DPR IAN poses for a photocall session at the recent NARS event held at ION Orchard. Photo: NARS
Hallyu Spotlight: 10 Questions with Korean Australian singer DPR IAN
The Korean Australian star gets explicit with us, at NARS Cosmetics's Maison Explicit 30th Anniversary.
Danisha Liang | August 17, 2024
NARS Cosmetics, founded by Francois Nars, is celebrating three decades of makeup excellence with a glamorous pop-up in the heart of Singapore. At the NARS Cosmetics Maison Explicit 30th Anniversary at ION Orchard, the beauty label is also launching the new Explicit Lipsticks in 28 wearable shades.
In town to commemorate this special occasion was Korean-Australian singer DPR IAN, aka Christian Yu, as well as members of the local glitterati including Sonia Chew, Saffron Sharpe and Germaine Leonora Tan.
Before the event, we caught up with the multihyphenate—the stud sings, raps, and even directs, just FYI — who got explicit with GRAZIA Singapore about some of his upcoming projects.
(L to R) Germaine Leonora Tan, Sonia Chew, DPR IAN, Mae Tan, Saffron Sharpe and Josh Makazo. Photo: NARS
For those unacquainted, DPR IAN is part of Dream Perfect Regime (DPR), the independent multi-genre music label hailing from South Korea. The Ballroom Extravaganza (2022) singer is known for his experimental music style that’s theatrical and distinctly moody. Of course, his tracks are catchy, something that might be in part influenced by his roots in the K-Pop industry as a former member of boy band C-Clown.
Upon our meeting, it was clear that DPR IAN was a man of charisma. His adoring fans will tell you all about his charming Australian accent and his tattoos—and yes, we get it—, but his down-to-earth nature is what got us. And don’t mind us but he smelt amazing. If you’re just as curious as we were, he wears Blue Vanille from Henry Jacques. The more you know.
Read on for GRAZIA Singapore’s full interview with DPR IAN.
DPR IAN (DI): I would say, spontaneously responsible. I don’t even think those two things belong together, but there we go.
How do you think your fans would describe you?
DI: I think my fans would describe me as passionate, very passionate, very bold and very vulnerable.
What qualities do you find attractive in people?
DI: Confidence. It’s just the way someone carries himself, you know, I honestly like that so much about somebody. You could just be anybody, really, quite anybody, doing anything, as long as you’re confident about who you are. Think that’s what I really like about somebody.
How would you describe the perfect relationship?
DI: It’s one word: empowerment. You guys have to be empowering to each other, you know, if you guys aren’t making yourselves a better version of yourself, then, I don’t know what it is. Honestly, that’s what I think a perfect relationship is.
What is your motto when you’re making music?
DI: Just goes for everything but be yourself. So make sure, when you make music, when you make anything, for that manner, you do it for yourself, and you do it because you love doing it. I think you can’t forget that.
How would you describe your upcoming full-length album?
DI: Oh, boy. I think this upcoming album is the most that I’ve ever been myself and for people that know, they’ll know.
What can you tell us about your upcoming movie project, Mito 3?
DI: I think this upcoming project is going to be the most cinematic masterpiece that I think DPR has ever gone and created, and it hasn’t even been made yet, but I already know.
DI: Very nostalgic, actually, because I’ve been to Singapore a few times during middle school. I think the first time was with my mom, and we went to the Night Safari. Actually, I went to the Night Safari yesterday [too], so it was very nostalgic. Going back after almost over a decade, Singapore always brings good memories. I love the people, love the food, just love the culture. So, what’s more to say?
What can fans expect from your upcoming tour?
DI: My upcoming tour? Just a very good memory, you know, just a very good time, good experiences, laughs, tears, a lot of shouting, [and] your voice being gone. Bring some cough drops, just for your throat.DPR IAN posing with fans at the NARS event held at ION Orchard. Photo: NARS
What is the best way to have fun?
DI: One of the best ways to have fun is obviously at the After Party, where you just can’t go and be normal and just sit around. It’s kind of boring. So you have to be a little bit Mischievous.
Side note: We challenged DPR IAN to incorporate some of his favourite shades from the NARS Explicit Lipstick into his answer for the last question.
