Hui of Pentagon sets off solo on ‘Whu Is Me: Complex’

Hui of K-pop boy band Pentagon has now begun his solo career, releasing his first official solo album, “Whu Is Me: Complex,” on Tuesday.

The artist opted for a self-explanatory title for his first EP.

“I asked myself ‘Who am I?’ while working on this album. I concluded that Hui is just who I am, me. I added the word ‘complex’ because it was my complex that led me to work hard on overcoming the things that I do not like about myself,” Hui said during a press conference in Seoul on Tuesday.

The EP, which carries four singles, is led by “Hmm Bop,” a funky dance song composed with lively beats and a sophisticated melody that sings about loving oneself.

“I spent a lot of time crafting the lead track because I wanted to focus on describing Hui who has a complex, but overcomes that complex when on stage. I think through this song, I can show off both my vocal and performing talents,” the singer said. “My complex was my body. I had been skinny and small since I was a child. There were times when I was having a hard and lonely time because of my complex.”

In the music video for the lead track and through its choreography, Hui proudly puts his physique on display to show that he has overcome this complex.

Hui performed “Hmm Bop” on stage during the press conference and, despite a sore throat that day, His singing was effortlessly euphonious.

Hui is well-known as a talented music producer. Yet, it took him six years to release the solo album, for which he also participated in the production.

“To be honest, I was focused more on our group projects as I am the leader of the group Pentagon. Now that I’ve embarked on this solo journey, I want to show different facets of myself through the songs of diverse genres that I make. My forte is that I can make my own songs, songs that I can best sing,” said Hui.

He also showed affection for his bandmates who are now with different agencies after their exclusive group contract with Cube Entertainment expired in October.

“All of our members came to support me when I was shooting the music video for ‘Hmm Bop.’ They were a lot of help just being there with me. Working all by myself on this album, I missed my members. We’re always in close contact as we text and call each other often,” he said.

Hui hopes the public will love his solo album, which would give him another chance to present more of his music, as he already has a lot in stock.

“I love it when people say ‘This is so like Hui’ after listening to my song. I hope my fans recognize that this album represents the artist Hui,” he said.