It was in October of last year when K-pop fans buzzed back when news broke about SOOJIN signing with BRD Communications and gearing up to make her solo debut. After two years of anticipation for the good news: her return to the music industry—SOOJIN is now back, blossoming beautifully as she graces us with her first mini-album ‘AGASSY.’ This is just the first petal unfolding, marking the exciting start of her solo journey.

Having been in the industry for around 6 years now since her debut in 2018, SOOJIN has continuously enthralled the audience with her graceful, elegant dance moves; as sophisticated as her soft, soothing vocals. These qualities shine through the record’s six tracks: “Flowering,” “AGASSY,” “Sunflower,” “TyTy,” “SUNSET,” and “bloodredroses,” where Soojin put most emphasis on “revealing herself” through the lyrics, showing new sides of herself — the enchanting and mysterious yet pure facets of the artist.

Following the release of ‘AGASSY,’ SOOJIN will embark on her first solo tour, aptly titled ‘Flowering,’ starting with stops in Australia: Sydney and Melbourne on February 13th and 15th, respectively. (Tickets are available via BoxLiveAu) “The preparation for it has been incredible. I'm going to show some stages that I haven't shown yet,” said SOOJIN, expressing her excitement over finally meeting her fans after a long wait.

Ahead of her shows in Oceania, allkpop had the opportunity to sit down with SOOJIN to talk about her highly-anticipated solo debut album, ‘AGASSY,’ solo tour, and more. Continue reading to learn more about SOOJIN!

SOOJIN's shout-out to allkpop readers:

allkpop: First of all, congratulations on your solo debut with ‘AGASSY’! Since it's your first album, I'm sure there were a lot of concerns and worries. How did you overcome those challenges?

SOOJIN: I was concerned about what kind of songs I should bring. That was one of the challenges in preparing for this album, including trying to find what kind of concept would fit my first album very well. We really thought and discussed a lot about which songs to include in this album. And so, we chose songs whose lyrics and melodies went well with each other. We wanted to explore some things we want to pursue through this album, so we put emphasis on those. We put our hats together to find those things. The overall process was very interesting.

allkpop: Everything about the album ‘AGASSY’ is filled with flowers. Most of the tracks are related to flowers. There's a scene in the music video where you're surrounded by flowers, and your fan concert tour is titled "Flowering." There are so many different meanings and symbolism in flowers. What specific qualities of flowers resonate most with you and your artistic vision?

SOOJIN: First of all, I personally like the flower very much. Flowers play a role in my songs: the first track in my album is titled “Flowering.” There are also tracks called “Sunflower” and “bloodredroses.” I tried to attach the meaning of flowers into them. I also want to give some meaning to my fan concert since it's my first one. That's how I settled on it.

allkpop: There are three major things I noticed in your music video: the presence of water, flowers, and the color red. Do you have a specific inspiration or message you want to tell with these elements? Also, were there any memorable behind-the-scenes moments while you were filming the MV?

SOOJIN: The red was there because it's a color that I think goes really well with me. The water was there because I wanted to dramatize the visuals, so it could be eye-catching. It also symbolizes cleansing in a way. The flower was there because, as I said, it was the first song on the ‘AGASSY’ album — “Flowering” — so it was there to make a semantic connection. For the music video, I filmed and danced a lot on the water. I think it was a very unique experience because we were able to create a surreal atmosphere that completely complemented the song.

allkpop: You said “AGASSY” put emphasis on “revealing yourself.” Do you feel you’ve learned something new from yourself in this album? Is there a particular lyric or line that you feel embodies or resonates deeply with this exploration?

SOOJIN: The lyrics are very poetic, describing a beautiful scene where I'm dancing amongst the red flowers, and the whole flow of the lyrics is a reflection of me dancing, which is something that really resonates with me. As for the lyrics, I can show you the dance and line! “아리따운 아가씨 (A beautiful young lady)~” “AGASSY” represents a beautiful young lady, so I wanted to pick that lyric most.

allkpop: Speaking of that and as you continue on your creative journey, would you say you have a clear understanding of yourself and what you want right now, or is this something you're still exploring?

SOOJIN: I’ve tried a lot of things, and until now, I’m still trying to do things that I want. I challenge myself to do different things as well. I believe I'm still in the process of learning. And I think I'm going to continue to be adventurous, finding more challenges and experiences for the future.

allkpop: Do you have a favorite song in ‘AGASSY’ that you'd recommend? If so, I'd like to know the reason why!

SOOJIN: Thinking of my favorite song is very tough because all the songs are very nice. But today, since I feel really bright and happy, I want to choose the song called “TyTy.”

allkpop: Are there any concepts or genres you'd like to experiment with or try for your next album?

SOOJIN: I always want to explore new concepts as I release music projects. But for my next album, I would like to experiment with rhythmic melodies and songs.

allkpop: Starting with Oceania, you're going on a solo fan concert tour. Please let us know what you're preparing for and what makes you most excited! Also, feel free to leave a message for allkpop readers and fans!

SOOJIN: First of all, I'm excited to meet my fans and I'm looking forward to my tour as well! The preparation for it has been incredible. I'm going to show some stages that I haven't shown yet. I can't believe that it's just around the corner next week. I'm preparing hard, so I hope you can look forward to it and like it a lot. And if I get another chance next time, I would love to do an interview with you and allkpop once again. Thank you!

Socials:

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Twitter: brd_soojin
YouTube: SOOJIN