Cooler, maturer and wholly and unapologetically herself — Twice member Nayeon is gearing up to showcase a new side of herself as a solo artist with her second EP, "NA," dropping on Friday at 1 p.m.


"My last album was the Nayeon that most people know as a member of Twice,” said Nayeon during the press conference for her new EP at the Sofitel Ambassador Seoul Hotel in Songpa District, southern Seoul. “But with this album, I wanted to show a cooler and grown-up side of myself.”


The Twice member’s wardrobe choice for the press conference reflected her confidence in her new image: a classy, pure white dress that nicely contrasted her red lips and rich copper red hair. As she posed for the cameras, she made hand signs of the letters A, B, C and D with a self-aware but self-assured chuckle.

The title of the album, “NA,” consists of the first two letters of Nayeon’s name, which happens to be a homonym for the word “me” in Korean. The album is meant to proudly show who Nayeon is, according to her agency, JYP Entertainment.

“My last album, ‘Im Nayeon,’ showed the lovelier side of me,” said Nayeon. “This is the side of me that is cooler and stronger.”

“NA” has seven tracks: lead track “ABCD" followed by B-sides “Butterflies,” “Heaven” featuring Sam Kim, “Magic” featuring Julie from girl group Kiss of Life, “HalliGalli,” “Something” and “Count It.”

Lead track “ABCD” adds to the theme of the album, with the chorus playfully using the first four letters of the alphabet in the lyrics to display an unapologetic side of herself, especially through the cool and laid-back delivery of the vocals.

“'ABCD' wasn't initially planned as the lead track, but I really wanted to perform this song on stage,” said Nayeon. She picked the song herself because she wanted to dance with the song. True to her intentions, the song has a breakdown in the middle with nothing but powerful drums beating in the background, giving room for the challenging dance moves to take the limelight.

“This album will be remembered as a precious album that made me challenge myself,” said Nayeon. “I worked out during holidays and after photo shoots all the time. It was hard, but I’m satisfied since I did my best.”

Nayeon flaunts various fashion aesthetics in the music video, from colorful hip-hop pants to a classic black dress that brings out the best and versatile sides of the singer to suit each mood of the different choreography.

“The main focus of the album is to go for a hip and street vibe,” said Nayeon.

With such a high focus on the performance side of the new album, Nayeon was prepared to take on the summer.

“I really liked it when I heard that the summer suits me recently,” she said. “It is a season I like, and I like the energy of the summer."

Nayeon's group, Twice, is also gearing up for the upcoming summer season with a Japanese studio album, "Dive," set for release on July 17. The girl group will also hold solo concerts at Japan's Nissan Stadium in Yokohama on July 27 and 28, becoming the first K-pop girl group and the second K-pop artist to hold solo concerts at the venue.

To find out more about Nayeon, visit Celeb Confirmed!




BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]