Ho-young Yoon (31) is an independent R&B singer-songwriter, and also works as a composer under 153/Joombas Music Group. Having worked in music for nearly 10 years, and having been encouraged to pursue it from a young age, Roydo has had much experience in the industry. We interviewed him to find out more about what inspires him and his creative process.
Disclaimer: These are very basic questions we ask every artist to get to know more about them in order to write our "Who You" segment on Instagram. All the artists often get similar questions. We would normally not release this as it's not a full-on interview but we thought it might be good to do so.
@roydoyounWhat does the name 'Roydo' mean? What made you choose to use this name?
A long time ago, I used to use the English name Lloyd. It's an English name said with a Japanese accent. I used to study Japanese and was thinking about going to Japan, so I decided to use a name like that/
How would you explain your music to others?
I would say my music is really simple with catchy melodies. Maybe it's because I make K-pop but I think music being catchy is really important, so I want my music to be addictive.
Could you explain how you got into music?
When I was younger I happened to have an experience where I wrote a song for a cassette and when I showed it to my brother he was really surprised that I had a talent for music, so that's how I got here.
If I Could Reach - RoydoDifferent artists have different approaches when it comes to making music. What is your creative process like?
Well, I first have to receive a new track. From there, I usually go into the studio and just leave it to my instincts and start making the melodies. After monitoring it and developing the parts that I like, I gradually finish it. Inspiration is usually the same for most musicians but I think I get the most amount of inspiration from other music. What amplifies that inspiration is lots of creative training.
Your recent single "If I Could Reach", and your previously revealed tracks "축하해 (Congratulations)" and "12월 때문일까 (Is It Because of December)" all seem to be related to romance. Were these based on your own personal experiences?
Most of my music is based on my imagination. "If I Could Reach" was based on the heart of someone who is obsessed with an internet BJ*. I've never personally seen an internet broadcast that features a broadcast, so I did some research then wrote the lyrics. "축하해 (Congratulations)" is about more and more of my friends getting married but suddenly one day I thought "what if, after my girlfriend breaks up with me, I hear that she's getting married?". I wrote the lyrics based on my imagination and these thoughts. Lastly, "12월 때문일까 (Is It Because of December)" was when I was happiest with my girlfriend. I was thinking about making a song about winter, so I listened to the instrumental and finally decided to make it as a breakup song.
*similar to a DJ but for video broadcasts
축하해 (Congratulations) - RoydoHas there been a time when you were unable to demonstrate your creativity to the fullest? What usually gets in the way of your creativity?
I'd say that laziness usually stops me from being creative. In my own way, I'm the type of person who hustles when it comes to music but I'm still human so there are times when I want to be lazy too, right? Now that I think about it, laziness is an artist's poison. You have to continuously train creativity and you will only get better if you keep your sense sharp.
If you weren't in the music industry, what other field(s) would you like to try?
I really, really wanted to try voice acting but I wasn't sure how to start so I was very hesitant to try. I will definitely try again one day, though.
What motivates you as an artist?
Looking or listening to a new piece of work really moves me and I get a sense of desire; at the same time, I feel a sense of jealousy and envy which gets me moving.
FACE (feat. pH-1) - RoydoAre there any artists that you'd like to work with in the future?
As a composer, there is another artist in Joombas Music Group that I am affiliated with called NIve. We have worked together as composers for K-pop songs, but since he's a singer I really want to work with him at least once.
What factor do you think has had the biggest influence on your music (life choices, influences, background, aspirations, etc)?
I think my experiences, imagination, and my goals have influenced me most. It's coming close to 10 years since I started music but I think the reason I could make a living solely from music was because I had a clear goal in mind. If it wasn't for that, I probably would have thought about giving up music a long time ago.
What are you plans for the rest of the year?
I plan to continue releasing an EP every month. My top priority is to make high quality music and make people aware of artists like me, so I hope to release music more often.
