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DJ Soda
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Key Information
Hwang So-hee (Korean: 황소희, born April 7, 1988), known by her stage name DJ Soda, is a South Korean DJ. Hwang has built her reputation on being a frequent headliner for several Asian music festivals, including "S2O Songkran Musical Festival".[1]
Career
[edit]2013–2017: Beginnings as a DJ
[edit]Hwang began work as a DJ in June 2013.[2] Hwang began majorly touring with the Korea World DJ festival in 2015.[3]
In June 2016, Hwang released her debut EP Closer through Warner Music Group. She also collaborated with labelmates Sistar.[4]
In 2017, Hwang performed at the "S2O Songkran Music Festival" in Bangkok, Thailand.[5]
2018–present
[edit]In 2018, Hwang joined Starship Entertainment's new sublabel, "House of Music".[6] She was later moved to another of Starship's sublabels, Highline Entertainment, as the earlier sublabel became defunct. In June, Hwang participated in "Ultra Music Festival Korea" (UMF).[5] In July, she released a song in collaboration with Walshy Fire, titled "Never Let You In", which topped charts in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Indonesia.[1]
In 2019, Hwang participated in Typhoon 8, a musical festival in Singapore.[7] In December, Hwang performed at World Club Dome: Snow Edition held at the Jungfraujoch railway station in Switzerland.[8]
In December, Hwang was awarded the culture prize in the indie category for the 9th Korea Hallyu Awards.[9]
In April 2020, Hwang collaborated with Psycho Boys Club for the single "Over You".[10] In November, Hwang collaborated with Kryoman and 1st Klase to release the song "Holding Back" featuring KYE. In 2019, she released a remix of the song by DJ Lost Chameleon.[11]
In June 2020, she participated in Electric Blockaloo, a dance music livestream.[12] In November, Hwang took part in her label Highline Entertainment's special performance The Color.[13] She also released a single, "Shooting Star", on June 26.[14]
In August 2021, she released a new single, "Okay!", with Lost Chameleon and Ahin of Momoland.[15]
In November, DJ Soda ended her exclusive contract with Highline Entertainment.[16]
Philanthropy
[edit]On March 8, 2022, she donated ₩10 million won to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help the victims of a massive wildfire that started in Uljin, Gyeongbuk and had spread to Samcheok, Gangwon. It was later extinguished on March 15, 2022.[17]
Sexual victimization
[edit]She performed on the third day of MUSIC CIRCUS '23 on August 13, 2023. When she interacted with the audience at the end of the performance, she reported on her SNS the following day, August 14, that she had been sexually assaulted by several people who touched her breasts.[18][19]
On August 15, organizer TryHard Japan announced its intention to file a criminal complaint with the police against the perpetrator on charges of non-consensual obscenity and other offenses.[20][21] The organizers also released a statement saying that they would "take strict legal action in some cases" concerning slander and hate speech against DJ SODA in relation to the incident.[22]
Discography
[edit]Extended plays
[edit]| Title | Details | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Closer |
Track listing
|
Singles
[edit]| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Stay Sweet" | 2017 | Billboard Presents Electronic Asia Vol. 1 |
| "Never Let You In" (DJ Soda and Walshy Fire) |
2018 | Non-album single |
| "Think About It" (DJ Soda and Cuebrick feat. Baer) | ||
| "Holding Back" (DJ Soda, Kryoman, and 1st Klase feat. KYE) | ||
| "Icy" (DJ Soda and Kaku feat. Young Kay and Pluma) |
2019 | |
| "If I Die" (DJ Soda and Dolf) |
Nighttime | |
| "Empire" (remix) (Wengie, Minnie, and DJ Soda) |
Empire Remixes | |
| "Over You" (DJ Soda and Psycho Boys Club) |
2020 | Non-album single |
| "Shooting Star" | ||
| "Obsession" (DJ Soda and RayRay) |
BF200 | |
| "Okay!" (DJ Soda, Lost Chameleon, Ahin of Momoland) |
2021 | Non-album single |
| "Starlight" | 2022 | |
| "Cold" (DJ Soda and Spirit Link) | ||
| "Tiktok" (DJ Soda and LNY TNZ) | ||
| "Alice In Wonderland" (DJ Soda, Blasterjaxx, Hard Lights) |
2023 | |
| "Memories" (DJ Soda, Highup, Justin J. Moore) |
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Korea Hallyu Awards | 2020 | Indie Artist | DJ Soda | Won | [9] |
References
[edit]- ^ a b DJ 소다, 월샤이 파이어와의 신곡 ‘NEVER LET YOU IN’ 해외 음악 사이트 메인 섭렵. Korea Economic Daily TV (in Korean). July 12, 2018. Retrieved March 4, 2021 – via Naver.
