EXCLUSIVE [INTERVIEW] Lana on her first English single 'Circus' and growth for the past years

In 2019, Lana made her debut with the track “Take The Wheel,” making her the first Russian to debut as a solo K-Pop artist. Five years later, the singer released her first official English single under WILD Entertainment (home to Sorn, formerly of CLC), titled “Circus.” In the song, Lana uplifts people to embrace their bold and brave selves, signifying the artist’s confidence she hopes to share with the listeners.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been able to release music, and the timing is perfect as it’s the fifth anniversary of my debut,” Lana said in a press release statement. “I’m really excited for everyone to see what I have in store.”

[video_shortcode_youtube src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/cX2crL-Vuhw”]

Lana also appeared on the Chinese reality survival program, ‘CHUANG 2020’ with an impressive amount of viewership, and on the Korean dating show, ‘Eden II.’ Following her newest project, allkpop spoke to Lana about “Circus,” dream collaboration, and more. Keep reading the interview below!

allkpop: First of all, congratulations on your new project! Could you please introduce yourself to the readers and maybe give a few fun facts?

Lana: Hello, I’m Lana. I am a singer and model. I’ve been living in Korea for 10 years, and I debuted as a solo singer in Korea with the song “Take the Wheel” in 2019. I love spending my spare time playing golf and reading books or webtoons! I’m also a mom to a black cat named Susu.

allkpop: Tell us more about your new project and why you think it’s the perfect single to release as your first-ever English track. How did you find the preparations for this release, especially the rap part?

Lana: After I joined WILD, my company and I began looking for songs that would perfectly capture my feelings as I return to the music industry. Having debuted in Korea, I thought it would be challenging to transition from K-Pop to Pop because many people already know me as a K-Pop artist, but these worries quickly faded as I prepared for “Circus.” I wanted to make my comeback with “Circus” because I fell in love with the song; from the concept to the lyrics and the beat. I also thought that my fans and the general public would like it too! Regarding the preparation, I initially struggled with my English pronunciation, because I’m not a native speaker, so I practiced a lot before recording. Surprisingly, the rap part was one of the easiest portions of the song to record because I’m really into rap and I had a blast during recording!

allkpop: What was your reaction when you heard the song’s demo? Did you like it at first listen?

Lana: Oh, it definitely took me a while to find a song that I liked and connected with. I remember on the day when we found “Circus” that we had gone through so many demos. But when I heard “Circus,” I was like, “Oh? I need to listen to it again…,” then “This is great, I like it! Let’s do it.” and the rest is history. The song is literally on repeat every day.

allkpop: It’s been 5 years since you debuted with “Take The Wheel.” How would you compare yourself back then to now? What biggest differences do you notice from yourself?

Lana: I definitely think I have changed a lot since my debut. The past 5 years have not been easy for me, and I went through many challenges which tested me. I was also easily afraid to do or say anything and lacked confidence in myself. Back then, I felt like I didn’t have anyone on my side, so I felt lonely often. So now when I look back on my journey till today, I think I have grown a lot as an artist and a person. I have fans who support me, and I gain strength from them. Plus I’m more confident in my abilities. These days, I try not to overthink and just do what I want to do, which I think was captured in “Circus.”

allkpop: I love how the music video came about. Do you have any behind-the-scenes moments you want to share with us during the music video filming and song recording?

Lana: I think the funniest moment from behind the scenes was during the pole scene, where I had to dance on the pole. The floor was slippery, so every move was hard to control, and it was my first time ever pole dancing. At the end of the song, I did a big turn to look at the camera, but my wig flew off! We didn’t capture it on camera, but it was the funniest moment of the day.

allkpop: What made you decide to pursue this path of being a K-Pop idol, to enter the K-Pop world, despite the bumps you’re aware you have to overcome along the way? What’s your mindset like?

Lana: I think rather than thinking of myself as a K-Pop idol, I see myself as a performer. I love performing, dancing, and singing, so I gritted my teeth and worked hard to achieve my goals despite the many obstacles and negative comments I faced. It was definitely hard having to overcome so many difficulties being in this industry, but I think I became much stronger by choosing to focus on improving myself through the process, and I am grateful for what I have learned about myself.

allkpop: Are there any K-Pop artists that you look up to the most? Or, which of them would you love to collaborate with in the future?

Lana: I like SNSD, 2NE1, and f(x)! They were definitely my big three inspirations when I first came to Korea. These days, I don’t really listen to a lot of K-Pop, but if I could choose someone to collaborate with, I would love to work with CL.

allkpop: What short- and long-term goals do you have for yourself?

Lana: I would like to make more music and to continuously show people more sides to myself. I don’t really plan for long-term goals, but I would say I’m going to do what I want to do, live happily, and keep a positive mind!