'Unapologetic and undefined': Hwasa embraces her true self in new EP 'O'

“O” is a seven-track album depicting all the sides of Hwasa, which the singer described as fluid and flexible, like a circle, and something that the public has also often mistaken about her so far.

Hwasa of girl group Mamamoo poses for photos during a press conference held on Sept. 19 in western Seoul. [P NATION]

Some have called her outrageous, while others have called her beautiful. Whichever way it is, singer Hwasa embraces it all in her latest EP “O,” an album she described as showing off her “unapologetic and undefined” self.

“Freedom,” Hwasa said, when asked by reporters on what she signifies as an artist, during a press conference held Thursday at the Conrad Seoul hotel in western Seoul for her new album.

“I’ve been like this ever since I was young, and I’m grateful for it,” she continued. “I think it’s every thought and action that I’ve had until now that’s led up to me being right here, right now — saying yes when everyone else says no.”

Hwasa, the talented member of girl group Mamamoo, released her second EP, “O,” on Thursday at 6 p.m., a year after her previous digital single, “I Love My Body,” was released last September. It is also the first album she has released since joining her new agency P Nation, founded by K-pop veteran pioneer Psy.

“O” is a seven-track album depicting all the sides of Hwasa, which the singer described as fluid and flexible, like a circle, and something that the public has also often mistaken about her so far.

Hwasa of girl group Mamamoo [P NATION]

Hwasa of girl group Mamamoo [P NATION]

“I know that a lot of people think otherwise, but I’ve never actually sung anything that’s ‘very’ powerful or arrogant,” Hwasa said. “I know that I can come across like that, which made me distance myself from songs that I thought could make me seem so. But with this album, I tried to break out of my mold and try the things that I hadn’t in the past.”

Having debuted in 2014 as a member of K-pop quartet Mamamoo, Hwasa made her solo debut in 2019 with the single “twit,” which flaunted her dominant, female power concept at a time where it was uncommon in K-pop. She was even reported to the police last year by a group of parents who found her performance overly suggestive. Police investigated but closed the case on lack of evidence.

“I’m sometimes stressed out by how honest I am,” Hwasa told reporters with laughter. “I want to act pretty and talk pretty but at the end of the day, I have to be myself. I was a little stressed by that in the past but at some point, I felt sad about trying to please everyone. So, I’ve accepted who I am and just found my own path to happiness. I think I’ve got the balance of things now.”

Hwasa of girl group Mamamoo poses for photos during a press conference held on Sept. 19 in western Seoul. [P NATION]

Lead track “NA” is the best representation of what she's learned and her goals. “NA” is a medium-tempo dance track, highly reminiscent of her agency Psy’s famed songs “Gangnam Style” (2012) and “Gentleman,” (2013) with matched choreography that also carries Psy’s iconic comic-slash-chic dance moves. The song is still playful and free — which is the actual Hwasa, according to the singer.

“Psy first heard this song and told me, ‘I think we have a good song,’” Hwasa said. “He’s really not the type to tell a white lie. He will say if something is bad. But if something’s good and he likes it, you can tell from miles away. Having him, who is such a senior [of the industry] and having him say, ‘You’re really good,’ makes me feel so recognized.”

Misunderstood or not, Hwasa says she’s tried everything she wants to, so her next move isn’t decided yet.

“But there’s music that I do want to make at the end of my career,” she said. “I’ve always loved jazz music. My fans have also told me that I should go for jazz. I want to have a go at it when the weather cools down.”

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]