YOUHA Discusses Life As A YG Trainee + ‘ISLAND’ Debut [INTERVIEW]
While there are many talented artists within K-Pop, there a some with a more humble beginning and earnest debut story that will truly catch your eye.
YOUHA, a top-liner and vocalist based in Korea, is a young talent who is constantly pursuing her dream and vision of creating sincere and genuine music that can touch the hearts of listeners everywhere. She debuted in September 2020 with her song "ISLAND" and has continued to release songs that capture her free spirit, fun-filled vibes, and her charming identity.
Outside of music, YOUHA constantly shows her real personality and attitude to her fans on her YouTube channel. When she is not performing on stage, YOUHA is busy going out to awesome restaurants and showcasing their stellar menu or even working part-time jobs at cafes and having fun with all the people she meets. Of course, her most viewed videos tend to be her flawless vocal and dance covers of hit songs.
Now, after training at YG for 10 years and finally making a successful debut, YOUHA reveals just what makes her so special. From the thoughts she had about her debut song and the emotional growth as an artist to the popularity she has received over the years, YOUHA is a sensational artist worth learning more about. Check out her reflective interview below and become a fan of this new and talented artist!
Q1. You debuted a year ago with 'ISLAND' and have become more popular since then. How did you feel when you first debuted? What was going through your mind?
YOUHA: "ë무 ê°ì¬í ë§ìë¿ì ëë¤. ë§ì´ ë¶ì¡±í ì±ë¡ ë°ë·íì§ë§ ë¤ë¤ ë§ì´ ìì í´ì£¼ìê³ ê´ì¬ë ê°ì ¸ 주ì ì ê°ì¬í´ì. ì ë ì ë§ ë³µ ë°ì ì¬ëì´ë¼ê³ ìê°í´ì."
"I'm so thankful with all of my heart. I debuted still with a lot of room for improvement but I'm thankful for the support and interest I received from everyone. I really think I'm a blessed person."
Q2. What does your debut song 'ISLAND' mean to you?
YOUHA: "ì°ì 'ISLAND'ë¼ë ìì ì¼ë¡ ì¸ìì ëìë¤ë í° ì미를 ê°ì§ê³ ì기ë íì§ë§, 무ìë³´ë¤ë ì ê° ì§ì ì곡, ìì¬í 곡ì¼ë¡ ëì¤ë¶ë¤ì ê´ì¬ê³¼ ì¬ëì ë°ì ê°ì¹ ìë ìì ì´ë¼ë ì미를 ê°ì§ê³ ìì´ì."
"'ISLAND' has a great meaning since I debuted into the world with that song, but above all, it is a valuable song composed and written by me that has received a lot of attention and is loved by many people."
Q3. You have trained in YG for 10 years - can you tell us something unique about the training experience? What is daily training like?
YOUHA: "ì ê°ì ê²½ì°ìë ë§¤ì¼ ì¸êµ ìí°ì¤í¸ ë¶ë¤ì ë¼ì´ë¸ ììì ì±ê²¨ë³´ë©° ë°ë¼í곤 íìµëë¤. ê·¸ë¤ì ì ì¤ì²ë, í¹ì ì ëëì ë°ë¼íë ¤ê³ ë ¸ë ¥íì´ì. ë¤ìí 춤과 ë ¸ë를 ë°°ì°ê³ ì°ìµì ì¹êµ¬ë¤ íê³ ì°ìµë ê°ì´íë©° ê¿ì í¤ì ìµëë¤."
"I used to watch and follow live videos of foreign artists every day. I tried to imitate their gestures and unique feelings. By learning different dances, songs, and practicing with my trainee friends, we all went towards our dreams together."
Q4. Your most popular song is currently 'ICE T,' how do you feel about its success?