Before meeting the DPR collective, he was seriously thinking about abandoning music. He had no one who was interested in him or his work, and this had deeply affected his self-esteem. However, when he joined the Dream Perfect Regime in 2015, shortly after the release of Till I Die, everything changed. The DPR offered him a collaborative and stimulating environment that rekindled his passion for music.
Kim Kyung-mo, known as DPR Cream, is a multifaceted artist: producer, composer and singer. He debuted as a soloist on July 5, 2019 with the digital single The Voyager 737, a milestone that was initially not in his plans. Initially he focused on composition and music production, but his songs affected the DPR so much that they pushed them to propose that he also debut as a singer.
Cream's musical journey began with vocal training: he graduated in singing and has been singing since he was twenty years old. However, a crucial moment in his career came when, during a session, someone suggested that he try to compose. This advice marked the transition to musical production, where he distinguished himself by mastering the piano and experimenting with innovative sounds.
One of Cream's distinctive techniques is the "zero gravity state," a sound design method he created himself. It consists of a gradual transition from a strong and dynamic sound to a more minimal and quiet one, often used to add contrast and depth to its tracks. Among his inspirations are artists like Prince, and he appreciates music for the emotions it conveys, even without understanding the lyrics, citing Frank Ocean as an example.
DPR Cream has become an essential part of the sound and vision of DPR. His journey, from insecure musician to established artist, demonstrates the transformative power of collaboration and perseverance.
How does it feel to perform in Milan as part of the Dream Reborn tour?
CREAM: "It's the first time I come to Milan and I was curious to know what it would be like to perform here. Walking around the city, I saw how beautiful it is, and now I'm even more excited to see the fans and how they will react to the show.”
As one of the visionary artists of the DPR, what does the DPR collective mean to you personally?
CREAM: "Family. For me it's like a family. Whatever I want to do as an artist, I know I'll have their support. I know that around me there are people willing to help me, to support me and to do the art I want".
Can you tell us about a particular moment of the tour that seemed surreal or particularly powerful to you?
CREAM: "This is my first tour, so every time I hear fans sing my songs with me it's a surreal feeling. In every place I had these moments when I thought: "Wow, it's really happening". As the tour progresses, the crowd becomes more and more numerous and their energy makes me feel proud and grateful".
What are the biggest influences that shape your music, both inside and outside the DPR?
CREAM: "Frank Ocean. But I love all kinds of music. Today I really like dance music, house music, techno, everything is always so different. Thanks to Artic, we've worked together many times lately and so I'm discovering more and more. And what I love the most is mixing. So I can say that within the DPR I am very influenced by him (DPR Artic)”.
How would you define your music if you had to describe it to someone who has never heard it?
CREAM: “The growing pain of evolution”.
The others start laughing and Ian comments: "In practice, puberty". Everyone laughs while Cream, who laughs hidden by the cap, shakes his head.
Earlier you said that the DPR is like a family. Can you share an anecdote that illustrates your connection with the team?
CREAM: "There is a Korean proverb that says: after a heavy rain, the soil dries up and becomes stronger, firmer. (The Korean proverb to which it refers is "비 온 뒤에 땅이 굳어진다" (bi on dwie ttang-i gudojinda), which translates to "After rain, the soil hardens") This perfectly reflects our path as a DPR. As Ian said, we went through heavy rains, moments that put us to the test. But those challenges have only brought us closer. The bond we share now is closer than ever, built on the strength we have acquired by overcoming those difficulties together. We also welcomed new team members who joined this solidity, making us an even stronger and more united collective. It's as if the ground beneath us is more solid than ever.”
How would you describe yourself if you had only one word available?
CREAM: "Savage".
Last question: Can you give your fans an idea of what they can expect from you in the future?
CREAM: "I'm working on my next album, but it will be more of a mixtape. And Artic and I are working on something together, I hope we will be able to create a compilation".
Artist Friendly with Joel Madden | DPR Ian | Full Episode
goodcharlotte Dec 24, 2024
Australian singer, rapper, and director DPR IAN on building new versions of yourself, tattoos as intimate memories, and his current THE DREAM REBORN tour. Watch and Stream Artist Friendly: Listen wherever you stream your podcasts: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and more.
