Chungha, formerly of the since disbanded project girl group I.O.I, took to the stage alone to show she is all set to perform solo.

The 21-year-old made her solo debut with her first album “Hands on Me,” featuring the lead track “Why Don’t You Know,” released Wednesday. 
While she feels emptiness without her former I.O.I bandmates, most of whom have gone on to form other girl groups, Chungha said she decided to buck the trend and pursue her own musical endeavors. 

“When my label suggested I debut solo, I was afraid, rather than happy, because going solo requires both dancing and singing abilities,” said Chungha at a press event to promote her new album Wednesday in Seoul.

“But I thought going solo was the fastest way to show my true self. I think my forte as a solo artist is my powerful performance, which I tried to showcase through the album.”

The lead single “Why Don’t You Know,” featuring rapper Nucksal, is a tropical house anthem in which Chungha sings about unrequited love. In the music video for the track, Chungha dances in a vast grassy field, sporting colorful summer outfits. 

Explaining the meaning behind “Hands on Me,” the album’s title, Chungha shared that the word “hand” gave her a warm feeling, especially because she was chosen for I.O.I by fans voting.

Chungha competed in Mnet’s reality girl group survival show “Produce 101” in January last year, where she won fourth place overall in the final round via online voting, and debuted with I.O.I with 10 other contestants on the show in May the same year. Since the group‘s dissolution in January this year, she has been working on her solo career under M&H Entertainment.

“I also wanted to ask fans to hold my ‘hand’ and dance with me, which is another meaning behind the title,” she said. 

Asked if she was following the current season of “Produce 101,” Chungha confessed she was a big fan and had visited the show in the audience. She even cried once while watching it at home because she could sympathize with the participants’ struggles, she added. 

At the end of the showcase, Chungha also expressed her support for Yu Yeon-jung, also formerly of I.O.I, who is currently part of rising girl group Cosmic Girls.

The five-track album includes “Make a Wish,” a high-energy electro-swing jam, and “Cosmic Dust,” a gentle piano ballad that shows off Chungha’s sophisticated vocal.

By Hong Dam-young (lotus@heraldcorp.com)