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| yna@yna.co.kr 2026-09-03 09:42:00
SEOUL, Sept. 3 (Yonhap) -- "There's such a strong thirst for having a signature song. People know my name, but the only song the public knows is 'Underwater.' Now I want to be recognized for my albums and music."
Kwon Eun-bi, a former member of girl group IZ*ONE, is taking on new music and concepts with "DEJAVU," her first digital single since moving to new agency RBW. The single is due out Thursday.
"I always like challenging myself with new things. Doing the same thing isn't fun. If I've shown mostly intense and flashy songs and images so far, I wanted to show a more natural sensibility this time," Kwon said in a joint interview at RBW's headquarters in Gwangjin-gu, eastern Seoul, on Monday, ahead of the single's release.
She added, "As I open a new chapter by moving to a new agency, I decided that instead of compromising musically, I would strongly speak up about what I want to do. Of course, it's up to me to earn recognition for the results."
Kwon made her solo debut with the 2021 mini album "OPEN." Her dance track "Underwater," released in 2022 and highlighted by an Afrobeat rhythm, gained popularity through word of mouth and eventually entered Melon's Top 100 chart.
She also earned the nickname "summer queen" after her sensual performances at the outdoor summer music festival Waterbomb drew attention, leading to numerous offers for commercials and event appearances.
But the gap between her high public profile and relatively modest musical achievements left Kwon with a strong desire to be recognized through her music. As songs with a similar sound continued to follow "Underwater," she also began wanting to transform her musical identity.
"On the public side, I'm widely known as the summer queen, and I really like and appreciate that title," Kwon said. "But as an artist, I feel I haven't become as well known. Now I want to become an artist who speaks through albums and performances."
She also said her new agency "had a direction similar to mine in terms of what kind of artist I should become and what kind of albums I should release. It felt like a company that is genuinely serious about music. I thought I could make a lot of interesting music here."
Kwon's new digital single "DEJAVU" emphasizes a natural atmosphere, unlike her previous releases, which focused on intense melodies and beats and flashy performances. Her vocals are set against rhythmic bass and upbeat guitar sounds, creating a dreamy mood. The song marks her first attempt at disco pop since her debut.
"I'm intense onstage, but once I come offstage, I'm bright, refreshing and down-to-earth," Kwon said. "I wondered what it would be like to express the real Kwon Eun-bi through a song. I thought I could capture my own bright energy well."
She added, "Going forward, I want to try various genres, including disco pop, UK garage and band music. I want to take on things that would make people say, 'I didn't expect that from her.' Rather than being rooted in one particular genre, I want my music to be diverse, like flower petals with different shapes."
Kwon first entered the music industry in 2014 as a member of girl group Ye-A, but the group failed to attract much attention. She made another attempt through Mnet's audition program "Produce 48" in 2018 and went on to become the leader of IZ*ONE, the girl group formed through the show, which enjoyed major popularity. After IZ*ONE disbanded, she has pursued a solo career since 2021.
Asked what has driven her to continue working steadily for so long, Kwon laughed and said, "My family, who opposed me becoming a singer."
"I kept falling down, so I wanted to get back up like a roly-poly toy. I kept asking myself why I had to succeed, and I endured and endured."
She also said, "Whenever I went through difficult times, I thought all that remained was to climb one step at a time. When I heard my name being called as a member of IZ*ONE and saw my mother and father crying and saying, 'Our daughter did it,' I gained a lot of strength. My goal is to continue working for a long time with a healthy mindset."
Kwon has recently developed another goal besides pursuing her solo career.
Seeing I.O.I reunite to mark the 10th anniversary of their formation in the first half of this year and sweep music and TV charts with No. 1 rankings, she began dreaming that IZ*ONE could one day reunite as well.
Last month, she met some of her former IZ*ONE members, including Choi Ye-na, Yabuki Nako, Honda Hitomi, Jo Yu-ri, Kim Chae-won and Kim Min-ju, for the first time in a long while and discussed the idea with them.
"Seeing our seniors I.O.I. happily performing onstage made us talk about how nice it would be to release an album together for our 10th anniversary," she said. "I really want us to reunite when each of us is at a beautiful and happy point in our lives. That also made me feel responsible for taking the initiative. Haha."
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