{"id":67132,"date":"2025-10-11T02:54:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-11T02:54:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/67132\/"},"modified":"2025-10-11T02:54:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-11T02:54:14","slug":"bambam-has-two-homes-and-right-now-his-heart-lies-in-bangkok-for-first-thai-language-album","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/67132\/","title":{"rendered":"BamBam Has Two Homes \u2014 And Right Now, His Heart Lies in Bangkok for First Thai-Language Album"},"content":{"rendered":"

BamBam<\/a>\u2019s name comes from the character Bamm-Bamm Rubble in the animated series The Flintstones, a baby with superhuman strength. \u201cI\u2019m the third of four siblings,\u201d he explains. \u201cI\u2019m not sure, but maybe my mom named me that hoping her third son would be strong. In Thailand, it\u2019s actually a pretty common name. It\u2019s used more often for girls than boys, though,\u201d he laughs.<\/p>\n

When BamBam left Bangkok for Seoul in 2010, he was just 14 years old. He began his trainee life at JYP Entertainment, the company that produced 2PM, home to Nichkhun \u2014 the first Thai-born K-pop idol. After years of rigorous training, BamBam debuted in 2014 as part of GOT7<\/a>.<\/p>\n

More from Billboard<\/p>\n

The seven-member GOT7 is a truly multinational group, featuring BamBam, Jackson Wang from Hong Kong and Mark Tuan, who is Taiwanese-American. Perhaps because of this diversity, GOT7 quickly built a global fandom, holding world tours that reached beyond Asia to North and South America, Australia and Europe \u2014 faster than most K-pop groups that debuted around the same time. Their 2018 Eyes on You Tour even earned a spot at No. 9 on Billboard\u2019s monthly top 10 Hot Tours list<\/a>. Since January 2021, all the members of GOT7 have left JYP Entertainment. Yet, even while focusing on their individual careers, they\u2019ve never forgotten to come together for the fans who continue to support them.<\/p>\n

BamBam, in particular, has been extremely active. He launched his solo journey with the EP riBBon in summer 2021, followed by two more EPs and a full-length album. He has completed a solo world tour spanning 14 countries, though unfortunately, a North American tour planned for six cities was canceled due to an ankle injury. But BamBam\u2019s impact goes far beyond music.<\/p>\n

He became the first K-pop artist to be appointed as a global ambassador for the NBA\u2019s Golden State Warriors and also earned recognition as a House Ambassador for Louis Vuitton. In recent years, he\u2019s made his mark on Korean variety shows. His own online variety show, Bam\u2019s House, ran for two seasons through 2024 and consistently drew impressive viewership \u2014 episodes surpassing 2 million views are not hard to find.<\/p>\n

Now, BamBam is about to release his first album entirely in his native language. Titled HOMETOWN, the album features five tracks, all of which he participated in writing and composing. The pre-released highlight medley video evokes Thailand\u2019s stunning landscapes through the lens of an old-school analog TV screen. From the skyline and rooftop bar that define Bangkok\u2019s nightscape, to tuk-tuks navigating narrow backstreets, roaming cats, the sparkling sea, vibrant flowers and foliage under the warm sun, bustling night markets, crowded streets, and the Chao Phraya River flowing past Wat Arun temple \u2014 every frame feels like a love letter to his homeland. As one fan commented, it\u2019s \u201cso beautiful it could easily serve as a promotional video for the Tourism Authority of Thailand.\u201d<\/p>\n

But when we met BamBam, it wasn\u2019t the skyline of Bangkok that stretched outside the window, but Seoul\u2019s night view, visible from an office in the heart of Gangnam. This is the space of \u2018HALO\u2019, the new label just founded in April of this year. \u201cThere were both good and not-so-good times during my years in Korea \u2014 as there are anywhere,\u201d he reflects. \u201cI could have started my solo career in Thailand or even the U.S., but I\u2019m a K-pop artist. I have a sense of \u2018Jeong\u2019 \u2014 the warm feeling of attachment between people \u2014 and respect for this place.\u201d<\/p>\n

