K-Pop Idol Vs. Indie Artist: f(x)’s Amber Liu Tells All
2nd gen K-Pop idol f(x)‘s Amber Liu has been promoting as a solo artist, recently releasing her new single “Dusk Till Dawn.” Now, she is embarking on her 2024 Tour “No More Sad Songs.”
To promote the tour, NextShark released clips of its interview with Amber, where she talked about her family, songwriting, and life as an idol vs. indie artist.
Amber revealed that the most significant difference between her f(x) era and now is to find beauty in mistakes. Back then, Amber worked nonstop and was pressured to top the charts.
The biggest difference between me then and now is that to find the beauty in my mistakes. Back then, it was so nonstop going from job to job promoting the single, not sleeping, but it was also centered around this pressure to be number one. I think that was very present within like myself too. It’s like, ‘We need to get number one.’ I think that started clouding my judgment when that became a priority.
— Amber Liu
Now, Amber can be motivated as an artist on her own terms. Likewise, she can take her time when creating music and experimenting.
Pushing myself now as an indie artist because now everything, it it on my terms. I think growing up within that time, there was really no time to process. Like, ‘What do I like? The music, is it good?’ What I do now is like every single line, I’m like, ‘How do I sing this? Do I use this mixed? Use mixed here. Do I go falsetto? Do I use a chest voice? Do I actually purposely slur my word?’
— Amber Liu
Amber explained the pros and cons of her career as an idol and as an indie artist. As an idol, everything is organized for you. Yet, it doesn’t give much room for experimentation or freedom.
But back then, it was just like you are given a direction, and that’s it. So it’s actually, in some ways, it’s very much like organized for you. You just stick to that, and that’s it, but the downside to that is that I never really developed my identity for myself.
— Amber Liu
Amber’s tour kicks off on January 17, 2024.