- ^ DJ SODA 황소희, ‘볼륨감 넘치는 완벽 S라인’ 눈길. Financial News (in Korean). August 21, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
- ^ a b 디제이 소다(DJ SODA), 워너뮤직과 글로벌 계약. 왜?. Sports Seoul (in Korean). June 3, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
- ^ 씨스타XDJ SODA, 케이팝-디제이 콜라보 어떨까. SBS Biz (in Korean). June 10, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
- ^ a b DJ 소다, 9일 아시아 초대형 음악 축제 울트라 코리아 2018 출격. Korea Economic Daily TV (in Korean). June 1, 2018. Retrieved March 4, 2021 – via Naver.
- ^ "DJ Soda set to go global with Warner Music Group". The Korea Herald. June 20, 2018. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
- ^ DJ 소다, 싱가포르 EDM 페스티벌 '타이푼 8' 출격. Sports Seoul (in Korean). September 20, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2021 – via Naver.
- ^ DJ 소다, 스위스 융프라우서 '월드 클럽 돔 스노우 에디션' 공연..현지 매체 집중보도. OSEN (in Korean). January 8, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2021 – via Naver.
- ^ a b DJ 소다, '대한민국 한류대상' 순수문화대상 인디예술부분 수상. Hankyung (in Korean). December 14, 2019. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- ^ DJ 소다, 24일 싸이코 보이즈 클럽과 콜라보곡 ‘Over You’ 발표. Korea Economic Daily TV (in Korean). April 24, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
- ^ DJ 소다, 오늘(4일) 인기 DJ 로스트 카멜레온 리믹스곡 발표..역대급 조합. OSEN (in Korean). July 4, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2021 – via Naver.
- ^ Bain, Katie (June 11, 2020). "The Biggest Dance Music Livestream of Quarantine Just Got Even Bigger: See The Lineup". Billboard. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
- ^ Hwang, Hye-jin (November 19, 2020). 하이라인, 오늘(19일) ‘더 컬러’ 출격…원호→드레스 총출동. Newsen (in Korean). Retrieved March 2, 2021.
- ^ DJ 소다, 신곡 ‘Shooting Star’ 26일 발매. Korea Economic Daily TV (in Korean). June 26, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- ^ "DJ SODA, LOST CHAMELEON AND AHIN OF K-POP SUPERGROUP MOMOLAND JOIN FORCES FOR PARTY-STARTING SINGLE "OKAY!"". edm.com. August 21, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
- ^ Hwang, Ji-young (November 10, 2021). [단독] DJ 소다, 하이라인엔터테인먼트와 전속계약 종료 [[Exclusive] DJ Soda ends exclusive contract with Highline Entertainment]. Daily Sports (in Korean). Retrieved November 10, 2021 – via Naver.
- ^ Lee Jae-eun (March 8, 2022). "DJ 소다, 산불피해 구호성금 1000만원 기부" [DJ Soda donates 10 million won to forest fire relief] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Retrieved March 8, 2022 – via Naver.
