Dawon of Cosmic Girls thanks fans for 'body' success and discusses her solo comeback with new single 'What's a girl to do'.

Dawon of Cosmic Girls expressed gratitude for the hit of her previous work 'body' with her first solo comeback. Recently, she participated in an interview at the STARSHIP Entertainment building in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam, Seoul, ahead of the release of her 2nd digital single 'What's a girl to do'. Dawon debuted as a member of Cosmic Girls in February 2016 and has enhanced the group's songs with her unique vocal color and stable singing. Additionally, she has showcased her versatility in various genres through her strong vocalization, wide range, rap, and performance skills. Known for her bright energy and called 'human vitamin', Dawon released her solo debut digital single 'gonna love me, right?' in September last year, achieving a bold image change. Presenting herself as a confident artist, she gained attention with her overwhelming performance, reaching a peak of 9th place on MelOn's 'TOP100' shortly after release, and entering the top 20 in the weekly rankings of the second week of October, achieving remarkable results. She also topped music programs, proving her abilities, and was featured in international media such as NME in the UK, Forbes in the US, and FOX 13 Seattle. In November last year, she won Best Solo Artist (Female) at the '2025 KOREA GRAND MUSIC AWARDS', receiving high praise from overseas media, ending 2025 on a high note. With the arrival of spring, Dawon made her comeback with the 2nd digital single 'What's a girl to do', marking her first comeback in her second year as a solo artist as Cosmic Girls approaches their 10th anniversary in 2026. She stated, 'As Cosmic Girls, I've experienced many comebacks, but at that time, I could share the pressure with the members. However, as a solo artist, I have to bear all the responsibility alone. I thought I couldn't do more than I did for 'body', but while preparing for this comeback, I realized I could push myself further. If 'body' was 100, I prepared 'What's a girl to do' with a feeling of 200.' Given the popularity of 'body', there are high expectations for this activity as well. Reflecting on her activities for 'body', Dawon commented, 'There were various processes, but simply put, it may sound like I did everything myself. But in reality, I didn't do everything alone.' She explained, 'It's true that my opinions are reflected a lot in this solo album, and the starting point of the ideas came from me.' She added, 'When I was coming up with ideas and progressing through the initial stages, many team members supported me. The basic structure, concept, and performance ideas all started from me. I like making PPTs, so I started by creating a concrete plan and sharing it.' With 'body', Dawon proved her potential as a solo artist. After achieving results such as topping music programs, she recalled, 'I received the trophy for 1st place about 14 days after my solo debut. It had only been 14 days since I was born as a solo artist, and I didn't even know what to do. I was happy just to be on stage, but there were many things to pay attention to.' She continued, 'In the midst of that, I received the 1st place trophy, and what crossed my mind at that moment was, 'I think I can continue with the next album.' Then, seeing the staff tear up, I was happier to respond with results more than the great reward for their hard work. The fans were also crying, and I was overwhelmed, and that moment passed in an instant.' The success of 'body' was due to Dawon's inherent charm being accepted by many. Dawon stated, 'For me, the image change was rather during my time as a Cosmic Girl. The current appearance is my true self, and although it seems like I tanned, this is my original skin color. During my time as a Cosmic Girl, I considered harmony with the members, so I used a lighter foundation to appear whiter with makeup, and the costumes were overall bright in tone.' She reflected, 'As I prepared my makeup, styling, singing, and dancing to match my true self in solo activities, EXY said, 'I think you feel very refreshed. It must be happy to dance, sing, and move freely in your true form.' On the other hand, she candidly shared her feelings, saying, 'The more I wanted to do what I wanted, the greater the anxiety of what if it didn't go well, so I felt more pressure than refreshment.' Dawon, who has been with STARSHIP Entertainment since she was 13, said, 'I feel like a daughter of STARSHIP, and the staff are like parents to me.' She explained, 'When I convey something I want to do, they initially worry and advise me like parents, but in the end, they push me to 'go for it.' When results come out, they celebrate together. Through these experiences, I gained confidence in expressing my opinions.' She added, 'As a result, I have worked harder. Since they believe in my words, I study more and make sure to speak when I have solid grounds.' Dawon cited 'empathy' as the secret to the success of 'body', saying, 'I think the reason so many people love me is that I am an easy-to-relate-to presence. People are surprised to find out that the girl from Jeju who appeared on 'K-POP STAR' is Dawon. Since I've appeared on many variety shows, I think there are many who know me a little.' She continued, 'Seeing me stand on stage with 'body', I think they felt, 'That little girl said she would succeed in Seoul, and she really is doing well.' Moreover, 'Recently, in a world where many things are difficult, some people say they gain courage through my stage, music, and activities, so I want to act with a greater sense of responsibility and become a singer who can have a good influence. Since I have many young fans, I want to be a good older sister and a good role model.' The new song 'What's a girl to do' is interesting in that, like 'body', the lyrics are in English. Dawon explained the reason for the English lyrics, saying, 'Many people say, 'You’ve never studied abroad, and you were born and raised in Korea, so why do you write English lyrics?' To explain this, I have to go back to my trainee days. Korean is easy because it is the first language I learned and have used for a long time. I started learning singing professionally at 12, but in the 4-5 years before my debut, I sang only a few songs. In the system at that time, I could only copy the songs given to me, and evaluation songs were also predetermined, but since I was good at R&B, I was given songs by Christina Aguilera. Therefore, there is a significant difference in vocal stretch and tone between Hangul pronunciation and English pronunciation.' She confessed, 'Interviews are easier in Korean, but when singing, I can project my voice with more confidence in English than in Korean, and I can achieve my favorite voice color. When I debuted as a solo singer, when I first heard my singing voice for three minutes, I thought about whether to prioritize conveying the lyrics or the overall tone, voice, concept, and atmosphere. I considered that the color of the artist Dawon is important. Therefore, I had no choice but to choose English. If I had sung in Japanese or French during my trainee days, my first solo song might have been in French or Japanese.' Dawon pointed out the key points of 'What's a girl to do', saying, 'When 'body' was released, the keywords were 'healthy', 'fun', and 'comfortable energy', and I emphasized that the keyword 'hot girl' was absolutely not allowed. During the presentation, I stressed 'sexy is a no-go, healthy beauty', but after 'body' was released, listeners responded with comments like 'It smells like protein' and 'She's a hot girl', which was interesting. 'What's a girl to do' also has 'comfortable energy' and 'healthy' as keywords, and I look forward to the adjectives that can be attached to me. That said, I don't dislike the keyword 'hot girl'. It's embarrassing, but I want to be called a 'hot girl' too.'