Having been one of the few K-pop groups that brought booming girl power to the stage, Mamamoo this time portrayed a mellow and bright image.

The four-piece act’s new spring-inspired EP “Yellow Flower,” released Wednesday, veers away from the group’s previous powerful image.

Mamamoo’s sixth EP, “Yellow Flower,” is the first of the group’s new project series called “Four Seasons,” through which the act will showcase four albums that combine one seasonal color and a matching member’s characteristic throughout this year. 

The members explained that their new album was an embodiment of spring, combining yellow -- member Hwasa’s color -- and flower, which is the meaning of her name.

Albums that represent blue and Solar; red and Moonbyul; and white and Wheein will follow.

“When I think about spring, things that are soft and bright pop into my mind. I wanted to add ‘mellowness’ to it, and express the song with a ‘mellow-yellow feeling,’” said Hwasa during a media showcase for the new album in Seoul on Wednesday. 

The lead track “Starry Night” also features dramatic changes in the powerhouse vocals.

In the dynamic electro house dance track that is propelled by Latin-influenced synths and guitar riffs, the four vocalists calmly, but emotionally, pine for past romance.

The accompanying music video also features the members wearing brightly hued outfits and singing against the backdrop of beautiful sceneries: They dance on top of an endless prairie, at an ocean and a field filled with flowers. Mamamoo is definitely ready for spring.

“We didn’t intend to make spring-themed songs, but each song had a spring vibe to it. Maybe we were all about spring, so we decided the title should be ‘spring,’” Hwasa said. 

Asked if they have somewhat lost their original throwback funky style that had differentiated the group from other K-pop idols that stick to a girlish image, Solar said, “How could we neglect our ‘girl crush’ image when that’s the word people think of when reminded of us? I think that (powerful image) is our base line. But we wanted to show various sides of us this time.”
  

The seven-track album also features the opener “From Winter to Spring,” Hwasa’s solo track “It’s a Dime” and “Star, Wind, Flower and Sun,” a poignant ballad written by Solar with a title that refers to the symbols of the four members.

Solar said she wanted to express her gratitude to her bandmates and fans, saying that she used to forget their importance, just like how she passes by nature around her without even realizing it in her daily life.

The quartet debuted in June 2014 with its first single “Mr. Ambiguous.” When the K-pop scene was overflowing with synth sounds and electro beats, Mamamoo’s vocal prowess and bluesy styling helped the group carve out a niche for itself. The group released its fifth EP “Purple” in June last year, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s world albums chart.

(lotus@heraldcorp.com)