For Aespa, Japan has always been more than just another stop on the K-pop circuit. For Giselle, it’s home.

The 25-year-old member, whose real name is Aeri Uchinaga, is half-Japanese and half-Korean and grew up in Tokyo, where she attended Tokyo International School in Minato Ward. So when Aespa (stylized in all lowercase) recorded “Kiss n Tell,” its new Japanese-language minialbum, the project offered Giselle an opportunity to reconnect with a part of herself that took shape long before she became a pop star.

“Since I’ve spoken Japanese from a young age, certain emotions and expressions come out very naturally when I sing in it,” Giselle says during an online group interview with The Japan Times. “Growing up around different languages and cultures also made me more open to exploring new genres and ideas, and I think that has naturally shaped the way I listen to music and interpret songs.”