As you can see, BamBam never forgets his beginnings. Just as the starting point of his music is rooted in Seoul, the starting point of his story \u2014 Bangkok \u2014 remains in his heart. He was once a small, lean boy with a bright, innocent face, who loved to dance and boarded a plane to a foreign country without knowing what the future would hold. Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that one day he would become one of the most famous names representing Thailand.<\/p>\n

HOMETOWN is BamBam\u2019s most honest and intimate story, shared with all of us.<\/p>\n

\"BamBam\"<\/p>\n

BamBam<\/p>\n

Your new album, HOMETOWN is released on October 10. You\u2019ve previously worked on the OST for the Thai film \u2018The Con-Heartist\u2019, \u00a0but this is your first time releasing a full Thai-language record in 11 years since your debut in 2014. When did you decide to do it?<\/p>\n

That\u2019s right. The only Thai song I\u2019ve released before was that OST years ago \u2014 I never officially released anything else in Thai. Last year, on my way to Rajamangala Stadium for the encore show of my solo tour \u2018AREA 52\u2019, I happened to pass by the area where I was born. It\u2019s actually the only route to the venue, but I hadn\u2019t taken that road in years, so I never realized it. That moment felt so meaningful \u2014 it was like everything suddenly clicked. I knew what I wanted to do next. And from that moment on, I already knew the album would be called HOMETOWN.<\/p>\n

Many global fans will probably feel closer to Thai culture through this album<\/p>\n

I think a lot of people are already familiar with Thailand\u2019s cities, atmosphere, and culture \u2014 it\u2019s such a well-known travel destination. But rather than showing Thailand from an outsider\u2019s perspective, I wanted to express the life of real Thai people, and how we see our own country. That\u2019s something only Thais can truly convey.<\/p>\n

The title track \u201cWONDERING\u201d stands out with its warm tone and dreamy synths. Compared to \u201cLAST PARADE,\u201d the title track from your 2024 EP BAEMSIS, it feels much more relaxed and at ease. Do you think that\u2019s thanks to returning to your \u2018hometown\u2019?<\/p>\n

It actually reminds me a bit of my first solo song, \u201criBBon\u201d, which was released in 2021, in that it\u2019s a track that just makes people feel good when they listen to it. Come to think of it, my solo work kept getting darker over time \u2014 even my makeup got heavier. By the time I did \u201cLAST PARADE,\u201d I\u2019d practically turned into a devil. [Laughs]<\/p>\n

Watching the \u201cLAST PARADE\u201d music video reminded me of Hieronymus Bosch\u2019s paintings of hell,\u00a0 actually.<\/p>\n

HOMETOWN comes after my first solo world tour anyway, so it really feels like the beginning of a new chapter. I realized there was no need to go for something overly conceptual this time. I just wanted people to see \u2018the real BamBam\u2019. That\u2019s why in the \u201cWONDERING\u201d music video, we went for scenes that feel like they could\u2019ve been shot at an actual Thai night market.<\/p>\n

The album includes five tracks in total. Aside from \u201cAngel in Disguise (Prod. Pharrell Williams)\u201d and the title track \u201cWONDERING,\u201d the other three songs all feature Thai artists. Tell us about the process<\/p>\n

I personally chose every artist I worked with on this album. I wanted to collaborate with people who share a similar mindset with me. TIMETHAI, who\u2019s featured on the pre-release single \u201cDancing by myself(feat. TIMETHAI), is just really good. He can sing, he can dance \u2014 he\u2019s got it all. Jeff Satur, who joined me on \u201cMore Than Friend(Feat.Jeff Satur)\u201d, is often called the \u2018gifted\u2019 in Thailand. He can handle so many different genres, and from what I know, he even does his own mixing and mastering \u2014 plus, he acts too. And he\u2019s just really handsome. [Laughs] INK WARUNTORN, who\u2019s featured on \u201cGreenlight,\u201d is one of the most beloved female singers in Thailand. She has that pure Thai-pop charm that I really wanted to capture on this album. Since I\u2019ve never written lyrics in Thai before, I got a lot of help from others as well. TYTAN and SMEW worked on every track, and Jeaniich helped out with \u201cGreenlight (Feat. INK WARUNTORN).\u201d<\/p>\n

