Biography of Hwasa

Ahn Hye-jin known professionally by her stage name Hwasa is a South Korean rapper, singer, and television personality. Ahn Hye-jin is currently signed to RBW. She made her debut in 2014 as a member of the girl group Mamamoo. With the release of the digital single “Twit” in February 2019, she made her solo debut. She was also formerly known as Sil Bi and a member of the project group REFUND SISTERS.

Early Life and Education

Ahn Hye-jin born on July 23, 1995 in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea. Her family consists of two older sisters and her parents. She received her education from Wonkwang Information Arts High School. Beyoncé frequently serves as an inspiration for Hwasa’s music.

When she was only 18 years old, a number of South Korean musicians, such as Solbi and the band Standing Egg, recognised her talent and incorporated her artistic abilities in their songs before she made her K-pop debut.

Career

Mamamoo and launch of solo career

The lead single from Mamamoo’s first extended play (EP), Hello, “Mr. Ambiguous,” was released on June 19, 2014, marking Hwasa’s debut as a member of the girl group Mamamoo. “My Heart/I Do Me,” from Hello, was the first original song that she wrote and composed. “Be Calm” was her second solo track, and it was included on Mamamoo’s sixth EP, Yellow Flower, in March 2018. The song’s music video was posted on March 25, 2018, and as of August 2022, it had received 7.9 million views. The Gaon Download Chart placed “Be Calm” ranked as number 35.

She joined the cast of the KBS reality series ‘Hyena’ on the Keyboard in April 2018, and her participation inspired the creation of the song “Don’t” with rapper Loco. The song, which was written and composed partly by Hwasa, peaked at number one on the Gaon Digital Chart in South Korea. Later, in January 2019 and again in August 2019, “Don’t” received Platinum certification for 100 million streams and 2.5 million downloads, respectively.

Hwasa made her solo music debut in February 2019 with the digital single “Twit”, which she contributed to writing and composing. The song achieved a “Triple Crown”, topping the Gaon Digital, Gaon Downloads, and Gaon Streaming charts. It was a commercial success.

For the week ending March 2, 2019, “Twit” peaked at number three on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart. In the month of October, she made a single called “In The Fall” with South Korean hip-hop producer Woogie. “Twit” was ranked number 8 on Billboard’s list of “The 25 Best K-Pop Songs of 2019: Critics’ Pick” in December and number 13 on Refinery29’s list of “The Best K-Pop Songs of 2019”.

Solo success

Hwasa collaborated with English singer Dua Lipa in March 2020 for a remix of Lipa’s “Physical” that included Korean lyrics. She was added to the original soundtrack lineup of the Korean drama ‘The King: Eternal Monarch’ in April, and her first solo soundtrack song, “Orbit”, was released. On May 2, 2020, the song debuted at number 16 on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales Chart.

Her debut EP Maria and the corresponding lead track were made available on June 29. The EP peaked at number 81 on the Billboard Top Current Albums Sales charts on July 11, 2020, after debuting at number seven on the Billboard World Albums list. Hwasa and producer Park Woo-sang created the lead song “Maria” with the intention of showcasing her development as a singer-songwriter.

She also composed “Why” and authored the lyrics to “LMM”. “Maria” peaked at number two on the Billboard K-pop Hot 100 for the week of September 26, 2020, and at number 79 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 for the week of October 3, 2020. Additionally, “Maria” made its debut on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart at position six.

Hwasa competed in the episode of the JTBC entertainment programme Hidden Singer’s sixth season that will air on September 11, 2020. She defeated the other competitors in the final round by a huge margin of 79 votes, snapping their four-game losing run, giving her the second victory of the season as an original vocalist.

By becoming a cast member of the MBC reality game show ‘How Do You Play?’, she made her public debut with Refund Sisters, the project supergroup formed via Hangout with Yoo, the South Korean reality show by MBC TV. For two weeks in a row, “Don’t Touch Me”, the group’s debut single peaked at the top of the Gaon Digital Chart.

Spotify put Hwasa fourth on their list of the “2020 Most Played Female K-pop Artists”. Billboard called “Maria” the single, the second-most played music under the K-pop Hot 100 top 10 throughout the course of the year—charting for 19 straight weeks.

