As the “Nirvana Girl” herself, Thai K-pop singer Sorn has been consistently branching out her map of solo adventures since 2021. For her latest artistic escapade, she struck a new professional partnership with J. Tajor - the hitmaker of the viral track “Like I Do.” Releasing her newest solo tune with a sultry twist, “BAD4US,” on July 26 worldwide via her agency, Wild Entertainment Group, the ‘96 liner again established that she has no plans of limiting herself to a single-minded approach regarding her discography.

Also prominently known as the lead vocalist of the K-pop girl group CLC, Sorn has stayed wholeheartedly committed to the group’s future despite the members parting ways with its former company, Cube Entertainment. Having been on the move since the early 2010s, the Thai crooner has earned notable relevance as one of the most promising Southeast Asian artists on the rise. Sorn spent her formative years consolidating her artistic origin story in the K-pop industry. Nearly a decade down the line, she still has no plans of slowing down and is all in for her “rollercoaster ride” of a life.

In an exclusive interview with HindustanTimes.com, Sorn put down her cards, revealing all about her ambitious partnership with J. Tajor for “BAD4US, her plans for this year and what’s on her potential wishlist as a singer. Also divulging how different it has been performing alone on the stage as compared to sharing it with her fellow CLC members, Sorn confirmed that even at this point in her career, bringing “all the CLC girls” back together remains her ultimate “dream collab.”

Sorn on her latest partnership with J. Tajor and her dream collab

HT: Right off the bat, I would like to ask you about your upcoming collaboration with J. Tajor. Why did you feel he was the right person to partner with at this point, specifically for “BAD4US”?

Sorn: I’ve always been a big fan of his music and right when we became friends online, I knew that he is the perfect person for the song. He was the right person to elevate the song and bring out the sexy R&B vibes from the song.

HT: Before collaborating with J. Tajor, you previously released songs with Hong Seok (of PENTAGON) and even your fellow CLC members. There have also been some music cover collaborations in the past with other artists. How important is it for you to have these diverse partnerships as part of your discography? What makes you finalise that a particular song would be better off as a duet shared with another artist or as your solo piece? Is there any other dream collaboration you would like to make possible?

Sorn: I always like working with my friends. It’s always more comfortable and it’s so easy to throw ideas back and forth because you know each other so well. When I have friends on the song, I feel like it becomes less of ‘YOU’ collaborating on ‘MY’ song, but it becomes an ‘US’ song which makes it much more enjoyable and less pressure.

The next dream collab for me would have to be to put all the CLC girls back together. I think it’s a dream collab for all of us since the beginning.

Her artistic direction and transition to a soloist

HT: “Crazy Stupid Lovers” and “BAD4US” portray different types of love. On the other side of the spectrum, you have your break-out song, “Nirvana Girl,” which details your adventure as a soloist while establishing the message about setting yourself free from expectations– in a way, an expression of self-love. Which of these themes speaks more to you on a personal level? Moving forward, what other messages or themes would you like to address through your songs, given that you’ve also brought up horoscopes in your song “Scorpio”?

Sorn: I love songs that talk about what I’m going through at the moment. I feel like my songs are like my diary. I like telling my listeners about what I’m going through to form a connection between me and my audience. I don’t think I have any fixed theme to my songs, I’ll just keep releasing music according to what’s going on in my life and just go with the flow. I don’t want to give myself a fixed idea that will only cause me to work in a box.

HT: I imagine performing alone must come with the added pressure that may have otherwise been balanced out by your fellow members sharing the stage with you. How do you calm yourself in such nerve-racking situations? What has your experience as a soloist been like? Do you prefer it over being a member of a group?

Sorn: Performing with a group is way less nerve-racking, but it is also really fun to perform as a soloist. I still freak out every time I have to step on stage but it’s only for a short while. After I put myself up on stage, I feel the adrenaline from performing. The energy that the audience gives me also helps me to calm down a lot.

Sorn spills the beans on CLC's potential reunion

HT: As also highlighted before, you’ve already reunited with some members of CLC as a soloist. Do you think the group as a whole could officially reunite sometime in the future?

Sorn: Me and the girls talk about this more often than people think, and we would love to find the opportunity to get back together. I think that we’ll just have to wait for the right timing since everyone is so busy doing their own thing at the moment. But we have faith that one day we will get back together for sure!

What keeps Sorn going despite her ‘rollercoaster ride’ of a life

HT: As someone who traces their humble beginnings back to Bangkok, has staged their first solo concert in Singapore (with your agency also based in Singapore), but is primarily attached to South Korea as a musician and has been to LA for the music production process, your life is clearly a rollercoaster ride. How do you deal with the constant rapid changes in your life? Is it something you enjoy, or have you become numb to it over the years through your professional journey? What would you advise an aspiring artist who may not be prepared beforehand to handle such major adjustments and compromises

Sorn: I really do enjoy travelling. I think, I feel inspired by travelling and meeting new people, so I think I’m lucky to be on this rollercoaster ride. Although it does get tiring at times since I’m barely home and I barely get time to spend with myself to recharge, but travelling keeps me inspired.

At first, it took me a while to get used to this life where I’m constantly travelling, but now I’m very used to it. I’m a very positive person so I think the fact that I can still travel and do this is such a blessing for me.

For those who are just starting in this industry, I want them to keep in mind that not a lot of people get the freedom to do what they love like we do so we have to always remember how blessed we are and keep working hard when we can.

HT: More than a decade has elapsed since you embarked on your “K-pop Star Hunt” journey. What is your source of inspiration or motivation after all this time? What is the one thing that helps you get up every morning to keep creating new music and achieve more? Is there anything else beyond your professional engagements that keeps you grounded in your day-to-day life?

Sorn: It has to be my family. The reason why I work hard is because I want to make sure I can take care of my family back in Thailand. They are my inspiration and they push me to be better.

What comes easy to her? What's on Sorn's artistic wishlist?

HT: Is there a particular genre of music you most identify with or are more comfortable approaching?

Sorn: I think I’m the most comfortable with singing pop songs. At the end of the day I love singing and dancing and concept-driven concepts and I think pop songs is exactly what describe me the best as an artist.

HT: One of your ambitious projects of the past involved releasing an anthem for the Valorant Champions Tour. Is there anything else you feel deeply for on your wishlist and would want to work on a soundtrack for?

Sorn: I would love to sing a soundtrack for a movie or a drama. I would love to show the soft romantic side of me through that soundtrack. Doesn’t matter what language it is! Hopefully, I get that opportunity one day.

HT: You already have a new album on the way, and you regularly update your channel with vlogs. What else can fans look forward to from you this year?

Sorn: Right now, I’m focussing on releasing my album in a couple of months. Hopefully, there will be more projects coming up next year!

Note to the new and old fans

HT: For someone relatively new to K-pop, which songs from your solo catalogue and CLC’s discography would you recommend they check out first?

Sorn: I would love for them to check out all of [CLC's] girl crush concept songs, such as ME, black dress, hobgoblin, and NO. As for myself, I’m super proud of everything I’ve released so far, so please check out everything!

HT: Any final message for the fans?

Sorn: I would like to say thank you to everyone who’s been so supportive of my music. I would also like to say thank you to everyone for being a part of my life. I can’t wait to show you all what I have to offer in time to come.

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