Interview with Jimmy Brown -
the Korean R’n’B singer everyone should be paying attention to
Proudly part of the 2022 Honorary Reporter Program
Photo courtesy of Jimmy Brown
It is currently 8pm in Montreal and after corresponding for about one week, I managed to find a mutually agreeable time for me and Jimmy Brown (his real name being Lee Ji Won, 이 지원) to connect via Zoom for this interview. I was very excited to talk to him face to face and to ask him the many questions I had slowly gathered in my mind as I kept listening to his songs. Although this was meant to be an interview, it felt more like a heart-to-heart conversation about his music, the inspiration behind the songs and his future plans. He is truly a wonderful person and a talented artist. I hope you will all get to know and appreciate Jimmy Brown more after reading this interview.
Corina: Can you please give a brief introduction about yourself to those who do not yet know who Jimmy Brown is?
JB: I am an R’n’B musician based in Seoul, and I have been making music for about 13 years. But for the first half of my career, I did not do much. After I finished serving my country for two years, at that time I was turning 27 so I guess it’s been a long time coming, and yeah, basically, I make R’n’B music. I am Jimmy Brown (laughs).
Corina: I came across your music completely by chance while listening to an R’n’B playlist on YouTube in my living room. The song that caught my attention was “I won’t give up”, which I loved so much so I had to find out who the singer was. I saw your name, Jimmy Brown, so I thought to myself, let me look him up. I discovered your music and albums that night. Your two albums “Cherie” and “Irene” left a big impression on me.
JB: Thank you.
Corina: Can you talk a bit about the inspiration behind the “Cherie” and “Irene” albums as it seems that those albums really opened many doors for you and many people became more aware of your music.
JB: You know I always talk about love. Fundamentally, the tracks I have been writing are all about all the love I have had throughout my whole life. It could be love from my grandma, my mom, my previous relationships. Yeah.
Corina: I guess you can say it’s more the personal touch in your songs.
JB: Yeah, half of my songs have that personal touch (laughs), half not personal.
Corina: Yes, I understand. I write poetry so I know not everything is based on personal things. Inspiration can come from things you watch on tv, stories you hear about, the world in general.
JB: Yeah, exactly.
Corina: You mentioned that most of your music is based on love, it comes from love. Do you personally believe love is that important in life?
JB: I think it’s the most important feeling people can have throughout their life. And it’s the love, you know, it is the one thing I wouldn’t trade for anything else. It almost feels like love made me who I am today. So, you write poetry, so you can understand what I am saying. As you write more and more, you think about what you have inside and you keep developing it and keep thinking of what love is, what your emotions are.
Corina: Yes, I agree, I found a similar connection with the things I write about. I found that, personally, the more I write, the better it gets, the deeper it gets, so I noticed that with your songs too. All your songs are beautiful and meaningful. I listened to your latest album too and I have a few favourite songs in there too (laughs). I loved that you titled it “Love”. I want to ask, in terms of creation, many people have different ways of creating. For you, what comes first, the music or the lyrics when you write a song?
JB: For me I am not sure as I write both at the same time. It speaks better, it sounds more natural to me if I make both.
Corina: The melody and the lyrics come along.
JB: Yeah, exactly.
Corina: Have you written anything for other groups or singers so far?
JB: Yeah, I wrote for Bam Bam and GOT7. I have written a few for boy groups as well.
Corina: This is great, I think it’s only going to get better. On your digital albums, I saw that the artwork for each EP, song or album is very unique. Are you involved with the creation of that artwork?
JB: Oh yeah, every time. I don’t really have a specific idea for artwork, but I always have something in my mind that I can have as a reference, so I always tell the photographer what I have in my mind.
Corina: It is very beautiful and unique and goes well with the theme of each of your songs. What sparked the collaboration with The Good Days Boys and what is the main difference between the music you create by yourself and that created with them?
JB: The most important thing is that we learn from each other, we motivate each other in every sense, in every step. That’s the biggest difference between my solo pursuit. And, if I write a song for my singles or EP for my own project, I get deep feelings. But for The Good Days Boys, we enjoy making songs, it is a lot easier because writing a verse together could finish a song and other parts very fast.
Corina: It’s very easy when you collaborate, the writing process, the flow, you get that energy from the beginning.
JB: Yes, exactly.
Corina: Right now you are not signed with any label. Are there any thoughts of changing that or will you continue this way?
