HyunA on Being a Girl with Attitude, Evolving Artistry and Resilience: 'It's OK to Say I'm Not OK' (Exclusive)

HyunA is a girl with attitude.

For many fans, the legendary K-soloist’s name is almost inseparable from her bold tapestry of confidence and charisma, woven throughout her 17 years in the music industry. Like a pea in a pod, the 32-year-old performer seems to embody the definition of attitude, as if it’s somehow innate — a natural part of her.

Still, she smiles and shakes off any thought of purely gifted talent.

“Training,” she emphasizes to PEOPLE. “I’ve always been training and going to the studio. Whether I’m working on an album or not, I always try to use my time wisely — on something that doesn’t betray me. I always have that mindset, that attitude to keep my charisma for 17 years.”

The attitude certainly includes fashion, and the model hasn’t failed to serve up a look since her 2007 debut with K-pop sensation, Wonder Girls. Even when she’s talking to PEOPLE, her personality shines through her bold cheetah hat, which sits just above her bright red hair framing her rosy-cheeked face.

HyunA.

IN THE FIELD

Few K-pop artists have ever had a career as long or as pioneering as HyunA, who was part of the iconic group 4Minute before launching her solo career in 2010 with her debut single “Change”. The rapper’s influence reached the level where pop fans, even outside of K-pop, saw her appear on PSY’s ultra-viral hit, “Gangnam Style,” in 2012.

The HyunA of 2024 now lives with a new attitude — an evolving new-era artistry that the songwriter hopes will shine through with her new album and upcoming North American tour.

Latest EP, Paragraph, it is the first return of the performer in almost two years. It consists of four tracks that showcase a new side of HyunA while living within her beloved genres of pop, dance, and R&B.

In the second track, the “Q&A” music video takes fans to the cinematic streets of Bangkok, where they can observe HyunA in a different light. Instead of the confident and sexy HyunA in the first song, fans see her exploring the more vulnerable aspects of new love. Against the backdrop of lyrics that describe their relationship, the honeymoon era unfolds with dancing in the living room, playful color fights and motorcycle chases through the streets.

“Whenever I’m writing a song, I’m always thinking about how I’m going to be seen when I’m performing—I always have that mind control when I’m writing,” she reflects.

At the same time, the artist admits that the new album is inspired less by the kind of music people watch — the kind with those familiar catchy visuals and girl dances — and more by the kind of music people listen to.

“I’m known for being very good at performing, so people have to recognize me as a performance artist, or just for the visual aspects,” says the singer. “But this time I wanted to try a lot of different genres and I want to show that I also have that musical ability.”

As soon as the “RSVP” artist felt that desire, she got in touch with GroovyRoom — a production duo she’s wanted to work with for almost a decade. Under the duo’s hip-hop label, Paragraph came to life, along with her freedom to participate in every aspect of its production.

“The first song, ‘Attitude,’ was the song I introduced as the first day of school,” she says. “As the album progressed, the staff or GroovyRoom would always ask, ‘How’s this? How about that?’ So everyone naturally started a discussion.”

Hyuna’s attitude.

IN THE FIELD

With 17 years in the industry behind the “Lip & Hip” singer, change isn’t so much scary as it is exciting. Thanks to a dedicated fan support system, she says she’s always been able to focus on the mood of performing on stage.

However, the singer of the song “Why So Lonely” admits that she is not immune to hundreds of thousands of external perceptions about who she is and what she does. While it’s “really hard,” he says there’s a separation he’s trying to make.

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“For example, whenever I’m on stage, I try to make my performance perfect,” she explains. “And whenever I come down the stairs from the stage, I just turn it off and try to stay happy. That way, I won’t get tired of being an artist or working as an artist HyunA. So I’m trying to be on and off, HyunA performing and HyunA off stage.”

“I also often ask myself, ‘Are you okay?'” she continues. “But one day I realized that it’s okay to say I’m not well. After that, I was able to balance work and life better.”

HyunA.

IN THE FIELD

HyunA not only became more honest with herself, but also opened up to her fans. Almost four years ago, she first opened up on Instagram about the physical and mental health issues she was dealing with, including being diagnosed with depression and panic disorder. It was a scary move for “Bubble Pop!” artist, considering that such topics are rarely touched upon in the K-pop industry.

“At first I was afraid that people would go away and forget about me because of this health problem when I talked about these things, but I also knew that there are fans and people who always support me for a long time,” she says. “Then I decided to be honest and talk about it, I felt a greater responsibility and obligation to think more about my health and those who have the same symptoms as me, we are in the same situation, but she is trying to do her own thing and is inspired.”

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Either way, she says she felt grateful knowing that her fans have brought her back after 17 years, to the point where she can still perform alongside the younger generation of K-pop artists.

HyunA.

IN THE FIELD

Even her attitude towards the future did not dim her light.

North American fans can get a taste of exactly what she means on her upcoming 2024 “My Attitude” tour, featuring eight concerts across the United States and Canada this August. It’s been a while, according to the superstar.

“I really want to perform and meet people all over the world,” she says with a sense of excitement. “I want to perform as if the stage is going to collapse.”

Paragraph is now available for streaming.

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Source: HIS Education