심선아
| 2025-08-11 10:54:36
singer-interview
Jeon Somi finds 'herself' amid chaos, confusion
By Shim Sun-ah
SEOUL, Aug. 11 (Yonhap) -- K-pop singer Jeon Somi says her second EP, "Chaotic & Confused," due out Monday, was born from the paradox of being both an industry veteran and just 24 years old.
"I've been working for 10 years, but I'm also a 24-year-old girl and person," she said in a group media interview held at a cafe in Seoul on Thursday. "There was a sense of chaos in that gap. I worried a lot about what kind of new image I could show now."
She added that her limited life experience as a person sometimes makes it harder to fully express herself in her music.
When IU's 2015 hit "Twenty-three" was mentioned during the interview, she nodded in agreement.
"I think I know what it is — being in the middle of not being a girl and not being a fully mature woman," she said. "I started my career early, and I know so much, but I spent my time not knowing anything about myself."
Just like IU, who debuted at age 15, Jeon was only 15 when she first rose to fame in 2016 after winning the Mnet survival program "Produce 101." She debuted with the project group I.O.I the same year before launching her solo career in 2019. The new EP follows last year's single "Ice Cream" and her 2022 debut EP, "Game Plan."
The five-track record reflects both her personal turmoil and the conviction that emerged from it. It spans genres — from the lead track "Closer," which experiments with the "stutter house," to the post punk-inspired "Escapade" and the hybrid pop of "Chaotic & Confused." The prerelease single "Extra" blends new disco and R&B, while "Delu" offers a sentimental R&B sound.
"Closer" samples Sean Kingston's 2007 hit "Beautiful Girls," reimagining its melody with what Jeon calls "powerful energy" against a sensual mood.
"I chose the song because it was so good," she said. "I worked hard to put my style into it while keeping its originality, and I'm satisfied with the result."
Jeon said the album reflects a deliberate break from the "tricks of the trade" she learned as a young idol: knowing how to style herself, what to say in interviews and how to avoid unfavorable editing on variety shows.
"I knew those things, but I didn't want to do them anymore," she said. "Being too careful made me feel like there was a limit to what I could express. I wanted to be more daring within my boundaries."
Asked about her future goals, Jeon avoided the typical chart-ranking ambitions.
"After going through my own confusion and gaining conviction, I want to continue being a singer for a long time," she said. "I want to deliver messages that fit the particular time in my life."
For her, "Chaotic & Confused" is both a risk and a statement.
"If 'Dumb Dumb' solidified my position as a solo artist, this album needs to prove my range," she said. "I prepared it with the mindset that this is my last chance. If this doesn't work, I might have to quit."
(END)
[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]