BOYSTOWN — Chicago-based drag queen Soju, host of the popular YouTube talk show "Shot with Soju," dropped her first single on Wednesday, combining two of her passions: drag and K-pop.
The sugary-sweet song is called "So Juicy," and it's the first K-pop song to be recorded by a Korean American drag queen.
"In the drag community, most songs have hard-hitting lyrics or beats, but I wanted to create a lighter song from a genre that people have not heard before," Soju said. "'So Juicy' will be a familiar sound to K-pop fans, but for drag fans, it'll be something completely new."
The track is sung in both English and Korean, and it chronicles a joyful night out with lyrics like, "Way above the stars/We'll dance the night away/Don't worry — it's not too late/To join the party."
The single was written, produced and recorded in Chicago with the help of Catherine Yang, a local independent music producer who also records under the name Shyyness on SoundCloud. Billy Rodriguez illustrated the single art.
"'So Juicy' is for my fans," Soju said. "They have been my drive since day one, and I wanted my first song to be dedicated to them. I hope my fans enjoy this party song and follow me through this new chapter of my drag career."
Soju may be best known for hosting the drag and queer culture YouTube talk show "Shot with Soju." The show premiered last year and, like the Korean variety shows that inspired it, features diverse content like interviews with drag queens, reviews of "RuPaul's Drag Race," vlogs and even some martial arts tutorials.
Season 2 of "Shot with Soju" will premiere on Oct. 19. "So Juicy" is available for streaming on iTunes, Spotify and all other streaming platforms.
