Chuu is back with a 'Howl' after battle with agency

Singer Chuu learned to make peace with her emotional scars through music, so through her first solo album “Howl,” which releases at 6 p.m. Wednesday, she wanted to share that hope with her fans.

Chuu performs her latest song ″Howl″ at the Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, on Wednesday. [ATRP]

Singer Chuu learned to make peace with her emotional scars through music, so through her first solo album “Howl,” which releases at 6 p.m. Wednesday, she wanted to share that hope with her fans.

“Everyone gets hurt at some point in their lives, so I wanted to offer my consolation to them and give them the courage to face whatever they want to hide from,” she told the press the same day, a few hours ahead of the album’s release, at the Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul.

“Howl” is her first new project since becoming embroiled in multiple ordeals two years ago.

The album consists of five tracks, with the title track highlighting her as a solo vocalist, widening her musical spectrum. The album also includes songs “Underwater,” “My Palace,” “Aliens” and “Hitchhiker.”

The album is one that sets her apart from her bubbly, funny persona as an entertainer, as seen in her frequent appearances in variety shows, and shows how she grew as an artist, especially her vocals.

“So many people were surprised by my singing voice,” Chuu said. “Even my friend of 10 years, despite already knowing how I sing, said she didn’t know I could sing this way. I think this album helped me show everyone a side of me that I was unable to before.”

Chuu poses for cameras during a showcase event for her first solo album ″Howl″ at the Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, on Wednesday. [ATRP]

The music video for “Howl” was filmed in Porto, a city in Portugal, where she also filmed two of her other new songs: “Underwater” and “Hitchhiker.” In scenes of “Howl,” she is shown alongside a “small hero,” as she describes it, which is an animated monster that is supposed to be another persona of Chuu.

“It looks so cute, and it appeared with me in the video to help me through the process of healing myself.”

Chuu’s comeback as a solo artist marks her triumph over one of the messiest and more painful fights between a K-pop artist and their agency.

Last August, a local court sided with Chuu and legally terminated her exclusive contract with her former agency, BlockBerry Creative, after a year and eight months of legal battles.

The two parties' conflicts began last November when BlockBerry Creative "expelled” Chuu from the girl group Loona that month, accusing her of verbally abusing staff members.

Chuu, backed by fellow members of the girl group and other staff members that worked with her, denied these allegations and filed for an injunction to the court on her exclusive contract with the agency the following month.

The contract with BlockBerry Creative was suspended last March by the court, a month after which the singer signed with her new agency ATRP, but August’s ruling nullified the BlockBerry deal for good.

Chuu performs her latest song ″Howl″ at the Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, on Wednesday. [ATRP]

When asked during the press showcase how she felt during the whole ordeal, Chuu immediately started tearing up.

“I was devastated that I was caught in an issue I didn’t want to be a part of,” she said. “But I felt even more sorry to my fans; making them go through this. I want to say, though, that I’ve never done anything that would be shameful, so I think I was able to prepare for this album with the confidence and trust that my fans have in me.”

With the new start, Chuu hopes to show more “unexpected sides” of her as a singer, and she is determined to “give back the energy” that she has been receiving from her fans all these years through her songs.

Chuu performs her latest song ″Howl″ at the Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, on Wednesday. [ATRP]

Chuu’s comeback is joined by other Loona members who formed their own groups after parting with BlockBerry Creative.

Girl group Loossemble — comprised of members Hyunjin, Yeojin, Vivi, Go Won and Hyeju (who went by Olivia Hye during her days in Loona) — dropped their debut album on Sept. 15, while members Heejin, Haseul, Kim Lip, Jinsoul and Cheorry formed a new girl group Artms in April. Artms is yet to make its official debut. Heejin is also set to release a solo album on Oct. 31.

“The members were able to make me feel at ease, thanks to their support. There are some times when I feel anxious, but even then, they cheer me up so well,” Chuu said. “I’m always so thankful for them.

“All 12 of us always talk about being on stage as a whole in the future,” she continued. “We’re always open to possibilities, and we really hope we can rejoin with our fans soon.”

To learn more about Chuu, visit Celeb Confirmed!

BY SHIN MIN-HEE, YOON SO-YEON [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]