Miyeon embarks on new adventure with her first solo album ‘MY’

As the spring season breathes fresh hope to the world and signals new beginnings, Miyeon of girl group (G)I-dle took a step forward by dropping her first-ever solo album, “MY,” released on Tuesday evening.

In a press conference Tuesday, the singer-turned-main vocalist described her latest release as an “album that shows who Miyeon is.”

“The album’s title ‘MY’ is the initial of my name ‘Miyeon,’ and it also translates into the term ‘my.’ I used the album to talk about my stories and thoughts by singing songs that are all different in genres. I’m happy to be able to drop an album in such good weather,” she said, laughing.

Leading the six-track package is the title track “Drive,” which she described as “a rock-based song that supports those trying to protect themselves in difficult situations or when facing problems that are hard to handle.”

She continued, saying that it’s a fun yet a refreshing song that tells people to keep moving forward and carries a message never to lose themselves. Miyeon added that overall the six-track package aims to wish people luck on their upcoming starts and adventures.

When asked why she opted for a rock-style tune as her first solo work, the singer said she wanted to branch out to a different side of herself as a solo musician and show that she could do other types of music.

The 25-year-old went on to say that the things that she had done before as a member and main vocalist of (G)I-dle required strong vocals, and the group would perform, dance and sing on frenzied beats with powerful dance moves.

“That’s why I opted for a fresh look, concept and songs for my first album, mainly because I wanted to show a different side of me. I was looking for music that could entertain and cheer people up and songs with bright energy, which is how I ended up with the songs on my album,” she said.

Other tracks that round out the album are: “Rose,” “Softly,” “Te Amo,” “Charging (feat. Junny)” and “Drizzle (unofficial translation).”

Of the five sidetracks, Miyeon said “Drizzle” holds a special place in her heart because member Yuqi composed the song for her.

“Since some of the bandmates pen their own songs, I thought it would be nice to add songs made by them, and that’s how I ended up teaming up with Yuqi. She initially gave me many options, but I settled on this song because I thought it could create synergy between her music and my voice.”

Miyeon also shared an episode of how it was working with Yuqi as a composer. Calling Yuqi a person who focuses on the little details, the soloist said the whole recording process was fun and led to a masterpiece.

While talking about Yuqi, Miyeon also spoke of her members during the event when asked how they helped her solo journey. The vocalist said being the third (G)I-dle member to debut as a soloist following Soyeon and Yuqi was definitely pushing the envelope for her. But since her fellow bandmates had done an excellent job in carving out their solo paths, Miyeon said she wants to be a proud (G)I-dle member by doing well.

She also showed appreciation toward her bandmates, saying that they kept on complementing her new album and helped her choose the songs for it. 

Apart from endeavoring on a new musical journey, Miyeon took the time to go back to the drawing board for a better outcome.

The singer went on to say that she didn’t intend to give a tweak to her music style at first. But since what she wanted to convey was positivity and give comfort to people, she ended up with an album brimming with brightness. She added that she was looking for songs that could brighten the mood and show a different side of her and reviewed many tracks to make it to her album.

Miyeon said she also took the time to walk down memory lane. She revisited her trainee period to when she first made her debut.

“My road to debut was bumpy. I spent many years as a trainee, but so many things, happy things, in particular, happened to me since I made my debut. I’m thankful for all the things that happened, so I also wanted to thank fans through ‘Drive’ and preview that I’ll be doing this kind of music as a soloist.”

Miyeon got candid about what she truly wishes to achieve through her first EP before closing the event.

“It would be nice if I do well on music charts in and out of the country and win first place on music programs. But even if those don’t happen, I would be more than happy if people could feel elated after listening to my songs,” she said.

The six-song package hit global music platforms on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

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