Who’s excited to hear Sandara Park perform ‘Festival’ live?
Finally, K-pop superstar Sandara Park dropped her first solo release since she debuted in South Korea more than a decade ago.
Sandara’s first solo release dropped on Tuesday, July 12, 2023. The self-titled digital Extended Play (EP) consists of five tracks, with “Festival” serving as the lead single.
The EP’s concept involves the 38-year-old singer inviting her fans to an amusement park named after her, according to a report by the Korea Herald.
More about “Festival”
The main track “Festival” reportedly samples music from a song of the same title by K-pop diva Uhm Jung-hwa, whom Sandara had previously described as her role model.
The music video for “Festival,” which was released alongside the EP, follows Sandara at an amusement park. It also includes cameos from a number of popular Korean celebrities, including Uhm Jung-hwa, Jo Se-ho, Kim Sook, Park Na-rae, and Aiki.
According to reports, Sandara had some help from other Korean musicians for the album. Among those who readily shared their talents with her were rapper Gray, R&B singer Heize, and indie artist Sunwoo Jung-a, who produced the tracks “Dara Dara,” “T Map,” and “Happy Ending,” respectively.
Just a few hours after the release of her EP and the hashtag #WelcomeToSandaraPark topped the list of trending topics on Twitter Philippines.
Sandara rose to fame in the Philippines after joining the ABS-CBN reality talent show “Star Circle Quest” in 2004, after which she had a successful acting and singing career.
In 2009, she debuted as a member of the hitmaking K-pop girl group 2NE1, known for songs such as “Fire” and “I Am The Best.” The four-piece act eventually disbanded in 2016.
She signed with ABYSS Company in 2021 following her departure from long-time agency YG Entertainment.
Sandara, who remains much loved in the Philippines, is set to perform at “The Super Stage” a local concert in Manila headlined by female K-pop acts on August 11, 2023.
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