Yang Hyun-suk
Producer SJ "SINXITY" Shin, who oversaw Katie's album, eventually left YG to create his own label, AXIS, which complicated the schedule of her debut. SINXITY wanted Katie to join AXIS, and after consulting with YG founder Yang Hyun-suk, she decided to leave YG to join AXIS in May 2018, with YG Plus continuing to distribute her album. She became the label's first artist, and she gained more creative control with her music under AXIS.