Watch: HyunA Performs On "Yoo Hee Yeol's Sketchbook" For The First Time In Over 4 Years

Jan 30, 2021

On the January 29 episode of KBS’s “Yoo Hee Yeol’s Sketchbook,” HyunA appeared on the show for the first time in four years and five months.

After performing “GOOD GIRL,” one of the b-side tracks on her new mini album “I’m Not Cool,” HyunA said, “I didn’t even know it had been that long. I turned 30 this year [Korean age]. It’s been over 10 years since I debuted. I think a lot has changed.”

About her hiatus due to health issues, she said, “A lot of people sent me their cheers and support. Due to vasovagal syncope, I have low blood pressure. I had a lot of instances when I fainted for a moment due to falling blood pressure. I told people about this for the first time and gained strength from learning that other people shared the same condition.”

She continued, “I like to dance and stand on stage, so I kept thinking to myself that it would be fine. But when I got off stage, it wouldn’t be fine. I decided to work harder at exercising and managing my stamina. Now I’ve improved to the point where I can endure it much better.”

HyunA shared that “GOOD GIRL” had been her planned comeback track for last August before she was forced to take a hiatus. She said, “I was really nervous to perform it for the first time on ‘Sketchbook,’ but it was fun. My body had forgotten all the moves, but I worked hard to practice it for ‘Sketchbook.'”

About the inspiration for her album, “I’m Not Cool,” she said, “When you stand on stage in full makeup and costume, you’re trying really hard to be cool. In reality, you need the help and support of everyone around you. I thought often that what I was doing wasn’t really that cool. Even wearing makeup right now isn’t really ‘cool.’ I like the ‘cool’ self that I have when I’m at home, but I have another side of myself on stage. I wanted to talk about this kind of personal thing.”

PSY, who is the also the head of her agency, produced the album. She said, “Our first meeting was a decade ago. After ‘Gangnam Style,’ I saw him often. Thanks to him, a lot of fans abroad came to know me. I was working as part of the group 4Minute then, and the group as well as HyunA became more well known [thanks to PSY].”

Asked why she had joined the agency, she replied, “The biggest factor was what he said. I was tempted when he said that he wanted to make a playground for singers. I think that we’ve built a slide so far. We’re building it together. It feels like a family is turning a playground into an amusement park together, so it’s fun. I’m building the swings.”

Yoo Hee Yeol revealed that DAWN had come to cheer on his girlfriend, although he wasn’t performing with her. HyunA said, “I was surprised as well, but really moved. It was so sweet. He said he felt shy, so he’s monitoring the performance backstage.”

Yoo Hee Yeol mentioned that the couple had dated for three or four years now and HyunA said, “I can’t believe it’s already been that long. I can’t believe I’ve turned 30 and that I’m in a public relationship. We work together, but there aren’t any difficulties. We understand each other well. We work in the same building, so if he’s working on producing on the fifth floor, I’m practicing choreography on the third floor. He’ll come and check on me when he’s done and give me feedback. He pretends that it’s a chore, but he always does it.”