In an interview, Girls' Generation Tiffany recalled the real reason she departed from SM Entertainment. She also explained why she changed her stage name from Hwang to Young.
On January 2, the Korean media outlet TenAsia released an article, featuring an interview with Girls' Generation (SNSD) Tiffany.
SNSD Tiffany Explains Reason She Decided To Leave SM For U.S.
The female sat down for an interview with the press to reveal her thoughts and feelings about her career, both as an idol and actress.
During the interview, Tiffany particularly revealed details of why she decided not to renew her contract with SM in 2017, choosing to start anew in the U.S.
"I made a solo album in 2016. I was also in charge of directing the album of Girls' Generation- TTS (Taeyeon-Tiffany-Seohyun) and it was a work that I had time to make.
But since then, I've been working on writing lyrics and composing. As I became involved with work like these, I have the willingness to become a person who can support stories and messages."
Back then, SM Entertainment still has limited platforms to let its artists explore becoming self-produced singers, especially when it comes to female idols.
Tiffany continued:
"I made my debut at a young age but when I reached my 20s, a question mark called 'WHY?' appeared. For 5 years, I spent a lot of time creating the reason and the basis for finding stories and messages. [...] I think I practiced how to make a voice when I found something I want to do."
She emphasized that this view influenced her to choose the "Chicago" script (musical), and "Reborn Rich" (drama).
After leaving SM, the singer returned to the U.S., her homeland, started a career as a soloist and studied acting.
Tiffany also took her time to explain why she went back despite her fame in Korea.
"I liked SM style when I was young, and if American pop R&B style songs were a space that touched my heart, I wanted to go to a space where I could find stories and messages and develop my analytical and judgment to choose from when I was 27 years old. So I learned music from the producers who produced Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande in the United States, and I went to an acting academy. It was a learning time for me."
SNSD Tiffany Unveils Why She Changed Stage Name After Moving Back to the U.S.
When she debuted in Girls' Generation, the idol was widely known as Tiffany Hwang. Her birthname is Stephanie Hwang, but she decided to use Tiffany, what her mother wanted to name her at birth.
In 2018 then, she started her career in the US market with a song cover of "Remember Me," the theme song of Pixar's "Coco." The soloist dropped it as a single under the new stage name Tiffany Young.
When asked why she opt to use this in the US, the idol actress explained:
"Young is a Chinese character from my real name Hwang Mi-young, while Tiffany, is my name when I was active in Girls' Generation. I wanted to emphasize that I am Korean-American in the U.S. as well."
She added:
"Young is a Chinese character for 'forever/eternal young.' It was a full name that I didn't want to miss Girls' Generation and at the same time to take my identity as an actress."
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: SNSD Tiffany Responds To Criticism Over Her Acting Skills in 'Reborn Rich'
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Written by Eunice Dawson.
