‘A superpower’: K-pop star Eric Nam on his latest album, House on a Hill, and taking strength from his multicultural identity
- Born and raised in the US, Eric Nam headed to Korea in his early 20s to launch his music career. His latest album deals with existential questions
- Nam talks about his inspiration for the tracks, how the album is a celebration of the past 10 years, and how scary it is being an independent artist
In an entertainment industry bent on categorisation, Eric Nam finds an audience in fluidity. A decade into his career, he’s still a challenge to describe.
Do you call him a pop star? Or a K-pop idol? Is there a difference? Is he an actor? A singer-songwriter? An interviewer? A television personality? A mental health activist? Korean-American, or Korean and American?
Nam was born and raised in the US state of Georgia, studied at Boston College, and got a job in New York before heading to Seoul, South Korea, where he started his music career in his early 20s.
He eventually found fame in the Korean major label system, was named GQ Korea’s Man of the Year and was featured on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia list.
But making it in the US was always part of his goal. It’s not an uncommon journey for Korean-Americans who see few opportunities to break into the entertainment business stateside – but after finding success in South Korea, he returned home years later to establish his name in the country where he was raised.