translation credit: teamwinteroffcl /
Q: In recording behind-the-scenes videos, it seems like you share a lot of your own opinions and sometimes struggle a lot during the process. Even when the director gives the OK, you still hesitate, saying "Really?" or "I'm not sure," and sometimes even persuade them to let you try again.
⭐: That's because of those little details. You know how there are things only I notice about myself- like how my face might be slightly asymmetrical, or one eyebrow hair sticks up. No one else would notice, but I can't stop thinking about them. The strength of my breathing, pronunciation, subtle differences in feeling… There were times when I thought, "The director says it's fine, so let's just move on." But after finishing the recording, that part keeps standing out to me.
Q: Because once a song is recorded, it lasts forever.
⭐: Exactly-it lasts forever. That's when I realized that if I don't fix the parts I'm slightly unsatisfied with, I might regret it for the rest of my life. So since then, whenever there's even a small part I'm unhappy with, I say, "I'm sorry, but can I try one more time?" Even if I'm tired, I try to leave no regrets. Of course, no matter how hard I try, there will always be some parts I'm not fully satisfied with.
Q: Another memorable moment in the video was when you used the phrase "Minjeong tone" while communicating with the director-like, "It would be nice if the Minjeong tone came out here."
⭐: Did I say that? Hmm… I think the meaning depends on the context. It's probably one of two things. Either the full, powerful sound I often used early in my debut-what people call a “damped,” projected voice—or the softer, airy tone where I mix in a lot of breath and sing more delicately.
Q: Those are completely opposite, but they're both "Minjeong tone."
⭐: Yes. To me, both are "Minjeong tone." (laughs)
Q: Your "damping" style is well-known, but when I look at your cover videos, you don't seem to choose songs that highlight that side. Instead, you often pick songs that feel more intimate, almost like whispering.
⭐: When I choose cover songs, I focus the most on the lyrics. Even when I listen to music, lyrics matter a lot to me. I pick songs with messages I want to convey, or ones I feel I can express well. Because I focus on lyrics, I think I naturally end up choosing softer, more conversational songs, like you mentioned.
Q: So rather than "songs that show your strengths," you focus on "what you want to say."
⭐: I think that applies to everything-singing, dancing, styling. I don't really think, "I need to show this strength." I just choose whatever I'm drawn to at the moment. That's probably why things naturally become more diverse. Sometimes I sing calm songs with no high notes at all, and other times I sing emotional love songs. Maybe it's also because I'm still figuring out what I'm best at. Even in my solo stages on tour, I started with a full ballad, then did a dance track, and now I'm performing a pop-rock song with a live band. I'm curious myself-what I'm good at, what I enjoy-so I'm just trying everything.
Q: The solo song "Blue" you're performing on tour is one you participated in writing. It talks about pain, endurance, and overcoming.
⭐: That's right. When I was figuring out the direction of the song, I reflected a lot on my own situation. Everything felt unstable and shaking, and there was nothing I could really do about it. In the end, it's about a situation where "time is the only thing that can solve it."
Q: The chorus goes, "To see the blue sky, you have to let it rain. If you want to escape, there's no detour. You have to move forward."
⭐: Yes. But actually… the repeated line "you have to move forward / you gotta go through" isn't just comfort for listeners—it also expresses the pressure I felt inside at the time. People say "time will fix it," "time heals everything"—and that's true. But for someone who is actually going through that pain, those words can feel cruel. They can make you feel helpless. The song originally had a much sadder meaning—it expresses a situation where all you can do is keep telling yourself, "I have to move forward / you gotta go through"
Q: So instead of encouraging strength, it focuses on the emotion itself.
⭐: That was the starting point. I've never explained the lyrics of this song in this much detail before, and that's because I wanted to leave the meaning open to listeners. I worked on "Blue" thinking of MYS (aespa's fandom). So one person might feel comforted because their sadness is understood, while another might take it as a hopeful message. I thought it would be better to leave it open like that.
Q: Last year, you held a birthday event with fans called "WINTER Blues," with a jazz bar concept— it felt quite unique.
⭐: Yes, it was a bit different. Usually, birthday events involve a lot of fan interaction and games. Some fans might have expected that, too. But I wanted to communicate through music. So I collected stories from fans and responded by singing songs related to their stories or delivering messages through music.
Q: So it was more like communicating through music than a typical event.
⭐: Exactly. My job is to share energy through singing and dancing, and thankfully I receive energy in return during those moments. So even for my birthday, I wanted to communicate and offer comfort through songs.
Q: I heard all the aespa members came to watch.
⭐: That's what I heard too. I knew Karina would come, but later I found out Ningning and Giselle unnie came as well. Thinking about it now, it's a bit embarrassing. (laughs) Karina unnie is having her birthday event soon too, so if I have time, I'll go.
Q: Even though you've been together for over five years, that must have been a new experience—one member performing alone while the others watch.
⭐: It really is. Come to think of it, the only time I've seen the other members perform from the audience was during our trainee days. I still vividly remember watching Jimin unnie (Karina), Ningning, and Aeri unnie (Giselle) during evaluations. If I watched one of them perform solo now, it would probably bring back those memories. Back then, I was so nervous that all I could think was "Don't make a mistake." But now, we've all become people who can genuinely take charge of the stage and enjoy it. Back then we used to worry together, "Will we really be able to debut?" but before we knew it, we've all debuted and are now sharing happy moments with fans. And getting to witness that… I think I’d really start crying.
Q: They didn't cry at your birthday event though?
⭐: They said they didn't! (laughs) How did they not cry? Just imagining it now makes me tear up a bit-how could they not?
Q: Maybe they held it in so they wouldn't make things awkward. (laughs) You've been together as aespa for over five years now. What's something new you've been feeling about the group lately?
⭐: I feel like each of our individual colors is becoming stronger. It's not that I didn't know we were all different before, but back then it felt like pastel shades-now it feels closer to primary colors. Each member is becoming an attractive artist in their own unique way. That makes me really excited for the future. Honestly, five years isn't that long in a lifetime, but we've gone through so much together in that time and felt so many emotions. Even if it's "another five years," the time that builds on these past five years will flow differently, right? I'm really excited to see what we'll go through together and how charming we'll we become.