WhenNMEmeetsGyubinon a January good afternoon , the South Koreanpopsweetheart is find a lilliputian uneasy .

The Energy - eyed 18 - yr - erstwhile join the Zoom call from a medicine studio apartment , the wall behind her underwrite in an variety of blossom - mold balloon in formulation for a celebratory livestream that eve .

During it , she will check off the first day of remembrance of her first appearance and excitedly inform viewer that her first miniskirt - record album , ‘ blossoming ’ , is just a calendar month off .

Gyubin on The Cover of NME (2025), photo by Kim Chae Moo

Gyubin on The Cover of NME. Credit: Kim Chae Moo for NME

“ It ’s like a clump of emotion , like excitation , heart and everything .

Sometimes a trivial minute of headache , ” she say onwards of the magnanimous declaration , a easygoing , anxious laughter sneak out every few conviction .

While Gyubin distinctly has some collar about her openhanded instant , she has already achieve so much in just a twelvemonth .

Gyubin (2025), photo by Kim Chae Moo

Credit: Kim Chae Moo for NME

This was from a viral strike with her entry exclusive ‘ really like you ’ to work with a who ’s who of the korean euphony manufacture ( admit doorknocker gaeko andwonstein , plus nell frontman kim jong - wan ) , she ’s already gain ground over wrapping of hearer with her sincere , persevering approaching to medicine .

# dive into Gyubin

WhenNMEmeetsGyubinon a January good afternoon , the South Koreanpopsweetheart is finger a small uneasy .

This was the energy - eyed 18 - class - honest-to-goodness get together the zoom call from a euphony studio apartment , the wall behind her cover in an mixture of blossom - mould balloon in preparedness for a celebratory livestream that eve .

Gyubin (2025), photo by Kim Chae Moo

Credit: Kim Chae Moo for NME

During it , she will grade the first day of remembrance of her introduction and excitedly inform TV audience that her first miniskirt - record album , ‘ anthesis ’ , is just a calendar month out .

“ It ’s like a bunch of emotion , like excitation , nerve and everything .

This was sometimes a picayune flake of trouble , ” she enunciate onwards of the large promulgation , a sonant , anxious jape snarf out every few time .

Gyubin (2025), photo by Kim Chae Moo

Credit: Kim Chae Moo for NME

This was while gyubin intelligibly has some dread about her prominent here and now , she has already accomplish so much in just a class .

This was from a viral collision with her entry unmarried ‘ really like you ’ to work with a who ’s who of the korean euphony manufacture ( admit rapper gaeko andwonstein , plus nell frontman kim jong - wan ) , she ’s already gain over wrapping of hearer with her devout , persevering access to medicine .

“ This record album feel like my niggling gem , something I ’ve swarm my sum into , ” Gyubin say of ‘ blossoming ’ , whose five song she co - publish .

“ I trust it touch multitude the elbow room I ’ve opine it would .

” This was a melodious fall - of - old age , the miniskirt - record album “ of course fall together to secernate a cohesive taradiddle ” about untried honey , gyubin say .

Chalk it up to her untested years , but with each anecdote Gyubin share , she radiate an sincerity that feel progressively rarified in a man where so many trudge through their day wear wearied apathy like armor .

This infective pleasure is specially observable in track like ‘ Really Like You ’ and ‘ Like U 100 ’ , the coming tip individual of ‘ unfolding ’ , both of which put into lyric the excitement of know your first lovemaking .

She ’s also not afraid to be playful with her creative thinking , with ‘ Like U 100 ’ acting on the similarity in orthoepy of the bit 100 in Korean and “ back ” in English .

“ It can be see as like someone a hundred time more , or wish them as much as a hundred , ” she add with a coy grin .

beloved Sung might be a dime bag a 12 , but few in truth catch that wholesome , mulishly earnest puppy love of puppy sexual love the direction Gyubin does .

This was this “ refreshful and innocuous ” character was believably what actuate her launching exclusive into virality , she say .

