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Hallyu Spotlight: 4 things to know about Korean rapper pH-1

pH-1 in a promotional still. Photo: H1ghr Music

Korean rapper pH-1 is one rapper known for his signature melodic rap styles and well-thought out lyrics. Despite finishing just shy of the top three in reality programme Show Me The Money 777, he quickly gained traction around the world with his very own distinct sound.

But he actually made his debut back in 2016 with his first single Wavy (2016).

And he’s now signed under entertainment label H1ghr Music, founded in 2017 by Jay Park and Cha Cha Malone, along with a slew of other rappers, producers and DJs.

Ahead of his show in Singapore next Saturday (11 Mar), here are 4 things to know about pH-1.

1. He collaborated with big names like Jay Park, Kang Daniel and TXT

Most of his tracks are written and presented by himself. But occasionally, pH-1 teams up with some of the big names in the industry.

He worked on All In (2021) with Jay Park, as a track for a League of Legends team under an e-sports organisation. He also collaborated with idols, like soloist Kang Daniel for Nirvana (2022) and boy band TXT for a remix rendition of 0X1=LOVESONG (2021).

2. He was born Park Jun-won

He promotes as a rapper under the pseudonym pH-1. But his actual name is Park Jun-won, which gives some explanation as to why he named himself pH-1.

Having moved to America when he was 12, and living in New York for 15 years thereafter, he was also known as Harry Park then.

Joining the initials of his English name and won from his Korean name gives us pH-1.

3. He had an interesting career before being a rapper

Before thoughts of being a rapper even surfaced to him, pH-1 studied Biology at Boston College, where he was schoolmates with Eric Nam.

He later got into dentistry but later changed his mind to become a web developer.

But during his freshman year in college, he realised that rapping was a significant part of his life, and decided to make a career out of it later.

4. He’s actually an introvert

With his charismatic demeanour onstage, it’s easy to assume that pH-1 can do anything to conquer the world.

But offstage, he’s quite the opposite. In an interview with NME, he described himself as “a very introverted and reserved person and, at times, I have very low self-esteem as a person and as an artist”.

He even thinks about whether people would actually spend money to come for his shows, to listen to his music. But he’s assured he made the right choice, which gave him the “motivation to work harder”.

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A post shared by pH-1 (@ph1boyyy)

Tickets to pH-1’s upcoming Singapore concert are selling fast. If you have not got yours, you can purchase them via All Access Asia, or here.

You can also participate in our giveaway contest on Instagram.

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Features

K-Pop Spotlight I: Dreamcatcher

(Photo: Happy Face Entertainment)

Welcome to the first edition of K-Pop spotlight, where we introduce you to hidden gems in the K-pop industry! This week, we have Dreamcatcher, a talented girl group under Happy Face Entertainment that consists of 7 members: JiU, SuA, Siyeon, Yoohyeon, Dami, Handong, and Gahyeong.

For those who don’t know, 5 of the members used to be part of the now-defunct girl group MINX. Things were not working to their favor so they had to undergo a restructuring and thus, Dreamcatcher was born! Debuting again on 13 January 2017 with 2 new members and a brand new concept, the group has released 3 EPs and 2 singles so far and has already made waves worldwide for their unique and distinctive concept.

(Photo: Happy Face Entertainment)

We know the talented septet visited our shores not too long ago but ever since HallyuPopFest, we have been repeating their songs at the office nonstop because we just can’t get enough of their powerful vocals and unique tracks.

Their songs are very peculiar, with elements of metal and rock mixed together with strong basses and fast beats. It vaguely reminds us of anime openings, taking us a different route from the usual cutesy or girl crush concepts that we often see in K-pop girl groups.

In the already saturated girl group market, Dreamcatcher offers a fresh angle to the music industry by combining their anime-esque songs with passionate dances and intriguing music videos.

Together with their horror-like mystical concept, the troupe has done an A* job of setting themselves apart from the typical girl group both visually and musically. To experience the full greatness of it all coming together, you just have to go see Dreamcatcher’s performance for yourself!

(Photo: Happy Face Entertainment)

The humble group sure knows how to keep their fans’ growing appetite satiated as well! Just recently, the group made a comeback with the song ‘What‘ and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

Though the imagery and colors give off a more modern vibe as compared to their previous releases, they have successfully delivered their signature sound and style once again, and InSomnias (their official fanclub name) just cannot get enough of it.

Some fun facts for you to jumpstart your fangirling (or fanboying) journey with Dreamcatcher!

  1. 4 of the 7 members (JiU, Siyeon, Yoohyeon, and Dami) participated in YG’s survival program ‘MIXNINE’ but had to drop out midway to focus on their Dreamcatcher schedules.
  2. The Princess of Thailand is a very big fan of Dreamcatcher and apparently, she has been liking them since their MINX days!
  3. Though they just debuted not too long ago, they’ve already performed in countries such as the US, Europe, Singapore, Latin America and more.
  4. Staying true to their concept, their debut MV ‘Chase Me’ was released on Friday the 13th! 👀

With their distinctive concept and catchy discography, Dreamcatcher definitely has the potential to grow even bigger and we hope they are able to use the hype they have garnered thus far to push them into becoming household names in Korea.

We are definitely looking forward to seeing how far and big Dreamcatcher can grow, and we can’t wait to see them on our sunny island once again!