LØREN finally brought his alternative rock energy to the United States this month, when he took the stage at SXSW. To celebrate, he joined Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly to chat about his music, production and more.
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“It was wild,” he said of his first U.S. performances. “If I’m being honest, I haven’t done that many shows in Korea. I honestly didn’t know what to expect from the crowd, if they were going to like it, so it was kind of nerve-racking at first. It was great to get this reassurance that whatever I’m trying to do, does move people to a certain point.”
He also shared the inspiration behind his intense “Folks” music video, in which the singer is shot in the chest. “It comes down to how people are so quick to judge you based on things that are just out there,” he explained. “I wanted the video to portray that even if you’re just trying to be yourself, you’re still going to get attacked and there are all these things that are going to get in your way.”
While LØREN is an incredible solo artist, he’s an equally talented producer and songwriter who has worked with other popular Korean acts like BLACKPINK. “When I was a producer, I didn’t know what to expect. You just write beats or tracks hoping that they’re going to go somewhere,” he shared of the experience working with the girl group. “With BLACKPINK, they needed a certain set of lyrics that are both in tune with how the song was written originally and how it’s going to sound in Korean. I don’t want to flatter myself, but I think what I did fit that role.”
He added, “I’ve been a fan even pre-debut, so it’s been a dream to work with them and interact with them musically, whether it be the Instagram Live with Rosie or being in the studio with them, hearing their stories and whatnot.”
Watch Billboard‘s full interview with LØREN above.
