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Exclusive／Solar opens up about her “sense of insecurity”! Surprised to receive this Tainan specialty from fans “Full of anticipation”

Solar has been dubbed the "Kitchen Goddess" (Artists who visit Taiwan as frequently as their own kitchen) due to her frequent visits to Taiwan. Having fallen in love with Chinese, she can now do full interviews in Mandarin when visiting Taiwan, which leaves a strong impression.

She recently released her second Mandarin song, “There Is Always a Planet That Belongs to You (Your Own Star)” and collaborated with and co-created it with the popular band Accusefive.

In a recent interview with TVBS News, she revealed that the song was created with the hope of comforting fans and giving them a sense of reassurance. After hearing Accusefive’s musical style, she decided they were the perfect collaborators.

“A 10-character song title is very difficult — Taiwan fans gifted her this specialty” The song title “There Is Always a Planet That Belongs to You (Your Own Star)” contains 10 Chinese characters, which Solar says is very long. She admitted that this phrase was the hardest part

“When I sing, there are no tones, but when I speak, there are—so it’s very difficult.” When asked why she didn’t ask Accusefive to shorten it, she explained that Yun An felt it was a very important sentence.

After hearing his reasoning, she agreed, but joked: “Even the Korean staff can’t pronounce it.”

So what would Solar’s own planet look like? She imagines it as a sparkling one “I’m very confident—if it were my planet, it would shine brightly, a glowing white planet.”

Known for her confidence and strong vocal prowess, Solar who is also K-pop's main vocalist, honestly shared that she sometimes feels insecure about singing “When I sing and don’t do well, I feel uneasy. If my throat isn’t in good condition, I feel uneasy.”

However, she added that in those moments she doesn’t overthink, because thinking too much gives her a headache. With very high standards for herself, she sometimes feels regret after certain performances, believing she could have done better.

Solar, who loves visiting Taiwan, wants to come not just for work but to travel and have fun. The place she most wants to visit is Tainan. She remembers reporters recommending lots of delicious food last time, which makes her feel very excited.

Fans in Tainan even gave her a block of winter melon sugar as a gift. She tried cooking with it after returning home and really liked it, even recommending it to people around her.

Interview | Solar shouted “It’s too dangerous!” during her Taiwan visit — even got bluntly called out by her own mom

Solar has been gaining more and more popularity in Taiwan. However, she surprisingly exclaimed that “Taiwan is very dangerous!” The reason turned out to be hilarious — not about safety, but because “the food is too sinful.” In a short time, she gained weight uncontrollably.

She was even bluntly told by her own mother: “You’ve gained weight!”

“Taiwanese food is so delicious, Solar was captivated by it!” Solar conquered Taiwan last year with her Mandarin single, and her latest collaboration with the popular Gen Z band Accusefive on "Your Own Star"

Fans have even nicknamed her the “Kitchen Goddess.” But during the interview, she complained jokingly, naming foods like danzai noodles, Taiwanese fried chicken, pan-fried buns, and dumplings as “body killers.” Once she starts eating, she simply can’t stop.

“It’s really too dangerous!”

Even more dramatically, during the New Year holiday when she returned to Korea, she indulged in food and gained 7 kg. She joked: “I turned into a pig.”

Her face, arms, and stomach all gained weight, and even her mom couldn’t hold back and criticized her directly. Solar admitted she felt hurt but also laughed: “I was really upset, but I know she was telling the truth.”

Solar isn’t giving up. After returning to Taiwan, she immediately started dieting through food control and exercise. Although she doesn’t dare check her weight, she says she can clearly feel that she has slimmed down, trying to survive amidst all the food temptations.

Solar 頌樂 솔라 The present self is the best self

“In the hell of laziness, there is no Kim Yong-sun!”

This is the impression that K-pop main vocalist Solar has given everyone since her debut. No matter what she does, she is full of passion and enthusiasm, and is always willing to challenge and learn new things.

