CL marked her full-fledged beginning as a solo artist. She showed confidence saying that she will be able to perform music that shows her true self than her 2NE1 days.
On October 29, CL held an online showcase to commemorate the release of her new double single.
This is her first comeback in about 10 months, and her upcoming album is all the more anticipated since CL is known to have personally worked on the songs to announce her new start. CL, who engaged in her first official promotion after a long time, said, “It feels amazing. Starting my promotions in Korea after a long time, I really wanted to say hello to you all. I’m a bit swamped, but I feel awesome.”
CL wrote the lyrics for both songs, “HWA” and “5 STAR.”
“‘Hwa’ is a song that announces my new beginning and greets you (with my new music). It’s like a song that appears shouting ‘tada!’ when you play the game of ‘Red Light, Green Light.’ I made this song because I wanted to stamp a seal on the identity of CL. Fans have been waiting for so long that I also released ‘5 STAR’ that give off a different vibe. I made ‘5 STAR’ hoping that you will listen to it comfortably.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiZLe_TCcsQ
The new song “HWA” was first released on CBS’s The Late Late Show with James Corden.
“When I dropped my single four years ago, I was the first K-pop female artist to appear on the show. It was amazing to be reinvited. I filmed my performance at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. I always visit this place when I visit Korea, and thanks to their permission, I got to film my stage there.”
She has put a lot of effort into her costumes.
“I saw many fashion school students’ graduation projects. Since it’s their graduation projects, every work included their thoughts and time. Many Korean designers also participated. The biggest inspiration for ‘HWA’ was André Kim. He is the definition of being iconic. I’ve learned a lot.”
To experience every process of becoming a solo artist, CL has set up her own team. When asked about the biggest difference from when she was working as a team, she picked the atmosphere and the role.
“Since I alone had to do what four people used to do, I had to learn from the sketch. I’m learning all the processes from beginning to end. Starting was the hardest. I don’t have an agency, but I have my own team so that I can move freely. I’m grateful to have learned that so many people need to come together and put their time and energy to do this.”
Since it’s her comeback after a long time, CL plans to engage in active promotions.
“Music is a way to express myself. It’s my language. I used to separate CL from me very much, but now I’m a little more familiar with CL. I think I was able to tell my own stories from the last project album.”
CL plans to communicate with fans through various media after the release of the new songs. She will then drop another album on November 30.
