Close-Up with HEART OF WOMAN
Close-Up is Stardust’s short-form digital cover series spotlighting talent through what feels most revealing: current obsessions, routines, creative process, and the details that bring personality into focus.
HEART OF WOMAN sounds comfortable moving between moods on their debut full-length album, Heart Byte : LEGACY, drawing on 2000s pop and R&B with a confidence that carries through its most exuberant songs and its gentler moments. That confidence is immediately apparent in the sugar-rush pop of “Told U So” and the sharper attitude of “My Vision,” where the members’ distinct voices give the big hooks much of their personality. “Show H.O.W.” only brings that energy into even stronger focus, practically demanding a full-fledged performance to pair it with.
The group brings an equally assured presence to “TEA,” though its sleek, sultry sound gives their attitude a different outlet. Here, the feisty delivery works with the groove to draw us closer, introducing some of the pleasures that make the album’s R&B material so engaging. “One Beat” allows more time to appreciate those sonic details, settling into a smooth rhythm that gives individual vocal touches room to register. That ease also runs through “Dive With Me,” where bright pop melodies meet softer R&B vocals in one of the record’s strongest performances. Its warmth makes the combination feel natural, bringing together the melodic immediacy of the bigger pop songs and the intimacy that emerges as the group slows down.
That intimacy finds its fullest expression in “Daydreaming,” a masterful moment built around soft piano notes and a slower R&B rhythm. As the members trade lines about the kind of love and connection that clouds the mind, their voices draw us into the feeling of being too consumed by someone to think about much else. Each handoff sustains that lovestruck mood, with the unhurried pace allowing a line to linger before the next voice enters. It’s an absorbing performance that makes the individual character of their voices part of the song’s—and the group’s—emotional pull.
By this point, the range of Heart Byte : LEGACY has become a way of getting to know the group. The boldness of its pop songs gives us an immediate impression of HEART OF WOMAN, while the R&B performances deepen it, revealing how comfortably the members handle more tender material. That assurance is especially compelling in a debut era, making it easy to imagine how much further they could take a sound they already seem so at home in.
Stardust: What is something fans may not know about you yet?
Jihyun: I take my meals seriously, honestly. Even when I eat alone, I don't watch YouTube or anything else—I focus completely on the meal itself. I think the ability to fully focus during that time, the taste, and the food itself are all things worth cherishing.
Chaei: I love traveling to different places. But then there are days when I'm just as happy staying home under a blanket, eating something sweet, and watching a movie or anime.
Ayne: Fans tend to see me as cute and girly, but honestly, I'm pretty tough and strong-willed on the inside. I bounce back quickly, so even when practice doesn't go well and it gets me down, I shake it off fast and dive right back in. Also, when I was little, I was part of the KBS Children's Choir—I used to appear every week on shows like Immortal Songs and Open Concert. I don't think a lot of people know I've been on stage since I was a kid.
Liri: People often tell me I have a lot of energy on stage or when I'm meeting fans, but at home I like lying down and quietly listening to music or watching videos. When I'm alone, I'm actually pretty calm.
Liuyin: It's really hard to narrow it down to just one thing. I have my own sense of fashion and music, and I hope that as time goes on, I can share and explore that more deeply with fans.
Stardust: What are you loving outside of music right now?
Jihyun: I've been really into PlayStation games lately. Our company has an open attitude toward gaming, so the members and I often play together even in the practice room.
Chaei: I've been really into finding good scents lately. I've always been interested in perfume and fragrance in general, but these days I'm actively searching for scents that suit me and that I love.
Liri: I've been really into taking photos lately. When I find a pretty spot or a place with a nice atmosphere, I love capturing it—and looking back at the photos later brings the memories right back, which is fun too. I also like editing them and putting them together like a diary, either to keep for myself or to show fans. I can add my own touch or bring out the parts I want to highlight, so I've really fallen for photo editing lately.
Ayne: I've been really into working out lately. I exercise almost every day, either before or after work. Starting the day with exercise makes my body and mind feel refreshed, and that energy carries me through the day. Ending the day with a workout too calms my mind and makes me feel like I've put myself in order—I really like that feeling.
Liuyin: I have a lot of hobbies I can enjoy on my own. I've loved drawing since I was little, so outside of music, it's mostly drawing, writing, and playing PC games.
Stardust: What is always in your bag these days?
Jihyun: Lip balm. I always carry it so my lips don't dry out.
