Hyolyn returns to her 1st love — era of divas who inspired her

Before Hyolyn became K-pop's official "summer queen," before debuting as part of girl group SISTAR and before the stage name, there was a teenager in awe of Destiny's Child.

"Those sounds shocked me even back then," the singer said during an interview with The Korea Times at a quiet cafe in Seoul's Seongdong District, Thursday.

"Artists I loved back then and still listen to now: Destiny's Child, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Britney, Missy Elliott.

Even without seeking them out, old songs were always on my playlist.

I wanted to bring back that feeling." That feeling is the engine of "OriginaLyn," Hyolyn's fourth mini album.

Slated for release at 6 p.m.

Wednesday, the seven-track set arrives through ReH Entertainment, the singer's self-founded agency.

Its title fuses "original" with "Lyn," and the mission statement is in the wordplay — this is not a reinvention but a restoration.

It's her first mini album since "iCE" in July 2022, and her first physical release in four years.

"As a soloist, I've worked across a lot of genres.

Before, I projected my character onto whatever concept the music ...