Paris, France – When Eric Nam moved to South Korea to pursue a music career, he didn't know much Korean, but he managed to become one of the biggest K-Pop stars in the country.
Nam grew up in Atlanta, US, and decided on a whim to go to South Korea in 2011 to participate in a talent show called “Star Audition: Birth of a Great Star”, similar to shows like “X Factor” and “The Voice”.
Even though he only came in fifth place, he got a record deal and decided to leave his job as Deloitte management consultant to become a pop star.
“When I started, I couldn’t speak Korean well, so I didn't really understand the lyrics of the songs I was singing,” Nam told AFP in Paris before his shows in the French capital.
Despite this, he managed to release several popular singles, host TV shows, and was named a GQ Korea Man of the Year.
He had to quickly learn Korean, but his unusual path to fame meant that he missed out on the rigorous training process for K-Pop idols.
“When I debuted, I felt very unprepared because I couldn’t dance like everyone else, and I couldn’t perform,” he said.
“So it was a challenge — how do I create something that is unique to me?” he added.
– ‘More open and honest’ –
His solution was to emphasize his outsider status and start making songs in English with the aim of appealing to international audiences.
His strategy seems to have been successful, as Nam is currently on his third world tour, with almost all of the around 80 shows sold out.
The clean and wholesome image of Korean pop has been shaken by scandals in recent years, including a 2018 date-rape scandal at Gangnam’s Burning Sun nightclub, which was managed by boy-band member Seungri.
Nam deliberately chose to move away from the clean-cut image and instead adopt a more relatable and confessional approach similar to modern Western pop stars.
“I wanted to tell my own stories… and I think I’ve been challenged to be more open and transparent and honest with my lyrics as time has gone on,” he said.
Nam says his latest album, “House on a Hill”, released last September, combines catchy beats with introspective questions about his life decisions.
“It was written during very much of an existential crisis of sorts,” he said. “You have all these metrics of success, and I realised that I hit a lot of those metrics very early on. And it’s like this never-ending rat race.”
– ‘Maturity and beauty’ –
But Nam mentioned that a more honest and personal approach to music has been gaining popularity in Korea in recent years.
“There are a lot more artists who are being very forward and open and honest with their life experience, which is a good thing.”
But Nam added: “There’s also a world in which you don’t have to be 100 percent open and honest about every aspect of your life. We have to keep things for ourselves because otherwise we’re living for everybody else.”
Now 35, Nam sometimes gets teased by fans that he is too old for the pop game, despite his incredibly youthful appearance.
“It’s kind of an ongoing joke that I am forever 19,” he said with a smile.
“There was this fear for a long time that once you hit a certain age you’re not able to perform or be relevant.
“But I believe that things are changing and there is a significant amount of development and wisdom and attractiveness that comes with getting older.”
by Agence France-Presse
