Opening her own agency means Hyolyn has full reign over her vision and direction as an artist, and she makes that loud and clear with her newest release “Dally (달리),” enlisting the help of established artist and producer GRAY.

The former leader of beloved girl group SISTAR has steadily released teasers of her upcoming projects, primarily through her Instagram. Her previous releases have been a little more on the tamer side, closer to the image K-Pop fans have associated with her, releasing the chiller “To Do List (내일할래),” and featuring on the more upbeat “One and Only You (너 하나만)” by GOT7.

When she was with Starship Entertainment, Hyolyn stuck primarily to a sunnier, soulful concept as a solo artist, which suited her vocal tone and range well. Having said that, the urban concept with this new release showcases a side of Hyolyn that seems to have been suppressed by the former agency, likely due to her association with SISTAR at the time. She’s known to collaborate with prominent K-Hip Hop artists, like ZICO for “Red Lipstick,” or “One Step” with Jay Park, but these releases mostly stick to a pop melody. Enlisting GRAY to produce a credible hip-hop beat was a wise move on her part, as his name is synonymous with a hit track.

In the period between “To Do List” and “Dally,” Hyolyn has stocked our feeds with snippets of fierce dance practices as well as snapshots of her toned, tan body putting in work out in Los Angeles. Fans have been fed well in anticipation of an official release from the solo singer, and it is so satisfying to see the results manifest into the killer track that is “Dally.”

Her sweet vocals complement the hard-hitting trap beat as well as contrast GRAY’s deeper voice and deliberate delivery. The lyrics perfectly align with the unapologetic nature of the song; it’s essentially Hyolyn and GRAY going back and forth about how it’s time to stop stringing along their relationship and call it quits. In the chorus, she establishes, “There’s no other way / I think I’ve lost my way.” Although the lyrics may sound like a cry of frustration, the music video is hardly that, with Hyorin murdering the dance floor with equally fierce backup dancers. From her striking red Adidas bodysuit and thigh-high, heeled boots, to her matching bra and underwear set peaking out from under baggy joggers, Hyolyn serves several looks in this music video. GRAY himself doesn’t make an appearance, which directs the whole spotlight at Hyolyn and the outstanding choreography. We already knew she could dance, but her flexibility and ability to dance in heels, in my opinion, shows her maturity as an artist—a level some K-Pop idols wish they could achieve in their futures.

The fact that this is only Hyolyn’s second release with Brid3 means we are not ready for what the future holds. The way she looks and sounds should make us wonder what could be if K-Pop idols were given autonomy over their artistic image and sound. It’s only obligatory that we continue to anticipate the quality music we are bound to receive from Hyolyn.