K-Pop stars Hwasa and Sunmi stage powerful comebacks

K-Pop queens Hwasa and Sunmi wrapped up the month of June with powerful comebacks.

Last Monday, the former member of now-defunct girl group Wonder Girls dropped a K-Pop summer anthem ‘pporappippam’, 10 months after her hit ‘Lalalay’.

Written and co-composed by Sunmi herself with the help of long-time producer FRANTS, the new bright and refreshing track, which loosely translates to ‘purple night’ in Korean, is unlike her past songs such as ‘Gashina’, ‘Noir and ‘Siren’ that revolve around ending relationships or cynicism of love.

With this new retro-style, city pop single, the singer-songstress compares the heart-pounding feelings of being in love to the mystical, romantic purple hue briefly displayed when the sun sets.

Another leading solo female artist in K-Pop made a solid return is none other than Mamamoo’s Hwasa, marking another incredible release with seven-track EP ‘Maria’ and namesake title track— named after her baptismal name.

Opting for a somewhat darker concept, Hwasa, whose real name is Ahn Hye-jin, covers the struggles around fame and identity in the introspective lead. Rather, she encourages herself to stand up and remain unapologetically herself.

Seen referencing 2000 Italian romantic drama ‘Malèna’, the music video itself is mischievous and seductive, showing two sides of Ahn: Hwasa and Maria.

She participated in the lead’s composition and lyrics and was involved in the creative process of her debut EP, showcasing her versatility as a musician. Hwasa also recruited prolific artist and producer Zico to produce song ‘Kidding’. Rapper DPR Live is also a featured artist in track ‘I’m Bad Too’.

Other K-Pop artists like Zico, AB6IX, UP10TION’s Lee JinHyuk and WOODZ have also joined last week’s roster of comeback line ups.