Five Years Of Dreamcatcher: Siyeon’s Uniquely Charming Pursuit Of Musical Paradise
K-Pop Special — Five Years Of Dreamcatcher
Since debut, Dreamcatcher’s Main Vocalist has shown off an endearing quirkiness only equaled by her passion for making music she loves.
In my experience, people who pursue what they love to do with passion are a different breed. Far beyond simply having that being a part of their lives, the object of that pursuit is something that is a part of their identity as a person, a core portion of what is unequivocally them to the point that you can’t imagine it separated from their being. In music, I think we see this phenomena more often than in other pursuits — the writing, composing, and performing of songs has produced some of its most prolific creators, who also, to some degree or another, possess a kind of what I’d call unique charms. These quirks and behaviors create an identity that becomes unforgettable, only equaled by the musical product they put out.
If there’s anything that fans have learned about Dreamcatcher’s Main Vocalist Siyeon over the past five years, it’s that she loves making her kind of music. While all of Dreamcatcher certainly enjoys and feels passionate to a certain degree about performing (and in several members’ cases, composing) music, for Siyeon, it feels different. In interviews, vLives, and appearances, there’s a certain sense that she feels music-making down to her bones, that it’s linked to her in a way that you see in few other artists. Whether it’s singing an impromptu concert of songs during vLive, or getting emotional after every concert is over or more, you can tell Siyeon is unerringly connected to her music in a way that explains, at least in part, why her powerful vocal talent has garnered her many opportunities over the last five years.
We’ve been treated to not only Siyeon’s vocal talent but her fun and whimsical personality since Dreamcatcher’s debut, and she’s only grown in both her musical skill and her ability to be immediately unforgettable to fans with her many entertaining personality quirks. As such, here’s five thoughts as to why the combination of Siyeon’s endless pursuit of improving her vocal talent and endearing charms make her one of Dreamcatcher’s most memorable members.
Siyeon’s far-ranging variety in her performances has made her not only a powerful but versatile singer.
One of Dreamcatcher’s appeals to me as a fan has always been how much variety you see in things that aren’t in their discography from a song standpoint. Covers of English-language pop classics, multi-lingual song covers, recognizable tracks from the K-Pop industry and more — Dreamcatcher has it all.
As someone who loves singing and performing, Siyeon contributes heavily to this positive reason for getting into the group. From before debut until now, Siyeon has been flexing her vocal chops on plenty of different songs, from musicals such as La La Land’s “City of Stars”, to Alan Walker’s electro house classic “Faded”, to “We All Lie”, from popular Korean Drama “Sky Castle”, and more.
The result of this kind of variety is five years where fans have been witness to Siyeon’s versatility as a vocal singer. Though most at-home in her favorite genre of rock, we’ve heard and seen Siyeon sing pretty much every type of pop-type song out there. This ability to play to most genres out there serves as a nice gateway into the group (the above rock-style cover Siyeon did of Bruno Mars’ “Treasure” is a new take on one of my favorite songs of the last decade, for example), both for international and domestic fans recognizing familiar songs, making it much easier to like them overall.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOBZjPuAKMQ[/embed]
But of course, when Siyeon falls back on her power vocal wheelhouse, that is where she tends to shine the most. Her vocal work, whether it is within Dreamcatcher’s discography in frequent pre-choruses or choruses, or in covering songs that demand a bit of vocal “oomph” behind them (such as Aladdin’s “Speechless”), has always been something that has turned heads (and ears) towards the group.
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You’re always going to know when a Siyeon part comes up in a song, because her distinct and strong tone tends to shine through, all without being overbearing on anyone else who may be sharing the stage with her at the time. That kind of control has been one of the hallmarks of Siyeon’s singing, and it’s only gotten better as the years have gone by.
Siyeon’s chameleon-like singing and stage talent has ensured that she’s able to work with any Dreamcatcher member, with impressive results.
Playing off of the end of my previous thought, Siyeon’s versatility and control mean that when it comes to her fellow members, she can play a part and slot in easily in a manner that allows her to contribute while also being able to show other members’ talents from a vocal and performance standpoint. The ability to do so makes her what I call a vocal “chameleon”, able to blend and have synergy with any other Dreamcatcher member. There’s many reasons why Dreamcatcher subunit performances tend to be memorable and when it comes to the ones she’s involved in, Siyeon is a good reason why that’s the case.
