Kentucky-born Korean American musical artist ÅNGEL 004 shares her most vulnerable moments in her new EP, titled “LOOK ÅT ME.” Sonically cinematic and lyrically intimate, each of the three songs represents a phase of her journey as both an artist and a woman of mixed Asian and European cultural heritage. “These are my stories, out loud,” she says in a voicemail message that is a component of the multimedia release.
In 2024, ÅNGEL 004 released the single “HORSE TORNÅDO,” a hyperpop bop with a jazz-informed vocal delivery, about the animal abuse inherent to horse racing. She followed “HORSE TORNÅDO” with “ÅLLSHOUSE,” an experimental house track that she wrote to help her cope with the sale of her childhood home in Oldham Country—a home her father had built, where her creative friends once communed to create art.
Later in 2024, ÅNGEL 004 left Kentucky for her first solo tour across the U.S. While traveling so far from home, and moving through the liminal spaces of self-discovery, she found a new version of herself, “a stronger version,” as she recounts in one of her voicemail messages. “It’s crazy how much you grow when you give yourself space,” she said of her experience writing and recording the songs.
Each of the three songs on “LOOK ÅT ME” is a personal narrative. The first track, “PLOT TWIST” describes ÅNGEL 004’s experience of being on the run. “문어” (“MUN-EO,” Korean for “octopus”) describes the development of her new self-image. “OPEN WIDE” describes her arrival at self-acceptance. Each song has its own meter, rhythm, and flow—and the visuals for each song show ÅNGEL 004 in a different fashion and style—yet as a whole, the EP is cohesive.
ÅNGEL 004 incorporates a broad spectrum of influences into her songwriting, from hyperpop to folktronica to trap. Some listeners might hear elements reminiscent of German DJ and singer HorsegiirL, Korean American DJ and songwriter Yaeji, or even the soft theatricality of Mitski. But ÅNGEL 004 defies close comparisons. LOOK ÅT ME invites active engagement and rewards that engagement with songwriting that is tender yet propulsive.
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The EP was created in collaboration with producer and beatmaker Kuzko Belliard, a Louisville native Afro-Latin creative whose accolades are stacked. Belliard is the producer and engineer for the Woman-Owned Wallet podcast; a winemaker at Huber’s Orchard and Winery; and a guest chef for local culinary pop-ups. Brayden Baird co-produced the song “OPEN WIDE,” and Taylor Braddock mixed and mastered all three tracks.
“LOOK ÅT ME” will be self-released digitally on Friday, March 21 on all major streaming platforms. The release will also incorporate an interactive multimedia experience: a toll-free number that listeners can call to hear ÅNGEL 004 share her narrative for each song in more detail, accompanied by a text message with a link to the EP. Call 1-844-ANGL-004 to be a part of the experience.
This article appears in Mar 14-27, 2025.