- ^ Satoko Yasuda (安田 聡子) (August 14, 2023). "「どんな服を着ていても性的暴行は正当化できない」DJ SODA、日本のフェス出演中に胸を触られたと報告". ハフポスト日本版 (in Japanese). BuzzFeed Japan株式会社. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ "韓国女性DJが日本音楽フェスでセクハラ被害". ORICON NEWS (in Japanese). 株式会社oricon ME. August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ "About the sexual assault that occurred at MUSIC CIRCUS'23" (in Japanese). TryHard Japan. August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
- ^ "DJ SODA "sexually assaulted at event" organizer to file criminal charges" (in Japanese). NHK. August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
- ^ "韓国女性DJ SODAの性的被害、主催・当人側が共同声明発表 誹謗中傷にも法的対応へ＜声明全文＞". モデルプレス (in Japanese). 株式会社ネットネイティブ. August 19, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
External links
[edit]
DJ Soda
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Early life
Childhood and formative experiences
Hwang So-hee, professionally known as DJ Soda, was born on April 7, 1988, in Seoul, South Korea.[11] [12] Details on her family background, including parents and siblings, have not been publicly disclosed in verified sources, reflecting a general scarcity of information about her pre-adult life. Similarly, no specific records exist regarding her early education or upbringing beyond her South Korean origins.[13] In August 2023, amid revelations of recent assaults during performances, DJ Soda self-reported via Instagram that at age six—placing the incident in 1994—she was raped by a home intruder while alone, as her parents were working. She described this unverified event as fostering enduring distrust toward others, influencing her guarded interactions in professional settings. No independent evidence or contemporaneous reports have substantiated the claim, which she framed within a broader narrative of personal traumas.[14][15]Career
2013–2017: Entry into DJing and initial recognition
Hwang So-hee, performing under the stage name DJ Soda, transitioned from acting to DJing in 2013 amid the burgeoning electronic dance music (EDM) scene in South Korea.[16] Her debut performance occurred that year at a small pub in Seoul's Itaewon district, arranged by her mentor DJ Noah, marking her entry into local nightlife circuits.[17] Initial gigs focused on Seoul clubs, where she honed sets emphasizing high-energy EDM tracks suited to the rising popularity of the genre across Asia.[17] These appearances, often in intimate venues, built a foundational audience through word-of-mouth and early social media shares, transitioning her from relative obscurity to a recognizable figure in Korea's underground electronic music community by 2014–2015. DJ Soda accelerated her visibility via Facebook, posting visually engaging content that combined live DJ clips with her modeling aesthetic, fostering rapid follower accumulation in the millions by the mid-2010s.[7] This digital strategy aligned with EDM's visual appeal, elevating her to local influencer status. In 2015, she expanded to regional festivals, including headlining slots at the Korea World DJ Festival, signaling broader initial recognition within South Korea.[18] By June 2016, she released her debut EP Closer under Warner Music Korea, featuring original tracks that solidified her presence in the domestic EDM market.[19] This period established her as an emerging talent reliant on club residencies and online momentum rather than major label backing initially.2018–present: Global expansion and commercial success
DJ Soda's career transitioned to global prominence starting in 2018, marked by increased international bookings across Asia, Europe, and North America, establishing her as a sought-after performer in the EDM scene.[20] She frequently headlined festivals and club events in Asia-Pacific regions, including performances in Qatar, Vientiane, and Incheon, which broadened her audience beyond South Korea.[21] This expansion included high-profile appearances such as the Heineken Water Music Festival in Laos and Moto GP events in Doha, contributing to her reputation for energetic sets that drew large crowds.[21] In 2025, DJ Soda launched a world tour featuring stops in key international markets, including Designer Con in Hong Kong on October 5 and Royal Caribbean Cruise parties in Shanghai on October 18 and Jeju on October 19.[22] Additional tour dates encompassed venues in Dubai, Tokyo, and Vancouver, underscoring her sustained demand in diverse global locations.[23][24] These engagements, alongside events in Los Angeles and other cities, highlighted her commercial viability through sold-out shows and cross-continental appeal.[25] Her commercial success was bolstered by robust social media presence, with over 11 million followers on Facebook and 5 million on Instagram as of 2025, enabling influencer branding and endorsement deals.[26][27] This digital dominance facilitated revenue from sponsorships and merchandise, complementing live performance income. By 2023, her net worth was estimated at $2 million, derived primarily from event fees—often in the tens of thousands per show—and brand partnerships, positioning her among prominent female DJs globally.[2]Musical style and reception
