LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� In an entertainment industry bent on categorization, Eric Nam finds an audience in fluidity. A decade into his career, he's still a challenge to describe: Do you label him a pop star? Or ? Is there a difference? Is he an actor? A singer-songwriter? An interviewer? A television personality? Korean American, or Korean and American?
Nam was born and raised in Georgia, studied at Boston College, and got a job in New York City 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 鈥淢an of the Year鈥� and was featured on Forbes鈥� 30 Under 30 Asia list.
But making it in the U.S. 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 鈥� but after finding success in South Korea, he returned home years later to establish his name in the country where he was raised.
鈥淚 had a very confused upbringing when it comes to my identity,鈥� Nam, now 34, says. 鈥淎nd so, so much of my life has been trying to figure (it) out.鈥� But life is a journey for everyone, he theorizes, and that's why he's been welcomed by his loyal fans. Now he sees his multicultural identity as 鈥渁 superpower,鈥� and 鈥渘ot a hindrance.鈥�
His latest full-length release, 鈥淗ouse on a Hill,鈥� what can be viewed as Nam's third-English language album (that, too, is a challenge to define 鈥� 鈥淟Ps, EPs, mini-albums, whatever we call them, do they have much of a significance the way they used to?鈥� he ponders aloud), centers on what he has labeled 鈥渁n existential crisis.鈥�
Following a relentless tour schedule and COVID-19 lockdowns, Nam headed into the studio last year to realize he didn't have anything to write about. But he did become enamored with a particular house on a hill and obsessed with the idea of homeownership. His friends were buying homes, after all. In a songwriting session, he began to unpack his motives.
鈥淲hy do we want a house?鈥� he asks. 鈥淚s it a sense of identity, or self or status or wealth?鈥� Those materialistic questions evolved into, 鈥淲hat makes us happy?鈥� Did he really want the house on the hill, or was he pursuing empty emblem to feel accomplished, or whole?
The title track unlocked the album for Nam.
鈥淎lmost every line in that song, if you just read it out loud as a statement, it makes you think about things that sometimes we don't want to think about because we're scared what the answer might be,鈥� he explains. That's evidenced in the refrain, where he sings, 鈥淲hen is more and more / And more and more enough?鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e scared that we may never find happiness," he continues. "We鈥檙e scared that we may never be satiated with what we have. What if we鈥檙e never satisfied? How terrifying is that?鈥�
Beyond the terror of everyday life, or, perhaps, the only thing that makes it tenable, is gratitude. Nam wants the song to illuminate that fact 鈥� to allow listeners to find what drives them and hold onto it.
鈥淚 hope that (the song) makes people kind of reframe, reset what happiness means to them," he says. "That鈥檚 at least my intention for it.鈥�
Those big questions 鈥� what motivates us to get out of bed every day, or what truly makes us happy 鈥� became profound and sometimes deeply distressing source material for an expansive pop album: an emotional range from -channeling love anthem 鈥淪ink or Swim,鈥� to the somber synth ballad 鈥淚 Wish I Wasn't Me."
Of the latter, he says, 鈥淎s great as things are, sometimes I wish I wasn't me. I wish I was somebody else. I wish I was living a different life.鈥�
Admitting that was cathartic 鈥� and one of the ways Nam views the record as a celebration of his career and life to date 鈥� particularly because his first EP, 鈥淐loud 9,鈥� came out 10 years ago.
鈥淭he number 10 is a significant number,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t's hard to stay relevant, or make it, or get to a place where you are consistently releasing music.鈥�
It's also his second independently released album, following 2022's 鈥淭here and Back Again,鈥� and the first in which he wrote on every single song on the record.
鈥淚'll be honest, as an independent artist, every day is unstable,鈥� he says.
It's a negotiation between being able to do whatever you want 鈥� as long as you can finance it 鈥� and considering the major label system, which possesses its own rigid guidelines of what you can and cannot do: 鈥淚 love what I do. I love my fans. I love everybody that shows up in streams. But it鈥檚, it鈥檚 scary. And that鈥檚 the reality, sometimes, of being an independent artist.鈥�
The other reality, of course, is the ability to make fulfilling music that feels true to who he is, now.
鈥淚t's fulfilling, and gratifying, in that I feel that there is growth,鈥� he says of this album. 鈥淭his is the culmination of 10 years of experience.鈥�
鈥淗ouse on a Hill鈥� releases Friday via The Eric Nam Company.
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
