Lovelyz’s Kei shared her thoughts on “Queendom” and working with MAMAMOO’s Hwasa!
Lovelyz is currently appearing on the Mnet show “Queendom,” which features six female artists (Lovelyz, MAMAMOO, Park Bom, AOA, Oh My Girl, and (G)I-DLE) going head-to-head with performances and the release of a new single on the same day. Lovelyz received mixed reviews after performing a newly arranged version of their hit “Ah-Choo” and a cover of Brown Eyed Girls’ “Sixth Sense.” Members Sujeong and Jiae previously responded to malicious comments about the latter performance.
In an interview with the press for her October 8 solo debut, Kei talked about the group’s “Queendom” experience. “I think that Lovelyz has been sticking to an innocent concept, and since it’s appropriate for us to show our style in our albums, we want to continue to do that,” she said. “So all the members said, ‘If we don’t do it now, then when will we do it?’ and that’s why we aimed to show a different side of ourselves on ‘Queendom.’ From the beginning, I wasn’t able to guess what the response would be like, but I don’t have any regrets.”
Kei went on to say, “When we show different performances at our concerts, the fans really like it. So I think that’s part of why we wanted to take on a new challenge. We were prepared to be criticized and did it without regrets, but it seems like the fans were more sad because of the harsh criticism, which makes my heart ache.”
Kei talked about how despite the critical comments, she has no regrets about appearing on “Queendom” and in fact feels grateful for it. “I think I’ve learned through ‘Queendom,'” she said. “I think it’s been an opportunity for me to mature and grow. I’m the type of person who tries to enjoy everything rather than avoid things, but it was so much fun to be able to try things I hadn’t done before.”
She added, “It wasn’t easy to be doing it at the same time as preparing for my solo album, but there was no time to feel tired as it was something I’d dreamt about. Every single thing about it was amazing and a joy to do.”
Kei also gained a friend in MAMAMOO’s Hwasa while competing on “Queendom,” with the two being matched up as a duo for the latest round. Kei shared, “Hwasa hadn’t been able to sleep the night before filming started because of their tour. I tried to help her get over the tiredness by purposely joking around more, although I’m not sure if it seems like that on television.” She added, “We were friendly on set. Hwasa also had fun and was grateful because I was keeping the energy up.”
Kei went on to praise Hwasa as she said, “Hwasa is so talented and her manner on stage is great. I was just singing but she was even thinking about the dance performance aspect. She had her own personal vision. There were a lot of things she taught me, like a mentor.”
“At first I was worried because our voices are very different, but when we actually tried it out, there was a synergy that came about because of that difference,” explained Kei. “Our personalities are also a great fit, and if we have the opportunity, I’d like to work with her again.”
Lovelyz, just like the other teams on the show, is aiming to grab first place. Kei shared that she definitely wants to come in first and have the chance to put on a comeback show.
Kei said, “BTS had a comeback show, and I was really envious while watching that. I want us to come in first but the other teams are also working really hard at preparing so it’s hard to know if it will be possible.” She shared, “We just have the final performance left now, and I’m very worried. We’re discussing a lot about how we should set up the performance. Still, being on stage is so fun. I want to restore our reputation through our final performance.”
Source: Soompi