Gen Neo, a Singaporean R&B artist based in Seoul, has carved out a unique path in the music world, merging heartfelt lyrics with soulful melodies to create his distinct style. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, he first entered the industry as a producer, working with top K-pop acts like Super Junior, GOT7, and Henry Lau. However, his true calling soon led him to step out from behind the scenes and launch his solo career in 2015. Since then, he has been crafting a blend of contemporary R&B, combining the genre’s emotive qualities with a nostalgic flair inspired by the early 2000s.
Gen Neo's journey as an artist has taken him from producing hits for other stars to building his own fanbase across Asia. With hits like 'Called It Love' and 'Losing Game,' he explores themes of love, loss, and self-reflection, resonating with listeners worldwide. His latest project, the PUSH&PULL EP, released in early November, is a testament to his growth as both a musician and storyteller. The EP’s tracks dive into the emotional complexities of romantic relationships, each song capturing a different facet of love, from the thrill of connection to the pain of separation.
Over the years, Gen Neo has built a reputation as a dynamic and versatile artist, effortlessly bridging Mandarin and English in his music and captivating an ever-growing global audience. With over 320,000 Instagram followers, he continues to make waves in the R&B scene, blending genres and languages in a way that’s both fresh and deeply personal. As he prepares for his debut solo concert in Singapore this November, we caught up with him to delve into his journey and the inspirations behind his latest release, PUSH&PULL.
Your new EP, Push&Pull, really captures a range of emotions. Can you talk about how you chose to explore these romantic highs and lows?
When I wrote the songs and produced it mainly with Amos as well, I had drawn from my previous experiences and of course kept it very much in the lane of R&B music, the type of music which I am passionate about. Some of these songs are about heartbreak, and some of it about the chase and I believe these are the emotions which everyone had at some point in their lives and can relate to.
How would you describe the journey from creating music for others to developing your own sound as an artist?
I have always created my own songs before attempting to create for other artists. During the process of creating for other artists I was able to hone my skills as well. Finding your sound as an artist is the hardest thing to do. Throughout the years my position has changed and I guess the growth has helped me find the sound that I think best represents me and my work. Not to say that the sound will not evolve as we grow and experience more as an artist.
With your concert coming up, what does it mean to you to be performing your first headlining concert in Singapore?
Truth be told, it’s a scary decision on my part because I haven’t been back or have done any promotional events back home in recent years. The new english music and the direction I have been pushing is something that I had really wanted to do, and I hope listeners back home will like this as well.
DJ Dee and lovlaine are great choices for opening acts—what do you feel they bring to the concert’s energy?
DJ Dee has been a long time friend of Amos and I was introduced to her a few years back and was very fascinated by her passion for R&B music as well, her mixes and song choices. She is a great fit to bring up the energy leading up to the current repertoire that we are going to perform.
Lovlaine is a more recent find where we have been blown away by the quality of music she has been putting out even though she is considered a new face in the game. We’re excited for her to showcase her music live.
You started out producing for K-pop icons like Super Junior and GOT7—how did that experience shape the music you’re making now?
I think producing in the professional world has helped me streamline my workflow and I’m able to work more efficiently. As you all know, the music side of things is only the beginning of the entire job scope as an artist.
As a Singaporean artist with an international fanbase, how has your heritage and time abroad influenced your music?
I guess my time abroad has helped me expand my horizons and see what would make us more competitive on the international stage. Of course as a Singaporean we want to show that we have homegrown talent that is equal to or if not greater than what's out there to a certain extent. On one hand, growing up in a multicultural country has made me more adaptable to different sounds and approaches to music. On the other hand, contemporary music has mainly been developed in the western side of things and that has helped me understand the bigger picture as well.