Whether it’s playing a different vocal role as a rapper and low-toned singer with fellow “Yaja Time” subunit members SuA and Yoohyeon, or slotting into her more traditional Main Vocalist role as the anchor to a chorus, Siyeon is the reliable musical rock upon which many of Dreamcatcher’s performances have been built upon. Having such a talent that can be both complimentary to other members and also unique in and of herself is something Dreamcatcher Company have been fortunate enough to take advantage of.
This of course also extends to Siyeon’s stage performance and presence when doing songs with other Dreamcatcher members. Whether it’s a subunit with JiU to perform VIXX’s “Shangri-la” complete with fans and traditional Korean clothes from an age long past, a coordinated choreography and singing sequence with SuA for Taemin’s “Goodbye”, or donning the bright colors and wild fashion that we’ve seen on HyunA and pairing up with Dami (as Dawn) to perform couple song “Ping Pong”, Siyeon is able to draw out the best in others by being that person who throws herself wholly into her performance and singing role. Dreamcatcher definitely has members that compliment each other well, but whereas someone like JiU uses her poise and leadership to pave the way for new partnerships with members, Siyeon does so just by being a paragon for the total package of song and dance that typifies most K-Pop artists.
Siyeon’s evolving and sometimes-random personality quirks have served as a unique quality that has endeared her to fans.
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Some K-Pop fans are drawn to their favorites through purely performance and talent-based reasons, and I wouldn’t blame them one bit for that — after all, how an artist puts on a show with their music and choreography can contribute a ton to garnering fans. I’ve personally fallen more on the side of appreciating an artist in K-Pop only after I’ve gotten a chance to get to know the total package so to speak — both on-stage and off-stage presentation.
With Siyeon, there are fans out there that have definitely chosen her as their bias (AKA their favorite member) due in no small part through what I can only call an amalgamation of interesting personal quirks that Dreamcatcher’s Main Vocalist possesses. They say that people who are passionate about and work on what they love tend to just be built different, and in this respect, I don’t think Siyeon is an exception to the rule.
In the five years that I’ve been following Dreamcatcher, I’ve seen Siyeon chew on an onion like it was an apple, make odd sounds in an unspeakable and random alien-type language, bend a spoon like it was putty in her hands, put all manner of objects including old McDonald’s fries and a macaroon into a waffle iron, and more equally adventurous and interesting things. Some people might call this sort of behavior from an idol uncharacteristically strange or awkward, but I call it just Siyeon being unapologetically herself. People like someone in K-Pop who can let some of their whole self, quirks and all, be publicly seen and observed, as it runs counter to the traditional “proper” image we may have seen exuded by past idols. It’s different, and therefore charming.
Additionally, I really think that Siyeon letting a bit more of what is perceived to be her off-camera personality leak a bit into her on-camera presentation is just a testament to Siyeon’s adventurous and fearless nature. You can’t pursue new avenues in music without being willing to take a plunge into the great and uncertain unknown, and Siyeon has that in spades. This is the same member of Dreamcatcher who, after absolutely smashing the stage with their performance pedigree, has done things like spend an entire birthday vLive trying to make her favorite dish, tteokbokki, despite never having done it before, somehow play multiple parts in a Dreamcatcher-produced parody of a popular Korean drama, and fail a lie detector test and have to rap with funny glasses and a fake mustache, among others.
Quite a few K-Pop artists have a little bit of this chaotic side of themselves that they show off during appearances, but seeing Siyeon means seeing a whole new side of her that has quirks that people enjoy. It’s fairly clear we haven’t seen the last of them, either and to Siyeon, that’s all in a day’s work as far as she’s concerned. There’s a reason why she calls herself a wolf a times — not just for the fierceness of her voice and presence, but also for the lone and unique quality said wolves who march to the beat of a different drummer exude.
Siyeon’s solo music endeavors have only grown and expanded to fit the attention she’s garnered with her talent.
