Hi everyone! Thank you so much for sticking around during my unexpected hiatus. I’m so happy to be back. Let’s get started!

Ahn Hye-jin, better known by her stage name Hwasa, is one of four members of RBW kpop group MAMAMOO, alongside Solar, Wheein, and Moonbyul. She debuted with them in 2014, and officially debuted as a soloist in 2019.

Here are my credentials: So, if you’ve read my MAMAMOO review, you’ll know I have some mixed feelings about the group. On the one hand, they’re undeniably, unbelievably talented, and I love both the jazz / R & B sound of their early career and the way they’ve used their platform to speak up on a variety of issues. But I find it very difficult to overlook the fact that despite that advocacy, MAMAMOO is guilty of doing actual blackface (Yes, I’m serious, no, I will not be including a photo, but please read up on it for yourself). I won’t be going that deeply into any of their controversies here, since I already did, but just like I say when I’m really biased towards a band, I feel like I should say when the opposite is true too.

With all of this, you may be wondering why I would choose to cover either Mamamoo or Hwasa, and the answer is two-fold. First, I can’t only cover people I personally like; that would be ridiculous. And second, though I won’t be supporting them financially in any meaningful way, I’m not someone who wants to deprive myself of good music because I don’t agree with something the artist did (with exceptions, of course). And also, I’m still excited to take a look at Hwasa’s work; maybe I’ll gain a new perspective.

Single #1: TWIT

It’s hard to know what to expect from a solo debut, and Hwasa’s no exception. Would she go for a jazz or R & B style reminiscent of Mamamoo’s early sound? Maybe the trappier version of their later career? Well, it turns out that TWIT is closer to the second. With a trappy beat and a bit of a Latin Pop sound reminiscent of MAMAMOO’s Egotistic, the song comes out swinging, announcing itself with a raised eyebrow and hands on hips. I’m not entirely sure what the title has to do with the rest of the song, to be honest with you, and though I like the hook, on the whole, I wish it had more of a pay-off.

My biggest issue with the song isn’t to do with the song itself, but rather its music video. It’s very difficult to focus on what Hwasa’s trying to communicate when every. single. frame. lingers on her ass or has her gyrating at the camera or has to have her lips parted and her dressed in a bathing suit. I want to be clear, I have no problem with expressing sexuality in music; my issue is the way iy’s being communicated here. It feels exploitative and unnecessary, and has absolutely nothing to do with the lyrics. I get it, Hwasa’s a beautiful woman, but we can show that on her terms.

EP #1: María

(TW for next paragraph: depression, suicidal ideation, suicide)

As I’m sure is obvious from the trigger warnings I’ve included above, Maria is not a song to be taken lightly. Centering around the fictional character of singer Maria, Hwasa’s Christian name, the song discusses the hatred she receives and is her speaking both to herself and others to not denigrate themselves.

While I do very much respect the message, I feel that it’s undercut a bit by the sexualization of the music video and especially the dancing. To be frank, why in the everloving It comes across a lot like romanticizing the idea of the gorgeous sad woman, which I’m sure wasn’t the intention, but it makes me uncomfortable. You do this and still have it work; I often reference Sunmi’s Borderline as an example of using sexualization while discussing mental health to make you uncomfortable on purpose, using the contrast to show how different a stage persona is from the truth. There, it’s not supposed to be sexy, it’s supposed to be sad. Here, it feels like you’re supposed to be titillated, and I really hate the feeling that gives me.

It’s also important to note that, while I’ve included these TWs, the music video does not, despite The music video opens with Hwasa lying “dead” in a bathtub, there’s shots of her “funeral”, more than a few frames of her covered in fake blood, and so on and so forth. The song itself is alright, especially when it leans into gospel, a genre that Hwasa’s voice works beautifully with, but I feel like she’s doing most of the heavy lifting. Hwasa’s always had a distinctive voice, but existing on its own, it has more room to grow. It’s rich in a way that’s unusual in an industry that favors softer, higher voices. I’m sure I would appreciate it more listening.

From the EP, while I enjoyed the fun, swingy sound of I’m Bad Too and the plaintive intro Nobody Else, my hidden gem was easily LMM. It’s simple but devastating, anchored on the question of “do you wanna go somewhere”, and takes the best parts of the title and leaving the chaff behind. The way Hwasa’s voice builds is gorgeous, there’s no doubt, and it’s impossible not to get swept away. I also enjoyed Maria more without the MV.

Single #2: Guilty Pleasure

I’m A B (whose Korean title is I’m a 빛) picks up where TWIT and Maria left off, with Hwasa quite literally throwing herself into the MV’s frame soaking wet and skimpily dressed. Great. Alright, that aside, I do have to say that I respect a song that doesn’t shy away from itself. Mixing synthpop with a solid beat and an off-kilter energy, I’m A B is reminiscent of a Sunmi song, and of course that’s a compliment coming from me. I was bopping my head along the whole time, I admit it. It’s just that I couldn’t focus on any of that, when Hwasa is arching her back and sensually drinking water, mouth open, for literally no other reason than to appeal to an audience that wants to sexualize her. It’s just so unneccesary.

From the single, I enjoyed the catchiness of FOMO’s chorus (though not that odd tonal shift).

Single #3: I Love My Body

And on today’s episode of “exactly what it says on the tin”: Hwasa’s I Love My Body. After all of my commentary on the hyper-sexualization of her last music videos, you might expect me to say that I don’t like this song. And you’d actually be wrong. This is a track where it absolutely makes sense for Hwasa to be showing off her body in the choreo, and there’s also a marked difference in the way this video is shot compared to the others. The focus is on her joy in her body, not how an audience feels about it.