Artistic approach and influences
DJ Soda's artistic approach emphasizes high-energy electronic dance music (EDM), blending house, trap, and hip-hop elements to deliver fast-paced, genre-fluid sets that prioritize crowd interaction over intricate live production.[5][28] Her performances typically involve seamless transitions between tracks from diverse styles, including boom bap, trap, and hard-hitting EDM drops, often syncing selections with visual lighting cues and her signature bold stage aesthetics to amplify audience energy.[5][17] While she collaborates on original tracks featuring deep basslines and experimental production techniques—such as tech-house grooves in releases like "Closer to the Sun"—her core DJing relies more on curated mixes of established material than on-the-fly composition, reflecting broader global EDM trends toward accessible, high-impact entertainment.[29][30] Influences draw heavily from hip-hop's rhythmic foundations, which she cites as shaping both her personal ethos and track selections, alongside infusions of K-pop's vibrant, visually driven energy evident in collaborations like "OKAY!" with Lost Chameleon and MOMOLAND's Ahin.[17][31] This approach favors short, euphoric builds and drops tailored for festival and club environments, diverging from traditional DJ pioneers' focus on technical scratching or pioneering sound design in favor of eclectic, trend-responsive curation.[5][30] Her emphasis on personal branding extends to integrating fashion-forward visuals, where music serves as a platform for edgy, unpredictable self-expression akin to runway dynamics, further aligning her work with contemporary Asian pop culture's fusion of sound and spectacle.[30]Critical and public assessments
DJ Soda's public reception reflects her commercial success in Asia's EDM scene, where she has been voted Asia's top female DJ for six consecutive years through 2024 in DjaneTop polls, based on fan and industry votes exceeding 24,000 for top rankings.[32][33] Her appeal stems from high-energy performances that draw large crowds to festivals and venues, with supporters highlighting her ability to energize audiences and make electronic music accessible to non-traditional EDM listeners, as evidenced by her headlining slots at events like Ultra Japan.[5][34] Social media metrics, including over 4 million Instagram followers as of 2021, underscore her influencer-driven popularity, which has translated into consistent demand for live shows across the region.[1] Critics within the EDM community, however, question the substance behind her rise, pointing to limited technical proficiency in DJing and music production as key shortcomings.[7] Observers argue her prominence relies more on physical appearance, viral marketing, and serendipitous opportunities than on innovative track selection, seamless mixing, or original compositions, with some performances showing basic transitions that prioritize spectacle over skill.[7] This perspective frames her success as emblematic of industry dynamics favoring marketable personas over musicianship, potentially eroding EDM's artistic credibility by equating follower counts and visual allure with professional competence.[35] Detractors contend that such emphasis on aesthetics dilutes the genre's emphasis on technical mastery, though her sustained poll victories indicate a public preference for entertainment value in live settings.[7]Controversies
Claims of sexual assault and harassment
