim Sedi is the new name after rebranding from Alexa.

  • When does Kim Sedi plan to fully transition to her new brand?

    She hopes to complete her rebranding by the end of this year.

  • What does Kim Sedi want to achieve with her rebranding?

    She aims to showcase her organic artistry and have more control over her music and image.

  • What was Kim Sedi's experience with the American Song Contest?

    She won the contest, which increased her recognition, but felt that proper promotions were lacking afterward.

  • How does Kim Sedi feel about mental health in the K-pop industry?

    She believes mental health needs to be prioritized and that artists should receive support.

  • What does success look like for Kim Sedi now?

    Success for her means being recognized and performing on stages globally, rather than just winning awards.

  • What does Kim Sedi want fans to take away from her journey?

    She encourages fans to never give up and to be patient with themselves and their goals.

  • How does Kim Sedi feel about her past as Alexa?

    She acknowledges the name Alexa will always be part of her but wants to separate from the negative experiences associated with it.

  • What are Kim Sedi's plans for global outreach?

    She wants to connect with fans worldwide and explore opportunities in different countries.

  • What does Kim Sedi think about the K-pop industry's approach to success?

    She feels some companies are too focused on American success and overlook the importance of their domestic fanbase.

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التمرير التلقائي:
  • 00:00:00
    [Music]
  • 00:00:10
    When I first started these interviews in
  • 00:00:11
    2021, I reached out to three people to,
  • 00:00:14
    you know, get that first interview. And
  • 00:00:15
    it was Omega X who became the first
  • 00:00:18
    interview I did. The boys and you and
  • 00:00:22
    you and your company. Yes. So, this was
  • 00:00:24
    2021. It was back
  • 00:00:26
    then. Yeah.
  • 00:00:28
    So, I don't know if I ever got to you,
  • 00:00:31
    but then again, I also had zero
  • 00:00:33
    experience with any interviews at the
  • 00:00:35
    time. So, I'm not too mad about it, but
  • 00:00:37
    I just have to say I've been I've been
  • 00:00:39
    manifesting this interview for, you
  • 00:00:41
    know, four years at this point. That's
  • 00:00:44
    wild because it's it's really crazy
  • 00:00:46
    because now that I'm out of there, I've
  • 00:00:49
    had so many people send me messages be
  • 00:00:52
    like, "Hey, so, you know, we requested
  • 00:00:54
    an interview with your team way back
  • 00:00:55
    when and they never got back to us or
  • 00:00:56
    they never saw what we said." And I'm
  • 00:00:58
    like, "Well, damn. I should have been
  • 00:00:59
    the one in charge this whole time." So,
  • 00:01:02
    apparently, I was like, "You could have
  • 00:01:03
    been my my very first interview ever."
  • 00:01:05
    But I'm kind of glad, you know, we've
  • 00:01:07
    gotten I've gotten to wait to the point
  • 00:01:09
    to where I have uh graphics made and I
  • 00:01:11
    have all this stuff. And now I have my
  • 00:01:13
    own my own series. So, you know, it's
  • 00:01:16
    not that I have to rely on work. So, I
  • 00:01:17
    think it it all worked out and it's a
  • 00:01:19
    great time for you as well as 2025 this
  • 00:01:22
    big rebranding of yourself. Yes, I
  • 00:01:25
    agree. So, of course, yeah, I'm sure
  • 00:01:27
    it's been a long time coming for you.
  • 00:01:29
    Um, and you know, speaking of that,
  • 00:01:31
    talking about your your name rebranding
  • 00:01:33
    as Kim Sedi, um, you know, uh, tell me
  • 00:01:36
    about that decision and does it reflect,
  • 00:01:39
    you know, going, you know, from Alexa,
  • 00:01:41
    which everyone knows and is known to Kim
  • 00:01:43
    Si, does that reflect, you know, this
  • 00:01:46
    new uh, personality or artistically that
  • 00:01:49
    you've been trying to show? Ideally,
  • 00:01:51
    what I'm wanting to do with the rebrand,
  • 00:01:53
    which isn't, you know, happening
  • 00:01:55
    presently yet. Um, again, I just want to
  • 00:02:00
    show my organic artistry. That's not to
  • 00:02:03
    say everything that was done as Alexa
  • 00:02:05
    wasn't from a place of like, you know,
  • 00:02:07
    being organic and true to what I want to
  • 00:02:09
    do, what I like, la, but I think it's
  • 00:02:12
    just having been under a label for seven
  • 00:02:17
    years, you know, it's like, you know, I
  • 00:02:19
    didn't hardly ever get to make the
  • 00:02:20
    executive decisions. I never really had
  • 00:02:22
    full input on a lot of things. And so
  • 00:02:24
    now that I'm in control, I think it
  • 00:02:26
    would be nice to, you know, go by one of
  • 00:02:30
    my actual names at this point rather
  • 00:02:32
    than just a moniker. Um, when is that
  • 00:02:34
    rebrand going to happen? Hopefully by
  • 00:02:37
    the end of this year. Hopefully. Um, I
