Baby-faced HyunA has endured a decade since her much-publicized debut as a member of Wonder Girls in 2007.

Having turned from a wide-eyed teen prospect into a sex symbol and pop icon, HyunA says her new EP “Following” carries a message for those who supported her through thick and thin.

“There are those who have trusted and followed me, who kept a close eye on me. (The album’s) meaning is that those people would keep doing that -- trust and follow me,” she said.

The versatile singer has a reputation for being one of the sexier figures in K-pop.

She, however, retreated from her usual image for the new record, intentionally avoiding “sexy looks” by shooting the cover image without any makeup.

“I wanted to show HyunA as she is, in the most natural and plain way,” she said. “I want to give something to the fans who have shown love for all these years. To give them a natural look.”

The lead track, “Bebe,” is a retro track with a story of a young couple in love. It differs in style from previous hits like “Ice Cream” and “Bubble Pop,” but is not too far off.

“I’m someone who easily gets bored doing the same things over and over again,” she said.

HyunA added that she wants to focus on music for a while, instead of branching out to other fields like acting.

“People have asked me if I wanted to try a new field (like acting) but all I want to do is to show a perfect performance. If I can’t do that, I don’t think I would be able to try my luck at a new field.

(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)