Chaei: Since I keep reaching for my favorite scent, I always carry hair essence and perfume.
Liri: I always carry earphones and a scrunchie. Without earphones, I feel kind of anxious, so I always bring them, and since I like keeping my hair tied up, I carry a scrunchie too. Lately I've also been trying to carry a small perfume and a hand mirror.
Ayne: I always make sure to have my watermelon-sherbet squishy toy, toothbrushing kit, contact lenses, and perfume. If even one of those is missing, I feel a little uneasy. Since squishy toys have been trending in Korea, I ended up carrying one around without even realizing it, and I always find myself fidgeting with the sherbet-scented one in the car or during downtime.
Liuyin: Perfume. I'm kind of a fragrance enthusiast who's always curious about new scents, so I can't go out without it.
Stardust: What is one thing that instantly improves your mood?
Jihyun: I've always loved chocolate, so when I'm in a bad mood, eating fruit or something sweet turns it around quickly.
Chaei: Meeting fans in person and reading the letters they send me are what give me the most strength and lift my mood. Whenever I feel their sincerity, it always makes me feel supported and grateful.
Liri: Eating dessers and stretching. When I eat something I like while chatting with the members, my mood lifts right away, and I can't help but keep laughing. Stretching also makes my body feel lighter and more relaxed, which quickly puts me in a better mood.
Ayne: Gelato and popcorn for me. There are a lot of good gelato places near our company, so I eat it often. Popcorn also makes me happy right away when I'm feeling down, so the team calls me the "popcorn lover."
Liuyin: Music is always with me, but also gaming or drawing. Recently I decorated the members' bags with drawings, and they liked it so much that it made me really proud.
Stardust: What is one thing the members tease you about?
Jihyun: The members often imitate the way I talk or pronounce things because it's a bit unique, I guess. I think we've all started resembling each other more as we've gotten closer.
Chaei: I'm not very good at being goofy when we film funny reels, so the members always laugh at me. I think I still get a little shy about that kind of thing.
Liri: The members tease me a lot because once I get into something, I can't stop talking about it. When I develop a new interest, I keep bringing it up with the members, so I often hear, "here she goes again."
Ayne: My big round leopard-print glasses. Both my eyes are around -5, so when I'm at the dorm or don't have schedules, I'm wearing my glasses almost all the time. But because the prescription is so strong, my eyes look tiny when I put them on, and the members—and even the staff at the company—always tease me about it and find it funny.
Liuyin: Since my Korean still isn't perfect, I have my own reaction words. When something's positive, I say "Yes!" really crisply, and it's become a bit of a running joke that the members and staff imitate.
Stardust: What is one special memory you have already made as a group?
Jihyun: Before our debut, we went to LA to take dance and vocal lessons and film content and music videos. That's when we really got closer to each other, and it was a time we learned so much before debuting—it's still a memory we look back on fondly.
Liri: And our debut day, along with all those first moments we shared together, are things we don't think we'll ever forget.
Stardust: What is one thing you want to protect as the group grows?
Jihyun: We want to keep protecting the story behind this first full album, which captures our beginning; the message of our title track “Lost in Proof (나를 잃지 않는 방법),” which first introduced us to the world; and the Y2K style we reinterpreted in our own HEART OF WOMAN way. We want all of that to stay fully ours as HEART OF WOMAN, going forward.
Stardust: What do you love most about Y2K-coded music, and why was it important to make it central to HEART OF WOMAN’s sound?
Ayne: What we love about the Y2K feel is how the confidence and honesty of that era comes through so vividly in the lyrics, melody, and performance overall. At the same time, there's a lot of room to reinterpret it in our own polished way, which is why we wanted to make it the center of our sound. In particular, the five of us each have very distinct tones, and our strength is that each voice stands out clearly while still blending naturally, almost like a cappella. That's the sound we've captured fully in this first full album, and it's the HEART OF WOMAN color we want to keep protecting going forward.
Stardust: How do your individual musical tastes shape HEART OF WOMAN’s style?
Jihyun: All five of us grew up listening to R&B and K-pop, so understanding and embracing our label's R&B musical roots came naturally to us. That's probably why so much of each member's inspiration and emotion is woven into the R&B-based songs that carry our stories and messages so delicately.
Jihyun: I usually listen to calm, emotional music like alternative R&B or indie soul. In the middle of busy days, it's like a resting point that gives me strength to keep going, and it's also a source of musical inspiration for me. I try to make sure that inspiration blends well with our group's style.