No matter what body type you have, the song is universal. Is it a little simple in places? Absolutely. But is it still important and still a hell of a lot of fun? Absolutely. I wasn’t expecting the vintage sound throughout, but I’m here for it. I’m not the biggest fan of the anti drop that the chorus begins with, but it’s a pretty small gripe overall. Mostly, I think this song is what Jennie’s Mantra thinks it is: actually empowering.

Single #4: Chili

After the surprisingly positive experience I had of I Love My Body, I confess I was hoping that we’d turned a corner in Hwasa’s music. It seems not. Chilli is a collaboration between Hwasa and Street Woman Fighter, and thus, can’t quite be representative of her sound, but is still something she lent her voice to. There’s nothing hugely wrong with this song; I just hate it. I find the chorus nonsensical and annoyingly repetitive. I find the good verses and Hwasa’s gorgeous voice wasted. I find the dancing unneccesarily sexual for what the song is. I wince at all the random Spanish that seems thrown in for “vibes.” Do you know what Mi Casa, Su Casa means? Because it makes no sense here. I’m sorry, alright; I try to be positive. But I hate this song and I hope I never hear it again.

EP #2: O!

Thankfully for me, NA is nothing like Chilli, breezy and fun, zipping along with a light, synthy beat tailor-made for summer. I really like the build of the pre-chorus, and the way it centers Hwasa’s voice; I just wish the actual chorus had a better payoff for how good the build is. Instead, it opts for an anti-drop that does nothing for me. I also want to say that I appreciate the shift in the way (most of) the music video is shot. Besides a few uncomfortable moments (seriously, why do we need a shot of Hwasa’s hands basically up her ass? WHY?), I find that on the whole it follows I Love My Body with a greater focus on fun amd confidence than on the male gaze, so credit where it’s due.

I have to say, I find it tough to heap praise on NA, because I really liked this EP, and I don’t think it’s anywhere close to being the best song on it. It was so difficult to choose a hidden gem, when enjoyed the powerful build and chantiy backing vocals of Road, the excellent guitar-driven beat and harmonica hook of HWASA, and the sunniness of Just Want To Have Some Fun.

Single #5: Star

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Hwasa’s got a great voice. (We know, Anna. How many more times are you going to say it? A lot. Please don’t take a shot every time, you will die). Because Hwasa has one of those voices that needs to be heard and sat with to be fully appreciated. It sinks in a way not a lot of voices do. Star is your classic orchestra-led power ballad, but in Hwasa’s hands, it becomes something special. The way it builds is just stunning. You can’t help but be enthralled.

Single #6: Good Goodbye

It’s a hell of a task for a song, any song, to live up to the incredible level of success that Good Goodbye has had in the past few months, and I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a big part of why I wanted to cover Hwasa now. It’s hard to overstate just how much people have been rhapsodizing about this song on my feed, but let’s just say it was a lot. And though of course I ‘d heard clips, I hadn’t sat down and watched the MV in its entirety until now.

I have to say that, knowing it was a breakup song, I was expecting a pretty classic ballad, like Star, but Hwasa seems determined to surprise me. There’s few sounds I enjoy more than this specific brand of mature, wistful, nostalgic synth-pop that blends melancholy and hard-won joy, so it’s really no surprise that I loved this song. Penned by Hwasa as a fond farewell to her longtime boyfriend after their relationship ended, it’s a rare breakup song that doesn’t cast blame around but instead says thank you.

The music video has more in common with NA than with Star, set mostly at a sunny beach during a couple’s honeymoon that slowly turns sour. It’s shot like a movie, heavy on the vintage clothes and the hazy glamour shots, and it helps that Hwasa convinced her own gavorite actor, Park Jeongmin, to star opposite her. It’s, no question, my favorite music video of hers, and one of my favorite music videos of the year. I completely understand why everyone loves it, because now I do too.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this! I gained a whole new respect and a genuine love of Hwasa that I really wasn’t expecting. This isn’t to say that because she’s talented, I think that what MAMAMOO did is fine (it’s just not), but through this, I would say that I’ve seen genuine growth, and an excellent use of platform to make real change, whether that’s sharing a stage with drag queens and creating a safe space for queer fans, or supporting women’s choices for their bodies, no matter what they are. In a country like Korea—-or, really, in any country at this point in the world—I can’t and won’t sit here and say that their advocacy isn’t important. I can’t call myself a fan, but perhaps I can call myself an admirer from afar.

My Top 5 songs from Hwasa were Good Goodbye, LMM, Road, HWASA, and Star, with I Love My Body as an honorable mention. Hwasa gets an 8.0 out of 10 from me, which is higher than I was expecting. I know I’ve said (ad nauseam) how much I love her voice, but it still bears repeating. In a genre that prioritizes voices (and bodies) the polar opposite of hers, Hwasa’s open defiance of norms is very refreshing. She’s really found genres that suit her, taking an active role in writing and production, and even though some of her music may not be for me, that effort all shows.

That being said, I take a lot of issue with the hyper-sexualization present in her work under the guise of empowerment. It undercuts many of her stronhgest messages, and more often than not leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It’s probably the main reason I can’t give her a higher score than I have. However, I think she has a lot of talent, and I’m still looking forward to what she decides to do next.

Next time, we’re onto a subunit, only the second time I’ve ever covered one. Tschüss!