5 Times Jessi Reminded Us Why She’s South Korea’s Biggest Baddie
Korean-American rapper and songwriter Jessi has paved a new image for women in South Korea. Mia Castagnone looks at how she has solidified herself as South Korea’s biggest baddie.
Jessi dropped a new single What Type of X just over a week ago and it has already amassed over 17 million views on YouTube and has had fans on Tik Tok go wild with dance covers.
The song is a perfect reflection of the fierce, powerhouse artist Jessi is, and after signing to a new label, Psy Nation - which is managed by Psy (the singer behind the mega-hit Gangnam Style) - she has been dominating the industry.
What Type of X comes almost a year after her hit single NUNU NANA, which has grounded her as a household name. Her influence goes beyond the boundaries of Seoul and has reached audiences across Asia and the globe, with fans loving her for her IDGAF attitude.
In an interview after the release of What Type of X, Jessi explained that she wanted listeners to be more confident about themselves.
“Through the song, I want to tell people to be more confident and hope they remember that being different is not wrong.”
Let’s look at the 5 times that Jessi has reminded us why she has continued to shape people’s perception of self-love, particularly when it comes to reminding women that it’s okay to be loud, fierce and confident.
Her Music
Her career as South Korea’s badass unni (Korean for older sister) isn’t news. In 2014 she was labelled Korea’s Ssenunni, after her song of similar title went viral. Ssenunni is a Korean term that references an older, strong-minded woman. Across her discography she continued to voice the mantra that women can be strong and dominate any industry.
In her smash What Type of X, Jessi sings, “I’m different and it’s not a crime, Only God can judge me.”
This is incredibly unique for an artist in Asia, where the industry relies heavily on conformity. Jessi actively confronts gender stereotypes and takes pride in her Korean-American heritage. In an industry saturated with idols all trying to mimic and one up each other, Jessi embodies the idea that we should just be ourselves. Her viral success in recent years speaks to a generation of young Koreans interested in opposing tradition and breaking down prejudice.
2. Being proud of her body
On the comedy TV show ‘Happy Together’, Jessi spoke about the negative comments she receives about her body.
“A lot of them talk about how it is obvious I got breast implants. I paid for the surgery with my own money, so why do I have to hide it?"
Co-host Jun Hyun Moo then commented, "I didn't know," to which Jessi jokingly responded, "Does this chest look real to you?” and made the MCs and other guests burst out in laughter.
Yes queen!! Jessi is the sassy older sister we all need in our friendship circle. She isn’t afraid to talk about her body - especially her breasts, which she has in fact repeatedly spoken about on live TV, much to the horror of conservative South Korean audiences.
Jessi owns her body and plastic surgery in a society that often does everything to hide it. She claims she isn’t perfect, but she voices to whoever she meets that we need to love ourselves.
3. Calling out her haters on Unpretty Rapstar
Jessi showed off her badass nature when she joined Mnet’s competition show ‘Unpretty Rapstar’. She dropped a powerful rap using a mix of English and Korean, as the rest of the female cast looked on, flabbergasted at the abrupt words.
Jessi began her rap by saying, “I’ve been in music for 10 years, coming from the bottom and only once have I felt insulted. I felt [mostly] bad yesterday, but who are you guys to judge me… We are not a team; this is a competition. What [it] is, every man for themselves.”
Her performance began to trend online with many people adopting the line “Who are you to judge me?”
Jessi’s use of mixed Korean-English and snappy “who are you to judge me?” remark, gained the admiration of audiences for her boldness. Jessi shows her determination to stand up for herself even if her Korean isn’t perfect.
4. Joining 2020’s fiercest female group
The concept of forming a supergroup came about on the MBC variety show ‘Hangout with Yoo’ when singer Hyori Lee joked about forming the ideal girl crush group with Jessi, Jung-hwa Uhm and MAMAMOO’s Hwasa. The idea received positive support from the public and each singer was willing to participate in the project.
Their catchy debut single Don’t Touch Me features a strong diva image and choreographed routine as each member embraces a spy alter ego. The Refund Sisters concept was again to show off strong-minded woman, but with three members being over 30, the real impact of this group’s formation is the suggestion that female artists don’t have to be in their 20s to make waves in the industry.
5. Hosting her own variety show
If Jessi wasn’t slaying enough in 2020, in June she began hosting her own talk show, ‘Jessi Showterview’, interviewing various celebrities. A few episodes in the show became hugely successful, featuring stars like SHINee’s Minho before being picked up by a Seoul broadcast TV station.
This success is a credit to Jessi’s down to earth personality that keeps the show light-hearted and fun. While the show is scripted, Jessi’s natural charisma shines, often leaving her guests stunned and embarrassed, much to the delight of viewers. Her quest is to make her guest feel comfortable and strip away their celebrity personna. Once again in all aspects of her career Jessi reinforces the values of body positivity and about speaking your mind.
