SUNMI's HEROINE: The Hidden Story Behind Her Most Powerful Song

"SUNMI - HEROINE" debuted at number 6 on the Gaon Digital Chart and quickly reached a new peak at number 2 in its second week. Released on January 18, 2018, this powerful song not only topped the accompanying Download Chart in South Korea but also made an impressive international impact, debuting at number 3 on the US World Digital Song Sales with 2,000 downloads sold.

Following her departure from Wonder Girls, Sunmi established herself as one of K-pop's most dynamic soloists with "Heroine" serving as a companion piece to her 2017 chart-topper "Gashina". While "Gashina" was themed on red—representing retribution and fury—"Heroine" intentionally embraced blue tones to symbolize coldness. Additionally, it was Sunmi's own creative decision to tell the backstory of "Gashina" through "Heroine," creating an innovative narrative connection between the two hits.

Inspired by Britpop and tropical house, "Heroine" shifts between softer and more dramatic moments, featuring electronic blips and brassy beats alongside a piano-and-synth atmospheric melody.

The story behind 'Heroine' and its connection to 'Gashina'

Sunmi personally conceived the idea of making "Heroine" a prequel to her hit "Gashina" during the production process, creating an interconnected narrative between the two songs. "The thought that it would be good if 'Heroine' tells the prequel story of the woman in 'Gashina' came to my mind in the middle of working on the new song," she explained. This creative decision allowed fans to understand the full emotional journey of the protagonist.

How 'Heroine' acts as a prequel to 'Gashina'

"Heroine" portrays a woman enduring a failing relationship before evolving into the heartbroken yet vengeful character seen in "Gashina." As Sunmi herself stated, "If you listen to 'Heroine,' you will understand why that woman in 'Gashina' was shooting a gun in madness". The contrast extends to visual elements, with "Gashina" featuring roses blazing in fire while "Heroine" shows roses frozen in ice.

Sunmi's inspiration from the film '9½ Weeks'

Rather than drawing from personal experience, Sunmi found inspiration in Adrian Lyne's 1986 film "9½ Weeks." She revealed, "I imagined the movie as I wrote lyrics like 'My body, my hair, you make me dance and be drunk without alcohol'". The song's central "show must go on" sentiment came directly from her interpretation of the film.

The emotional arc of the protagonist

Throughout "Heroine," the protagonist maintains a "let it be" attitude despite her suffering. She tells her lover to "do whatever you want, even if you're mean, and you make me sad you need to be yourself". This complex emotional state—wherein she accepts pain yet perseveres—foreshadows her transformation into the stronger, more assertive character in "Gashina." Furthermore, as Sunmi explained, "The woman may appear sad, but as the song's lyric 'the show must go on' shows, she has this 'let it be' attitude".

Musical composition and lyrical meaning

The sonic landscape of "SUNMI - HEROINE" masterfully blends Britpop and tropical house influences to create a distinctive musical identity that stands apart in the K-pop landscape. Produced by The Black Label, the song shifts between softer and more dramatic moments, featuring electronic blips and brassy beats alongside a piano-and-synth atmospheric melody.

Britpop and tropical house influences

Though initially skeptical about tropical house trends, music critics noted this genre worked exceptionally well in "Heroine," particularly with its dramatic synth riff and electro-chirps. Unlike her previous electronic-flavored hits, this track featured more toned-down beats and melodies, creating what one reviewer called "a tricky line between atmospheric, minimalist and bombastic."

Lyric themes of vulnerability and strength

Throughout the track, Sunmi's vocal performance powerfully conveys emotional contradiction—oscillating between mellow sentimentality and passionate intensity. Her singing style has been described as "sharpened like the frayed edges of an exposed nerve," perfectly embodying the song's central message. The defining phrase "the show must go on" underscores a theme of perseverance amid heartbreak. Notably, the lyrics portray someone who accepts pain yet maintains dignity: "Do whatever you want, even if you're mean, and you make me sad you need to be yourself."

Sunmi and Teddy Park's collaboration

The creative partnership between Sunmi and producer Teddy Park proved exceptionally fruitful for "Heroine." Written jointly by the two artists and produced by Teddy alongside 24, the song showcases Sunmi's growing confidence as a lyricist. "I think I'm musically a good match with The Black Label," she remarked about the collaboration. "The composition team consists of those who do varying genres of music, so working with them always provides me with good chances to try all sorts of genres."

Visual storytelling in the music video

Directed by the respected creative team Lumpens, the music video for "SUNMI - HEROINE" delivers a multi-layered visual narrative that complements the song's emotional journey. The video's release followed two teasers—the first showing Sunmi exiting a car, the second capturing her running and dancing.

Symbolism in the choreography and props

Color symbolism plays a crucial role in connecting "Heroine" to "Gashina." Whereas "Gashina" embraced fiery red tones symbolizing retribution, "Heroine" intentionally uses cool blue hues representing emotional coldness. This contrast extends to promotional images where roses appear either blazing in fire or frozen in ice, respectively. The choreography includes a push-and-pull dance sequence with a partner that physically represents relationship struggles. Remarkably, when filming one scene, Sunmi slipped and fell hard on wet ground—yet instead of removing this mishap, she insisted on keeping it in the final cut.

Scene transitions and cinematic elements

Throughout the video, Sunmi flits between various performance venues with multiple outfit changes, creating a theatrical effect. These rapid scene transitions mirror her character's fluctuating emotional state. The vibrant, colorful backdrops coupled with stage designs and curtain reveals emphasize that her relationship "plays like a movie". In each scene, Sunmi alternates between self-mockery and confidence, using piercing stares, vulnerable glances, and exaggerated smiles to convey her complex feelings.

The 'show must go on' motif

The video's climactic moment arrives when Sunmi confronts a billboard displaying the phrase "the show must go on". Echoing the song's central theme, she points her hand like a gun at this billboard—a deliberate callback to the finger gun dance move that made "Gashina" go viral. This final gesture symbolizes her character's evolution from acceptance toward the empowered stance seen in "Gashina".

Public reception and controversy

Upon release in January 2018, "SUNMI - HEROINE" became an immediate commercial success, topping Korea's major realtime charts including Melon, Genie, Bugs, Naver, and Soribada within hours of its debut. The song secured the #1 spot on eight online music streaming platforms by the evening of its release day.

Chart performance in Korea and globally

After debuting at #6 on the Gaon Digital Chart, the single climbed to #2 in its second week. Internationally, "Heroine" made a significant impact on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart, reaching #3 with 2,000 downloads sold—Sunmi's best sales week in America at that time. This achievement made it the second-best-selling K-pop song in the U.S. that week, surpassed only by BTS' "Mic Drop (Remix)".

Plagiarism allegations and agency response

Shortly after release, the track faced controversy as listeners noticed similarities with British singer Cheryl Cole's 2009 single "Fight For This Love". Comparisons highlighted near-identical melodies and stylistic choices. In response, The Black Label stated, "We unequivocally reveal that 'Heroine' is 100 percent an original creative work with absolutely no reference to the song that has been named in the controversy".

Critical acclaim and year-end rankings

Regardless of controversy, "Heroine" earned widespread critical recognition, ranking #10 on Billboard's "Best K-pop Songs of 2018," #3 on PAPER's equivalent list, and securing the #1 position on The Young Folks' "Best K-Pop Singles of 2018". Subsequently, the song was named #28 on Billboard's "100 Greatest K-Pop Songs of the 2010s".