DPR IAN on how the "inhumane" K-pop industry intensified his dissociative identity disorder
SBS The Feed December 10, 2024
DPR Ian - or Christian Yu - is one of the few Australians selected to become a K-pop idols. He launched from a life of music and metal in Australia's Wollongong to idol stardom when he moved to Korea on a whim and was scouted to join the hugely successful K-pop group C-Clown. He's now independent and creating a new blueprint for the industry with DPR - the Dream Perfect Regime collective and his videos (which he edits himself because the guy can do everything) amas millions of views. But it's been a whole ride to get here.
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Ian: That's actually me switching. That's not me acting because you feel it. You know when you're going to switch because you feel it. I can't do it on command.
DPR Ian is one of the few Australians selected to become K-Pop idols. He launched his life of music and metal in Australia's Wollongong to idol stardom when he moved to Korea and was scouted to join the hugely successful K-pop group, C-Clown. He's now independent and creating a new blueprint for the industry with DPR, the Dream Perfect Regime collective. And his videos, which he edits himself because the guy can do everything, amass millions of views, but it's been a whole ride to get here. Welcome home.
Ian: Thank you.
I'm really interested in your determination to move to Korea and that period of your life. What was your life in that? Were you planning? How did you prep for that?
Ian: At that time, I was like, I better really just take a plane and head over to Korea. No plans. And I just told my mom, "I'm going", and she's like, "just get into uni first". So I got into uni. But, then my mom was like, you've got to save money yourself. I did a gig handing out pamphlets at the time.
Oh, the promotional. Gig?
Ian: Yes.
Yeah, I've done that.
Ian: You've done those?
Hundreds
Ian: You did that too. Oh. My. Lord. I mean the money's great. I can't believe you did that too. Yeah, it's weird. I remember one term, it was like a chocolate and I had to dress up as a chocolate.
Was it like a bar? Chocolate bar?
Ian: Yeah, I was avoiding any eye contact with people that I knew.
Ian: Luckily I got the money saved up and went to Korea. And it was a rough journey because I didn't know nothing about Korea. And I remember the first few months I got scammed. I lost all my money and I had to stay at these saunas. You don't sleep there, you don't stay there. But I had to stay there. I didn't want to tell my mum that I failed in the first three months of going there. I told her, I was like, "I'm going to get a job". And she's like, "if nothing happens in the two months, you have to come back". I was scouted in the street and went into the trainee days, idol days.
So you managed to stay a couple more months. And those months where the opportune months that kind of changed your life?
Ian: Apparently so.
[MUSIC] "Yeah. This is how the world plays. Yeah, this is how the world plays.
Ian: Immediately they put me into the training rooms. I met all the other trainees and all that. This was bit weird.
[MUSIC] Hey, what's up everyone? We are C-Clown.
And what was the training schedule.
Ian: For us back in the days? Very strict. Wake up like five, head to the studio. Practice, practice, practice. If you're late a minute, you have to kneel on the floor and you have to sit in the corner like time out, and you'd go back home, 1:00 AM, 2:00 AM 3:00 AM and then you just repeat that throughout the whole week. It's a lot better now. That's what I hear. But back in 2010s 2012s, it was at its peak era of do you have slave contracts? It was just so shady, but getting the backhand of that just did something to me. It's a pretty intense process. Oh man. I thought it was inhumane, but that's literally the life that trainees live.
Yeah, well a lot of people really want that.
Ian: Oh my god. They don't know. See, I didn't know that either. You don't know what that gruesome and grueling side of that life is because no one really tells you. You just think, okay, "the minute I'm an idol, it means it's an immediate success", which is not the case. But you have all these other hidden layers of groups that don't even make the cut line and there's about a hundred of them.
You've chatted a bit about your bipolar and your dissociative identity disorder. For people who don't understand that experience, how would you explain it to them?
Ian: Well, I don't even know where to start. For example, DID, it's like disassociating yourself. So it's kind of waking up in a new body, new mind, new likes, new dislikes. It's kind of living with I think another you that is completely separate from who you identify as a person. For me anyway, personally, I never really get a choice of when that takes a turn and you just keep going back and forth from that person. If you decide not to show people your most vulnerable side, you would have a choice to not show it.