Solo prospects have always been one of the other ways in which K-Pop artists who are in a group can branch out and explore different expressions of their musical talent, and of all the members of Dreamcatcher, Siyeon has very much been the most successful in this regard. With a first digital single through Dreamcatcher Company, multiple OST tracks for Korean shows, prominent solo appearances on shows and more, Siyeon has shown that people have been taking notice of her immense vocal talent and are utilizing it for other projects.
The best part about these kinds of opportunities for Siyeon is the fact that when she’s been able to, she has blown away those who have gotten a chance to watch her perform publicly and done so on her own terms. When South Korea’s tvN aired a pilot for V-1, a program that sought to crown the vocal queen among a competitive field of female K-Pop artists, Siyeon managed to make it all the way to the finals, in part on the back of one of the more memorable performances of the show, a rock version of well-known EXO song “Overdose”. The performance is worth watching at least once (if not multiple times), just for the fact that Siyeon finally gets a chance to show how much she adores rock as a genre and its ability to be molded into any song. Given that rock, even as of this writing, remains a genre mostly going unnoticed in the South Korean music world, the fact that Siyeon turned heads with this performance is a testament to her passion and dedication to her craft, and her identity in doing so.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7A961IfxDo[/embed]
With every solo opportunity that Siyeon gets, her profile as a strong vocalist gets raised, but also by extension, so does Dreamcatcher’s. After all, if someone like Siyeon can make waves doing non-traditional rock songs, what else can the other members of Dreamcatcher offer to the South Korean general public? This is the kind of thinking that has raised Dreamcatcher’s domestic profile in 2021, and Siyeon’s solo forays are certainly a significant part of those connections being made.
Siyeon loves making the music she wants, and it shows.
In the end, Siyeon’s story is one that quite a few artists travel — falling in love with making music, trying things that may or may not work out for them from that standpoint because they don’t feel comfortable with it, then eventually finding the musical niche they fit into and pursuing it with all their might. It’s common knowledge from Siyeon herself that she felt she was “slumping” during her days as a member of ill-fated group MINX, content with making music but not feeling like it was music that fit her style. More than anyone in the group, Siyeon I believe feels in her soul the rock concept that Dreamcatcher brings to its music as one that she has a deep connection and affinity for. The sense is that rock brought her into music to begin with, and now that she’s in a group that plays to that initial love of the genre, she’s going to do it as long as she’s able to do so — not just because it’s a career, but because she finds contentment and joy in doing what she loves. There’s a reason why the lyrics of “Paradise” talk about a struggle towards contentment, and why she has a tattoo on the back of her neck stating “Paradise is where I am”, and I think it’s partially because Siyeon knows what it is to live to aspire to it.
If for some reason you may still be doubting this opinion, you can basically look up any of the opportunities Siyeon has had to sing over the past five years, whether it’s a cover or an OST or simply her part in a song. You’ll know within a few seconds that this kind of music, the music that she sings with such passion and feeling, is what she wants to keep doing. We’ve already seen that Siyeon has acquired some song credits in Dreamcatcher’s discography, and it feels inevitable, especially given that she has been shown to be in a studio at times, that we may hear a whole song composed and sung by her or Dreamcatcher at some point in the future. That’s the kind of hard work and dedication that only comes with a love of the craft, and that’s certainly what Siyeon has, both as a solo artist, and of course, as a member of Dreamcatcher.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HC5X9kUrUs[/embed]
It’s perhaps this passionate pursuit, combined with how Siyeon does so in her own wonderfully endearing, sometimes-awkward way, that makes me respect her immensely as an artist and a member of Dreamcatcher. She’s had a bit of a bumpy road to get to where she is now, filled with doubts and trials, but Siyeon’s hard work and dedication to her career and her music has landed her in a group and a company that clearly love and respect her uniqueness both as a musician and as a person. It truly makes me interested and intrigued to see how far Siyeon and Dreamcatcher will go in the future,but one thing is clear — she’ll be going about it in her own way, and with the full force of her talent in front of her.
Stay tuned for more Five Years of Dreamcatcher content as we roll toward their 5th anniversary in January — clap, follow, and signal boost this content to your fellow fans so that more people can read about how and why Dreamcatcher remains one of K-Pop’s most interesting and sustainable groups with a great story in the industry!
Want to read the rest of the series? Check out the rest of the members in the Five Years of Dreamcatcher series of articles!
