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MANILA — During his concert in Seoul last June, Korean singer-rapper Psy paused the show after a table with a document on it was carried out onto the stage.
The “Gangnam Style” hitmaker-slash-record producer apologized for the interruption, telling the crowd he had an “important contract to sign” for his label P Nation.
The audience then erupted in cheers as Hwasa, a member of K-pop girl group Mamamoo, appeared on the stage and signed the document. The moment was a rare sight in K-pop, where contract signings are not usually done in public, especially in a widely attended event like a concert.
“When I make decisions, I don’t have a solid reason for making them,” Hwasa said in a recent interview with ABS-CBN News when asked why she joined P Nation.
“When I talk to Psy, he’s a very decisive person and he makes very confirmative opinions. So as I talked to him, I just had this confirmation that I could join his work (label),” she said of her new boss, whom she collaborated with last year.
Wasting no time in a new label, the 28-year-old singer dropped in September the empowering “I Love My Body,” marking her first release with P Nation and first solo music in almost two years.
The catchy and upbeat track “encourages listeners to embrace every part of themselves, both the beautiful and strange parts,” according to a press release.
“The message of loving myself is very important,” Hwasa said. “There are people, many people in real life who attack others just based on their appearances and I think that’s very important to talk about.”
“I Love My Body” is also Hwasa’s first single in which she did not participate in the songwriting. Still, she recorded the track, feeling that its message reflected her own experiences.
“The reason why I participate in writing my songs is because I want to talk about my own story but when I found this song, it felt like it was talking about my own story,” said Hwasa, who is no stranger to receiving online hate comments as a celebrity.
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Hwasa also advised young people who may be dealing with self-image issues to “do what they want to do.”
“To do what you really want to do, there are things that you have to do which you don’t like. I want young people to protect what they truly wish for, what they truly like and I think that would make young people stronger,” she said.
Plans for full album
Hwasa described “I Love My Body” and “Chili,” which she recently released for the dance competition series “Street Woman Fighter 2,” as a sort of prelude to her “next stage.”
And it seems that Hwasa’s fans have something to look forward to, as the singer bared her desire to drop a full album next year. “This time I’ll really try to keep this promise. By next year, around the first or second quarter, I really hope to make a full album,” she said.
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Hwasa first entered the K-pop scene in 2014 as a part of Mamamoo, launched by entertainment company RBW. The four-piece team, known for singles like “Decalcomanie” and “Hip,” has been considered a vocal powerhouse in K-pop due to its members’ impressive live singing.
Alongside their group’s activities, the members have also pursued solo music careers, with Hwasa launching hers in 2019 through the single “Twit.”
Earlier this year, the quartet went to the Philippines for its “My Con” concert tour, a show that holds a special place in Hwasa’s heart.
“We went on a tour for a very long time and we visited the Philippines and it was almost my number one place among the tour locations. It’s an unforgettable place for me,” she said.
“I remember during the opening stage of the concert, I [felt] cheered up because it was so breathtaking. The concert in the Philippines reminded me why I go on stage,” she added.
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