Written by Veronica Campos | August 19, 2025

Se So Neon officially dropped their new album, NOW, on August 15th, releasing both a Korean version and an English deluxe version featuring 12 tracks. The record includes pre-released singles such as Twit Winter, Remember!, and New Romantic, alongside older songs from earlier projects such as Kidd and Jayu. The album represents living in the present—not just looking back or forward.

For both Se So Neon and leader Hwang Soyoon, NOW feels like a fresh chapter. Soyoon traveled to New York in search of inspiration, questioning whether she should continue writing music about her past or start something entirely new. There, she found the core theme of this album: living in the present, in the now, instead of dwelling on the past. She completed the album in her new home in Los Angeles, where she began navigating life in a new country.

As I explored both the interviews and the songs themselves, one track that stood out to me was Twit Winter. The song embodies understanding her past and future in order to live in the present.

Another song that quickly became one of my personal favorites is Remember! Its tone and beat immediately hooked me, and when paired with the lyrics, the track became addicting. The song is about remembering who you are, and it also serves as a tribute to the late Ryuichi Sakamoto, Soyoon’s musical inspiration and mentor. She mentioned that keeping his memory alive also helps her remember who she is.

Further into the album, I noticed two songs I was already familiar with, Kidd and Jayu, and I wondered why they were included. However, in interviews, Soyoon explained that those tracks pose a deeper question: “What should we feel from this life?” Together, they tie into the larger themes of freedom, hope, and emotional exploration that run throughout NOW.

Se So Neon has been a major force in the indie music scene since their debut in 2017, led by Hwang Soyoon. The band has grown tremendously in Korea and across Asia over the years, giving Soyoon the opportunity to collaborate with major artists like BTS’s RM and Seventeen’s Hoshi and Woozi. While bassist Park Hyunjin recently departed to pursue his solo career, Soyoon continues with the band on her own, embracing the future with her music from her new base in Los Angeles.

The album’s themes center on liberation, self-discovery, and strength, while also weaving together the past, present, and future. In Soyoon’s words, it is “a timeless album.” It is definitely worth listening to and experiencing the emotions poured into it.

Se So Neon will launch their North American tour next month, kicking off in Georgia on September 3rd.