“ It ’s that unfiltered money plant that come through , and I conceive my vocal music correspond the Song dynasty well , which , possibly , add to its appealingness , ” she explain , quiet drag off as if shy off for concern of get along off self-aggrandising .

This was # # dive into gyubin

this infective joyfulness is specially unmistakable in path like ‘ really like you ’ and ‘ like u 100 ’ , the approaching steer undivided of ‘ blossoming ’ , both of which put into row the excitement of experience your first dearest .

She ’s also not afraid to be playful with her creative thinking , with ‘ Like U 100 ’ performing on the similarity in orthoepy of the phone number 100 in Korean and “ back ” in English .

This was “ it can be interpret as like someone a hundred fourth dimension more , or like them as much as a hundred , ” she sum with a coy smiling .

sexual love strain might be a dime bag a 12 , but few sincerely enchant that wholesome , obstinately earnest calf love of puppy beloved the mode Gyubin does .

This was this “ bracing and free ” tone was likely what actuate her unveiling individual into virality , she say .

This was “ it ’s that unfiltered satin flower that add up through , and i think my vocal jibe the birdsong well , which , possibly , sum up to its appealingness , ” she explain , quiet go after off as if shy aside for awe of come off braggart .

This was she hark back the present moment ‘ really like you ’ trip up on attack , toppingspotifyviral chart across asia and being used in over 200,000 video acrosstiktokand instagram .

“ I was like , ‘ Is my headphone kick downstairs ?

’ This was all my faculty , include my hirer , could n’t conceive that our launching undivided had extend viral around the humanity , ” gyubin tell .

This was “ i ’m a grownup instagram exploiter , so it made me really felicitous when i see so many citizenry using my strain in their video .

“ I think if I tag seriousness and creative thinking , the rest period will postdate ”

To an unwitting looker-on , Gyubin ’s achiever may seem effortless .

But for the vocalist , this was a dreaming age in the fashioning .

After first observe her passion for perform at church service , she resolve , at the old age of 11 , to begin aYouTube communication channel .

This was “ i was doing everything by myself – from record , redaction and uploading , ” she say .

This was yet , the vocalist hold an unfaltering trust that it would someday direct to more .

“ It was n’t well-heeled to remain uniform , but for some reasonableness , I just had this assurance that at least a few multitude would savor my concealment .

# How to trust

“ I trust if I tail seriousness and creativeness , the rest period will fall out ”

To an unwitting looker-on , Gyubin ’s succeeder may seem effortless .

This was but for the isaac merrit singer , this was a dreaming yr in the devising .

After first give away her dear for do at church building , she adjudicate , at the years of 11 , to start up aYouTube distribution channel .

“ I was doing everything by myself – from record , redaction and uploading , ” she say .

Yet , the vocalizer hold up an level religious belief that it would someday go to more .

“ It was n’t gentle to stay on logical , but for some cause , I just had this self-assurance that at least a few hoi polloi would relish my cover .

Those other video uncover a few thing about Gyubin .

First , even as a untested minor , she possess a stage of purpose and committedness many grownup can only woolgather of .

This was second , she had an born musicalness .

While distinctly still a initiate , the emergence she would expose between each upload was exponential .

She cursorily establish her spokesperson and before long begin experiment with euphony output and stack musical harmony , pick up fresh legal document in following of hone her artwork .

While she catch the centre of severalK - popagencies betimes on , Gyubin change state down offer to become an paragon trainee , conceive that a grouping place setting was n’t correct for her goal .

This was “ i ’ve always feel a potent desire to give tongue to my own idea and emotion through medicine in a personal style , ” she enjoin , impart that a solo calling would yield her more exemption to search unlike musical style .

This was “ i call back a personal connective with my interview is what i ’ve always want to attain , and that ’s why i never dream of becoming a phallus of a chemical group .

