How Hurricane Kimchi found hope in country music

For most listeners, country music evokes stories of heartbreak, perseverance and second chances.

For Hurricane Kimchi, it became the only genre that felt honest enough to tell their own story.

Hurricane Kimchi, also known as Heezy Yang, is known throughout Korea's LGBTQ+ community as a drag performer, activist and event organizer, having spent more than a decade entertaining audiences while advocating for greater visibility and inclusion.

But their latest single, "Broken (Slay, Queens!)," marks a different chapter — one shaped not by the stage, but by illness.

Released as their 10th original single, "Broken" draws on the artist's experience living with chronic health complications after contracting COVID-19 and influenza back to back in 2022.

"I've been sick both on the outside and inside," they said.

"Yet I'm still here today.

This whole experience and the fact that I'm still alive while being broken — that's the message I wanted to convey." Although Hurricane Kimchi is best known for pop music and energetic drag performances, country music offered something they had been searching ...