After a strong solo debut with last year’s banger “body,” singer Dayoung is approaching the next phase of her career with both ambition and careful calculation, determined not to simply chase the formula that first worked for her.

The next step begins with a song that the WJSN member described as a deliberate pivot away from “the ‘body’ part 2 that listeners may have expected.”

“When a sequel comes after a successful film, it can sometimes feel underwhelming because of those initial expectations,” said Dayoung during a group interview with journalists on Thursday at Starship Entertainment’s headquarters in southern Seoul.

“So this time, I wanted to show what kind of genres I’m capable of before once again coming up with something that fits those expectations and keeping up the momentum going,” she said.

Set to be released at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Dayoung’s second single “What’s a girl to do” is her latest experiment, expanding on her musical boundaries while underscoring her versatility as a solo artist.

The single features the title track of the same name, as well as a B-side, “Priceless (kaching kaching),” with Dayoung credited on both tracks for songwriting and lyrics.

Dayoung, who debuted as a member of girl group WJSN under Starship Entertainment in 2016, launched her solo career in September last year with her first digital single, “gonna love me, right?,” featuring three songs: “body,” “number one rockstar” and “marry me.”

The lead track, “body,” climbed as high as No. 9 on streaming platform Melon’s Top 100 song chart, and No. 17 on the monthly chart. Dayoung also earned her first music show win with the song on SBS’s “The Show” in September.

The scale of the success, she said, was something that she never had imagined even in her wildest dreams. It felt like being inside “The Truman Show,” the 1998 satire, and that the world had somehow been staged around her, a girl who dreamed of performing on stage since she was 4 year old.

“When I won first place on a music show 14 days after my solo debut, the first thing that came to my mind was, ‘Wow, I might actually be able to keep making music,’ which was something I’ve always wanted,” said Dayoung. “And when I looked down from the stage, my crew were all crying, and directors I’m close with ran out of the editing rooms to congratulate me.”

But Dayoung’s ambition extends far beyond becoming a one-hit wonder.

Building on that dreamlike breakthrough, the new single “What’s a girl to do” marks a sonic evolution rather than a mere continuation or recreation of the previous hit. While “body” was an upbeat dance pop with addictive synths, Dayoung’s latest title track, “What’s a girl to do,” leans more heavily into the R&B territory with a slightly slower tempo and a relatively restrained mood.

Dayoung admitted that the pressure to meet heightened expectations weighed heavily on her, and that the slower pace of the new single made her wonder how audiences might respond.

Still, she believed it was a now or never moment.

“I want to keep making music for as long as circumstances allow,” Dayoung said. “And my goal is to continue putting out good music. I really love this song, ‘What’s a girl to do,’ and I thought that this is the kind of song that would only work at this exact point, when people might be expecting a ‘body’ part 2.”

R&B is a genre she has long wanted to pursue, Dayoung added, having grown up singing songs by powerhouse divas such as Alicia Keys, Brandy and Monica and Christina Aguilera. That impulse ultimately led her to fly to the United States in search of the right sound for her solo debut, a venture that resulted in “body” and in “What’s a girl go do.”

The singer was deeply involved in the project’s creative process beyond the music itself, taking part across the production pipeline from styling to the making of the music video.

Visually speaking, her style remained largely the same from last year — blonde hair with dark roots, smoky makeup and hip-hop-inspired styling, while leaning into her natural skin tone, which Dayoung said is sometimes mistaken for an intentional tan.

“When I think of artists from the past, I can immediately picture certain visual elements, like a specific eye makeup or hairstyle that defined their brand,” Dayoung said. “For me, I wanted people to think of a girl with smoky makeup and blonde hair.”

For the music video, Dayoung envisioned something that would fuse the music and performance into one immersive package. She also intentionally avoided CGI, wanting the visuals to feel grounded rather than detached from reality.

Since the success of “body,” fans have increasingly told her that she has become a role model for them, a responsibility Dayoung said she does not take lightly.

“I’ve realized that what I do can give courage or inspiration to some,” she shared. “That’s why I want to complete this single’s promotion successfully, because not being brought down by challenges and not giving up could be examples for others.”

Dayoung said she hopes to remain active as a musician and performer for as long as possible, which means she is already thinking about what comes next.

“My goal is to have people thinking about me around the clock,” she said with a smile. “So ‘body’ worked for the hours between 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., while ‘What’s a girl to do’ is perfect for between 7 p.m. to 4 a.m.”

As for the remaining hours, Dayoung said, she is planning a summer song already.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]