SISTAR19 shows maturity in new single ‘No More (Ma Boy)’

(From left) Bora and Hyorin of SISTAR19. Image: Courtesy of Klap Entertainment via The Korea Herald

SISTAR19, the unit from the now-defunct girl group Sistar, is back with a new single album “No More (Ma Boy).” This is the duo’s first new single album in 11 years.

Hyolyn and Bora of SISTAR19 show what it is to sing and dance in a relaxed and composed manner, a change that comes from years in the K-pop scene.

“We released our first digital single as SISTAR19 just three years after our debut so we were really tense when performing. But with this new album, we wanted to show how much we have changed,” said Hyolyn in a group interview with local reporters in Seoul on Jan. 9.

The duo included the title of its previous hit digital single “Ma Boy” once again in its new single “No More (Ma Boy).”

“We wanted to show that this single is a continuity of our hit ‘Ma Boy,’ that this is the new version of the old ‘Ma Boy’ in which we can show a polished performance,” said Hyolyn. “Musicwise, the style of the songs in this new album is not that different from our previous releases. We know that the trend in the music industry is changing rapidly but we thought that our fans could be missing our musical identity that we had back then.”

The new single is led by the title track, which has an addictive melody with a strong hook, while the B-side, “Saucy,” has a cozy vibe.

Hyolyn took part in composing the lead single and writing the lyrics to both songs.

Since Sistar’s last release in May 2017, Hyolyn has been active as a soloist and Bora as an actor, starring in several Korean dramas.

“I asked Hyolyn for a lot of advice because now she is more experienced as a singer than I am. We communicated a lot and sharing opinions about our work has become much easier. I think that as we age, we think similarly,” said Bora.

“I missed performing on stage a lot so I was really happy and excited to work on this new album. But at the same time, I was worried that I would be unable to do as well as before. Yet, getting to work again with Hyolyn was so much fun,” Bora continued.

Hyolyn, on the other hand, said working with Bora was a fresh breath of air.

“I love my job and I wanted to show different facets of myself by being part of a group, a unit, and a solo. I continue to study music and practice dancing to stay in trend and that allowed me to be able to help Bora get back on track,” said Hyolyn.