Exclusive Interview: HyunA Shows Off Her Fresh New 'Attitude' In her Latest Album
After a whopping 17 years in the K-pop industry and global success, HyunA reinvents herself and explores new sounds with her comeback album, Attitude.
K-pop is a landscape that's constantly changing and when it comes to metamorphosising and reinventing oneself, soloist HyunA is never one to go half-way. First debuting briefly as a member in the girl group Wonder Girls at the young age of 15, she later became a member of anotehr beloved 2nd generation girl group, 4Minute. After kicking off her solo endaevours in 2010 with the single, "Change", HyunA embarked on a successful solo journey creating pop hits like "Bubble Pop!", "Red", "Ice Cream" and many more. Never afraid of taking risks and collaboration, HyunA was also part of the duo Trouble Maker with former Beast member, Hyunseung, and their eponymous title track became one of the biggest hits of 2011. Later, she collaborated with Pentagon members, Hui and E'Dawn to create the trio, Triple H, proving that she is always willing to work with other talented artists in her field to explore new sounds and genres.
True to her ever-changing nature, HyunA does the same with her latest comeback album titled Attitude which dropped in May this year. This time round, the bubbly 31-year-old pop artist shows off a different, more subdued side to herself, exploring R&B and down tempo melodies that shine a spotlight on her voice. This is reflected in the title track "Q&A" and its corresponding music video where we see HyunA acting out tender scenes in a cinematic love story as opposed to her iconic high energy, choreography led pop numbers. Produced by GroovyRoom, the duo behind many hits from artists like Jay Park, Taeyeon and SHINee, this is HyunA's first project since signing to AT AREA last November.
“I’ve wanted to work with GroovyRoom for about 10 years now, and I knew they could help bring my vision to life," HyunA said on her new chapter with AT AREA, "I’ve always wanted people to look at me and think “she's great with music.” I don’t think I’ve ever had that with my songs in the past because I believed that there were two kinds of music: the one that you watch, and the one that you listen to. I thought I was the one who does the music that you watch. The music that I’m working on, and that we’re working on right now; this will be the music that you listen to. I want to show my fans that I can also do the music that you listen to."
L'OFFICIEL Singapore spoke to the veteran pop star to talk about her journey in music so far, her new attitude, fashion obsessions and more below!
Hi HyunA! Congratulations on your new album! In your successful career, you’ve had many comebacks. What are you most excited about with this comeback in particular?
Hello and thank you! I am most excited about the music. This comeback is the first album I’ve released since joining AT AREA, and I’m excited to showcase different vocal styles and genres to my fans. You’ve been in the K-pop music scene for an impressive 17 years.
What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned being in this creative yet competitive industry all these years?
17 years seems very long but it flew by. I’m very blessed to have had the opportunity to do group, unit, and solo activities. I think each challenge I took on kept me motivated to keep going. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that you have to stay passionate about your work and artistry.
In all your years in music, you’ve seen the landscape of K-pop change and grow. How has K-pop evolved through the years in your eyes since your debut? What do you love most about this genre?
I believe that the fans are what make this genre special. Their devotion and love keep the industry vibrant. Although K-pop has definitely evolved throughout the past 17 years, I think that the love of the fans has stayed the same- if not gotten bigger- and that’s what makes K-pop what it is.
For your new album, ‘Attitude’, you handpicked GroovyRoom as the producer to make your vision come to life. Why and what was the creative process like?
GroovyRoom is the head of my current label AT AREA. They were also the biggest reason why I wanted to join AT AREA in the first place. I loved that they were so passionate about music and also very willing to make active measures to communicate with me and incorporate my ideas throughout the album-making procedure.
Do you have a personal favourite amongst the tracks in ‘Attitude’?
My favorite track is Q&A because it is the title track, where I got to push my artistic boundaries. The MV also doesn't have any choreography in it, which was a refreshing change. Out of my B-sides I would pick ‘Ah (Feat. GEMINI)’.
You mentioned that you wanted to make “music you listen to” as opposed to “music that you watch”. What caused the urge to shift from your signature pop dance tracks?
The process of making this album was a big challenge for me, as I had to conquer my own insecurities about vocals. GroovyRoom saw potential in me that I hadn't fully recognized myself. They'd suggest genres and vocal ranges that they believed would complement my voice. I was confident to step into new styles. It was exciting to overcome my doubts and explore new things.
What types of music does HyunA like to listen to rather than watch?
Recently, I’ve been really into R&B! Even before I joined AT AREA, there was a time when I would listen to GEMINI on and on. It was great that we were able to work together on my new album!
For the track ‘RSVP’, you specifically wanted a sample from Uhm Jung-Hwa’s ‘Invitation’ to be part of the track. Even clearing the sample personally with JYP. What is it about this iconic song that made you so determined to have it be part of RSVP?
Jung-Hwa is an icon, and ‘Invitation’ is an all-time classic. I wanted to express sexiness more maturely, and ‘Invitation’ was the perfect inspiration. It’s been a long time since I had a talk with JYP, but thankfully, he was supportive of this track and was very pleased to hear from me.
As a fashionista who’s constantly exploring new styles, what are some key fashion points that we can look out for in your visuals and music video for this comeback?
I would say that my style for this concept is a bit simpler compared to my previous looks. Since I wanted to shift the focus to the music, I tried to tone down a bit on the visual aspects and keep things more natural.
You’re also known for your iconic, bold beauty looks! What’s your current beauty obsession?
A full red lip never fails me! And to make the lip stand out, I like to wear hats. I like to wear all kinds of hats and I've been experimenting even more with different styles!
How has HyunA’s ‘Attitude’ changed over the years and what’s her ‘Attitude’ towards the future?
Over the years I would like to say that my ‘Attitude’ has matured alongside who I am as an artist. In regards to the future- I would actually like to say I want to continue living in the present and giving each moment my all.
