With Spring Break right around the corner, Austin’s most prominent music/film festival sets the stage for one of its most eclectic talent offerings. South by Southwest was founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, and is widely known for its many conferences and festivals that allow their audience to celebrate music, film, tech, and culture. This event has gained much traction from both locals and people worldwide, with many different musical groups and artists who attend from other states and countries, including South Korean K-pop groups, Lucy and Billlie.
Lucy is a four member boy band comprising of Yechan, Sangyeop, Wonsang, and Gwangli. They debuted on May 8th, 2020, with their title track called “Flowering”, gaining attention from many K-pop fans all over the world. Unlike other K-pop groups, the members play different instruments and produce their own music, which is not uncommon in the K-pop world, but is refreshing to see. Adding to the distinctiveness of the band, one of their members, Yechan, plays the violin, making the sound of their music unique. Other instruments played by this band are the guitar played by Sangyeop, the bass played by Wonsang, and the drums played by Gwangli.
Although Lucy has many great songs, one that I recommend is “I Got U” off of their Single “Gatcha!”. Like many K-pop songs, this song brings much happiness and joy when you listen to it, as it brings much energy especially throughout the violin-lead chorus and the use of electronics throughout the song. Because of this song’s high energy, I believe that this will most likely be the opening song of their performance at SXSW but, don’t quote me on that! They will be performing at the Elysium on March 13th, 2023 at 11:00pm CST, so make sure to check them out if you’re planning on attending SXSW!
The next K-pop group coming to SXSW is a girl group called Billlie! This group consists of 7 girls named Moon Sua, Suhyeon, Haram, Tsuki, Sheon, Siyoon, and Haruna. They debuted on November 10th, 2021 with their title track “Ring x Ring” off their first EP “The Billage of Perception: Chapter One”. Billlie’s fame has most recently grown as their member, Tsuki, went viral for her amazing facial expressions and performance of one of their recent songs called “GingaMingaYo (The Strange World)”, gaining over 11 million views for just her fancam alone! Tsuki captivated the hearts of many fans worldwide and is already known for her outstanding stage presence.
Since debut, Billlie has released many different songs, with various different musical genres such as R&B, Pop, and Rock, establishing themselves as a diverse K-pop group. Additionally, with the release of their second and third mini albums, they have landed spots in many different media outlooks such as TIME and Billboard and have been honored with numerous awards such as “Best Emerging Artist” at the 30th Anniversary Hanteo Awards and the “Music Potential Award” at the 2022 Asia Artist Awards.
Billlie will also be performing at the Elysium on March 14th, 2023 at 12:00am CST, and will be coming back with new music at the end of March, so be on the lookout for these new emerging artists!