YOUHA: "ìë¡ì´ ëëì¼ë¡ ì¤ë¹íë 곡ì¸ë§í¼ ë¤ì±ë¡ì´ ììê³¼ ì¬ë°ë 컨ì ì¼ë¡ ë³´ì¬ëë¦¬ë ¤ê³ ë§ì ë ¸ë ¥ì íìµëë¤. ë°ë¼ì ì ììë³´ë¤ë ë ì¬ë°ê² íë íê³ ëì¤ ë¶ë¤ê» ë§ì ê´ì¬ë ë°ì ì ìì´ì 기ë¶ì´ ì¢ìì´ì."
"While preparing a song with a brand new feeling, we put in a lot of effort to show various colorful costumes alongside fun concepts. I had more fun than I expected and it felt good to receive a lot of interest from the public."
Q5. 'ICE T' features the most unique outfits - which one was your favorite?
YOUHA: "뮤ì§ë¹ëì¤ ë³´ìë©´ ìì ë¸ë¦¿ì§ 구ê°ì ëì¤ë ììì´ì! ëë¹ ëª¨ì íì ì²´í¬ ì¤ì»¤í¸ë¥¼ ì ìë ììì´ ê°ì¥ ë§ìì ë¤ììµëë¤."
"If you watch the music video, it's the outfit you can see during the bridge part (chorus)! I really liked the outfit where I wore a checkered skirt with a butterfly-shaped top the most."
Q6. Have you ever wanted to perform in a girl group or ever prepared to debut in one?
YOUHA: "10ì¬ë ëì 걸그룹ì ê¿ê¿¨ìµëë¤. ë©ì§ ê±¸ê·¸ë£¹ì´ ë ì ììì¼ë ìì½ê²ë ìí©ì´ ë°ë¼ì£¼ì§ 못íìµëë¤. ì´ì ë ìë¡ ìí°ì¤í¸ë¡ì íëíê³ ìëë°ì, ì ë ì§ê¸ì´ í¨ì¬ ë§ì¡±ì¤ë¬ìì."
"I dreamed of being in a girl group for over 10 years. It would have been an awesome girl group, but unfortunately, the situation didn't arise. Now, I'm working as a solo artist and I'm much more satisfied."
Q7. If you have a weakness, what would it be? Modeling? Dancing? Acting? Maybe working as a part-timer
YOUHA: "ì ê° íì ìì ê° ìì´ ë³´ì´ë ¤ê³ ë§ì ë ¸ë ¥ì íì§ë§ ì¬ì¤ ë§¤ë² ë¶ì¡±í¨ì ëë ëë ë§ìµëë¤. ë ¹ìì í ëìë ë°ìì ë ì íí íë ¤ê³ ë ¸ë ¥íê±°ë íëì í ë ìë¤ë¥¸ íì ë¤ì ì ì¬ì©íì¼ë©´ ì¢ê² ë ë§ìì´ ëë ê²ì²ë¼ ë§ì ëë¤. íì§ë§ ì´ë° ìê°ë¤ì´ ì 를 ì±ì¥ìì¼ì£¼ë ìê·¹ì ì´ ëì´ì ì¤íë ¤ ì ë ì¦ê¸°ê³ ì¢ìíê³ ììµëë¤."
"I always try hard to look confident, but truthfully, I often feel like I am lacking every time. Such as the movements I want to try or pronouncing lyrics more accurately when recording and using different facial expressions when I'm performing. However, these thoughts have become a stimulating point for me to grow, so I rather enjoy and like them."
Q8. If you could describe your music in one word, what would you say?
YOUHA: "꾸ë°ìì´ ììí ìì
ì´ë¼ê³ ìê°í©ëë¤. ë¹ë¡ ì¥ë¥´ë ì¡°ê¸ì© ë¤ë¥´ê² ë¤ë¦´ ì ìì§ë§, ì ìì
ì
ì¥ë¥´ì²ë¼ ì ì ë¤ìí ë´ë©´ì 모ìµë¤ì ê¾¸ë¯¸ì§ ìê³ ììíê², ê°ê°ìì´ ë³´ì¬ ëë¦¬ê³ ì¶ì´ì."
