Andrew Choi on crafting 'no-fluff' tunes for Jinu in 'KPop Demon Hunters' — and what’s next

Andrew Choi, singer-songwriter, producer and the singing voice of Jinu in Netflix's ″KPop Demon Hunters,″ poses for photos during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily in western Seoul on Sept. 5 [PARK SANG-MOON]

[INTERVIEW]
 
Andrew Choi, the voice behind Jinu’s songs in Netflix’s animated hit “KPop Demon Hunters,” has learned one thing about life — it rarely goes as planned. Looking back on his roller-coaster journey from avid K-pop teen in the United States to band member, English teacher, singer, producer and now Netflix villain, he’s decided not to overthink what comes next.
 
“I realized that I have absolutely no control over what happens tomorrow,” said Choi during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily on Thursday in western Seoul. “So I’m just trying to do the best I can now, enjoy what I have now.”
 

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The singer-songwriter-producer, previously best known for placing third on SBS’s audition program “K-Pop Star” (2012) and penning tracks for SM Entertainment artists such as EXO and SHINee, has recently returned to the spotlight as “KPop Demon Hunters” became the latest global phenomenon, earning recognition for his emotional, soaring vocals.
 

Andrew Choi competed on the second season of SBS’s audition program ″K-Pop Star″ (2012), where he finished in third place. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

 
Yet Choi says he still isn’t entirely sure what Sony Pictures Animation had in mind when it tapped him as the magnetic antagonist’s singing voice, given the contrast with Jinu’s lower dialogue delivered by actor Ahn Hyo-seob.
 
“I was afraid that people were going to call me out,” the singer-producer admitted with a smile. “Fortunately, people were able to buy into it — so I'm grateful.”
 
Since the film’s release, Choi has been navigating a whirlwind of schedule, and is now gearing up for exciting new projects — including a new single set to drop in October.
 
 
‘A no-fluff type’


Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation’s “KPop Demon Hunters,” which became the most-watched title ever on Netflix as of Aug. 31, centers on the story of fictional girl group HUNTR/X, consisting of Rumi, Mira and Zoey, as they face off against rival boy band Saja Boys. Jinu, the antagonist and the leader of Saja Boys, is a centuries-old demon weighed down by long-held guilt and shame from abandoning his family.
 

Jinu from Netflix's animated film ″KPop Demon Hunters″ [NETFLIX]

 
Choi’s involvement in the project began with a demo recording of “Soda Pop,” Saja Boys' bubbly debut track, at the request of EJAE, who voiced Rumi’s singing. Choi was later offered the role of voicing Jinu’s songs throughout the film.  
 
What defined the character in his music, Choi said, was “raw emotion and aggressiveness.”
 
“I think what [Sony’s production] needed from Jinu was a vocalist that wasn't trying to be stylistic,” he said.
 
As a veteran K-pop producer and singer leaning more into R&B, Choi wasn’t accustomed to raw, unfiltered delivery. Recording “Free,” an emotional duet with Rumi, was especially challenging since he hadn’t yet seen the full film and had to capture the right emotion, Choi said.
 

Andrew Choi sings ″Free″ from Netflix's ″KPop Demon Hunters″ in a video uploaded on his Instagram account on July 22 [SCREEN CAPTURE]

 
That direction by Ian Eisendrath, the executive music producer of the film, to be “as aggressive as possible” with just raw emotion, became clearer after he saw the film.
 
“After watching the movie and understanding Jinu's character, I totally get why he [Eisendrath] wanted that direction,” he said. “You have this 400- to 500-year-old demon — he's a pretty old guy, a no-fluff type of person. He doesn't think the way that young people think.”
 
“Free” was understandably the hardest to record with its soaring high notes, according to Choi, while his personal favorite at the moment, “Your Idol,” came surprisingly easy.
 
Choi said he found Jinu’s journey resonated with his own, as many other viewers would.
 
“We all struggled with something. We’re always trying to come into a new season of our lives where we’re trying to figure out exactly where we’re going,” he said. “There are a lot of mistakes that I made, and I was trying to find some level of redemption — I’m glad to say that I think I’ve also come to a new season, and I can forgive myself for those days.”
 

The Saja Boys from Netflix's ″KPop Demon Hunters″

 
From Busan to U.S. and back to Seoul
 
Born in Korea, Choi moved to the United States at a young age before returning in 1999 to pursue new opportunities, driven by his love for K-pop.
 
“Since high school, I was absolutely into K-pop, and all of my friends were,” he recalled.
 
After winning a local talent show, he received several offers, but it was not until his final year of high school that he began auditioning in earnest. Following graduation, he went to Korea in pursuit of a music career, but returned to the United States about a year and a half later.
 
