HWASA [Ahn Hyejin] 25

  • position: vocalist, lead rapper, maknae

  • bday: 1995 July 23 (Leo)

  • height: 160cm (5 feet 2 inches)

  • weight: 44kg

  • blood type: a

  • hometown: jeollabok-do, jeonju-shi

  • religion: catholic [baptismal name: maria]

Predebut [growing-up]

Hwasa always loved performing, but whenever she would go all out, she was teased for being "overweight." Whenever she cried, she would watch a video of Beyoncé performing. While watching the performance, she realized she wanted to become that person, and from there "I want to" became "I can" become that person. 1

Rihanna and Beyoncé have always been big inspirations to her from the beginning

Hwasa has two older sisters.

One of Hwasa’s earliest experiences on stage is her musical role as “Patzzi” when she was in elementary school. After this experience, she gained a whole-hearted support from her family to pursue her dream in the music/arts industry.

Hwasa and Wheein performing 'My Heart Will Go On' pre-debut

Hwasa's parents always supported her. When she was young, her dad would buy meat 6 days out of the week. He’d buy her anything she said she wanted to eat. Even when finances weren’t stable, he’d still buy any foods she wanted so she gained a lot of weight. They even knew that she would become a singer. Hwasa once stated: “When I was really young, my parents took me to their alumni reunions and once they went to a club. I was still a kid so they carried me on their back and went. However, my Dad left me alone for just a short moment, but when he came back he saw that there were people crowded around me. It turned out that I was singing in between people, using the buzzer button to call the waiter as a mic. My Dad carried me back home again afterwards and he said that I kept kicking my feet to the rhythm (laughs). He told me that this was when he knew that I would become a singer.” 2


Wheein & Hwasa have been friends for 10 years as of 2020. She met Wheein in Middle School, where she had gone up to Wheein and told Wheein that she was 'her type'. From then, they had become close friends and started doing auditions together later in high school and college. They also had a club with another middle school friend called. S.A.D (sexy and dangerous). They have two matching tattoos. One on the neck (Caddo: 'Friend' in Native American, the person who carries your sorrows on his/her back) and one on the back of their feet (Resonance: If something has a resonance for someone, it has a special meaning or is particularly important to them). Later, they decided to go to Seoul together to audition to be singers. They say they know each other better than their own families. [Mix Clip]

PERSONALITY

Hwasa makes her own standard of beauty and rocks her own style regardless of what people think of her. She's bold, and doesn't listen to authority. In one instance, before debut, the CEO of RBW said “There are more ways to style long hair. We don’t know what your concept will be yet so tell the members not to cut their hair." The next day Hwasa came back with all her hair cut off, laughed and said “CEO how do I look?” 1

Hwasa has had to battle with beauty standards ever since she was young. She states "One day I went to do an audition, and the instructor told me... you're very unique and sing very well, but you're fat and not pretty... Bastards... Those words became a big turning point in my life. I went home and while I was bawling and bawling...Soon, I found myself promising this. 'If I don't fit into this generation's standard of beauty, then I have to become a different standard."2

Hwasa is a perfectionist. She claimes that "I felt that it's really difficult doing your own thing without being shaken, calmly. I also became like that little by little. There some parts of me that are sensitive, and I still don't feel comfortable. I think I lash out at myself a lit, not being able to tolerate mistakes or faults." 3

Hwasa is also not as 'confident' as she appears on camera, in real life. When fellow bandmates Solar and Moonbyul were asked to describe her, they noted that "Hwasa has a very charismatic appearance and a cool image. However, in reality, She is shy and has a naive personality.
[She is] The youngest of us, and she has the cuteness of a younger sister. Hwasa has many aspects."
5

However, she is also insanely passionate to a fault. She states, “Whenever I wake up in the morning, I think, ‘There’s a chance that I may totally fail today.’ It’s my determination and resolution to not lose my initial passion. My popularity can’t last forever, so I’m going to live passionately during the given time.” 4

Hwasa also loves eating and cooking. She always tells her best friend Wheein, "It's okay, you look pretty now," whenever she brings up dieting.

She also loves getting tattoos. Each one has a special meaning to her, listed below:

  • MARÍA - HER BAPTISMAL NAME

  • PARADISE IS WHERE YOU ARE

  • TRIQUERTA - SYMBOL OF HER AND WHEEIN'S MIDDLE SCHOOL

  • CADDO - THE PERSON WHO CARRIES YOUR SORROWS ON HIS/HER BACK

  • RESONANCE - IF SOMETHING HAS A RESONANCE FOR SOMEONE, IT HAS A SPECIAL MEANING OR IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO THEM

  • RESONANT AND PLANETARY - ATTUNEMENT & INSPIRATION, MANIFESTATION & PERFECTION

  • STATICE - EVERLASTING, NEVERCHANGING LOVE

More +

  • Hwasa is very religious. Although, her mother is Buddhist. Her baptismal name is Maria.

  • She likes both Jazz and Blues. She also loves Hip Hop, R&B and even Heavy Metal. But she has a bit more confidence when it comes to Jazz.

  • her idols are Rihanna, Beyonce, and Christina Aguilera

  • She wrote songs that were put on the Pink Funky album, the Hello album, and the Reality in Black album. (I Do Me, Freakin' Shoes, Hip)

  • she is more on the quiet side, but also has a wild side.

  • She was mistaken as the oldest member because of her sexiness and old-timey voice.

  • Hwasa loves to watch movies, and often recommends various films she enjoyed to her fans.

  • Hwasa wants to direct her own movie in the future.

  • She does not like dogs and freezes up when seeing dogs.

  • She won first place in the Queendom Vocal round singing 'I Wish You Were Gay'

  • She gained fame appearing on I Live Alone, where she ate Gobchang, and the entirety of Seoul sold out Gobchang restaurants after her appearance. She was then casted onto the show as a regular.

NICKNAMES

  • FATAL HWASA - from her sexiness

  • HWALION - because of her hair in the Mamamoo TV Intro

  • MAKNAE ON TOP - because she looks/acts like the eldest of the group

DISCOGRAPHY

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