Why Katie Kim, who started out in K-pop but left to go solo, is so proud of her new EP Our Time is Blue

It’s not easy being Katie Kim: she may have started her career at one of South Korea’s biggest entertainment companies, but not everything went as planned, resulting in her moving on from the K-pop world.

Katie, who is known by her first name, released her new EP, Our Time is Blue, on Friday. In it, she shares her world view via soulful, classic R&B sounds and lullabies.

“This year has been really turbulent for me,” the 26-year-old singer told the Post over the phone, hours before the album was released. “Not just because of the pandemic, but a lot of things happened in my life and it was a lot to handle. But I’m happy to finish off this year with an achievement, [the release of] this work that I finally get to share with people.”

A strong singer with a soft, humble speaking voice, Katie talks about her album, life and career in a tone that may at first sound like hesitation or shyness, but is ultimately revealed as a reflection of the thoughtful way she views the world.

Katie, who was born Kim Seo-hyeon in South Korea and immigrated to New Jersey in the US at the age of 10, started out in the heady world of K-pop after winning a season of South Korean television competition show K-pop Star in 2014. However, she ultimately went her own way after leaving former company, YG Entertainment, due to a lack of releases.