'Nothing but good memories': Jay Park says Singapore feels like a 'third home'

He said he's been to Singapore more often than any other country besides the US where he grew up and South Korea where he's based.

Korean American rapper Jay Park told AsiaOne in a recent interview that Singapore feels like a "third home" to him.

"I've got nothing but good memories from there. Everyone in Singapore - whether it's my friends or the fans - has been super welcoming and always brings such positive energy," said the 37-year-old, who will be performing at Waterbomb Singapore on Aug 24.

"Everything about Singapore is beautiful - the views, the impressive buildings, the culture. There's water right in the heart of the city, blending nature with the urban landscape perfectly. It's got everything you could need."

He added that his favourite dish used to be chicken rice but now it's "definitely chilli crab".

Alongside his own music career, Jay, whose full name is Park Jae-beom, manages his label More Vision and liquor business Won Spirits, which launched the successful soju line Won Soju in 2022.

We asked if he finds it tough balancing his workload and personal time.

"I guess you could say I'm a bit of a workaholic, but I'm passionate about what I do. I try to balance it by making time for myself, whether it's through working out or just unwinding with friends," he said.

"Right now, I'm focused on producing K-pop groups at More Vision and working on expanding Won Soju globally. These projects are keeping me busy and I'm excited to see where they go. There's always something new around the corner, and I'm looking forward to it."

More Vision currently manages soloists Chung Ha and HoneyJ as well as dance crews HolyBang and MVP.

Jay recently collaborated with Natty from the K-pop girl group Kiss of Life for his single Taxi Blurr, and he called it an "awesome experience": "She's super talented - her performance in Sugarcoat really stood out to me.

"Natty is definitely one of the top performers out there. Generation five of K-pop is bringing a fresh energy to the scene and it's exciting to see how they're pushing boundaries and setting new trends."

'It felt both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time'

Jay grew up in the US and moved to South Korea after his successful audition for JYP Entertainment.

In 2008, he debuted as the leader of 2PM but left the group the following year, returning to South Korea in 2010 and had a successful debut as a solo artist the same year.

Fast forward to 2024, Jay now has numerous accomplishments and held a fan meeting recently - his first in over a decade.

He told AsiaOne: "For me, the fanmeet was really nostalgic in a way. It felt both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, if that makes sense. It's something I remember doing and seeing more than a decade ago, and now, after everything we've accomplished in my career, going back felt new yet nostalgic, in a really good way."

He shared that the most memorable moment from the fanmeet was "how quickly the tickets sold out".

"I haven't done a fan meeting in 11 years, so we had no idea if JWalkerz (his fans) were still around. But they showed up and I really appreciate that. It was also kind of cute and funny because they seemed as awkward as I felt, since neither of us had done this in a while. Everything went perfectly," he recalled.

Jay will be releasing his new album The One You Wanted in October, and he said it's meant to be a "follow-up" to his 2016 album Everything You Wanted, having a "similar vibe" to the latter but with a "more polished touch".

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He told fans to "stay tuned for October".

"The One You Wanted is a collection of R&B tracks I've been working on for the past few years. I had to put it on hold because of my other projects, but I'm excited to finally share it… This album feels especially meaningful because it's been a long time coming and I've got some great features on it.

"I'm thrilled for my fans to hear it, and I'm really proud of how it's turned out. An exclusive spoiler: The title track features a top performer from South Korea."

The first day of Waterbomb Singapore will also include performers Sandara Park, Jessi, Rain, Viviz, Kwon Eun-bi, Kid Milli, Alyph and Lullaboy, while the following day will see CL, Bibi, Team Bebe, Sorn, Chung Ha, Got7's BamBam and Haven.

Standard tickets are available on KKday, with tickets priced at $202 for a one-day pass and $342 for a two-day pass.

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syarifahsn@asiaone.com

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