YENA spreads her ‘Blooming Wings’ in 4th mini-album
Singer YENA poses for photos during a media showcase at Blue Square's SOL Travel Hall in Yongsan District, Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Yuehua Entertainment
K-pop singer YENA is back and ready to take flight with her most personal work yet.
The soloist unveiled her fourth mini-album, “Blooming Wings,” Tuesday, marking her comeback 10 months after “NEMONEMO.” During a media showcase at Blue Square’s SOL Travel Hall in Yongsan District, Seoul, she revealed the album was born from “deep emotion and creative devotion.”
“I poured everything into this album because I was thinking about meeting my fans again on tour with new songs,” she said. “It took almost a year, so I really paid attention to every detail.”
“Blooming Wings” tells a story of love and emotional growth, reinterpreted through a more mature perspective. The album spans the innocent thrill of a first crush to the bittersweet farewell that follows, all delivered in her signature “YENA-core” style — a bright, genre-blending sound shaped by clever lyrics and raw sincerity.
The lead single, “Being a Good Girl Hurts,” captures the emotional heart of the album. It offers a poetic retelling of a pure, one-sided love that blooms like angel wings, only to fade quietly in the rain. With sweeping strings and YENA’s soft, expressive vocals, the track paints a bittersweet portrait.
“I wanted to show what it means to love with a heart that’s soft like feathers — to give everything, without asking anything back,” she explained. “But sometimes, that kind of love hurts the most.”
Though the melody feels light and catchy, the emotional weight grows as the song unfolds. It mirrors the internal conflict of saying goodbye to a past version of oneself.
YENA co-wrote the song, a first for one of her singles.
“The producer encouraged me to include my own story. At first, love felt like a hard topic to write about, but I realized honesty was the key ... I tried to express everything I had imagined and felt.”
Singer YENA poses for photos during a media showcase at Blue Square's SOL Travel Hall in Yongsan District, Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Yuehua Entertainment
That emotional sincerity came alive onstage, where YENA performed the track in a sky-blue dress, surrounded by theatrical props and fairytale-like visuals that evoked a miniature musical.
The music video, starring actor Lee Do-hyun, adds a cinematic touch. “He was the first person I asked, and he said yes right away. It felt like a movie. He’s on another level,” she recalled.
Since her 2022 solo debut with “SMILEY,” YENA has built a world of her own — a mix of cheerful hooks, quirky storytelling and Gen Z charm.
“The compliment I’ve heard the most is, ‘That’s so YENA,’” she said. “I think being honest on stage is my biggest strength, and I just want to keep enjoying it.”
Fresh off her first solo tour across Asia, which included sold-out shows in Seoul, Osaka, Tokyo, Macao and Taipei, YENA said the experience gave her confidence to start this new chapter.
“It’s an album I worked on for 10 months, so I really hope people say ‘This is a great song,’ or ‘She sings so well.’ More than a specific outcome, I just want to keep doing this — growing, singing and standing onstage.”
And with “Blooming Wings,” she invites listeners to grow with her.
Youn Ye-jin is a Korea Times intern.