“Maria” came in at number two on Rolling Stone India’s selection of the top 20 K-pop music videos of the year and at number 27 on Paper’s list of the top 40 K-pop songs of the year. According to the report, “Hwasa is seen by many as a person who lacks fear, but her single “Maria” deconstructs that image, casting a picture of a young woman who is both fragile and confident, playful and seductive”.

She posted her first video to her own YouTube account, “Hwasa Official”, on July 23, 2021. The lead track on her solo album ‘Guilty Pleasure’, “I’m a B,” was released on November 24, 2021. It was revealed on July 16, 2022, that she and South Korean rapper Loco would work together on the new single “Somebody”, which was published on July 25, 2022.

Hwasa’s Influence

Endorsements

Hwasa was chosen as an ambassador for the outdoor company ‘The North Face’ in September 2018. She was the first female model for ‘Lotte Crunky Gold’ since the product’s 1984 debut in October 2018. She started endorsing Davich’s “Trevues” lenses in March 2019. She was chosen as the new model by ‘Gold Peak Tea’, an ice tea line owned by Coca-Cola, in March 2019.

In April 2019, she subsequently became the brand’s newest muse and was replaced as the model for ‘Everland Caribbean Bay’ in June 2019. She later appeared on the August 2019 cover of “Cosmopolitan Korea”. She collaborated with Urban Decay cosmetics and Vogue magazine in November for their “Pretty Different” and “Queen”-inspired themes. In November 2019, Ottogi declared that Hwasa was their newest model for their Jjamppong instant noodles.

The Sims 4 released the news that Hwasa would appear in their commercial campaign in January 2020. “Play With Life,” a Sims 4 promotional video starring Hwasa, was published by EA Korea. Then she collaborated with MCM for the February edition of the fashion publication Elle Korea. She was selected as an ambassador for the sportswear company ‘Adidas’ in February of that year.

In April, she was picked as Kiss New York’s new muse, and the following month, Lotte Chilsung Beverage used her as the face of a hangover beverage. The August 2020 edition of Cosmopolitan Korea had her on the cover. Hwasa and Kai of EXO were named brand ambassadors for “Olive Young’, a South Korean health and beauty company, in September 2022. According to information posted on the business’s social media, the pair’s countrywide campaign debuted on September 15.

Hwasa from MAMAMOO Discloses Her Love Life

MAMAMOO’s Hwasa appeared on the SBS variety programme “We Will Channel You” and was open and honest about her love life during the programme. She had a romantic relationship with a man, whom she did not make public. As time went on, she grew preoccupied with her career and distanced herself from him.

The answer to Kang Ho Dong’s question about how many men she liked was, “he was my first and last man”. “It was a love story in Seoul”, she remarked. Winter encounter led to a year of dating before he found love. Her lover’s identity is never made public.

Networth of Hwasa

After making her debut as the vocalist, rapper, and youngest member of the power vocal group MAMAMOO back in June 2014 under RBW Entertainment, Ahn Hye-jin, better known by her stage as Hwasa, rose to international fame. The artist, who is 28 years old, is thought to be earning about $6 million as of 2022, according to media reports.

However, considering her soloist activities, it may reach $10 million. She is the group’s richest member based on the current net worth ranks of each MAMAMOO member, with the other members’ estimated net worths ranging from $1.5 million to $4 million. Her revenues from MAMAMOO’s marketing, including their official merchandise and song releases, account for a significant amount of her net worth.

She also made money through MAMAMOO’s endorsement deals, television appearances, and other sources. In addition to her work with MAMAMOO, Hwasa has made a name for herself as a solo artist. She has also worked with and performed with other artists. For the song “Don’t”, she teamed up with rapper Loco; the song has amassed over 2.5 million digital downloads and has been certified platinum. She has also worked with Dua Lipa, Suran, San E, K.Will, BE’O, Psy, and other musicians.

Hwasa also earns profit from her appearances on television. She even became more well-known because of her role in MBC’s ‘I Live Alone’, where she is a regular cast member. She also participated in the following programmes: King of Masked Singer, Hangout With Yoo, Hidden Singer, and Saturday Night Live (SNL).

