Lee Chaeyeon performs "Don't" during a press conference held in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Wednesday. (WM Entertainment)
Lee Chaeyeon has returned with her 3rd mini album, “Showdown,” some 10 months after the release of her first single, “The Move: Street.” The singer stressed that she played a large part in producing the album, from writing the lyrics to the choreography.
The featured track, “Don’t,” is a two-step dance pop song with a fresh infusion of everyday sounds such as phone rings. Along with repetitive lyrics and addictive melody, the lyrics depict the mind of someone going through a tough breakup.
"I felt confident when I imagined performing this song on stage. Not only does it have a catchy melody, it's also easy to get immersed in the lyrics," said Lee.
As she is well-known for her dancing and impressive performances, Lee said she endeavored to come up with choreography that would surprise the audience.
“I didn’t want to give the impression of repeating the same thing. I paid attention to details like varied choreography and the number of dancers, and I made sure to include eye-catching elements. I put a lot of thought into it until I was satisfied with the result."
Lee also wrote the lyrics for track “Don’t” and one of the B-side tracks, “Dreaming.”
Lee explained that "Charlie," mentioned in the lyrics of the title track, represents another side of herself. "I think of Charlie as the dark side of me that I don't want to reveal, while my ordinary self is just Chaeyeon. Through the conflict between these two selves, I wanted to capture not only the separation in love but also the inner turmoil," she explained.
Lee proudly said that she has gained confidence over the years, especially through the recent album production.
“While working hard on the production of this album, I felt that I could call myself an all-rounder, not just in terms of performance but in other areas as well. I will continue to work hard to become an artist worthy of that title.”
She mentioned her younger sister, Chaeryeong of Itzy, as giving her a lot of support. "Chaeryeong was the first to film the challenge video for my new song before heading off on her overseas tour. She said the song was really good and strongly encouraged me."
Lee also shared her friendship with rapper Lee Youngji. "Youngji and I met the day before her song 'Small Girl' was released and we shared our music videos. We both loved each other’s work and wished for mutual success.”
“I am happy just to come up with a new album, but I also want to make my fans and my parents happy by getting it into the top 100 charts and staying there for a long time,” Lee said with a shy smile.
Lee Chaeyeon performs "Don't" during a press conference held in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Wednesday. (WM Entertainment)
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