Mamamoo rapper and vocalist Hwasa only made her debut as a soloist in February 2019, with the song Twit. So far, she’s won three major music awards, been named singer of the year in the digital music category for February 2019 at the recent 2020 Gaon Music Awards, and won the social artist award at the 2019 Soribada Best K-Music Awards and the best solo artist award at the 34th Golden Disc Awards in January.

Hwasa is popularly known for her daring sense of style, her body-positive outlook, and for becoming “Gopchang goddess” – a nickname she earned after an episode of I Live Alone revealed her savouring a dish of gopchang (beef intestines), which caused the delicacy to sell out.

IU

There’s no slowing down for IU and 2020 seems promising for the star. In November last year, her single Love Poem earned a perfect all kill, and soon after, her comeback track Blueming garnered another all kill, making IU the first artist of 2019 to achieve that two-time feat. Blueming remained on the top spot of Soompi’s singles music chart for four consecutive weeks, up until the second week of January.

Beyond music, IU remains active in the K-drama scene, with television hits Persona and Hotel Del Luna making waves last year. She was also named as one of Asia’s 2019 heroes of philanthropy by Forbes and is the youngest one on the list.

Taeyeon

Singer Taeyeon began her solo career in 2015 and her singles have been topping charts since. Her second album, called “Purpose”, was well-lauded by music critics upon release last year. Breaking free from her usual bubblegum pop tunes, “Purpose” cements the soulful singer’s ability and range, with the album earning the top spot in iTunes’ Top Album charts in 22 regions.

After releasing a repackaged version of “Purpose” early this year, Taeyeon broke her own record, with the track Dear Me topping 24 regions in the same chart. Fans couldn’t be happier for Taeyeon’s achievements, especially as she has recently shared her battle with depression. Taeyon has also recently closed a three-night run of concerts in Seoul, where fans and Girls’ Generation members flocked to show their support.

Younha

Singer-songwriter Younha is the first Korean female soloist to top the US iTunes chart with Winter Flower, a song about mental health. It became number one on the iTunes Top Songs chart in 43 regions, and joined the top ten of the Top Songs charts on iTunes in 70 regions.

Younha co-wrote the chart-topping track with BTS’ RM, and it is the opening track of her mini album, “Unstable Mindset”. It references her experiences with burnout and depression. She once revealed to The Korea Herald that she turns to music to express her experiences. RM’s rap in Winter Flower likens the mental struggle to the harshness of winter, his lyrics bearing a message of hope that there is light at the end of the darkness.

Zico

Leader of the boy group Block B, Zico starts the year afresh with Any Song, a feel-good tune that anyone can enjoy. “The song's message is that it has no message,” he tells Soompi. It's a stark contrast to his previous album, “Thinking”, which is laden with songs that express his deep thoughts.

Because of its fun, easy-going melody, Any Song broke out on TikTok and became a popular social media craze. Idols such as Hwasa, Chungha and Sandara Park were among those who joined Zico and took part in the “TikTok challenge”.

The song and dance trend definitely helped Any Song skyrocket to the top of major music charts, with Billboard reporting the track jumped from 1.2 million streams a week in the US to 2.4 million streams. It is also the first song of 2020 to achieve a perfect all kill.

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