BIBI Drives into New Territory with Becky G in ‘Amigos’ as She Reveals ‘True Self’: ‘Always Shapeshifting’ (Exclusive)

From humble Soundcloud origins to a recently released collaboration with Becky G, there’s no doubt that BIBI is blazing her own path to stardom.

Set against a mountainous backdrop, the music video for “Amigos” depicts a playfully provocative story that pushes the boundaries between guilt and seduction.

With BIBI behind the wheel of a car and Becky G riding shotgun in the opening scene, it’s clear the pair are headed into risky territory.

“I know we had a good time / And you always want more / But if my boyfriend calls / We’re friends, nothing more,” the song begins.

BIBI and Becky G.

Amy Lee

The sensual lyrics take on another layer of complexity when BIBI sings them in Spanish with Becky G, alongside English and her native Korean.

The trilingual star flows between languages, just as he effortlessly switches between English and Korean while talking about the song Thursday morning in Seoul.

“I just woke up,” BIBI tells PEOPLE via Zoom with a laugh. “I’m going climbing after this.”

Long before the South Korean solo artist and actress could reveal her “favorite” exercise, the 25-year-old has always been a “huge fan” of the Latin music industry. So when her label, 88rising, first proposed a collaboration with the 26-year-old pop singer, there was no hesitation on either side.

Becky G Says She’s Learned Being Latina Is A ‘Blessing’: ‘Much More’ Than ‘Checking Out’

Becky G focused on creating an “infectious beat” that “proves music’s ability to transcend boundaries,” while BIBI used her songwriting skills.

“The lyrics are very sassy, ​​a bit controversial,” BIBI says of her songwriting process.

But she made one thing clear: “It’s not based on my experience.”

Becky G and BIBI.

Amy Lee

That’s because the self-proclaimed “shapeshifter,” whose real name is Kim Hyung-seo, is always changing in her musical exploration, deciding whether to draw on her own personal experiences or create a completely new persona.

In fact, “Amigos” comes as a result of a multifaceted career that is becoming as internationally popular as the song itself. As soon as she released her debut album, Low Life Princess : Noir In 2022, her single from the album, “BIBI Vengeance”, quickly became a hit.

Even before the album took off, BIBI was already making waves with her edgy, indie-inspired pop. Shattered records have proven this since “The Weekend” singer became the first South Korean solo R&B artist to chart on US Top 40 radio.

BIBI will perform in South Korea in August 2022.

Justin Shin/Getty

Since then, the “Hongdae R&B” singer has performed on stages around the world, including 88rising’s Head in the Clouds music festival.

It was at her debut at the 2021 Los Angeles festival that BIBI made headlines after she got off stage to kiss a fan during her set. Later, while performing “She Got It,” the singer threw condom packages into the crowd with outstretched arms.

“In Korea, I never throw away condoms and cigarettes,” says BIBI. “I just throw candy at them. I can’t be angry everywhere, so I’m a person who can change.”

Her newfound confidence is certainly a far cry from the younger version of BIBI, who she described as a “strange creature.”

“I didn’t know how to make friends and I was so awkward,” she recalls. “So I jumped into my own world and just made things.”

At first, BIBI treated singing purely as a hobby to protect her privacy and because her father initially discouraged her after he gave up his own dreams of becoming a singer when she was born.

To pass the time, BIBI bought her own microphone and started uploading songs to SoundCloud under the name “naked bibi” – a reference to how babies are naturally born without clothes. This concept soon gave birth to her stage name, a metaphor for how she strives to show her true self.

Then, by sheer luck, hip-hop star Tiger JK and his wife, rap queen Yoon Mi-rae, stumbled upon the young artist’s music. Even when they invited BIBI to visit them in Seoul, the star-studded 18-year-old at the time was still convinced that it was just for fun. After all, with college looming in the distance, she thought it was too late to move on.

But when the couple offered to sign BIBI to their record label in 2017, her father tearfully changed his mind.

“‘Please try — it could be your last chance,'” BIBI recalls her father’s words. After completing just one semester of college, she would grant those wishes and release her debut single, “Binu,” just two years later.

BIBI in Seoul, South Korea in May 2023.

