The music video for music artist Yaeji’s Waking Up Down (2020), directed by Annie Xing Zhao, tells the story of the Korean-American dance music artist and her dog — an extremely cute fellow called Woofa — as they wake up to the real world after a relaxing period in a particularly beautiful scene of nature. As they navigate the world they meet masters of tasks such as “hydrating”, “waking up” and “listening” — simple lyrics which seem like metaphors for something much bigger.
With her alluring, bilingual mixture of hip-hop, house, and pop, Korean-American producer, songwriter, and DJ, Yaeji instantly gained an adoring fan base and widespread critical acclaim when her first two EPs appeared in 2017. She quickly became a mainstay at music festivals and clubs throughout the world, and following collaborations with Charli XCX and Robyn, she reached a new level of pop sophistication with her 2020 mixtape, What We Drew.
Annie Xing Zhao is an animator, director, illustrator, who also works with motion graphics. Her previous and current clients include Netflix, Vox, Vice, Audi, XL Recordings, Topic, Interscope, and Adult Swim. She graduated from Rhode Island School of Design in 2014. She lives in Brooklyn.