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Music and life share an inexplicable connection. Ask a musician what inspires them the most, and they are likely to answer it is their life experience and memories. Being a K-pop idol comes with its fair share of challenges and experience. It is truly a remarkable feat when an individual inches toward making their dream come true while several contemporaries are waiting to showcase their skills.
Today, we’ll share a glimpse of one such K-pop idol who has managed to break the barriers and mark his space in the K-pop industry. The artist is none other than the Swiss-born singer Jay Chang. Jay Chang recently made a comeback with his second mini-album, Neighbourhood. This four-track mini-album boasts a stunning presentation of music genres and lyrics that showcase Jay Chang’s versatility and growth as an artist. Neighbourhood was released on November 22, 2024, along with a music video for the title track LaSalle Ave.
Apart from being a talented soloist, Jay Chang is also a part of K-pop groups like BDU and OnePact. He debuted in 2019 and has continued to evolve his skills on both fronts. In this exclusive conversation, the 23-year-old versatile single talks about the inspiration for his latest album, nostalgia about his hometown, and discovering his color as a soloist.
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Congrats on the release of your second mini-album Neighbourhood! What was your experience like composing and writing the lyrics for this?
Jay Chang: Contrary to my debut album Late Night, I was able to be a lot more hands-on and a lot more involved in the songs and writing for Neighbourhood. So, I would say the inspiration was definitely my childhood. For my debut album, I went a little bit into my childhood, but I really went in full-time this time. I would say the whole album is about being nostalgic and remembering where you came from. Even though as adults we have stresses and things that we didn’t have before, but remembering our roots can help us calm our senses a bit. That’s the message that I wanted to relay through this album, and I think all of the songs did a good job of conveying that relaying that message.
Currently, you’re active in South Korea. What do you miss the most about your home back in the US?
Jay Chang: I would say what I miss the most about. My home in the U. S. is definitely the quietness, the tranquility that, um, came with living in a small town. Obviously, living in a city now is a lot more adventurous. I would say just having the simplicity of small-town life is something that I miss every now and then.
Looking back to your debut mini-album Late Night, what change have you seen in yourself as an artist? What would you say led to the change in your tone and sentiment for Neighbourhood?
Jay Chang: I would say from my debut EP, it was a very new thing for me being my first debut and being very amateur as an artist. It’s only been one year, but I feel like there have been a lot of things that have happened that have helped me grow not only as an artist but also as a person. This Neighborhood album was a chance for me to introspect myself and see how far I’ve come, not only as an artist, but also as a person as well.
The title track LaSalle Ave boasts of inspiration from Silk Sonic’s music. Which artists would you say are your role models or inspirations?
Jay Chang: I would say as a vocalist, some great singers that have influenced me if we’re talking from the Western world, are Bruno Mars, Sam Smith, John Legend. A lot of great vocalists from back home have influenced me. Also, a lot of singers from South Korea as well, such as Kim Jae Hwan, Crush, Taeyang, Park Hyo Shin have had a huge influence on shaping me as a vocalist.
You are a part of K-pop groups BDU and OnePact, and also a soloist. How would you describe your experience in each format? How different or how similar is it?
Jay Chang: The similarities come from being able to express a certain color on the stage, but the differences start with those colors. As a soloist, I get to put the spotlight on my individual charms as an artist. As a group member, I get to show my synergy with people who are also dreaming the same dream as me, getting to show a picture on stage that you wouldn’t normally see from just seeing me alone.
As an artist, what change did you notice in yourself through the years since your debut?
Jay Chang: I would say my musicality as an artist and the spectrum has gotten wider. Before debut and around the time of debut, there were a lot of different rules that I had when I was writing music or when I was just in a creative process. But seeing music through not only through not as a group member and also looking at music as a whole, I would say since last year, I have become more open-minded about my approach to music. Pushing the edge and thinking outside of the box has been a huge part in my writing process now, and I’m growing.
Do you find any genre that is challenging for you? Is there anything new that you would like to experiment with?
Jay Chang: For this album, I would say all four songs have a very, very different sound. I would say probably the hardest genre for me at the moment, but also the most intriguing for me these days is probably the soul genre because it requires an amount of feel and something that can’t really be learned. It has to come out naturally. I really want to kind of experiment a little bit more with soul and make music that the listener can not only experience and listen to, but also feel as well.
When you’re not making music, how do you relax? How do you unwind usually?
Jay Chang: Outside of music, I have two very close friends – video games and basketball. I spend most of my time with them when I am not making music!
How would you describe your music to somebody who’s listening to you for the first time?
Jay Chang: I would describe my music as something that you can feel or think about. I think that’s a good way to put it.
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We’ve seen you on the stage, perform live and bring up the energy. When you’re not on the stage, how are you usually around your family and friends?
Jay Chang: Well, when I’m by myself and with my family I’m very low-key, very quiet and I keep to myself a lot. That’s definitely pretty different from, what you see on stage. With a lot of my friends, I’m the same way, but then there are a lot of friends that bring out a lot of energy for me and keep me engaged. I would say that with me, it’s either you’re getting a lot of energy or you’re getting none. So, no, there’s no middle ground. There’s no in-between.
What has been your biggest takeaway from this year? What experience in the past year would you say has been memorable for you?
Jay Chang: If I were to select one thing that was a defining moment for me this year, it would probably be the world tour that we went on as BDU in the summer. It was my first ever world tour. So getting to experience a lot of different countries and cultures was a lot of fun for me and getting to meet fans from many different countries was a really good experience. I would love to do it again and hopefully visit a lot of countries that I haven’t visited already.
What can you tell us about your plans for 2025? What do you have in store?
Jay Chang: Well, for this album, we definitely want to promote a lot, um, overseas. So hopefully there are a lot of fans that look forward to that. But after that, there’s no slowing down, we have got to keep moving, got to keep doing better until we reach our goals. So 2025 is going to be another busy year for me. And I hope everyone is looking forward to that.
Please leave us a message for your Sunlight [fandom name] in India and abroad.
Jay Chang: I want to say to Sunlight all around the world – Thank you so much for giving me your time and your ears! I hope to keep putting out music that touches your heart and your mind, and I hope you keep looking out for my future activities. Love you, guys! And to Sunlights in India, I would love to see you sometime soon.
Have you heard Jay Chang before? Which song of his are your favourites?
For more such exclusive interviews, stay tuned to Koimoi.
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