If you like LOONA, PURPLE KISS, IZ*ONE, or WANNA ONE, chances are you've already had a run-in with this K-pop producer turned singer-songwriter. With an illustrious career creating hits that you already love, BORAN is following her dream of making her own songs on her first ever album. BORAN recently released 'accident' on April 18, and her newest single 'rain' will be released on June 30 of this year. allkpop had the chance to sit down with BORAN and chat about her experience as a producer and her hopes as an artist. Keep reading for an exclusive interview with BORAN and special message for allkpop readers!

allkpop: BORAN is a well-known K-Pop producer of many notable songs by some of your favorite artists. BORAN, for those who are not familiar with you, could you introduce yourself and name some of the notable songs you have worked on?

BORAN: Hello! I am BORAN, a K-pop producer and singer-songwriter. I am very happy to have this interview with allkpop. I started with the album [Glassy] of IZ*ONE's main vocalist JO YURI, and have worked on songs for K-pop artists such as Kim Jae Hwan of Wanna One , JYP's group NiziU, LOONA, PURPLE KISS, and Kep1er. I also participated in the album of American singer AleXa and contributed to Korean drama content through the OST of [Strong GirlNam-soon]. Currently, I am focusing on my independent artist project. I released a song called ‘accident’ two months ago, and I am about to release a song called ‘rain’ very soon!

allkpop: How did you get into songwriting and music production?

BORAN: I was signed as an artist with Sony Music Entertainment when I was 17 years old. Back then, I was contracted as a singer, and a company employee suggested me to try to write my own songs. That's when I started working on music, begging my parents to buy me a MacBook.

After a few years, things didn't work out well for me as a singer, and after much consideration, I decided to switch my career to being a composer. Within a few months, a great opportunity came, and a song for a member of IZ*ONE was released. I had sworn never to pursue the path of a singer again... but now, here I am, preparing to release my own music. I think I'm destined to do my own thing.

allkpop: How did your experiences as a K-pop producer influence your decision to pursue your own music career?

BORAN: Of course, working on K-pop projects was meaningful to me, but I kept feeling an emptiness. When I went to vocal directing sessions and saw the artists in the recording booth, I thought, "I want to be in there singing too." I found myself secretly writing my own songs late at night after spending the whole day writing songs for other artists.

As a result, quite a few songs piled up in my music folder, and one day, my colleagues told me that they loved my personal songs. They asked why I wasn’t releasing my own album. Some colleagues even asked me if I had written any new songs every time we met, which became a kind of motivation for me. Although they might have asked casually, it made me realize that my music and story might have more value than I thought. I was working with many teams in the K-pop industry, so moving to the next step wasn't too difficult. After deciding to make an album, my friends and colleagues helped me a lot, and together we created the song "accident." If it weren't for my activities in K-pop, transitioning to a solo artist would have been very challenging for me.

allkpop: Can you share some insights into your creative process when producing songs for other artists versus creating your own music?

BORAN: First of all, the targets that I try to focus on are very different. When producing songs for other artists, I think a lot about their brand, visuals, and overall vibe. Questions like "How should this artist's next project progress?" and "What new aspects are the public expecting from this artist?" are constantly on my mind. Nowadays, the K-pop industry is highly specialized, so many colleagues are involved in the process, and also very systematic.

When it comes to my own music, it's a bit different. I actually rely 100% on my intuition. Decisions about which melodies to use, what messages to convey, and what kind of music videos to produce are all based on waiting for an indescribable signal of certainty. I just keep working on the music until I get the feeling of "this is it." When that happens, I immediately share the music and ideas with my team, and we start refining them. There are no rules, no reasons for the choices, and it's not systematic at all. Instead, I rely on an instinctive sense of "this feels right." These two fields are similar yet different, and I enjoy both types of work. That's probably why I can keep writing new songs without getting tired.

allkpop: Your latest single, “accident” was released on April 18 with your newest single “rain” set to come out on June 30, what inspired the themes and sounds of your recent and future releases?

