[INT/Trans] Gina “Is There a Girl Who Dislikes Being Called ‘Sexy?’"
Singer Gina (24) is one of the hottest stars in the entertainment industry.
As she was given nicknames related to her body such as ‘D-cup body,’ ‘nine-proportion body,’ and ‘body terminator,’ her song ‘Black and White’ and recently released ‘Top Girl’ have become hits. She has even received the compliment of being the only female solo singer to challenge Lee Hyori’s decade-long stronghold.
However, she admits that she was not happy as a singer because the nickname, ‘luxurious body’ had overshadowed that part of her. She also worried that the ‘sexy image’ would be too burdensome. Gina said, “If sexiness helps with the music, then it’s something that I’m thankful for. I’ll work harder to go from being called a ‘sexy star’ to a ‘sexy diva.’”
- Please introduce this album.
“Except for one song, the entire album is composed of dance songs. I filled the album with a fun story that even I, myself, enjoyed making. For ‘Top Girl,’ I sing it in a way so that I can show off an image of a bold girl who is able to coolly brush off her break-up. If you’re a girl, you can relate to it and in the end, feel better.”
- I also heard that you put a lot of work into your singing capabilities.
“I use enthusiasm, falsettos, and sincerity all in one song. It wasn’t easy, trying to write with three voices. It wouldn’t be a lie that the goal or this album was for me to be called a ‘sexy diva’ instead of a ‘sexy star.’ I wanted to show off the aspects of being an artist.”
- I also heard that you participated a lot in this album.
“There is a song where I wrote all the lyrics. In my head, I thought of the album concept of ‘Gina’s diary.’ During the six months I was resting, I had the ease to focus my attention on things here and there. I was very happy, seeing my opinions used to make the album.”
- Was there any burden about success?
“There was never a time I thought that I had to succeed. I just feel that if I can promote while having fun, it would be worth the effort and the results would come out well. If I carry that burden while promoting, I don’t think I have the confidence to smile on stage.”
- MBC banned your other song, ‘Banana.’
“I never thought that it was suggestive. I was riding the car with my mom and we were listening to a song called, ‘Putting on heavy lipstick.’ I once asked her, ‘When it got tiresome, what did you do to take off steam?’ My mom said, ‘I would go to a dance club with my friends and listen to fun music. That’s how I got things off my chest.’ I used that story as my inspiration and wrote those lyrics.”
- The part, ‘I’m going bananas,’ was the problem.
“The phrase ‘I’m going bananas’ is such a commonly used phrase in America that it even comes out on cartoons, such as ‘Spongebob.’ It means to just go crazy and have fun. Since my sexy image is so strong, I did think that it would become a misunderstanding.”
- Is the title ‘sexy’ burdensome?
“Is there a girl who dislikes being called ‘sexy?’ I prefer being called sexy than being called cute. I’m thankful for the body that my parents gave me because it has helped me in my music. It goes for exposure as well. The idea that as girls need to cover up even when it’s warm is old-fashioned.”
- The public’s attention is around your body.
“At first, it was very interesting. It made me wonder if my body was as good as people said it was. Now, I feel responsibility to meet up to my fans’ expectations. That’s why I exercise more passionately. Just the thought of getting attention due to gain weight makes me feel terrible.”
- How do you exercise?
“I used to jump-rope 1000 times on a daily basis but lately, I have no time so I can’t do it everyday. Recently, Kikwang introduced me to some muscle exercising methods. It’s where you grip the back of a chair with both hands and then you bend your arms into a ㄱ-shape and straighten them. But I learned it wrong and I got guy muscles in my arms.”
- You are the queen of the magazine industry. Do you think of yourself as that as well?
“I’m very strict with myself. Even if a good product comes out, my eyes find the bad points instead of the good points first. I even worry about where my fingers are placed and I can’t shake off those kinds of worries from my head. I think I’m still too far away from that title.”
- On a broadcast, you remarked that ‘I’ve never been satisfied with my body.’
“My mom raised me in a Spartan way, so she doesn’t know what satisfaction is. My mom told me that, ‘People always have to improve.’ There were times I was resentful but thinking about it now, I’m very thankful for those words.”
- The current subject of interest lately is comparing your body to fellow label-mate, Hyuna’s, body.
“Hyuna’s body is amazing to the point that it’s interesting. It’s very unusual for her young age and she was born with a body type that guys like. She is petite, but at the same time, her arm to leg proportions are really nice. If asked if I want to change bodies with Hyuna, the answer would be ‘no.’ Couldn’t it be the body her parents gave her? Haha.”
- You opened up the BEAST · 4minute concert in Japan recently.
“Since I was the only one who still hadn’t formally debuted in Japan, I worried that I was going to be alienated. But there were a lot of my fans as well. There were fans who were wearing matching uniforms and fans who were singing along with me. While I was singing, I saw a play card with my name on it and I got excited.”
- I heard that your ideal type was Yoon Doojoon of BEAST.
“Out of the BEAST members, if I had to choose one of them, I chose Doojoon because I liked people with leadership. However, people misunderstood that. I wonder if Doojoon will be disappointed that I said this. Hahaha.”
- Then what kind of person is your ideal type?
“A while ago, I liked tall guys who exercised well. Now, I just like guys who have a nice feeling to them. There were many times where despite being my ideal type, they weren’t all great as I thought they’d be. I like guys who are healthy and eat well.”
- When was the last time you dated someone?
“It’s a bit far from dating. The lyrics of ‘I’ll Back Off So You Can Live Better’ talked about that dating experience. That experience was my first and my last.”
CREDITS: NATE (SOURCE); hyunnypoo@ROYALGNA (TRANS)
