Hamingu and Luvabstract Discuss Their New Music

Hamingu and Luvabstract discuss their two-song release, SELECT, their stage names, music video ideas, and more!

Luvabstract’s interview is available as a podcast episode here and can also be viewed below!

Hamingu’s interview is available as a podcast episode here, can be viewed below, and is translated into English below the video!

For those unfamiliar with your music, please summarize your musical style.

Hamingu: I try to do a different style of song every time so the listeners feel refreshed when they hear my new songs. This time, the track I wanted to do was a good fit for Luvabstract, and it worked out well.

Why did you decide to go by the stage name “Hamingu,” and did you consider any other stage names first?

Hamingu: “Hamingu” was [the] nickname my high school friends used to call me [and] sounds very similar to my legal name. It sounds friendly, and I liked the nuance of the name. I thought of changing my name to something fancier, but I [stuck] to this name since the song “Huimang” (meaning “Hope” in Korean) was an anagram of “Hamingu.” I came up with this name kind of randomly, but I like it.

For those who have not heard your new music yet, please describe “SELECT” and “Hint of Yellow,” and explain why people should go check them out!

Hamingu: The point of “SELECT” is that the beat is somewhat mellow while the messages aren’t. The concept of the song [is] to deliver something uncomfortable in a way people can enjoy. Honestly, I didn’t have much intention for the song; [I] just tried to make the hook catchy and the verses easy to sing along. I want to jazz people up when I perform it live.

What makes “SELECT” and “Hint of Yellow” compatible as a duo? What is the benefit of putting both songs on the same release?

Hamingu: The CEO of Localhigh Records played [Luvabstract’s] music to me, and I felt he and I share something in common, although we speak different languages. So I decided to do a song with him. It [is] pretty hard to have more songs on a single release, so I only had two.

How long did it take to create these two songs?

Hamingu: It took about a month. When we found the beat, we decided right away to start working on it, but the process of digging took some time.

What was the most fun thing about working together?

Hamingu: For me, working with an artist [from] abroad was interesting. It was my first experience [with that], and I found the way he made the song very impressive. When I collaborate with other artists, I tend to revise my verse a couple of times, but everything was fixed at once [this time].

If you had to add another verse from another artist on “SELECT,” who would be a good fit for it? And for “Hint of Yellow”? 

Hamingu: My favorite artist, DPR LIVE, [from] Korea. He is so talented and [multi-genre] - emotional things, trap things. So I want to work with artists like DPR LIVE.

Although you released a lyric video, is a music video for “SELECT” on the way too? If not, what would you make the concept of the music video if you were going to make one?

Hamingu: I don’t think I’ll shoot a music video this time, but if I do, I want to film me rapping by Hangang River at dawn with a blue-ish background.

Lastly, is there anything else you want people to know about your new music?

Hamingu: I’m just an ordinary person, not living a super artistic life, not too happy, not too sad, just [singing] about how ordinary people feel. I was born into a rich family and have lived an ordinary life without any struggles. Though I feel grateful about it, I sometimes feel unfortunate and want to get consoled too, so I want to make music that can mentally heal and sympathize with ordinary people.

Check out “SELECT” and “Hint of Yellow” here, and learn more about this release here!

English translations have been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.