Kim Jae-joong’s girl group Say My Name debuts

Say My Name, the first K-pop girl group produced by K-pop singer Kim Jae-joong, debuted Wednesday with its first EP, “Say My Name.”

“The motivation for Say My Name is hearing fans call out their names. The team name represents their ambition to run toward their dreams. We aimed to showcase fresh and diverse music genres as well as the unique colors of each member in their debut album. This mini-album is something we put a lot of effort into, from song selection to all aspects of the album production,” introduced Kim, a former member of the K-pop boy group TVXQ, during a press conference in Seoul on Tuesday, a day before the group’s official debut.

Kim is the chief strategy officer at Inkode, the agency housing Say My Name which he established in April 2023.

Say My Name comprises seven members from diverse cultural backgrounds -- two Japanese members Hitomi and Mei, one Thai member Kanny and four Korean members Soha, Dohee, Junhwi and Seungjoo.

"We each have distinct personalities and characteristics, and our strength lies in how well we come together without clashing. We complement each other’s skills perfectly. Each member has a unique voice and tone, allowing us to express ourselves differently in every song,” said Dohee.

At the press conference, the group showcased a performance of their debut album’s main song “WaveWay” and one of the B-side tracks “I Will Be the Brightest Star in the Sky Tonight” for the first time on stage.

"Our main song reflects the journey of overcoming challenges and growing. With its positive and bright lyrics, the song conveys our brave spirit and determination to overcome adversity and move forward,” said Soha.

Group leader Hitomi took part in writing the lyrics to “I Will Be the Brightest Star in the Sky Tonight,” hoping to become one of the most successful acts in the K-pop scene one day.

For Hitomi, this debut is more meaningful as it is her third. She previously debuted as a member of the J-pop girl group AKB48 in 2014 and then as a member of the project K-pop girl group IZ*ONE in 2018.

“This debut is a big challenge for me. I see challenges as opportunities to expand my possibilities. So, if I have dreams I want to achieve in the future, I won't give up. I want to continue pursuing my dreams,” said Hitomi.

Say My Name hopes their album allows listeners to experience a new emotion they have never felt before.