Singer Chuu (CHUU) has returned with the most "Chuu"-like face yet one that has never been seen before.
Starting as a member of girl group Loona and establishing herself as a solo artist, Chuu uses her first full-length album XO, My Cyberlove, released at 6 p.m. on the 7th, to portray modern love converted into digital signals through her own sensibility.
A few hours before the album's release, Chuu held an interview at a café in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam District, Seoul. Having introduced and promoted each album with sincerity, Chuu seemed firmer than ever, and her eyes, describing her musical world, sparkled with excitement.
▲ "Three-dimensional variations contained in nine songs"… the "digital love story" designed by Chuu
Her first full-length album XO, My Cyberlove captures love in the digital age from nine distinct perspectives. If the title track XO, My Cyberlove sings a dreamy cyber love colored with 1980s synth sounds, the other tracks boldly blur genre boundaries from Afrobeats to hyper rock. In choosing the track list for this album, Chuu focused most on the "flow."
"From the song selection stage my opinions were reflected a lot. I wanted listeners to feel like they were traveling with fans, so that during the nine songs they wouldn't get bored and would be curious about the next track."
As she said, the album is multidimensional. In the dark pop ballad Canary she expresses a desperate longing to love with her life, while in the indie pop Cocktail Dress she displays refined sensibility. In particular, R&B Heart Tea Bag, which captures the calm of a rainy day, reflects Chuu's value of "selfless love without calculation" and aims to show her matured inner self as an artist.
▲ "Reclaiming the low register"… the "true color" of the vocals that were hidden behind high notes
The most noticeable change on this album is undoubtedly the "low register." From her Loona days Chuu has consistently handled high-note parts, but in this full-length album she fully revealed the charm of the low vocal range she had been saving.
"Actually I really like low notes. There are tracks that carry a vocal tone I've never shown before. High notes are enjoyable, but there is a languid color you can feel only in the low register. I'm thrilled to be able to fully show the low notes fans have been curious about through this album. I also tried not to belt the high notes but to shape them delicately to convey emotion."
This vocal variation is the result of thorough effort. Chuu candidly admitted, "My trainee period was short, so even after debut I lacked confidence in my vocals."
"After starting solo activities I continuously took vocal lessons. There were times it felt like I was standing still, but I found it fun whenever I noticed my voice subtly changing. I think only now do I know my strengths and weaknesses and am in the process of fully developing my vocals."
▲ "Like AI, sometimes like a human"… the pink signal launched by Chuu's vocals
Chuu said she chose "AI" as the keyword for this album because "we all are already doing cyber love by conveying love with emojis and text." The acting she shows in the music video, switching between black hair (human) and blonde (AI), aligns with her vocal changes. Her warm vocals layered over sounds like cold digital signals create a subtle boundary.
"From an AI perspective there are many sad songs. I tried to capture in my vocals the emptiness at the moment a being realizes it is a robot while learning emotions. Like a scene jumping into water testing 'am I a robot or a person,' this album was for me a huge test and challenge to confirm my identity as an artist."
Ten years after debut, Chuu now aims to stand tall as an artist who gives not only "feel-good energy" but "musical trust." Her voice, running toward a goal of number one on music shows, was full of the solid skill she has built and the confidence about the new music she will show. The pink cyber signal Chuu launched is now ready to connect to the public's hearts.
[OSEN]