Hwasa

Hwasa debuted as a member of the girl group Mamamoo on June 19, 2014, being one of the leading voices with the release of the lead single "Mr. Ambiguous" from their first extended play (EP) Hello. She wrote and composed her first solo song, "My Heart/I Do Me," from Hello.[7]

In March 2018, Hwasa released her second solo song, "Be Calm," as part of Mamamoo's sixth EP, Yellow Flower.[8] The music video for the song was uploaded on March 25 and has gained 6.3 million views as of January 2021.[9] "Be Calm" charted at number 35 on the Gaon Download Chart.

In April 2018, Hwasa joined the cast of KBS reality television show Hyena on the Keyboard; the appearance spawned a collaboration with rapper Loco titled "Don't". Hwasa took part in writing and composing the song and it successfully topped the South Korean's Gaon Digital Chart.[10] "Don't" was later certified Platinum for 100 million streams in January 2019 and again for 2.5 million downloads in August 2018.[11][12]

In February 2019, Hwasa made her debut as a solo artist with the digital single, "Twit," which she participated in writing and composing.[13] The song was a commercial success, peaking atop the Gaon Digital Chart and scored a "Triple Crown," topping the Gaon Digital, Gaon Download and Gaon Streaming charts.[14] "Twit" also peaked at number three on Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart for the week of March 2, 2019.[15]

Hwasa released the single "In The Fall," a collaboration with South Korean hip-hop producer Woogie, in October 2019.[16] She participated in both writing and composing the song.

In December 2019, "Twit" was featured in Billboard's "The 25 Best K-pop Songs of 2019: Critics' Pick" list at number 8. It was mentioned that "she proved to be a diva provocateur as she pushed the boundaries of accepted norms for women in the industry, both in regard to her musical performances and her public appearances." [17] "Twit" was also ranked at number 13 of 29 songs on Refinery29's "The Best K-Pop Songs Of 2019,"[18] and Rolling Stone India featured the music video in their "10 Best K-pop Music Videos of 2019."[19]

In March 2020, Hwasa teamed up with English singer Dua Lipa for a remix of Lipa's "Physical," which includes added Korean lyrics.[20][21]

In April, it was reported that Hwasa had joined the original soundtrack lineup of the Korean drama The King: Eternal Monarch and would be releasing her first solo soundtrack song (OST), titled "Orbit."[22][23] The song debuted at number 16 on Billboard World Digital Song Sales Chart for the week of May 2, 2020.[24]

On June 29, Hwasa released her debut EP, titled Maria, and the lead single of the same name.[25] The EP debuted at number seven on the Billboard World Albums and 81on Billboard Top Current Albums Sales charts for the week of July 11, 2020.[26][27] After release, the EP ranked first in 20 countries on the iTunes Album Chart around the world, including United States. Consequently, Hwasa became the first Korean female solo artist to rank on top of the United States iTunes Albums Chart.[28] Lead single "Maria" was composed by Hwasa and producer Park Woo-sang with the goal of showing her growth as a singer-songwriter. Hwasa also wrote the lyrics for "LMM" and composed "Why."[29] For the week of September 26, 2020, "Maria" peaked at number two on Billboard K-pop Hot 100 and on the week of October 3, 2020, it peaked at number 79 on Billboard Japan Hot 100.[30][31] "Maria" also debuted at number six on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart.[32]

On season six of JTBC's entertainment show Hidden Singer, Hwasa was one of the contestants for the episode airing on September 11, 2020. In the final round, Hwasa won by an overwhelming 79 votes, which ended the four consecutive losing streaks from previous contestants and earned the singer her second win as an original singer of the season.[33]

Hwasa joined the cast of MBC reality-variety show How Do You Play? in August 2020 as a member of four-member supergroup Refund Sisters (환불 원정대). The group consists of Hwasa along with Korean singers Lee Hyo-ri, Uhm Jung-hwa, and Jessi; they made their debut on October 10, releasing their debut single, "Don't Touch Me."[34] "Don't Touch Me" peaked atop the Gaon Digital Chart for two consecutive weeks.[35][36]

