Blackpink Jisoo "First album [ME]...discovering a new 'me'"

With BLACKPINK's Jisoo one day ahead of her solo debut, she personally introduced the main points of her first album [ME], raising global fans' expectations to the maximum.

Jisoo will release her first solo album [ME] on March 31st at 1 PM (Korean time). Through the title song 'FLOWER' and the b-side song 'All Eyes On Me', Jisoo's colorful colors that had never been seen before were revealed.

Jisoo, who has been working hard for a long time by participating in the overall production process of the album, said, "It was a fun journey to find what I do best, music that only I can do. I hope listeners will also discover a new Jisoo." The following is a Q&A with Jisoo.

Q. It must be a new experience as this is the first album released as a solo artist ‘Jisoo’. How do you feel about the comeback?

A. Every time a teaser was released, I looked for fans' reactions and waited for the comeback as well. I’m excited to finally be able to show you what I’ve been preparing for a long time. I would be more than happy if fans were happy when they received this album filled with ‘Jisoo’.

Q. [ME] Please introduce the album.

A. “What is the appeal of solo artist ‘Jisoo’?” While preparing the album, a question mark floated through my mind. I wanted to show a new and diverse side while protecting myself. It is an album of 'me' itself, created after much thought about looking inside and expressing myself. I participated in all aspects of the album and worked with that determination from beginning to end. I feel myself growing and becoming stronger through the process of discovering new charms that I didn't even know about.

Q. What is the most important part of the album?

A. I thought about what I could show as a solo artist Jisoo rather than Blackpink Jisoo, and I captured the diverse charms that only Jisoo can show. As I continued to develop ‘the music that I am best at and only I can make,’ I discovered a new ‘me’ within it. I completed an album containing my story by coming up with ideas for everything from music to concept, styling, and music video.

Q. What kind of songs are the title song ‘FLOWER’ and the b-side song ‘All Eyes On Me’?

A. I chose 'FLOWER' as the title song because it is the song that best expresses me, combining well in all aspects, including vocals, performance, and visual elements. From the first time I heard the demo in the studio, it felt like fate. It's a dance song, but the lyrics are lyrical, so it has a twist, and the hook part is very addictive. 'All Eyes On Me' is so affectionate that we prepared it as a candidate for the title song. Feeling cheerful yet deadly? I think a lot of people will like it as much as I do.

Q. You set a new record even before your comeback. Pre-orders exceeded 1.3 million copies, reaching the highest number for a single album by a K-pop female solo artist.

A. Every time I hear the modifier “first,” I feel excited and amazed. I am grateful that so many fans support and look forward to me, and I think I need to work harder. I am doing my best until the end to live up to those expectations. Through the world tour, I am with my fans for the finale last year and the start of this year, and I am very happy to be releasing a solo album. It wasn't prepared with the season in mind, but it was a good timing as the album was released in the spring when 'flowers' are blooming. It’s a good start! (laughter)

Q. The music video has been a hot topic since the teaser. Could you explain the points to watch?

A. It’s rewarding because I think it came out satisfactorily. It was all on location in the U.S., and I have a lot of memories from the Universal Studios New York street set. Filming on an empty street made me feel like I was in the world of The Truman Show. If I were to give a little spoiler about the music video... There are various indices? (Laughs) It will be fun to discover something new every time you watch it.

Q. What kind of support did Blackpink members give you?

A. Even though he was busy, he was always by my side, watching the preparation process and giving me various opinions. I gained great courage and confidence from seeing the positive reactions of the members. Rosé, who happened to be in LA, also came to the music video filming site. It was even nicer to meet the members in an unexpected situation. I always felt a little lonely being alone after being with the members, but as soon as I saw Rosé, my energy seemed to be 100% recharged (laughs).

Q. Do you have any plans or goals for this activity?

A. I got to meet fans as a solo artist Jisoo. With that alone, the goal has already been achieved. If there’s anything we want more, it’s to increase the ‘happiness index’ of our BLINKs! We prepared an event for our fans and also wrote a message for Blink in the album. It's not easy because we're on a world tour, but we're trying to create opportunities to communicate more closely with fans other than on stage. I hope you can join us and gain energy.

Q. A word to the fans who always support you.

A. I’m finally here to meet our BLINKs!? (Laughs) I know how long fans have been waiting for my song. I, too, am happy every day as I think about facing new excitement. Thank you to our BLINKs for always being my strong supporters. Let’s make a lot of good memories together

Reporter Junho Yoon, Ten Asia delo410@tenasia.co.kr