min.a

min.a, the moniker of NYC-based singer/songwriter/producer Michelle Lee Bae, makes indie pop anthems that transmit all the angsty, fuzzy, and pure feelings stirring inside her heart. Since debuting in 2018 with her breakthrough lo-fi single “by(e),” she established herself as a rising talent through her self-produced EPs of introspective lyricism and glitchy electronics. Now, min.a gears up to present the next self-assured evolution of her artistry with her new EP, are you watching at all?, a collection of deeply felt and cathartic songs, arriving in May.

Sung in English and Korean, are you watching at all? marks an emotional turning point for min.a, who is now unafraid to say exactly what she’s feeling after a lifetime of making herself smaller for others. It also represents the artist reclaiming her narrative as she returns to being a fully independent musician. “I'm not very good with confrontation, and I let my feelings linger until they explode, which usually causes conflict,” min.a explains. “This project is me communicating, ‘OK, I'm finally saying what I wanted to from the beginning. Are you paying attention?’” The EP also sees her prioritizing songwriting and letting the production follow suit. As she expresses everything from self-doubt (“skipping stones”) to bitterness (“you don’t get to say it first”) and hope-giving love (“sunshower”), the EP matches her mood through acoustic guitar ballads, grungy indie rock, and effortless electro-R&B.

Having grown up between California and Seoul, min.a has always used music to process her feelings of isolation and ostracization. As a young teen, she caught attention in South Korea for her powerful singing voice on the competition show, K-Pop Star, and then later focused on crafting experimental electronic tracks at NYU's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. She now aims to write songs that connect with fellow outsiders. “I was bullied growing up, and I never had any friendships where I felt truly seen,” min.a says. “I want people who are going through that to feel like, ‘I’m not alone, it does get better.’”