The first time I met Whee In was randomly in 2019 at Changi Airport as she and the rest of MAMAMOO were heading back to Korea after their first-ever Singapore show. Who would have known that almost three years later, we'd meet again over a Zoom call, talking about music and watching her cat Ggomo sleep behind her. 

Since we first met, a lot has happened in Whee In's life. The 'water color' hitmaker found a new home in THE L1VE, dropped her first mini-album with a second one not long after, and is in the process of discovering her true colours as a soloist.

"As days go by, I think and worry more about how I can reflect myself in my music and because of that, I've been growing. In terms of sound, I get to show my personal part that I didn't to get show while working in a group and I really try to show that in all my music," said Whee In. 

Whee In's solo debut happened all the way back in 2018 but it wasn't until last year that she really took it to the next level. After her move from her former label, the 'Make Me Happy' act has been slowly uncovering who she is as an artist. 

She started with her first-ever mini-album, Redd last April which saw her diverse musicality and range. Most recently, Whee In has returned with her sophomore record, WHEE where takes a deeper dive into her sound and artistry. 

"I tried to find my identity in WHEE and put all of that into the album entirely. I tried to maximise my charm and attractive points into the meaning and vibes of the song so I think that this album is a really good one for my fans to enjoy," she said. 

"In my new album, I think my own sound is getting clearer and I got to show a much more mature image of myself."

WHEE spans six tracks, all of which saw Whee In's participation in its production—something that she hopes to do more in the future. In particular, the singer had a hang in writing the feel-good track 'Letter Filled^~ With Light' which she dedicates to her ever-supportive fans. 

"'Letter Filled^~ With Light' is a letter I want to share with my fans and the important people around me so it's one of my favourite tracks," Whee In shared. 

"I have a lot of words I want to say to my fans but to focus on one or two, I wanted to say thank you and that I'd like to continue moving forward to the future with them. That's what I wanted to say through this song." 

Beyond being a continuous stride into finding herself, WHEE also marks Whee In's first time working with her new label THE L1VE which was founded by rapper RAVI. "Working with new people in a new environment gave me a whole new kind of happiness. It was a really good atmosphere which is the reason why I think we got such a good quality album," she said. 

"RAVI especially gave me a lot of comfort while working on WHEE, he really stuck by me and tried hard to communicate a lot. Thanks to RAVI, it was really easy to work on the album. A lot of people also worked really hard to make WHEE so I'm very satisfied."

While Whee In feels like she's finally coming into her own sound, there's still a lot more growing she hopes to do. Wanting to always evolve and never stay stagnant, the 'Pink Cloud' act dreams to be an artist that constantly strives to be better. 

"I always say to myself that I want to be an artist that continues to make music so my goal is to do this for a long, long time. I want to be an artist who looks forward to making music and looks at the big picture rather than just the things in front of me," she said. 

In a message to her fans, Whee In said, "Thank you so much for your support. Thank you so much to the fans that cheer me up, you are the driving force that keeps me moving forward and motivates me to work hard."

"I will always try my best work to pay back all your support. I will come back to you with better music and more mature albums so I will appreciate it if you can continue watching me."

Listen to Whee In's WHEE here.