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Hwasa’s ‘Guilty Pleasure’ shows there’s no light without shadow

Singer-turned-soloist Hwasa poses during an online press conference Wednesday. (RBW)
Singer-turned-soloist Hwasa poses during an online press conference Wednesday. (RBW)
After a year-and-a-half away from music, Hwasa hopped back into the pop scene during one of its most vibrant months with solo release “Guilty Pleasure” on Wednesday evening.

The Mamamoo songstress said in an online press conference the same day that the three-song package talks about who she is, what she has gone through, and her thoughts and emotions about different phases in life.

“I think I went through a wave of emotions and downs musically since I released my last solo album. I realized that I tend to push the envelope too much to the point where I’m mistreating myself in order to attain what I want, and I get joy by doing this,” Hwasa said.

This is her guilty pleasure: pushing herself beyond her limits.

And the soloist said the main song “I’m a B” is what best summarizes this idea.

“Thinking about what I went through, I’ve become sensitive at times, and there was even a point when hysteria gripped me,” she said.

She added that she has reached the point where she’s missing the little bits in life because she’s too focused on what is laid in front of her. 


(RBW)
(RBW)
There is no “sorry” in the lyrics, but Hwasa said she felt “sorriness” while coming up with the words. She felt absent and unable to enjoy the small things in life, reminiscing about how she couldn’t take care of her family, friends, and people around her.

But she said she finds comfort in the song’s music: a strong bassline melded with a catchy hook.

Teaming up with a foreign producer for the first time, the singer wrote the words to the song to ensure her musical personality stayed in the mix.

But surprisingly, Hwasa initially didn’t want to list herself as a composer for her track.

“At first, I thought that words wouldn’t be enough to express my feelings because I was going through too much,” she said. But she changed her mind to pass on the message that “there’s no light without shadow.”

She also chose the concept for her album as she took her involvement in the production process to a new level.

“I wasn’t attentive in these areas when I released ‘Maria.’ I missed a lot of visual elements that play an important role by drawing people’s attention, so this time, I focused more on those details,” she said.

When asked about what she wishes to achieve with the new album, the singer said she had already achieved it. Sales figures and chart positions could be considered essential for a performer, but for Hwasa being able to put out an album and meet people on stage is what she most wants to achieve.

She said she feels genuinely happy when she’s on stage with the dancers.

By Park Jun-hee (junheee@heraldcorp.com)
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