Twice’s Nayeon is here to ‘Pop!’ off in solo debut

Im Nayeon of K-pop girl group Twice made her debut Friday with a namesake album and title track “Pop!”

Just shy of three minutes, Nayeon brings her powerhouse energy to a vivacious, confident and bubblegum video for “Pop!” crammed with 14 outfit changes reflecting her resplendency. The album “Im Nayeon” is not just her name, but a play on words introducing her debut, as if to say “I’m Nayeon.”

Aside from “Pop!” the solo album contains six other tracks including two vocal collaborations: one called “No Problem” with her JYP Entertainment labelmate, Felix of Stray Kids, and another called “Love Countdown,” featuring rapper Wonstein. Additionally, the track “Candyfloss” was co-written by Little Mix member Jade Thirlwall.

Nayeon herself is credited as a writer on “All or Nothing” and “Love Countdown.”

In an interview with Just Jared, Nayeon discussed her thoughts about her solo debut and the album overall.

“I wanted the album to match the freshness and coolness of a summer breeze. I hope the listeners can get the cool, gentle breeze to escape the summer heat.”

She continued by sharing the pressure she felt with her solo, but also the immense support:

“I’d be lying to say that I didn’t feel pressured at first. Still, because it was an experience that I haven’t had before, I tried to enjoy every moment as much as I could. It definitely felt new, because it was my first time emerging out into the world by myself. However, because I received so much support from our members, fans, and staff, I felt like the whole team was together the whole time.”

Ahead of its release, “Im Nayeon” garnered the highest number of stock pre-orders of any K-pop female soloist this year, surpassing over 500,000 orders.

Nayeon is the first of Twice’s nine members to go solo, and her debut is part of a string of firsts for the superstar group. Twice just wrapped up their record-breaking first U.S. stadium tour, opened their own individual Instagram accounts and made their live U.S. television debut on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” accidentally becoming political candidates in the process.

Feature Image via JYP Entertainment

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