These days, Korea runs on audition programs. From Superstar K to K-pop Star, we’ve seen our fair share of overnight superstars over the past three years. Roy Kim, Huh Gak, Park Ji Min, John Park — just to name a few.

Of all these diamonds in the rough, no soloist’s debut single comes close to that of 16-year-old Lee Hi.

Stealing the hearts of viewers with her lovable onscreen awkwardness and her soulful performances, this 16-year-old siren placed second on the first season of SBS’ Survival Audition K-pop Star last April. Her mature, smokey vocals earned her a plethora of nicknames, like “Reversal Girl” and “Grown-up Child” for her misleadingly childlike appearance and “Korea’s Duffy” for her rendition of the Welsh singer-songwriter’s “Mercy.”

She soon signed with YG Entertainment, teasing fans a few months later with a guest feature on label mate Epik

High’s “It’s Cold,” which showcased a softer, chill side to her vocals.

It was the perfect distraction. When Lee Hi finally made her official debut with the retro-soul brilliance of “1, 2, 3, 4,” the single immediately conquered the major domestic music charts for a clean all-kill, sitting pretty at #1 for almost a full week.

A pretty great start to an illustrious career, if you ask us. So we have to ask, why does she rate her debut a 5/10? With her physical debut album just beyond the horizon, Lee Hi reflects on her K-pop Star roots, her newfound popularity and her YG-backed debut.

I am a very shy person, so I still feel a little awkward around the other YG artists. But I am going to approach them more often and try to get closer with them in the New Year.

I’d like to collaborate with CL from 2NE1

In case you some how missed it, watch the 2NE1 and Lee Hi stage from the MBC Gayo below

Source: MTVK via Flyhayi