Chosunilbo JNS/Imazins via Getty

In another universe, BIBI says she would debut with a mask. She imagined herself covering her face in such a way as to hide the fear she had of “everyone knowing” who she was.

“I wanted to hide because I didn’t want everyone to judge me for my art,” thinks BIBI. “If you’re an actor, you’re not judged by your role. But singers and artists are always judged by their songs.”

“I was afraid of that, but I’m too beautiful to hide my face,” adds BIBI with a laugh.

It is precisely this beauty that the “Bad Sad and Mad” singer says her ever-growing fan base, BIBI Bullets, knows best. However, they have not yet met that “ugly part” of her that she has kept away from critical eyes.

She is not the one on stage, nor is she constantly in front of the cameras, she claims. In fact, it’s just an “alter ego” of who the performer really is.

“I used to think, ‘Stedge me is the most amazing me – I’m living life,'” BIBI explains of her early career. “These days, I’m just like, ‘This is work.’ I’m enjoying it, and I’m going crazy. But I always try to remember: this isn’t really you, this is just another person of yours. So I can’t get [off] stage, not hurt and lonely.”

BIBI is performing in Singapore in September 2023.

Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty

With a wave of her hand, BIBI visualizes the ups and downs she’s faced in a career where it’s hard not to let criticism of her alter-ego impose on her inner confidence. Through that journey, she learned the importance of keeping a firm line between the two.

“If you don’t learn how to share it, you have to keep it [being] in the world where the artist remains”, says BIBI. “The world in which the artist remains is not a good thing. It’s so hard and so dark.”

That’s why Hopeless the actress has learned to set “seasons” throughout her creative process. In the music season, he exclusively focuses on writing songs for his next album. When next season comes around, she’s ready to produce an album. The one after? Either she deals with marketing and designing roles or works as an actress.

Having limited his efforts in writing music to only a few months of the year, he does not stay in “melancholy” for too long.

“It’s really hard to get out of it, but I get through everything,” says BIBI.

Although the idea of ​​showing her “uglier side” is “scary” for the “Life is a Bi…” singer, she always makes sure to stay honest with her fans in times of struggle.

“I always tell them, ‘Oh, it’s hard for me,'” says BIBI. “I always say I’m so tired because I was born tired, man.”

BIBI in Cannes in May 2023.

PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty

That part of vulnerability is what the performer channels to emphasize that she is “just like everyone else.”

When her career is completely off the charts, she’s just a “normal” person who enjoys climbing, reading books, drawing, eating her favorite Korean fermented fish food, and watching her current favorite anime, Spy x family.

“I think I’m a very aggressive person and very, very sensitive,” continues BIBI. “I always complain a lot. I’m the type of person who thinks, ‘This drink isn’t cold enough,’ but I’m not [say it] because everyone would think I’m an asshole. But everyone does that, right?”

“When I’m cold, I crouch. When I get anxious, I squat,” the exercise fanatic adds of his favorite move.

Showing these aspects of her true self to audiences will be a “bit by bit” process, she says. For now, she feels freest around her close friends, and even in becoming her own best friend.

“‘Oh, do you want to go shopping?’ ‘Yes thank you.’ ‘You are so beautiful and you are so sweet.’ “Thank you, BIBI,” says the singer, imitating an inner dialogue with herself. “That’s what I mean when you’re my best friend.”

That kind of self-love also includes congratulating yourself on smaller, more personal victories.

For example, after she first posted a teaser for her “Amigos” collaboration with Becky G on her Instagram, her “favorite taco place,” @vgtacos, messaged her.

“They sent me a DM like, ‘Oh, I think that’s a really good idea, BIBI, I’m proud of you,’” she recalls with a triumphant smile. “I was like, ‘Yeah, my favorite taco place is proud of me!’

When BIBI now thinks about the future, her next goal is to “keep it simple, get back to the culture I loved and just do whatever I want.”

“I always hide in music, but I just want to create music that also speaks to my ugly side,” hints the songwriter about the subject of his next album.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

She also constantly wants to repay her colleagues, who are part of the “musical family” she has come to love.

“I just want to make them rich and make them happy to work with me,” says BIBI with a smile. “I want to show them how much I love them. Love is good.”

“And the money is also very good,” he adds with a laugh.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education