WBUR Names Berklee Alums Song as State Favorite for NPRs Tiny Desk Contest

WBUR Names Berklee Alums Song as State Favorite for NPRs Tiny Desk Contest The song Me, by HEESU, stood out to the panel due to its emotional resonance, R&B groove, and deft blend of Korean and English lyrics.

By

Bryan Parys

November 18, 2021

Image by OJ Slaughter, courtesy of WBUR

Two years ago, songwriter Heesu Yu B.M. '21 watched the band SsingSsing perform on NPRs acclaimed live-music series Tiny Desk Concerts, and something clicked. Seeing a band from her native Korea performing on the show gave her a jolt of creative confidence. Hearing Korean folk music on NPR reminded me that nothing is impossible and success can be achieved internationally, she said.

Now in 2021, Yu-who performs under the name HEESU-is finding her own place in the Tiny Desk universe. For this years Tiny Desk Contest, HEESUs song Me was selected by Bostons local NPR station WBUR as their favorite contest entry from Massachusetts.

Watch Berklee Alumni Perform on NPRs Tiny Desk

With genres ranging from jazz to indie rock, Berklee artists have a strong presence in the NPR series.

This song is about wanting to focus on yourself after being in a long-term relationship, HEESU said. Connecting to herself, in this instance, also meant exploring her Korean roots alongside her experiences in the U.S., resulting in an emotionally powerful combination of lyrics in both Korean and English. I wrote the hook in Korean because the melody flowed better with Korean words, and I wanted to show my Korean side, she said. The English verses are self-explanatory, so the listeners can still enjoy the song without knowing the Korean lyrics and vice versa.

As part of being selected as the state favorite, HEESU was featured in a full-length profile on WBURs website and will be highlighted on All Things Considered and Morning Edition. She will also get the chance to perform at WBURs CitySpace on January 28, 2022. HEESU, who studied songwriting while at Berklee, reflected that As a Korean artist...Im genuinely honored to be selected among talented musicians worldwide. It makes me think that there is no barrier in music.

Watch HEESUs Tiny Desk Contest entry, Me:

Related Categories

News

Most Popular

Contemporary Music Is Our History: A Sonic Timeline Listen to 75 songs that made Berklee what it is today.

Latest

Berklees Signature Series presents a tribute to the music of Billie Eilish on December 2.

Image courtesy of the artist

Signature Series Presents Tribute to Billie Eilish Berklee students will perform songs from the acclaimed singer-songwriter's catalog in an immersive multimedia concert.

Acclaimed composer Nicholas Britell delivered the keynote address for BMI Day at Berklee.

Berklee Celebrates BMI Day with Succession Composer Nicholas Britell Britell and BMI executive Alex Flores copresented the BMI Film Scoring Scholarship to student composer Shayn Toothman.

Image courtesy of Getty Images

Berklee Salutes the Music of Tina Turner A global cast of students will perform Turner's most iconic songs from her 60-year career on Thursday, December 9.

Read All

Subscribe The latest sounds, stories, and ideas, sent to your inbox weekly.

LINK:	https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-now/news/wbur-names-berklee-alums-song...
	See more stories from berklee

Most recent headlines