For those unfamiliar, prettylittleiris is an indie artist who started her career at a very young age, appearing on K-Pop Star at the age of 15. The Canadian-born artist sat down with The Kraze to discuss her current career, past experiences, and future plans. Read on below!

Q: For our readers who are getting the chance to know you for the first time, can you please give a little introduction about yourself?

I’m prettylittleiris, singer-songwriter based in Korea. My first public appearance was on the audition program K-Pop Star, then I signed a contract with a company and started my career as a singer-songwriter at age 15. I’m currently an independent artist—releasing albums of mine and also songwriting for others in the industry.

Q: Can you tell us a little more about your upcoming releases?

I have two songs to be released soon, both were written in the beginning of 2022, before I left for Boston for my semester at Berklee College of Music. The first song I’m releasing in December 2022 [is] “Antisocial,” a vibrant but downhearted song.

I am a very introverted person and I love staying home and in bed. I’d rather watch Netflix than go out and meet friends. But obviously, that doesn’t mean I act like the Grinch all the time … I think it’s complicated how I feel. Sometimes I hate socializing, but sometimes I get bored. That’s how I started writing “Antisocial.” I steadily and continuously feel very antisocial, but that doesn’t bother me. I want to socialize when I want to socialize. Like how I say in the lyric: “I’ll come back to you when I’m feeling kinda cute.”

The other song won’t take too long to release as well, I’m hoping [it’ll be out] before the weather gets warmer. This song has a totally different vibe than any other song I’ve released. It’s probably the most upbeat and lovely, dainty and delicate song that I’ve written. I’d say it’s just a very pretty song. I’m excited to see what my listeners and fans have to say about this concept on me.

Q: Do you have any advice for those who are passionate about music and wanting to pursue a career in it?

I remember my first ever performance as a singer was when I was nine years old. I was singing “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz at a charity concert with my guitar. That makes it 10 years now since I’ve started music, and along the process I’ve seen so many people succeed, and also so many people quit. Honestly, I’m the type to only do things that I want to do. As someone like this, I think the only reason I’ve steadily been doing music is because I didn’t prioritize music in my life.

This is my career, and I feel like just because I have passion in this, doesn’t make this different from any other office job (not saying office jobs don’t require passion). It’s not a 9-to-5 type of job, and that’s why it’s important to be mindful of the energy you’re putting in and separating yourself when needed. No matter what you do for a living, prioritizing yourself—what you eat, what you want, your family, and how you feel, is more important. Be healthy, then you’ll be steady, then you’ll get somewhere somehow.

Q: While preparing for your latest release, what has been your favorite part of the process?

Personally, the songwriting process was so fun because I didn’t write these songs for myself at first. The purpose was for pitching to other artists, and that naturally made me forget about the pressure I had on writing and releasing my own songs. I felt more freedom while writing [because] I wasn’t locked up in the thought that I would be the one releasing these.

I think that’s how I was able to expand my genres with these two songs. For instance, the second song I’m releasing is under the dance genre, and I never EVER imagined my name along with dance pop.

Q: You’ve written for other artists in the past, such as Miyeon’s (G)I-DLE. What was that process like?

I wasn’t very interested in songwriting for others until just last year. I was too busy focusing on my artist career, but once I started writing for other artists and had my name under song credits, I felt like I didn’t want to prioritize my artist life anymore, but instead do what comes and goes naturally. prettylittleiris onstage and prettylittleiris offstage are both valuable to me.

For Miyeon’s track “Imagine Love,” a producer called me and suggested I’d topline her new K-Drama. For the first time in my songwriting career, I liked every bit of the song from beginning to end. When I was vocal directing for Miyeon in the studio, she was so prepared we had time left over. There was really nothing to fix. Personally, I really adore the original English lyrics I wrote on the demo, and I’m hoping maybe there’ll be a chance to share it in the future

(A small, fun note, I wrote the lyrics of “Imagine Love” at the gym on the treadmill!).

Q: How was your experience on K-Pop Star and how did it help shape your career today?

K-Pop Star was my start in the Korean music industry, but ironically it was the darkest experience as well. Many people would relate, but as an Asian-American (or my case Asian-Canadian), it’s hard to maintain your identity in both cultures while growing up. Leaping into the professional Korean industry when I was 13 years old, yet defining my own identity, I felt lost and very scared. The culture difference made it confusing for me as to how to act and although I’m fluent in both English and Korean, suddenly being surrounded by only Korean speaking people was challenging.

But as a thinker rather than feeler, I know that what I learned under that pressure has made it possible for me to live in the professional industry as a young adult. This is when I learned that I had to be able to separate myself from work. I had to know how to filter the things I should care about that happened to me or the things I’ve been told. No matter how challenging a day was for me, I like to think to myself, at the end of the day, no one cares about you except for mom and dad. This is the way I used to maintain my beliefs and pride as a young adult in the industry.

Q: If you could collaborate with any other Korean artist, who would it be?

I’ve always wanted to try singing with a band. While I was at Berklee, people told me about the uprising band Xdinary Heroes and how they had a Berklee undergrad. I think it would be cool if I got a chance to collaborate with artists from Berklee in the Korean industry.

Q: What artists were your inspiration for getting into music?

Back in Canada, I bounced upon a live clip of Lily Allen on the internet and instantly fell in love. The song was “Littlest Things.” That day, I remember downloading all of Lily Allen’s songs and covering them. The stage presence and the aura felt so real. Her music feels like they’re hers, and it doesn’t feel like she’s “trying.” It’s just her. Like Lily Allen, I wish to be a musician who sings songs that are true to themselves. I wish to be loved by doing things that I feel and love.

Q: If you were talking to a younger version of yourself, what advice would you give to yourself?

Every time I get asked questions similar to this, I always seem to be answering in a strict way … But that’s solely because I know that I’m a very rational person and words of comfort don’t really work on me. So, if I could “nag” to my younger self, I’d tell her to continue on working. You gave up on fun and amusements for your career, and you won’t regret it. I know you’re depressed that your friends are at prom when you’re in a small vocal practice room, but that suits you. You started early for a good reason and never will you regret the fun you’ve given up on.

Q: Last question, is there anything specific you’d like to share with your fans and our readers?

Teddies! My fans are so understanding. They’re the ones that tell me only the things I want to be told. As I mentioned, I only do what I want to do, and I constantly want to be loved. It keeps me going as an artist because I want to hear all the I love you’s (so please never stop the I love you’s, teddies!).

Thank you for having me! I know interviews can get a bit deep, but I’m really just a 20-year-old who loves eating bread and shopping. Interviews give me the opportunity to share my thoughts as an artist, but I think there’s a lot more to myself other than music that completes my artistry. So I hope I keep you intrigued, [and] I hope I can fulfill your questions by all the songs that I release.

Thank you again to Iris for taking the time to speak with us and give us a little more insight into her artistry! You can follow her socials below, and don’t forget to check out the music video for “Antisocial!”

Instagram: prettylittleiris

Twitter: cherryberryiris

YouTube: prettylittleiris

TikTok: prettylittleiris

SoundCloud: prettylittleiris

Edited by Aleena Faisal