K-Pop Group EXID Speaks Up About Returning Without Solji
K-pop group EXID made a comeback, minus one member, on April 10th, debuting their new song “Night Rather Than Day” from their third EP Eclipse on Mnet’s Mnet Presents. EXID’s lead vocalist, Solji, did not appear with the group as she is on hiatus after being diagnosed with hyperthyroidism in December of 2016. EXID member Hani said that Solji’s health prevented her from being with the group during promotions of their new album.
“She did get a lot better than before, but still needs more time to recover before she can make a return,” said Hani. “We are all praying for her fast recovery.”
EXID is an all-girl K-pop group based in South Korea that was formed in 2012. The group has five members: Solji, who is currently on hiatus until further notice for health-related reasons, LE, Hani, Hyelin, and Jeonghwa. The name EXID is short for “Exceed in Dreaming” however, when the group originally formed in February of 2012, it was a six-member group with the name WT, which stood for “Who’s That.” Past group members included Yuji, Dami, and Haeryeong.
The four current members of EXID held a live event prior to the release of their EP. The group used that time to update their fans on Solji’s condition. The group assured fans that Solji is getting plenty of rest so as to help speed her recovery, although she does still enjoy spending time with the rest of the group. Hyerin told fans that Solji will sometimes meet the rest of the members of EXID for dinner.
“Solji is obsessed with memes these days, so she keeps trying to have conversations with us using memes,” said Hyerin. “We don’t get why she’s like that.”
During the live event, the members of EXID told fans that Solji brought pizza to the set of the music video, and apologized for not being able to participate. Hani expressed her wish for a successful promotion for the EP so that EXID can “proudly return with all five members next time.”
“Solji frequently monitors us,” added Junghwa. “Her encouragement gives us a lot of strength, so the four of us are really thankful towards her. We can’t wait to come back with all five members.”
According to LE, the title of the group’s EP, Eclipse, represents the changes EXID has had to make following Solji’s diagnosis, and the thought of EXID’s future as a fully formed group once again, with all five members. Eclipse is the group’s first new album since the release of L.I.E, which debuted in June of 2016. The EP features five new songs, including “Night Rather Than Day.” This new song is more upbeat than the songs that the group usually performs, and has a more “vintage sound.”
In the song “Night Rather Than Day,” the members of EXID sing about how they prefer to have dates at night, rather than during the day. One of the reasons listed in the song are that the day is too busy, and there are too many people out during the day so the dates do not feel as intimate. Another reason listed in the song is that the sun is too harsh on the girls’ pale skin, so they would rather stay awake all night indoors.
“The song is about the fact that nights are more leisurely and relaxing compared to the hectic daytime,” said Hyerin.
The music video for “Night Rather Than Day” is brightly colored and fun to look at. The scenery in the video switches between a heavily graffitied train car, to a parking lot, to various other locations that feature the members of the group individually. The catchy tune, and energy of the girls in the group give one the urge to sing along, even if you don’t speak Korean.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Tdhai110H0
[Featured Image by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images]