The name Solar is almost equal to hard work. In recent years, in order to communicate with fans in the Chinese-speaking circle, she began learning Chinese and has successively released two Chinese singles. Even though she is already seen as a representative of diligence, Solar knows there are still many interesting things worth trying waiting for her. She will not be complacent, nor will she stop moving forward, but will continue to shine and give off heat like the sun, warming every person around her.

Q. You’ve always been willing to try new things and take on challenges—was learning Chinese the same?

Solar : That’s right! At first, it was because I covered Chinese songs during a concert in Taiwan. I also learned a few simple greetings to communicate with fans. Unexpectedly, fans praised my pronunciation as being very accurate, so I started to have the idea of "wanting to release a Chinese song". Although my original work is already very busy, I try my best to squeeze out three to four hours every day to practice Chinese. I’m the type of person who, once I make up my mind, will do my best to do it well. Actually, there aren’t any particularly complicated thoughts—"just do it!" I think if you have that kind of mindset, then no matter how tired or how hard it is, there will definitely be rewards.

Q. With this collaboration with Accusefive on "There’s Always a Planet That Belongs to You (Your Own Star)," you want to tell everyone that each person has their own place they belong. Why did you want to create a song like this?

Solar : This time, I also participated in writing the Chinese lyrics. I really like the line, "Tomorrow's you will hold today's you warm". Because every time I meet fans, they always share their own stories with me—saying how tired they’ve been lately, how difficult life has been… This both makes me feel heartbroken and also makes me want to give them strength. In the past, I really wanted to do everything perfectly. Even if I couldn’t achieve perfection, I still wanted to give it my all. But that actually put a lot of pressure on myself. Now my way of thinking is different—just presenting myself as I am right now is enough. Even if it’s not perfect, it’s still a wonderful side of me.

"I’m very grateful to my past self, and also grateful for all the people and things around me—big or small. People often feel that they haven’t done well enough, but I want to tell them “Being the way you are now is already good!"

"Every day, I carry gratitude in my heart—I'm grateful that I’m healthy today, grateful that I get to meet many good people. Because of this sense of gratitude, I feel that every single moment is the best version of myself."

Couldn’t Tell Yun An and Quan Qing Were a Couple, Shyly Says She Can’t Date Within a Group

Korean powerhouse singer Solar has achieved great success since her debut in 2014. Both as a member of MAMAMOO and as a solo artist, she has won first place on music shows multiple times. Last year, she took a bold step and came to Taiwan to release a Chinese single.

Solar shared that she has always wanted to sing in Chinese, so at the start of this year, she continued pursuing that goal by collaborating with the popular band Accusefive on her second Chinese single, “There’s Always a Planet That Belongs to You. (Your Own Star)”

“Fighting Anxiety with Hard Work” Although Solar is already a well-known household star in Korea, even after many years since debut, she still inevitably encounters low points and moments of unease. She revealed that when facing self-doubt, she doesn’t have any special method

“I try not to think too much about difficult things. If I overthink, it affects my mental health, so I choose to work harder instead.” She once had a full 2 years without any days off, preparing albums, practicing, doing activities every day without interruption

Her hardworking spirit even created a famous saying among fans: “There is no Kim Yong-sun in the hell of laziness.” She laughed and said, “Now my stamina really isn’t good anymore.”

Even so, she still maintains daily practice: “People should keep working hard. If you don’t practice, you will forget.”

“Learning Chinese and Writing Lyrics” Recalling the days she came to Taiwan alone last year, Solar frankly said she once felt uneasy. At that time, her Chinese ability was not yet mature.

She lived alone in a foreign place for three weeks, going to traditional markets every day to buy groceries. She even once had her card payment fail, almost letting a fan who happened to meet her help pay “I felt very embarrassed, so in the end I didn’t buy it.”

Solar’s determination to deeply engage locally and learn Chinese is admirable. She said this period made her feel a lot of warmth.

