cignature hopes for 'Smooth Sailing' from here on out with new EP

Girl group cignature is back with a refreshing and upbeat tune in “Smooth Sailing.”

Girl group cignature poses for the camera ahead of the online press showcase held Tuesday for the group's fourth EP ″Us in the Summer.″ [C9 ENTERTAINMENT]

Girl group cignature is back with a refreshing and upbeat tune in “Smooth Sailing.”

cignature, with members Chaesol, Jeewon, Seline, Chloe, Semi and Dohee, released its fourth EP “Us in the Summer” with its lead track “Smooth Sailing” on Tuesday, seven months after the group dropped its third EP, “My Little Aurora.”

“Our new album is a bit different from ‘My Little Aurora,’ and we are excited yet nervous to be back with something new,” Jeewon said in an online press showcase held before the album’s release on Tuesday. “[My Little Aurora] was cute and bubbly. While our new album is still bubbly, we made it a lot more refreshing.”

Chaesol added that the group made sure it felt like a continuation of cignature’s music style.

The album involves four tracks total: “Mess With My Mind,” “Smooth Sailing,” “Sorry So Sorry” and “Little Me,” with the first three tracks produced by singer-songwriter and hit producer Ryan Jhun. The producer is known for having produced countless hit tracks in K-pop, including songs by Oh My Girl, IU, Red Velvet, EXO, SHINee and more, and it was the first time for cignature to work with him.

While “Smooth Sailing” is not a complete departure from the girl group’s music style, there have been a lot of “new things” that the girl group has never tried, starting with its music video.

“We shot the entirety of our music video in Japan, which was a first for us,” Jeewon said. “It was also the first time we shot the music video fully outdoors, and I think it ended up being like a behind-the-scenes video of our members having a fun time abroad.”

Jeewon added that it was also her first time learning how to ride a bicycle without training wheels and her first time diving in a swimming pool, two scenes that were included in the music video.

Girl group cignature poses for the camera ahead of the online press showcase held Tuesday for the group's fourth EP ″Us in the Summer.″ [C9 ENTERTAINMENT]

Jeewon also addressed the worries of fans and the general public which arose after she appeared in a video on comedian Tak Jae-hoon’s YouTube channel earlier this month, where Tak was seen making inappropriate comments about Jeewon’s physique.

“We have been trying our best to showcase a variety of different sides of ourselves outside our music activities,” she said. “I will try my best to not damage the feelings of our fans — who care about us so deeply.”

“I too, as a member of the [C9 Entertainment] family, worried about it, but I’m also sure that Jeewon will take care of the issue well,” singer-songwriter Younha said, who presented at Tuesday’s showcase.

“[‘Smooth Sailing’] feels like we are wearing clothes made perfectly, just for us,” Seline said. “So I hope you guys enjoy the album too.”

To find out more about cignature, visit Celeb Confirmed!

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]