'Aloha' says returning summer queen Soyou

K-pop singer Soyou releases 2nd EP "Summer Recipe" on Wednesday

Singer Soyou poses during a press conference for her new album "Summer Recipe" in Seoul on Wednesday. (BPM Entertainment)

Singer Soyou returned to the music scene Wednesday with her second mini album "Summer Recipe."

The soloist, formerly a member of girl group Sistar, is coming back a year and three months after she last released her first EP "Day & Night."

"Summer Recipe" unveils Soyou's tricks for enduring the sizzling summer, the singer's agency BPM Entertainment said. The album's five tracks of various genres and sentiments delves deeper into the charms of the K-pop diva.

Summer is not just about keeping cool, but embracing the various facets of the season, the singer said as she introduced the album following her performance of the title song "Aloha" on Wednesday.

"People have expectations about Soyou bringing a summer album, so I'm back with one," she said, adding, "Summer consists of the morning, day, night and the dusk, all thriving with different feelings, and the album is packed with various colors to portray such multifacetedness."

Fronting the EP is "Aloha," with which Soyou sends a cheery greeting to her listeners through the cheerful melody and her vibrant voice. Her collaboration with Bora, her former bandmate of the now defunct band Sistar, who features in the song, adds to the celebratory mood.

The summer anthem was jointly produced by American singer-songwriter Chancellor and the hit-making producer duo Duble Sidekick, the latter of whom produced several of Sistar's hits, including "Loving You," "Give It To Me" and "Shake It."

"Aloha" revives the iconic summer vibes Sistar had when they dominated K-pop summer schedules in the 2010s when the quartet had been the symbol of "summer queen."

Soyou said she wanted to bring back that mood for the listeners who missed them.

"Many people still long for that Sistar feeling, and I tried in many ways to relive that with 'Aloha.' Joining hands with Duble Sidekick was one. In case of the rap, it wasn't originally supposed to be Bora on it, but when I heard the rap part, it instantly reminded me of her," the singer explained, adding the choreography also pays homage to Sistar's.

Along with "Aloha," the album also includes the tracks "Starry Night," featuring rapper Mirani, "Drivin' Me," "Bad Desire" and "Soaked."

Soyou debuted in 2010 as a member of the four-piece girl group. Following Sistar's disbandment in 2017, she has continued as a solo musician, dropping two full-length albums, one EP and numerous digital singles.

The four members of Sistar still stay close until now, Soyou explained, with Hyolyn and Dasom attending the listening session for "Summer Recipe" recently.

In light of the recent rush of second-generation idol comebacks, which included Teen Top, Ukiss and Kara, Sistar is among those that many K-pop fans longed to see again.

Hoping "Aloha" fulfills some of the anticipation, Soyou said, "Whenever we meet together, we talk about getting back together, but I feel cautious commenting about it without the other members here. As we're all active in our own schedules, we try not to pressure each other with it (the reunion)."

She hoped to leave the possibilities open, "We've agreed that it would be nice if we could fix a time and return, like a gift for the fans. The members also miss and cherish Sistar and hope for the day when we could get back together."

With "Summer Recipie," the singer aimed to regain her reputation as the summer queen.

"I realize I've gained some credit for ballad lately. That's great, but I've been missing out on many summer festivals, like the 'Waterbomb' this year. ... I hope I dominate 'Waterbomb' next year with this album. Any festival organizers who want to add me to this year's line-up, I'm ready. Hit me up!"

By Choi Ji-won(jwc@heraldcorp.com)