The girl group Purple Kiss, known for bringing freshness and surprise with each new concept, has returned as fairies bringing happiness, hope, comfort, and healing.
Purple Kiss (Na Go-eun, Do Si, Lee Re, Yuki, Chae In, Su An) will release their 2nd single "I Miss My..." on the 16th at 6 p.m. through various online music sites.
The comeback of Purple Kiss showcases a single that is being presented after about 9 months since the release of their previous mini album "HEADWAY." "I Miss My..." starts with the question, "What is happiness?" It integrates emotions of nostalgia for the past and a sense of wandering towards an uncertain somewhere, ultimately conveying the message that true happiness exists in this moment, within the emotions that surround me. Through this album, Purple Kiss sings about the courage to honestly face an imperfect inner self and the preciousness of the things that exist right here.
Additionally, the album name "I Miss My..." contains the hope that each listener will recall precious emotions or beings they had forgotten and fill in that blank on their own. Now in their 5th year since debut, Purple Kiss reveals even more delicate and deeper emotions through this album while sharing their own stories about happiness.
The title track "DOREMI" is a song featuring bright and dreamy Pluck sounds with ethereal lyrics. Through the spell "DOREMI," amidst a complicated reality, it confronts honest emotions and the true self, conveying realizations about the essence of happiness, a radiant "PARADISE."
Ahead of their comeback after 9 months, Purple Kiss met with OSEN to share their excitement about returning to activities, anticipation for the new concept they are unveiling, and their message of spreading happiness to everyone.
Below is the interview with Purple Kiss in a Q&A format
Q. We're curious about how you feel about your comeback after 9 months.
Su An: It's been 9 months since our last comeback, and the tour ended around late February, so we needed time to re-organize mentally and physically before returning. We visited our families and maintained regular exercise while working hard on album preparation. Since this album comes after a long hiatus, we put in a lot of effort. We hope you will find our new, ethereal, and dreamy image along with our beautiful visuals.
Chae In: During the 9-month break, I took a deep rest that made me wonder if it was okay to relax this much. Having recharged my energy, I returned with an album that would make fans happy when they listen and see it. I hope everyone finds happiness through our album this summer.
Yuki: During the 9 months, we each had time for ourselves, striving to show better appearances, so please keep an eye on us.
Lee Re: Although I feel nervous about this long-awaited comeback, I tried to focus on happy moments while preparing for this song, as it's about happiness. I hope that listeners feel happiness as well.
Do Si: During the 9-month break, I got my driver's license. I often mentioned to fans that I wanted to get my license, and I was finally able to, which I proudly shared. I wanted to infuse the keyword of happiness into this album and title track, and I want to create joyful activities that fit that.
Na Go-eun: After 9 months of comeback, I had always been writing and composing, but since I never had proper training, I attended classes with a desire to improve. I missed the stage and my fans during the hiatus. I believe this activity will be a precious one. I was happy preparing with my members, and I'll work hard so that the results can also be joyful.
Q. What is the reason for returning with a dreamy and ethereal concept?
Chae In: Since we are returning in the summer, I thought it would be nice to show our own freshness. At the same time, I didn't want to lose Purple Kiss's dreamy color, so we focused on that. A song has come out that contains the unique color of Purple Kiss without leaning towards a refreshing dark side.
Q. What was your impression when you first heard the title track "DOREMI"?
Na Go-eun: When I heard the guide for "DOREMI," I thought it was a bright song, but when I shared it with others, they said it felt ethereal and sad. So, I realized that others might feel those emotions, and I tried to express both the bright and ethereal aspects.
Yuki: When I first heard it, I was worried because it felt like a song we were first trying, but while recording, the tone blended so well. Therefore, I think the result came out great.
Q. Since it's a concept you're trying for the first time, were there any difficulties?
Su An: Since we had always tried strong and dark concepts, even while learning the choreography for "DOREMI," we had to use pretty hand positions, but they ended up appearing witch-like or made for intense points, leading to a lot of feedback. After a lot of practice, we found our own beautiful dance lines. While we hadn't done a dreamy and ethereal concept before, we had previously shown bright smiles in songs like "Seven Heaven" and "Zombie," so it wasn't overly difficult.
Chae In: I think I took the longest to transition to the new concept. I received a lot of feedback on the choreography. It wasn't just about the hand movements, but my body was bouncing too much. There was a move where one crosses their arms, and at times it transformed the genre of the song. Nevertheless, after a lot of effort and practice, I think I managed to create pretty lines.
Lee Re: The outfits for this song match the concept beautifully, with a lot of skirts. I wanted to try wearing such clothes on stage, and I am excited to be captured on camera looking beautiful.
