Ahn Hye-jin, better known by her stage name Hwasa, is a South Korean singer, rapper, songwriter and television personality signed under RBW. She debuted as a member of the girl group Mamamoo in June 2014. She made her solo debut with the digital single "Twit" on February 13, 2019. She released her first EP, María, on June 29, 2020.
Early life
Ahn Hye-jin was born on July 23, 1995, in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea, where she lived with her parents and two elder sisters. She has been friends with her Mamamoo co-member, Wheein, since middle school and the two pursued careers in music together. She graduated from Wonkwang Information Arts High School. Even before her K-pop debut, a number of South Korean artists – including Solbi and the bandStanding Egg – recognised her talent and featured her on their tracks when she was 16.
Career
Hwasa debuted as a member of the girl group Mamamoo on June 19, 2014, being one of the leading voices with the release of the lead single "Mr. Ambiguous" from their first extended play Hello. She wrote and composed "My Heart/I Do Me" from Hello. In April 2018 she joined the cast of KBSreality television showHyena on the Keyboard; the appearance spawned a collaboration with rapper Loco titled "Don't". Hwasa took part in writing and composing the song and it successfully topped the South Korean's Gaon Digital Chart. The song was later certified Platinum. In February 2019, Hwasa made her debut as a solo artist with the digital single, "Twit" which she participated in writing and composing it. The song successfully topped the Gaon Digital Chart and scored a "Triple Crown", topping the Gaon Digital, Gaon Download and Gaon Streaming charts in Korea. Hwasa also composed and wrote the song "In The Fall" and was released in October 2019. In March 2020, Hwasa teamed up with an English singer Dua Lipa for a new remix version of "Physical" which includes Korean lyrics. In April, it was reported that Hwasa has joined the original soundtrack lineup of the Korean drama and would be releasing her first solo OST titled "Orbit". On June 29, Hwasa released her EP Maria. The lead single of the same name was composed by Hwasa & producer Park Woo-sang and shows her growth as a singer-songwriter. Hwasa also wrote the lyrics for "LMM" and composed "Why".
Other ventures
Endorsements
During her first appearance on I Live Alone in June 2018, Hwasa started a national "Gopchang craze", causing the delicacy to sell out across the country. In September 2018, Hwasa became the ambassador for outdoor brand The North Face for the 2018 fashion week season. In October 2018, she became the first female model for Lotte Crunky Gold since its release in 1984. In March 2019, Coca-Cola's ice tea brand Gold Peak Tea selected Hwasa as their new model. She then became the newest muse for make up brand Rarekind in April 2019. In June 2019, Hwasa became the new model for EverlandCaribbean Bay. Hwasa was featured on the cover of Cosmopolitan Korea's August 2019 issue. She later teamed up with Vogue magazine in November and Urban Decay cosmetics for their "Pretty Different" and "Queen" inspired concepts. Ottogi revealed in November 2019 that their newest model for their Jjampponginstant noodles was Hwasa. In 2020, Hwasa collaborated with The Sims 4 for their advertising campaign. She then teamed up with MCM for the February issue of Elle Korea's Hwasa is also an ambassador for sports brand Adidas. In April 2020, Hwasa became Kiss New York's new muse. She was chosen due to her sensuous and charming personality. Hwasa teamed up with Alexander Wang to grace the cover of Cosmopolitan Korea's August 2020 issue after releasing her first EP, Maria.
Public image
Hwasa's first appearance on I Live Alone has earned her the titles "Gopchang Goddess" and "Hwasa Effect". Since then, Hwasa has managed to sell out every item she uses in her screen time, including recorder music sheets, Gopchang, even her fried tofu rice ball for dieting. Hwasa also appeared on Forbes Korea Power Celebrity in 2019