“When I was active here, many people helped me, supported me, and liked me. I also like everyone very much and feel very happy. My fans are all very enthusiastic.”

“Challenging Herself to Write Lyrics in Chinese” This time, not only did she sing, Solar also challenged herself to write lyrics in Chinese, participating in the entire process from concept development to lyric creation.

“I am a foreigner. Using Chinese to write lyrics is really very difficult. I first think of Korean sentences, then translate them into Chinese, revising again and again, writing again and again.”

She joked that she once worried the sentences might not be natural and would make everyone feel awkward: “It’s very difficult, but very interesting. Learning Chinese and writing Chinese lyrics both make me feel very challenged and very happy."

“Group Dating Is Impossible” She also enjoyed working with Accusefive. When mentioning that members Yun An and Quan Qing are a couple with a stable and sweet relationship, Solar said she couldn’t tell at all during their collaboration.

When asked about dating in group she said: “This is not allowed. Because they are a group—if they date then break up, it wouldn’t work, I would feel very awkward. They have been together for a long time and have a very good relationship, so there is no such problem”

“I used to be too strict with myself and never thought about what happiness feels like. But lately, I feel happy every day, I’m very grateful.”

Solar recently released her second Chinese single, “There Is Always a Planet That Belongs to You (Your Own Star).” This cross-language and cross-style track features a special collaboration with Taiwan’s new-generation band Accusefive.

Talking about this collaboration, Solar revealed that she had already been impressed by the band's work beforehand—their melodies are beautiful, and the emotions in their lyrics deeply resonated with her. During production meetings, she specifically expressed her hope that the song could become something that “brings comfort to everyone.”

On stage, Solar is charismatic and full of energy, but in private, she describes herself as a true “introvert”. She laughed and said that she is actually very quiet offstage, only showing her lively side when she switches into work mode. When asked how she would describe “Solar's planet,” she explained. “It's a small place, but it shines brightly, and the atmosphere is very calm.”

Solar, who recently celebrated her 35th birthday, once again spent it working alongside her beloved fans, Yongsoons. To her, they are not just supporters, but guiding lights during moments of confusion. Even after performing on many stages, she still occasionally experiences self-doubt “Sometimes when I feel lost, when I don't know who I am, or when I think I didn't sing well and start doubting myself, the letters from my Yongsoonies give me a lot of strength.” When asked how she would ideally like to celebrate her birthday if she had the choice, she gave a simple yet adorable answer: “If possible, I'd like to just lie at home and eat delicious food.”

Although she describes herself as someone with a small social circle, Solar shared that she would love to travel in Taiwan if given the chance. She mentioned wanting to visit Taiwan and hopes to experience a more relaxed side of life beyond work.

Looking ahead to 2026, Solar will focus on promoting her new single “There Is Always a Planet That Belongs to You (Your Own Star).” She also hinted that upcoming activities are currently being prepared. At the end of the interview, she shared with a smile.

From shining on a distant “planet” to drawing warmth from fans' letters, Solar continues to glow in her own disciplined yet comfortable rhythm.

Solar took the stage with her latest single, "There's Always a Planet That Belongs to You (Your Own Star)," a collaboration with the popular Taiwanese band Accusefive. The song blends Accusefive's signature style with a powerful high-note design showcasing Solar's vocal range.

Solar greeted the audience in Mandarin: "Hello everyone, I'm Solar! How are you all doing?" She shared that she had just been to Taipei ten days prior to promote the new single, "Because I released a new song, have you listened to it? Is it good? Please listen to it a lot!"

Her playful banter elicited a warm response from the audience. Solar introduced the song as a collaboration with Accusefive, revealing that she had done many interviews and live streams to promote the new song, which made her feel that her Mandarin had improved.

"My Mandarin pronunciation has improved a lot, and I'm getting more and more used to it." She then performed her second Mandarin song, "Floating Free," delivering a powerful performance that captivated the audience.

