James An is an artist who really understands the contradictions of modern life, especially how we present ourselves. His new release, We Can Smile, came from a moment of meeting fans in Hongdae (Seoul), which made him think about what’s real versus what’s performative. He doesn’t reject social media, but sees it clearly: even if things are curated, those small interactions can still be genuine. His work is exactly that: honest, thoughtful, and hopeful that sincerity can still exist.

That same contrast runs through how he creates. James doesn’t avoid difficult or conflicting ideas; he simply faces them. While working on We Can Smile, he carefully considered how to express these ideas, only balancing meaning and emotion. It’s obvious that for the artist, songwriting is not really about giving us answers on a plate, but it’s about exploring questions and turning them into something people can feel and relate to in their own way.

In contrast, Solitaire, which was released a few days after We Can Smile, reveals a different side of James An. He’s open about being alone, not just as loneliness but as something that comes and goes, which gives a clearer sense of him as an artist. Across both tracks, James really knows himself and his world, turning ordinary moments into something bigger and meaningful.

View of the Arts: We Can Smile explores the idea of curated happiness in the age of social media. What drew you to that theme, and how personal was it to you?

James An: This song was actually inspired by an experience I had in Hongdae last year. I ran into a group of fans who recognised me and kindly said hello, asking if they could take photos with me. I’m always very grateful when this happens, so I took selfies with them one by one. For some reason, that moment felt different. Today, we take photos and selfies under the assumption that they will most likely be shared on social media, sometimes to the extent that we take photos with the sole purpose of sharing them on social media. I have strong thoughts about social media in the sense that we often portray ourselves and find others portrayed in a distorted way; it often does not show the reality of our lived experiences. Regardless, when we take a selfie or photo together, we can smile.

VOA: The track shows that even in staged moments, something real can still exist. Was that something you realised while writing the song?

James An: That is something I definitely navigated while writing the song. To what extent do I go underneath the sound of the beat and vocals to address these conflicting thoughts about social media? I wanted to address my conflicting thoughts around performative happiness in social media, but send a message that, in that moment, we can smile.

VOA: Solitaire, on the other hand, feels very different to the ear; more gentle with its lo-fi vibe. How did your mindset differ when writing this track compared to We Can Smile?

James An: I’ve generally been someone who enjoys solitude and needs time to be alone. Relationship dynamics and how I navigate different relationships are salient topics in my mind. As I get older, I don’t exactly feel more lonely in general, but this feeling of loneliness comes and goes more strongly. This song was very “me” in a sense. The song is a more honest and direct reflection of my current thoughts and emotions.

VOA: The title Solitaire is a strong metaphor. What did it represent to you in terms of emotion and solitude?

James An: I play a lot of games, and a lot of the games we play are multiplayer games where we play with others online or friends offline. Even in single-player games, you might often interact with other characters, NPCs (non-playable characters), or monsters, for example. Solitaire was interesting to me in that it is a game you play by yourself, and perhaps it could be interpreted as a card game for lonely people. The word can also mean someone alone or a recluse. Although I didn’t expand on the mechanics of the game and connect them to my emotions, the action of shuffling and reordering the cards also really stood out to me.

VOA: You collaborated with Moon on We Can Smile, and you both appeared on the same competition show, Rap: Public. Did that shared experience influence your decision to work together?

James An: During the actual program, we didn’t get a chance to really get to know each other. On our way to the after-party dinner after the entire program, we ran into each other on the subway and took a cab together to the restaurant. We actually had our first real conversation in the cab, and we decided to share tracks with each other with no pressure. As I was writing this song, I thought that Moon would absolutely kill it, and she did! More importantly, I’m very grateful that she really liked the song and was invested in it. She brought a cool contrast both in the song and the music video that I needed.

VOA: On Solitaire, Donna Goldn added a different kind of texture. What were you looking for in her voice, and how did she influence the mood of the song?

James An: Firstly, I felt like Donna might share similar thoughts or emotions about how I navigate different relationships. I think she brought the emotional yet dreamy vibe of the song to life with her hypnotic yet soothing vocals. What I love about both her lyrics and voice is that it’s very honest and in touch with her emotions. I wanted and needed something honest.

VOA: The music video for Solitaire was filmed in Thailand. What made that location feel right for the story you wanted to tell?

James An: Jungmin Lee, the director, and I were talking and weren’t sure where to film this music video, and that was a challenge. During one of our conversations, he suddenly suggested and asked about filming this music video in Thailand. At first, I was just excited to shoot my music video for the first time in Thailand, which in itself would be such a cool experience! The cinematics and settings would also look beautiful, but the more I thought about it, I thought it could go very well with the theme of the song. Back in college, I volunteered in Chiang Mai during one summer, teaching English to monks at Wat Phan Tao and Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University. Outside of the classes, I spent most of my time alone walking and travelling. I was alone, but I didn’t feel alone. I felt that my personal experience in Thailand was somehow connected with it being the location for this music video.

VOA: How did you find filming in Thailand in terms of the climate and overall atmosphere? Did being in that environment affect your performance or mindset?

James An: I have to say that I’m very grateful to Jungmin and the Thai team, all of whom coordinated everything so professionally and kindly. There was a lot of uncertainty surrounding the planning for the music video because we couldn’t check all the locations thoroughly beforehand, like we can in Korea (we checked all the locations till very late at night as soon as we landed in Thailand, as well as the next day). Because everywhere we went was new to me, I felt like I was traveling, even while shooting for the film. That feeling of being in an unfamiliar environment, but surrounded by an amazing team, felt very special. I tried to convey that feeling of traveling in a new location alone.

VOA: Did you get the chance to explore Thailand while filming?

James An: Our schedule was quite tight, so I couldn’t explore as much as I wanted to, but we had time to explore different streets and corners around where we stayed. As I mentioned before, I felt like I was traveling during the actual shoot; eating local food and drinks in between the shoots was awesome. Getting a traditional Thai massage was definitely the highlight of our travels!

VOA: And finally, between the bright, curated world of We Can Smile and the solitude of Solitaire, which song did you feel closer to after completing both?

James An: They’re very different, and I like each song differently. I like We Can Smile because it allowed me to not only address and express my conflicting thoughts about social media, but also express a kind of vibe that felt new to me. I do have to say that I feel closer to Solitaire because the words and emotions I expressed in that song are just so very relevant and close to my daily thoughts. I love them both!

Written and interviewed by Maggie Gogler

Featured image © HAN

_{View of the Arts is an online publication dedicated to film, music, and the arts, with a strong focus on the Asian entertainment industry. As we continue to grow, we aim to deepen our coverage of Asian music while remaining committed to exploring and celebrating creativity across the global arts landscape.}