“Horny” and “Jessi” have turn out to be synonymous within the unofficial Okay-pop dictionary. Since she appeared on the primary season of the Korean music competitors actuality present “Unpretty Rapstar” in 2015, Jessi has exemplified what it means for a girl to feel and appear horny inside the context of an business in a traditionally conservative nation that always prefers to show girls as cutesy, waifish, or angelic.

Though Jessi is greatest recognized by her nickname, she debuted on the Okay-pop scene simply days earlier than her seventeenth birthday in 2005 as Jessica H.O —a play off her delivery identify, Jessica Ho. Since then, she’s had her triumphs (topping charts, successful awards, getting internet hosting gigs) and hardships (a five-year hiatus, controversies over her look). In contrast to everybody else within the sport, although, Jessi, now 34, has constantly offered herself as … Jessi. Each time she exhibits as much as work, Jessi exudes the boldness, fearlessness, and sexual empowerment that has gotten her to this second.

Whereas Okay-pop stars sometimes have a brand new daring hair shade each different month and alter up their make-up primarily based on developments, Jessi has been dedicated to a really particular magnificence aesthetic all through her profession. Her hair sweeps previous her curves with the assistance of extensions, strictly in shades of blonde, black, and brunette. Yr after yr, Jessi’s make-up stays the identical, too: bronzed smoky eyes, dramatically full falsies, and voluminous lips — a signature look that exists outdoors the realm of traditional Korean make-up types. Jessi has by no means been one for the popsicle-stained lips, twinkling eye shadow, and watercolor-like flushed cheeks typically seen on Okay-pop stars.

Due to this, Jessi needed to educate her make-up artist the right way to obtain her aesthetic, she says. “I’ve a particular eyebrow and lip that I like, so I do these myself. I can not do anything, like lashes and liner.” Right this moment, she’s displaying the end result of each of their efforts: rusted smoky eyes paired with balmy rose lips. “I’m not going to lie. I put just a little extra eyeshadow on the highest,” Jessi provides, pointing to the matte terracotta shadow on the middle of her lids.

All of this brings me to at least one query specifically: The place does Jessi discover that horny candy spot that’s palatable for all audiences — together with herself — when finalizing the visuals for “Gum”? “I feel it relies on how you utilize your physique language if you transfer. [For] me basically, as a result of my boobs are massive, it will look sexual regardless,” she says. “I all the time present some sort of pores and skin as a result of I am assured. I am not attempting to indicate [it to] be sexual.”