Next, she performed the songs "Paradise" and "Blues," showcasing her superb singing skills and immersing the audience in a deeply emotional musical atmosphere. The entire audience chanted her real name, "Kim Yong-sun," which surprised and delighted her. Solar asked everyone "Are you all happy? I'm happy too!" She then shared that she was going back to Korea the next day, felt a little reluctant to leave, saying, "It's a bit of a pity; time always flies by in Taipei." The fans enthusiastically cheered, "Buy a house!" Solar couldn't help but laugh and replied "Not yet!" She added "Because you all know, houses in Taipei are really expensive, so I need to work even harder." Her interactions were entirely in Chinese, demonstrating a deep understanding of local culture; her sincere, adorable answers created a very warm atmosphere.

Asia’s Rising Star Solar wrote an apology letter to Accusefive while fiming the MV, "Wanted to practice chinese on weekends but was turned down by her teacher"

Following the release of her first Chinese single last June, pop star Solar recently released her second Chinese single, "Your Own Star" in collaboration with Accusefive. Solar revealed that the day they filmed the MV coincidentally fell on Accusefive singer Quan Qing’s birthday which made her feel very apologetic. In the end, she decided to write a handwritten letter in Chinese to express her feelings, but it unexpectedly became quite a challenge.

"It was very difficult. I first wrote it in Korean, then used ChatGPT to translate it into Chinese, and copied it while comparing the text. It almost took an hour."

Solar also challenged herself by writing Chinese lyrics. She admitted the whole process was quite difficult: "I’m a foreigner and my Chinese level isn’t very good. Song lyrics are also different from normal conversation, so it’s even harder."

During the process, she spent a lot of time searching online and repeatedly revising the lyrics. However, she said that as long as she could convey her feelings to everyone, it was all worth it. During recording, Accusefive also frequently gave her advice and guidance.

"What they care about most is pronunciation. For example, the word ‘zǒng’ (總) — at first I used a retroflex sound. I thought the pronunciation was the same, but they said it was completely different, so we kept redoing it. And the ‘cháng’ (長) in ‘màncháng’ (漫長) doesn’t have a retroflex sound. To me it sounded the same. Accusefive became my Chinese teachers — except for Zheqian, the others were very strict." Although she was coached for several hours, Solar did not feel frustrated. Instead, she worked even harder : "I know this song is important. They want to make it well, and so do I."

Although her Chinese ability already surpasses many foreigners, Solar continues to improve. She revealed that on weekdays she sets aside 15 minutes to call her teacher and practice Chinese by chatting about daily life to maintain her speaking ability.

Recently, while attending a Seed Music event, she still kept up her practice despite a busy schedule. However, she laughed and said that since everyone around her could speak Chinese, she felt a bit shy and could only cover the phone and speak quietly.

Solar also mentioned that she even wanted to arrange classes on weekends, but her teacher rejected the idea: "Weekends are for rest!". So she could only obediently listen.

Looking back on the time when she first came to Taiwan to develop her career last year, Solar admitted she once felt quite lonely. She arrived in Taiwan alone three weeks early to prepare : "At that time my Chinese wasn’t very good, and I didn’t have friends."

"The staff from Seed helped me, but we had difficulty talking and could only use translation apps." She also once doubted whether she could do well. "At that time I didn’t have confidence. I didn’t tell the company I wanted to give up, I could only tell myself that I could do it"

How did she adjust to those feelings? "I didn’t really think about it. I just kept acting and kept pushing myself." Now Solar has fully integrated into life in Taiwan and has gained the love and support of many Taiwanese fans.

Speaking about the lyric from the new song "In this unknown universe, there will always be a planet that belongs to you" She admitted that she has indeed experienced moments of confusion in life.

“From my debut until now I’ve always been working. Sometimes I wonder, ‘Why am I living like this?’” The support of fans has become an important source of strength for her. Especially when she receives handwritten letters from fans, it moves her deeply to realize that someone would treat her with such unconditional kindness. She also revealed that she actually loves writing letters herself : "This requires effort and sincerity."