Flashback Friday: The Ballad Queens -- SeeYa

Aug 09, 2013

Do we have any Soompiers out there who remember dial-up internet and having to listen to this to get to spazz out on that strange thing called the Internet with other fangirls and fanboys? “Flashback Friday” will feature artists from days of yore when K-Pop wasn’t so polished but still just as shiny.

Today’s Flashback Friday features See Ya.

In February 2006, SeeYa debuted with three members: Kim Yeonji, Lee Boram, and Nam Gyuri, and their first full-length album entitled: “The First Mind.” Despite being a rookie group, SeeYa was able to recruit established actress Choi Jung Won and actor Jung Yoo Suk, along with a very young Hwang Jung Eum, for the music video of their single “Shoes.” SeeYa then released their second full-length album “Lovely Sweet Heart” in May 2007 to positive reviews from the fans and critics; SeeYa also released a follow-up single “Sad Footsteps (Shoes II)” in December 2007.

In September 2008, after releasing a mini-album “Fool” and full-length album “California Dream,” the talented vocal group came back with a fun, sexy, disco concept for their third full-length album “Brilliant Change.”

But, as with all vocal groups, there is always one whose looks, talents, and ambition exceeds the bounds of the group. By early 2009, the public had noticed that Nam Gyuri was often placed at the center of the group in their stage performances, in promotional materials, and even in their music videos. Four music videos follow the interwoven stories of a couple of characters that is Faulkneresque in its nonlinearity and tragedy: “Shoes” and “Crazy Love Song” follow the main story, and “Sad Footsteps (Shoes II)” and “The Man (Shoes III)” follow a related story arc which is centered on Nam Gyuri’s character. The music video for “Hot Girl” was also focused on Nam Gyuri. In a dispute that would foreshadow the T-ara and Hwayoung dispute, Nam Gyuri claimed that her contract had ended and that the company and members had ostracized her while Core Contents Media claimed that Nam Gyuri had stopped participating in the group’s promotional activities, and the other members said that Nam Gyuri had cut off all contact. The conflict ended with Nam Gyuri’s departure under the pretext that she wanted to focus on her acting career; though later, Nam Gyuri made a short-lived return as a solo singer.

It was the beginning of the end. In October 2009, Seeya returned with a new line-up that consisted of Kim Yeonji, Lee Boram, and Lee Soomi, and a mini-album “Rebloom.” However, in July 2010, Lee Soomi left to join Core Contents’ new idol group Co-Ed School. In December 2010, Core Contents announced that SeeYa would disband and that it was their voluntary decision to do so. In January 2011, Kim Yeonji, Lee Boram, and Nam Gyuri reunited for a their last full-length album “See You Again.”