It's D-day!
After almost two years since her first album, Departure, Hoody has returned with a newfound sense of purpose and excitement, delivering a wave of colour and emotion in her latest EP.
Spanning four tracks – all embellished with feelings of solace and relief, the record sees the Korean singer-songwriter revel in a new era of her artistry and musicality, armed with the stories and inspirations she's collated throughout her journey.
"It’s been 5 years since my first EP, so it would be embarrassing if I didn’t [evolve]. I think I’ve become more relaxed, and my vocal tone has become more stable. Also, my lyrics and songwriting have improved a little –you’ll be able to feel everything in my new EP," Hoody tells Bandwagon.
BANDWAGON TV
Depicting the nervous excitement of starting a new relationship and the solace of moving on, the 'HANGANG' hitmaker hopes to encourage her listeners to romanticise their lives in any way they can.
"I truly hope everyone lives on without losing these pure fairytale-like emotions," she shares.
Following the release of D-day, Bandwagon caught up with Hoody to talk about her creative process, her inspirations, and what it was like working on her newest EP.
Hi, Hoody! We recently heard ‘When The Rain Stops’, what can you tell us about the song?
I worked on ‘When The Rain Stops’ with one of my favourite producers, Fisherman. It carries a different mood from ‘HANGANG’ and ‘Adios’, making people a little calm but also a little sad at the same time.
It’s my first time experimenting with this kind of style. Should I say it’s a style that appeals to emotions? I like how complete this song feels, I really adore it.
'When The Rain Stops’ comes as your first solo release since 2019’s ‘MIRO’, what is it like releasing solo music after a long time?
It’s been a while since I released a single as a solo. To be frank, whether it’s a song with a featured artist or a solo, I think the song itself is meaningful if it’s brought to completion. I thought it’d be best to fill ‘When The Rain Stops’ with my voice only, perhaps that’s why my fans welcomed the release of this song as well.
Congratulations on your new EP D-day, could you tell us more about the record and what story it tells?
The title song is ‘D-day’ and I thought D-day would be fitting as the EP title too. It’s been 2 years since I released my full-length album Departure in 2019. I set the release date of ‘D-day’ as the D-day on purpose because I thought expressing my excitement waiting for that day to come, day by day, would perfectly describe my current situation.
View this post on Instagram
What was it like working on the EP?
I tend to worry a lot – not only this time but every time I work on an album. Usually, most of my concerns are ‘how can I make the melody line more sophisticated and concise?’ or ‘how can I write lyrics that are witty and easy to understand?’, and it’s always difficult to complete a song with such concerns.
In that sense, the title song ‘D-day’ is memorable because the melody line came out fast. When I first heard the beat, I recorded about 2 times in freestyle and completed the melody line right away.
View this post on Instagram
Is there a particular track off of ‘D-day’ that you’re particularly proud of and why?
I would say ‘When The Rain Stops’. Actually, I had been working on this song even before I met Fisherman, and it was a work that I truly cherished.
I had a feeling that something amazing would come out if the song was to be arranged beautifully, and Fisherman made it into a reality. I spent a lot of time building up and completing this song until I was satisfied, so I think it’s particularly well-made.
View this post on Instagram
What kind of impact do you hope to have with ‘D-day?
I feel like people are becoming more reluctant to express their excitement in its pure form nowadays. I want to live as a person who knows how to feel excited about someone you love even when you grow older and live a hectic life. I think both lyrics and music video of ‘D-day’ contain pure excitement. And I truly hope everyone lives on without losing these pure fairytale-like emotions.
What usually inspires the music that you make?
Many things in daily life are reborn as musical inspiration without even knowing, so it’s difficult to choose one thing. Still, I would say that what inspires me the most is beautiful music. I usually listen to producers’ beats, choose what comes to me, add melody lines, write lyrics and record by myself. In the past, I produced the track from the beginning, but now I collaborate with other producers like this most of the time.
Moving forward, what is one thing you hope to achieve with your music?
Being an artist who can be loved for a long time. I never had a goal of becoming a superstar all of a sudden. I believe that if I continue to work on my music, people who recognize my efforts will steadily love my music.
Listen to Hoody's D-day here.
Like what you read? Show our writer some love!
-