Few locations are as instantly evocative as the speakeasy. It was a fairly localized and short-lived concept– only in the United States, and even then only through Prohibition–but the snapshot it creates packs a punch.
A smoky back room, filled with card games, flappers, and wild dance moves. The sense of danger as you get an illegal drink at the bar with politicians on one side and the Mafia on the other. And over it all, the music; an intersection of jazz and blues over hot brass, all backing a sultry female singer.
It’s a world that no one would want to live in, but everyone wants to visit, so it’s no surprise that a few K-pop ladies (and a few gentlemen) have tried their hand at this sound. So toss on your glad rags, pour yourself some bootleg coffin varnish, and enjoy a trip to the K-pop Speakeasy.
