Yaeji is back with a lighter touch on her new single “easy breezy,” the first release to follow the drop of their heavy-hitting record With A Hammer. Recorded during downtime between the end of her North American tour and the start of her European dates — which began this month — the track arrives as a mindful exercise in nostalgic frivolity.
In light of her meteoric rise over the last few years, “easy breezy” is Yaeji seeking out the inherent joy of making and listening to music. One that emerged swiftly and fluidly — just as its title suggests — the moment she sat down in the studio. She looked to the music she grew up listening to to create the much-needed breath of fresh air that the song embodies.
Charmed by a longstanding love for Japanese and Korean music influenced by an eclectic variety of U.K. garage, house, and Brazilian music, the new single is a hypnotic revelation of genre-bending bliss. Over a dreamily glowing Bossa nova guitar sample, she delivers earnest affirmations that hone in on the necessity (and difficulty) of taking the time to truly enjoy one’s life.
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“Learning to let go / It’s not so easy / It’s not so breezy,” she sings alongside the track’s hasty beats and electronic breakdowns. Yet even in acknowledging the obstacles that prop themselves up — blocking out our view of the things we must appreciate or even worse — instilling the belief that effortlessness happiness is out of reach.
The music video for “easy breezy,” directed by Yaeji herself, offers a sincerely silly story that attempts to shatter the molds and mental states that life can sometimes trap us in. It begins with partners in crime Yaeji and Jiji as they zoom around town eating bananas and collecting the peels — which she then starts tossing out like she’s a character in Mario Kart.
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Chaos soon ensues as people start slipping and angrily begin chasing the two culprits, only for them to realize the reason for the absurdity: etched onto the peels are heartfelt messages that immediately soothe the ire of the banana victims.
Words: Steven Ward
Visit Yaeji on their website and Instagram to stay updated on new releases and tour announcements.
Yaeji tour
Nov 07, 2023 Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg
Nov 08, 2023 Berlin, DE @ Astra
Nov 09, 2023 Copenhagen, DK @ Pumpehuset
Nov 11, 2023 London, UK for Pitchfork Festival @ Roundhouse
Nov 13, 2023 Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique
Nov 14, 2023 Paris, FR @ Elysée Montmartre
Nov 15, 2023 Prague, CZ @ Roxy
Nov 17, Santiago de Compostela, ES @ Sala Capitol
Nov 18, 2023 Barcelona, ES @ Nitsa
Watch the music video for “easy breezy” the new single from Yaeji.
