Asian music producer Jae Chong dishes on his experience of making it to Rolling Stone’s top 100 K-pop songs of all time, love for composing & more – Sportskeeda

The K-pop world has been an ever-blooming land of a multitude of talents that we witness in live performances and music videos and whose voices are cherished by fans. Amid this spotlight, the integral contributors often fade into the background like the directors, producers, stage hands who are the main architects of these blockbuster hits. They ensure the show goes on seamlessly.

Today, we shine a light on a music producer who has imprinted his mark across K-pop, J-pop, C-pop, and East Asian music – Mr. Jae Chong.

“Never quit!”: Music producer Jae Chong takes us through his enlightened music career over the years

Jae Chong is a world-class Korean-American music producer who has written over 400 songs with several produced records sold worldwide. Additionally, he has worked in K-pop with much emphasis on the Chinese music industry and is now looking forward to impact Hollywood music as well. He has worked with some of the biggest names of the industry, including Solid, JYJ, Coco Lee, Aziatix, Pedro Henrique, Stanley Huang, Angela Zhang, Della, and many more.

The music producer has even received nominations and won notable music awards like CCTV-MTV Music Awards, Channel [V] China Music Awards, QQ Music Awards, MTV Europe Music Awards, MTV Global Mandarin Music Awards, World Music Awards, MNET Asian Music Awards, and Melon Music Awards, among others.

To learn more about his career and insights, SK POP’s Rujula Bhanarkar spoke to Mr. Jae Chong about the most prestigious achievements of his life, his career timeline, K-pop, and many more.

Q) Greetings sir! We are delighted to have you join us for this exclusive interview. Could you please share a brief introduction about yourself?

Jae. My name is Jae Chong. I’m a music producer and a lifetime member of a Korean singing group called SOLID. I’ve worked with many major artists in K-pop and C-pop over the years, and now I am branching out to the US and abroad.

Q) As a songwriter and producer, where did the passion and inspiration for writing and producing music come from?

Jae. I became acquainted with music when I started attending a church in sixth grade. I began playing the bass in a band at first because I wasn’t good enough on the guitar to be a guitarist. Eventually, I started playing guitars in bands.

At one point, I was even playing drums for a band for several years. After years of doing it, I realized that I knew how to play each of the instruments and their parts for arrangements. This eventually led me to start arranging music and producing for artists.

Q) In your experience, what are the notable differences between K-pop, C-pop, and J-pop?

Jae. At first, the three genres seemed pretty similar, but as time passed, each became distinctively different. The current mainstream K-pop we know today is very much a dance performance-based genre, whereas C-pop is a bit more song-based. J-pop is more concept-based. However, the importance of a melody is the common denominator in all three.

In Asia, there has always been much more importance put on the melody compared the US, where huge emphasis is put on the rhythm section. But that is also changing as of late.

Q) Could you tell us about your collaborations with K-pop artists and the memorable experiences you have had while working together?

Jae. Of all the projects I was involved with, one of the most exciting was the first album for JYJ. It was great because we worked with the guys in the studios in Los Angeles. The highlight of the project was that we got work with some of the top producers such as Rodney Jerkins. Moreover, we got to collaborate with artists like Kanye West.

Q) Among your songs, which one holds a special place in your heart? The one you thoroughly enjoyed writing and had high expectations for?

Jae. One of the biggest songs of my career was one that I wrote and produced for my group, SOLID, back in the day. A song called Holding the End of this Night or 이밤의 끝을 잡고, which was one of the first song of its kind in Korea during the early 1990s.

Besides, it was one of the first R&B song to ever top the charts. We had a lot of opposition at first regarding the track from different people in the music industry, but the song became a huge hit, and the album sold over a million copies in Korea alone.

Q) Throughout your career, you’ve collaborated with several renowned artists from around the world. Could you share the name of someone you cherish working with, someone who has left a lasting impact on you?

Jae. One artist that immediately comes to mind is Coco Lee. She was by far one of the biggest super stars to ever come out of Asia, so to meet her and work with her was a dream come true. We eventually became great friends for almost 30 years and worked on numerous songs together. Even though I was known for being the member of SOLID in Korea, it was Coco’s projects that really put me on the map as a music producer all over Asia.

Q) The passing of your close friend, Coco Lee, was undoubtedly a difficult time. Can you share a bit about your friendship with her and the memories you hold dear?

Jae. We not only had a working relationship but also a great friendship that lasted over 25 years. She was a true icon, but in her daily life, she was always herself and true to her friends and family. She was definitely one of a kind, a wonderful human being – a true icon and will never be replaced.

When I heard the news of her passing, I was absolutely devastated. The funeral was held recently in Hong Kong with many of her close friends and family. She will forever be missed.

Q) Winning awards is always a remarkable and memorable achievement in every artist’s life. Can you recall your first award and how that experience was particularly significant for you?

Jae. The first award I’ve ever won was during my days in SOLID in Korea. We were three Korean-American kids that went out to Korea be artists. At the time, we were the first Korean-Americans to perform as a group in the country. With so many obstacles to overcome, it was a big deal for us to win an award. It was as if we were officially accepted by the local people of Korea. But, yes, we went on to win multiple awards down the road.

Q) How do you feel about your song Holding the End of this Night making it to Rolling Stone’s list of top 100 K-pop songs of all time?

Jae. It was an absolute honor. I was just floored to know that people still remembered that song from so many years ago and still sing it till this day. And to get that recognition on a global platform like Rolling Stone was an icing on the cake.

Q) Was there a specific moment in your career when you felt you had achieved significant success in the industry?

Jae. If I have to pick one, it was more of my days in Taiwan when we started our music label MACHI. It was the first time that I was involved with a company in creating our own artists and music.

We were signing talents who went on to become successful artists. When that started happening, it created a snowball effect and the local artists all wanted to work with me at one point, so I was able to work with all the big names in the industry at the time. It was probably the most productive years of my life. Haha.

Q) Given your expertise, who do you consider to be some of the best K-pop artists currently dominating the industry?

Jae. I really like NewJeans and how they approached the K-pop scene with a bit more stripped-down version of what was already going on. K-pop music has always been very “over-the-top” for many years. When they came out with their more minimal sound, it had a huge impact.

When it comes to traditional KPOP sound, I really like IVE. I think they are extremely talented and hard-working girls. Many groups often get overlooked on their talent and are instead focused more on their looks and other aspects, but in their case, they have real talent to back it up. Also, at the end of the day, it comes down to the actual songs, and they have great catalog of songs already.

Q) Have you ever contemplated becoming a pop idol yourself? If so, what influenced this thought process, and what obstacles did you encounter?

Jae. Luckily, I was able to get that out of my chest in my 20s. I always loved being a music producer, and being an artist in a group for me was a way for me to able to produce music. I think being famous was something that was never my intention or motive. So, immediately after we went into hiatus in 1997, I became a full-time music producer.

Q) Where do you draw inspiration from while composing your songs?

Jae. Life experiences. I had so many crazy experiences while growing up that I feel like I have an endless well of ideas. You have to experience life to have real stories.

Q) Finally, could you share some valuable advice for aspiring individuals who wish to make a mark in the pop industry?

Jae. Never quit. You must get to love music so much that you are able to put up with all the craziness and uncertainties. You have to love enough to be able to do it for free if you have to. Do your best to create the best piece of art…the money will follow. Never let money be your motivator. Also, never join a rat race. If you see everyone doing the same thing, avoid that at all costs.