Accidental K-pop star Eric Nam risks it all to go his own way

Switched on Pop

Vox Media Podcast Network

Music Commentary, Music, Music Interviews, Music History

4.6 • 2.9K Ratings

🗓️ 19 January 2022

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Eric Nam is an accidental K-pop star. Growing up in Atlanta, and graduating from college in Boston, he did not expect that in his twenties he’s sign to a K-pop label, be named 2016 Man of the year by GQ Korea, and become a go-to television personality in South Korea. His music, imbued with his charisma and charm has charted globally. As fun as it is, the K-pop machine can be a real grind — it churns through young people not unlike the NFL draft. Nam is unusually candid about this experience, likely because he decided to quit the label system, and take his blossoming music career independent. On his second all English full length album There And Back Again Nam has full creative control, and all the burdens of sustaining a solo music career. Nam spoke with Switched On Pop co-host Charlie Harding about what it is like to go from K-pop star to indie musician. SONGS DISCUSSED Eric Nam - Ooh Ooh, Heavens Door, Good For You, Honestly, Can’t Help Myself (feat. LOCO), Lost On Me, I Don’t Know You Anymore, Wildfire, Love Die Young Lee Hyori - 10 Minutes MOMOLAND - BBoom BBoom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Between forgetting the sellotape,
0:01.6	trying to squeeze eight people around a six-seater table
0:04.1	and the cat taking down the tree.
0:06.1	Again!
0:08.1	Christmas can be tricky.
0:10.4	At least with Royal Mail, sending parcels is easy.
0:13.6	You can save time and money when you buy your postage online
0:16.3	and will collect from your door for zero pounds.
0:18.6	Whether you have one, two or twenty to send,
0:21.4	just click, save and will collect.
0:23.6	Visit RoyalMail.com forward slash send.
0:26.4	Simple. Offer ends 31st of December, full details online.
0:43.5	Welcome to Switched On Pop. I'm songwriter Charlie Harding.
0:46.8	Got an interesting conversation today with Eric Nam,
0:49.7	the accidental K-pop star.
0:52.3	Growing up in Atlanta and graduating from college in Boston,
0:55.2	he did not expect that in his twenties, he'd signed to a K-pop label,
0:59.2	be named 2016 Man of the Year by GQ Korea,
1:02.9	and become a go-to television personality in South Korea.
1:05.8	But it makes sense because his music is viewed with charisma and charm
1:09.6	and it's charted in Korea and globally too.
1:20.1	What I learned from Nam is that as fun as it is,
	...

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