Rookie singer Won Yoo-ri and the members of her marketing team were all sitting in an office one day racking their brains for a suitable stage name for the young artist. While brainstorming, the singer’s father sent her a suggestion that apparently ended all discussions.

“My dad is currently working in Vietnam and he picked out the name ‘Hi.ni’ for me,” said the singer. The stage name derives from the Vietnamese word “hi nhi,” meaning baby.

Vocalist Hi.ni entered the music scene in September with her debut single “I Wanna See You,” which is also on the soundtrack of the tvN drama “The Third Hospital.” The song, which expresses the hardships of not being able to be with the one you love, is a ballad piece featuring her sharp vocals with a classical feel brought on by the background melodies of the piano and a string orchestra.

The first time she took the stage was at a performance in November in front 50,000 people at the M-Live Mo.A concert, which also featured K-pop stars such as the Wonder Girls, ZE:A and others. The event was held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, a perfect opportunity for the budding singer to perform in front of her father as Hi.ni. 

“I will never forget performing in front of my father for the first time,” she said. “When I first walked onto the stage and the lights came on, I really felt like I was in a movie.”

When Hi.ni was young, her dream was to become a police detective. But when her junior high school teacher heard her sing and commented about the maturity of her voice, she was prompted to shift her career aspirations to pursuing a life on the stage.

“Listening to music earnestly is not easy,” she said. “When I listen to music, I don’t just listen lightly. I really concentrate so I can catch its true intent and be moved.”

Her latest single, “Legend of Tears,” is a sorrowful and heavy-hearted song about being fed up and done with love. The lyrics equate the heartbreaks of love to the tales of legends ― stories one finds hard to believe are true.

“What makes me different from other female solo artists is that I don’t sing in a high-pitch tone that most people often associate with singing talent,” said Hi.ni.

“Whether it’s rap, ballad or dance music, I think the most important thing is the message that a song sends,” said the singer. The most important messages she wishes to send to her listeners are through her lyrics. She hopes people who hear her music are able to capture the passions and feelings that she expresses through a song.

“It’s not about promoting myself to people, but rather I want people to find and know about my music first,” she said.

Unlike many popular K-pop idols, Hi.ni doesn’t see herself as flashy. She pictures herself as an artist whose songs will not just fade away with time.

“My songs are not just the latest trends,” she said. “I think people can still enjoy and listen to my music for a long time to come.”

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)