At the end of 2020, "Maria" was featured in Billboard's article "A Look Back at Billboard's K-Pop 100 Chart in 2020 and All Its Big Players." "Maria" charted with a record 19 consecutive weeks in the top-ten, making it the song with the second most weeks in the chart's top-ten.[37] Streaming service Spotify also announced their "2020 Most Played Female Korean K-pop Artists," and Hwasa was ranked 4th.[38] One of Hwasa's side tracks, "LMM" was featured in MTV News' "The Best K-POP B-sides of 2020" at number eight.[39] "Maria" also landed at second place in Rolling Stone India's "20 Best K-pop Music Videos of 2020."[40] "Maria" was then featured in Paper Magazine at number 27 of their "40 Best K-pop Songs of 2020". The article mentioned that "Hwasa is known to many as a fearless person but her single 'Maria' deconstructs that image, casting an image of a young woman who is at once vulnerable and confident, playful and seductive — idol and human."[41] Time magazine released an article titled, "The Songs and Albums That Defined K-Pop's Monumental Year in 2020," and stated that "of the solo releases this year, Hwasa’s "Maria" leaves the most searing impression. The track is sleek and sultry, oozing with her distinct charisma as she sings in her low-toned, rounded voice over syncopated drum beats."[42] With her continuous success, Hwasa managed to rank ninth on the "Top 100 Kpop Idols YouTube Worldwide Search Rankings for 2020."[43]

Hwasa at the opening for the Magnum Pleasure Store in Seoul, June 2018

In September 2018, Hwasa became the ambassador for outdoor brand The North Face for the 2018 fashion week season.[44] In October 2018, she became the first female model for Lotte Crunky Gold since its release in 1984.[45] Hwasa is known for her charismatic stage manners and excellent singing skills. The selection of brand model was based on the judgment that the image given by the new product, "Crunky Gold" goes well with Hwasa.[46][47]

In March 2019, Coca-Cola's ice tea brand Gold Peak Tea selected Hwasa as their new model.[48] She then became the newest muse for make up brand Rarekind in April 2019.[49] In June 2019, it was reported that Hwasa became the new model for Everland Caribbean Bay, an indoor/outdoor water park located in South Korea.[50] Hwasa later on was featured on the cover of Cosmopolitan Korea's August 2019 issue.[51] In November, she teamed up with Vogue magazine and Urban Decay cosmetics for their "Pretty Different" and "Queen" inspired concepts.[52][53] Ottogi revealed in November 2019 that their newest model for their Jjamppong instant noodles was Hwasa.[54]

In January 2020, The Sims 4 announced that Hwasa will be part of their advertising campaign. EA Korea released "Play With Life," a Sims 4 commercial film video featuring Hwasa.[55] She then teamed up with MCM for the February issue of Elle Korea, a fashion magazine. Hwasa is loved by viewers for her unique voice and spectacular performance in the broadcasting industry. This fashion pictorial aimed to show a styling that portraits provocative charm. It was reported that on the day of the photoshoot, Hwasa boosted the atmosphere with her unique cheerful and bright appearance, and is rumored to have shown a "hip" aspect of Hwasa by grooving to the music.[56] In February 2020, Hwasa was chosen as an ambassador for sports brand Adidas for their latest "Running Campaign", alongside Son Heung-min, a South Korean footballer and Lee Jung-hoo, a baseball player.[57][58] Hwasa later on became Kiss New York's new muse in April 2020.[59] She was chosen due to her sensuous and charming personality. Hwasa then teamed up with Alexander Wang to grace the cover of Cosmopolitan Korea's August 2020 issue after releasing her first EP, Maria.[60] Tommy Jeans released a campaign pictorial with their new brand muse, Hwasa on September 16 for 2020 Fall Season under the concept of "Stay Home with Tommy". In the pictorial, Hwasa completed her hip retro styling by showing a comfortable yet sensuous look with various items from Tommy Jeans.[61] Vogue and Gucci had a collaboration campaign from the idea of having time with themselves. Hwasa was among the artists who participated in this collaboration campaign in a quiet hanok with Gucci's new bag. According to Gucci, "Hwasa may be the artist that best suits Gucci. She has her personal colour and a confident character. On stage, she's an artist who shows off strong makeup and bold looks but looks friendly on entertainment programs".[62]

