MAMAMOO's Wheein to shake up music scene with new release 'WHEE'

MAMAMOO's Wheein will release her second mini-album, “WHEE,” Jan. 16. Courtesy of The L1VE

By Dong Sun-hwa

The competition for the top spots on the music charts will be fiercer than ever this month, with a wave of celebrated K-pop divas, including former IZ*ONE member Yena, GFriend's Yuju and MAMAMOO's Moonbyul, gearing up for fresh releases.

MAMAMOO's Wheein too, is unlikely to lag behind, as her second EP “WHEE” ― which will be released Jan. 16 ― is expected to be the crown jewel of her musicality. “WHEE” is a Chinese character used in Wheein's name that refers to light.

Leading off the new EP is “Make Me Happy,” a song composed by Ravi of K-pop boy band VIXX, the founder of Wheein's new management company THE L1VE. Ravi, who is renowned for his music producing skills, was behind the success of tracks such as VIXX's “Secret Night” (2013).

Although details about the song have been kept under wraps, teasers hint that “Make Me Happy” will have a dreamy vibe that highlights Wheein's velvety voice and captures her emotional journey.

In one teaser video released Jan. 7 on THE L1VE's official YouTube channel, Wheein describes “light” ― which is believed to be the main theme of her new EP ― as “the root of all things, something that ceaselessly changes.” She also said that it is “the source that keeps me alive.”

Also included in the mini-album are five other tunes ― “Pink Cloud,” “Letter Filled with Light,” “Deserve (Interlude),” “Pastel” and “Paraglide.”

“The upcoming EP will offer tracks with different vibes,” The L1VE said in a statement. “It will also be a testament to Wheein's musical maturity.”

Wheein debuted as a member of MAMAMOO in 2014 with the single "Mr. Ambiguous." MAMAMOO, consisting of Solar, Moon Byul, Wheein and Hwasa, were catapulted to fame after putting out a series of hits including "Decalcomanie" (2016) and "Starry Night" (2018). Wheein went solo with the digital single "Easy” in 2018 and created a splash on multiple streaming charts with her first mini-album “Redd” that came out last year.