What Makes SUNMI's "Stranger" Different From Her Previous Hits?

K-pop soloist Sunmi's "Stranger" marks her ninth digital single, released on October 17, 2023 after a year-long hiatus since "Heart Burn". After briefly experimenting with different producers, Sunmi reunites with her longtime collaborator Frants for this highly anticipated comeback.

"Stranger" stands out as a unique addition to Sunmi's discography, notably because it functions as a hybrid of three different songs merged into one. The striking piano elements create an appropriate backdrop for the Halloween-themed concept, perfectly timed with the approaching holiday season. Unfortunately, the song takes an unexpected turn with its spoken-word chorus, which represents a significant departure from Sunmi's typical style. Despite this creative risk, many critics consider this release distinctively "Sunmi-like," earning an impressive overall rating of 8.8/10 in reviews.

The return of Sunmi and the context of 'Stranger'

After more than a year away from the music scene, Sunmi has reemerged with her distinctive artistic voice. Released on October 17, 2023, "Stranger" represents much more than just another single in her discography.

Why this comeback matters

With a decade as a solo artist and 17 years in the industry (including her time with Wonder Girls), Sunmi's return carries significant weight. Furthermore, this comeback sees her delving into self-reflection throughout her lengthy career. She explained during a press event in Seoul that "Stranger" portrays her artist persona through her own perspective, exploring "an alternate version of myself" in what she describes as "a rather narcissistic delve into my persona".

Collaboration with Frants again

Throughout her career, Sunmi has maintained a consistent musical identity while evolving her sound. For "Stranger," she reconnected with production elements that highlight her signature style, maintaining artistic continuity while pushing creative boundaries.

Timing of release and Halloween theme

The October release deliberately coincides with what fans call "Spooky Season". Interestingly, the song embraces Halloween aesthetics with gothic and haunting imagery alongside classic horror references like Frankenstein's monster. The eerie music video features Sunmi building her own Frankenstein-like creation that resembles herself, perfectly complementing the season's mood while adding layers to the song's meaning about identity and self-creation.

Breaking down the structure of 'Stranger'

"Stranger" immediately stands out in Sunmi's discography through its unconventional structure. The track functions essentially as three distinct songs artificially merged into one cohesive piece.

The three-part song format

Music critics frequently describe the track as deliberately segmented, with each section maintaining its own identity yet forced to coexist within a single track. This experimental approach positions "Stranger" alongside other recent K-pop tracks from groups like NMIXX and aespa that embrace stylistic collages.

Verse: Classic Sunmi allure

The verses showcase Sunmi's trademark sultry energy with an alluring, sensual vibe that longtime fans will instantly recognize. This section pulses with the melodically laid-back quality that has defined many of her greatest hits—demonstrating exactly why her voice perfectly suits this particular sound.

Pre-chorus: Reggae-pop twist

As the song progresses into the pre-chorus, the tone shifts toward a more upbeat, vibrant feel. Here, "Stranger" adopts a somewhat reggae-influenced motif that creates electro-reggae undertones within its generally pop framework.

Chorus: Spoken word and piano hits

Perhaps most jarring is the chorus—featuring a spoken-word delivery paired with striking piano hits. This eerie, horror-movie-themed segment creates an instantaneously catchy hook perfectly aligned with the Halloween season.

Why the transitions feel disjointed

Unfortunately, the song suffers from minimal transitions between its disparate sections. Without proper connective tissue between these musical ideas, "Stranger" feels unnecessarily disjointed.

How 'Stranger' compares to Sunmi's past hits

In the landscape of K-pop, Sunmi's musical signature has always been distinctive. "Stranger" represents her most experimental release yet, marking a significant departure from her established sound.

From 'Gashina' to 'Tail': A sonic evolution

When "Gashina" dropped in 2017, it transformed Sunmi from a K-pop star to a genuine Hallyu icon. Throughout subsequent releases, she cultivated a technicolor world filled with wit, vulnerability, and unmistakable femme fatale undertones. Previously, even her most experimental tracks like "Tail" maintained tonal consistency despite visual variance. Particularly notable is how Sunmi has maintained an unbroken string of standout releases since her solo debut in 2013.

Differences in melody and cohesion

Whereas hits like "Gashina," "Heroine," and "Tail" offered smooth listening experiences, "Stranger" delivers an intentionally jarring journey. The clashing segments in "Stranger" lack the connective tissue present in her earlier works. Meanwhile, her past singles featured strong chorus moments that became their signature elements, but "Stranger" deliberately subverts this expectation.

Fan expectations vs. experimental delivery

Sunmi's audience has grown accustomed to her evolving yet cohesive sound. Consequently, "Stranger" has divided listeners—some praise her boldness, others feel the experiment falls flat. Nevertheless, this creative risk highlights exactly what makes her a distinctive offering to the K-pop scene.

Visual storytelling in the 'Stranger' MV

The music video for "Stranger" builds upon the song's disjointed structure through intricate visual storytelling. Filmed as a horror-themed short film, it showcases Sunmi in dual roles that reflect her artistic identity.

The Frankenstein narrative

At its core, the MV presents Sunmi as both creator and creation. She portrays a scientist who builds a Frankenstein version of herself, complete with laboratory scenes showing her literally constructing her double. This creation story serves as a clever metaphor for artistic reinvention. As Sunmi herself explained, "The music video features both the authentic me and a fabricated version, and the real me molding the fake one. It symbolizes the process of reinventing myself with each album release".

Symbolism and comedic elements

Throughout the video, the doubling symbolism creates both unsettling and tender moments. Sometimes the doubles stare at each other, sometimes embrace - visually representing the song's "danger/angel" binary concept. Yet surprisingly, the MV doesn't take itself too seriously. Comical moments include Sunmi's relatable expression when realizing she forgot a bolt and the post-credits scene where Frankenstein-Sunmi finds the missing bolt and inserts it like activating earphones.

Performance and choreography breakdown

The choreography cleverly complements each section of the three-part song. Viewers see sensual movements during verses, bouncy energy in the reggae-pop pre-chorus, and sharp movements matching the striking piano in choruses. Additionally, veiled dancers in dark studio scenes create imagery reminiscent of the horror film Suspiria.

How the MV enhances the song's meaning

Ultimately, the gothic visual approach perfectly aligns with the song's fragmented structure. The MV's disjointed nature - filled with horror film references including The Shining and The Exorcist 3 - actually strengthens the unusual musical choices. Through this visual framework, what might seem musically incoherent becomes intentionally unsettling, giving deeper meaning to the experimental track.