Hatik, who almost became team 'Baby Diva', represents with PPT

"Almost became 'Baby Diva'" – The crisis just before deciding the team name

Hat:q, a three-member female vocal group debuted under the agency led by singer Noah, faced a crisis just before their team name was finalized. While the members tried to come up with a name themselves, they couldn't find a suitable one, leading CEO Noah to suggest the name 'Baby Diva.' The members decided that this name did not match their image.

Member Chae-i recalled the situation: "The three of us kept talking to come up with a name, and we came up with all sorts of strange team names. The CEO said if we didn't like any of them, we would go with 'Baby Diva,' so we worked really hard to name ourselves."

Ultimately, the members combined 'Heart' and 'Unique' to create the name 'Hat:q.' Chae-i even prepared a PPT presentation to persuade the CEO with the finalized name, successfully protecting their current team name.

Hat:q released their debut single 'Daily Life' on June 30th. The song captures the ambiguous emotions felt during a busy day and the desire to find comfort. In a music industry dominated by idol groups focused on flashy performances, they chose a path that focuses on their voices.

A talented trio formed without auditions

Composed of Kisa, Chae-i, and Gayeon, Hat:q differs from the traditional idol debut method. Instead of securing a fandom through large-scale audition programs or pre-marketing by an agency, they were formed naturally based on their respective musical backgrounds. The three members first worked together in October of last year, meaning the team has been formed for less than a year.

The youngest member, Gayeon, won awards at several song festivals, including the Gunpo Suri Children's Song Festival, during her elementary school years. She also has experience performing on musical stages at youth training centers and participating in the Gunpo Municipal Boys and Girls Choir. She later attended an arts high school and entered the applied music department at Seoul Institute of the Arts.

The musical environments of Kisa and Chae-i were also unique. Influenced by her father, who dreamed of becoming a singer, Kisa majored in applied music and debuted through auditions. Chae-i also grew up around recording studios, singing and playing the guitar alongside her father, who was also active as a singer. While Chae-i attended an academy to prepare for an idol debut, she eventually joined the current team after choosing the applied music department following a friend.

Regarding her first impression, Gayeon said, "When I went to the audition and saw the unnies for the first time, Kisa unnie looked so scary because of her expressionless face. But once I joined, I found out she had the gentlest personality." Chae-i and Kisa shared their first impression of Gayeon: "We only saw her Instagram photos and were worried we might be intimidated because she looked like she had a strong personality. But in reality, she was bright and kind-hearted."

The reason they chose to be a vocal group instead of idols

There was a firm musical direction behind their choice to become a three-member vocal group. Gayeon was contacted several times by idol agencies, but she turned them all down because she wanted to focus on vocals rather than dancing. Gayeon revealed, "At first, I had many worries about whether I could do well because I hadn't seen many vocal groups like this in Korea." Later, CEO Noah's persuasion was the deciding factor.

As Chae-i turned 20, she felt that preparing to be an idol was not easy, so she took a leave of absence to focus on her studies. Chae-i explained the reason for joining the team, saying, "I am the type of person who takes on a challenge whenever I feel 'I think things will go well if I work with this person,' and I felt that certainty when I met this company and Kisa unnie."