Meet Your New Favorite: JUNNY’s Move From Songwriting For The Hottest K-Pop Idols To Producing Music For Himself
Hailing from Vancouver, Korean Canadian singer-songwriter JUNNY is paving his own path in the South Korean music industry with his distinctive style. Deemed a “genius singer-songwriter,” this multi-talented musician is making a name for himself in the K-Pop scene!
In an exclusive interview with Koreaboo, JUNNY opened up about what a “wild ride” it has been—going from songwriting for the hottest K-Pop idols to producing and releasing music for himself. So meet your new favorite, though chances are, his masterpieces are already on that playlist!
JUNNY’s adventure as a musician started in high school, “just with [his] guitar and a recording app on [his] phone.” But the first-ever song he produced was “actually to a girl that [he] had a crush on” around the age of 14-15. With a longstanding interest in pursuing music, JUNNY studied music production in college and, eventually, “flew to Korea to pursue a music career.”
I think I started back in my junior year of high school just with my guitar and a recording app on my phone… But officially writing songs and putting them out as records, I started when I was 21! I’ve always had an interest in making songs professionally, so in my college years, I majored in music production. After I graduated I flew to Korea to pursue a music career after releasing a few songs independently. At the time, all I thought about was making music and nothing else. Getting into this industry, I soon realized that, to be an artist, there are other aspects as important as the music itself. That helped me grow so much as a person and an actual musician.
I had many interests as a kid, playing sports, dancing, drawing, and even wanting to become a professional athlete at one point. But in the end, the one that stuck with me the longest was music. My first ever song was actually to a girl that I had a crush on at the time. I think I was 14-15 years old and I remember making a CD for her… but never had the courage to give it to her in person, haha!
— JUNNY
By 2017, JUNNY made his official debut with Marilyn Monderland. Until this album, JUNNY wasn’t sure if he could pursue music full time. But with the supportive, encouraging words of an online group of musicians, he made the leap of faith and decided to really chase his dream!
It was, inevitably, “the toughest times of [his] life,” trying to mark his presence as a total rookie in the industry. But has he ever regretted the decision? No, JUNNY said.
Marilyn Monderland was actually one of the biggest reasons why I moved to Korea. A group of musicians that I connected with online gave me the confidence to pursue music full time and to chase my dream. Now we all parted ways due to differences in what we wanted musically, but we still respect each other and know we all made a big impact on each other’s careers.
Since landing in Korea, I was lucky enough to meet the right people and the right opportunities—motivating me to continue working on my craft. And, to be honest, those were the toughest times of my life. But I don’t regret a single moment because that hard work got me where I am now as a song writer. This was when I learned that, in life, there is no easy way and you gotta earn every moment.
— JUNNY
Since Marilyn Monderland, JUNNY has been successfully songwriting for himself and other K-Pop artists and constantly proving his musical versatility. His extensive experience in producing for the hottest idols—including NCT, EXO‘s Baekhyun and Kai, GOT7‘s Jay B, IU, and more—made astounding results, such as KAI’s debut single “Mmmh” topping the charts. And now, he’s expanding “to involve [himself] more in the production outside of music.”
2022 has been a big year for me to grow as an artist because I started to involve myself more in the production outside of music. Before, it was all about writing the song, but now I’m trying to focus on all aspects. I’m focusing on what I want for visuals and how I want the project to be put out. It feels like a new challenge for me and I’m still continuing to learn new things along the way.
— JUNNY
That being all said, what’s coming next from this singer-songwriter on the rise? “To create and release the best music [he] can possibly make,” as he shared with great ambition.
My latest goals are staying healthy and doing my best to show love to my fans for all the support! And to make my family, friends, and my fans proud. My ultimate goal is to become a musician/artist people can look up to and be inspired by, and to create and release the best music I can possibly make for the rest of my life!
— JUNNY
Intrigued? Good! Listen to JUNNY’s latest, “Color Me” featuring Chungha, here:
