Jihyo’s New Zone: Stardom on Her Terms

Jihyo’s fans refer to her as “God Jihyo.� Well, she’s got a new blessing for them today. Almost two decades after she first started training to become an idol, the 26-year-old leader of Twice is following fellow member Nayeon’s footsteps by debuting as a solo artist. The personal milestone arrives during an already-busy two years for the energetic K-pop group. They re-upped their contracts with JYP Entertainment, released two new Korean EPs (Between 1&2 and Ready to Be), were presented with the 2023 Billboard Women in Music’s Breakthrough Award, and continued a record-breaking world tour.

But Jihyo has been waiting patiently for her own moment. The powerhouse performer famously entered the industry as a trainee at just 8 years old, leaving her plenty of time to discover what kind of solo artist she wanted to be. On the seven-track Zone, which was composed in both South Korea and the U.S., she spotlights a bit of everything: punchy R&B (the title track), emotional ballads (“Dont Wanna Go Back,� a duet with Heize), chic dance-pop (“Talkin’ About It,� featuring 24kGoldn). Six of the seven tracks credit Jihyo as a songwriter, composer, or both — a level of involvement she says she doesn’t take lightly. As she tells Vulture through her translator, “The fact that I was able to personally shape the sound, make the music I want, and directly say what I want to say makes this album very meaningful to me.�

It’s been another busy year for Twice, with the group embarking on a world tour and releasing new music. At one point, you were even working on your solo effort while fellow members Mina, Sana, and Momo were in a room next to you working on their subunit project. 
Yes, that was while we were getting ready for our tour — ah, no, that was actually during the tour. Because of the tight schedule, we would have to practice those albums during the few days we did have time to ourselves, which is why I ended up being next to them. We had such a hectic schedule and felt huge burdens since these were our first non-Twice albums. I’d hear that the MiSaMo members would be crying due to stress, so we’d cheer each other on while practicing.

How do you want to distinguish your sound as a solo artist from Twice’s sound? 
Twice songs are basically always chosen for their bright, lovely image and energetic quality. But I wanted to move away from what I’ve shown through Twice.

Yeah, I think the public associates Twice with making upbeat music. But on Zone, your lyrics are darker. Like on “Nightmare,� where you sing about putting a curse on someone who hurt you. 
It was my intention to show that image more, to explore feelings of being alone and sad. That was actually the main focus of this album: to show different sides of me. I wanted my lyrics to be really honest and transparent. I wanted to express emotions that were a bit more aggressive.

Are you drawing from your own life when you write those types of lyrics? If not, what helps you access that kind of emotion? 
The songs don’t take from my experiences as a whole, but bits and pieces have been taken from my own life. With “Room,� when I first heard the track, it made me think of a very empty and lonely room. I wanted to write lyrics about me not even wanting to go back to that kind of room. So when I write, I imagine these scenarios and try to tap into the initial emotional response I had when I first heard the music.

You’re credited as a co-composer on four of the seven tracks on Zone. Can you tell me about a musical choice you made on this album that you’re proud of or helped you achieve the sound you wanted?  
During the composition process, the one song I knew I wanted to show was “Nightmare.� It has shock value. I really wanted to perform a song with powerful vocals, which is why I showcased it during concerts. The first time was during the Seoul stop. But after that performance, I felt like I wanted the song to be even more powerful. So I kept working on the arrangement throughout the tour to refine the hook to sound richer. We just continued to modify any areas that felt lacking. For “Closer,� I knew it was a song I wanted to perform with choreography, so during the mixing process, we revised it to make the bassline louder.

How have your goals as an artist changed since you became a JYP trainee at eight years old?  
Honestly, as a trainee, I just had the dream to debut and become a singer. And once I accomplished that initial goal, I remember feeling like I was a little lost. I didn’t really know what to look forward to. But for me now … I see the job of a singer as someone who provides lots of joy to people in a variety of ways.

You’ve been praised for your singing and dancing since your trainee days. What does success mean to someone whom fans already call “God Jihyo�? Are there still areas you personally want to improve? 
[Smiles.] I love when my fans give me nicknames. I get more joy when I become what the fans want me to be rather than what I want to become myself.

While working on this album, I learned I wanted to challenge myself to try different genres. Rather than what I’ve already shown fans before, whether it’s me trying rock, jazz, or … rap [laughs], I think it’ll be fun.

You trained with multiple older idols who debuted in groups and later went on to release solo music. Did seeing their paths help you understand anything about what you did or didn’t want for your own solo career? 
I think every person has such an individual charm that, rather than learning from anyone else, I thought more about what my strengths and weaknesses are and what makes me me. I find that it’s a lot more enjoyable to go on a journey to learn more about yourself rather than looking toward another person as an example.

When did you feel ready to go solo?
I actually believe that when you debut as a singer, you should already be prepared to go solo. There wasn’t really a specific moment. It’s more like, I had to become a person who would always be ready. As a result, I see all my years of training to be a huge strength.

Did you ever feel like you wanted your solo career to happen sooner than it did? 
I never thought of it like that. I actually think now is the perfect time. I’ve gotten to a point where I really understand the industry and my style as an artist. When I first started preparing for the album and was told by the company to start working on songs, I thought deeply about who I am as a singer. I thought about whether it was better to make songs that I personally want to do or songs that other people thought I should make. Working this many years in the industry has helped me accumulate a lot of data. There was a lot of input to take into consideration. Like, the public might like me in this certain image, but I know I might be more personally satisfied when performing a different style. I think this album was able to come together as the combined output of those two factors.

While I began thinking about my image and what people anticipated from me as an artist, I found that people seem to really like my healthy and bright image. So, I made sure to bring that style into the title track, “Killin’ Me Good.� I wanted to show what I do best there, and show other emotions and sides of me with my vocals on the B-sides.

When you joined JYP in 2005, the maknae of JYP’s newest girl group, NMIXX, wasn’t even born yet.
[Puts hand over mouth.] Really? Wow … I’ve been working for a long time, huh?

Well after spending so many years being one of the youngest people at your company, you’re now one of the more veteran artists there. Were you happy when the Korean age-counting system — where babies are born as 1-year-olds and age a year every January 1 — changed and technically made you younger? 
Well, in Korea, there’s also the bbareun nyeonsaeng tradition. Because I’m a part of that, I’m not even sure how old I am anymore. I’m completely confused. [Laughs.]

With such a packed schedule this year, how have you been finding ways to relax? 
Truthfully, it’s been a little difficult to find the time to. But I love to travel, that’s my way of relaxing. As soon as I finish all the work I have to do, I’d really like to take a trip.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.