[EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW] Sam Kim Talks about his new single “Smile” His fans, and more!

Meet Sam Kim, a singer–songwriter defining his own path in the music industry. The artist recently released a dance track entitled “Smile” produced by DJ/Producer R3HAB. Today we’ll talk to Sam about his music, career, and more!

^{℗ 2022 Unbound Records}

TS: Firstly, congratulations on your new release! Can you describe how your writing/production process went for this project?

Sam: Thank you so much! At first, I wrote the song with a guitar; like I usually do. Then I sent it over to R3HAB and he worked his magic over it to completely transform it from the original. Very fun process!

TS: How did your collaboration with R3HAB come about?

Sam: My team showed me his music and I really liked it. I was curious what would come out if we worked together.

TS: What is one interesting backstory behind a song that fans may not know about?

Sam: Usually you record in the songs original bpm (tempo) but for this song my producer Simon Pétren and I thought it’d be interesting to record it in a slower bpm and speed it back up to the original. What you hear is that effect.

TS: What message did you want to communicate to listeners with this track?

Sam: Sam Kim got funk!

TS: If you could describe your upcoming track in one word, what would it be?

Sam: Funkadelic.

TS: You’ve gained a huge listening and fan base for your talents to convey emotional stories in tracks such as “Love Me Like That” while showing your versatility during R&B tunes like “These Walls”. What made you decide to now venture into creating your first dance music track? How did
you find the experience?

Sam: This actually wouldn’t be my first dance track! I have a song called ‘Dance’ and a song called ‘The Juice’ which I actually danced too. Overall even though they were all slightly out of my comfort zone I had a lot of fun writing and singing them.

TS: Did you have any fears about diving into a new genre other than R&B and K-Pop?

Sam: Not at all! I love exploring new genres, I think there’s always something to learn in each one. I have yet to learn my lesson in heavy metal though. That’s for another time.

TS: As a musician, how does it feel working a dance music track when you have mostly worked on ballads, acoustics with your guitar?

Sam: It was really refreshing to step out of my bubble for a little bit and dive into unfamiliar grounds. I end up learning and growing the most in these situations.

TS: ‘The Juice’ was such a fun song and perfect for the middle of summer. You have truly mastered the R&B genre. What is a genre you want to try next? Which genres do you like listening to in your day-to-day?

Sam: I would love to get into hip-hop. Though I don’t have the voice or delivery of a rapper, I really do enjoy listening to the stories of rappers with those qualities. Kendrick is my goto.

TS: We have to also talk about your viral OST ‘Love Me Like That’ for the popular K-drama ‘Nevertheless’. What was your response when you realized that it had become such a hit?

Sam: I remember writing this song a few years back when I was going through a rough time and it’s probably why I never thought to give it a chance. When I saw how many people could relate to the song the doubt went away and I think the 20-year-old me who wrote it finally felt accepted.

TS: Love and Relationships are the broad themes in a lot of your music and OSTs. What do you think it is about music that elevates a drama or movie further, since you’ve lent your voice to so many memorable OSTs?

Sam: Even though I can’t see the scenes my OSTs will play in beforehand, I try my hardest to read the story in the lyrics and deliver the emotions to the best of my ability. I ask the songwriter lots of questions such as should I sing this phrase a little softer? More powerful, sad? etc… The songwriters behind every such decision are the real MVPs.

TS: You have worked and collaborated with a variety of artists. From Zico to pH-1 and Crush, are there any other Korean artists you like listening to nowadays or have been inspired by and would like to collaborate with them in the future?

Sam: So many! I would love to do something with BTS as a songwriter, and collab with BiBi as an artist.. so many talented people to draw inspiration from.

TS: Can you recommend some songs that you enjoy listening to these days?

Sam: Silk Sonic. Anything by them. Being a long-time fan of both Anderson.Paak and Bruno Mars.. this project to me is a dream come true. A specific song I listen to when I feel like nothing’s going right is Park Hyo Shin’s – Breath. It never fails to remind me that I’m not alone.

TS: What do you like to do in your spare time? What is your hobby?

Sam: Love playing good ol’ fashioned FPS games. Lately, however, I’m more into single-player adventure games with a nice story to dive into.

TS: You saw the globally popular “Squid Game” drama, correct? If you could excel at one challenge, which would it be and why?

Sam: With most of the games being based on luck, the only game I’m confident in is Red Light, Green Light. Mama told me never to fall for and chase after a girl who can spin her head 180 degrees and kill on sight but you know, love will prevail and all that.

TS: As we enter the New Year, what is your main goal for 2022 and what would you like to show fans next?

Sam: I can’t say because I don’t want to jinx it but I do have lots planned! It’s finally my year, the year of the Tiger and I want to make it meaningful!

TS: Can you please share some words of love for your global fans?

Sam: Thank you so much for all the support. Every each and one of you push me to be a better me and also show me love that I sometimes forget to give myself. I wish you all health and happiness in these rough times and I will see you all very soon. ♡