Minnie of the group (G)I-dle has released her first solo album in 7 years since her debut, and she expressed her trust in her team leader and chief producer Jeon So-yeon.

In an interview to commemorate the release of her first mini-album [HER], Minnie said, “I‘m excited and have high expectations because I’ve prepared so hard. As the members debuted solo, I thought that my turn would come someday, and I‘ve been preparing in my spare time. This album was prepared even before (G)I-dle’s contract renewal was mentioned, and I‘m happy that I’m making my solo debut right after the contract renewal with good timing.”

She continued, “I wanted to make music with the members for a long time. I wanted us to work on songs in the best possible environment,” mentioning the most important part of her contract renewal with her agency Cube Entertainment, saying, “The company helped me a lot while I was preparing this solo album, and they listened to my opinions a lot. That‘s why I’m 100% satisfied with this album. I chose and drew everything, from the colors to the photos and text. As soon as I saw the actual album, I felt like crying and I was so proud,” she expressed her satisfaction.
Minnie has been recognized for her ability by participating in writing lyrics and composing (G)I-dle’s albums. She also showed her musical spectrum by composing all seven tracks of her first solo album.

Although she is the member with the most self-composed songs after Jeon So-yeon, her self-composing ability is less well-known to the public. When asked, “Isn’t it a shame?” Minnie said, “I’m always grateful to Jeon So-yeon. Our songs became widely known thanks to Jeon So-yeon,” and added, “Jeon So-yeon has a sense and is a friend with a lot of experience, so I just have to follow (Soyeon). I acknowledge Jeon So-yeon!”

“While Jeon So-yeon produces for the group, this time, since it‘s my solo album, I’m greedy about producing it myself. Jeon So-yeon and I have really different working styles. Jeon So-yeon is a ‘T’ (thinking type) in MBTI, and I‘m an ‘F’ (feeling type). Jeon So-yeon works regardless of feeling, but when I feel the need, I get absorbed and keep working incredibly hard. ”It’s both my strength and my weakness.“

Minnie‘s album, which she created after much thought, includes the title track of the same name, ‘HER’, the pre-released track ‘Blind Eyes Red’, as well as ‘Drive U Crazy (Feat. YUQI ((G)I-DLE))’, ‘Cherry Sky’, ‘Valentine’s Dream’, ‘It‘s Okay’, and ‘Obsession (Feat. TEN of WayV)’.

Regarding this, Minnie said, ”I started preparing for this album in earnest last summer. The title track was the first track I wrote, but it was also the last track I finished. Tracks 5, 6, and 7 on the album were written a few years ago, and I rearranged and revised the lyrics this time and included them.“

“The album starts off with a heavy feeling, then moves to a calm and bright atmosphere, and ends with a pleasant rhythm with ‘Obsession’. Unlike group activities, solo activities require me to make decisions on my own, which makes me feel more responsible. What I wanted to show the most was Minnie’s new and diverse sides. That‘s why I included various genres and styles in this album.”

The song I love the most is ‘Familiar’. He said, “It’s the only Korean title. I wrote it 4-5 years ago, and it‘s a song that goes well with winter. I cried without realizing it while recording it. I think the emotions I felt when I first wrote this song came back to me. I don’t know for sure, but I think I had a hard time back then,” He then introduced some of the songs on the album. ‘Valentine‘s Dream’ He said, “I’ve always liked Jeon So-yeon, and I was going to include it in the group album, but I absolutely protected it. Because it was the song that best represented me. Since R&B ballads are my style, I saved it because I wanted to put it in my solo album. It‘s my hidden card that I’ve had for 4~5 years,” he said, raising expectations.
The title song ‘Hul’ is a vivid and funky pop track. It‘s about realizing that the nightmares I have are real and trying to overcome them. Minnie sang about her honest inner self, and BIG Naughty (Seo Dong-hyun) co-wrote the lyrics, adding to the perfection.

According to Minnie, the title song ‘Hul’ runs through the entire album. She said, “When I was preparing the album, the title song wasn’t decided. After I finished writing the lyrics, ‘Hul’ became the title song because it runs through the entire album,” and added, “I wanted to give it a vivid and cute feeling. I‘ve never written a song with that kind of vibe, so it’s a challenging track for me,” she explained.

It wasn‘t shown in the music video, but it’s a song with a performance. Minnie said, “The members‘ reaction was, ’Unnie dances this passionately?‘” and aroused curiosity.

“It’s passionate by (G)I-DLE‘s standards. I’m a vocalist, but this time I‘m singing while dancing. The members were really surprised because it was full choreography. We went up on stage wearing heels. It was so hard while practicing that I even thought, ’I shouldn‘t have danced.’ (Laughs) But since it was my decision, I have to take responsibility, and I practiced my best. I‘ll show you a great stage.”

Lastly, Minnie expressed her determination by saying, “I poured out everything I wanted to do. I renewed my contract, so I want to show you great music this year.”

“While preparing the album, I learned a lot and was able to discover a new side of myself. If I can release the next album, I want to do something new again. I don’t want to be disappointed in terms of numbers, so I‘m lowering my expectations. My goal is to get on the charts, so the higher the ranking, the better. I think there will be a next time if the fans like it. I hope the fans like it.”

Minnie’s first mini album [HER] was released on January 21.

Jeon Hyo-jin, Donga.com reporter jhj@donga.com

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.