Rising soloist Hwina (휘나) is setting the stage for her second EP, 사이 (In Between), arriving 21 October at 12PM KST.

A new teaser for the project’s title track, “Panic Attack,” dropped today, offering a glimpse of her surreal visual world: Hwina, expressionless, pushes a wheelbarrow carrying a vintage computer monitor across a tidy lawn, framed by a pastel blue house in the background. It’s the kind of imagery that feels both playful but unsettling — a fitting entry point into her latest chapter.

The EP comes with five tracks, led by “Panic Attack” and rounded out with “이건 아니지 이건 아니야 (No, Not This Way),” “Wildfire,” and two alternate remix versions. 사이 (In Between) arrives with support from KOCCA (Korea Creative Content Agency), and once again positions Hwina as not just a performer, but a creative force in full control of her art. 

The pre-release single, No, Not This Way, already struck a chord when it dropped on 30 September, drawing attention through her intimate Its Live performance, where her raw vocal delivery carried the song’s emotional weight without frills.

Lyrically, Hwina continues to carve out her own lane by pairing vulnerability with a quiet kind of strength. Reflecting on her writing process for No, Not This Way, Hwina shared: “When the laughter of my childhood intersects with the weight of the present, I think of rain. Like a sudden shower that pours down but soon passes, I wanted to capture in this song the belief that this moment will also pass. In the end, the sunlight will shine again, and I wanted to convey both to myself and to everyone listening that we can rise again.”

One lyric in particular — “날 적시는 비는 소나기일 뿐이야” (“The rain soaking me is nothing but a passing shower”) — has steadily been resonating with listeners, encapsulating the bittersweet comfort that runs through her music. Hwina takes credit as executive producer, songwriter, and vocalist, with close collaborators including producer Lee Sunghoon, guitarist Kim Min-kyu, and pianist Lee Jung-yoon. Even the lyric video reflects her personal touch: Hwina revealed that she wrote out every line by hand, folding intimacy into the smallest of details.

With her mix of diaristic songwriting, unvarnished delivery, and eye for striking visuals, Hwina is steadily carving out her place in the new wave of Korean soloists transforming vulnerability into power and something unforgettable.