State Champ Radio LOREN
LØREN talks about his favorite late-night snack to eat, obsession with cars, love for tattoos, connection with his Black Label mate Somi and more during this rapid-fire game.
LØREN 0:00Hi, this is LØREN and this is Billboard News
Tetris Kelly 0:12I do want to play a game with you, it’d be really easy. I’m just going to say a sentence and you finish it with the first thought that comes to your head as quick as possible. Alright?
LØREN 0:19All right.
Tetris Kelly 0:20My favorite late night snack is…
LØREN 0:22Instant noodles.
Tetris Kelly 0:23Instant noodles?!
LØREN 0:24It’s like in my blood, you know? Like, it’s like the one thing that you’re not supposed to eat at night.
Tetris Kelly 0:28If I wasn’t a singer, I would be…
LØREN 0:31A tattooist.
Tetris Kelly 0:32Have you ever done one of your own tattoos?
LØREN 0:33I actually have a really close tattooist, and you know, I give her like a really bad picture of what I want, and she just kind of like refines it, you know, and so we kind of go back and forth and she’s like, What do you think about this angle? What do you think about the size? And then we just kind of put it together.
Tetris Kelly 0:48The most famous person that follows me on IG is…
LØREN 0:50I think Somi from the Black Label. I think
LØREN 1:00I’m pretty sure that’s it.
Tetris Kelly 1:02I’m gonna go through your followers now.
Tetris Kelly 1:03My current obsession is,
LØREN 1:06I think cars. I’ve always been a car guy and I don’t think I ever grew out of it. But I recently got into a car crash and so I need to get like a rental. Right? So I got a Toyota Supra and that cars has been like really, really fun. So I think just going for drives has been my obsession.
Tetris Kelly 1:19Well, thanks so much for again for coming out and hanging out. This is so fun.
LØREN finally brought his alternative rock energy to the United States this month, when he took the stage at SXSW. To celebrate, he joined Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly to chat about his music, production and more.
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“It was wild,” he said of his first U.S. performances. “If I’m being honest, I haven’t done that many shows in Korea. I honestly didn’t know what to expect from the crowd, if they were going to like it, so it was kind of nerve-racking at first. It was great to get this reassurance that whatever I’m trying to do, does move people to a certain point.”
He also shared the inspiration behind his intense “Folks” music video, in which the singer is shot in the chest. “It comes down to how people are so quick to judge you based on things that are just out there,” he explained. “I wanted the video to portray that even if you’re just trying to be yourself, you’re still going to get attacked and there are all these things that are going to get in your way.”
While LØREN is an incredible solo artist, he’s an equally talented producer and songwriter who has worked with other popular Korean acts like BLACKPINK. “When I was a producer, I didn’t know what to expect. You just write beats or tracks hoping that they’re going to go somewhere,” he shared of the experience working with the girl group. “With BLACKPINK, they needed a certain set of lyrics that are both in tune with how the song was written originally and how it’s going to sound in Korean. I don’t want to flatter myself, but I think what I did fit that role.”
He added, “I’ve been a fan even pre-debut, so it’s been a dream to work with them and interact with them musically, whether it be the Instagram Live with Rosie or being in the studio with them, hearing their stories and whatnot.”
Watch Billboard‘s full interview with LØREN above.
Korean alt-rock artist LØREN has signed with 88rising, the company tells Billboard. The label will release his debut EP, Put Up a Fight, on March 24 in partnership with THEBLACKLABEL.
LØREN gained traction in 2021 with the release of three singles: “All My Friends Are Turning Blue,” “NEED (ooo-eee)” and “EMPTY TRASH.” He has also written several songs for K-pop superstars BLACKPINK and starred in one of their music videos. His social profile is also robust, with over 1.2 million followers on Instagram, and he has graced the covers of magazines including Vogue Hong Kong, DAZED Korea and i-D. He currently models for Saint Laurent.
Put Up a Fight is described as “a pop-punk-meets-indie-rock inspired project” that features “grungy” vocals by LØREN sung in both Korean and English (pre-save here). It’s preceded by the single “Folks.”
Ahead of the EP release, LØREN is set to perform his first-ever U.S. shows at SXSW on March 15 as part of the all-Asian music festival Tiger Den (performing alongside Balming Tiger) and 88rising’s Head in the Clouds New York on May 21.
“I’ve been looking forward to Put Up a Fight‘s release for a while now, and I’m thrilled to join forces with 88rising through the process,” said LØREN in a statement. “I’m a huge fan of their work, and I’m very happy to take part in their vision. It feels surreal to have SXSW, album release, and HITC New York ahead of me. To say I’m excited would be an understatement—I absolutely cannot wait for what’s to come.”
88rising’s roster also includes Jackson Wang, Warren Hue, BIBI, Joji and NIKI.
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