South Korean singer and actress (born 1998)
Kim Hyung-seo (Korean: 김형서, born September 27, 1998),[1] known professionally as Bibi (Korean: 비비; stylised in all caps), is a South Korean singer and actress. In 2018, she appeared on The Fan and became the runner-up of the show. In 2022, she released her first studio album Lowlife Princess: Noir. As an actress, Bibi is well-known for her lead roles in the film Hopeless (2023) and television series such as The Worst of Evil (2023).
Early life
Kim Hyung-seo was born in Ulsan and spent her teenage years in Changwon.[2] She felt awkward talking to people, so she began to write lyrics about not being able to say what she want to say when she was 15.[3]
Bibi has a younger sister, Kim Na-kyoung, who debuted in the girl group TripleS through one of its sub-units Acid Angel from Asia on October 28, 2022.[4][5]
Career
In 2017, Bibi signed with Feel Ghood Music after Yoon Mi-rae discovered her self-produced songs on SoundCloud.[6] In 2018, Bibi appeared as a contestant in SBS competition show The Fan, where she eventually finished in second place.[7] She made her official debut with the single "Binu" on May 15, 2019.[8]
In April 2021, she released her second extended play Life is a Bi.... In October, she released collaboration single "The Weekend" with 88rising. It later peaked at 29 on the Mediabase Top 40 chart, making Bibi the first Korean female soloist to do so.[9] In December, she signed a global promotion deal with 88rising.[10] On November 18, 2022, she released her first studio album Lowlife Princess: Noir.[11]
Acting
In 2023, Bibi appeared in Hopeless. She was nominated for Best New Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards.[12]
Artistry
Stage name
Bibi was also known as "Nakedbibi" on SoundCloud. The name's meaning came from "baby" sounding like "bibi" when pronounced quickly, and that newborn babies don't wear any clothes and have a natural appearance that isn't affected by anything.[13] Her current stage name is said to be one that defines her want to show her honest self.[14]
Musical style
Bibi pursues freewheeling and out-of-the-box music. Her music features various genres, including R&B, soul, hip hop, and ballads. Rather than focusing on dealing with beautiful things beautifully, it is a style of music that focuses on beautifully sublimating beautiful sorrows and pains that are alienated and hidden from the world. She gets inspiration from her experience and feelings.[3] She was influenced by Nicki Minaj because of her "pop tendency and ability as a rapper".[15]
Appearance
Bibi is known for the two red dots under her eyes that was variously described as moles or dots. The dots are her makeup style that were inspired from her grandpa's roseola that was caused by his fevers, which he died from, and a tribute to her grandpa who was a role model to her.[16]
In Jessi's Showterview, instead, she stated: "I found myself excessively hyped and upbeat on stage, which makes me make some mistakes. So I started to draw these moles as a message to myself that I'm on stage and that I'm performing in front of people, so I need to make it through".[17]
Philanthropy
With Tiger JK and Yoon Mi-rae, Bibi donated 40 million won to help the victims of the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake.[18]
