“(Regarding disbandment) We never thought about letting go of the team at all. The previous company also supported us and let us go.”
The second chapter of the group Everglow (Yooa, Sihyeon, Onda, Asha) has begun. They recently signed an exclusive contract with their new agency, Cheetah Company, after leaving their former agency, Weehwa Entertainment (hereafter Weehwa). Having parted ways with Weehwa with a year left on their contract, they are starting anew with a sense of relief rather than regret.
“The previous company had some shortcomings in supporting our activities, so I felt sorry. They wished us well, saying, ‘I hope you do well,’ and encouraged us to work harder at another company.”
With only one year left until the contract expired, it would have been difficult to achieve any changes or challenges during that time. Onda shared, “I wanted to continue our activities as soon as possible. It felt like a waste of time to just sit still, and at that time, the company couldn’t do anything,” adding, “Above all, there were no plans for an album, so I made the decision to leave.”
The smiles on the faces of the four members, who are envisioning a new future with Cheetah Company, did not fade. “The company has a family-like atmosphere, which I really like. They take care of even the smallest things, and I feel grateful that they lead us with more passion than we do.”
Most importantly, their first goal is to be active. They planned their first fan meeting for domestic fans since their debut. Starting this month in Seoul (Ilji Art Hall), they will visit fans in Osaka, Tokyo, Taipei, and other Asian cities.
Under the professional system of Cheetah Company, they will primarily focus on offline stages such as fan meetings and performances for the time being.
Sihyeon stated, “We debuted just before the COVID-19 pandemic, so we have had a long hiatus. As a result, we have hardly met our domestic fans in person,” expressing her anticipation, “Through this fan meeting, we plan to show our charm more deeply and intensely.”
“I feel sorry for the fans who have waited until now, and I think we need to do better. Rather than making an album right away, I want to create precious memories with our fans.”
All the members have been trainees for over 8 years. For Sihyeon and Yooa, it’s 10 and 11 years, respectively. The duration increases when considering their time since debut. When asked about the driving force that helped them endure the long and challenging entertainment activities, they all agreed, “It’s the belief and ambition I have in myself.”
Asha emphasized, “All the members have the same goal. It’s to do this work without regrets until the end. I have no intention of giving up,” adding, “Since there are fans who have waited for us, I never thought of stopping here.” Sihyeon also stated, “There have been many more moments of regret than satisfaction during our activities. Now, I believe we can properly show our own things while addressing those shortcomings.”
Everglow, which was previously a 6-member group, has transformed into a 4-member system after moving to a new nest, excluding members Mia and Yiren. Mia left the team due to personal reasons, while Yiren is in the process of parting ways due to her contract with Weehwa's headquarters in China still being in effect.
The music will also be filled with the voices of the four members. Regarding this, Yooa expressed, “We were worried and discussed a lot among ourselves about how to handle it. Right now, I feel more excited,” adding, “I’m trying to enhance my abilities so that I won’t feel the absence of the previous members.”
In fact, the members revealed that they are re-recording some of the representative songs they previously performed as a 6-member group with the voices of 4 members. Onda explained, “While re-recording the previous songs, I feel like I’m learning and experiencing new aspects vocally. My desire to develop further is growing.”
Sihyeon remarked, “When I was active before, I was focused on the trees, but now I feel like I’m seeing the forest. With a little more room, I’m thinking, ‘How can I make the fans like us?’” as she envisions a perfect performance on stage.
They are also considering overseas activities. With the rapid globalization of K-pop, they are determined not to remain only in Korea. Of course, they emphasized that all promotions will be centered around Korean fans.
They are looking at plans to release new music around January or February next year. They are currently sourcing new songs and are carefully reviewing them internally, including the members. The album is likely to be in the form of a mini-album.
“When I see fellow idol singers on stage, my heart races,” Everglow expressed their ambition to become a ‘genre restaurant’ team.
“I can only say thank you to the fans who have waited until now. From now on, we will show ourselves as much as possible without any empty spaces or empty time. We will communicate a lot, so please wait a little longer.”
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
