YUQI sits down with CLASH to talk about her debut solo single, ‘Motivation’, revealing another facet of herself and teasing forthcoming music from i-dle.
As she embarked on creating her first solo single, i-dle’s YUQI pondered the deep question, “What’s Your Motivation?”
This contemplation led YUQI into a series of introspections and ideas, as she aimed to present a different aspect of herself, highlighting her strength and confidence.
The i-dle singer-songwriter made her solo debut with the 2021 digital single, ‘A Page’, which featured tracks like ‘Giant’ and ‘Bonnie and Clyde’.
This album introduced YUQI as a solo artist, but she now reflects on her earlier work as being “inexperienced.” After three years, she feels that ‘Motivation’ showcases a more mature level of her creativity.
YUQI gained recognition as part of the immensely popular K-pop girl group, i-dle, previously known as (G)-IDLE. The group occupies a unique niche in the K-pop landscape as one of the rare groups that write and compose their own music, adding a refreshing authenticity to their sound.
On their latest EP, ‘We are’, YUQI wrote and composed the song ‘Love Hurts’, and with her upcoming debut single, she further demonstrates her songwriting skills through “confident” and “raw” lyrics.
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CLASH: What inspired your upcoming single?
YUQI: There were several inspirations, but the main one was to present this single as a gift to my fans during my birthday month.
What made you choose ‘M.O.’ as your title track?
As soon as I completed the writing, I thought, “This is it!!” That’s how it became the title track. It truly feels like a song that represents me, and it aligns perfectly with the style I love, so I’m thrilled with how it turned out!
How does the single reflect your mindset?
I believe this single conveys my mindset of wanting to reveal another side of myself. I particularly wanted to explore something new through band sounds and classic genres.
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Where did the concept for the single come from, and how do the songs reflect this?
As I mentioned earlier, I chose this concept and the songs to showcase a different aspect of myself in contrast to the 1st Mini Album [YUQ1]. With ‘M.O.’, I aimed to express confidence and the strength to move forward despite setbacks. Conversely, ‘Gone’ was chosen to reveal a more emotional part of me.
In this single, you included three different languages. Why was it important to feature songs in various languages?
The main priority for me was to make this single feel like a gift to fans globally, which is why I wanted to incorporate three different languages. Thus, I created a single that integrates all three.
How was the experience of making this album different from working on the Digital Single [A Page]? Do you feel that time and experience allowed you to express yourself more openly?
I feel it’s very different now. In the past, my songs seemed more like they were from someone who was slightly inexperienced with the world. They lacked confidence and had a certain rawness. However, with the passage of time, I believe I’ve matured and started to present a cooler, more sophisticated version of myself.
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You took part in the songwriting for all the tracks in this single. How did your previous experiences prepare you for this release?
Every time I work on a song, I’ve always conveyed my feelings through it, which makes the music distinctly mine. I think I did the same with this single, faithfully capturing the emotions I experienced at the time.
What’s next for you? As a solo artist and as part of i-dle.
I’ll be working on even more incredible songs and will return soon with an even cooler version of myself as an artist! I want to share not just my music but also more of i-dle’s music with you! Thank you!
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‘Motivation’ is now available.
Words: Adam Davidson Photo Credit: CUBE Entertainment
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YUQI sits down with CLASH to talk about her debut solo single, ‘Motivation’, revealing a different aspect of herself and giving a sneak peek at future i-dle music. While creating