Jimmy Brown Wants To Talk About Love on His “Like the First Time” Tour

In this exclusive interview, Jimmy Brown talks about his upcoming North American tour and why love is such an important theme in his music.

“I’m nothing but grateful. I can’t describe it in words. I’m just trying my hardest to give back the love I received,” Jimmy Brown says in this exclusive interview. credit: Jimmy Brown’s IG

This fall, K-R&B rising star Jimmy Brown will hit the road for his first North American tour. Promoted by Unbound Entertainment Group, “Like the First TIme” kicks off in Toronto on November 5, before traveling to nine cities, including New York, Atlanta, Montreal and Dallas/ Fort Worth, Texas. 

“You know, it’s all about having fun and sharing a blessing through music,” Jimmy told me this week when I asked how he was feeling about his first headlining tour. “I’m nothing but grateful. I can’t describe it in words. Having international fans means a lot. I’m just trying my hardest to give back the love I received.” 

Jimmy was originally slated to tour North America with The Good Days Boys, a hip-hop/R&B unit that Jimmy is a member of with his friends Sweet the Kid and Rovv. Due to scheduling conflicts, that show has been restructured into Jimmy’s tour with Rovv joining as a supporting act. 

“I’ve only been to Boston and New York. It feels surreal to go back there for a tour. Man,” he said in disbelief. “I would never have imagined myself going on a North America tour for real. I’m soo grateful.”

Fans can get a taste of what to expect on the tour by checking out Jimmy’s excellent new single “Over and Over”, a collaboration with his friend Rovv. “I wanted to make something, like, repetitive and catchy,” he said. “And [I thought] Rovv did a good job on the second verse.” 

Since debuting in 2017 with “She Lovin’ It”, Jimmy has become a leader in South Korea’s burgeoning R&B scene. He’s joined by several artists like Crush and The Good Days Boys members Sweet the Kid and Rovv, who are pushing forward the genre in new ways. 

Jimmy’s interest in R&B dates back to when he was a teenager living in South Korea, browsing through record shops. “It all started from buying CDs from Chris Brown and Kanye West,” he explained. “I never listened to Black music before those two legends. It was just different and it got me so hard.” In the late 2000s and early 2010s, artists like Kanye were twisting what listeners expected from hip-hop artists, shapeshifting the genre into his image.

“From day one. I had this huge belief in R&B music. I knew it was gonna pop up in Korea soon. And that’s around the time when Jay Park was changing the R&B scene,” Jimmy explained. “It took me much longer than I expected but I’ve always known that I could make it because I saw it coming for sure.” 

His debut album “love”, released last year, is perhaps Jimmy’s finest depiction of what he’s learned as an R&B fan. The music ranges from frankly sexual (“You ain’t gotta do much,” he tells a lover at one point, “It’s wet everywhere”) to yearning when he promises his girl, “I’m gonna show you how heaven sounds tonight.” 

But Jimmy’s been exploring the concept of love long before this project. One of his best - and most devastating singles - is “Grandma”, a song dedicated to his halmoni when she passed away. The song’s artwork depicts Jimmy holding his grandmother’s hand as she lays in a hospital bed. “You promised to attend my wedding/ Please get up.” he sings in one of the most devastating verses, “Hold my hand, don't make me cry anymore.”

“Everything around us is all about love. Whatever you do, feel, it’s always about love,” he told me when I asked him why he feels so drawn to the topic. “Love is a fundamental thing that we live upon. I try to show what love means to me and all the love that I’ve received.” Jimmy believes that love is reciprocated through his relationships with his family, friends, and his fans. “Most importantly,” he continued, “if you start to realize what love really is, it’d be a breakthrough changing your whole life.” 

“You know, the great thing about music is it’s already in you. You just don’t know what it looks like, sounds like until you make it into existence,” he explained when I asked what he loves most about making this music. “It's full of joy bringing out your subconsciousness into a song. That’s what makes me excited the most.”

Credit: Jimmy Brown’s Instagram

While he could still technically be a rising star, Jimmy’s laser focus on creating quality music has carved him a space in the Korean-made R&B scene. Jimmy’s modest, though, when I asked what makes him stand out as an artist. “That’s kinda straightforward,” he laughs then considers the question. “I mean, as long as you make your stuff with the utmost love and affection, then I would say you’re real at what you’re doing. That’s what I think makes you stand out.” 

But what I see that sets Jimmy apart from many Korean artists is his genuine love of R&B, and his acknowledgment of the Black creators who came before him. His smooth falsetto makes you believe everything he sings because of his passion, and he’s not afraid to open up with his vulnerabilities. It helps, too, that his music is damn good. 

“I would say I am a musician who sings deeply about love and tries to share what love feels like with audiences. I’m someone who keeps love in an absolutely positive way and lets people know and dream about it,” he reflected. “I’m glad to be a middleman between y’all and true love. I don’t even know what’s coming next and this is a crazy part of my music and life. I want y'all to stay tuned with me and move forward.” 

Tickets for Jimmy Brown’s tour are available HERE. 

Stream “love” HERE.