When it comes to angelic melodies and passionate lyrics, Justin Park is a master. Nonetheless, the young and talented heartthrob is fairly new to the mainstream music scene. The 24-year-old Korean-American debuted his first single Dates in LA in 2017 but has been rising steadily as a pop/R&B sensation.
Before gaining popularity, Park showcased his vocal ability through covers on YouTube, Fake Love by Drake being his first, followed by Bruno Mars’ 24K Magic. During this time, he was being trained by his agency, 5A LABEL, which has boldly branded him as “the future of R&B”.
To date, Park has over 510,000 monthly Spotify listeners and raked in over five million streams on the distribution platform in 2021, a testament to his growth since his first album, PLACES LIKE HOME, which he, impressively, wrote in its entirety.
As a gifted songwriter, the connection he has with his fans goes far beyond his tender vocals, as he serenades them in a state of vulnerability with songs primarily about navigating the serene, sometimes tempestuous waters of love and relationships. But fans of the artist aren’t the only ones charmed by Park’s fresh, sultry vocals. BTS’ Jungkook has also shown the artist public support online.
In December 2021, Jungkook broadcasted via his Instagram Stories that he was listening to Park’s 2018 single, On the Low. This recognition was immediately caught by Park, who shared a screenshot of the story, captioned, “YOOOO JUNG KOOK from @bts_bighit @BTS_twt JUST SHARED MY SONG ‘On the Low’ LETS GOOOOOO.”
In an interview with Bandwagon, Park shared that he became emotional following Jungkook’s post. He said, “I literally couldn’t contain myself, so I just stayed up all night working on my socials making sure that everyone knew that this just happened because I was so damn proud,”
Jungkook’s story contributed greatly toward Park’s career, gaining him an increased online presence and new supporters, and as expected, bolstered the reach of his second studio album, I Can See The Stars From Here. Released on May 13, 2022, the R&B/Soul, Pop, Hip-Hop project comprises 12 tracks, including Mi Vida, SHADY, You and Promises.
Speaking with Allhiphop, Park made his intentions for his career clear, “I’m trying to really be international. If you look at my analytics, I have fans everywhere. Mexico’s my second most popular demographic. That’s why we made “Mi Vida” as well. They taught me everything I know.”
As he enjoys the positive reception from his sophomore album, Park added that for his third, fans may see more of his Korean heritage coming to the surface.