For someone who left hometown at 14 to debut as a K-pop idol \u2014 now releasing a full album in your native language more than 11 years later feels like a full-circle moment. What does this milestone mean to you, both personally and for the industry?<\/p>\n

There was a time when I really wanted to be accepted by people in Korea, so I appeared on a lot of variety shows. I think I\u2019ve achieved that goal to some extent now, and I even completed a world tour as a solo artist. So releasing a Thai-language album just felt like the natural next step. Thai people have always supported me simply because I\u2019m one of them. For example, if I perform in Brazil, even people who aren\u2019t necessarily my fans will say things like, \u201cI\u2019m proud that you\u2019re Thai,\u201d or \u201cI hope you keep doing well.\u201d That kind of support really means a lot to me.<\/p>\n

It really feels like cheering for a national athlete. Kind of like how Koreans support Korean baseball players in the MLB or soccer players in overseas leagues.<\/p>\n

Exactly. It\u2019s not just me \u2014 Lisa, Minnie, Nichkhun, all of us are like national representatives in the music world. And naturally, that makes me want to showcase Thai culture in a way that\u2019s worthy of that title. I wanted to create something that the people supporting me can feel proud of, and I also want to continue being someone worth supporting.<\/p>\n

What does the passionate support from Thai fans mean to you? Have you ever felt pressured by it?<\/p>\n

I know that any mistake I make could potentially affect Thailand\u2019s reputation. But there\u2019s one thing I\u2019m absolutely certain about \u2014 I\u2019m not a bad person. So the support I get from people back home never feels like a burden. What makes me happiest is simply living each day as I am, with my cats by my side.<\/p>\n

Honestly, the most exciting thing I do these days is go bowling. [Laughs]<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve performed on countless stages throughout your career. Which one stands out to you the most?<\/p>\n

The 2022 NBA Halftime Show was definitely one of the best moments. It was during the Golden State Warriors vs. LA Lakers game, and the energy was unreal. Another unforgettable moment was performing solo for the encore of my \u201cAREA 52\u201d tour at Rajamangala Stadium. It was something I had always dreamed about, but honestly, I wasn\u2019t sure if it could really happen. And then it did.<\/p>\n

More recently, the \u2018Grace for the World\u2019 concert at the Vatican was another truly special experience. It\u2019s such a sacred place where performances rarely happen, so I felt deeply honored. Sharing the stage with artists like John Legend, Andrea Bocelli, and Karol G \u2014 everyone was just there to enjoy the moment, no matter how famous they were. Pharrell was there too, and it was so different from his usual cool, stylish vibe at Louis Vuitton shows \u2014 that day, he took off his sunglasses and was just having fun. I even went up during rehearsal and said, \u201cYou look kinda cute today.\u201d [Laughs] And of course, meeting and shaking hands with Pope Leo XIV \u2014 I mean, when would I ever get to experience something like that again?<\/p>\n

How do you personally define K-pop? Many people still question why it\u2019s called K-pop when the artist isn\u2019t Korean or the lyrics aren\u2019t in Korean.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t speak for every K-pop artist, but in my view, nationality doesn\u2019t really matter when it comes to calling something K-pop. Still, the \u201cK\u201d stands for \u201cKorea,\u201d and that\u2019s something we should always take pride in. I believe anyone who\u2019s part of this industry should respect the Korean entertainment scene and truly understand the culture and the people behind it.<\/p>\n

You debuted with GOT7 at 17 in 2014. While you started your solo career in 2021, releasing your first full-length album Sour & Sweet in 2023 and completing your first solo world tour \u2018AREA 52\u2019 really cemented you as a solo artist. Looking back on this journey, when did you feel your musical direction became the clearest?<\/p>\n

I\u2019d say it was during the \u2018AREA 52\u2019 tour. I\u2019ve experimented with many different styles over the years, but no matter the genre, my own style was always there. Even earlier this year, before it was revealed that I wrote GOT7\u2019s comeback title track \u201cPYTHON,\u201d many people who heard it said, \u201cThis sounds like a BamBam song.\u201d It felt rewarding to realize that my style was being recognized. I think it was in that confidence that I started to find the direction I wanted to go musically.<\/p>\n