Hwasa teamed up with Tommy Hilfiger for a charity project called 'Together, We Create' initiative in September. It is a YouTube series showcasing the design process of Tommy Hilfiger's visionaries as they make unique T-shirts that will be auctioned off via Catawiki for the charity WWF. 24 inspiring individuals have added their own personal touch creating their own unique 'Together Tee'. Produced as a single piece edition, this t-shirt is available on Catawiki only in this special Charity Auction curated by Tommy Hilfiger. Partnering with WWF, all the proceeds will be donated to the water stewardship programs in the three key hotspots for water risk: China's Taihu River, the Mekong River basin in Vietnam and the Büyük Menderes river basin in Turkey. Hwasa's message for this project is "I believe two are better than alone. There is a special power of 'moving forward together' that even change struggles and hardships into positive."[63]

For the latest November issue of Vogue, Hwasa collaborated with numerous renowned brands for a photoshoot, such as Dior, La Perla, Miu Miu, Fendi, Balmain, John Hardy, Dolce & Gabbana, Alexander Wang, Bottega Veneta, Givenchy, and Burberry. The concept of this photoshoot was called "Hwasa's Era" with her personal message; "Without tears, I would never have been able to strengthen myself. I probably could not gained inner beauty either. I felt that by looking at my mother, and I felt it looking at myself until now."[64]

Hwasa teamed up with Valentino and was featured in Vogue's February 2021 issue with the theme "How to Blossom Gorgeous".[65] In the interview with Vogue, she mentioned that "Every step I take has to do with music. Even if I'm simply watching a movie, I think of them with a connection to music. I'm like this because I want to pour everything into it until I'm sick of it."

In 2019, Hwasa was featured on Forbes Korea Power Celebrity and was ranked at number 26.[66]

In December 2020, Hwasa was the model for Lotte Chilsung. Advertisement critics mentioned that Hwasa's strong image blended well with the product and advertisement. Critics highly appreciated the fact that the company understood Hwasa's image well. Her character, which broke the traditional idol prejudice of beauty standards in Korea and became her own beauty standard, was actively used in the advertisement.[67]

In January 2021, Hwasa was featured in TimeOut Hong Kong's article as one of the "Sexiest Asian Stars to Follow on Instagram Right Now". It was also mentioned that "Hwasa is one of the latest and most popular trendsetters in the industry. Different from the conventionally cute style of female idols, Hwasa stands out with her boldness and is recognised for her stunning vocal and dancing

Hwasa's first appearance on I Live Alone in June 2018 has earned her the titles "Gopchang Goddess" and "Hwasa Effect".[68] She has started a national "Gopchang Craze", causing the delicacy to sell out across the country.[69] The restaurant now has over 90 branches nationwide and also expanding into the US market.[70] South Korean by-product meat association has awarded Hwasa with a trophy of appreciation for promoting the gopchang dish and increasing the ingredients’ sales.[71] Hwasa's impact after the "Gopchang Craze" has earned her a partnership with Lotte Home Shopping. The “Hwazakaya” gopchang set which she promoted, reportedly sold 5,000 units within just 60 minutes, estimated to be about KRW 300 million.[72]