BORAN: The key word I ultimately want to convey through my music is 'energy.' I believe that if I have a clear vision and picture, certain events will masquerade as coincidences to lead me there. The song 'accident' was written with this energy in mind. At the time when difficult things happened, I thought they were accidents in my life, but over time, I realized that these events had a purpose. The same goes for relationships as well.

The soon-to-be-released song 'rain' also embodies this concept. Through the phrase "we vibrate on the same wave," it conveys the idea that we are connected by the same energy and were destined to meet somehow, framing it as a love song. As I mentioned before, all my work relies on an instinctive sense of 'this feels right,' so the process of capturing the sound was also fun. In the song 'accident,' there's a 'thump-thump, thump-thump' sound like a heartbeat. It felt like it was expressing the sound of my intuition, like how your heart races when you see or feel something great. So, I placed that sound as the bass. The feedback on this part was varied, but I decided to go with it because it felt right. I want to continue creating works that are not bound by standards.

allkpop: How do you balance your roles as both a songwriter/producer and a performing artist?

BORAN: Both physically and mentally, my balance often gets disrupted. However, my desire to express myself always seems to overcome the difficulties. I think this is actually a blessing. I am very introverted and find it hard to form relationships with others, so from a young age, I loved creating works that express what's inside me, whether it's through music, writing poetry, or drawing comics. This makes immersion easy for me. I can easily get deeply absorbed in my own world. Therefore, even when I am writing songs for other artists, it is easy for me to switch my focus. Although my balance often falters, I can continue because I love this work so much.

allkpop: Are there any particular artists or genres that have influenced your personal music style?

BORAN: I have always loved Soul music and the R&B genre. I especially admired female soul artists like Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Lianne La Havas, and Chrisette Michele. Then, as I went through my trainee days, I naturally learned how to write catchy and hooky melodies while covering a lot of K-pop and general pop songs. My tendency to focus on melodies grew as I worked as a K-pop producer. As a result, I now enjoy combining the two by writing R&B and soul-style music with easy melodies and repetitive keywords.

allkpop: What do you hope listeners take away from your music, especially as they experience your transition from producer to artist?

BORAN: I believe that everyone has a small dream or ambition deep in their hearts that they want to challenge themselves with. For me, that dream was to be a singer-songwriter. However, I feel that many people ignore their inner voice for various reasons: fear of being laughed at, being too old or too young, lacking natural talent, not having enough money, and so on. And while these reasons might be valid to them, I don't think you need to start grandly. Especially in an era like these days, large capital isn't necessary. You can release music without a record label and start a business online with your ideas. You don't need to seek approval, be liked, or be chosen by someone.

Even though I released my album with limited resources, I'm extremely happy that I accomplished what I wanted to do. I want to keep doing it in the future. I hope that people who listen to my music will think, "What was my childhood dream?" even if just for a moment. Those pure, innocent dreams we had when we were very young. I hope my stories can be the first step for them to challenge and pursue those dreams.

allkpop: How do you incorporate your experiences in the K-pop industry into your own music and storytelling?

BORAN: Since I am still in the early stages of my career as an artist, I am more focused on how to develop my character in each area rather than incorporating my experiences as a K-pop industry professional. Because my approach to K-pop and my song career is slightly different, sometimes it feels like I have two different identities. Therefore, I try to respect and set boundaries between these two.

For now, I have a strong desire to express personal themes and inner stories, so I will be focusing more on myself for the time being. I believe that once I have built up my artistic career to a certain extent, there will come a day when I can incorporate the experiences and stories I have felt as a K-pop industry professional into my albums.

allkpop: Can you share any memorable moments or lessons you've learned throughout your career as a producer and now as an artist?
BORAN: Recently, as the K-pop market has grown significantly, foreign writers have also started participating in K-pop projects, coming to Korea to hold sessions and work on various projects. Sessions are offline activities where writers gather in a studio to complete a song, and more than half of my demo songs were created through session work. Initially, it was difficult for me due to my introverted nature, but the experience of collaborating and creating songs with truly talented and wonderful artists and writers was amazing.