  • 00:02:41
    mean, because I know I just did Vital
  • 00:02:42
    Check with Kiko as Alexa, but that was
  • 00:02:44
    just from a business standpoint. A
  • 00:02:45
    business standpoint because people know
  • 00:02:47
    the name Alexa. But the Kimadi chapter,
  • 00:02:50
    Alex's new artistic adventure, when is
  • 00:02:54
    that going to begin? Hopefully end of
  • 00:02:56
    this year. You know, that is such a big
  • 00:02:58
    move. Like you're not just, you know,
  • 00:03:00
    changing companies like some groups do
  • 00:03:02
    when you get to keep the name. You were
  • 00:03:03
    changing your whole name, what people
  • 00:03:05
    have known you for for um so, you know,
  • 00:03:08
    was there anything you were especially
  • 00:03:10
    nervous about or, you know, on the flip
  • 00:03:12
    side, something you were more excited
  • 00:03:13
    for? I was definitely nervous uh because
  • 00:03:16
    you know changing a name
  • 00:03:18
    is a tremendous deal especially when
  • 00:03:21
    that has been your brand so to say for
  • 00:03:23
    the past seven years or so that I belong
  • 00:03:26
    to this label and you know I knew
  • 00:03:29
    straight off at the beginning it was
  • 00:03:31
    going to confuse a lot of people
  • 00:03:33
    especially if they were newer fans that
  • 00:03:34
    maybe hadn't been with been with me
  • 00:03:36
    since the beginning. Um but I mean you
  • 00:03:40
    know I've I've rebranded once in my
  • 00:03:42
    life. Who's to say I can't do it again?
  • 00:03:44
    I've got my whole life ahead of me. You
  • 00:03:46
    know, I went from Alex Christine to
  • 00:03:49
    Alexa and then we're in this middle area
  • 00:03:52
    right now, but hopefully that next
  • 00:03:54
    transformation is in the Kim Haiti
  • 00:03:57
    direction. So, what part of that Alexa
  • 00:04:00
    era are you leaving behind? And are
  • 00:04:03
    there any parts you're planning to bring
  • 00:04:04
    with you on this new journey? Inevitably
  • 00:04:07
    going to have to leave behind things I
  • 00:04:08
    no longer have rights to. But that
  • 00:04:11
    aside, uh definitely want to keep, you
  • 00:04:13
    know, the I guess artist Alexa was
  • 00:04:18
    always known as a performance artist.
  • 00:04:19
    And moving forward, yes, I do want to
  • 00:04:21
    release, you know, I
  • 00:04:23
    guess non-Kpop style things, but you
  • 00:04:27
    know, in the event when I do finally
  • 00:04:28
    make K-pop releases, I do want things to
  • 00:04:30
    be very performance focused. I want it
  • 00:04:32
    to be like, you
  • 00:04:34
    know, I definitely want the flavor to
  • 00:04:37
    still be there and not be like a
  • 00:04:38
    complete one to where it's like, oh,
  • 00:04:40
    okay, well, she's still doing K-pop, but
  • 00:04:42
    it's definitely not what she used to do.
  • 00:04:45
    I want there to be a change significant
  • 00:04:47
    enough to where it's like, okay, this is
  • 00:04:48
    still recognizably her, but just leveled
  • 00:04:51
    up. Yeah. I mean, when you were
  • 00:04:53
    releasing like Revolution and
  • 00:04:54
    everything, you had such a unique style
  • 00:04:57
    that was like I could not compare your
  • 00:05:00
    releases to another solo artist at the
  • 00:05:02
    time, you know, we had artists like
  • 00:05:04
    Chunga and Sunmi and everything and I
  • 00:05:06
    love their styles, but you were so
  • 00:05:08
    different that you were really able to
  • 00:05:10
    stand out on your own. So, I was like,
  • 00:05:12
    you know, moving moving like forward
  • 00:05:14
    with this, it's like, do was that all
  • 00:05:17
    all you, you know, was that something
  • 00:05:19
    that you were all in for? And is that
  • 00:05:21
    something you want to possibly, you
  • 00:05:23
    know, bring in with that style? I mean,
  • 00:05:24
    yeah, I would love nothing more than to
  • 00:05:26
    go back to the super like hard style
  • 00:05:28
    stuff that we did in the beginning. I
  • 00:05:29
    don't think if I don't think hard style
  • 00:05:31
    is a correct adjective, but you know,
  • 00:05:32
    the hard-hitting stuff we did in the
  • 00:05:34
    beginning. I mean, we did that whole
  • 00:05:36
    trilogy from Bomb Do or Die to
  • 00:05:38
    Revolution and then I was the one that
  • 00:05:41
    requested to the label to do a bit of a
  • 00:05:43
    switch up and that's how we got extra
  • 00:05:45
    because I wanted to go towards the more
  • 00:05:49
    feminine, more fun and light-hearted
  • 00:05:51
    route rather than like I am an AI who
  • 00:05:55
    has to defeat an evil company and here I
  • 00:05:56
    go. I'm dancing on the moon, you know,
  • 00:05:58
    like no harm, no foul, either one. But I
  • 00:06:00
    wanted to switch it up because, you
  • 00:06:02
    know, it's it's great to have
  • 00:06:03
    consistency. It's great to have your
  • 00:06:05
    brand, your image, what people think is