How do you describe \u2018hometown\u2019\u00a0 at this point in your life?<\/p>\n

There was a time when I was confused \u2014 I was born in Thailand, yet sometimes Korea feels like home. I guess that\u2019s because I\u2019ve now spent more years in Korea than I did in Thailand since I came here at fourteen. Still, every time I go back to Thailand, there\u2019s a certain energy and a sense of comfort that can\u2019t be compared to anything else. Even if I return after a long time, that feeling never changes. If Thailand is my hometown, then Korea is the place that raised me.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s impressive and heartwarming to see how much you still value Korea as the starting point of your career. Was it a natural decision to continue building your career based in Seoul?<\/p>\n

I think it was the obvious choice. Some Korean fans might worry that I\u2019m slowly \u201creturning home\u201d now that I\u2019m releasing a Thai-language album, but my home, my company are all in Korea. And my cats, of course! [Laughs] The word that just came to mind is that, to me, K-pop represents the \u2018beginner\u2019s mindset\u2019 \u2014 staying true to your beginnings. The moment you lose that, you can\u2019t really call it K-pop anymore. And my beginner\u2019s mindset? That\u2019s Korea and GOT7.\u00a0 Staying true to your beginnings and holding your position over time is what really matters.<\/p>\n

\u2018Thai K-pop idols\u2019 are known to have a strong sense of connection and camaraderie \u2014 like BLACKPINK\u2019s Lisa, i-dle\u2019s Minnie, CLC\u2019s Sorn, NCT\u2019s Ten, and Kiss of Life\u2019s Natty. When you meet, what do you usually talk about?<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t really talk about work. Honestly, we\u2019re all working all the time anyway, so when we meet as friends, no one really wants to talk about it. If anything, it\u2019s more like, \u201cHey, I just shot a music video \u2014 want to take a look?\u201d or asking for opinions. When we hang out, it doesn\u2019t matter who\u2019s in BLACKPINK or i-dle \u2014 none of that really comes into play.<\/p>\n

You can see Thailand\u2019s growing influence in the entertainment industry just by looking at Netflix or fashion weeks. Do you feel this change yourself?<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve only recently started looking more closely at the industry, but yes, I can definitely feel it. Back in 2014, when I debuted, there weren\u2019t many cases of Thai artists or the industry trying to expand internationally. Someone once told me that the spread and popularity of K-pop has given Thai artists and fans more confidence. From styling to performance approach, we\u2019ve picked up a lot from K-pop culture. Overall, I think the industry itself has become bolder and more confident in taking on new challenges.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re only 28. After achieving so much at a young age, what\u2019s next for you?\u00a0<\/p>\n

I have many goals, but now I want to approach them differently. Rather than sacrificing myself to reach them, I want to live my life and gradually move toward those goals at my own pace. Coming to Korea as a trainee meant leaving my life in Thailand behind. Now, I\u2019m learning to move forward gently, sharing each moment with my fans. I\u2019ve shared so many moments already \u2014 voice break, silly mistakes \u2014 because I started my trainee life so early. But I want to give more. As I get older, I hope my relationship with fans becomes something deeper than just artist and audience, like we\u2019re contributing parts of life together. Maybe one day I\u2019ll even say, \u201cLet\u2019s go out for dinner together!\u201d [Laughs]<\/p>\n

Listening to HOMETOWN, what do you hope people take away?<\/p>\n

I hope they can feel my beginning \u2014 BamBam before I achieved my current success and circumstances, when I had nothing at all. I want them to experience that pure version of me.<\/p>\n

\"BamBam\"<\/p>\n

BamBam<\/p>\n

Best of Billboard<\/p>\n

Sign up for Billboard’s Newsletter<\/a>. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"BamBam\u2019s name comes from the character Bamm-Bamm Rubble in the animated series The Flintstones, a baby with superhuman…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":67133,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[48486,12624,146,8891,85,46,13468,48487,1348,48485],"class_list":["post-67132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-bambam","tag-bangkok","tag-entertainment","tag-golden-state-warriors","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-jyp-entertainment","tag-la-lakers","tag-thailand","tag-tourism-authority-of-thailand"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67132","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67132"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67132\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67132"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}