Becoming Whitney Sol in Seoul

Sometimes the dream doesn’t change. You do.

My journey to becoming Whitney Sol has been anything but linear. It has taken me across countries, through different seasons of my life, into periods of building, resting, healing, questioning, and eventually returning to the vision with a deeper understanding of who I am and what I want to create.

It Started With a Move to Korea

In 2014, I moved to South Korea to teach.

At the time, education was the path in front of me. Korea became a place where I could experience a different culture, build a life abroad, and discover parts of myself I hadn't fully explored before.

Eventually, I moved back to America to continue pursuing my career in education. But somewhere along the way, I had a realization that changed the direction of my life:

I could actually pursue my dream of becoming a singer back in Seoul.

And once that thought took hold, I couldn't shake it.

I had to get back there.

Returning to Seoul With a Dream

In 2017, I returned to South Korea, this time with a different intention.

I got busy.

I started making connections and building my music career from scratch. There was no perfectly laid-out roadmap waiting for me. I had to meet people, show up, learn the music scene, collaborate, perform, create, and allow people to discover who I was as an artist.

For the next three years, I connected with musicians, producers, creatives, and a community of people who genuinely loved and supported what I was building.

I was overjoyed by the support.

I still remember receiving a message from a follower who was also a longtime American music business owner in Seoul. The message was simple:

Never give up.

Those words stayed with me.

Sometimes you don't realize how much a few words of encouragement can mean when you're building something from the ground up. When you're pursuing a vision that doesn't come with guarantees, knowing that someone else sees something in you can give you the energy to keep going.

The Sabbatical

After spending years building the foundation of my vision, I reached a point where I needed to stop.

Not quit.

Stop. Rest. Feel. Listen.

I needed a sabbatical.

I began asking myself questions.

How am I going to continue building my music brand?

What kind of artist do I actually want to be?

What do I want my music to represent?

What kind of community am I building?

What does success look like for me?

How can I create a career that allows me to live, travel, create, connect, and remain true to myself?

I asked every question I could think of while simultaneously allowing my body and spirit to rest.

Then the pandemic came.

India, Healing & Clarity

I spent the pandemic in India, and that chapter gave me something I didn't know how much I needed: space.

Space to heal.

Space to clear my mind.

Space to separate myself from the pressure of constantly producing and figure out what was actually important to me.

Sometimes growth isn't visible. Sometimes growth looks like being still long enough to hear yourself again.

Eventually, I returned to the United States to handle family business, regroup, and continue growing.

But Korea and the vision I had started building there were not finished.

And I wasn't finished with it.

Returning to Korea—Again

In 2023, I returned to South Korea with fresh ideas, new insight, and a different understanding of myself.

This time, I wasn't returning simply to "become a singer."

I was returning ready to pursue music as I see it.

On my terms.

With everything I've learned from education, travel, culture, community, wellness, creativity, and life woven into the artist and woman I am becoming.

That is what Whitney Sol represents.

And Seoul remains an important part of that story.

This Is Bigger Than Music

I no longer see this journey as simply releasing songs or performing on stages.

This is a global movement.

It's about music, storytelling, culture, connection, creativity, and building community across borders.

And if you're here reading this, you're part of it.

Whether you stream a song, attend a performance, come to an event, share my work, purchase something I've created, send an encouraging message, or simply follow along with the journey, your contribution to this community is valued.

There is so much more to come, and I'm excited to share the evolution with you.

I look forward to connecting with you and allowing you to discover more of Whitney Sol. Pure Gold. Brown Ivory.

This is only the beginning.

What's up yall! 

It's yo girl Whitney Sol, Pure Gold, Brown Ivory: Yo Soul Singa and Yo Brown Yoga Teacha! 

Have you ever made a commitment to do something or be something?  

I must admit I haven't consciously made many commitments in my lifetime, but deciding to pursue my music career was a scary thing to do. You hear stories about how artists have to starve in order to make it and I am not a believer in that lifestyle.  

As a child, I knew that singing was the most freeing thing to do while playing outside alone. My voice projected so much that my cousins down the street would let me know what song they heard me sing. (RIP to Edwina: she always complimented my singing) As a child, I couldn't imagine how life as a singer would look. The closest example I had of a black woman singing her heart out was the late Whitney Houston. Let's call her Auntie Whitney from here on out.  

Auntie Whitney was my example and I must say that I didn't want to subject myself to her lifestyle. After my 25th birthday, the idea of pursuing a music career started to become stronger. It was like a light that continued to revisit me, more frequently. The feeling was so uncomfortable and it was hard to shake the thought of being an artist. I didn't know the first thing about how to start and I didn't know how to go about doing it!

FYI: My father is a musician and I come from a family of singers (in the church, if you will). 

I remember going on a date with a guy I knew for a few years in Atlanta and I told him about my dream of being an artist and traveling the world to sing. The way he looked at me discouraged me saying things like: 'Whitney you have to have a certain look in order to be an artist out here.’ I later realized that he was projecting the Atlanta shawty music industry life on me. I’ve even heard that ‘You are a little too old to actually pursue a music career.’ 

That's not my vibe at all.  

At age 26, I made the choice to move abroad and teach English. I was tired of the box that I was trying to fit into in the USA. Moving to South Korea completely changed my life. The freedom from an environment that put me in a space of not cultivating my dreams was next level for me. I used that time to strategically create a music tribe. I lived in South Korea for 4 years and during that time I had the opportunity to connect with talented artists, musicians, perform LIVE, and travel around the country of South Korea singing. I learned that when you commit to something the journey is the most beautiful movement to create in this life.  

I banked on myself and I made something that was far far far from my knowledge and reality. 2019 was the best year of my life. I remember connecting with a music old head in the Korean streets and he looked me dead in my eyes and said..."Never stop, Never give up on your gift." I smiled and gave him a sincere Korean bow accepting that as a sign to keep going, NO MATTER WHAT! 

The truth is, I haven't even scratched the surface of my greatness. and I look forward to the journey of creating on earth. Whoever took the time to read this, do me a favor and never give up on your dreams. Whatever it is! You only have this lifetime to live and remember who you are. The journey is shorter than you think. Make everyday count.  

The first step is to commit!