Interview with Krysta Youngs, a Singer-Songwriter behind BTS’s Record-Breaking Hit “ON”

Krysta Youngs, an L.A.-based co-writer for BTS’s most recent title track “ON,” recently caught up with The Kraze to share some details about her writing process, experience in the music industry, and her upcoming interactive album, Use Your Imagination. Originally from Flint, Michigan and a graduate of the Berklee College of Music, Krysta now works with many K-Pop and J-Pop artists while creating her own music. In addition to working with the world’s biggest band for “ON,” she also contributed to BTS’s “Home,” Taeyeon’s “Wine,” and BoA’s “Honey & Diamonds,” among other tracks. Check out our interview below!

Q: BTS’s “ON” was a huge hit immediately after release—can you describe what you felt when you first heard the finished track? 

Krysta: Ahhhh... when I first heard the finished version of "ON" it felt like a dream. I was so honored that I was able to contribute creatively to such a massive record and to have Sia as the feature on a version of it was just mind blowing. Everything BigHit puts out is so carefully crafted and so being able to contribute to the title track was such an amazing feeling.  

Q: What was your creative process like for “ON?” Did the label give you any sort of direction or theme, or was it more open-ended? 

Krysta: BigHit has always been very good at communicating what they're looking for in a Topline. That being said, they also give me the creative freedom to do my thing. It's the perfect balance. When Julia Ross and I sat down to topline "ON" we actually did a couple of versions of the song. One of the things I love most about working with Korean labels is that they're great about providing feedback. I think U.S. labels could definitely benefit from this mentality.

Q: If you were to work on a solo track for any BTS member, who would you like to write for and why? 

Krysta: Oh, please don't make me choose. Obviously I would love to work with all of them but I think it would be really fun to do a song with J-Hope. I adore his tone and I'm a huge fan of urban music. So, J-Hope...hit ya girl [up] and let's write a smash together ;).  

Q: You’ve previously worked on other K-Pop tracks, such as Taeyeon’s “Wine” and BTS's "Home.” What has been your favorite K-Pop project so far, and is there any style or genre you’d like to work on for future K-Pop tracks?

Krysta: Each K-Pop project I've worked on has been different but equally as rewarding. I can't really choose a favorite project, kind of like I can't choose a favorite dog (I have two dogs and they're both amazing). Each label works differently and each artist I've written for has their own style. I would say that my relationships with the A&Rs at each of the labels has made each project feel extremely rewarding. Shout out to them... you know who you are :). As far as genre, I just want to keep writing songs that make people feel something so genre doesn't matter to me.   

Q: How has your experience been working as a woman within the K-Pop songwriting world? Have you encountered obstacles, or has the experience been more positive? 

Krysta: I get asked this question often and my response is always the same. My gender has never played a part in my treatment in the music industry mainly because I've never made it a thing. My dad raised me to be a bad*ss and let me know from an early age I didn't have to take crap from anyone. My therapist taught me how to be a bad*ss and showed me how not to take crap from anyone in a graceful way. I know I'm strong and independent and I also know my worth. I think when you approach things like this in the music industry and beyond, your life becomes a reflection of that belief.   

Q: Your interactive album Use Your Imagination comes out on March 11. What makes the album interactive, and how did you come up with the idea to present it this way? 

Krysta: I. AM. SO. EXCITED. for my album to come out. It's been a three-year process and to finally have a release date feels so gratifying. Use Your Imagination is comprised of seven very personal piano/vocal songs. At the beginning I had every intention of making this album a fully produced work, but I was having a hard time finding producers who could make the songs sound better than they did acoustically. I started to get really discouraged and almost trashed the whole thing but then one day I was sitting in my backyard with some of my closest friends and the idea of an interactive album came up. I thought ... hey, I could kill two birds with one stone and make the acapellas and stems downloadable on my website for producers and DJs to remix. I could offer them a percentage of the master so they could get paid aaaannnndddd I could create a community of musicians that not only I could collaborate with but that could also collaborate with each other. I'm always so curious to see what other people's brains come up with and this project is the perfect playground for that.   

Q: Does the creative process differ when you work on your own music versus writing for another artist? 

Krysta: It used to but it doesn't anymore. I've always considered myself an artist so no matter what project I'm working on I make sure to put 100% of myself into it. When you hear a Sia song you know it's a Sia song...she has a very distinct writing style so even if she's not singing it I can hear her in the song. That's what I strive to be like...and that's only achievable if I stay true to my uniqueness.  

Q: What is the most challenging part about writing songs for other artists? 

Krysta: Making time to sleep, haha. That's pretty much it. I've been so busy these last couple of years trying to balance all the projects I'm working on it's hard to take time for myself. I think the only day I took off last year was Christmas Day. Maybe I should clone myself ;).

Q: After the release of your album, what would you like to do next? (Concrete plans, or dreams—anything goes!) 

Krysta: My biggest personal goal this year is to go on tour. I've actually never toured before and it WILL be a dream come true. I'm speaking it into existence.  

Q: Lastly, what advice would you give to aspiring songwriters or artists? 

Krysta: Never. Give. Up. It's a numbers game and it's not only based on your talent but based on your endurance. You have to be strong. Meditate, visualize, work out and buy this book :) "Reality Transurfing" by Vadim Zeland. 

A huge thank you to Krysta for taking part in this interview! Be sure to keep an eye out for her future K-Pop projects, as well as the release of Use Your Imagination on March 11. The Kraze wishes her much success! 

If you’d like to keep up to date with Krysta, you can find her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.