Tzuyu cheerfully smiles and waves hello before settling in to discuss her debut solo mini albumabouTZU,out today.
On this day, the sole Taiwanese member of the Korean girl group is a little shy.
AfterNayeons second solo mini albumwas released in June, the way was clear for Tzuyu.
JYP Entertainment*
I knew for a few months that I would be next, she tellsRolling Stonein Korean.
I had told JYPthat I wanted to release my album and they thankfully agreed.
We dont really have a system as to which one of us gets to do it next.
But rather than breaking any records, I want to focus on how hard I worked on it.
My goal is to give back my love to my fans.
That is the important part for me.
The EP includes collaborations with BTOBs Peniel on the all-English Heartbreak in Heaven and with pH-1 on Lazy Baby.
As each track progresses, the listener could extrapolate that the songs are about romantic love and loss.
I really did want to express my diverse sides with this album, Tzuyu says.
I heard the music to Fly, and really liked it.
So for that song, I heard the music first and then wrote the lyrics to fit it.
One of the advantages of being multilingual is that she can communicate with more fans without a go-between.
Then when I look at the specific lyrics, I tend to think in Korean.
For English, I tend to think about which words would be the most harmonious and natural.
English is very hard, but some lyrics just tend to fall naturally in English.
I used to take English lessons, but I stopped for a few months while preparing my album.
But I will work to be better at it.
I love Ava Max and wanted to do a song like her style of music, she says.
When I heard Run Away, I wondered to myself, Would it suit me?
But I also thought that I would regret it if I didnt sing it.
They dont have to, but thats my hope.
Tzuyus artistic vision is just one reason why JYPs founder and producer, J.Y.
Park, encouraged her to releaseabouTZU.
As an artist, Tzuyu says that she strives to constantly learn and improve.
She listens to recommendations from fans, delves into different genres, and checks out TikTok challenges.
Besides her admiration for Ava Max, shes a fan of Taylor Swift andcoveredher hit ME!
This interview was conducted shortly after the Paris Olympics concluded last month.
As expected, the South Korean womens team won its tenth consecutive Olympic gold medal in archery.
Tzuyu gives a nod to this in her video pre-release trailer forabouTZU.
Archery isnt a sport that I grew up with or do every day, she says, smiling.
When I heard that I was gonna participate inISAC, I just practiced a little bit beforehand.
I was just lucky to have gotten those really good scores.
Tzuyu moved away from home as a young teen to live and train in Seoul as a K-pop trainee.
Thats what I would want her to know.
I think when people look at me, they all have different perceptions of who I am.
