However, many netizens question if there is actually a place for her in the industry.

After facing accusations of harassment back in 2021 and leaving both Idol and Cube Entertainment, many believed Soojin's return to the industry was impossible.

Despite providing evidence of her innocence, netizens were still convinced of her guilt and wouldn't even let her prove otherwise.

Yet against all odds, Soojin managed to get back where she belonged, on stage, singing and performing.

Thankfully, due to all the backlash she had gotten because of the scandal, she took a strategic approach by not announcing her solo plans immediately, but by starting with a personal Instagram account on which she reached millions of followers in a record time.

This showed that despite the criticism, she still had a strong international fanbase ready to support her.

Then, in October 2023, news outlets reported that Soojin had signed with a new company and was planning her solo debut.

Initially, this news was met with skepticism because, well, for one, her new company, BRD Communications, was unknown and many doubted any Korean company would want to associate with her due to the scandal.

Regardless of her innocence, most Korean companies would typically avoid an idol with a controversial past.

However, BRD Communications proved to be legitimate and provided Soojin with the support and opportunity she needed to make her solo debut.

Her first YouTube video was a dance performance titled Black Forest, marking the beginning of her new journey before she announced that she would be releasing music as a soloist for the first time.

Following the news of her unexpected debut, people were very excited to see what direction she was going in with her solo career, and the expectations were high.

Idol, the group she was a part of, is one of the most creative groups in the industry, and what makes everything better is that the members are involved in everything.

While it was unrealistic to expect Soojin to release similar music to that of Idol, people were still hopeful that Soojin would use her solo career to showcase her charisma and talents, which had made fans fall in love with her in the past.

However, when she released Agassi, people were underwhelmed, to say the least.

It felt like the label was playing it safe, which was understandable.

BRD is a small and unknown company, with Soojin being its only artist.

She had also been the center of one of the biggest K-pop scandals in recent years, and up to that point, it was thought that she had disappeared from the public eye completely due to the backlash she got.

Soojin herself mentioned that she wanted her first song to be less flashy, as she wanted to show a different side of herself.

She also said she wanted to maintain her signature strong charisma while also revealing a more pure and mysterious side to herself.

But Agassi failed to showcase this.

In fact, the song actually reminded people of Idol's Hwaa, and while it had people feeling nostalgic, they weren't sure that this was the smartest move, as she needed to build an identity of her own.

In general, Agassi didn't say a lot about Soojin as a solo artist, which was crucial for her as a new artist.

The song also didn't do any justice to Soojin's strengths as an idol, which are her performance and dancing skills, nor did it manage to capture the attention of those who weren't already keeping up with her.

There were also people who pointed out that Soojin didn't seem like her old self during her comeback, in the sense that she lacked confidence and stage presence.

Compared to her performances when she was a member of Idol, you could tell that there was a stark difference in her demeanor and how she handled herself on stage.

Fans assumed that it was because the scandal had chipped away at her confidence, and it would be a while before she got comfortable with being on stage again.

Another reason why the comeback unfortunately fell flat is the company's management.

Now we can't be too harsh on them, since it seems like BRD only dipped its toes into the entertainment industry in 2023, when it was announced that Soojin had signed a contract with them.

And if we're being completely honest, they're doing a decent job considering the circumstances.

They gave Soojin a mini-album for her debut, had her collaborate with LaChica for the choreography of the title track, and gave her a few promotions like the gig on Studio Choom and a performance on N.Pop.

There was also a lot of content for fans, like vlogs, dance practice videos, and behind-the-scenes footage.

However, there were also a few complaints on how they did things.

For example, when it was first released, you couldn't find Agassi anywhere on streaming services or YouTube unless you wrote her name in capital letters or without typing the title in Hangul.

There are also no English subtitles on the videos, which is a pretty big mistake on BRD's part, especially since most of Soojin's support came from her international fans.

How were they supposed to keep up with the content if they couldn't understand it?

One of the aspects they were criticized for the most, though, was the lack of promotions for the song.

The company said that they were focusing on her promotions overseas, which is why she didn't go to any music shows.

At the time, the company announced, It's not that we aren't completely not promoting at the moment.

The fansigning event has already been held once and will continue in the future.

While they didn't give any actual reason, it was suspected that she was blacklisted in the industry due to the scandal.

Others assumed that the company was protecting Soojin from getting backlash for returning.

But either way, some found it strange that Soojin wouldn't be returning on stage, especially since it was necessary for her to be successful.

However, maybe that was the best decision for the company and, most importantly, Soojin.

By not really mentioning the controversy and gradually rebuilding her image, she and the company can help the public get used to her presence without the accusations resurfacing constantly.

She already has a loyal core fanbase, something many new soloists lack.

This gives her a solid foundation to build upon, so what BRD can do now is try their best to give this support.

She has also been very introverted ever since the start of her career, and it probably isn't helping that she knows that k-nets aren't fond of her and that she will get hate for basically nothing.

The album did pretty well, though, especially considering the circumstances.

According to Hanteo, Agassi managed to surpass 70,000 physical sales in just a week, which was an impressive feat to achieve while having a serious scandal that put a dent in your reputation and no promotions.

Judging by this, it was assumed that her other releases would do even better.

Then, her first comeback was announced.

By that time, Soojin had been regularly updating fans on platforms like From and Instagram, ensuring they always had new content from her.

So, when her comeback was announced, both fans and non-fans were eager to see what she would do next.

They also recalled that when asked what genres or concepts she would like to try out on her first comeback, Soojin had answered, For my next album, I would like to experiment with rhythmic melodies and songs.

She also said that she was looking to challenge herself all the time and experience new things, so the anticipation was high for her return.

The criticism this time started ever since the title of the album was announced, which was Riz.

This had fans accusing the company of trying too hard to pander to the Western audience.

The term is considered too outdated and cringe, especially since it was going to be the title of her first comeback album.

But the album in itself was received a lot better than Agassi.

For one, the title track, Mona Lisa, was more energetic.

The choreography was a lot more impressive, and it stood out more compared to her first solo.

The dance routines were also more diverse, which made people think that it was specifically designed to showcase Soojin's dance skills.

The b-sides of the album also helped Soojin build a sound of her own, which is pretty atmospheric music with a slower tempo, a touch of dance elements, and strong spring and summer vibes.

The music video was of a higher budget, which was impressive for a small company, and it managed to attract attention towards the release.

Soojin also managed to break her own record, as Riz sold 27,000 copies on the first day, while Agassi sold less than 10,000.

She also promoted the song a bit more this time, as she performed on Show Champion and with both performances receiving a warm reception, but this era didn't go without criticism as well.

Once again, the title track was considered repetitive, forgettable, and outdated, with several commenters pointing out that the song would've definitely been a hit if it had been released a few years earlier.

A Redditor commented, While I respect the experimental approach to the instrumental, Mona Lisa doesn't pack a punch like Agassi's does.

Just a very weird song that has similarities to Agassi, but fumbles on the execution.

To some people, Mona Lisa also felt very similar to Agassi, which unfortunately showed that she wasn't ready to take any risks with her releases yet, despite her saying otherwise in the past.

All in all, with releases that don't manage to stand out, and a company that is still figuring out how the industry works, it will probably take a long time before Soojin manages to shed the former idol title and break out on her own.

She has a lot of potential, both as a vocalist and a dancer, so to not let her songs utilize her abilities is a big loss.