Keep moving your feet, “just like the first time.” Be free to explore, “just like you want to.” JIA grew up tuned into the radio and her dreams. Today, she keeps moving forward fearlessly to the frequency of a brand-new world.
All excited!
JIA: I love how we all wore jeans for the shoot. It feels like such a good match for TUIDE’s bright, energetic vibe. I’ve been having a lot of new experiences like this lately. They’re all things I love or wanted to do for a long time, so I feel more excited than nervous. And I’m more determined than ever to do a good job. Being in front of the camera, even just going to a shoot—it’s all just really fun. The staff are so receptive, and when one of us is posing for the camera, the rest of us are always cheering from the sidelines, like, “Wow, you look amazing!” We try to hype each other up like that. (laughs)
Younger years
JIA: I’ve loved showing what I’ve got ever since I was little. I used to film videos with my friends all the time, and when their families came over, we’d say, “Look what we did!” and dance. I got into K-pop around then too. The idols looked so cool to me when they performed. I did BLACKPINK’s choreography all the time, and I remember dancing to “CHEER UP” by TWICE with my friends. That’s when I realized I loved singing and dancing more than anything else. It’s actually pretty hard to sing and dance at the same time. I didn’t realize back then just how hard it is, but once I started seriously dreaming of becoming a K-pop artist, I had even more respect for the artists who came before me. (laughs)
Where the dream began
JIA: I moved abroad when I was in elementary school. It made applying for auditions or going to a dance academy border on the impossible so it was hard to find an in to the idol world, but I couldn’t get over the feeling of wanting to give it a go, so I’d secretly apply for auditions during school breaks without telling my parents. Looking back now, I think they probably knew the whole time. (laughs) They were worried, obviously, but after watching me sing and dance for so long, they gave me their blessing. They said, “Okay, you only live once. If that’s what you want, give it a shot.” I was like, “Okay!” And here I am! (laughs) After that, they threw their full support behind me.
Track, volleyball, and squash
JIA: When I was in school, I had the chance to join a bunch of different sports teams. I got to try track, volleyball, and squash. They all picked a new team captain every season, and I ended up being captain on all three of those. (laughs) I’ve always liked looking out for other people, so I wanted to be the kind of leader who’d notice when someone needed help and step in right away. As for what drew me to each sport, I loved running since elementary school—so much that I ran relay races—so I wanted to really give track a proper shot. I tried being a marathon runner, too, but I liked sprinting more. I first played volleyball in the US after a friend recommended I try it. I mostly played libero, which is defense. Having to get the ball back over right away made my heart race. When I first started playing squash, I was a little worried since I’d never played a racket sport before. It turned out to be way more fun than I expected though. The dopamine hit you get from a good rally is incredible! I guess I just love fast-paced sports. (laughs)
Runner JIA’s running advice
JIA: I still run regularly these days, especially when I want to clear my head or recharge. It’s good for your health, too. Running wakes your body up in the morning and it feels like putting the day to rest at night. Both have their own merits. If you’re just starting out, I’d recommend going for a morning run! It’s such a refreshing way to start the day. Even though getting up early can be a pain. (laughs) We’re working on five songs to perform for our upcoming “EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW [PLAYGROUND].” [Note: This interview took place in late July.] I was really worried at first, but once we started practicing, it all came together! We get things done once we set our minds to it! (laughs) We made it a goal to build up our energy levels for that, so we’ve all been running together.
Should I give this a try?
JIA: I asked my mom directly whenever I wanted to try something new—“Can I try this out?” She’d almost always say, “Go ahead,” so I got to accumulate all kinds of experience growing up. So now, whenever I think, “Should I give this a try?” I pretty much just go for it. (laughs) I learned fencing at one point when I was abroad, and I even ended up going to a competition. I’m pretty competitive, too, so I always put in the work. I figure, as long as I’m doing it, I might as well do it right. When you learn something new, it naturally leads to different experiences, too. I took ballet as a kid, and that’s how I realized I loved moving my body, and that naturally led to dancing!
Listening on repeat until it clicks
JIA: Getting ready to debut was actually my first time trying house or soul-style choreography, but the other girls said they already learned it before. I honestly love learning new things and trying things out for the first time. I thought, “Oh, that’s so cool, I didn’t know there was anything like this” (laughs) and I tried to pick it up as fast as I could. When we were practicing choreo, I’d start by listening to the song on repeat, a lot. For “Flip-Flop Girl,” we actually kept the song playing in the practice studio pretty much nonstop. At our first practice, the performance directors told us, “Let’s go from the intro and just try whatever you feel like,” so we each freestyled it out. Listening to the music that much and developing the muscle memory made the moves come naturally and improved the whole performance. And I got to do the opening for “GRLS,” so I really locked in for that. (laughs) I really wanted to act out that conversational vibe properly—“You heard me,” “You heard me?”—so I asked the directors a ton of questions and learned it inside and out.
Sun(-kissed)flower
JIA: When I think of our album “TUNE & PLAY,” I think of sunflowers! They’re bright yellow, wide open—I think it really matches our group’s upbeat energy and free-spirited vibe. The lead single, “SUN KISS,” really radiates with that confidence and easygoing energy, too. I want people to see us having a good time when we perform, all making eye contact and on the same page. I listened to the demo on repeat and thought a lot about how to capture the vibe of the song vocally speaking while still working in my own flavor. I want to grow into the kind of vocalist who can bring out her own tone and give it some oomph.
