| The teaser for Kwon Eun-bi's new EP, “Color” / Courtesy of Woollim Entertainment |
By Dong Sun-hwa
Kwon Eun-bi, a former member of now-defunct project girl group IZ*ONE, immediately fell under the spell of her new song, “Glitch,” when she first heard it. Its dreamy sound was a gem, but what also mesmerized her was its lyrics, which seemed to be reflective of herself.
“Whenever I have to appear on screen, I always feel I have too many shortcomings,” Kwon told The Korea Times through MJ Tonz Entertainment, a global promotion and marketing agency. “I have too many thoughts and worries, but I still strive to act confidently in front of cameras. This is who I am and my new release, 'Glitch,' shows this.”
“Glitch” is the lead single off her second EP, “Color” that hit shelves on April 4. Characterized by the elements of UK garage ― an electronic dance music genre that originated in England ― the track was written by producers TAK and Corbin, who attempted to bring life to Kwon's inner world in their creation.
Prior to the release of the mini-album, Kwon's management company, Woollim Entertainment, said Kwon would display her “colorful musical universe” in her new release. Asked what color best defines her, Kwon revealed that it is red ― a color symbolic of passion and heat.
“It seems red is the color that best speaks for me,” the 26-year-old said. “I always work hard like a racehorse who hardly takes a break.”
“Color” also carries five other tunes of differing genres including, “The Colors of Light,” “Magnetic” and “Speed of Love.” And among them, “Speed of Love” is Kwon's favorite.
“I think 'Speed of Love' is a good fit for me, which sheds light on my pure and lovely voice,” she said. “While I was recording the song, I tried my best to keep its mood.”
The Woollim Entertainment star then moved on to explain how her solo releases are different from the songs of IZ*ONE. Consisting of the 12 finalists from the third season of Mnet's popular fan-voted competition show, “Produce 101” (2018), IZ*ONE rolled out a string of hits like “Violeta” (2019), “Fiesta” (2020) and “Secret Story of the Swan” (2020) until its dissolution in 2021. Following its disbandment, Kwon went solo, dropping her first mini-album, “Open,” to signal her new beginning.
“Most of IZ*ONE's songs were aimed at highlighting each member's strengths, but my solo releases are the collections of my own stories,” she noted. “After hearing 'Glitch,' IZ*ONE members told me that it was a great song that fits my vibe. They also encouraged and complimented me a lot.”
Since she just released a fresh EP, Kwon is having a hectic time these days. The singer does not have any time to enjoy her hobbies as well.
“These days, I spend most of my time promoting my EP or preparing for the upcoming musical, 'Midnight Sun,'” she said.
Kwon is set to make her stage musical debut through “Midnight Sun,” which will hit the theater from May 3 to June 26 at the KEPCO Art Center in southern Seoul. Kwon will take the role of a girl named Haena, who falls in love with a boy named Haram. In addition to Kwon, a wave of high-profile K-pop stars such as SHINee's Onew and APINK's Kim Nam-joo will also be featured in the show.
“I have long been dreaming of starring in a musical, so I am glad that I can finally do so,” Kwon revealed. “Since this is my first time to give it a shot, I feel I may fall short. But I still think a lot about different ways to portray my character, and whenever I face a hurdle, I turn to veteran musical actress Choi Jung-won for help.”
Wrapping up the interview, Kwon talked about what she wants to achieve in the days ahead.
“In the future, I want to collaborate with different rappers for my album,” she said. “I also want to be part of a band and sing and play electric guitar. I hope a lot of people recognize me as the singer who brings them solace through music.”