NoSo
 | This article's style of writing may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. (October 2023) |
Baek Hwong (born 1997), known professionally as NoSo, is a Korean-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and composer.[1] NoSo is known for their 2022 debut album, Stay Proud of Me.[2][3][4]
Early life and influences
[edit]NoSo was born Baek Hwong on May 14, 1997, in Chicago, Illinois.[2][3][4] They grew up attending a music festival at a venue where musicians such as B. B. King, Bonnie Raitt, and Aretha Franklin performed.[2] They participated in theater classes during their childhood and performed in productions such as West Side Story.[3]
At 12, NoSo decided to pursue their own musical endeavors.[citation needed] They initially took guitar lessons at a local music store until deciding to learn to play guitar on their own in their family's basement.[2][3] When they were 16, NoSo moved to Los Angeles and began writing music.[2][3] Eventually, NoSo pursued their undergraduate education at the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music, where they studied popular music.[2]
Career
[edit]NoSo signed with Partisan Records under the stage name NoSo.[2]
In 2019, NoSo participated in NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concert.[2][1]
NoSo's debut album is entitled Stay Proud of Me.[2][3] NoSo began to lay the groundwork for their debut album in 2017, and eventually recorded the work in their family's condominium during the COVID-19 quarantine.[3] The guitar-led album was released on July 8, 2022, as a coming-of-age story that encapsulates NoSo's experiences with their gender and racial identity.[2][4][5] The cover art for the album was inspired by Korean records from the 1980s that NoSo's parents played for them when they were younger.[2]
NoSo has described songwriting as a means of exploring and articulating their transgender identity.[1] Several songs draw from their experiences as a trans Korean American raised in a predominantly White community.[2][1] They wrote the song "Parasites" while recovering from gender-affirming top surgery.[2][5]
For their sophomore album, When Are You Leaving?, Hwong told Argus Far that Wong Kar-wai's "visual aesthetics inspired the album cover and the moodiness of the record."[6]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 Boilen, Bob (29 September 2021). "New Mix: Le Ren, Wet Leg, Ustad Saami, NoSo, More". NPR. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Mannion, Elle (7 July 2022). "NoSo's debut album is a care package for someone in need: Their younger self". NPR. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Walker, Sophie (4 April 2022). "On the Rise: NoSo". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
- 1 2 3 Kalia, Ammar (2 July 2022). "One to Watch: NoSo". The Guardian. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
- 1 2 "Fresh Face: NoSo". Notion. 17 June 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
- ↑ "NoSo Interview". Argus Far. 2026-02-07. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
| Authority control databases: Artists |
|---|
