Interview: Kevin Moon is Finally a FREECHILD — and He's Just Getting Started

After nine years with the K-pop group The Boyz, Kevin Moon is finally a FREECHILD! After craving creative freedom and artistic control his whole career, Kevin has released his first solo EP, "FREECHILD", which features three tracks touching on themes of rebellion, breaking the status quo, and freeing himself from his previous constraints. 

I chatted with Kevin all about his creative process, what the album means to him, his inspirations, struggles, and thoughts on the K-pop industry as a whole. Find out what he had to say! 

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First of all, I wanted to congratulate you on your solo debut! I know this was a long time coming for you. Now that FREECHILD is finally out in the world, how does it feel to have it be a reality?

It feels amazing! It definitely wasn’t easy but incredibly awarding. To think all of this started of as mere ideas in my head is crazy. I’m so grateful to the people that helped make it all come to reality.

I know this was something you have been thinking about and wanting to do for a while. How did you decide what direction you wanted to go musically and conceptually for your first solo release?

I utilized my experiences as a group member to dictate my direction for this first release. At live shows I’d always hope we had songs that sounded more inviting and easy to sing along to. Pop rock has always had a soft spot in my heart and I believe it spans across generations from Queen, Twenty One Pilots, Mariana’s Trench to Chappell Roan, I was hoping to make a sound that felt familiar to everyone.

I wanted to specifically mention the lyric “they’ll treat us like we’re vandals, so let’s make art.” I think that’s such an impactful line. How did you come up with that and what is your interpretation of it?

It very much came from experience as I was often times penalized for being too outspoken within the industry. I believe artists should be the last people on earth to walk on eggshells and I’m hoping that this project can help change the way the current climate in Kpop has become.

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"I believe artists should be the last people on earth to walk on eggshells."

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All of these songs feel so authentically “Kevin.” Are there any specific lyrics from any of the songs that really speak to you or that are most personal or meaningful to you?

“I think I might scratch a dent in the status quo” is one of my favourite lines! I initially had lyrics very specific to my experiences but I thought I’d make it just vague enough so anyone and everyone could relate.

Let’s also talk about the FREECHILD music video! What was your artistic vision and inspiration behind it?

I LOVE movies and was heavily inspired by Fight Club. It had the exact message that I wanted to convey with my debut project. The fact that we all have an inner child wanting to be free is universal and I wanted to make a work of art that encouraged all to pursue that childlike wonder regardless of age or circumstance.

I’ve been watching your “track by track” YouTube series breaking down the creation of each song. As a music nerd myself, I’ve been eating it up! Can you talk a bit about your songwriting and production process? When you’re starting a song, does it usually begin with lyrics, a musical idea, a concept, a sound, or is it different every time?

It’s different every time! Thank you so much for watching haha! Square one for me is always a message that I want to get across. I’m excited to see how my ideas can come to life in different settings as I collaborate with more creatives.

Of the three songs, which one came together most naturally, and which one required the most work to get where you wanted it to be?

I believe they all came very naturally. I had a message bred from experience that I just could not hold in any longer. But since Focus On Me was written and produced on my own I think that’s the one that just kind of manifested itself with the least amount of effort.

After listening back to the finished release, was there anything about the final version that surprised you or something that ended up sounding or feeling different from what you originally imagined?

Every musical intention was translated as is in the final outcome but the music video had me freaking out! I wanted to build a project that invited creatives to do what they do best without restrictions. I’m so grateful for Choann, who poured his heart and soul into the video.

Were there other songs you wrote that didn’t make it onto this release? And if so, do you have plans to release them in the future?

I initially had a full length album’s worth of music but decided to release just these three that shared the same theme of liberation. I’m hoping to meet more great people to bring the initial vision to life with the heart and budget it deserves.

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"I wanted to make a work of art that encouraged all to pursue that childlike wonder regardless of age or circumstance."

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Having creative freedom and artistic expression are things that have always been important to you. What did you express through this release that you felt like you maybe couldn’t express under traditional K-pop industry constraints?

First off it’s so nice to have three uninterrupted minutes with my voice hahaha. I was very intentional in every detail with this project, which really never happened when I was part of the team.

I saw videos from your release party, and you looked like you were having so much fun and were in your element. And so many of your friends from the industry were there! What are your favorite or most memorable moments from that night?

It was just rewarding to have fans from the past all show up to see me so happy. As well as friends that were happy to see me happy!

I know you mentioned bringing the release party to LA next month. Any plans to come anywhere else too? (New York perhaps? hint hint…)

We’re working on it! I’m looking forward to hitting up more parts of Asia!

Before the album was released, you  made some pretty candid comments online about your thoughts on the K-pop industry, and some of your lyrics reflect wanting to shake things up and make people uncomfortable. I know you have a lot to say about this topic and I’m so curious to hear more, can we expect maybe a deeper tell-all someday? Is there anything specific you can/want to share here right now?

I can’t wait to do a drunk podcast where I get very candid. It would be called “Drunk with No Filter." I believe Kpop has an even greater potential to reach with the platform it has right now. It would be amazing to see more diversity as we encourage companies to include artists more in the creative conversations instead of simply telling their artists what to do.

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"It would be amazing to see more diversity as we encourage companies to include artists more in the creative conversations instead of simply telling their artists what to do."

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If someone listens to FREECHILD without knowing anything about you beforehand, what do you hope they take away from it or understand about Kevin Moon, as a person or an artist, by the end of it?

I hope they feel seen, like whoever wrote this song understands them. I think this turned out to be a great prologue of what’s to come because the artist I want to be is one that makes art that provokes thought that precedes change.

Finally, I just wanted to ask a big over-arching question: what does being a FREECHILD mean to you?

It means less of walking on eggshells and being comfortable with making other people comfortable. I always thought it would be incredibly powerful to be able to combine adult experiences with childlike wonder. And that’s exactly how I’m going to proceed as an artist.