In July 2018, after another appearance of Hwasa on "I Live Alone", she has yet again caused a shortage of soy sauce marinated crab. Her name and 'marinated crab' topped online keyword search list leading to increased sales.[73] On the similar episode, she also ate seaweed crackers which caused them to sell out in South Korea. It was reported that the sales of seaweed crackers have increased 50 times after the show aired and factories have then received huge amount of orders and cannot be produced on time to meet consumers' needs.[74] A popular company that produces and sells seaweed crackers, Jirisan Hue Factory, gave her an appreciation plaque to thank her for the increased sales.[75] In another variety show, "Let's Eat Dinner Together", Hwasa was seen talking about tonguefish (bakdae) while eating it. After the show aired, her name and 'tonguefish (bakdae)' topped online keyword search list leading to high sales. Through their official social media account, Gunsan Park University Local Project Team awarded an appreciation plaque to Hwasa.[76]

In February 2019, Hwasa was seen mixing chapagetti and truffle oil in an episode of "I Live Alone". This new recipe instantly became a hot topic. The sales growth rate reached 20.5% in just one week and has been popular among consumers.[77] The retail sales of chapagetti in the first half of the year recorded KRW 91 billion, an 8.5% increase from the previous year.[78] In March 2019, Hwasa became one of the endorsers for Davich’s 'Trevues' lenses. She was modelling for the 'Trevues Palette' lenses and it gained popularity as it became known as "Hwasa's Lenses". According to reports, by the end of the month, Hwasa’s 'Trevues Palette' lenses were already sold out. Demand was so high, the company was unable to restock the lenses until end of the year.[79] In August 2019, in another clip from "I Live Alone", Hwasa was seen using a Tangle Angel hairbrush. After the broadcast, the keyword 'Hwasa's Comb' became the number one search word on the portal site and the product was sold out temporarily. Tangle Angel issued a statement confirming that the overwhelming influx of orders were all thanks to Hwasa.[80]

In March 2020, Hwasa appeared on "I Live Alone" making fried tofu rice balls. After the episode aired, posts related to 'Steps to Make Hwasa's Fried Tofu Rice Balls' were posted in various online community portals. In a large online marketplace, ingredients for tofu rice balls were sold out for two days after the broadcast. One of the viewers said, "After the broadcast, I was curious about the taste of Hwasa's tofu rice balls. When I went to the stall to buy ingredients for it, they were all out of stock".[81] On the same episode, Hwasa was seen playing the music recorder and unexpectedly made recorder music sheets to sell out as well on respective websites. This has led to the music sheet websites to become overwhelmed with orders and had to announce a delay in deliveries.[82] In May 2020, Hwasa was chosen as a model for a hangover drink by Lotte Chilsung Beverage. They had re-entered the hangover relieving beverage market after 14 years and despite the reduced number of drinking spots due to Covid-19, they still managed to sell 3 million cans in just half a year after its launch. They mentioned that "The advertising effect of Hwasa contributed to the success".[83] In September 2020, Hwasa was one of the endorser for a clothing brand called, Andar. Their 'Air Touch Fit T-shirt' worn by Hwasa has received great attention as 'Hwasa's T-shirt'. This particular T-shirt sold out on the day of release causing an early sell out.[84] In October 2020, on an episode of "I Live Alone", Hwasa went star gazing at Gapyeong Hwaaksan Ssamji Park. After the broadcast, netizens showed explosive interest in the star gazing location where Hwasa went. Her name and the name of the location topped online keyword search list. There were many posts on social medias about netizens who went there and even camped to see the stars. Those who visited the place after the broadcast said, "The parking lot was full of cars, it was difficult to see the stars since there were too many people".[85][86] Hwasa also became a muse for Tommy Jeans in 2020. The brand mentioned that, after they had Hwasa as their muse for Tommy Jeans for their Fall/Winter products, they've achieved a 75% product exhaustion rate. They said that if a product has a 60% product exhaustion rate, it's usually considered a success. They also stated that some products which Hwasa wore on 'Hangout with Yoo' or showed through her personal Instagram account, they would sell out within 5 days.[87]