Awards

• Korea Broadcasting Awards 2021
  Best Female Reality Star – I Live Alone (2021)
• MBC Entertainment Awards 2021
  PD’s Award – I Live Alone (alongside “I Live Alone Team”) (2021)
• Korea First Brand Awards 2021
  Female Solo Artist (2021)Female Idol Variety Star (2021)
• The Fact Music Awards 2020
  Artist of the Year (Bonsang) (2020)
• QQ Music Boom Boom Awards 2020
  Big Shot Artist of the Year (2020)
• APAN Music Awards 2020
  Idol Champ Global Pick – Solo (2020)
• Asian Pop Music Awards 2020
  Song of the Year (Overseas) – “María” (2020)
• Golden Disc Awards 2020
  Best Digital Song (Bonsang) – “María” (2020)
• Korea First Brand Awards 2020
  Female Solo Artist (2020)Female Idol Variety Star (2020)
• MBC Entertainment Awards 2020
  Digital Content Award – Girl’s Secret Party (2020)
  Female Top Excellence Award – Variety – I Live Alone & Hangout with Yoo (2020)
• Mnet Asian Music Awards 2020
  Best Dance Performance – Solo – “María” (2019)
• Gaon Chart Music Awards 2019
  Artist of the Year – Digital Music (February) – “Twit” (2019)
• Golden Disc Awards 2019
  Best Solo Artist Award (2019)
• MBC Entertainment Awards 2019
  Female Excellence Award – Variety – “I Live Alone” (2019)
• Soribada Best K-Music Awards 2019Social Artist Award (2019)
• MBC Entertainment Awards 2018
  Rookie Female of the Year – Variety – I Live Alone (2018)
• KBS Entertainment Awards 2018
  Hot Issue Entertainer Award – Hyena on the Keyboard (alongside Loco) (2018)
• Melon Music Awards 2018
  Hot Trend Award – “Don’t” (alongside Loco) (2018)

Interesting Facts about Hwasa

1. María is Hwasa’s baptismal name.
2. She has 5 tattoos. The South Korean Singer, Wheein and Hwasa have two twin
   tattoos.
3. She is allergic to animals, hence she is unable to own pets. Every time the other members mention their pets, she makes reference to a toy lion she loves.
4. 18 songs by Hwasa are included in JASRAC.
5. Wheein and Hwasa have been friends since middle school.
6. Irene from Red Velvet and Bona from WJSN were surpassed by Hwasa at the top of the Korean Business Research Institute’s rankings for each girl group member’s brand reputation in July.
7. She said she used to be afraid of vehicles on the MBC television programme ‘I Live Alone’. After receiving her licence, she overcame her fear and took her first solo automobile ride.

   

Filmography

• 2017 – “King of Mask Singer” (Episodes 111–112 as “Follow Me Aerobics Girl”)
• 2018–present – “I Live Alone” (Regular cast)
• 2020 – “Hangout With Yoo”(Regular cast Episodes 56–68 as a part of Refund Sisters),”Hidden Singer” (Contestant (Won)
• 2022 – “Hwasa Show” (Host (1st episode on December 17th)

Web shows

• 2022 – Saturday Night Live Korea (Host-Season 2 – Episode 8)

Television series

• 2016 – Entourage

Host

• 2019 – MBC Entertainment Awards

Radio show

• 2015 – KPOP Planet (official DJ with Im Hyun Sik (BTOB) and Jae Jin (F.T.ISLAND)

FAQs

1. Why is Maria Hwasa’s name?
   Hwasa unveiled the album’s first teaser image and release date on June 15 at midnight KST. The EP’s title tune, “Maria,” which alludes to her baptismal name, was also made known.
2. Who inspired Hwasa?
   Beyoncé served as an influence on Hwasa.
3. How old is Hwasa?
   At present, she is 28 years old.
4. Is Mamamoo’s Hwasa Dating Anyone?
   Hwasa’s romantic connection has not been officially confirmed. Members of Mamamoo are not dating anyone, according to ‘Dating Celebs 2022’.
5. What is Hwasa’s representative colour?
   Her representative colour is Yellow.
6. What is Hwasa’s Instagram ID?
   _mariahwasa is Hwasa’s Instagram ID. She has 9M million followers.
7. What is Hwasa’s Zodiac sign?
   Hwasa’s zodiac sign is Leo