HeeJin Talks About Her New Beginning With K and the Meaning Behind ‘Algorithm’

HeeJin can be classified as many things. She's a singer, a songwriter and a former LOONA member, but above all she's a storyteller. "Algorithm," the lead single off of her solo debut album under Modhaus, K, is a tale of two stories—the first being a  modern fairytale where a traditional Korean princess longs of breaking out of the algorithm of her life and becoming a K-pop idol, and the second depicting heartbreak in the digital age. Whether it's the desire to break out of the algorithm of your life or to break the algorithm of social media and stop reliving a breakup, HeeJin's message to create your own path is clear. In fact, it's a lesson she's learned through experience by following a path similar to the princess and reaching her dream of becoming an idol despite those who didn't want her to be.

Throughout K, HeeJin showcases her incredible songwriting ability and vulnerability through songs like "Addiction" and "Nokia." Although the album is only six tracks, it paints a vivid picture of precious human experiences such as falling in love and heartbreak. It's a stunningly raw and beautiful debut that proves no matter when, no matter if she's in a group or solo, HeeJin's talent shines. We had the opportunity to speak with HeeJin all about her latest music, and she shared her insights with us in the interview below.

Sweety High: What inspired you to want to make an album about Korean culture? 

HeeJin: I feel like the inspiration was all around me. Nowadays, you hear so many K-somethings like K-pop and K-drama, so I felt like K represents Korea, and I want to represent K.

 

SH: What is one aspect of Korean culture that you're proud to share with the world? 

HeeJin: One thing I really want to talk about is K-food. There's so much delicious Korean food everywhere. I'm so deep into Korean food. Basically, I need to at least have lunch with Korean food. I want to introduce the fans to Korean food a lot. Just to name a few, I love steamed pork and kimchi, pork feet (we call it jokbal) and also jajangmyeon. It's a Korean-style Chinese food, so yeah, I want to give a shoutout to those three foods.

 

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SH: Can you explain the meaning behind "Algorithm?"

HeeJin: I feel like we say in modern society that we live in an algorithm. It shows what your interests are and what you want to see. I think an algorithm is an interesting concept to use for after a breakup to talk about how you keep being reminded of someone even after a breakup. Because of this concept, I feel like this song in particular can be felt by people all around the world universally.

 

SH: In what ways do you relate to the princess featured in the "Algorithm" music video who dreams of becoming a K-pop idol?

HeeJin: The music video features this traditional Korean princess living in a traditional Korean palace and she wants to escape this palace to pursue her dream of becoming a K-pop star. Interestingly enough, I feel like that's really similar to my life because I wanted to be a K-pop idol and my parents were against it, so I would secretly go to auditions unbeknownst to them. In the story, the princess does become a K-pop star, and here I am, so this story really reflects me and my life.

 

SH: What are you most excited about with this new song? 

HeeJin: With the song itself, I really hope people hear it on social media and, pardon the pun, go ride the algorithm. Also, it's kind of interesting to be doing this as a solo artist, but I think it'll be fun. In a way, I'm very much looking forward to this.

(Photo credit: Modhaus)

 

SH: It's been seven years since your first solo song, "ViViD." How do you think you've grown as an artist during this time? 

HeeJin: While many things have changed, personality-wise, I think I'm much more active now. For example, I feel like back in the day, I was more scared and I had this feeling inside me that I could not make mistakes. But now I'm overcoming those feelings, and now when I'm working on a project, I can give more independent thoughts and I can lead the project. This is quite different from when I first started.

 

SH: Your two solo songs, "ViViD" and "Algorithm," were released in October. Is there any correlation between the two?

HeeJin: I don't think I intended this in a way, but it just happens that October is a very important month to me. As you know, October is also the month of my birth and "ViViD" was my first debut with LOONA, as an idol. With "Algorithm" and the album K, I'm with this new company, and it's a new beginning.  It's also in October, so going forward, I feel like October is such an important month that symbolizes birth, such as my birthday and my new debut. This wasn't intended—it just happened to be.

 

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(Photo credit: Modhaus)

 

SH: Do you see your solo music as an extension of ARTMS or its own separate entity? Will the themes or storyline tie into any of ARTMS' music? 

HeeJin: Regarding this album, I really hope that people can look at it as a new start, as HeeJin the solo artist. That's what the album is also about—me coming out here as a solo artist. But at the same time, I don't think it's continuous of ARTMS, but it has the potential to be. With ARTMS, we have a lot of freedom in the way we want to move forward, so it does have potential. I hope you can look forward to it. And once again, it is about me as a solo artist. You know, I was LOONA and I am LOONA, so in a way, it is all related. I can't give a clear answer, but it's inclusive of all in a way.

 

SH: What new sides of yourself do you hope to show to your fans with this new release? 

HeeJin: Starting with this album, I really want to show my skills and my talent and that alone is quite a lot of pressure, but I do feel like I have all this energy. I want to have people think, "HeeJin has so much potential and so many various sides. I want to see what's next for her and the different sides to her." That's the impression I want to give out.

(Photo credit: Modhaus)

 

SH: Is there anything else you would like to add? 

HeeJin: I worked so much on this album. It took a lot of time, and it took a lot of time for a reason, so in a way, I'm very confident to show it to the world. I want this album to be the type of album that's really loved by everybody—not the type of album that has strong lovers and strong haters, but to be generally loved by everybody, and I hope people can just look forward to that. Thank you!

 

Want to hear more about what other LOONA members are up to? Click HERE to read our interview with Loossemble.