"Without any pretenses, I think it's 'pure' music. Although the genre may sound a little different,
like my musical genre, I want to show you my various sides without hesitation."
Q9. Are there any Korean or international artists you wish you could collaborate with in the future?
YOUHA: "Conan Gray ì The Weekendì ëë¤. ì ê° ë무 ì¬ëíë ì ì¤ íì´ë¼ë ì¥ë¥´ì ìì ì íìë 모ë ë¶ë¤ê³¼ ìì ì í´ë³´ê³ ì¶ìë° ê¸°íê° ì¨ë¤ë©´ ìì ë ë¶ê³¼ ê¼ í´ ë³´ê³ ì¶ì´ì! êµë´ììë Trade Lì´ë¼ë ëí¼ëê³¼ í¨ê» ìì í´ë³´ê³ ì¶ìµëë¤. ì ìì ì ë©ì´ í¼ì²ë§ ëë¤ë©´ ë무 ì ì í ê² ê°ì§ ìì¼ì¸ì?"
"I want to work with Conan Gray and The Weekend. I would want to work with everyone who loves creating my favorite genre of synthpop, but if I have a chance, I really want to work with those two artists the most! In Korea, I want to work with a rapper named Trade L. Don't you think it'd be so refreshing if a rapper featured in my music?"
Not only does YOUHA cover popular international songs on her personal YouTube channel, but she also records dance covers and prepares some complex choreography fans can see too! Check it out~
Q10. You are also a topliner- were there any songs you worked on people don't know about?
YOUHA: "ê°ì¬íê²ë íì íë¥í ìí°ì¤í¸ ë¶ë¤ 곡ì ì°¸ì¬íê² ëì´, ì ê° ì°¸ì¬í 모ë ê³¡ì´ ëì¤ë¤ìê²
ì ìë ¤ì ¸ ìë ê² ê°ìµëë¤. ìì¼ë¡ë ì ê° ìì
íë 곡ë¤ì´ ë¤ ì ìë ¤ì¡ì¼ë©´ ì¢ê² ì´ì!"
"Thankfully, I'm always participating in great artists' songs, so all the songs I participated in are well known. I hope all the songs that I work on will be well known in the future too."
Q11. Did you expect other songs of yours to be more popular than 'ICE T' is?
YOUHA: "'ISLAND'ì ëë¤. ì ê° ê°ì¥ ìë¼ë 곡ì´ê¸°ë íê³ , ì무ëë ì ì ë°ë· 곡ì´ë¤ ë³´ë ê°ì¥ ì ì íë ê³¡ì´ ëì´ ë²ë ¸ë¤ì. ì¬ì§ì´ ì¸ì ê° ê¸°íê° ì¨ë¤ë©´ ISLANDë¡ ë¤ìê¸ ë¬´ëìì íëíê³ ì¶ì ë§ìê¹ì§ ìì´ì."
"I thought 'ISLAND' would be more popular. It's a song I cherish and, since it's my debut song, it's become my favorite song. I even want to perform 'ISLAND' on the stage again if I have a chance someday."
Q.12 What is a message you would like to say to your old and new fans?
YOUHA: "íì ììí´ì£¼ìê³ ì ììì ë§ì ì¬ë 주ì
ì ê°ì¬í©ëë¤. ì¬í´ìë ìì ë ì¢ì ìì
ì¼ë¡
ì¬ë¬ë¶ë¤ê» ë³´ëµ ë릴 ì ìë ì í ëê² ìµëë¤. 모ë ê±´ê°íìê³ íì ì¬ëí´ì ì¬ë¬ë¶! Happy
New Year my besties"
"Thank you for always supporting me and loving me a lot. This year, I'll be back with better music. I will become someone who can repay you for your support. Everyone, stay healthy. I love you always! Happy New Year my besties."
YOUHA is quite the talent, huh? While she is gearing up to release more music later this year, YOUHA asks fans both old and new to show support for her recent releases and to remain curious about her past and future!
Be sure to check out her YouTube Channel here and show support for the beloved YOUHA!