In a recent interview and pictorial for High Cut magazine, Sunmi opened up about her philosophy as an artist and how she’s changed since her debut.

When asked about the secret to her impressive streak of hit songs, Sunmi shared, “I always try not to distance myself from the general public. Even if there’s something I like, if I think it’s too hard [for the general public] to understand, I’ll compromise a little.”

“For example, if I think the look [of a comeback] is a bit hard to understand, then I’ll try to go with an even easier, more mainstream melody,” she explained. “Of course, an artist’s unique style is important, but I’d like to maintain my unique style while also remaining approachable from a mainstream viewpoint.”

Sunmi added, “It hasn’t been that long since I started producing, but I’m at the stage where I’m still studying and learning more about it. I think I need to understand myself well. I need to become my own fan in order to figure out how to appeal to the general public.”

As for the key to playing up her own unique charms to the max, the singer remarked, “I think it’s impossible to show off your full talent and appeal if you’re trapped inside someone else’s mold. In order to highlight your unique charms, you have to be free to do things however you want to do them.”

“Personally, I find myself losing confidence when I’m forced to do things in a structured way,” she confessed. “I have to freely convey my emotions, facial expressions, and body movements the way I feel them at any given moment; that then becomes my charm and appeal.”

Finally, when asked how she had changed since her debut as a member of Wonder Girls back in 2007, Sunmi replied, “Before, I didn’t have time to figure out my own viewpoint and convictions—or to even think about that kind of thing. That’s how busy I was back then.”

“Now I’ve become an adult, matured, and developed my own convictions, so I think it’s much easier for me to go about my work,” she went on. “The worries I had when I was young have become very helpful to me now. If I hadn’t realized those things back then, I think I would still be struggling with what to do in certain situations.”

“After overcoming those worries, I’m now facing different concerns,” reflected Sunmi. She added optimistically, “And I plan to solve them one by one.”

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