JB: No, I won't sign with a company. I signed with one company in Korea a couple of years ago and I didn’t really like it because I have released more than 10 songs under the contract, but I did not own the rights to them at all, so, yeah. After “Irene”, I started to own my own rights. I don’t really listen to the projects before “Irene”.
Corina: Your first album was in 2018, titled “Jimmy Brown”. Was that under that company or was it independent as well?
JB: Right after that EP and “Irene”, I became independent.
Corina: That is why I couldn’t find anything prior to that. I know you released that first EP, then came “Irene”. It is unfortunate to hear that you don’t have the rights to those songs.
JB: Yeah (sigh).
Corina: How do you find the process of being independent in terms of promoting yourself, putting your music on digital platforms. Do you find that to be a process you enjoy?
JB: Yes, and I have good friends of mine who have been helping with distribution and promotion. I actually have to shoot more videos, but I tend to make songs every single day.
Corina: Very productive
JB: Yes (laughs). As an independent artist it is hard to try other things, aside from writing songs. I think this is the only con of being an independent artist. But I like all the other parts, I love having my own rights.
Corina: I think it is a smart thing to be able to have control, especially creative control over your music. Many artists tend to lose that creative control as they have to match what the company wants from them and many struggle with that balance of what they want to produce and what they are required to produce.
JB: That was one of the worst parts of being in the contract.
Corina: To date, you released 7 EPs and 2 full albums, one being with The Good Days Boys and your current album, “Love”, as well as many collaborations in between. Last year, especially, you released many songs. What sparked the creativity in 2021?
JB: I guess, as I started my singing career, I have been listening to a lot of songs by Chris Brown and many R’n’B artists in the States. I have all the references stacked up in my head. I wanted to make something like that. At that time [in 2021], I needed to express and to make my own version of many great songs. I think this is what sparked most of the creativity.
Corina: It is very impressive; it must have been a good feeling to see so many of your ideas come to life in songs and be available for people to listen to. Which of your songs and albums is the most meaningful to you and why?
JB: I always say “Mom”, I know it's a cheesy answer (laughs). Other than that, I love the most recent one, “Love”, as it is my first studio album.
Corina: Speaking of your album “Love”, which was released last month, what was the main inspiration behind those songs as opposed to EPs such as “Irene”, “Cherie”, the “Bedroom Playlist”? What makes this album more meaningful to you and how did you get it from an EP to an album?
JB: It was going to be Bedroom Playlist 2, it was supposed to be that, and I was going to put Bedroom Playlist 1 and 2 and make an album out of them. That was the plan, but I felt like the album, “Love”, was less sensual than the Bedroom Playlist one so I needed to express what love means to me. That was the main thing for me to make this album. Is that the right answer to your question?
Corina: (Laughs) Yes, it does answer the question. The right answer is what you think the right answer to be.
JB: (Laughs)
Corina: The “Bedroom Playlist” is more sensual, and it won’t appeal to everyone in the same way. There are some overlapping songs on both albums, so I thought there was a connection between the two. Do you have a favourite song from this album?
JB: Obviously, it would be “Steam”, “Complicated” and “Say Less”. But to be honest with you, I don’t really listen to my songs because, as I am writing a particular song, I listen to it more than a hundred times, right? After I release them, I don’t listen to them anymore. Maybe after 6 months I will listen to them again (laughs).
Corina: That makes sense, I experience the same feeling after I wrote my mini book of poems as you have to read them over and over again. I haven’t actually read them in one year, either (laughs). I can understand that. What would be your dream collaboration?
JB: I love Jay Park and Beenzino. Are you aware of Beenzino? I love them.
Corina: I am hoping it will happen, especially now with you being more known and your songs becoming more popular. I am rooting for you.
JB: I hope so, thank you.
Corina: Do you have any plans to film a music video in the future?
JB: Yeah, one day. I did shoot a music video for “Warm Water” back in 2019. After I watched the film, I realized it is not for me. It looks unnatural and a bit awkward. I intend to make some live videos on YouTube for the album, “Love”.
Corina: Speaking of live performances on YouTube, are you thinking of maybe touring in the future or doing a live online concert?
JB: Yes, for sure, but not an online concert because I don’t feel that connection. I want to see my fans, how they look and how they feel about my music in person. Me and The Good Days Boys are going to Paris and London in October for a concert, and I think we are going to have more shows next year, like a couple of big shows in big venues in Korea, especially. I really want to go to the States and Canada, where you live. I would love to go there.
Corina: I think you have garnered enough fans here that you would have a good amount of people coming to your concert. It is very exciting to know that you will be in Europe in the Fall and more shows in Korea next year and hopefully North America in the future.
