NANA Cements Herself as a “GOD” in Surprise Solo Debut

Photo: SUBLIME

When it comes to NANA, expect the unexpected. Whether it’s her accolades from AFTER SCHOOL and its popular sub-unit Orange Caramel or within acting, the 34-year-old knows how to keep people in anticipation. Many fans felt shocked when NANA’s current management, SUBLIME, posted about her solo debut. Not only did she finally make a solo debut, it came less than a week since the announcement. 

Career Prior to Solo Debut

NANA joined AFTER SCHOOL in November 2009, when they released their single album Because of you. 2010 saw the Pledis Entertainment girl group release hits such as “Bang!” and saw the debut of the sub-unit Orange Caramel. Orange Caramel is one of the first artists to come to mind when describing “quirky K-Pop.” NANA, Raina, and Lizzy gave so much charm to songs like “My Copycat” and “Catallena.” AFTER SCHOOL continued to see success in South Korea and Japan in the following years. 

NANA began her acting career in 2015, starring in Chinese productions before landing success in Korean media. By the mid-to-late 2010s, AFTER SCHOOL slowed down activities and members slowly left the group. NANA stayed as a Pledis Entertainment artist until 2024. Though NANA has been active ever since 2009, she manages to keep things innovative with her first single album, Seventh Heaven 16. 

“GOD”

Released on September 14, NANA’s birthday, Seventh Heaven 16 focuses on “the height of happiness.” It seems fitting for an artist that has achieved 16 years in the entertainment industry. The title track “GOD” describes lyrics of religious belief and self-worth. The song comes with a haunting, assertive feeling. Its greatest strength comes from its music video, sporting some imaginative artistic decisions. 

NANA collaborated with creative studio ILLUMIN CREATE to visualize her ideas. NANA takes on multiple roles in this music video, which combines her acting talent and her skills as an idol. She shows humans hatching out of shells as blank slates without influence, only to live under the mercy of a god. This bold, thought-provoking perspective gives the video layers. The line “we are sinners” sends even more chills when accompanied by visuals of humans struggling around a goddess. 

B-sides on Seventh Heaven 16

Despite being marketed as NANA’s “first album,” Seventh Heaven 16 only contains four tracks: “GOD,” “Daylight,” “Hurt,” and the instrumental of “Hurt.” On the upside, NANA composed and wrote all tracks alongside producer DOKO. The two B-sides offer contrasting sounds to “GOD.”  

While “GOD” infuses some rock in its bridge, “Daylight” uses a lighter rock tone for positivity. “Hurt” plucks at heartstrings as an emotional ballad. Though NANA’s solo debut only contains three songs, her return to music is more than welcome. According to social media posts by SUBLIME, Fans can anticipate future music video releases for “Daylight” and “Hurt.”

Edited by Clark Royandoyan