Back in the United States, he performed with a band, a time during which he rarely listened to K-pop music. When his bandmates began to leave the team due to financial struggles, he briefly gave up on the idea of doing music before ultimately making his way back to Korea for another shot at the stage.
 

Andrew Choi, singer-songwriter, producer and the singing voice of Jinu in Netflix's ″KPop Demon Hunters,″ poses for photos during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily in western Seoul on Sept. 5 [PARK SANG-MOON]

 
“I moved to Korea because a lot of my friends were starting a new life [there], and they did it by teaching English,” Choi recalled.
 
He followed suit, teaching for about two years before picking music back up and casually returning to songwriting — something he hadn't done for a long time. At that time, he wasn’t chasing a career, just enjoying the process.
 
That changed when he rented a studio to record some of his songs. Kim Te-sung, the producer who owned the space and had been working closely with SM Entertainment, happened to overhear him singing one day.
 
“As luck would have it, he forgot his bag,” said Choi. “He came in, he heard me singing, and then he asked me if I wanted to write over some tracks he had.”
 
And that song, written by U.S. producer Teddy Riley, ultimately became Choi’s breakthrough into the industry as a producer — SHINee’s “Beautiful” (2013).
 
 
Hit producer in the K-pop industry
 
Ever since then, Choi has built an extensive portfolio with SM Entertainment, credited for many tracks like EXO’s “Baby, Don’t Cry” (2013) and “Lucky One” (2016), SHINee’s “Dangerous” (2013), NCT127’s “Whiplash” (2017), and NCT Wish’s “Melt Inside My Pocket.” He also worked on ZeroBaseOne’s “Good So Bad” (2024), and “Blue,” alongside his long-time colleague and star producer Kenzie.
 
He cited SHINee’s 2023 track “Hard” as one of his favorite works, describing it as a refreshing departure from his usual style.
 

Andrew Choi, singer-songwriter, producer and the singing voice of Jinu in Netflix's ″KPop Demon Hunters,″ poses for photos during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily in western Seoul on Sept. 5 [PARK SANG-MOON]

 
When asked what defines K-pop, Choi pointed first to the Korean language.
 
“I, of course, love that K-pop has become so big and international, but when everything’s in English, […] I feel like K-pop loses its identity,” he said, adding, “So I loved that ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ incorporated Korean lyrics in there.”
 
Choi also highlighted the distinctive energy carried by many K-pop songs as the genre’s unique characteristics, marked by high-soaring notes, layered harmonies and the intensity of it all.
 
At the same time, he pointed out that finding one's own voice is integral for artists, a process that is often made difficult by K-pop's highly structured system.
 
“One thing that’s really difficult for artists is trying to find their own voice, and trying to find their own persona, because a lot of it is built around them,” he noted. “So I try to help [artists] find their voice instead of trying to sing like somebody else.”
 
 
Back into the spotlight
 
While Choi had his time on stage as part of a band and a solo singer, he admitted that he feels much more at ease behind the scenes now, away from the glamor.
 
“I like being in the studio by myself, and just quietly working on music for artists,“ he said.
 
But with the new doors the success of “KPop Demon Hunters” has begun to open for him, Choi also hopes to release his own music as well.
 

A still from Netflix's animated film ″KPop Demon Hunters″ [NETFLIX]

 
Before the film’s premiere, Choi released a digital single “Under My Skin” in May, the first official release after his first EP “Love was Enough” in 2013, aside from works like “Be Cool” (2017) and “Beyond the Blue” where he took part as a featuring artist.
 
Looking ahead, he plans to release a new single in October, which he describes as a pop track.
 
“I wanted to release a song that wasn’t too difficult to understand,” he said, adding that he’s currently in discussion for possible collaboration with other artists as well.
 

A cover of Andrew Choi's digital single ″Uncer My Skin,″ released in May [UNDFND]

 
But balancing his multiple roles remains a challenge.  
 
With “KPop Demon Hunters” bringing the producer back into the media spotlight, he’s working to juggle his established career as a producer with newfound opportunities.
 
“I’m a proud member of KZLAB — it’s such an honor to be working alongside Kenzie,” he said, referring to his long-time collaborator and star producer Kenzie and her songwriting team.
 
“I’m so committed to that team and we’re always, always busy,” he continued. “With ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ blowing up, I’m gaining all these new opportunities, but I have to find a balance.”
 
When asked if he would want to see Jinu return for the potential sequel of “KPop Demon Hunters,” which is reportedly in early talks for production, Choi didn’t hesitate.
 
“Definitely! I would love to be part of ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ sequel, for sure, but just like everyone else, we don’t know what’s going to happen — so we’ll see.”
 

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]