Destined for Greatness: An Interview with R&B Artist JUNNY

Korean-Canadian R&B artist JUNNY is no ordinary singer. Most artists I’ve had the honor of speaking carry themselves with an immense amount of humility. But there’s an earnest desire to discover more about himself that’s both prevalent in JUNNY’s music and the way he answers questions. It’s as if he’s constantly searching for the right to call himself a true artist. Between moving to Korea and working on his first full-length album, he took some time out to answer a few questions.

Humble Creative Origins

“Hello, friends. My name is JUNNY, and I am a singer songwriter from Vancouver, Canada,” he says by way of introduction. “Currently I am in progress of releasing an official worldwide album and preparing for a new stage of my career in music.”

His wasn’t the typical road to music. JUNNY came from a highly artistic family. “My family is heavily art influenced,” he says. “[My] older brother is a painter, younger brother is a chef. Ever since I was young I knew that music was something I was never able to let go no matter what kind of reality came to face me.” Despite having spoken to a wide array of artists, not many of them tell such a story. Most aren’t seemingly pre-determined to follow music. Quite a few of them don’t have the support system to even pursue the career.

But JUNNY has those sources of inspiration around him constantly. “My parents, crewmates, Quincy Jones, and Freddie Mercury,” he says of his biggest influences. His ability to learn, grow, and adapt is obvious in the trajectory of his discography. From his earliest work, “MONOCHROME,” to his latest collaborations with like-minded musicians, he seems to be on a constant journey to better his craft.

While not everything was a product of his own desire to create (“I was basically forced to play trumpet because of my band class all the way back in elementary”), JUNNY still finds inspiration in everything around him. “I’m not as good [at trumpet] as I was back then, but now after many years of working on different kinds of music I’ve realized that I have a soft spot for brass instruments in general. Perhaps my trumpet playing days as a kid had some type of influence to that.”

Marilyn Monderland

It’s always interesting to find out how certain individuals happen to cross paths. Even more fascinating is when those kindred spirits live half a world away from each other. Such is the case with JUNNY as his closest artistic confidantes Yelloasis, Holymoley!, and Holynn. “My relationship with Yelloasis started from a simple SoundCloud message that I’ve sent to him way long ago before I had a proper following. I met Holymoley! and Holynn through Yelloasis’ introduction just before Marilyn Monderland was formed. Ever since then, they’ve taught me so much in things in and outside of music. To this day Holymoley! is someone I can call as a go-to producer. He has produced 80 percent of my upcoming album.”

This collective of musicians has tapped into something truly unique and spectacular. Their latest, the L.H.E.A. project, is as much a work of true craftsmanship. Throughout their association they’ve created a sound that’s distinguishable among a plethora of artists and crews with the same musical aesthetic. They’ve drawn on a wide range of influences, melding them together to create the Marilyn Monderland sound.

“We wanted to bring a unique style of music that differs from what the mainstream R&B scene represented in Korea,” JUNNY says. “Having two members (including myself) that have lived outside of Korea their whole lives and all members being heavily influenced in Western culture we believed that it was important to have the right mentality for us to be successful.

“The reason why we went with ‘Marilyn’ from ‘Marilyn Monroe’ was because of her approach to the mainstream scene and the confidence she had in herself to become a superstar. We felt that was the exact attitude we as a crew should have and respected her ways ever since.

“‘Monderland’ comes from ‘wonderland,’ just replacing the first letter to keep it relevant to ‘Marilyn,’ meaning for a place we want to keep our minds at in order to stay healthy and prosper spiritually and mentally.”

It’s this collaborative unit that drove his move to Korea in the first place. Experiencing an unexplored market surely had a hand in the decision. But it’s the need to be closer to the community that fosters much of his creativity that led JUNNY to actually take the dive. “I was amazed by the talent and love for the music everybody had,” he says. “Especially the local scene, which made me feel so welcome when I visited early this year.

“The main factor for me was my crew Marilyn Monderland and the vision we all shared. It was a difficult choice to make, stepping out of my comfort zone and moving here. But all in all it worked out, and I’m blessed to have people that can support me.”

What Makes a Man?

Key aspects of his personality shine through when recalling the creative nature of Marilyn Monderland’s conception: confidence, mental and spiritual health, and success. There’s much to be said for someone willing to open up about what he needs to find that stability in himself and his craft.

