+HWA+: Return of CL, the Diva

CL, one of K-Pop’s most iconic acts, makes her highly-anticipated comeback with her newest solo album +HWA+. With this double single garnering the attention of many fans and the K-Pop community, the artist opens up a brand new era of her career as she ventures out to explore another dimension of her own identity.

Although simply a precursor to the release of her songs, the “+POST UP+ Official Intro Video” is a film that absorbs the essence of CL’s identity: an icon of women, Asians, and a true artist. Aestheticism flowing purely from the analog vibe of the video, CL is definitely not shy about showing off her booming confidence as she performs dynamic poses decked out in style. The sound stands parallel to the artist’s charisma and self-esteem, posing a rapid sequence of beats that transition into a prominently distinguished rhythm; the lighting’s constant shift in shade is symbolic of CL’s protean artistic nature. If one doesn’t quite know who CL––or Lee Chaerin––is, this intro video essentially poses a short but great outlook on the figure; even from the lyrics itself, it’s not difficult to sense her unique style, vibe, and adamant vision on her pursuit of stylistic music.

Bold & Confident

+HWA+ institutes an opportunity of exploration for CL in her musical career. Representing the signal of a fresh start, the release divulges a rather new sound that the musician pulls off perfectly with almost too much ease. 

The first song in the double single, “+HWA+,” endorses a powerful yet playful tune that goes hand in hand with the upbeat and trendy sound intensified with CL’s unique voice. In spite of a fairly minimal sequence of sounds building up the track composition, the single stands as a sonically ideal hype song. “+HWA+” delivers CL’s typical fierceness and swag, reigniting the undying and ever growing confidence within her. Such lyrics exuding love for oneself is definitely a message of empowerment and a source of inspiration that many can look up to.

Although lacking the vibrant color assortment shown in the “+POST UP+” official video, the dance performance video for “+HWA+” is no doubt a great media representation of the track.

Diverse transitions of camera angles amplify the media's impact on the viewer as the stream of the performance video keeps in touch with the flow of the track.

The lighting shift to red at the chorus along with the presentation of a new fire background and change in outfits mark a vital turning point in the film, showcasing the duality of the artist through the differentiation of color. The general implementation of the darker side of the color palette yields to a unification of outfits, mirroring the dark atmosphere emitted from the song. Covering and uncovering the face as well as taking a step and stopping are notable movements displayed in multiple scenes; in fact, these actions seem to be intentionally choreographed to constitute the direct translation of the lyrics. The catchy lyrics “무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다” is a traditional Korean game; involving a group of players, the tagger, who stands with their back to the other players at the opposite end of the game site, has to cover their eyes. While the tagger chants the phrase “무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다,” the other players have to move towards the tagger but have to freeze when the tagger finishes the chant and looks back. Such representative movements from the game are replicated as choreography with the help of CL and the dancers’ astonishingly dynamic swag and style. 

Taking the crown as a personal favorite, “+5 STAR+” pulls on the heartstrings of listeners with its unique sentimental vibes and grooviness. CL’s ability to freely sing a wide range of notes certainly demonstrates her potential as a vocalist and her distinct tone in this track embraces the lyrics radiating nostalgia. “+5 STAR+” targets the niche of the modern music trend that manifests stylish grooves, which allows for anyone and everyone to easily approach CL as an artist. 

Along with the dance performance video of “+HWA+,” a beautiful typography art decorated with flowers is presented in a video titled “+5 STAR (Visualizer)+.” Take a look at the title of the track––”+5 STAR+”––displayed as a neon typography sign that lights up according to the rhythmic background sounds to fully embrace the sentiments of the track.

The Big Picture

Both in visualization and representation, the artist bases off her double single on the word “HWA,” a traditional Chinese character (also called hanja) that means “flower.” 무궁화 (mugunghwa) being a key word in the lyrics of “+HWA+,” the national flower of Korea stands as a symbol of power; it encompasses the meaning of an “immortal flower” and is representative of Korea’s strength in times of various historical hardships. It seems likely that CL intended to exhibit her internal strength as an independent artist and an individual as a whole and furthermore encourage her fans and listeners to find their own powers as well.

An emblematic artist of the century, CL is embarking into the unknown boundaries of music and her versatile artistry. Surely, mind-blowing is an understatement when it comes to CL; her expertise as a former member of the iconic 2NE1 and successful solo musician has shaped her irreplaceable artistic identity, creating a whole new directionality in the K-Pop industry. 

After reassembling and launching her music career independently through the establishment of Very Cherry, CL has signaled the start of a new journey through the official release of +HWA+ and hinted at a new release on November 30th at 1 PM KST.

Congrats on your new beginning and we wish you the best in your future endeavors. Continue to unapologetically be Lee Chaerin. Fly high, queen.