Kim HyunA was 14 years old and still stylizing all the letters of her name normally when she became a founding member of the South Korean pop group Wonder Girls.

Though HyunA was withdrawn from the group by her parents shortly after turning 15, due to a bout of fainting spells and chronic gastroenteritis, the 23-year-old rapper maintained a connection with her first band that has endured throughout her successful music career both as a solo artist and a member of the chart-topping K-pop groups 4Minute and Trouble Maker.

In an interview earlier this week at Cube House, a Seoul facility run by her record label, HyunA recounted how she called her former Wonder Girls bandmate Park "Yenny" Yeeun to congratulate on her the group's first full-length album in over four years, "Reboot," which was released on Aug. 3.

"As soon as I saw the Wonder Girls's music video [for their new single 'I Feel You'], I called Yenny," HyunA said. "I was acting silly as I said, 'why do I feel so emotional?' I'm one of the people who looked forward to Wonder Girls's comeback the most."

So, did the two old friends talk shop?

"Because we are close, rather than discussing our new songs, we just talked about personal matters," HyunA said.

"I told her, 'make sure to eat well. Take care of yourself since music program schedules are hard.' While she told me, 'you prepare hard for your solo release coming up too.' We looked out for each other like that."

HyunA, whose latest video "Roll Deep" received a million YouTube views in under 24 hours after being posted to the website on Thursday, praised her former group's new direction, reinvented as a rock band.

Though Wonder Girls and HyunA's promotional schedules overlapped meant she was forced into competition against her old band on South Korean TV music shows, as is commonplace in the South Korean pop scene, for the 4Minute rapper, it was a welcome opportunity.

"I wanted to see the Wonder Girls up on stage [badly]," she said.

"Since I knew how long they had been preparing, I was touched and it was a performance that made me feel good. It makes me happy that a lot of people are showing their new song a lot of love."

She also shrugged off questions in an interview on Friday with Korean news agency Osen about the sexy music videos and photo shoots that have made her K-pop's most iconic sex symbol.

"I felt a tremendous amount of pressure [when I used to appear in provocative music videos or photos]," HyunA recalled. "I was worried then, but now I just think, 'I should do what I do best.'

The rapper's self-awareness regarding her pop persona also extended to her new solo EP "A+" released on Friday.

"I tried my best to put forth what the public likes best," HyunA said. "I can't all of a sudden turn cute or innocent. I think it's important to do performances that enhance your talents."

And how does she feel about being Hallyu's most popular pin-up girl?

"It'd be weird if I said I hated it," she said. "I'm not offended by others looking down on me. I can't expect everyone to love me. That will be never-ending homework for me. I just try to see the light in everything. I just think, 'let me make the people who like me like me even more.'"

Watch the music video for HyunA's new single "Roll Deep" featuring Jung Ilhoon of BTOB RIGHT HERE