A big part of what makes JUNNY such a fascinating artist is this sort of innate desire to tamp down on any large flights of self-assuredness. At times when answering questions or talking about himself, his responses are borderline self-deprecating. As if he’s incapable of seeing the actual breadth of his talent. However, this need to keep his ego out of the equation might actually be calculated. “To be honest I keep trying to distance myself from being 100 percent confident in making music,” he confesses. “It’s that little bit of doubt that keeps me moving forward and trying new things, which develops me into a better artist every time a new project comes around. My upcoming album is the epitome of my beliefs, and I’m very excited to share it with the world.”

With all this in mind, even JUNNY’s vision about success is notable. “Success to me is about being proud of what you do, and when the hard work you put in day in day out truly pays off.”

A never-ending desire to tap into the deepest wells of his abilities has manifested in some truly brilliant lyricism and musical compositions. There’s an obvious progression from 2017’s “MONOCHROME” to “Genuine,” released earlier this year. “First of all ‘MONOCHROME’ was actually a final project for my senior year in college,” he reveals. “I gave it my all, incorporating everything I have learned from my years of school, and I’m still very proud of it. Listening to it now it does show signs of age and I’ve developed a lot as a songwriter throughout the years, professionally writing for other artists and working with many different types of musicians.

“Listening to ‘Genuine,’ I can say that I’ve put more thought into the storytelling, pacing, and relevance to the album’s theme, which made it more mature and satisfying. ‘Genuine’ was a project that was much more experimental. You can tell that I was really trying to find my own style and sound.”

JUNNY may have penchant for underplaying his skill, but he’s very self-aware. Understanding the growth, being able to put it into a concrete context, shows an uncanny self-awareness. This knowledge of self lends itself greatly to music that’s introspective and enigmatic. Such is what I found in much of “Genuine.” In particular, the lyrical weight of much of the music on that album was overwhelming at times. In track “Down Under,” he writes, “If I’m the only thing I’ve got to lose, I’ll make sure that I’ll give my all to you.” That’s not something one writes without some experience.

“There is always a story to each and every one of my songs,” he says. “Some from past experiences, some from what I was emotionally feeling at the time. Since I write my own stuff it only made sense to talk about things from my perspective. I’d love to tell you all about it, but that can be for another time!” he says, adding a cheeky wink to the response.

Holiday Wishes

In light of the holiday season corresponding with this new season in JUNNY’s professional and personal life, I wonder what kind of dreams he has for the future. If “Christmas wishes” really do come true, who would he absolutely love to collaborate with? “Top 3: Quincy Jones, Freddie Mercury, and Drake,” he says.

As the New Year approaches, what can we expect from him in the coming months? “A brand-new album that I am extremely proud of. 2019 is going to be so beautiful. I’m so excited to release it and it’s coming very soon.”

Of course, I couldn’t let him go without asking for a tidbit about this new project that’s in the works. After all, it’s something he’s worked so hard for, seemingly from the moment he took his first breath. “From beginning to end it will be an emotional ride. For everyone waiting for the album, I promise it will be worth the wait!”

Final Thoughts

As our conversation comes to a close, I’m stricken by just how introspective JUNNY really is. He takes into account everything around him. All things combined make for an artist who truly takes every day as a chance for growth and gratitude for every trial and triumph he might face.

“I wanna thank HiphopKR for having me on an interview. It’s truly an honour. I apologize for my boring answers, but I can assure you my music will be far more entertaining. I’m sure my upcoming single, ‘Thank You’ can do the trick! It will be a pre-album release single dedicated to all the listeners that have helped me got this far.

“I wish for everyone to be healthy both physically and mentally. Also for everyone to enjoy my single ‘Thank You’ for the holidays.

“Also, thank you to everyone for your loving support. I will be back with brand-new music that hopefully could make you guys prouder than ever!”

JUNNY seems to have been born to make music, though his confidence in himself might suggest otherwise. He has a thirst for bettering his craft that’s quite commendable. This interview, trite as it sounds, was just the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much to look forward to in his future. Hopefully he’ll take HiphopKR along with him on his journey. It’s sure to be an interesting ride.

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