Singing, drawing, and designing—it’d be a dream to be able to master all these skills. Pop artist Mimi goes above and beyond the point of mastering these talents, actively performing as a band vocal while drawing and designing album covers. The Kraze Magazine was able to sit down with Mimi at KCON LA 2019 to find out all about the well-rounded artist, from her sources of inspiration to her experiences in each industry.

Q1: For our readers who are getting the chance to know you for the first time, can you please give a little introduction about yourself? 

A: I’m Mimi, and I’m a pop artist. I’m currently in a project group called Sweet Fresh Thrill. I’m pursuing music as the vocalist of the group, and I often draw. Sometimes I design album covers or collaborate with other creators, so I’m doing multiple forms of art through which I can show myself to the public.

Q2: Who and what are your inspirations for getting into music? 

A: I performed with Soju this Friday at KCON, and we’re releasing a new song that’s coming out in September. Usually, I’m really inspired by drag king culture or gay culture, and fashion, music, dance, and styling give me inspiration. So I’m really honored that I got to work with Soju this time. 

Q3: Are there any challenges and how do you overcome them? 

A: I haven’t had any challenges during my career, but when I face personal struggles, I draw to spend some time healing. I do music with some of my musician friends that matches my drawings. So when I have conversations with them, I get inspired and tend to have time for healing.

Q4: What opportunity led you into drawing? 

A: I started drawing since I was young.

Interviewer: Naturally?

A: Yes, I started drawing at a young age and later on, I majored in fashion design. I have a friend who is a musician, so I designed a lot of my friend’s fashion. I decided to continue drawing because it really helped me heal whenever I experienced personal struggles.

Q5: As a musician, do you have any K-Pop artists that you would like to collaborate with?

A: A collaboration? There’s so many K-Pop artists that I would like to collaborate with! But I’m a really big fan of HyunA. My role model is Uhm Junghwa. She’s the true original K-Pop artist, and I would love to collaborate with her because she’s a female artist who portrays drag culture or gay culture in a well-expressed manner, like the Madonna of Korea.

Q6: Aside from K-Pop artists, are there any other artists that you would like to collaborate with?

A: Ah... There’s a lot. First of all, I would love to work with DJ Snake or an EDM artist. I’m a big fan of Ariana Grande too. There’s so many, but I can only think of these artists at the moment.

Q7: What are your thoughts about KCON? Did you ever think that K-pop and Korean culture would be so widely appreciated? 

A: No, because starting at a young age, I loved pop. I looked up to Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, so I really wanted to come to America but never got the chance. So, this is my first time in America. I liked this country because of the culture, but after I came here, I realized that everyone here at KCON thinks of Korean culture in a similar way. My friends like Edward Avila or Aoora are famous, and seeing that fans of my friends feel the same emotions as myself when I looked up to pop artists in the past led me to keep telling my friends “Wow, this is so cool.” Like, this is so amazing! I went to the concert yesterday, and so many people were passionately cheering as we were watching IZ*ONE’s stage.

Q8: You got to perform on stage for KCON! How was it? Please tell us about that experience.

A: My experience? First of all, I kept in touch and communicated with Soju, but I met her for the first time [at KCON]. Meeting her in person, rehearsing for the stage, and meeting my fans was so exciting and touching, and the moment I got on stage, I thought “I really want to come here and perform again.” Afterwards, I went to a gay club called Rage and performed. It was a really good experience to be able to do a performance at KCON as well as a club performance, and I really want to be on stage once again.

Q9: For the aspiring musicians and producers out there, what is some advice that you can give to those who are wanting to pursue a career in this field?

A: To be honest, I’m not a person who studied or majored in music; looking back, I started by doing the guide vocal for a producer friend. Making concepts together was so fun that we went to clubs to dance and play, and somehow we ended up making music together. So rather than trying to study music, I think it would be better to express your own color by gaining experience and thinking about the way you want to fully reveal yourself.

Q10: Here’s the last question. If you can, what can our readers and fans look forward to from you in the near future?

A: The most important event is my newest release with Soju called “In and Out.” Like how there’s In-N-Out in LA, our song “In and Out” is going to be released, and I would be grateful for your interest and support. In the future, I hope to collaborate with more people, so please look forward to collaborations if they happen. If I can come to KCON once again, I really hope to meet you then! Thank you!

Here’s a big shout-out to Mimi for taking the time to sit down with The Kraze for this amazing interview. Don’t forget to stay tuned for Mimi and Soju’s newest release!