TWICE Nayeon on her new song and what she's learned from her K-pop career
Nayeon
Provided by JYP Entertainment
Nayeon has had a whirlwind journey over the past few years.
In 2021, K-pop girl group TWICE achieved a new level of international success. With their first-ever appearances in the Billboard 200 Top 10 (“Taste of Love”) and Billboard Hot 100 (“The Feels”), the nine-member group solidified their status as global superstars. The following year saw them consecutively release their fourth album, “Celebrate,” in Japan in July and their 11th EP, “Between 1&2,” in Korea in August. But the group's oldest member, Nayeon, got a head start that summer with TWICE's first solo album, “Lim Nayoung” (Lim is the singer's last name).
“It was my first album… my first solo work from TWICE, so I think I felt a lot of pressure,” Nayeon told The Hollywood Reporter through a translator.
The EP and its lead single, “Pop!”, are prime examples of Nayeon and TWICE's sophisticated bubblegum pop and were an instant hit in Korea and around the world, with the album debuting at number 7 on the Billboard 200 chart.
The 28-year-old singer was all smiles during a midday Zoom call from her agency JYP Entertainment in Seoul. Between sold-out world tours and chart-topping albums as a member of TWICE, Nayeon has been hard at work preparing for her highly-anticipated second EP, “Na,” which was released today.
Taking a slight departure from her debut solo work, Na, like TWICE's recent releases, explores a sound more appropriate for an artist who is no longer in their teens at the time of her debut. Whereas “Pop!” was a song for fans to listen to with the windows open on a bright summer day, Na's lead single, “ABCD,” feels perfect as an opening act for a night out with friends.
Nayeon provided by JYP Entertainment
“I wanted to show a side of myself that I couldn't show as a member of TWICE and in my first album,” Nayeon explained, saying that she wanted to present a more “mature” and “stronger and bolder” sound.
The album “Na” is a combination of the singer's name and the Korean word for “I” and contains a total of seven songs, four in Korean and three in English. As with Nayeon's first album, this new album also contains several collaboration songs.
The album's third track, “Heaven,” features American singer Sam Kim, who lives in Korea, helping to write the song. Lee Chan-hyuk, one half of popular Korean brother-sister duo AkMu, produced “HalliGalli.” The Y2K-inspired “Magic,” featuring Julie from up-and-coming K-pop girl group Kiss of Life, is an album highlight.
“It was fun to work with other artists,” Nayeon says, noting that TWICE doesn't do many outside collaborations as a group. “It was weird, but very exciting at the same time.”
Nayeon has been touring with TWICE consistently since 2022. TWICE performed an encore show of their fifth world tour at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in March, and additional shows are scheduled in Japan in July. Nayeon says she is good at balancing touring and writing new songs.
“I'm pretty used to making albums while touring now, so it was a lot of fun,” she laughed, adding that the rest of the group also listen to Na and like it. “I see my solo work as an extension of being a member of TWICE.”
Steve Granitz/FilmMagic for the second time
TWICE will celebrate its ninth debut anniversary in October. In the K-pop genre, it's common for artists to release one or more albums a year, and promotional schedules usually include several music shows each week for each release.
“I've learned a lot, like how to be considerate of others, how to express my own opinion while at the same time listening to the opinions of others, and how to balance the two,” Nayeon said of the knowledge she's gained from nearly a decade of work. “I've also learned a lot about responsibility, since there are so many members in the group.”
When asked what advice she would give to younger artists in the industry, Nayeon humbly dismisses the notion. “There are a lot of great new artists these days, and I learn a lot from them,” she says. “The concept of an idol is so diverse… I don't know if I'm in a position to give them advice.”
However, Nayeon did have some advice for those aspiring to a career in K-pop: “Think carefully about how much you want to be passionate about this profession, how much you love this job, and how passionate you are about this job.”
Nayeon is positive and optimistic for the second half of the year, with clear goals in mind: a successful solo album, the upcoming TWICE tour, and the group's 9th anniversary event. She's especially excited to perform live in front of TWICE's cleverly named fanbase: “I want to make more amazing memories with our fandom, ONCE.”
Nayeon provided by JYP Entertainment
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