By: Deborah Rodriguez

Hi HOHYUN! Thank you so much for chatting with us here at Melody Magazine. We are thrilled to have you! Could you please introduce yourself to our Melody Magazine readers? 

Hi Melody Magazine! My name is HOHYUN. I make music mainly in the genre of R&B, sometimes pop, sometimes indie, but I mainly focus on conveying my emotions and storytelling through my music. 

First of all, Happy New Year! Tell us how you feel about kicking off 2025 with a live performance in Houston? 

Yeah, I went straight into the year and hit the ground running with my first live show. It was really exciting to come back to Houston where I grew up and get to put on a show for the fans who have supported me since I started my music career here. I’m really excited for this year going in and very excited to get to meet a lot of new fans in new cities. I really think this is going to be a lot of growth for me.  

After an electrifying hometown performance in Houston, I had the pleasure of sitting down with HOHYUN to dive into his remarkable journey as an artist. From his unforgettable opening act for JUNNY to the release of his debut full-length album, DRAMA, HOHYUN is making a name for himself with his heartfelt storytelling and captivating music videos. 

In this exclusive interview with Melody Magazine, we explore his creative process, the pivotal moments that led him to music, his inspirations, and what fans can look forward to in 2025. Get ready to step into the cinematic world of HOHYUN!

Disclaimer: Responses have been modified for clarity and length.

Our team at Melody Magazine had the opportunity to witness you as one of the opening acts for JUNNY last year. You did an incredible job on stage. Tell us how that experience was for you.

That was my first-ever real tour going from city to city consecutively, and it was a really fun but also eye-opening experience for what the tour life might be like. I didn’t have to worry about the logistics of putting the whole tour together since I was just an opener, so it was really fun to get to meet a lot of my fans out there and make new fans through JUNNY’s fans as well. It was fun, exhausting, and it was definitely one of the most memorable moments of 2024. 

2024 was quite a remarkable year for you. In fact, you released your very first full length album, DRAMA. Congrats! Can you share a little bit about the creative process for producing this beautiful album?

Originally DRAMA was not even supposed to be a full album, it was meant to be an EP with about four to five tracks. I was writing the song DRAMA, and I started to realize that a lot of the tracks that I was working on the year prior fit perfectly into the theme and with this story. When I went to Korea, for a few months I began talking to Michael and we began to brainstorm and bounce ideas off of each other and quickly realized that we had a full length album that consisted of previous releases and brand new songs that have never been done before. With that came a bunch of music videos that were filmed along with the album that I was not anticipating. It was a serendipitous process of just finding all this talent and the songs just weaving themselves together in a way that felt really special. 

How did you choose the theme you were trying to convey with this album?

I think it was less of a choice and more of an intuition because typically when I write music or express anything through art, it’s usually an emotion that I need to get out. I think I realized that the past year I was writing about this deep loneliness and depression and it was just me having to put something out there. When I realized it was all a similar kind of theme I realized that I sort of weaved a story with all the songs I’ve been working on and I pieced together a narrative that I’ve been unintentionally writing. 

Many people may not know this, but music was not your first career choice. Tell us about that pivoting moment in your career and how you found your passion in music.

Yeah! Originally, I was a filmmaker. At around 11 years old, I started getting into YouTube and special effects, and I watched YouTubers like Freddie Wong and CorridorDigital which were specialized visual effects channels. I watched them and I thought “Man, I really want to do that for a living!” So, I started editing and making fun videos with my friends in high school, and I got really really good at visual effects but nothing with a story yet. Towards the end of high school, I started getting more into the art of cinematic storytelling and visual storytelling. That was the first sign of my artistic vision and I have always had these strong ideas of how to tell stories since then. So when it came to doing music, I slowly started listening to music towards the end of high school. I never really listened to music before that, which is so Ironic given my career choice now. Going into college is when I first really started growing a passion for learning how to sing, play guitar, and produce. I am a very quick learner so I lock in to something and learn everything. I believe the discipline of film editing applied to music production and composing so it was a natural transition for me to go from filmmaking to music. 

Who or what is inspiring you musically at the moment? Are there any artists, genres, or even experiences that are currently influencing your sound or creative process?

I think when I first started, I was really, really into the Korean scene, like Korean R&B. Zion.T, Crush, and Sam Kim influenced my sensibilities as a songwriter but I think these days I've been studying bigger, and more artists than songwriters. I feel like um I'm leaning back more into like the visual storytelling and the conceptual nature of art. And I think artists like Billie Eilish and Tyler, The Creator are really great examples of artists who do so much more beyond the music. It's kind of building a world and a culture and that's kind of what I've been trying to focus on because I think that was my biggest strength when I was in high school – building a world and creating a vision. Now that I've honed my skills in songwriting and production, I'm combining it too and I'm looking to other artists that have succeeded in the past and doing the same. 

