The Korean-Canadian singer-songwriter is set to tour across North America from September 4 to 16, giving him the chance to perform for fans he feels “deserve so much love” after supporting him during his early career.
JUNNY Looks Ahead to His U.S. Tour and Reflects on Why His Debut Was ‘Very Hard’
JUNNY first came onto the K-Pop scene in 2017 with his solo EP Monochrome. He went on to not only make his own music but also create tracks for artists like boy band NCT, singer IU, and EXO’s Kai, Baekhyun and Suho.
But now the Korean-Canadian singer’s focus is on himself and his career, starting with the release of his studio album blanc on August 12 and now culminating in his upcoming tour.
Sharing his excitement at getting to “meet my fans in person,” JUNNY said: “I debuted just before COVID and it was honestly a very hard time.
“I wanted to perform more than anything and now to do that and be able to tour after releasing this album, I can’t ask for a better opportunity and I’m going to do my best to give my all to my fans. They deserve so much love and I can’t thank them enough.”
The tour will see JUNNY perform in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Toronto, Brooklyn, and Montreal. When asked what fans can expect, the artist said it’d be a “heartfelt show” that is “pure JUNNY.”
He shared: “Expect a lot of singing, laughing, dancing and most of all a heartfelt show. I’m going to do my absolute best to give a great performance for my loving fans coming to see me!”
On New Album blanc and Why It Marks a New Chapter
JUNNY found the process of making blanc a cathartic experience because writing the songs often involved him drawing on his own experiences.
Calling it a “wholesome, very, very polished, personal album,” the artist said: “I think it was the whole process of looking back at my life and how far I’ve come from [when I was] a kid raised just outside of the Vancouver suburbs.
“Also that I was able to see what I wanted for my future in terms of music and really setting a standard for myself regarding my future endeavors.”
Referring to the album’s title, JUNNY added: “I wanted it to represent me. In order to do that I had to figure out who I was and I realized that I was someone who was always neutral, and would try and fit with the people I was surrounded by rather than having my own ‘color.’
“From that concept I saw myself as an empty white canvas, taking in all sorts of colors that eventually create who I am. Hence the word ‘blank,’ but to include my Canadian roots, I used the French word ‘blanc’ meaning ‘white.’”
blanc features nine songs in total, including the track “Not About You.” Two songs were released ahead of the album’s release: “Color Me” with CHUNG HA (who JUNNY describes as “the sweetest human being ever”) and “Get Ya!” with pH-1.
pH-1, JUNNY said, was “magical” to work with because he was so excited to collaborate together that he was able to write “his verse in less than an hour.”
JUNNY explained that the album felt “different” from his previous work because it took much longer to make. The process involved experimenting with creating “many, many, many” songs, adding them to the album, and cutting the ones that didn’t “send the exact message [he] wanted” to convey to fans.
“It’s definitely a blessing, I got to learn so much about myself actually and I hope my fans can feel the same way,” the singer said. “Making this album helped me realize how thankful I should be and all these amazing people I have supporting me and my music.
“It’s an experience that I’ll never forget and will carry with me [for] the rest of my life, and this is just the beginning for me so I’m very, very excited for the future.”
Creating Music Both for Himself and Others
Since his debut in the Korean music industry, JUNNY has become a hugely sought-after songwriter. He has produced songs for artists like U-Know and NCT as well as the latter group’s sub-units NCT U, NCT 127, and NCT Dream.
He has helped create tracks for artists like Kai, whose song “Mmmh” from his self-titled solo debut was written and composed by JUNNY, and received support from BTS’ Jungkook, who sang a cover version of his song “By My Side.”
Despite this, JUNNY is very keen to be seen as a musician first and a songwriter second.
“Although I love just making music in general, it’s very special to take these songs I write and express them on stage, on camera, etc.,” he said. “I think as I child I always wanted to be a performer, and being an artist and being able to release music under my own name is a very special privilege.”
Comparing his work process as a singer and as a songwriter, JUNNY continued: “It’s very different. I think I realized when making this album that I enjoy making my own music even more.
“I love doing both but the freedom I have to express whatever I want with my own songs is the biggest part. When writing for other artists, it’s more of my job to fit the right outfit for that certain artist.
“When it comes to writing for myself, I get to choose whatever outfit I wanna wear. I think that’s the simplest way to describe the two!”
Looking to the future, JUNNY said: “I’m always wanting to improve, evolve & grow. If 2021 was a big year for me as a songwriter, 2022 was a big year for me as an artist and I’ve realized exactly what I want for my future and it’s to continue to grow as an artist.
“For me, this is just the start of something very special and I want to enjoy every moment I have and have as much fun as I can so I can continue to bring good music to the world!”
