TWICE’s Tzuyu unveils a new side with solo debut

TWICE member Tzuyu said Thursday that she aims to showcase a mature and sexy side of herself through her upcoming solo debut album, “aboutTzu.”

The album, set to release on Friday at 1 p.m., marks the singer’s first solo venture, making her the third TWICE member to go solo, following Nayeon and Jihyo.

“When people think of me, they probably associate me with a bright and cute image as the youngest member of TWICE,” Tzuyu said during a press conference in Seoul.

“But through this album, I wanted to show a more mature and sexy side of myself, expressing the feelings I’ve carried with me since childhood.”

She added that the album will feature a variety of musical styles, including a sentimental ballad.

The 25-year-old also shared her motivation for pursuing a solo career, citing inspiration from other female solo artists.

“After watching performances by various female solo artists, I began to wonder how it would feel to perform on my own,” she said. “Sunmi’s performances, in particular, were so captivating that I wanted to create my own stage,” she said. “Seeing my bandmates release their solo albums also motivated me. They were beautiful and cool, so I wanted to experience that for myself.”

The EP’s name “aboutTzu” is a combination of the English word “about” and her name “Tzuyu.”

In addition to the lead track, “Run Away,” the album has five songs — “Heartbreak in Heaven,” “Lazy Baby,” “Losing Sleep,” “One Love” and “Fly” — on the B-side.

“Run Away” is a modern interpretation of synth pop and dance genres, conveying a message that one might unexpectedly pour out all their love once they decide to love someone after a long wait.

Park Jin-young, founder and chief producer of JYP, wrote the song while four foreign musicians, including Johnny Simpson, are credited as co-composers.

She said she was captivated by the song upon listening to it.

“The melody was catchy, and the bass was really captivating,” she said. “At first, I was worried about whether I could pull off the song, but I decided to go for it because I felt it would give fans a chance to hear a different side of my music.”

It took some time for the Taiwanese to fully understand the Korean lyrics at first, she recalled.

Even though the song is about love, she felt it also fit perfectly with her shy personality.

“I’m a bit introverted, so it takes me some time to get close to people. But once I do, I show a side of myself that no one has seen before — one that’s more active and playful.”

She penned one of the tracks, “Fly,” for the first since her debut as TWICE in 2015.

“Writing in Korean wasn’t easy. I had to do a lot of research, searching for words and phrases that I didn’t know. It was a gradual process, but I’m happy with the final result.”

She expressed her desire to be cherished both as a TWICE member and a solo artist.

“Looking back on how difficult I found it to interact with fans when I first started my career, I feel like I’ve grown a lot,” she shared. “I want to express my feelings more honestly through music in the future.”