Hwasa

Hwasa was born Ahn Hye-jin on July 23, 1995, in Jeonju, South Korea, where she grew up alongside her parents and two older sisters. She attended Wonkwang Information Arts High School and developed an interest in singing at an early age, frequently citing Beyoncé as a primary artistic inspiration during her youth.

Prior to her official debut in the music industry, she began gaining professional recognition when artists such as Solbi and the indie band Standing Egg featured her vocals on tracks when she was 18 years old. In 2011, she entered the entertainment agency RBW as a trainee alongside her middle school friend Wheein to prepare for a career in K-pop.

Hwasa officially debuted on June 19, 2014, as a member of the girl group Mamamoo with the release of the lead single "Mr. Ambiguous" from the EP Hello. From the beginning of her group career, she contributed as a songwriter and composer, creating her first solo track, "My Heart/I Do Me", for their debut project.

In 2018, she released the solo track "Be Calm" on Mamamoo's EP Yellow Flower and appeared on the reality show Hyena on the Keyboard, where she collaborated with rapper Loco on the duet "Don't". The track reached number one on the Gaon Digital Chart and later attained Platinum certification for streaming. In February 2019, she made her formal solo debut with the single "Twit", which she co-wrote and composed. The song topped the Gaon Digital, Download, and Streaming charts, achieving a triple crown.

In March 2020, Hwasa contributed Korean lyrics to a remix of Dua Lipa's single "Physical" and recorded "Orbit" for the soundtrack of the television drama The King: Eternal Monarch. In June 2020, she released her debut extended play, María. The title track, co-composed with producer Park Woo-sang, reached number two on the domestic charts, placed on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart, and earned her the MAMA Award for Best Dance Performance in the solo category.

Later that year, Hwasa joined the variety show Hangout with Yoo and debuted as a member of the project supergroup Refund Sisters alongside Uhm Jung-hwa, Lee Hyori, and Jessi. Their debut single, "Don't Touch Me", reached number one on the Gaon Digital Chart. Her regular appearances on the reality program I Live Alone also brought widespread public attention to her lifestyle and daily routines, with media outlets dubbing the resulting consumer trends the "Hwasa effect".

In June 2023, after nearly a decade with RBW, Hwasa parted ways with the agency while agreeing to continue participating in Mamamoo group activities. On June 30, 2023, she formally signed with Psy's entertainment label P Nation by executing the agreement on stage during Psy's Summer Swag concert. She followed the move with the single "I Love My Body" and the track "Chili" for Street Woman Fighter 2.

In 2024, Hwasa launched her solo fan tour, titled "Twits", which included performances across Asia and North America. She released her second EP, O, led by the single "Na", in September 2024. In October 2025, she released the single "Good Goodbye", accompanied by a music video featuring actor Park Jeong-min. The track became a major commercial success, achieving a Perfect All-Kill on domestic streaming charts and peaking at number 32 on the Billboard Global 200. In April 2026, she continued her solo output with the digital single "So Cute".