Nam grew up in Atlanta within the U.S., and travelled on a whim to South Korea in 2011 to participate in “Star Audition: Delivery of a Nice Star”, a expertise present just like reveals like “X Issue” and “The Voice.”
Although he solely got here in fifth, he landed a document deal and selected to jack in his job as Deloitte administration advisor to change into a popstar.
“To be very blunt, once I began I could not actually communicate Korean, so I did not actually know a lot of what I used to be singing,” Nam advised AFP in Paris forward of a pair of reveals within the French capital.
It did not cease him scoring a string of hit singles, internet hosting TV reveals and being named a GQ Korea Man of the Yr.
That pressured him to study Korean quick — however his unlikely path to fame meant he missed out on the famously exacting coaching course of for Okay-Pop idols.
“There was a steep studying curve. I felt very under-prepared once I debuted as a result of I could not dance like all people else, and I could not carry out,” he stated.
“So it was a problem — how do I create one thing that’s distinctive to me?” he added.
‘Extra open and trustworthy’
His reply was to play up his outsider standing and begin producing songs in English with a view to conquering worldwide audiences.
His plan appears to have labored, with Nam now on his third world tour — with round 80 dates, virtually all bought out.
The polished, healthful picture of Korean pop has been rocked in recent times by scandals, together with a 2018 date-rape scandal at Gangnam’s Burning Solar nightclub, run by boy-band member Seungri.
Nam has intentionally prevented the polished picture in favour of the extra relatable and confessional strategy of recent Western popstars.
“I needed to inform my very own tales… and I feel I have been challenged to be extra open and clear and trustworthy with my lyrics as time has gone on,” he stated.
Nam says his newest album, “Home on a Hill”, launched final September, combines poppy beats with some looking out questions on his life decisions.
“It was written throughout very a lot of an existential disaster of kinds,” he stated. “You will have all these metrics of success, and I realised that I hit numerous these metrics very early on. And it is like this endless rat race.”
‘Maturity and wonder’
However a extra frank and private strategy to music has been catching on in Korea in recent times, Nam stated.
“There are much more artists who’re being very ahead and open and trustworthy with their life expertise, which is an efficient factor.”
However Nam added: “There’s additionally a world during which you do not have to be 100% open and trustworthy about each facet of your life. We’ve got to maintain issues for ourselves as a result of in any other case we’re dwelling for everyone else.”
Now 35, Nam generally will get teased by followers that he’s too outdated for the pop sport, regardless of his extremely youthful look.
“It is sort of an ongoing joke that I’m perpetually 19,” he stated with a smile.
“There was this worry for a very long time that when you hit a sure age you are not capable of carry out or be related.
“However I feel instances are altering and there’s a nice degree of progress and maturity and wonder that comes with ageing.”