In April of last year, there was a song that stirred South Korea along with the trend of maratang and tanghulu. Starting with the lyrics, 'Senior! Please buy me maratang / Senior! Could you also get tanghulu..', 'Maratanghuru' hit social media with its addictive hook, 'Tang tang huru huru! / Tang tang tang huru ruru ruru!'
The star of this song is none other than Seoybe (13), a singer and creator who is entering middle school this year. During the music video shoot, Seoybe, who was an elementary school student, captivated the MZ generation with her lively voice and witty expressions in 'Maratanghuru', a song about cute flirting with seniors.
Recently, Seoybe met with Star Today at the Maekyung Media Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, and she looked just like her appearance in the music video. Introducing herself as a girl with an 'extreme E' MBTI type, she said that she does not feel burdened by the attention she receives and laughs, thinking, 'I must have made it big' even when she sees negative comments.
When asked how she came up with 'Maratanghuru', Seoybe explained, "While I was working as a YouTube creator, I wanted to create my own challenge. I love maratang and tanghulu, and since I eat them about five times a week, I thought, 'I should make a challenge with my favorite things.' The composer made the song, and I contributed ideas for the hook."
However, she admitted that she did not expect to receive this much love when she first released 'Maratanghuru'. She recalled, "Usually, idol songs are quite popular. But it exploded just four days after I posted it, and I thought, 'Is this really happening?' When I first started TikTok, I had about 1,000 to 2,000 followers, but it increased by 20,000 a day, reaching 520,000. It was truly a fascinating experience."
So what does Seoybe think is the secret to the popularity of 'Maratanghuru'? She said, "I think the biggest factor is empathy. Friends my age are often single, so they might relate to this song even more. Also, I think making the dance easy to follow is one of the reasons it became popular."
After creating a sensation with 'Maratanghuru', Seoybe has released another song that resonates with the MZ generation. Released on the 7th, 'They Never Know' is a new interpretation of the theme song from the 1988 hit movie of the same name, infused with Seoybe's unique emotions. It contains the honest and straightforward stories of Seoybe, who is becoming a middle school student this year.
“When I was shooting short forms, my parents would say, 'Do this pose, do that pose,' and I would argue, saying, 'Kids these days don’t do that.' I thought it would resonate because it’s a song that captures the feelings of a teenage girl whose heart is not understood by adults. I grew up watching 'Pororo', so I also knew this song from its remake in 'Pororo'.”
When asked if she participated in any part of the new song, Seoybe said, “I created all the dance moves for the chorus. It took about 20 minutes.” She added, “I was thinking about how to express the lyrics 'They Never Know' and included gestures like making a tear shape with my hand or hitting my chest.” She also mentioned, “The original song is a cheerful children’s song, but I wanted to make a darker version that would be impactful.”
Given that the song is titled 'They Never Know', she was also asked what teenagers truly want from adults.
Seoybe replied, “The biggest disconnect with adults is that when I tell my friends, 'This was hard,' they empathize, but adults say, 'Bring them along.' I think that lack of empathy is a problem. There might be things that upset us because our parents are busy and can’t pay attention.”
Seoybe's mother is model and singer Lee Pani. Does Seoybe feel that she receives empathy from her parents?
She said, “I tend to get along with my parents like friends, but I do hear nagging like, 'Eat maratang and tanghulu in moderation' and 'Save your allowance.' Still, they support me a lot in my activities. They advise me not to worry about negative comments and suggest poses for photo shoots, which I find admirable,” she smiled.
In the previous 'Maratanghuru' challenge, many stars, including IVE's Jang Wonyoung, singer Hwasa, John Park, and Lee Chanwon, participated, creating a buzz. So who does Seoybe want to collaborate with for the 'They Never Know' challenge?
“I think it would be great to do it with many people, but the person I most want to collaborate with is Dr. Oh Eun-young. When I saw the phrase 'They Never Know', Dr. Oh Eun-young came to mind. Since she does programs like 'My Precious Child', wouldn’t it be a hit if we did it together? (laughs)”
[Lee Dagyeom, Star Today Reporter]
