Go ahead and call K-pop star G.NA a sexy babe.

When she first debuted in 2010, the bosomy Canadian-Korean singer used to mind the public’s constant obsession over her D-cup chest and 25-inch waist.

Not anymore.

In an interview with LOUD at Oasia Hotel last Saturday, the 25-year-old porcelain beauty, who was in town to hold her fan meet in conjunction with Courts Megastore Tampines’ weekend marathon sale, said with a grin: “Initially, the fixation on my sexiness kind of bothered me.

“Now, I see it as a form of flattery... Personally, I feel that sex appeal is a very important trait in any girl.

“Most women would love to be complimented and called ‘cute, sexy and beautiful’, wouldn’t they?”

It was a pity that despite her proclaimed mindset change, G.NA, whose real name is Gina Choi, did not come decked out in a get-up that flaunted her assets.

Instead, she was all covered up in a simple white buttoned-up blouse and black skirt, exuding corporate vibes.

Perhaps it was a reflection of the 1.68m model-esque entertainer’s desire to be recognised for her vocal and dancing talent.

“Gradually and quietly, I’m beginning to show people there are more sides to me,” she said.

“I’m sure that in time, they’ll start to pay more attention to my music.”

It is the ardent wish of her local die-hard supporters too, a few of whom hung out at the main lobby of Oasia Hotel hoping to catch a glimpse of their idol.

Mr Melvin Lim, 24, a first-year undergraduate, told LOUD: “Sometimes, it’s quite disheartening when you log on to K-pop forums and the only thing guys are talking about are her breasts and curvy figure.

“They seem to forget that she sings really, really well.”

Lim’s friend, 16-year-old Secondary 4 student Linette Tan, agreed.

“She is hands down, the best solo female artiste in Cube Entertainment (referring to G.NA’s record label),” gushed Linette.

In September, G.NA released her first international album Oui, featuring fresh interpretations of her previous hit numbers Black & White, 2Hot and Green Light in English.

OVERSEAS SPECIAL

“Doing Oui gave me a chance to look back at the steps I’ve taken so far to reach where I am,” she said.

“The album is also something special for my overseas fans... I know when I sing in Korean, there is inevitably a language barrier for them.”

Interesting fact for her fans: The English versions of her dance-pop tunes are actually the original versions.

“Usually, I’ll pen my lyrics in English and we’d record a guide track before the South Korean lyricists come in to complete the song,” explained G.NA.

Don’t expect her to plunge headfirst into songwriting though.

“Whoa, that’s way into the future,” said the star with a laugh.

“Right now, I’m just enjoying the process of working with music producers... I’ve had wonderful experiences working with people who are extremely supportive.

“I feed off their positive energy.” As a teen growing up in Edmonton, Alberta, she fell in love with the R&B and hip-hop sounds of veteran powerhouse songbirds Lena Park and Yoon Mi-Rae.

“Korean pop music wasn’t so widely accessible in Canada and I had to rent videos to watch their performances,” recalled G.NA.

Park and Yoon’s ethnicity – the former is Korean-American and the latter is of mixed Korean and African-American heritage – also greatly inspired her.

“They didn’t have perfect Korean pronunciation, but nevertheless, they were fantastic singers,” said G.NA.

“Seeing how successful they were gave me a huge boost and reassured me that if I were to pursue a singing career in the future, language wasn’t going to be much of a problem.”

Today, G.NA is proud and happy to be part of Cube Entertainment’s family of performers – her labelmates include boy band Beast, sassy gal quintet 4Minute, seven-member girl group A Pink and rookie all-male outfit BtoB.

“We’ve grown very close and we do monitor each other’s performances, shows, news and comebacks,” she said.

“As I’m the oldest, they’re all like my little brothers and sisters.

“Hopefully, we’d be able to do a Cube worldwide tour sometime soon!”

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