A radio kid’s go-to song
JIA: My family’s always been really into music. My mom’s big on the radio in particular, so it naturally became a big part of our car rides. When you leave the radio on, you get to hear everything from newer songs to old ones, nonstop. I think listening to whatever was flowing out from the radio is how I slowly figured out my own taste. I’ve always loved R&B, and that’s actually one of my favorite things about TUIDE’s music—there’s R&B and soul woven into it. I also listen to Daniel Caesar a lot. Right now I’m thinking of the song “Always.” My friend recommended it to me, and it’s been my go-to song ever since. I was listening to it on the walk back after having dinner with my friend one time, on one of those spring nights where it isn’t hot yet, just nice and cool out, with the lightest breeze. I still remember that first impression of it, so every time I hear it, it transports me back there.
besti-tude
JIA: It was really windy and cold when we went to Iceland to film the music video. We were all getting tired from dancing so much, and then at some point I looked up and the view was just stunning. So we said, “Let’s look at that view and power through this. Look up!” (laughs) It really brought us together. That day turned out to be a great opportunity for us to improve our teamwork and grow closer. I mean, we’re still working to get all on the same page, but I already feel like we’re there a lot of the time. Even when we mess up during practice and have to do something again, we hype each other up, like, “We! Got! This!” (laughs) If it seems like one of us isn’t feeling great, the rest of us do what we can to step up the energy, and even when the whole group’s feeling a little low, all it takes is one person feeling good to lift us all up. And I want to be there to keep everyone motivated in moments like that. What I really love about our group is that each of us has our own voice, and we all get to share our views.
This is TUIDE
JIA: When I first found out about the name TUIDE, I thought it was pretty interesting. You could read it as “tweed,” but we’re actually “too-eed”! Then I heard about how it means “tune the tide” and thought it was the perfect fit for us. The idea of tuning the tide made TUIDE feel so us. It even gave me this whole mindset of like, “Oh, are we about to go tune the tide of the whole world?” (laughs) Now sometimes we turn to each other like, “This is so TUIDE, this is TUIDE!” (laughs)
Daily routine, J(IA) style
JIA: No matter how tired I am in the morning, once my alarm goes off, I’m up! Some days I’m really sleepy, but once I hear that alarm, I just feel like I have to get up. (laughs) I have my own morning routine and night routine. Maybe it’s because my MBTI is ENFJ, but I try to get everything done and done according to plan. (laughs) When I wake up, I make my bed, no matter what. I get up, get ready for the day, then fold my PJs and put them on my pillow. Then I get dressed and do a quick scalp and face massage. At night, first I wash up and take care of things, then either massage myself with a foam roller or do some hip stretches on my bed. Also, I like sleeping on my back. They say it’s better for your spine. It’s important to maintain good posture when you dance this much. Oh! And I always try to read at least a little just before I fall asleep. I share a room with SEOHEE, and she always tells me, “You really stick to your routine. Whenever I look over, you’re always doing something.” (laughs)
Self-care through reading and meditation
JIA: I’ve gotten really into wellness and mindfulness lately, so I’ve been reading about the mind and mental fortitude. When we went to Iceland to film the music video, I bought a book called “Why are Icelanders so happy?” It’s about how to feel happiness more fully. It talks about how starting with being grateful for little things can help you feel grateful for everything and see the world in a more positive light, and I’m trying to put that into practice in my own life. Before I started as a trainee, back when I was preparing for entrance exams at school, meditation was another method I found. I tried to meditate at least once a day, even if only briefly, to help me focus on studying. I’m the type of person who struggles when I don’t believe in myself or when my mind isn’t in the right place. Even with the debut coming up, I felt like I needed to go into it with the right mindset, and that brought me back to meditation. I’ve been trying to calm myself down lately by reading before I fall asleep.
“My motion, good surfer”
JIA: Even when I’m in a stressful situation, I don’t really let it get to me. Like, say I wanted the cap on this bottled water cap to be blue, but it’s actually pink. I’ll just think, “Well, I can just make sure the next one’s got a blue cap—nothing I can do about this one!” and just “go with the flow.” (laughs) I think a good surfer’s someone who knows how to believe in themselves. You have to take care of yourself first before you can take care of others, you know? Once you believe in yourself, you’re able to trust other people too, and that’s how you earn their trust in return.
A Bold Dream
JIA: Since it’s a bold dream … I want to get a No. 1 on “Billboard”! (laughs) And what I’m most looking most forward to is fan meeting events. I’ve been a K-pop fan myself, and now I’m about to meet fans who like me. I can’t wait to find out what that feels like. I still can’t quite believe that I get to step out into the world as part of TUIDE, with these girls, and with these amazing songs and dances. We’ll be meeting our fans for the first time soon, and I still feel sort of shy just thinking about it! (laughs) We’ve worked so hard getting ready, so I really hope they’re looking forward to it. We’re going to keep returning the favor with better and better performances.