Chung Ha never thought she would become a solo artist.
The 28-year-old K-pop sensation went her own way after her group I.O.I split and has just released her new songs ‘Eenie Meenie’ and ‘I’m Ready’ as a comeback after her 2022 album ‘Bare and rare’.
She told NME: “I mean, I never thought I’d be a soloist after my group I.O.I went their own ways.
“I thought I’d just be a dancer!
“But becoming a soloist and being brave enough to continue that – I think that’s one of my proudest moments.”
Chung Ha got her start in I.O.I after making it into the line-up via South Korean channel Mnet’s survival show ‘Produce 101’.
When they broke up less than a year later, Chung Ha – real name Kim Chan-mi – kickstarted a solo career that has seen her become one of K-pop’s most exciting stars.
She said about her solo direction: “I needed to figure out what I want – if I want to keep on changing myself or hop into a whole new genre? Do I want to act? Do I want to just study?”
Referring to herself by her English name, she added: “What I learned is, ‘Annie, you can never let this go, so why don’t you just give it one last try?’
“I had to make some crucial, difficult decisions along the way, [like] whether I should really study and try to embrace something really new or to scope back and face some challenges more.”
Chung Ha added more new music is in the pipeline, adding: “I’m focusing on the new era of myself right now. We’re trying to make an album at the end of the year, and we don’t know yet if they’re gonna be included in the album, or gonna be separate, or might not come out.
“I’m not really afraid of how I get ranked anymore.”