Kwon Eun-bi: "Do I look rude because of my eyes? I’m actually down-to-earth, and I want to show that"

[Sportschosun Reporter Bit Jeong] Singer Kwon Eun-bi is opening a new musical chapter with her new song, “Deja Vu.”

Kwon Eun-bi recently met with Sportschosun at a café in Gwangjin District, Seoul, and said, "I saw a Shorts video saying that I look rude because of my eyes," adding, "It made me want to show my original, down-to-earth charm."

Kwon Eun-bi will release her new digital single, “Deja Vu,” on the 3rd. It is her first new song since joining her new agency, Rainbow Bridge World (RBW), making the release especially meaningful to her as it marks her comeback after a long hiatus.

"I’m nervous and excited because it’s been a long time since my comeback. I think I’m even more nervous because this is the first album I’m releasing with a new agency," Kwon Eun-bi said of her return.

This time, she has stepped away from the intense, glamorous performances she has shown in the past to present a more refreshing and natural side. "If I previously did a lot of intense and flashy music and performances, I think this time I’m able to show a refreshing image," Kwon Eun-bi said. "I have a powerful image onstage, but offstage I’m bright, energetic, and down-to-earth. I wanted to capture that natural charm of Kwon Eun-bi well."

"I think a bright mood suits me well, and the concept photos also turned out nicely. I personally took part in many aspects, including the dancers and outfits, so they reflect who I am," she explained. "When I see public reactions, some people seem to think I’m cold or cynical, but I’m actually more down-to-earth than they might expect. I think this could be an album that shows more of that side of me."

The release came somewhat later than originally planned. "I was originally hoping to release it about two or three weeks earlier, but it didn’t work out because of my schedule and the timing," Kwon Eun-bi admitted. "The song suits summer days, but it also fits a sunset mood, so I don’t think the timing is too far off."

This transformation is actually close to her natural tastes. "I enjoy performing intensely onstage, but the aesthetic and emotions I naturally gravitate toward are soft and dreamy. I really like this kind of atmosphere too," Kwon Eun-bi confessed.

"I think I’m very good at pulling off different concepts," she said with a laugh. "I have many different charms, but I don’t think I’ve been able to show them all yet."

As this is a new attempt, she also has some concerns. "Because this was the image I wanted, I was highly satisfied with the process of making it," Kwon Eun-bi said. "But I did worry, ‘This is exactly the mood I want to show—will the public like it too?’"

Kwon Eun-bi also explained why she chose to return first with a single rather than a full-length or mini album after her long hiatus. "The hiatus was long, so I wanted to come back quickly. I couldn’t wait any longer," she said. "I prepared quickly because I wanted to release an album as soon as I transferred to the new agency."

She is planning a physical album later on. "I’d like to prepare an album that includes my work process or tells my story," Kwon Eun-bi hinted. "I wanted to make an album that would be fun and satisfying for me. There haven’t been that many albums I was fully satisfied with, so this time I really wanted to release one that I could be satisfied with myself."

The title track “Deja Vu” captures the familiar yet new excitement of a summer day. "It’s a song that conveys the feeling of having seen something in a dream. Because I received so much love in the summer, I wanted to capture the excitement of summer as if it had appeared in a dream," Kwon Eun-bi introduced it. "I think you’ll feel something unfamiliar yet familiar."

"I think it’s a song that gets better the more you listen to it. I liked it the first time I heard it, but it becomes more comfortable with each listen," she said. "This is probably the first time I’ve released a song without high notes. Even without high notes, I think you’ll be able to listen to it for three minutes without getting bored."

The performance has also been toned down. "Until now, I often used props or did novel, almost stunt-like performances, but this time I stripped all of that away," Kwon Eun-bi explained. "This is the first time I’ve done choreography this easygoing. I think you’ll find something different in simply seeing my natural lines of movement."

She added, "There are hand movements in the hook and certain parts, and I hope many people will enjoy them casually."

“Deja Vu” was one of hundreds of candidate songs that Kwon Eun-bi personally selected. "I received several hundred songs. The company sourced many of them, and I received a lot myself too," she recalled. "When I first heard it, I instinctively thought, ‘I absolutely have to do this song.’"

She explained, "I did wonder, ‘Can I persuade the company with this song?’ But as I kept listening, I became convinced that I could."

She also discussed her visual transformation. "There was a Shorts video saying that I look rude because of my eyes," Kwon Eun-bi said with a laugh. "I realized that some people form that impression just from my eyes and image. So this time, I changed my hair color to a warmer tone and tried to increase the saturation of my overall look."

Kwon Eun-bi also mentioned the response she hopes to receive from the public. "I’d be satisfied if people reacted by saying, ‘I didn’t think Kwon Eun-bi would do something like this,’" she said. "There may be things I have to compromise on to some extent with the image the public wants, but ultimately, I think I’ll be happy if I do what I enjoy."

She emphasized, "From the beginning, I never used the standard of ‘People like this, so I should do it.’ I thought that if I did what I liked, I could eventually be loved for it."

Finally, she reflected, "I think it’s possible to divide my career into ‘Eun-bi 1.0’ and ‘Eun-bi 2.0.’ During my time with IZ*ONE, Eun-bi 1.0 was about releasing albums that suited the group, while my solo activities were a period of getting to know myself."

She continued, "When I actually started preparing my own album, I realized I didn’t really know what I liked. As I kept doing what I was supposed to do, there was a period when I thought about what I liked and what made me happy and excited."

She added, "Now, in ‘Eun-bi 2.0,’ I’ve gained a certain amount of experience, and I think I have a better idea of what I like. I’m still in the process of figuring things out, but I think this is a time when I can try doing at least some of what I want to do."

Kwon Eun-bi’s new digital single “Deja Vu” will be released on various online music platforms at 6 p.m. on the 3rd.

Reporter Bit Jeong rightlight@sportschosun.com

This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.