Hyojung of the girl group OH MY GIRL is stepping forward as an artist with music she wrote and composed herself. Drawing on the skills she built through group activities, she is releasing her first solo mini album and starting out as a singer-songwriter.
Hyojung released her first mini album, "Lost&Found," on music streaming platforms at 6 p.m. on the 15th.
The album traces how she has looked back on her past and searched for her own musical direction. It contains six tracks, including the title song "Maybe Unfinished," along with "Maybe Getting Hurt Is Better Than Having Regrets," "8 (if)" and instrumental versions of each song. Hyojung took part in writing the lyrics and composing the music for every track, putting her own thoughts and feelings into the songs. It marks a step beyond what she has shown as a member of OH MY GIRL, telling her own story as a creator.
She has also scheduled live performances at home and abroad to mark the release. Hyojung will perform at Xscala in Seoul's Jung-gu district on the 17th and 18th, and will take the stage at TIAT SKY HALL in Tokyo on Nov. 1. "HYOJUNG 1st LIVE, Lost&Found" will feature a live band for every song, bringing the music she created and her vocals directly to audiences.
Attention is turning to what Hyojung will show as an artist as she makes her musical identity clear through her first solo album.
The following is a Q&A with Hyojung ahead of the release of her first mini album, "Lost&Found."
Q. How do you feel about releasing your first mini album, "Lost&Found," as a solo artist?
A. I am really happy to be able to present a mini album that I prepared step by step. I also love that I was able to fill the album with songs I made myself. Since this is a new start for me, I hope this album becomes an opportunity to find my own color.
Q. What is the message of the title track "Maybe Unfinished," and what should listeners pay attention to?
A. Even when it looks like you have lost your way for a moment, I think you are actually filling in a wonderful part of the larger map that is your life. If that time is the process of finding the real "me," I wanted to convey through song that it is worthwhile enough. When people feel like they are wandering through life, I hope they listen to this song and think, "I am drawing one part of my own map right now."
Q. Following the single "Purple Note" released in May, you again took part in the songwriting for this mini album. What did you focus on most in completing it?
A. More than anything, I wanted to put my own story in it. A bright and positive image is one that represents me, but I also had a period of wandering, and I think I am who I am now because of that time. In this album, I wanted to include the worries and emotions I felt then, and the story of still finding and walking my own path.
Q. "Lost&Found" is an album about finding your own direction among countless choices. What awaits at the final destination of the musical journey you have chosen as a solo artist?
A. Honestly, I cannot yet picture what the final destination of my journey will look like. If I keep walking, won't the destination come into view at some point, or won't I arrive there? For now, I want to fully enjoy the process of walking itself. Whatever the destination looks like, I am ready to accept it.
Q. You are holding "HYOJUNG 1st LIVE 'Lost&Found'" in Seoul in October and in Tokyo in November. What is your mindset for a small-venue live show, and can you give a small spoiler?
A. I am excited and looking forward to singing and connecting with fans up close. You will see a new side of me performing with a full band. I think I will also be able to perform the soundtrack songs I have taken part in since my debut. Beyond the story in the album, I want to fill the show with various sides of me that I have not shown before.
Q. A word for the fans who have been waiting for your solo comeback?
A. Because Miracle, our fandom, always cheers for and supports everything I do, there has always been light on my journey. I hope Miracle also draws a lot of strength from listening to the songs on this album. Thank you so much for always being a source of strength beside me, and I love you.