Do Si: If we were witches before, I think it would be nice if we are seen as fairies this time.
Q. Were there any vocal difficulties during the performance?
Chae In: I felt this song could come off as too plain, so I wanted to emphasize a lot. I had a lot of worries and did extensive research during the recording, which led to more details being added, and I grew concerned that there might be pitch issues, so I paid close attention to controlling that.
Lee Re: When recording songs with a witch concept or stronger concepts, I often received comments like 'You're too cute' or 'You're too nice,' but this time, I didn't get negative feedback, making the recording quite smooth.
Q. How was the process of selecting the title track?
Do Si: I think we listened to about 20 candidate songs for the title track. We shared our opinions, but the company staff also participated in voting, and that's how "DOREMI" was chosen as the title track.
Q. Na Go-eun, you participated in writing the lyrics for the title track "DOREMI." How did that happen?
Na Go-eun: Everyone was given the opportunity, and thankfully, my lyrics were selected. I was told it was a spell called "DOREMI," so I wrote it imagining Purple Kiss finding the energy of happiness. When the song guide first came, it was in English, and they gave me the mission to write it in Korean, which felt a bit tricky and challenging. However, once I made the changes, I felt like the song now had a story, which made me feel good and proud.
Q. How did you feel singing the lyrics written by Na Go-eun?
Do Si: When I first heard it, given the English guide, the song didn't quite resonate. I worried a lot about how to interpret it well, but once it was completed with the lyrics written by Na Go-eun, I felt highly emotional. There's a line in the lyrics that goes, "I step onto the DOREMI keys, taking my last waltz," which beautifully expresses the overall mood and choreography. I think the song has turned out to be very relatable and meaningful.
Chae In: I often find myself memorizing lyrics even after recording them. However, this time, perhaps because the lyrics stuck with me, I didn't have to set aside time to memorize them. The lyrics also seem to stimulate the imagination, reminding me of a beautiful scene.
Q. Do you have any episodes from shooting the music video?
Lee Re: Since it's a song about happiness, we expressed our happiest moments in the music video. It's a video depicting contentment while playing and spending time with objects. That reflects an ideal image, but it bears the message that happiness contained within real emotions is true happiness. Regarding an episode, since we shot in a clean area, there were a few bugs. I have memories of becoming friends with the bugs during the long shoot.
Yuki: In this music video, the chemistry among the members is well displayed. What impressed me the most was a scene where we held hands and looked at each other during the shoot. Since it's not something we usually do, it felt unfamiliar but also brought back many happy memories.
Q. How is the performance of the title track "DOREMI"?
Lee Re: The dance is named "DOREMI dance" as per the song title, and I think a highlight of the performance is the hand motions that mimic playing the piano on the lyrics during the hook. It's simple and fits perfectly with the song, so I hope many people join in.
Su An: While our previous choreography was intense, this time pretty lines have emerged. I think the structures should stand out visually, making it more enjoyable to watch the stage, so I hope many will check it out.
Chae In: This time, we will be overlapping activities with our senior group VIVIZ, and I would love to take on a challenge together. They are the queens of challenges after all!
Do Si: Among the rookie girl groups, I would like to film a challenge with IVE. We have a song called "Nerdy," and I discovered their debut song is also "Nerdy." Since the songs overlap, we have a connection, so it would be nice to do a challenge together.
Q. Which concept do you find more comfortable, the intense concept or the dreamy and ethereal concept?
Do Si: I find the intense concept more comfortable. Smiling is not an easy task for me. I tend to have tremors in my facial muscles, so I practiced a lot this time.
Su An: I also feel more comfortable with the intense concept. However, when performing a bright and cheerful song like "DOREMI," my mood and tension rise on stage. So when I come off stage, I also enjoy songs like "DOREMI" and "Seven Heaven."
Yuki: I'm not sure which one is more comfortable, but recently, while doing a spoiler busking, I found a fan cam of myself and realized that I matched well with that song. Seeing myself making pure expressions helped me discover something new.
Chae In: I thought I was more comfortable with the intense aspects, but I realized that emotions hidden within me popped out, bringing me happiness. I think this lively side also fits my sensibility and personality well.
Do Si: Though I don't want to repeat what Yuki said, in my case, I've not seen Yuki handling gentle concepts much. She's mostly done rap and intense concepts. However, it seems Yuki did quite well in "DOREMI." She received a lot of compliments for being pretty during the busking too. That said, Yuki isn't the sole beneficiary. I believe the biggest beneficiary of "DOREMI" will emerge after the music shows. (Laughs)
Q. Su An and Yuki, you participated in writing the lyrics for the track "LOST & FOUND." How did you get involved?
Su An: The initial demo was completely in English, but the basic themes and desired direction were distinct, so I revised it to Korean without ruining the pronunciation of the original demo. I aimed to use less harsh-sounding Korean. Since the theme was clear, there weren't many difficulties in writing the lyrics.