Chaei: I grew up listening to jazz, rock, and R&B. I tend to immerse myself deeply in the mood or emotion of a song, so while preparing this album, I tried to fully immerse myself in the feeling of each track and express it as much as I could.
Ayne: I really admire Ariana Grande musically. I think her ability to naturally weave her own story into her music while still conveying such delicate emotion is amazing, and it's something I'm trying to learn a lot from. I tried to put that same mindset into this album.
Liri: I usually listen to R&B and K-pop, and since I trained in ballet for a long time, I also love full-length ballet scores. Having your own clear color and sensibility carried through both your music and your style is what I think makes an ideal artist, and I tried to approach each song on this album with that same mindset.
Liuyin: I grew up listening to Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, and Ke$ha. From there, I naturally became drawn to R&B, and I really love the way it weaves emotion and story into the music.
Stardust: What did you want your debut album to say about the group?
Chaei: The five of us came together with different dreams. Jihyun and Chaei both have experience competing on Korean girl-group audition shows, Ayne majored in vocal music, Liri majored in ballet, and Liuyin was preparing to major in fashion. We wanted this debut album—and our group's identity as a whole—to capture our first story: the process of chasing the dream of becoming an idol that each of us carried in our hearts, continuing to challenge ourselves, sometimes wavering or breaking down, but ultimately believing in ourselves and moving forward.
Stardust: What did the album teach you about working together?
Chaie: The more time we spent practicing together, the more naturally we came to understand each other's rhythm and timing, and we learned firsthand what it really means to become a team through that.
Liuyin: We also learned how important the process itself is—listening to each other's opinions and building one result together. Playing to each other's strengths while filling in each other's gaps created all kinds of synergy, and we felt that's really the charm of working as a team.
Ayne: And so many people across every department worked so hard for this album. There's a saying that it takes a village to raise a child—and seeing how many people worked for us day and night like that made us think again about how important it is to always stay humble and grateful.
Stardust: Now that you have spent time with the album, which song best captures HEART OF WOMAN’s personality—and why?
Jihyun: Our title track, “Lost in Proof (나를 잃지 않는 방법).” As we mentioned earlier, the five of us came together around one dream, and even in the moments we wavered or broke down while chasing that dream, we ultimately believed in ourselves and kept moving forward—this song shows our starting point and our message better than any other. So we think it's a song that gives real comfort and courage, both to us and to everyone listening.
Stardust: Which track deserves more attention from listeners?
Jihyun: We really want to mention “Alive” and “Life is a game.” Both connect to the message we wanted to share through our title track “Lost in Proof”—to believe in yourself and keep moving forward even in anxious, unsteady moments—and they're also the songs that open and close our first full album.
Liri: “Alive” carries H.O.W's determination to push past our limits even in uncertain situations, and “Life is a game” carries a message of hope—that we can get through anything as long as we encourage each other and move forward together. “Life is a game” especially feels like a gift, carrying our gratitude toward our fans and our wish to keep moving forward together with them. Both songs hold our determination and sincerity, so we really hope listeners remember them.
Stardust: What part of making music currently feels most rewarding to you?
Liuyin: The moment that everything we practiced and thought through comes together as one song, in my voice and the members' voices, is the most rewarding part. Watching that process slowly become something that's truly ours feels like such a valuable journey.
Chaie: And when fans tell us they really love our music and our stage, or when we hear their cheers while we're performing, it makes us so proud and happy. Their support, and even just one word from them, makes us want to show them an even better side of ourselves.
Stardust: What kind of songs do you hope to explore next?
Ayne: Before debuting, we released a mixtape hip-hop track called “H.O.W's Delight,” which layered the sentiment of Italian art songs over a heavy boom-bap beat. Building on that hip-hop style that's uniquely ours, we'd love to try a genre with a stronger beat, or music with an even bolder burst of energy and performance.
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Photography and Creative Direction: Ju Hyunwoo @taylor_in_wonderland_
Styling: Keemroha @915archive
Set Design: Ko Jion @Komatoo_o
Hair: Lee Seungjun @senugjun1ee
Make-Up: Park yeonju @duswn_0201
Videography: Kim Minsuk @kimkkam
Cover Designs: Laramie Cheyenne @laramiecheyenne
Words/Editor-in-Chief: Aedan Juvet @aedanjuvet
