Cover Story: Minnie and her journey as a solo artist

"...Out with a new extended play, Her, the Thai-born K-pop star is growing up and unafraid to show it. She talks to Zaneta Cheng about telling the truth through music and immersing herself in the creative process..."

“The image I present with (G)I-DLE and as a solo artist are totally different. As a solo artist, I’m able to explore a wider range of music and showcase more of myself”

It’s been around four years since we last had Minnie of (G)I-DLE fame on our cover. Back then, the K-pop star was shooting in her native Thailand right off the back of her success filming her first television series, So Not Worth It, which showed on Netflix and received praise for its multinational cast. With just one month to prepare for the role of a cussing foreign exchange student from Thailand with an interest in Korean culture, she earned recognition as a performer in her own right.

With a solo acting credit under her belt, Minnie has also since expanded on her personal singing repertoire, launching Her, a solo extended play in January this year. Comprising seven tracks, all of which she had a hand in either writing or composing or both, including “Blind Eyes Red”, a pre-release single, the EP makes Minnie the fourth of her group to launch a solo album.

“I wanted to write my own story, which is how Her was born,” Minnie explains. “I think that was my biggest inspiration. Since I also worked on the lyrics with Big Naughty, I gained many ideas and inspiration from him.” A boppy pop tune, the title track’s music video shows different Minnies – one in a pink minidress and another in a longer red gown over red leather pants with her hair ironed straight and her eyes looking straight at the camera. The lyrics start off: ‘You think I’m acting like a movie, but I’m just living my real life, lights out. They call me by my name on news feeds. Now let me tell you about my bruise.”

There’s an idea in the music video that is premised around the different facets of the singer that many might not get to see. The song goes into the contrast between how the star is seen by the public versus the many layers of who she is behind a surface impression. The chorus – “I’m hurt, you want her but you’ll never get her, ’cause I’m her. I shot ya, shoot you in your heart ’cause I’m her.” The lyrics are accompanied by the star lying on a rug shooting a gun at something off camera.

It’s a very grown-up Minnie compared to the cutesy idol we saw before and the confidence of execution in the performance of each unique personality and facet of herself shows a singer who knows what she’s about and isn’t afraid to show it. “As I worked on the recording of Her, I just kept thinking, ‘What is Minnie’s unique colour?’” The EP is replete with striking visuals and bold outfits, coming together to show a singer who is on a pretty empowering journey of growth and self-discovery. It also demonstrates Minnie’s deft grasp of her musical vision and ambition. But that’s to be expected, of course, because Minnie is no newcomer to the industry. Having debuted with (G)I-DLE in 2018 after four years of training, it’s almost a decade that she’s been in the entertainment industry.

Read the full interview in the May edition of #legend_th.

CREDITS

Creative Direction / Gordon Lam
Photography / Yeongjun Kim
Styling / Kim Youngman
Hair / Gabe Sin
Make-Up / Haemin Kim
Art & Set Design / Grace and Jun from Thiziscompany