For her latest single, SORN is ready to unapologetically call out the BS in fake friendships.
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Friends come and go, but true ones will stick around. This is something former CLC member and now soloist SORN knows a thing or two about. If you followed her journey in K-pop, you would know that it wasn’t the smoothest of rides. Her latest single, Not a Friend, speaks on this fact of life as it is about when someone is no longer a friend anymore.
The surprise single explores the complexity and volatility of modern friendships, a deep dive into the psyche of a star consumed with her paranoia, unsure of who is truly on her side. Thrust into the spotlight at a young age, the Thai star had to figure out that she doesn’t need many friends to feel validated and less lonely.
Now that she’s no longer confined to the K-pop space, she doesn’t feel the pressure of having to be the best all the time. “I think the pressure of being a solo artist is different now that I have many ways of promoting myself and the music I make,” SORN says. As a solo artist, she gets to be experimental as seen in the Not A Friend video where her affinity for fashion comes into play. Following the track’s release, SORN spoke with NYLON Manila on being versatile, the influencer life, and more.
NEW STYLES
While being versatile allows you to be a jack-of-all-trades, there’s a tendency to lose focus and get lost in the vision you set for yourself. In SORN’s case, versatile is not a new definition for her. As a member of CLC, she’s used to trying different concepts and styles. “It’s fun and not a lot of people get to do different concepts and styles,” when asked if being versatile is a good thing.
Other artists are comfortable being confined to one thing. SORN craves a challenge, and she’s thankful that she can try anything she puts her mind to. She states, “The more genres I experiment with, the more I get to learn about myself.” In general, no one wants to be confined to one thing. Artists nowadays don’t identify with one genre as some take inspiration and cross over to multiple genres.
KEEPING IT REAL
Not a Friend is all about keeping it real. And that’s something SORN is good at. She’s not afraid to call out the BS when needed. This admirable trait of hers helped her garner a strong social media following. As such, SORN believes that she wants to be as relatable to her fans as possible. “In a way, I consider myself an influencer with the content I put out on my TikTok and YouTube channel,” she says, seeing the term “influencer” as a compliment. Influencers can be frowned upon, but SORN sees that she’s being respected for the work she does, despite what some may say.
“I love sharing and being personal,” expresses SORN as she discusses topics that artists don’t normally talk about. This makes her a standout amongst her fans as they can see her not just as a friend, but as a sister giving insight. But while SORN can keep it real, that doesn’t mean she’s an open book.
Oversharing on social media is often not a good thing. As a public figure, SORN has a support group that reminds her that it’s okay to not share all the time. Anybody can just interpret any social media posting positively or negatively.
What others think though doesn’t get under her skin. “I know exactly what to do and the value I bring,” she admits. Before, she felt that she was hiding behind someone’s back. Now she can be more open with the people she meets. That alone is a big achievement already. Her fans were in for a surprise that she has a bubbly, outgoing personality after being in a girl group for so long.
THE NEW SORN
If haters say that SORN is becoming a wild child, that’s not a concern for her fans or her business partners. Since leaving CLC behind, SORN has laid a claim for herself as a pop star of her own making. And it helps that SORN has released a steady mix of bops and introspective anthems that speak to who she is. It’s a deserving moment for a star who admittedly was dealt a bad hand during her time in CLC. SORN is giving us the content her old company couldn’t. Even brands have been cheering on SORN’s solo career.
“The brands I’ve been working with have been supportive in my artist journey aside from wearing their brands on stage,” says SORN. These brands, partners, and supporters she’s worked with, she genuinely loves and what they stand for. For now, fans can appreciate the content she puts out as SORN marches towards that hoped-for EP or album release.
Photos Courtesy of WILD Group
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