With ‘blanc’, JUNNY Wants To Show You His Artistic Colors

Credit: Mauve & Unbound Entertainment Group

JUNNY’s life is actually turning out like a movie. 

After releasing several EPs and singles, JUNNY, the Korean-Canadian singer from Vancouver, is entering a new phase of his career. He’ll be meeting fans for the first time with “the blanc tour” and he just announced his first physical album of the same name, blanc on August 12. The hard work is finally paying off for the boy who moved to Korea to bet himself. 

The next few weeks will be busy for the singer. His tour begins September 4 in Los Angeles and it will be the first time JUNNY’s met North American fans. JUNNY told me fans have a lot to look forward to if they come to a show. ”Expect a lot of me singing (obviously) lots of fun interactions, and a dynamic setlist containing old and new songs! I’m getting excited just talking about it,” he said. 

It’s been two and a half years since the pandemic pushed us inside and artists were unable to meet fans. I wondered how JUNNY felt now that he can finally perform for fans who, for years, could never see him live. There’s so much he’s looking forward to but it’s the connection with his fans that most motivates him. “Just being able to sing to an audience, making eye contact with actual eyes rather than a camera lens,” he reflected. “Being able to hear a live crowd especially filled with my own fans. It’s a dream come true.” That human connection is what makes concerts so vital, but it’s especially important for JUNNY, who’s music is more nuanced. It draws you in with intimacy and vulnerability. There’s a heartbeat to his songs that I’m most excited to hear live. 

Perhaps what draws fans like me into JUNNY’s world is that he is a storyteller. When I asked him what inspires him, he is quick to name stories. “Personal stories, other people’s stories, stories that I create in my mind” he says, are what often lines his page when he writes a song. “It all depends on what I want to write about. It could even be a mixture of all three! I also think about the listener and how much they can relate to the song because nothing is better than listening to a song that describes how you feel at that certain moment!”

Credit: Mauve & Unbound Entertainment Group

JUNNY is a self-made artist but he frequently gives credit to his brother, a professional painter, who inspired him to pursue a career in the arts. “It all starts from my oldest brother. He’s like a mentor to me and one of my biggest inspirations,” he explained. “He paved the way for me to see a future in my craft and gave me the courage to pursue music and live my dreams and I can’t thank him enough.”   

As a producer and songwriter, JUNNY is just as adventurous. His music crosses borders from hip-hop to R&B and, finally, to the bold pop sounds of his new single “Color Me”, featuring another talented soloist, CHUNG HA. 

“It was definitely a step out of my comfort zone to release this song under my own name but it was something I wanted to try for a while, and building a strong foundation from writing K-Pop songs I felt like I was comfortable enough to make the transition,” he said. Before “Color Me”, JUNNY’s music was often quieter and insular. Take “solo”, for instance, a track that glides on a somber beat. “I don’t care, let’s run away,” he sings. “Tell the truth, if it were up to you would you redo it from the start/ Cause I’m still out here solo.” 

By contrast, “Color Me” represents a bold statement towards embracing the brighter side of music. And it proves that JUNNY is not content to stay complacent. He wants to challenge himself. “Luckily the song turned out great thanks to my longtime songwriting friends. CHUNG HA’s amazing vocals was the icing on the cake and I think it’ll definitely be in my top favourite songs for a long time.” 

JUNNY’s career is perhaps built on same risk he took recording “Color Me”. The diversity in his discography, as well as his thoughtful lyrics, are certainly what makes me a fan. And things are only moving up from here. “Everything and everyone around me has given me hope,” he told me when I asked what pushed him through the pandemic. “Especially the fans and my company, creating this album and just the process itself made me realize this is just the beginning and there is so much more that I want to show as an artist. I truly believe it’s all uphill from here and I can’t wait for what the future has in store!”

Credit: Mauve & Unbound Entertainment Group