The next band I’d like to introduce is an indie group with perhaps the quirkiest name in Korea: 브로콜리 너마저, which roughly translates to Broccoli, You Too? Many assume the name is a nod to Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and that famous line, “You too, Brutus?” But the lead singer confessed that the truth is far less literary; after an all-nighter tossing around random ideas, they simply chose the name because it sounded good. It’s not exactly a professional way to christen a band, yet their music and lyrics are, to my ears, among the most sophisticated in the Korean music scene.
That’s part of why I’ve seen them live more often than any other band, even BTS (though, in fairness, it’s now nearly impossible to get BTS tickets, while this small indie group remains accessible). The original lineup—one man and three women—began as undergraduates at Seoul National University, and I happened to be at the university when they first emerged. I was, by chance, one of the first to hear their distinctive sound. The lead singer and primary songwriter studied the humanities, and it shows: their lyrics have a poetic sensibility, reminiscent of the more introspective side of BTS.
In fact, their song 보편적인 노래 (An Ordinary Song) was named by Korean critics as the most poetic Korean song of the 21st century. The track contemplates how love, time, and memories quietly recede into the backdrop of our everyday lives, yet how the simplest things—an ordinary song, an ordinary day—can unexpectedly bring the past rushing back in vivid detail.
But my personal favorite is 춤 (Dance). I think of it less as a song and more as a meditation on a relationship between two people, something out of a 19th-century romantic poem. “Dance” tells the story of a couple sharing a long, uncertain journey, their togetherness embodied in a slow, awkward dance. The lyrics describe stepping on each other’s toes, bruising one another’s feet, and the anxiety of losing step, a beautiful metaphor for the misunderstandings and hurts that inevitably come with intimacy. Yet even amidst missteps and doubts, there’s a quiet yearning to keep the dance going, not to awaken from the dream they share. The song wonders, almost fearfully, if opening one’s eyes while dancing might make everything vanish, as if it had never existed at all. In the end, “Dance” becomes a tender portrait of love’s imperfections, how remaining together is neither simple nor easy, but even with uncertainty and trembling hearts, there’s a longing to linger in that dance, eyes closed, holding on.
The instrumental sound of this song is marvelous, too. Electric guitar, bass, keyboard, and drums meld together to create music that truly evokes two souls hesitantly moving together across a dance floor.
Though twenty years have passed since their formation and some members have since moved on to other professions (as making a living as an indie musician in Korea is nearly impossible), Broccoli, You Too? is still performing and creating new music. I hope they never stop; the world needs musical poets like this band to help listeners find comfort and solace in life.