  • 00:06:07
    classically you, but at the same time,
  • 00:06:09
    you know, change is needed. You can't be
  • 00:06:11
    like a onetrick pony, you know? Yeah,
  • 00:06:13
    for sure. Like with like I when it comes
  • 00:06:15
    to watching music videos for me, I know
  • 00:06:18
    their stories. Honestly, my brain is not
  • 00:06:20
    wrapping around them. It doesn't matter
  • 00:06:22
    what it is. So like with their music
  • 00:06:24
    videos, I was like, "This is so cool. Do
  • 00:06:26
    I understand it?" No. But I'm like, I I
  • 00:06:30
    love it either way. And it was and like
  • 00:06:31
    like I said, it was it was standing out.
  • 00:06:33
    So, it was cool. But I I get what you
  • 00:06:35
    mean by that for sure. Um, you know,
  • 00:06:38
    with this, you know, new chapter that
  • 00:06:40
    we're starting this year, um, are you
  • 00:06:43
    thinking of this as a new beginning for
  • 00:06:46
    yourself or is it more of like an
  • 00:06:48
    continuation of your previous music and
  • 00:06:51
    releases? Um, well, that's a great
  • 00:06:54
    question.
  • 00:06:57
    Um, you know, if I were to compare
  • 00:07:00
    everything to the cliche of a book, this
  • 00:07:03
    is merely just the start of a new
  • 00:07:05
    chapter. This book isn't closed. I guess
  • 00:07:08
    the story arc isn't exactly finished. We
  • 00:07:10
    haven't, you know, I was going to make a
  • 00:07:12
    Lord of the Rings reference, but then I
  • 00:07:13
    realized I don't really know Lord of the
  • 00:07:15
    Rings like that, so never mind. But, you
  • 00:07:17
    know, I don't either. You're good.
  • 00:07:20
    Exactly. There's there's arcs. This arc
  • 00:07:22
    may not be over. There's still chapters
  • 00:07:24
    to be fulfilled before whatever the next
  • 00:07:28
    big move is. So, is this a continuation?
  • 00:07:30
    Is this a new
  • 00:07:32
    beginning? I don't I I'm not quite sure.
  • 00:07:35
    I'm not quite sure cuz I don't want to
  • 00:07:37
    completely abandon everything, you know,
  • 00:07:39
    I've done and worked hard for for the
  • 00:07:41
    past seven years moving forward, but at
  • 00:07:43
    the same time, I'm not going to carry
  • 00:07:46
    absolutely everything with me. I saw
  • 00:07:48
    that you recently attended it was a song
  • 00:07:50
    camp, right? Some I think that's what
  • 00:07:52
    your story said. Yes. So tell me a
  • 00:07:54
    little bit about that. Um why you
  • 00:07:55
    decided to do that and what you kind of
  • 00:07:57
    did there. Well, unfortunately I'm not
  • 00:08:00
    yet at liberty to say what it was for.
  • 00:08:03
    Um all I can say regarding that aspect
  • 00:08:06
    is uh hopefully great things to come
  • 00:08:10
    this year. Well this and next. Yes.
  • 00:08:14
    Hopefully. Fingers crossed. Everything
  • 00:08:16
    crossed. Um, but how it happened is
  • 00:08:19
    because at my old label, uh, one of the
  • 00:08:21
    foreign employe employees employees we
  • 00:08:24
    did have, uh, she was raised in Sweden.
  • 00:08:28
    So, you know, most of my discoraphy, I'd
  • 00:08:30
    say 95% of my songs, like the K-pop
  • 00:08:33
    stuff was sourced from Sweden because
  • 00:08:36
    Sweden and the whole Nordic area of
  • 00:08:39
    Europe is like the hot spot for like
  • 00:08:42
    K-pop songwriters, songwriting in
  • 00:08:43
    general, but it's huge for K-pop. And so
  • 00:08:47
    through this staff member, I got to be
  • 00:08:50
    introduced directly to these, you know,
  • 00:08:51
    producers and topliners and songwriters.
  • 00:08:54
    And uh she knew they had this camp
  • 00:08:57
    coming up. She she we're still tied to
  • 00:09:00
    this day, though we do not work together
  • 00:09:01
    anymore. We're still, you know, bonded,
  • 00:09:03
    trauma bonded. Um she knew this camp was
  • 00:09:07
    coming up and she pitched me to the head
  • 00:09:08
    of uh KMR, which is uh creation music
  • 00:09:12
    rights in Sweden, and they were like,
  • 00:09:14
    "Yeah, we'd love to have her on board
  • 00:09:15
    for this." And that's kind of uh how
  • 00:09:18
    that happened. And I got to reunite with
  • 00:09:19
    my uh OG producers and songwriters. So
  • 00:09:22
    that was a very fun two weeks that I
  • 00:09:24
    spent in Sweden. I want to talk about
  • 00:09:25
    American Song Contest
  • 00:09:28
    because first of all, congratulations on
  • 00:09:30
    winning. It was so deserved. All your
  • 00:09:32
    performances were incredible. Um, but
  • 00:09:35
    like obviously like American, you know,
  • 00:09:39
    music shows these days, they're not
  • 00:09:43
    really doing a whole lot for the people
  • 00:09:45
    that win the shows, you know, and they
  • 00:09:47
    haven't for a while, which is so sad to
  • 00:09:49
    see because so many talented people win
  • 00:09:51
    these shows. But, you know, can you tell
  • 00:09:55
    me kind of what happened with that? Like
  • 00:09:57
