Watch: HyunA And BEAST's Yong Junhyung Talk Struggle Of Catering To Mainstream Tastes

On the recent episode of MBC Every1’s “HyunA’s X19,” HyunA grabs dinner with her friend and fellow idol Yong Junhyung of BEAST.

They catch up over dinner, where HyunA opens up about the ongoing struggle of having to cater to mainstream tastes without losing herself in the process.

“My song comes out, and it’s immediately first place for three weeks. But the music I want to do and the music I want the people around me to hear won’t be a chart topper. Nonetheless, the people around me acknowledge [that the music is good],” HyunA says.

“And I’m at this fork in the road,” HyunA says, alluding to the musical path she wants to take versus the path that she knows will lead to mainstream success.

Yong Junhyung immediately empathizes, saying, “When you cater too much to other’s tastes, you feel like you’re losing yourself. But if you put too much of your color into it, people don’t take it the way you’d like them to.”

“There are people who can eat sushi and people who can’t,” HyunA says. “And some people don’t know sushi is good because they’ve never tried it, and there are others who have tried and know it’s not their style.”

“If you don’t try it, you don’t know,” HyunA continues. “Which is why I want to keep trying.”

Yong Junhyung advises, “I think now, rather than doing what other people want, you need to do what you want and find a way to make others like it.”

HyunA agrees, “Yea, I think that’s my homework.”

“It is your homework. I wish you could do something that let’s you have fun,” Yong Junhyung says.