JB: Why not? (laughs)
Corina: Exactly, we will keep our fingers crossed. So, tell me, what does a day in the work life of Jimmy Brown look like? How do you plan your days in terms of creativity and music making?
JB: My every day schedule is kind of boring to me, really boring but I love having the exact same schedule Monday to Friday because it makes me keep going. There is a saying “special people look for the boring routine and boring people, I shouldn’t say that, but boring people are looking for special days.” I find it funny, but it is hard to translate into English.
Corina: Is it a Korean saying?
JB: I am not sure; I don’t remember where I heard it (laughs).
Corina: I agree, having a routine provides more stability and you know what you have to do, you make progress steadily with a routine.
JB: Yeah, so I work 9-5pm and after I just take a rest, I really do nothing, I watch TV. I love drinking beer and just chill, do nothing. I usually go to sleep at 10 or 11pm and I wake up at 5 or 6am. I go to the gym but this morning I didn’t go. And, I have breakfast and then start my work at 9am. This is my core routine during the weekdays.
Corina: You are very disciplined. The fact that you can go to bed so early, I admire you for that because I can’t. I always wonder how people go to bed at 10pm, I have not mastered this at all (laughs).
JB: (Laughs)
Corina: Do you have any fun facts about you that you would want your fans to know about? Anything unique to Jimmy Brown?
JB: I am not sure it is a fun fact for me but when someone tries to jump and scare me from behind, I always 100%, every single time, get scared (laughs) so badly so everyone does that and laughs at me.
Corina: Halloween must be a fun holiday for you.
JB: I never go to Halloween (laughs)
Corina: It is exactly what happens, you get scared.
JB: Yeah, I know what you mean.
Corina: Do you have any thoughts for aspiring singers in South Korea, such as people who want to go into this line of work and they don’t know where to start, are not signed with a label or a company.
JB: Just do something. When I was young, all I did was just think. I should have acted on my thoughts, but I did not know what to do or how to do it. When I look back at those days, I should have just acted on my thoughts, I should have done even the smallest thing. Like Nike says: Just Do it! (laughs).
Corina: I agree. I think it is important in life to act on something, even if it is a small idea and you don’t know where to start.
JB: Yeah, just jump into it.
Corina: How did you get your first album to come to life in 2018? Speaking of just doing it, what was the determining factor that pushed you to actually release that album?
JB: Oh yeah, like, at that time I didn’t even know how to distribute my music, to release it. I was not aware of all the distributors in Korea or that there are systems that could be helpful for me. I started as a producer, but I found it hard to find someone to sing my tracks. I always enjoyed singing alone, so why don’t I sing my own songs? This is how it started. I lived in the countryside at that time, 2 hours from Seoul and I went to a recording studio in Seoul and recorded it. The Engineer, I think, seemed to feel pity for me or to like me, so he gave me some advice and gave me 5 distributors that I can use to release my song. This is how it started it, I sent emails and that was that. After I released my first single, I thought, why shouldn’t I release the tracks I wrote before, like earlier? Now it is easy for me so I should have done that way earlier.
Corina: It takes one person to help. He was probably impressed with your voice because you have a very unique voice, so he wanted to help you because you have talent.
JB: Thank you.
Corina: Besides “Love”, is there anything else in the works for this year?
JB: Yeah, my own single in August, The Good Days Boys Project in July, this month actually. Uhm, there is a guy in Singapore, and I have been working on a song with him as well. Yeah, there will be a second album for The Good Days Boys at the end of this year that we are working on. Probably a couple of songs every month for me too.
Corina: Very exciting. Is there a specific theme for these songs or is it love related as well?
JB: Yes, have you listened to Chris Brown’s new album?
Corina: I have not listened to it yet.
JB: I really enjoy that album so hopefully my next singles will sound like his.
Corina: You seem to have many projects coming up, it is very exciting. Thank you so much for your time, I hope you enjoyed our chat.
JB: Thank you so much as well for your time and support.
Thank you so much to Jimmy Brown for the time given for this interview.
이 인터뷰를 위해 시간을 내주신 지미 브라운에 게 감사드립니다.
To be up to date with what Jimmy Brown is releasing, check out his social media channels below:
Interview conducted by Corina Sferdenschi
#jimmybrown #koreanrnb #koreanmusic #love #music #koreanculture
Photo courtesy of Jimmy Brown
Photo courtesy of Jimmy Brown