'It is okay to be who you are,' says Weki Meki with new EP

Members of K-pop girl group Weki Meki pose during an online press event Thursday. Courtesy of Fantagio

By Dong Sun-hwa

The title of K-pop girl group Weki Meki's new EP is intuitive ― “I AM ME.” As this title implies, the eight-piece act seeks to give a heartwarming message to people facing identity issues via this release.

“Some people may think they have lost their own colors, while others may believe they have not yet discovered colors of their own,” said member Doyeon during an online press conference Thursday that took place a few hours before the release of “I AM ME.” “Through our songs, we want to tell them it is okay to be who they are right now.”

Ji Su-yeon added, “In our new release, we deliver the feelings we had when we were searching for our identities.”

Hence, “I AM ME” is the EP that speaks for Weki Meki, the members say.

“We talk about our youth, which can be both beautiful and tough,” Sei explained. “There are stories about our worries, confusion and hopes.”

The EP opens with “Siesta” that merges electronic and deep house styles.

“In our music video, all of us dress in white at first,” Lua said. “But as times goes by, the hues of our outfits gradually change, showing that we are on the path to finding our own colors and identities.”

Weki Meki also disclosed that LACHICA ― a female dance crew that was catapulted to fame after appearing on Mnet's dance competition show, “Street Woman Fighter” (2021) ― crafted the choreography for “Siesta.”

“There are a lot of eye-catching dance movements,” Doyeon said. But she will not be able to perform on stage with the group due to a wrist injury. Weki Meki's management company, Fantagio, said it will take four to six weeks for the singer to recover.

“I AM ME” offers five other tunes including the deep house-based “Who am I,” the funky “Luminous,” the R&B style “First Dream” and the synth pop song “One Day.” The members said they are confident about the quality of all the tracks.

Asked why it took more than a year for the eight-member group to release the new music, Ji Su-yeon ― who has a songwriting credit on “One Day” ― explained that it needed some time to lift the EP's quality. Weki Meki, which debuted in 2017, dropped its fourth mini-album, “NEW RULES” last October.

“Weki Meki and our management company strived to produce a mini-album that maximizes our magnetism,” she added.

Doyeon ended the session by talking about the octet's goal.

“I think a lot of people will find our new release relatable, because we unveiled our most authentic sides,” she said. “I hope many of them fall under the spell of this EP.”