TWICE’s Nayeon pushes boundaries with her 1st solo EP ‘Im Nayeon’

K-pop band TWICE’s Nayeon released her first solo album “Im Nayeon” on Friday, June 24, as the group’s first member to go solo.

Before releasing the album at 1 pm, Nayeon held a press conference in Seoul to talk about her first album.

“I have very mixed feelings right now. I’m a little relieved because I’ve been preparing for this for so long, but at the same time, I feel excited and very anxious,” said Nayeon, sporting platinum blonde hair and a stylish black pantsuit.

Seven years into her career as a K-pop artist, Nayeon seemed more nervous than ever in front of the cameras, bursting into laughter, her cheeks blushing from time to time.

Nayeon is TWICE’s first solo member to debut since the act launched under JYP Entertainment in 2015. While it may seem relatively late for TWICE’s bandmates to finally get the solo spotlight, Nayeon said that now it seemed the perfect time for them to do it.

“I don’t think we’re late, but actually, it’s very timely. We have achieved a lot as a group and now we can have more fun through our solo projects and show a more diverse side of ourselves through them,” said the 26-year-old.

The album title “Im Nayeon” has a double meaning: it is the singer’s real name and also her confident proclamation of taking her first step as a solo artist. Nayeon filled the EP with seven tracks of various sounds and colors that resemble different sides of her.

At the forefront of the album is “Pop!”, a refreshing bubblegum pop anthem that sings a sweet and sassy message that she won’t hesitate to burst the bubble. The song involves some of the biggest names in music, including lyricist Lee Seuran and songwriters Kenzie and LDN Noise.

“I felt happier when I read comments talking about how our music makes people feel good. I hope I can share the same energy with ‘Pop!’” said Nayeon.

Nayeon was credited as the solo lyricist for one of the B-side tracks, “All or Nothing,” which she said she wrote while the group toured the United States earlier this year for the act’s fourth concert tour.

“The lyrics were a challenge for me. It wasn’t easy for me and it still feels hard even now. But since it was my first album, I wanted to include a song with lyrics written only by me,” she said, adding that the song talks about how she endured difficult times based on her own experience and the thoughts of those around her. Her favorite line from the song, Nayeon said, is “If there could be a clear answer.”

Nayeon surprised fans before her solo debut by announcing her collaboration with fellow labelmate Felix from boy group Stray Kids. Felix is ​​featured on the B-side track “No Problem,” which Nayeon chose as her favorite out of the six.

“The reason is quite simple. ‘No Problem’ includes my musical style in many ways. Also, I personally like Felix’s voice, so it was a great opportunity to have sung with him as well,” he said.

The album also includes “Love Countdown”, “Candyfloss”, “Happy Birthday to You” and “Sunset”.

The members of TWICE showed their support from the initial stage of creating the album, Nayeon said, bringing food and gifts to the filming of its music video and providing advice on all productions, from album art choices to music videos and internships. of dance.

“It was really encouraging when the members advised me on parts that I found driving alone. There were a lot of hiccups as I had to do what nine people had done alone. Making decisions was the hardest part,” said Nayeon.

Filling the gap of eight members was not easy at first, but Nayeon said that she finally got it. Looking back, the solo project was an opportunity for her to further boost her endowment as a musician, Nayeon said.

“I felt like I had faced a certain limit after releasing all these albums, but this one helped me get past that thought,” she said, adding that she hopes her solo album will not only help the public see a new side of her, but anticipation is also rising for other TWICE members’ upcoming solo albums.

As the first solo artist of the nine-piece act, the oldest and most experienced of the band said she felt the pressure at first, but eventually learned not to be so hard on herself and did her best to have fun.

“I used to be afraid to sing a whole song by myself, but by recording the songs this time, I not only learned a lot about how I could sing better, but also remembered how much I had enjoyed the act of singing,” Nayeon said.

“Im Nayeon” has accumulated 500,000 units in pre-order sales as of Thursday. DC

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