K-pop soloist Chungha rides on a “Roller Coaster” of love in her first single of 2018.

About six months after making a splash with her tropical hit “Why Don’t You Know” last summer, Chungha returned with her new single “Roller Coaster,” a lead track off her second EP “Offset,” released Wednesday. 

Chungha who rose to fame as a member of project girl group I.O.I, kicked off last year in a big way with the debut single “Why Don’t You Know,” which is still going strong on local streaming sites.

A female soloist, a rarity in the K-pop scene inundated with idol groups, Chungha is often said to be continuing the legacies of BoA and Uhm Jung-hwa, two legendary female soloists.

Amid heightened expectations for her next move, Chungha revealed her ambition to grow into a musician whose music spans a wide range of genres.

“My goal as a musician has always been to become a musician who doesn’t fear trying different genres. And I think I took that challenge with ‘Offset,’” said Chungha during a media showcase for her new EP in Seoul on Wednesday.

While the singer had delved into the relatively unknown territory of tropical house in her debut single, the five-track “Offset” incorporates everything from retro pop to reggae pop to electro swing. The lead track “Roller Coaster,” in which the singer compares the feeling of first love to a roller-coaster ride, balances Chungha’s crystal-clear vocal with a dynamic retro R&B melody. 

Chungha also explores reggae pop for the first time in “Do it” and electro swing in “Bad Boy.” The album rounds off with effusive ballad track “Remind of You.”

The multi-talented singer also said she wants to work on perfecting her vocal.

“I’ve been putting a lot of thoughts into whether to focus on vocal or on performance in my latest EP. In my next work, I’d like to show more of my vocal ability. But since I’m a dancer as well, I won’t lose track of performance either,” she said.

Chungha debuted as part of I.O.I in 2016, where the 11 members were picked from over 100 hopefuls aiming to be K-pop stars. In June last year, Chungha branched out on her own under MNH Entertainment with the debut EP “Hands on Me,” joining a group of several other I.O.I members who have either joined rookie K-pop girl groups or become soloists. 


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