    once you won, I'm sure you were like,
  • 00:09:59
    "This is it." Like this is going to be
  • 00:10:01
    that break into a different market, you
  • 00:10:03
    know?
  • 00:10:04
    What kind of happened with that from
  • 00:10:06
    your perspective? None of this is shade
  • 00:10:08
    towards NBC whatsoever and the folks
  • 00:10:09
    that did American Song Contest because
  • 00:10:11
    they did what they were legally
  • 00:10:13
    contracted to do and they fulfilled
  • 00:10:15
    their end. So, yehaw, love them. Uh much
  • 00:10:18
    love to that team. Now, what happened
  • 00:10:21
    really like cuz I I know there was a
  • 00:10:23
    buzz going on when I won. And what even
  • 00:10:27
    blows my mind to this day is last night
  • 00:10:30
    when I was at this restaurant with my
  • 00:10:31
    friend, she had called one of her
  • 00:10:32
    friends who's also another artist that I
  • 00:10:35
    never met, but you know, she's very well
  • 00:10:37
    established. And upon meeting me, she
  • 00:10:39
    was like, "Oh, well, I saw you do that
  • 00:10:40
    American song contest thing." And I was
  • 00:10:42
    like, "Hold on now, what?" And then
  • 00:10:44
    maybe like a couple of years ago after
  • 00:10:47
    the song contest happened, I was at one
  • 00:10:48
    of my friends concerts and I went
  • 00:10:50
    backstage to say hi. And then the rest
  • 00:10:51
    of their group was like, "Yeah, we saw
  • 00:10:52
    you on that American song contest
  • 00:10:54
    thing." And I was like, "Why does
  • 00:10:55
    everybody in Korea know me now? This is
  • 00:10:57
    weird." Um, so there was a lot of
  • 00:11:01
    commotion, so to say, a lot of
  • 00:11:03
    commotion. And I personally think the
  • 00:11:07
    ball was dropped in
  • 00:11:09
    uh, in essence because having won the
  • 00:11:13
    American song
  • 00:11:14
    contest, the label wanted to focus on
  • 00:11:18
    America because that is home of where I
  • 00:11:21
    just won the thing. And
  • 00:11:24
    so after winning, in my mind, there
  • 00:11:28
    should have been proper promotions for
  • 00:11:31
    Wonderland if we were going to do
  • 00:11:33
    anything in Korea at all. I mean, I did
  • 00:11:34
    have a stage on Simply. I did get Studio
  • 00:11:37
    Tomb, so forever grateful for that
  • 00:11:39
    because Yeah. But there should have been
  • 00:11:43
    proper promotion for that there.
  • 00:11:45
    And I I had I been the one in charge, I
  • 00:11:49
    would have given me a comeback
  • 00:11:51
    immediately to ride the wave. However,
  • 00:11:54
    that was not the case. I was sent back
  • 00:11:56
    and forth to America every couple of
  • 00:11:59
    weeks or every couple of months. I don't
  • 00:12:00
    quite remember at this point, to do like
  • 00:12:02
    fan signs, fan meetings, which isn't
  • 00:12:04
    bad. Not complaining cuz I love any
  • 00:12:06
    chance I get to meet my friends.
  • 00:12:07
    Friends, fans, you know what? fans,
  • 00:12:09
    friends. Same same thing at this point
  • 00:12:12
    cuz there were a couple of them when it
  • 00:12:13
    was like 200 people sold out and I'm
  • 00:12:15
    like, "Wow, that's that's insane." So,
  • 00:12:18
    you know, I was still busy. I was still
  • 00:12:20
    riding off of the Wonderland wave. But
  • 00:12:22
    the thing is it was all done in
  • 00:12:25
    America, whereas I was finally finally
  • 00:12:29
    finally finally starting to get a
  • 00:12:31
    domestic buzz in Korea because, as we
  • 00:12:34
    all know, I really am not top-notch here
  • 00:12:37
    in Korea. I'm not the big dog here, but
  • 00:12:39
    in America, you know, and abroad, that's
  • 00:12:41
    where my fans lie. But finally, I was
  • 00:12:44
    like, "Okay, well, now's my time to
  • 00:12:46
    shine because people are actually
  • 00:12:47
    starting to know my name and see my
  • 00:12:49
    performances and stuff." But we didn't
  • 00:12:52
    do anything from May
  • 00:12:55
    until November is when Back in Vogue
  • 00:12:58
    came out.
  • 00:13:00
    And even so, that whole album was really
  • 00:13:03
    messy. There was a lot of stuff going
  • 00:13:04
    on. I don't know. It's just I think a
  • 00:13:07
    lot of K-pop labels get blindsided by
  • 00:13:11
    the idea of success in America because
  • 00:13:15
    there are a handful of iconic artists
  • 00:13:17
    who of course have succeeded abroad and
  • 00:13:18
    that has helped them substantially with
  • 00:13:20
    their you know home country fan base but
  • 00:13:24
    it's not the method that everyone should
  • 00:13:25
    take and it doesn't always lead to
  • 00:13:27
    success and that's what I really hope
  • 00:13:28
    some people take away from what happened
  • 00:13:31
    to me. Do you think some companies I
  • 00:13:33
    mean especially you know be with K-pop
  • 00:13:36
    becoming so big in the states and
  • 00:13:38
    globally do you think some companies are
  • 00:13:40
