Today, Korean American artist Babebee has announced that they will be releasing their new EP, whatislove2u?, on April 5th via Epitaph Records. It is the follow-up to their labels debut EP, A PROPHECY, which came out in November.

Alongside the EP announcement, Babebee has shared the dreamy bedroom pop tune “NEXT2” that “follows the struggle of experiencing avoidant behavior,” says Babebee. “This results in anxiety from being pushed and pulled from both directions by someone you love, but at the end of the day you still want to be with them.”

Watch the music video below.

Written in a headspace consumed by desperation and nostalgia, Babebee approached the five songs on whatislove2u? from a place of fantasy over reality. Evoking escapism by way of lush electronic soundscapes, idiosyncratic beats and breathy vocals, they craft a dreamlike safe space to meditate on their behaviors in past relationships through a self-aware lens. Delving into various attachment styles, the EP chronicles their quest to finally feel “secure” in themselves; whether that’s alone or in a partnership.

“Reflecting on my past, I noticed a pattern of a lot of my relationships starting and ending in a similar cycle,” Babebee explains. “I wanted to write about the process of experiencing those patterns and eventually breaking the spell.”

While the EP draws on deeply personal experiences, they are not only illustrated through lyrics. ‘whatislove2u?’ was produced entirely by the artist themself, which to Babebee felt like “diving into my past and ripping pages out of my journal.” Adding another layer of intimacy to this revealing music, Babebee worked with a select few close collaborators including producer jodah. and French hyperpop artist angelus.

Turning their songwriting inward with a focus on being intentional with yourself, with ‘whatislove2u?’ Babebee remind us,

Love shouldn’t be conditional, especially towards ourselves. We should be allowed to express love in the most authentic way, heal our inner child and express our needs without feeling unsafe.”

Artwork:

Babee EP art

Track-listing:

  1. RUN
  2. BLISS
  3. NEXT2U
  4. GO, GO / 가자!
  5. HAPPY ENDING