During her performance at the Music Circus Festival in Sennan, Osaka Prefecture, on August 13, 2023, DJ Soda reported being groped by multiple audience members, including instances of her breast being touched and unwanted hugging.[36] [37] The event organizer, TryHard Japan, conducted an investigation and filed criminal complaints with Osaka prefectural police on August 21, 2023, against two men and one woman for the alleged acts.[38] [39] In social media posts following the event, DJ Soda described feeling "shocked and scared," stating that several individuals had suddenly touched her chest and that she had never experienced such harassment during a performance in her 10-year career.[37] [40] Two men, including one university student, later turned themselves in to police and admitted to the touching, claiming they intended no harm—one acknowledged groping her breast while another said he hugged her waist.[41] [42] The woman involved was questioned by authorities in connection with the incident.[43] No public records indicate convictions resulting from these complaints as of late 2023.[36] [38] In response to the Osaka incident, DJ Soda disclosed prior experiences of harassment on August 22, 2023, via Instagram, including a 2019 claim of sexual harassment by a French DJ in London whom she had previously promoted by sharing his music.[14] [44] She also revealed that she had been raped by a robber at her home when she was six years old, framing the Osaka event as resurfacing long-suppressed trauma that intensified her fear.[14] [15] These disclosures emphasized her personal boundaries, with statements asserting that harassment cannot be justified regardless of context.[45] No legal outcomes from the 2019 claim have been publicly documented.2022 airline ejection incident
On April 26, 2022, DJ Soda (Hwang So-hee) was removed from an American Airlines flight from New York to Los Angeles shortly after boarding, due to objections from crew members over her black RIPNDIP-brand sweatpants featuring repeated profanity including "F**K YOU" and similar terms printed across them.[46][47] The airline enforced its standards against attire deemed offensive or disruptive in a shared public space, aligning with general carrier policies allowing refusal of boarding for clothing that could offend other passengers or violate comfort guidelines.[48] DJ Soda detailed the sequence on Instagram and Twitter, stating she was escorted off the plane, informed the pants were "inappropriate," and pressured to remove them immediately at the gate in view of flight staff to continue travel on a subsequent flight, which she described as humiliating and harassing.[46][48] She vowed to boycott American Airlines thereafter, framing the enforcement as discriminatory treatment during her U.S. tour.[47] American Airlines responded publicly by expressing regret over her experience and noting direct outreach to her, while emphasizing enforcement of policies against disruptive behavior to maintain safety and comfort for all passengers, without addressing the attire specifics or pre-deboarding interactions.[49] No further details on any internal investigation or passenger complaints were disclosed, and no legal proceedings or resolutions have been reported, illustrating the conflict between personal expression via branded apparel and airlines' authority to regulate onboard environments for broad acceptability.[49][48]Professional authenticity debates
Critics within electronic dance music communities have questioned DJ Soda's technical legitimacy as a DJ, arguing that her performances demonstrate minimal live mixing or original production, often resembling pre-recorded sets activated via simple button presses rather than demonstrating advanced beatmatching, scratching, or creative transitions. These accusations portray her sets as performative displays prioritizing dancing and audience engagement over instrumental proficiency, with some observers linking this to a broader pattern where popularity metrics like festival bookings eclipse verifiable skill evidence.[50] Industry commentary from 2017 highlighted DJ Soda as emblematic of systemic challenges for female DJs, where visual appeal and influencer-style marketing—emphasizing her modeling background and social media following exceeding 4 million on Instagram by 2021—reportedly overshadow substantive talent requirements imposed on male counterparts.[35] Participants in Seoul-based music discussions noted that the EDM industry's enforcement of appearance-driven success for women fosters inflated perceptions of ability, potentially enabling "luck-based" rises without equivalent scrutiny of mixing knowledge or production credits.[35] Such critiques underscore a perceived devaluation of causal skill hierarchies in favor of commercial viability, though they remain anecdotal and confined to niche forums rather than formal analyses. Defenders, including Soda herself in promotional contexts, invoke metrics of global expansion—such as headlining major Asian festivals and collaborations—as implicit validation of her artistry, yet provide scant counter-demonstrations of complex techniques like custom remixing or hardware improvisation to rebut technical deficiencies.[1] This reliance on success indicators without granular skill breakdowns perpetuates the debate, reflecting tensions between empirical performance standards and market-driven authenticity in the DJ landscape.[5]Philanthropy