    kind of blindsid you kind of mentioned
  • 00:13:41
    it blindsided by getting success you
  • 00:13:44
    know elsewhere there are a lot of groups
  • 00:13:46
    if you take card for example you know
  • 00:13:49
    they are so popular in I think it's
  • 00:13:52
    Brazil and Latin America and everything
  • 00:13:53
    Latin America yeah yeah but they're and
  • 00:13:55
    they do so many tours I've seen them
  • 00:13:57
    they're so good but they're a group that
  • 00:13:59
    is not I feel like pushed as much in
  • 00:14:01
    Korea, you know. So, do you think these
  • 00:14:04
    companies are, you know, forgetting
  • 00:14:05
    about, hey, we're still K-pop, we're
  • 00:14:07
    still a Korean group and trying to push
  • 00:14:10
    for that that global success even if
  • 00:14:12
    they're not doing the right way. I
  • 00:14:14
    definitely think it's a fantastic idea
  • 00:14:16
    to promote your artists abroad because,
  • 00:14:18
    you know, especially I mean, when you
  • 00:14:20
    look at the demographics, I don't know
  • 00:14:22
    everything to a tea, but like
  • 00:14:23
    statistically, I'm pretty sure only 10%
  • 00:14:25
    of the Korean population actually
  • 00:14:27
    consumes K-pop. And so, of course,
  • 00:14:30
    marketing K-pop and Korea is going to be
  • 00:14:32
    difficult no matter what. You know, you
  • 00:14:34
    only have a limited audience here. As
  • 00:14:36
    devoted as they are, it's only a limited
  • 00:14:38
    audience when there's the rest of the
  • 00:14:40
    world. But like Card for example, you
  • 00:14:42
    know, they they own Latin America, you
  • 00:14:44
    know, like they found a fantastic target
  • 00:14:47
    audience and it's they have that kingdom
  • 00:14:51
    for them, you know, but then what I've
  • 00:14:53
    come to realize is there's so many
  • 00:14:57
    countries around the world where K-pop
  • 00:14:59
    acts have like never set foot or if they
  • 00:15:01
    have, it's maybe been only one artist or
  • 00:15:03
    two. As it stands, I've never been to
  • 00:15:05
    Turkey before, but I'm going in two
  • 00:15:07
    weeks with Kiko. And that it never would
  • 00:15:09
    have occurred to me. And not just
  • 00:15:11
    Turkey,
  • 00:15:12
    Azerbaian, a country that because I'm an
  • 00:15:15
    ignorant American, I really had no
  • 00:15:16
    knowledge about prior to this being
  • 00:15:19
    booked. And it's just so surprising.
  • 00:15:22
    Well, not surprising. It's incredible to
  • 00:15:24
    see the swarms of fans that go to like
  • 00:15:27
    support Kiko and like other like maybe a
  • 00:15:30
    couple of other friends I know when they
  • 00:15:31
    go to Turkey. It's like crowds. like
  • 00:15:34
    she's a superstar there and it's like
  • 00:15:38
    there's so many other countries in the
  • 00:15:40
    world aside from America that have such
  • 00:15:44
    devoted and passionate fans and I just I
  • 00:15:47
    really wish that seeking American fame
  • 00:15:50
    was not the goal for some of these
  • 00:15:52
    companies.
  • 00:15:54
    Yeah. What is something you want to do
  • 00:15:57
    more of, you know, this year with this
  • 00:15:59
    new uh rebranding and then something you
  • 00:16:02
    want to avoid doing now that you're kind
  • 00:16:05
    of you you're all hands on deck for
  • 00:16:08
    yourself? First and foremost, I think
  • 00:16:10
    with what is to come,
  • 00:16:14
    definitely going more global and, you
  • 00:16:17
    know, having gone to Sweden recently,
  • 00:16:19
    I'm pretty sure I'm going to wind up
  • 00:16:20
    going back for more music stuff. So, you
  • 00:16:23
    know, actually going to see Europe
  • 00:16:25
    because I was scheduled to go to Germany
  • 00:16:26
    last year, couldn't go due to family
  • 00:16:28
    circumstances, but you know, there's so
  • 00:16:30
    many countries that I want to go.
  • 00:16:32
    There's so
  • 00:16:33
    many there's so many fans around the
  • 00:16:35
    world that I finally want to meet that I
  • 00:16:37
    never had the opportunity to. Not
  • 00:16:40
    necessarily because of prior labels
  • 00:16:43
    mismanagement, but you know, sometimes
  • 00:16:45
    opportunities just weren't there for me.
  • 00:16:47
    But now that I'm in charge, I can find
  • 00:16:49
    things for myself and I can go wherever
  • 00:16:52
    I can as long as, you know, funds are
  • 00:16:54
    feasible. But definitely want to take
  • 00:16:56
    myself more global. Uh yeah, that's a
  • 00:16:59
    really important thing for me this year.
  • 00:17:01
    But avoid something to avoid
  • 00:17:07
    something many things to avoid when upon
  • 00:17:11
    reflecting on my journey. Uh, I
  • 00:17:16
    [Music]
  • 00:17:18
    think for now I think it's just not
  • 00:17:21
    signing with a label immediately cuz
  • 00:17:24
    I've had a lot of people ask me, "Are
  • 00:17:25
    you looking?" And I am, but it's not my
  • 00:17:29
    immediate concern at the moment. Do you
