Over a decade since she started her career as a member of Girls’ Generation, South Korean singer Kwon Yuri released her first solo album on Thursday (Oct. 4).
The new set, The First Scene, explores the pop star’s sound as a soloist and is fronted by the single “Into You.” A rhythmic dance track with a captivating melody, “Into You” starts off with a strong opening verse from Yuri (Kwon Yu-ri) as she reintroduces herself as a singer in her own right outside of her group work. Throughout the song she plays up her airy tone, vacillating between piano-backed croons and dramatic belts over whirring synths as she pulls back and lets loose, letting her vocals blend with pulsating, rumbling beats, and one-off quirks, like the popping sound of a champagne bottle being opened, to create a soundscape of a dreamy night out.
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“Into You” serves as the intro track for The First Scene, which features five other songs through which the singer highlights both her sexy confidence, such as on the groovy dance tune “Illusion” and the creeping retro-pop track “C’est La Vie (That’s LIFE!),” and her sensitive side, like on the soft pop “Butterfly” and ballad “Chapter 2.” It closes with the promise of more through the evocative “Ending Credit (To be continued).”
At a showcase in Seoul upon its release, the K-pop star explained that she wanted to exude “sexiness, femininity, and beauty” for the album. “Into You” was fittingly released through a sleekly-shot, dance-focused video that puts the focus on Yuri as she performs, with alluring gazes and sensual choreography captivating the camera’s attention.
Though her first official album, Yuri released the solo track “Always Find You” with Raiden in January and partook in the Girls’ Generation subunit Oh!GG’s “Lil’ Touch” last month. She is one of several Girls’ Generation members to pursue a solo career while a member of the group, and is also an actress in South Korea. She will appear in the upcoming television show Dae Jang Geum Is Watching, set to premiere on Oct. 11.
Watch the music video for Yuri’s “Into You” here: