Key takeaways
- Winter disclosed her natural fear of trying new things, despite having accumulated more new experiences than many of her peers when looking back at her accomplishments.
- Her upcoming solo stage on aespa's tour will feature a Western vibe dance track in a genre she has never performed, selected against her company's initial preference.
- Winter maintains that freedom and constraint are matters of mindset rather than circumstance, prioritizing her sense of agency and possibility over abstract notions of liberation.
aespa member Winter recently participated in a pictorial and interview with Cosmopolitan Korea, marking a feature produced in collaboration with the fashion brand Polo Ralph Lauren, for whom Winter serves as an ambassador. The editorial shoot captured the singer modeling the brand’s fall/winter collection despite warm weather conditions throughout the day. Winter successfully presented the designs with apparent ease, noting her natural tolerance for heat. “I don’t tend to feel the heat much, so today’s shoot wasn’t too difficult!” she noted. Her comfort in warm conditions allowed her to execute the styling and poses required across multiple outfit changes during the production.
Managing Multiple Responsibilities
The performer acknowledged the escalating demands now placed on her schedule. “I’m gradually getting used to being busy because I have so many scheduled events,” she said during the interview. While she expressed a preference for directing her focus toward a single project annually, she recognized that her current workload requires juggling multiple responsibilities simultaneously. This reality has fundamentally shaped her approach to energy management. “Whenever there’s something I want to do, I tend to speak up about it. I try not to overlook even the smallest things,” Winter explained, describing her active role in choosing which opportunities to pursue.
Confronting Fear While Building Accomplishments
Winter disclosed a personal struggle that contradicts many of her public accomplishments as a performer and content creator. “I’m actually really easily scared, you know? I’m also afraid of taking on challenges,” she revealed during the interview. Her willingness to acknowledge this vulnerability provides insight into her inner experience when confronting unfamiliar territory. The thought process she described mirrors many people’s experiences when facing new situations: “I’m so scared of trying something new,” followed by the rational counter “No, everyone else does it too!” Then comes the self-directive “You have to do it, Min Jeong!” Before finally questioning herself: “Why are you the only one so scared of this?” This pattern of self-doubt preceding action demonstrates how she navigates the gap between her natural anxiety and her commitment to attempting new experiences.
The Achievement Versus Fear Paradox
Despite her candid admission of natural fearfulness, Winter has accumulated experiences that contradict her internal narrative of apprehension. “One day, when I looked back at the things I’ve done, I realized that I had actually tried more new things than other people,” she said. The notable discrepancy between her internal experience of fear and her external track record of attempting new endeavors reveals a tension within her approach to growth. She was quick to clarify that this track record has not eliminated her foundational anxiety. “But the truth is, I’m naturally full of fear and worry when it comes to taking on new challenges!” she added, emphasizing that accomplishment does not equate to comfort.
Solo Stage Evolution on aespa’s Tour
aespa’s ongoing tour includes a solo stage that Winter has prepared, which represents a notable shift in her performance strategy. She explained the progression of her three previous solo stages at aespa concerts, noting their sequential structure: “I’ve performed new songs as solo stages at concerts about three times so far, and the order was song, dance, song.” Recognizing a pattern, she made a deliberate change in direction for this new appearance. “So I thought this time it was time for dance. I really wanted to dance too,” Winter said, indicating her desire to feature herself in her strongest performance area.
Selecting a Track Against Internal Resistance
The specific track Winter selected for her solo stage faced internal resistance within her agency. “No one at the company picked this song as their first choice, but I was really drawn to it, so I ended up doing it,” she disclosed. Her instinct to pursue what resonated with her personally overrode the initial collective recommendation, a decision consistent with her stated tendency to advocate for her preferences.
Genre Exploration and Western Influence
The performance ventures into unfamiliar musical terrain for the vocalist and dancer. “It’s also a genre I’ve never tried before,” she noted. The track carries distinct sonic qualities that align unexpectedly with the visual direction of her Polo Ralph Lauren editorial work. “It’s a dance track with a Western vibe,” Winter described, noting this unexpected connection. “Come to think of it, it’s similar to today’s pictorial concept!” This parallel highlights how her choices cohere across different professional contexts.
Mindset, Constraint, and Personal Freedom
When asked whether she feels a genuine sense of freedom in her current circumstances, Winter offered a philosophical reflection on how individual perception fundamentally shapes lived experience. “I think it depends on how you look at it,” she began. She elaborated on the intricate relationship between mindset and constraint: “If I think I’m under pressure, I’ll feel endlessly constrained, but if I think I can do it, I become endlessly free.” This framework suggests that psychological framing directly influences whether opportunities feel liberating or restrictive, independent of external circumstances.
She recognized that her position in entertainment grants access to experiences unavailable to most people. “Given the nature of my job, I also get to enjoy many things that other people can’t,” she said. Rather than pursuing an abstract notion of freedom as escape, her goal centers on preservation of mindset and agency. “So rather than longing to be free, I don’t want to lose the mindset I have right now that ‘I can do anything,’” Winter concluded. Her emphasis on maintaining her sense of possibility suggests that psychological resilience may be as important to her as external freedom.
Winter’s complete pictorial and interview appear in the October issue of Cosmopolitan Korea.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Winter discussing in her Cosmopolitan Korea interview?
Winter discussed her role as Polo Ralph Lauren ambassador in a pictorial, her natural fear of tackling new challenges despite her accomplishments, her upcoming solo stage for aespa's tour, and how mindset shapes her experience of freedom.
What will Winter's solo stage performance feature?
Winter will perform a dance track with a Western vibe in a genre she has never tried before. She selected this track despite it not being her agency's first choice, following a pattern of her three previous solo stages which were song, dance, song.
How does Winter describe the relationship between mindset and freedom?
Winter believes freedom depends on perspective. If she thinks she is under pressure, she feels endlessly constrained, but if she thinks she can do something, she feels endlessly free. She prioritizes maintaining the mindset that she can do anything rather than longing for abstract freedom.
