[INTERVIEW] Corbyn says, “It’s incredible being given the keys to explore all the unknowns of my artistry”

K-POP artist and producer, Corbyn, joins us for an interview to talk about his music, his most recent album and the differences of being in a boy group versus being solo. Corbyn has grown into his sound and his latest album “Our Static Seatbelt” really showcases his talent as not only an artist but also a producer.

So Who Is Corbyn?

Corbyn is a Korean-American solo artist and producer under the label 28Laboratory. The artist grew up in the United States but moved to South Korea to pursue his music career. He originally made his debut in the K-POP idol group, 24K where he served as the leader and went by the name Cory. Not only was he the leader, he was also the groups producer. The tracks on the 24K albums were produced by him.

In early 2019, Corbyn announced that he had left the boy group to pursue his solo career. He is now known to the world as Corbyn and is an executive producer under his agency.

Get to know Corbyn by checking out his interview with us below.

Please introduce yourself to the HypnoticAsia readers.

Hey guys, I’m Corbyn from 28Laboratory. Excited to talk to y’all.

For someone who hasn’t heard your music before, is there a certain song of yours you’d recommend they listen to first?

I can’t recommend just one song. All my songs mean a lot to me and I can’t play favoritism with them. I hope you guys can sit down.. throw on the headphones… and just start with the most recent release which was my first EP (Our Static Seatbelt) and go through my whole discography.

Since you have experience of being in both a boy group as well as being a solo artist, which do you prefer? Are there pros and cons to being in a group versus being on your own?

The responsibilities that came with having to showcase multiple personalities in a single song was crazy. I loved the challenge because it ultimately helped me grow as a producer but I hated the idea of leaving someone feeling short-changed during the process.

Whether it was their artistic input or even something like the amount of lines they had in a song. I always kept a democratic approach by leaving it to a vote when it came to all that but even then it seemed overly cut throat to me.

Aside from that, I loved the purpose that the team gave me. I was grateful that they gave me a reason to strive for something greater that didn’t feel selfish. The group was my family and I will forever be indebted to their roll in my journey and growth.

With that said, I’m still learning a lot about myself as a solo artist. It’s incredible being given the keys to explore all the unknowns of my artistry. That’s the biggest positive I’ve felt so far as a solo artist. The canvas has become infinite.

You released your album “Our Static Seatbelt” earlier this year; tell us more about it and the thought process when producing the tracks.

The album is about a tumultuous relationship and how committing to it is like driving a car recklessly leading to an inevitable disaster. Each song in the album reflects a moment of that hot and cold relationship or the thrill of running red lights and the sobering rock bottom of a car crash. The “static” from the title of the album is referring to the static channels you see on television. You can make out the broadcast if you focus and believe in the present-ness of what’s happening behind the color noise. In context “Our Static Seatbelt” is a life harness that can save you from the crash (or the fall of relationship) if you believe it’s there.

You’ve filmed a few music videos for the latest album. Which would you choose as your favorite and why?

Sorry’s Never Enough. The video was shot in Japan and needless to say it’s a beautiful place and the people I got to work with on and off the set was incredible.

Can we expect more music from you in the near future?

Yes. All in the works.

Is there an artist out there that you’d be interested in collaborating with or producing for?

Sitting in for a Dr. Dre studio session is a life long dream. To collaborate with him would be a check off the bucket list. DPR Ian is a brilliant mad man and a friend that I’d love to collaborate with. GD is probably in every Korean artist’s wish list as a collaboration partner. More recently I’ve being listening to a lot of d4vd who I would love to make some music with. Teflon Sega another crazy artist that I’ve been following for awhile now. Labrinth.. Joji… oh and this awesome artist named LXX (y’all should check him out). There’s too many incredible artists I’d like to work with to list them all out here.

To your fans who have been following you since the beginning, is there anything you’d like to say to them?

I’m grateful. It’s people like y’all that give my pursuit of happiness meaning. Your support gives me strength and fortitude to believe in myself. I love you guys and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Be sure to check out Corbyn’s music on streaming platforms and music videos on YouTube!

*While 24K is a current group under the same agency, the members who were part of the group with Cory have all moved on to focus on their solo activities and careers.