Almost a year after leaving her former label MNH Entertainment, soloist Chung Ha opened up about her idol journey as she looked back on the challenging periods of her life.
In her recent guest appearance on Eric Nam’s The Daebak Show, Chung Ha reminisced about her period as an independent artist after parting ways with MNH Entertainment and before joining Jay Park’s More Vision label.
For those unaware, the singer has been with MNH Entertainment since 2016. During her stay with her long-time label, she represented the agency in the survival talent series Produce 101. Through this show, Chung Ha debuted as part of the project girl group IOI after securing the fourth place. After the group’s disbandment, she debuted as a soloist in 2017.
In April 2023, MNH Entertainment announced that the idol will be leaving their agency after seven years. At the time, the singer also penned a handwritten letter to her fans, apologizing that she didn’t keep them updated about her plans.
During her interview with Eric Nam, the singer reflected on the changes she went through as she transitioned to an independent artist. To note, Chung Ha only moved to More Vision in October 2023.
“After parting ways with my [former] company, I just had the freedom, I just had that time to make my own choices and just be a blank [slate],” she said. “I always belonged somewhere. I was always on schedule with my manager.”
Furthermore, the singer admitted that she felt the urge to be “away” from constantly being managed at a “certain point” in her career.
Chung Ha on healing, moving to More Vision
Since she’s used to having a manager, Chung Ha revealed that she struggled handling herself as an independent artist. “I didn’t know what to do when I was alone,” she recalled. “Even the small things, I didn’t know how to do it… I think I was quite naive and a bit vulnerable.”
Despite this, the singer shared that she approached this tough time with determination. “But I wanted to go through this wisely. I wanted to figure out that fragileness in me. So I wanted to overcome this in my way.”
Moreover, the artist also shared that previous hectic schedule took a toll on her mental health. “I was exhausted,” she said. Additionally, the singer said that she even felt burnout when she was still actively promoting in her previous company.
As she looks back on it now, Chung Ha shared that maintaining a positive mindset became essential for her. Aside from this, she also acknowledged how helpful it is to have strong friendships and a good strong support system.
“It’s crucial to not shut down people… Don’t push back the people who come to you. Because there aren’t many people who do that. There are fewer than expected,” she said.
Notably, this isn’t the first time that Chung Ha opened up about experiencing burn out. In a previous interview, she also expressed her gratitude to Jay Park, saying that he helped her reconsider her career choices. At the time, she recalled that she was planning to leave South Korea and focus on her studies.
Currently, Chung Ha teased that she plans to return with new music in “early 2024.” Although there’s no official details yet, the comeback would serve as her first release since 2022.
Featured image: MORE VISION releases new company photos of Chung Ha. Credit: Twitter/MORE VISION