The life story of Hwasa, a sexy tan-skinned singer whose viral song has spread across TikTok, who refuses to submit to South Korea's beauty standards.
Anyone who regularly explores TikTok has likely heard 'Good Goodbye,' a viral song featuring the chant “ayeea iya” and wrist-shaking dance moves that became a global trend, especially popular among couples, with over 1.1 million clips using this sound. The artist behind this song is Hwasa. A 30-year-old female diva singer from South Korea.
When mentioning the name Hwasa, people often picture a tan-skinned woman with a sexy appearance and a confident personality, which contrasts with the typical image of Korean female idols often boxed into the mold "fair-skinned, slim, and youthful."
In South Korea’s entertainment industry, the path to becoming an idol is similar to selecting a "crown jewel" From a large pool of trainees, tens of thousands audition to enter a rigorous trainee system involving singing, dancing, acting, personality training, and strict control of body shape and image to prepare for debut.
But debuting is not the finish line; it is just the start of competition in an industry measured by many factors, including talent, popularity, and "image" which must align with market expectations.
In South Korean society, it is undeniable that image is not secondary but an essential element almost inseparable from the word "idol." Long-established beauty standards shaped by media and the entertainment industry have created a "model" of beauty that is quite clear.
A slim, small face with balanced proportions, distinct double eyelids, doll-like under-eye bags, gently arched eyebrows, a high straight nose with a slightly upturned tip, heart-shaped lips, smooth, radiant skin without blemishes, and a youthful, bright image have become the ideal beauty that the industry strives to reproduce.
Yet within a system that tries to standardize beauty as much as possible, some people choose to stand outside that frame.
Hwasa or Ahn Hye-jin was born on 23 July 1995 in Jeonju, South Korea. She is a member of the girl group MAMAMOO under RBW. The group debuted in 2014 with four members: Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein, and Hwasa. Since then, she has gained fame both as a group member and solo artist. Currently, she is signed with P Nation after her contract with the previous label ended, but she remains a member of MAMAMOO and participates in group activities periodically.
What makes Hwasa stand out is not only her powerful voice or confident performance style but also her "non-conformity" to mainstream standards.
With her tan skin, sharp eyes, and curvy figure, she looks different in an industry that praises whiteness, slimness, and a youthful image. She has shared that she was criticized for her appearance since auditions and was even told during training to lose weight or risk being dropped from the label.
Her experience reflects the important question of "what is the beauty standard?" And who truly defines it?
Beauty Standard or beauty standards are social expectations that define "what appearance is considered beautiful or handsome." These standards may cover everything from skin color, body shape, facial proportions to posture and personality.
Although beauty standards shift with time and culture, when repeated through media, fashion, and entertainment industries, they gradually become "norms" that many people try to conform to.
In South Korean society, the entertainment industry plays a major role in defining and reinforcing a single beauty image, so much so that sometimes "difference" is questioned and pushed aside.
However, Hwasa chose not to submit or chase that beauty frame. She shared that after being criticized about her body during training, she went home crying in front of her computer before watching a concert by her favorite artist, Beyoncé, and at that moment made a decision about herself.
"If I don’t fit the beauty standards of this era, then I will create my own beauty standards."
That statement was not just self-comfort but became an attitude she expressed through her work and stage persona.
When she debuted as a solo artist with the single "Twit" in 2019, the song was hugely successful on music charts, and she also co-wrote it. Her subsequent solo work like "Good Goodbye" further confirmed that her success comes from both her talent and her authentic self.
Over the years, Hwasa has built a global fanbase with her fashion style that challenges conventions, confident performances, and continuous chart-topping songs.
Hwasa has become one of the most talked-about artists, even though her appearance does not fit the typical "idol" beauty formula. Her success is not only due to talent but also because she chose not to change "her identity" and proved that the path to success does not always have to follow the frameworks others set.
Hwasa’s story is not just a biography of one idol but reflects the power of "beauty standards" in South Korea’s entertainment industry—a system that can define the looks of an entire generation but can be shaken when someone dares to declare that beauty does not always need to fit the old mold.
Source:nme,abplasticsurgerykorea