TWICE’s Chaeyoung is stepping into the solo spotlight with her debut album Lil Fantasy Vol. 1, out on September 12. The announcement arrived quietly on August 7, when she posted clips of herself recording in the studio on Instagram. K-pop has seen its share of members using solo releases to expand beyond the group’s sound. LOONA’s Yves leaned into electronic dance, while BTS’ RM dove into experimental hip-hop.
Chaeyoung’s path is no less ambitious. For Lil Fantasy Vol. 1, she enlisted the Japanese sibling band GLIIICO, whose neo-soul and bedroom pop sensibilities anchor much of the record. Their involvement was teased back in July 2024 through a low-key cameo on her Instagram, though it wasn’t until September 1 that the collaboration was confirmed on her socials. Alongside GLIIICO, the album features contributions from SUMIN of STAYC, Jibin of the hip-hop duo Y2K92, and rapper sokodomo, pointing to a network of collaborators rooted in alternative and underground circles rather than the usual pop hitmakers.
Her first single, “Avocado,” sets the tone with sharp midtempo percussion, hazy guitar textures, and Chaeyoung’s airy vocals, the track leans psychedelic without losing its pop pulse. The music video, directed by Luke Casey, doubles down on surreal imagery. Chaeyoung is swallowed by a giant avocado seed and pulled into another dimension, a visual departure from the high-gloss choreography-heavy productions typical of K-pop. Casey, who has previously worked with Filipino-British alternative rock musician Bbeabadoobee and Swedish experimental rapper Bladee, lends the clip a grainy, dreamlike edge that mirrors Chaeyoung’s pivot toward a more alternative aesthetic.
That visual language carries into the album artwork. The cover shows Chaeyoung kneeling on a staircase with a candle in hand, shot on a digicam. It’s stark and unpolished, the opposite of TWICE’s bubblegum pop gloss. The album’s release comes just ahead of TWICE’s world tour stop in Manila on October 4. While fans prepare for the group’s sixth visit to the city, Chaeyoung is signaling a new creative chapter — one that blends her pop roots with a curiosity for the left-field sounds shaping Korean music today.
