K-pop singer Hyolyn poses before an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul's Seongdong District, Thursday. Courtesy of ReH Entertainment
Before Hyolyn became K-pop's official "summer queen," before debuting as part of girl group SISTAR and before the stage name, there was a teenager in awe of Destiny's Child.
"Those sounds shocked me even back then," the singer said during an interview with The Korea Times at a quiet cafe in Seoul's Seongdong District, Thursday. "Artists I loved back then and still listen to now: Destiny's Child, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Britney, Missy Elliott. Even without seeking them out, old songs were always on my playlist. I wanted to bring back that feeling."
That feeling is the engine of "OriginaLyn," Hyolyn's fourth mini album.
Slated for release at 6 p.m. Wednesday, the seven-track set arrives through ReH Entertainment, the singer's self-founded agency. Its title fuses "original" with "Lyn," and the mission statement is in the wordplay — this is not a reinvention but a restoration. It's her first mini album since "iCE" in July 2022, and her first physical release in four years.