Charitable contributions
In September 2024, DJ Soda donated 150,000 Thai baht (approximately US$4,200) to aid flood victims in northern Thailand, contributing through the Mono29 Pan Duay Jai Sang Roi Yim relief initiative organized by the Thai broadcaster Mono Next.[51] She personally traveled to the affected areas to deliver support, as documented in her social media updates emphasizing recovery for displaced communities.[52] In March 2024, DJ Soda visited the AFESIP Cambodia NGO, which assists women and girls vulnerable to human trafficking, sexual abuse, and exploitation, and jointly donated US$6,000 with Cambodian artist G-Devith Tep Boprek to fund rehabilitation and protection programs for survivors. The donation supported AFESIP's efforts to provide shelter, education, and vocational training, with DJ Soda citing personal empathy from her own childhood experiences of assault as a motivating factor in her public statements.[53] In September 2025, following a public incident involving hair damage from bleaching, DJ Soda launched the "Bakin' Soda" T-shirt line in collaboration with MFC Store, pledging a portion of sales revenue to assist individuals in need, though specific beneficiary organizations or total amounts disbursed remain undisclosed.[54] These contributions, primarily responsive to disasters or personal initiatives, lack evidence of structured, long-term philanthropic commitments or foundations.Discography
Extended plays
DJ Soda's extended play releases are notably sparse, consistent with a career centered on live DJ performances and individual singles rather than multi-track collections. As of October 2025, no solo extended plays appear in her verified discography, emphasizing her selective approach to original production in EDM formats like big room and tropical house.[55] This limited volume underscores a focus on high-impact tracks for club and festival sets over bundled releases.[55]Singles
DJ Soda's singles often blend house, future bounce, and pop elements, achieving popularity primarily through streaming services and Asian markets rather than traditional Western charts. Her releases emphasize collaborations that leverage viral hooks for social media traction, with empirical success measured in millions of streams on platforms like Spotify.[56] One early breakthrough was "If I Die", a collaboration with Dutch producer DOLF, released on August 11, 2017, as part of the Nighttime EP but functioning as a standalone single.[57][58] The track amassed over 5.9 million Spotify streams, reflecting its commercial viability in EDM circles.[56] In 2021, "Okay!" featuring Lost Chameleon and Ahin of K-pop group MOMOLAND was released on August 27, marking a pivot toward K-pop-infused dance-pop.[59][60] This single drove virality via YouTube, exceeding 4.5 million plays, and underscored her appeal in hybrid EDM-K-pop markets.[61] "Alice in Wonderland", co-produced with Blasterjaxx and Hard Lights, followed on January 13, 2023, via Spinnin' Records sublabel Maxximize.[62][63] It garnered approximately 3.9 million Spotify streams, highlighting sustained streaming momentum in electronic music.[56] More recently, "Black & Gold" with Kazakh producer Imanbek debuted on September 20, 2024, achieving over 1.3 million Spotify streams shortly after release.[64][56] These outputs prioritize accessible, hook-driven tracks over chart dominance, with total artist streams exceeding tens of millions across platforms.[56]| Title | Release Date | Collaborator(s) | Streams (Spotify, approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| If I Die | August 11, 2017 | DOLF | 5.9 million |
| Okay! | August 27, 2021 | Lost Chameleon, Ahin | N/A (4.5M YouTube plays) |
| Alice in Wonderland | January 13, 2023 | Blasterjaxx, Hard Lights | 3.9 million |
| Black & Gold | September 20, 2024 | Imanbek | 1.3 million |
Awards and nominations
DJ Soda received the Pure Culture Prize in the indie category at the 9th Korea Hallyu Awards, held on December 13, 2019.[65]| Year | Ceremony | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Korea Hallyu Awards | Indie Culture Prize | Won |