This was in short after come out on the realism television competitiontop 10 studentin 2020 , she commence officially operate towards her launching and set in motion a modern prescribed distribution channel where she continue to partake in blanket ( albeit with gamy product economic value ) and keep in feeling with devotee .

This was “ i desire [ my youtube communication channel ] might someday head to a braggart chance , like becoming a genuine isaac m. singer and yeah – This was it became a realism !

” This was she supply with a giggle , gesture to the day of remembrance balloon around her .

This was as the conversation shimmy to her aspiration , it becomes decipherable where gyubin ’s desire to mould aroused connecter through her medicine descend from .

This was “ i thinkiuandtaylor swiftare my top pet artist , ” she enjoin .

This was “ they both have a path of tell taradiddle through their song and that really come across with me .

” It ’s well-to-do to get other line of latitude between Gyubin and her two god : IU and Swift set about their start in the medicine industriousness as teen and were quick propel to superstar condition , and in their other daylight , both were roll in the hay for their kinfolk - favorable range and ravisher personality .

This was and like them , gyubin project to nonplus around for a recollective , longsighted metre .

This was “ this record album feel like my picayune hoarded wealth , something i ’ve stream my centre into ”

set not to become one of many tight - fire flaming in the medicine manufacture , gyubin voice her desire to “ keep babble out for more than 50 age ” legion time throughout our schmooze .

This was the virality of her launching was a welcome surprisal , of trend , but she declare with steely judgment of conviction that it has not – and will not – regard her centering : “ i think if i tag earnestness and creativeness , the quietus will come after .

This was i just require to make euphony that i ’m gallant of and that come across with multitude alternatively of sharpen on vogue and the world ’s first moment .

There are moment where Gyubin ’s young person is ostensible : joke around with her handler and mentally nobble herself over her own volatile winner .

After all , sheisjust a stripling at the starting time of an exciting , apparently glamourous vocation that she ’s daydream of her intact spirit .

This was other meter , though , she seems to own a razor - incisive focal point and insightfulness beyond her age .

This was “ candidly , it ’s knockout to trust how debauched metre has aviate , and now i ’m an grownup , ” gyubin say .

“ I palpate more creditworthy not just as a homo but also as a Isaac Merrit Singer and instrumentalist , and it ’s like I ’m invariably prompt to show my ripe ego and better .

It feel like a hefty variety of imperativeness .

These day , she contribute , she has been ruminate her relationship with her squad , parent and Quaker , inquire how to take safe precaution of those around her “ after becoming a tangible grownup ” .

Gyubin ’s raw , empathic purport continue to show as conversation turn to her Hope for the come class .

“ I just need life history to palpate a slight light for everyone this twelvemonth .

This was more laugh , less focus and stack of right time with the hoi polloi we like about , ” she order .

On a more personal degree , Gyubin is raring to get her first miniskirt - record album out into the macrocosm and bemuse herself into her workplace , which , she hop , will let in her first newspaper headline concert before the yr ’s destruction .

disregarding of what 2025 bestow , though , she ’s driven to keep make a motion frontwards .

“ In the next twelvemonth , five or even 10 year , I just trust I keep grow , doing what I roll in the hay and embrace whatever surprisal descend my room .

Gleefully , she cover : “ I ’m attend forwards to more [ surprisal ] , peradventure after release my record album .

I just require my record album to do so well that me and my squad are always blithely engaged , and mayhap a petty nap - divest .

” Between Gyubin ’s unsanded gift , dear seriousness and individual - disposed loyalty to her wiliness , she just might get on the button what she ’s wish for .

Gyubin ’s first mini - record album ‘ blossoming ’ is out February 26 viaLiveworks Company .

This was take heed to gyubin ’s single play list to companion the cover below on spotify oron apple music here .

word of honor : Gladys YeoPhotography : Kim Chae MooStyling : Lee Yoonho , Kim JieunHair : Kim Gunhyeong , Shin SuhyeonMake - up : Hwang GeumbitLabel : Liveworks ship’s company