When an idol from one of K-pop’s biggest groups launches a solo career, the stakes are always high. Will the artist prove they have an individual voice, or will they fall back into the shadow of the group? For TWICE’s Chaeyoung, the answer comes wrapped around whimsical castles, and an avocado that swallows her whole. Lil Fantasy Vol. 1 isn’t just a debut. It’s an invitation into her inner world.
Welcome to Chaeyoung’s Fantasy Castle
Released on September 12, 2025, through JYP Entertainment and Republic Records, the album consists of nine tracks with a tenth bonus track that’s available on CD only.
Standard Edition Tracklist
- Avocado (featuring Gliiico)
- Band-Aid
- Shoot (Firecracker)
- Girl
- Ribbons (featuring Sumin, Jibin of Y2K92)
- Downpour (with Kai de Torres)
- BF
- Shadow Play (그림자놀이; Geurimjanori)
- My Guitar (내 기타; Nae gita)
CD-Only Bonus Track
- Lonely Doll Waltz
Chaeyoung has described the album as being a personal project that highlights her “thoughts, tastes, attitudes, “narratives” and showcases her “most natural self”. Just like the title suggests, the album has a strong fantasy concept that centers around a little fantasy castle living within Chaeyoung’s heart and mind.
The fantasy castle is a metaphor for her thoughts and memories, with each track acting as a door she opens for us. Instead of a random collection of songs, we get a sense that each lyric, melody, and symbol belongs to this strange dreamy architecture. She wrote all the lyrics for the tracks and contributed to the composition and arrangement for some of them. She even sketched the spiral logo herself, which represents creativity and growth. Vol. 1 hints this album will morph into a series with more doors, castles and fantasies to come.
The Sound of Self-Discovery
Musically, Lil Fantasy Vol. 1 diverges from the glossy pop sound that TWICE is known for. Chaeyoung leans into indie, dream pop, and psychedelic sounds. She borrows from artists like Tame Impala, Men I Trust, and Pink Pantheress. Tracks like “Ribbons” even flirt with trip hop. “Shadow Puppets (그림자놀이)” digs into vulnerability and the tension between her public persona and her private self.
The experimentation feels cohesive. Each track is tinted with the same dreamy palette, but Chaeyoung flexes different shades of herself. She’s vulnerable, quirky, bold, reflective. In “My Guitar (내 기타),” she strips it all down, to remind us that underneath the fantasy, she’s just an artist with her instrument.
Avocados, Firecrackers, and Fantasy Worlds
The music videos that were released to promote the album embraces the more whimsical side of Lil Fantasy. Avocado spins the story of Adam and Eve on its head with Chaeyoung replacing the apple with an avocado. She picked avocado because she liked the way it sounded. She wanted a symbol that was unique and interesting. The music video has Chaeyoung working at a cafe where she’s eaten by an avocado. The strange food transports into an Alice in Wonderland type world and ends with her flying towards her fantasy castle in the clouds.
In Shoot (Firecracker), we see Chaeyoung explore the fantasy world outside of her castle. The video leans into kitsch with stylized sets, beautiful pastel desserts and a vibrant garden. She also invites people inside her castle by throwing a late night tea party. The firecracker is Chaeyoung expressing her authentic self with bold, fiery energy. She’s shooting her unfiltered thoughts and emotions from the heart. It’s a celebration of Chaeyoung’s journey as a solo artist and exploring new sides of herself.
Can Fantasy Create Freedom?
What Chaeyoung is really doing here is reintroducing herself. In TWICE, she’s their lead rapper. In Lil Fantasy, she’s the architect of a castle filled with surreal imagery. The whimsical packaging isn’t just aesthetic. By painting her raw thoughts as a fantasy castle, she makes our inner world look like a safe and magical place.
For idols boxed into rigid roles, fantasy concepts can bring freedom to an extent. With her unique little world, Chaeyoung reclaims authorship of her story. She doesn’t just show us who she is; she shows us how she imagines.