Yuki: I was in charge of rap making and tried writing hopeful lyrics. I hope listeners feel hope from it and give it a listen.
Q. Na Go-eun and Su An, you often participate in writing lyrics and composing. Did you feel you grew while being involved in this album as well?
Na Go-eun: I try to participate in album production whenever possible, but I used to find lyric writing more difficult than composing. It's a task that requires much imagination, and when I hit a wall, the next idea wouldn't come easily. However, I feel I've grown in that I now think of it as writing a fairy tale when I settle on a theme. I believe that aspect has improved.
Su An: I feel I've grown in that the time spent working on projects has shortened a bit. If I felt stuck while writing lyrics, I used to sleep and continue the next day, but this time I wrote everything in a day and after waking up, I reviewed it, and found nothing odd, so I immediately sent it off.
Q. Happiness is a keyword for you. What do you think is a magic phrase to memorize happiness or a recent moment where you felt happy?
Su An: Just before going on stage, I always think, "I am the best" as I prepare for the stage. Perhaps because of that thought, the way I act and my manners on stage are something that fans enjoy. Those responses energize me to show even more fantastic performances. Recently, when I was out for a walk a few days ago, I reached out my hand, and a stray cat came over to me and was cute. I felt that was my moment of happiness.
Do Si: I occasionally take deep breaths, which might seem negative, but I consider it a way to expel negative thoughts. It has become a habit to clear my mind that way. Recently, I felt happy when I returned from a late-night walk and found my members gathered in the kitchen, playing and filming videos. When I entered, their warm welcome in that lively atmosphere made me feel blessed and happy.
Na Go-eun: With the comeback after 9 months, filming the music video felt like a long time since we last did it. While I always see my members in the dorm, seeing them working after a long time made them look vibrant and happy. As for my recent happiness, I personally enjoy going to cafes alone, and on one such visit, a girl I hadn't met before asked me, "Can I draw you a picture?" It was a day I was feeling quite down, and hearing her say, "Have a happy day" made me so happy. It made me think I would also like to give someone a little happiness.
Q. You've reached your 5th year. What has been an unforgettable happy moment for you?
Lee Re: We have been on three tours in the U.S., and I always feel happy when I stand on a sold-out stage. It brings a lot of happiness to hear congratulations from those around me when it's sold out.
Na Go-eun: Time has swiftly passed as we have reached our 5th year. When we go on stage, we always shout out our fighting motto, and that feeling brings me happiness and fills me with confidence.
Q. Since it's your first comeback after 9 months this year, do you have goals or achievements you want to accomplish?
Su An: We've been a group that has done a lot of conceptual music that could be perceived as minor, but since the title track "DOREMI" has a lower entry barrier, my goal is to chart with it. While it's not about numerical targets, since it's an album based on the theme of happiness, I hope the entire process of activities will be filled with happiness from start to finish, and that fans will feel happiness too.
Chae In: Since I'm no longer a witch, I would like to take on the ambassador position for 'Yoa Jeong.' (Laughs)
Q. What do you think happiness means?
Lee Re: I used to find myself questioning, 'Am I happy right now?' in situations that should be happy, but just like the message contained in this album, I want to think, 'If I am even a bit happy at that moment, that is all of happiness.' Earlier, I ordered a croffle and felt happy while dancing with it. Moving forward, I want to frequently express that I feel happy and good.
Do Si: Since I was young, I used to feel deeply upset the day before a vacation ended or before returning from a trip, often bringing me to tears. When those happy moments end, I tend to feel slightly sad, but working in a profession that leaves records makes me feel the happiest moments come back when I look at how I have grown. It lets me remember the happiest times and teach me how to happily recall past moments.
Na Go-eun: As days go by and into the 1st and 2nd year, I feel that daily life can become dull, and I think that a person is happy if they frequently feel happiness. That's why I strive to find happiness in simple daily life. Though fans may be busy, I hope they also find happiness in their everyday lives.
Q. Are there any reactions you expect from this activity?
Lee Re: Since it's a beautiful concept, I would like to hear comments like 'You look very beautiful' and 'You look like a fairy.' I want to have happy activities with the fans and leave memories of 'DOREMI' activities as a time of happiness.
Chae In: This is a new side of us that is different from what we've done so far, and I hope that people won't be able to get enough of our new charm.
[OSEN]