  • 00:17:31
    think there are more pros or cons to,
  • 00:17:34
    you know, going at it by yourself right
  • 00:17:36
    now? I mean obviously the the cons being
  • 00:17:39
    like financially having that label's
  • 00:17:40
    backing but I mean do you do you in an
  • 00:17:43
    essence feel a little more free at the
  • 00:17:45
    moment? I do because in essence it's
  • 00:17:48
    I've you know I'm allowed to do things
  • 00:17:50
    like this now you know this interview
  • 00:17:53
    probably wouldn't have happened had I
  • 00:17:54
    not finally broken free and you know
  • 00:17:56
    been in charge of my own social media
  • 00:17:58
    screen who's sending me messages and
  • 00:17:59
    everything. I mean, as it stands,
  • 00:18:02
    um I can't say what yet, but I have
  • 00:18:05
    another schedule in like Augustish. That
  • 00:18:08
    is something I've never been able to do
  • 00:18:09
    before, and it's only now happening
  • 00:18:11
    because I'm technically independent. So,
  • 00:18:14
    I mean, yes, of course, finances and
  • 00:18:16
    funds are always going to be the cons
  • 00:18:17
    cuz it's it's not very uh what's the
  • 00:18:21
    word? proactive
  • 00:18:23
    to, you know, pay out of my own pocket
  • 00:18:26
    when I don't exactly know if there's
  • 00:18:27
    going to be any real source of income
  • 00:18:30
    yet because this is a fresh start. You
  • 00:18:32
    there's so many elements that are like
  • 00:18:35
    unsure of, you know.
  • 00:18:37
    Um, but it's just nice knowing that uh I
  • 00:18:41
    don't have to listen to somebody else's
  • 00:18:43
    ideas and if I say no, it means no. So,
  • 00:18:46
    that's always good. Yeah, I'm sure.
  • 00:18:48
    Yeah. I think there's something about
  • 00:18:50
    Americans in the industry um is which
  • 00:18:52
    actually what I want to get into now is
  • 00:18:54
    you know as an American who works in
  • 00:18:56
    this industry. I think the mentality of
  • 00:18:58
    K-pop companies and K-pop the Korean
  • 00:19:00
    culture you know versus American
  • 00:19:02
    culture. Um you know Americans go and
  • 00:19:05
    they're like oh this is so cool I get to
  • 00:19:07
    do this but why are we doing it like
  • 00:19:09
    this? Um, and so I wanted to know like
  • 00:19:12
    for you, what do you think are some of
  • 00:19:13
    the biggest changes that, you know, the
  • 00:19:15
    industry needs to see for the betterment
  • 00:19:18
    of their artists? Um, I mean, yeah, cuz
  • 00:19:20
    that's the thing coming at it as an
  • 00:19:22
    American. I'm someone that started
  • 00:19:24
    working when they were 15 and a half.
  • 00:19:27
    Uh, so, you know, up until I moved here
  • 00:19:29
    when I was 21, I was used to getting
  • 00:19:31
    paid for my labor. Uh, you know, I knew
  • 00:19:34
    the thing is I knew very well going into
  • 00:19:36
    the industry that odds are I'm not going
  • 00:19:38
    to see money until couple years down the
  • 00:19:41
    line, if even then. I knew it was going
  • 00:19:43
    to be strenuous hours. I knew it was
  • 00:19:45
    going to be physically and mentally
  • 00:19:46
    taxing. I knew all this going in. I
  • 00:19:48
    didn't have some deranged fantasy of it.
  • 00:19:51
    Trust like all this I had to heart
  • 00:19:53
    already. But now having lived through
  • 00:19:55
    that experience for 7
  • 00:19:58
    years, yes, there is the concept of debt
  • 00:20:01
    that happens when you're an artist, you
  • 00:20:03
    know, the company will house you, the
  • 00:20:05
    company will pay for the music videos,
  • 00:20:07
    for your food occasionally, but
  • 00:20:09
    like at the same time, it's like, could
  • 00:20:12
    you not spare a little bit of money just
  • 00:20:14
    to make everyday life a little bit
  • 00:20:16
    easier when there isn't a schedule over
  • 00:20:18
    the weekend? Because some companies do
  • 00:20:21
    provide allowance for their, you know,
  • 00:20:23
    artists, but not everybody because I've
  • 00:20:27
    had various conversations with other
  • 00:20:29
    friends and other companies about stuff
  • 00:20:31
    and when you compare notes, some things
  • 00:20:33
    line up, some things don't. But I think
  • 00:20:37
    a little bit of pocket money should be
  • 00:20:38
    mandatory for, you know, the trainees or
  • 00:20:42
    the idols in the system just to help
  • 00:20:44
    them get by with everyday life. And
  • 00:20:47
    everybody and their mama says this, but
  • 00:20:49
    I'm such an advocate for it. I do think
  • 00:20:51
    mental health needs to be
  • 00:20:53
    considered a lot more. It's it's a very
  • 00:20:58
    serious taboo still in a way and it gets
  • 00:21:01
    overlooked cuz you know, oh, you're not
  • 00:21:03
    depressed. Everybody just gets sad
  • 00:21:05
    sometimes or oh, you're having a hard
  • 00:21:07
    time. Well, fighting, you can do
  • 00:21:11
