Lee Hae-ri of Davichi debuts as soloist

Lee Hae-ri of Davichi / Courtesy of CJ E&M

By Kim Jae-heun

Lee Hae-ri of the popular ballad duo Davichi has debuted as a soloist, releasing her first mini-album.

Lee appeared on the K-pop scene in early 2008 with singer Kang Min-kyung, releasing the single “I Hate You, I Love You,” which won her the Rookie of the Month title from the Cyworld Digital Music Awards. Since then, the duo has achieved many commercial successes, with six singles topping local music charts. Lee, particularly, was in the spotlight for her exceptional vocal ability that perfectly suited the ballad genre and many of her fans have waited a long time for her first solo album.

“I’ve long thought about releasing my solo album, but it took me some time because I am a perfectionist and I had to consider a lot before I finally made the decision,” Lee said during a press conference at Stradeum in Hannam-dong, Seoul, Wednesday. “I wasn’t sure if I had settled down with Davichi yet. And suddenly I realized it would be too late to stand alone if it were not now.”

Lee said it is no burden singing alone as she has experience as a soloist in music shows like her recent performance in “King of Mask Singer,” where she defeated all competitors for two consecutive weeks.

“When I sing alone, I can concentrate better,” Lee said. “And when I sing with Min-kyung, we make synergy by harmonizing our voices.”

Lee’s mini-album “h” has seven tracks divided into two themes.

On the “BLACK h,” the singer attempted a new style of music she has never performed, such as the lead single “Pattern,” released on Wednesday.

Lee said she is well known for hitting high notes in her songs but wanted to show a different side of what she can do.

In the contrasting theme “WHITE h,” on the other hand, Lee sings a typical ballad of her favorite _ “Hate That I Miss You.” The popular ballad trio “4Men’s” singer Shin Yong-jae wrote the track for Lee, in which she shows off her high notes and her controlled emotion.

“My strength lies on my delivery,” Lee said. “I try to deliver the lyrics as clearly as possible. It is important for me to exchange the emotion with the audience through lyrics when I sing.

“I dedicate this song to women who just broke up with their lovers. When you listen to the lyrics, your emotion will break out. I had to stop several times while recording the song because I got too emotional.”

Lee said she hopes to be remembered for long time as a singer.

“I want to sing for a long time and I want to perform at many concerts,” she said. “I am already planning one this June. I want to be a singer recognized for my singing and doing a lot of concerts.”