KUALA LUMPUR: Popular idol Tiffany Young made a conscious decision not to sign with an Asian entertainment agency after leaving SM Entertainment in late 2017.
The 29-year-old singer and actress, who made her name with seminal K-Pop girl group Girls’ Generation under the South Korean agency, has instead signed with Beverly Hills-based company, Paradigm Talent Agency.
According to Koreaboo, the San Francisco-born artiste made the move despite receiving calls from various agencies all around Asia.
In an interview with Paper Magazine, she apparently revealed her reason for not going with an Asian company was so that she could have the freedom to still be a part of Girls’ Generation whenever and wherever.
She said: “l’m leaving the space of signing with an Asian talent agency. I know how strict the rules are, and I forever want to be a part of Girls’ Generation. I wouldn’t gamble that for anything. So I said, ‘If you need me, I can come back anytime because I have the freedom.’ Without even talking about all that business. Business is business, my girls are my girls. We have this trust. I’ve been with the girls for 13 years and longer!”
But Tiffany also let on that she had no regrets being with SM Entertainment. “Being in SM, I think, was probably the most intense, greatest and most educational thing that I have done. I love the artistes. I was such a fan, which made me want to go into that label. I would love people to look at me and say, ‘Wow, she’s very creative.’ ‘Girls’ Generation was so polished that it took time for anybody to really consider us, uh… craftsmen,” she said.
Although she’s doing her own thing right now, she’s certain that Girls’ Generation will join back together one day. Until then, each of the members are focusing on developing themselves individually.
She said: “When we know we’re at this place when we can create something new and amazing, we will get together. Right now it’s time to kind of develop ourselves individually.”
Tiffany added that they all still keep in touch and are very much still together in spirit. “Yes, we have a group chat! I’m always like, ‘Hey, send high quality pictures so we can post on our socials!’ Support your friends, support your girls!” she said.
The various members are also aware of Tiffany’s work on her post SM Entertainment era solo album and have been very supportive.
In a post on social media she wrote: “They’ve been listening to all the things I’ve been recording since last fall, so they were like, ‘We’re so excited. We don’t know what you’ll come out with, which is more exciting’.”
Tiffany has said that her new album, Over My Skin, was inspired by the love between the Girls’ Generation members. “Coming back home and having that support from my bandmates telling me that they trust and support me in whatever new story I want to tell, with music or film, made me focus on what I want to talk about, and not pleasing others,” she said.
On her undying connection to the group, she said: “No one’s going to tell me that I’m not Girls’ Generation! I hope the fans trust us. In my girls, I trust. In Girls’ Generation, I trust.”
The idol has been shooting a music video for her new song, Runaway, aside from performing in concert tours and a slew of media events in the US.