    it. It's not always a mindset, you know,
  • 00:21:14
    in in my experience.
  • 00:21:17
    Quantity does not match quality
  • 00:21:19
    sometimes. You know, it's like before I
  • 00:21:22
    debuted, I was in a practice room from
  • 00:21:24
    anywhere from 13 to 18 hours a day, you
  • 00:21:29
    know, just doing the same thing over and
  • 00:21:30
    over again. And it's like great, you
  • 00:21:32
    booked me here for all these hours to
  • 00:21:35
    know that I'm working, but like quality
  • 00:21:38
    over quantity, which is crazy cuz in
  • 00:21:41
    preparation for vital tech with Kiko, we
  • 00:21:43
    would maybe practice 3 hours every
  • 00:21:45
    couple of
  • 00:21:47
    days and we were just fine. So yeah, I
  • 00:21:51
    don't know. Mental health contributes a
  • 00:21:53
    lot. If your mind's not okay, your
  • 00:21:55
    body's not okay and you have to use your
  • 00:21:57
    body as an idol. So because you have
  • 00:21:59
    been there in Korea for quite a while, I
  • 00:22:02
    mean, we've seen tragic stories
  • 00:22:04
    involving idols dealing with this, do do
  • 00:22:07
    you think it's changed, gotten better at
  • 00:22:09
    all, even just a little bit since you've
  • 00:22:11
    been there, or do you think it's still
  • 00:22:12
    kind of uh not talked about? I feel like
  • 00:22:16
    it really is case by case because every
  • 00:22:17
    company is different. You know, it's not
  • 00:22:22
    to say boo big corporate everybody bad
  • 00:22:24
    because that's an easy mindset to have
  • 00:22:27
    as an artist but also as a fan looking
  • 00:22:28
    in from the outside. There are some good
  • 00:22:31
    companies some.
  • 00:22:35
    But again, it really just depends on the
  • 00:22:38
    companies
  • 00:22:39
    because I have seen cases where, you
  • 00:22:43
    know, people have been allowed to take a
  • 00:22:45
    rest, go on a bit of a hiatus because
  • 00:22:47
    they're not doing well. And I think that
  • 00:22:50
    needs to be a policy that every company
  • 00:22:53
    follows. And then on the flip side, I've
  • 00:22:56
    had personal friends, you know, going
  • 00:22:58
    through the absolute like just going
  • 00:23:02
    through the ringer and their label still
  • 00:23:05
    just pushes them and pushes them and
  • 00:23:07
    pushes them. But it's like what happens
  • 00:23:08
    when we get to a breaking point and it's
  • 00:23:11
    like in in my point, sorry, at one point
  • 00:23:14
    in my career, I almost got to a breaking
  • 00:23:16
    point and
  • 00:23:18
    uh even then I I wasn't allowed to get
  • 00:23:22
    help. So, it was I don't know. Again,
  • 00:23:26
    it's just it really depends on the
  • 00:23:27
    label. I
  • 00:23:29
    think what I've gone through has just
  • 00:23:31
    left such a sour taste in my mouth. But
  • 00:23:32
    at the same time, I know for a fact
  • 00:23:34
    there are good labels. Because in
  • 00:23:36
    working with Kiko recently, I see how
  • 00:23:39
    amazing and functional her label is. And
  • 00:23:42
    I'm like, wow. Imagine if every artist
  • 00:23:44
    had this kind of treatment. So, if you
  • 00:23:47
    could try or do anything without
  • 00:23:49
    worrying what the fans thought, what the
  • 00:23:52
    public thought. Um, you know, and this
  • 00:23:55
    could be anything. It could be an
  • 00:23:56
    activity, a hobby, something that you
  • 00:23:58
    want to do, but you're like, "Oh, but
  • 00:24:00
    I'm I'm a public figure. Can I do that
  • 00:24:02
    without worrying about people's
  • 00:24:04
    thoughts? Is there anything like that
  • 00:24:05
    you would do?" The thing is, I I like to
  • 00:24:07
    think I'm pretty open most of the time
  • 00:24:10
    with my presence on social media and
  • 00:24:12
    just me as a person anyway. Sometimes a
  • 00:24:14
    little too open. I will say that.
  • 00:24:17
    But I don't know cuz I like being as
  • 00:24:21
    transparent as possible. But of course,
  • 00:24:23
    you know, I'm allowed to have my
  • 00:24:24
    boundaries. But at the same time, it's
  • 00:24:27
    like there are some things I wish I
  • 00:24:28
    could really
  • 00:24:29
    just speak my mind on and just let
  • 00:24:32
    people know, especially regarding things
  • 00:24:35
    that have, you know, happened to me in
  • 00:24:36
    the past, whether it was, you
  • 00:24:38
    know, through prior labels or just
  • 00:24:42
    any prior, you know, jobs I may have
  • 00:24:46
    had. It would be so nice just to share
  • 00:24:48
    those stories to be like, hey, you know,
  • 00:24:50
    these things happened to me, too. you
  • 00:24:53
    know, just cuz I'm an idol doesn't
  • 00:24:54
    really make me any different from any
  • 00:24:56
    other average human being. But at the
  • 00:24:58
    same time, it's like how much sharing is
  • 00:25:01
    oversharing? Because parasocial
  • 00:25:03
    relationships also get very dangerous.
  • 00:25:05
    So, it would be nice to be able to be