Through these sessions, I also ask writers who share my vision to collaborate on my album projects. This might be why I am more inclined towards the global market. All the producers and lyricists who helped create my music are foreign writers, and I have learned a lot about global market issues and tips from them. This shows that my K-pop activities have had a significant impact on my artistic projects. It’s fascinating and interesting at the same time to see how K-pop work and my activities as an artist influence each other.

allkpop: What advice would you give to aspiring producers and songwriters out there looking to have a similar career path to you?

BORAN: First and foremost, I believe it is important to always strive to complete any project you start, no matter what the song is. While there are times when the fun of creating something spontaneously is important, the experience of pushing through obstacles during the process can eventually lead to a significant leap in your abilities.

Secondly, input is crucial. It seems that many aspiring musicians don't listen to enough music. Listening to a lot of good songs influences your output. It's even better if you try to remember the songs by ear. Understanding why a song is popular and why people like it is essential to writing such songs yourself. This is something I am continually working on as well.

Thirdly, share your work. Share it with people who can provide meaningful feedback. Not just anyone, because overly harsh or indifferent feedback can make you feel discouraged. It's better to share your work with people you trust and are close to. Keeping your work to yourself isn't as beneficial as you might think. You need to hear constructive feedback and gradually refine your work based on it.

allkpop:How do you stay inspired and motivated to create, especially after working on numerous projects for other artists?

BORAN: I enjoy activities that help me take care of myself, such as meditation, reading, and writing. Some people might say that my life seems boring because of this. I'm introverted and don't go out much. But these activities help me in my creative process. Of course, some artists gain energy and inspiration from being outside, and some believe that creativity comes from self-destructive behaviors and addictive relationships. I admit, there was a time when I briefly admired that.

However, now I have a strong desire to tell healthy stories for a long time. That's why I find inspiration when I spend extended periods getting to know myself better. Healthy relationships also play a crucial role. All these aspects motivate me.

allkpop: Are there any particular themes or topics you find yourself drawn to in your music?
BORAN: This is something that might change frequently in the future, but these days, it's about love and dreams. Love doesn’t just refer to romantic relationships. It’s love for everything. I believe love is the greatest experience in life, especially the experience of loving oneself. It's a rare thing to find in our society and I think it's difficult to get to know and be intimate with oneself. So, I want to explore these themes often right now.

Dreams are on a similar wavelength. With so much information available, it’s easy to compare ourselves to others. However, the experience of chasing something, of truly becoming myself, has always made me happy. I want to share this kind of experience. Even if it’s not a grand dream, I want to encourage people to choose what they want to do, not compare themselves to others, and turn their weaknesses into specialties.

allkpop: What are your goals and aspirations for your solo music career in the coming years?

BORAN: These days, it's a global era. I hope that my music can be heard worldwide. Having closely observed the process of the K-pop market expanding globally, I've realized that you don’t have to be fluent in English to release songs in English. While I love the Korean language, I think many beautiful sentences can be expressed in English as well. I hope my works and messages can be widely known and inspire people. Therefore, I want to contribute to promoting the K-R&B market not only through domestic efforts but also through various campaigns and collaborations with diverse artists.

BONUS!

BORAN’s special message for allkpop readers:

"Hello allkpop readers! This is BORAN. It’s my first time greeting you on allkpop, and thank you for reading my lengthy interview to the end. I had so much fun throughout the interview, and I’m very happy to have shared not only stories about K-pop but also my music activities. Please show lots of love for my single "accident" which was released recently and for my upcoming song "rain." I will continue to work hard as a K-pop writer as well, so please look forward to it! Thank you."

Socials:

Instagram: @boran.mp3 | @boran.music
Facebook: 보란 | 보란 – BORAN_Official 
YouTube: 보란BORAN