Can you talk about your fan community and the impact they’ve had on your artistic growth?  

Yeah, I think the fans are probably one of the most important parts of my story because they've really been there the whole time helping me support my career and keeping me motivated to go. I think the connection to my fans is one of the most important things about my music because as much as it started being about me and what I'm feeling, it is slowly growing more into something for fans to relate with and to share their own stories. And I think I found that in meeting these fans, they've gotten a chance to share their stories with me and that means a lot to them and it means a lot to me that they feel safe enough to share their stories with me and that they relate to what I feel. And so it makes me feel like I'm doing so much more than just expressing myself. In a way I’m helping people get through whatever struggles they are going through. 
And I kind of have a name for them. They’re called the HOHMIES, and it’s a play on my name. It’s based on the culture that we're all just friends and not a fandom. It's a community more than anything.

If you were to headline a big music festival, what 3 songs are you including in your setlist with no hesitation?  

If I had to choose only three songs on the biggest setlist?! 
For sure, the last one would have to be “Sunset Boulevard" because I think it's one of my more notable songs and it's just got this explosive nature that it's a really good song to end on. It also has this really big energy I think for whatever leads up to it. It's a good kind of firework show. I think “Tomorrow” too, for sure. It’s an unreleased song, but it's definitely one that I think is really important. 
I played it at the show and it's about mental health and it really means a lot to me so I think that that is one song that I would want to have there for sure as probably the second song. See, whenever I put a set together,. I like to have some kind of flow as if it was some sort of film or a short film where there's a narrative. That way it’s not just the same three songs, and there is depth and variety to it. The third song I feel would have to be something a bit more, you know, “I'm coming into the stage,” upbeat, so it would either have to be “Better Days,” the very first song with the whole band intro, or “Cast Iron,” because that one's a bit more lighthearted and has a fun jumping around energy. It's hard to pick between those two, but definitely “Tomorrow” and “Sunset Boulevard” are on the setlist.

2024 was a great year for you and I am sure 2025 will be even better! Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations in 2025 you’re particularly excited about?

I don't have any collaborations yet, but I do have an EP that I'm working on called Petrichor, and it includes the new song “Tomorrow.” It also includes songs like “i can't escape the rain” and “Today.” 
They are like a trilogy of related songs because they're all about this theme of rain and “petrichor" is the word for the smell of rain. I kind of wanted to make a project kind of encompassing all of that, even though there are some songs that I've already released, it only made sense to put these songs together because they're so intrinsically tied together. Along with those, there will be other tracks that are more ambient, and there's a new track that's also titled “Petrichor” that nobody's heard yet, but there will be lots to look forward to in the second half of 2025. 

It’s been a super great interview HOHYUN! Unfortunately this is the last question! Is there anything else you want to say to our readers and your fans watching?

Yeah, I'm trying to make it out to as many cities as I can. So if I haven't come see you yet or played a show in your city, we're doing our best to come out and do fanmeets and fan signs in as many cities as we can so I can come and meet all of you guys. Hopefully we'll do a tour someday, sometime at the end of this year or early next year. So look forward to that! 


HOHYUN is undoubtedly an artist to watch out for. His unique vision sets him apart, and we can’t wait to see what he has in store for 2025. His live performances are an experience in themselves, showcasing his versatility and raw talent. White Oak Music Hall was filled with fans, friends, and family, all eagerly anticipating his homecoming performance. The energy in the room was electric, with fans dressed like him, proudly showing off their matching HOHYUN lockscreens, and singing along to every lyric. HOHYUN’s ability to dominate the stage as a solo artist was remarkable, blending live band elements with intimate acoustic moments, including captivating acapella performances with his guitar. His performance of his song DRAMA, accompanied by a live violin, was particularly moving, leaving chills across the venue.

One of the things that truly sets HOHYUN apart is the genuine connection he builds with his community of HOHMIES. His heartfelt interactions with the crowd were a testament to the bond he shares with his fans. One of the highlights of the evening was when HOHYUN gave fans a glimpse of his new song, "Tomorrow," dedicating it to them with a powerful message about mental health and resilience. Drawing from his personal experiences, he reminded everyone that they are never alone and encouraged seeking help when needed. This combination of vulnerability and artistry makes HOHYUN an exceptional talent destined for greater heights. Be sure to check out his latest release, DRAMA, and stay tuned for more from HOHYUN as he continues to create unforgettable music and moments in 2025!