  • 00:25:07
    completely transparent, but I don't
  • 00:25:10
    think there's ever going to be a day
  • 00:25:11
    where that's feasible.
  • 00:25:13
    As you look as you step into this new
  • 00:25:16
    part of your career, what does success
  • 00:25:19
    look like for you now? like I don't know
  • 00:25:20
    if you had a different idea as Alexa
  • 00:25:23
    with the former company versus now that
  • 00:25:25
    you're kind of on your own and you're
  • 00:25:27
    you're trying to start this rebrand. So,
  • 00:25:30
    I I just remember when I first started
  • 00:25:33
    in the industry and like one of my
  • 00:25:35
    biggest dreams, one of my biggest
  • 00:25:37
    accomplishments of knowing, oh, I made
  • 00:25:38
    it as an idol was to, you know, whether
  • 00:25:41
    or not I received an award was to
  • 00:25:42
    perform on like the Mama stage. But I've
  • 00:25:45
    gotten to a point where I'm like, you
  • 00:25:46
    know what, that's no longer the dream.
  • 00:25:48
    That's no longer where my ceiling is. my
  • 00:25:50
    ceiling is far beyond that. And I do
  • 00:25:52
    think that winning the American Song
  • 00:25:54
    Contest definitely helped, you know,
  • 00:25:56
    break that little glass ceiling or
  • 00:25:58
    whatever. But like, do I have a like a
  • 00:26:00
    direct goal for myself that I would like
  • 00:26:03
    quantify a success? Not exactly yet. I
  • 00:26:06
    think my main goal at the moment is just
  • 00:26:08
    to put myself out there on as many
  • 00:26:12
    stages as possible around the world. uh
  • 00:26:15
    make sure that people don't think I've
  • 00:26:17
    disappeared because I've been getting
  • 00:26:19
    that a lot. I'm still here. Just
  • 00:26:21
    uh trying to do the best I can on my
  • 00:26:24
    own. And I think as long as you know my
  • 00:26:27
    name remains unforgotten, that's enough
  • 00:26:29
    success for me. For your name
  • 00:26:31
    especially, I it's it's like Alexa slash
  • 00:26:33
    Kim said it. So like currently right
  • 00:26:36
    now, what are you okay with people
  • 00:26:38
    addressing you as? And you know when you
  • 00:26:40
    when you finish this rebrand, is it like
  • 00:26:42
    I don't want people to call me Alexa? I
  • 00:26:45
    don't want that. I don't want that on my
  • 00:26:46
    profile. You know what's your head like
  • 00:26:48
    with that? That's the thing. I This has
  • 00:26:50
    been a thought that has been rolling
  • 00:26:52
    around in my head for the past couple of
  • 00:26:54
    years because I knew when I was going to
  • 00:26:56
    leave the label that I wanted to change
  • 00:26:59
    it up because I mean the name Alexa,
  • 00:27:02
    it's always going to stick with me. I
  • 00:27:03
    guarantee the day I inevitably die, it's
  • 00:27:06
    going to be on my gravestone as well.
  • 00:27:08
    But, you know, I don't mind if people
  • 00:27:10
    call me Alexa. I don't care. People call
  • 00:27:12
    me Sy. People call me my real name,
  • 00:27:14
    which is literally just Alexa without
  • 00:27:15
    the last A. I'm really not picky. I
  • 00:27:18
    think it's
  • 00:27:19
    just I think there's just so much
  • 00:27:22
    attached to the name Alexa, both good
  • 00:27:25
    and bad. But I think just the trauma
  • 00:27:28
    speaking for me, just wanted to
  • 00:27:29
    completely separate from the bad. That's
  • 00:27:31
    why I was desperately seeking to like
  • 00:27:33
    rebrand. Mhm. But like I think it just
  • 00:27:37
    Do I want to go by Sandy professionally
  • 00:27:39
    later? Probably. But until I really
  • 00:27:42
    establish myself in my new artistry,
  • 00:27:44
    that's a completely
  • 00:27:46
    like, what's the word I'm looking
  • 00:27:48
    for? I guess just until I completely
  • 00:27:51
    reestablish myself as an artist, I guess
  • 00:27:53
    Alexa is just going to kind of be what's
  • 00:27:56
    sticking with me until then. And lastly,
  • 00:27:58
    you know, um, if fans could take away
  • 00:28:00
    one message from your journey, from your
  • 00:28:03
    story, um, what do you want that to be?
  • 00:28:05
    I mean the cliche never give up
  • 00:28:09
    because don't like it's life. It's not
  • 00:28:14
    easy. Anybody who says it is is
  • 00:28:18
    lying. But like you
  • 00:28:21
    know yeah just don't give up. Keep
  • 00:28:25
    fighting. Eventually good things will
  • 00:28:29
    come. It's not going to be immediate.
  • 00:28:31
    You know, there there's not like a genie
  • 00:28:34
    granting wishes that's going to give
  • 00:28:36
    instant gratification all the time. And
  • 00:28:39
    hard work does not go unnoticed, you
  • 00:28:41
    know. So, just be patient with life and
  • 00:28:45
    with yourself, I guess. Yeah.
  • 00:28:49
    [Music]
الوسوم
  • Kim Sedi
  • Alexa
  • K-pop
  • rebranding
  • American Song Contest
  • mental health
  • music industry
  • global outreach
  • artist journey
  • success