Cat got your tongue, or rather your heart? Sunmi’s the likely culprit in her frisky new single “TAIL” and its accompanying visual.
She released “TAIL” — which she wrote, and tapped frequent collaborator Frants to help produce — and its rhythmic B-side “What the Flower” on Tuesday. The K-pop star told The Korean Herald that she wanted “TAIL” to sound “sharp and temperamental like a cat, while placing the animal’s uniquely cynical yet listless traits here and there” with the help of guitar riffs and slinky beats.
“The song is about a super sensitive catwoman villainess who wants love with all her heart, expressing her deepest instinctive feelings,” the 28-year-old singer said of her latest single during a press showcase. “‘TAIL’ is my first step into my 30s and I feel like I’m taking it boldly and confidently. I’ll try and release a full album within this year.”
She also told The Korean Herald about the animalistic inspiration behind “TAIL” and how she wanted to physically express her emotions. The song and video also find inspiration from the DC Comics character Catwoman. Renowned choreographer Janelle Ginestra (Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Red Velvet) created the K-pop artist’s fiesty and sultry routine that showed off every elongated aspect of her body, from her braided high pony whipping around to her multicolored manicures.
“Animals use their tail to express their emotions. They’ll shake their tails gently when they’re in a good mood and flick it hard if frustrated. I liked the frankness of this instinctive behavior and the word ‘tail’ just left a huge impact in my mind,” Sunmi said in her interview. “I don’t have a tail, so I wanted to illustrate how animals express their emotions with their tails. I told Janelle to really go bold with it so the animal rawness can really come across. I loved how she made it.”
Watch her “TAIL” music video below.
