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[Minnie] of (G)I-dle shows off her diverse side with her first solo album 'HER'.

A familiar yet strange world created for Minnie's [Vogue Reader: 2025 Women & Work] cover shoot. [Minnie] roams around the space, which resembles [Miu Miu]'s aesthetic, as if it were her own home. You can tell she's enjoying the moment as she confidently absorbs the spotlight, wearing bold sunglasses that cover half of her face, bright red briefs, and a bold dress with cut-out details. “I always enjoy taking on new challenges like this. “If not now, then when!” Of course, she wasn't bold from the beginning. From being a smart girl who received a lot of love from her family, to entering Korea alone through an audition in Thailand, to being a trainee for three years, to looking forward to the 7th anniversary of [(G)I-DLE]'s debut, every moment was a challenge and a task. Since her Korean skills weren't as fluent as they are now, she always had countless feelings that she couldn't express in a corner of her heart. “Until we debuted with [LATATA], I honestly wasn't confident in my dancing and performance. So I monitored thoroughly, and when I saw something lacking, I repeated the practice and monitoring.” Instead of identifying weaknesses and hesitating, Minnie made a promise to herself. “I promised myself that I would definitely show just one more improvement than my last comeback album. Then I would consider it a success. If that continues to build up, I expect that my future self will grow more than my past self.”

(G)I-dle also became stronger at every moment. The appearance of the fearless youngest members with both individuality and skills in the program [Comeback War: Queendom] (2019) where six girl groups competed was only the beginning. After reorganizing as a five-member group, the first full-length album (2022) activities were well-received, with the title song [TOMBOY] reaching No. 1 on the iTunes Top Albums chart in 24 regions around the world. They continued to rise after that. After [Nxde], the 6th mini album with [Queenka] recorded 1.16 million copies in initial sales, becoming a million-seller, and gradually expanded their momentum to the whole world through their third world tour. "I think [(G)I-dle] itself is pride. I'm just proud to be a member of this team." Comeback War:>

Last year, when they released their second full-length album [2], they were given an unusually large award. The [Melon Music Awards] (MMA) was a particularly unforgettable moment. Right after winning the [Record of the Year] award, one of the six grand prizes, [Minnie] said, “It's more meaningful because we're a team that produced the album ourselves,” and she choked up. Right there, [(G)I-DLE], dressed in gorgeous gold outfits, showed off their spirit by personally announcing the fact that they 'all renewed their contracts.' “There were times when the team was doing well and times when it was hard, but I thought we talked a lot and became closer during those times. We don't hide anything from each other and express everything. I ‘completely’ believe in the saying that you grow through hardships.”

And finally, [Minnie]'s first solo album, which includes seven songs including songs she had made years ago ('[Obsession]' and '[It's Okay]'), has been released. Naturally, he took charge of the entire production, and as you can see in the music video for the title song 'HER' where 'Lovely Minnie', 'Chic Minnie', and 'Real Minnie' cutely bicker, it was a work that expressed various personas. “I learned a lot while preparing this album. I learned a lot about myself as I looked back and thought, 'This suits me well', 'I'll try this next time.' After the album came out, I kept asking '[Neverver] ((G)I-dle's fandom)' and those around me about their 'favorite song.' I need to know myself better so I can show a more mature side of myself next time. Can I ask what your 'favorite song' is? (Laughs)”

The gap between how others see me and how I perceive myself is not stressful but rather fun to work on, which helps me see this life in a more distant light. “I'm very sensitive, so I quickly get absorbed in writing songs and feel like I'm going crazy because of it, and I don't want to cry at award ceremonies, but tears just keep flowing down, but that's all 'me.' I practiced believing in myself a lot while making my solo album. I always trusted and followed [Soyeon], but this time I had to make all the decisions. It’s already been 8 years since my debut, and I feel like there are more and more moments where I have to believe in myself.” The sense of responsibility I feel from watching junior artists show off amazing skills and performances and young fans who are greatly influenced by a single line of lyrics she writes also motivates me. “When I first started dreaming of becoming a singer, I wanted to be someone who could have a positive influence on someone. Just like music became a good friend to me, who likes to spend time alone. Thankfully, I’m achieving my dream through something I like, so I’ll continue to do my best.” [Minnie] gently grabbed a cup full of cherries, which she recently became fond of. With a strength that only she could tell. (VK)