On February 23, Sunmi held an online showcase for the release of her new single album “TAIL.”

Sunmi commented, “It’s a song that’s really different from ‘pporappippam.’ It’s completely different from the songs before that too. The performance is one thing but I’m worried and excited to see the response.”

While she’s consistently released songs with three-character Korean titles, Sunmi has released a two-character title for the first time. She shared, “It’s a song I collaborated with Frants on. I thought that the word ‘tail’ had a really big impact.

Regarding the concept of “TAIL,” Sunmi elaborated, “It’s a villain cat-woman who is exploding with a so-called sharpness. It contains the message of wanting to fully express all that while loving.” She added onto her choice of the title, sharing, “A tail is a method of emotion expression for animals. When they feel good, it bends or wags around, and when they don’t feel good, they express that by hitting with their tail. I thought that was charming. It’s one-dimensional, instinctive, and felt so honest so it felt like a fascinating, impactful word.”

Sunmi also revealed that her choreography was made by Janelle Ginestra who has previously worked with Beyoncé. She explained, “I was thinking about which choreographer could express the song ‘TAIL’ and was watching videos when I learned that she had worked with Irene & Seulgi. I also wanted an animal-like feel for ‘TAIL’ so I contacted her and asked. I think a lot of refreshing, new movements were created.”

As she’s solidified her status as a top female artist with a distinct charm, Sunmi’s music has been coined “Sunmi-pop.” Sunmi responded, “I’m thankful that they call it ‘Sunmi-pop’ but I don’t want to trap myself. If the opportunity arises, I want to meet a producer who has a different perspective from me so that I can receive music I’ve never tried before.”

Now in her 15th year of promotions, Sunmi was asked what the main driving factor is that keeps her on stage. Sunmi answered, “I think I’m doing well so far holding out, so I think it’s a relief. Recently, I filmed with Park Mi Sun. She told me, ‘Those who persevere the longest are the ones who win in the end.’ That’s something Park Jin Young has told me before too. I’m living each day with gratitude that I’m still able to hold out well like this.”

She continued, “There’s honestly a lot of pressure and I’ve wanted to quit many times. Even up until 10 minutes ago, I said, ‘I really don’t know. I can’t do it.’ To be honest, I recently went through a hard time. I suddenly had determined a limit for myself. But in reality, it wasn’t a limit and I could’ve overcome it if I was determined enough to. At the least, I had to believe in myself, but I wasn’t able to do that so I felt lost and exhausted. However, the only reason I can stand on stage, perform, and write songs is my fans.”

As a senior artist, Sunmi has been named the role model of many junior singers and her songs have been covered by a wide range of celebrities. Sunmi explained that she had seen all of them, commenting, “It’s an honor to have someone cover my song. I think that’s a successful life. Every time I see those, I feel so proud and it’s so fascinating, even though I’m a celebrity myself. I say, ‘A celebrity is copying my dance and singing along to my song!'”

When asked who she hopes covers her new song “TAIL,” Sunmi replied, “I personally have a life role model. It’s [TVXQ’s] Yunho. I think it’ll be an honor if he covers this song. I really respect him. He’s overflowing with passion, humble, and pure. I’d like to follow that. It makes me think that I want to become a cool adult like that.”

Lastly, Sunmi shared, “This time, in a good way, I don’t have a goal I want to achieve. That’s because I’m going to prepare my next album and meet with my fans Miya-ne without rest. However, these two songs are the first steps I’m taking as a thirty-year-old [by Korean reckoning]. I feel like I’ve taken the first steps of my thirties in a daring and bold way so it’s meaningful.”

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