Right. I see what you're saying.
Ian: But I never really got a chance to not show it. I'll switch out. I would all of a sudden be, I'll be doing something as somebody else. And it would feel like when I come back, I wouldn't really understand what I did or who I was or none of that. So it would be unbelievable.
Ian: I knew what I was doing when I started naming it. His name is Mito. You should never just name your personas or your altars. That gives it so much more power. But the thing is, for people that are going through it, you can't tell them not to do that. So the first time I showed Mito to the world was a music video called So beautiful. That's actually me switching. That's not me acting because you feel it. The reason is, you when you're going to switch because you feel it. It's not, I can't do it on command. Now what happens with the DID is, if you can't associate yourself with an emotion and it's something that you want to go further away from, you'd create an area in your mind that you'd run to. It's okay in the beginning, but the more and more you're faced with trauma, the minute you feel it, you're out. So it's no longer like I'm going to go back. It's like your body's immediate response to just open the door and kick you out. So I didn't know that. So I didn't know that during my idol days. I just thought this is the only way I can cope with it. The only way. So I just kept doing that.
Well, you have DPR now.
Ian: Yes, I do. Apparently. Shame.
Good to know. What do you want to take from that experience?
Ian: I think. Being an idol taught me what I shouldn't do. There wasn't really an independent show for artists. Because we had to follow a systematic, or a system, in order for us to make it or get there. But I wanted to break that. I just wanted to show people that you could be very genuine with what you do artistically and still have an audience.
Ian: My name is DPR Ian and I'm back home. Thank you. Guys.
tonightshow_net Edited•1d December 5, 2024
Siapa ini yang berani nolak kalian???!!😭🫵🏻
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Full episode bisa ditonton di Youtube mimin! Gasss gassss gassss…..🚀💥
Hello Indonesia, this is DPR IAN, DPR CREAM, DPR ARTIC. Don't forget to watch us on Tonight Show.
Dreamers Indonesia has been waiting for your arrival in Indonesia for a long time what do you want to give your fans here?
Artic: The best gift we can give to fans is... to put on the best concert.
Cream: Perfect appearance
Artic: Cool appearance. I will try to do my best.
Is there a special reason why you chose Jakarta as one of the cities for your tour?
Cream: We love 'nasi goreng' (fried rice)
Artic: We all like fried rice. So we want to eat fried rice, then do your best performance for the concert.
This tour is called "The Dream Reborn". Is there any story behind it?
Cream: We adapted to our situation where we are always trying new things. I see this concert like the third 'page' for DPR. Previously, it felt like the first page, then second, and now this is the third page.
If new Dreamers ask what DPR is, how do you explain it?
Ian: We are just a buch of friends and family that got together because we love, in the name of art, we love doing things in the name of art. We're just honest, genuine people who just want to give a show to the world. Through our traits. This is your safe spot. This is your inspirational pal.
Do you have any special rituals you do before going on stage?
Cream: Artic and I usually meditate. stretching.
Ian: meditation.
Artic: Yes meditation.
Cream: Stretching
Ian: haha stretching
Cream: Yes, stretching is very important.
Ian: Very important.
Artic: Don't forget to stretch, okay? It is very important.
Ian: There really is not too much of a particular thing that I do. But I try to ground myself before I go on the stage. I try to bring myself to the present moment. And I allow myself to feel, and see, and think. Right before the last 10 minutes before I go on the stage I try to turn off all the noise. The last 10 minutes right before I go on stage, I just flood all the noise back in. The crowd screaming, the band getting ready, the dancers all warming up, the breathing. Became that allows me to be in to moment and I become very present and then I'm ready.
What message would you like to share with Dreamers Indonesia?
Ian: I miss you guys so much. WE all love you. We can't wait for DPR to come back to Indonesia. So please, please wait for us. We'll be there soon.
Hello 'Tonight' lovers. This is DPR. And we are ready to play ' True or False' on Tonight Show.
True or False:
Ian always falls asleep while scrolling through TikTok.
Cream: False
Artic: True
Ian: Yeah it's true and false, actually. Because I sometimes TikTok, sometimes YouTube, sometimes Instagram.
When you arrive in Jakarta you've already made a list of local foods.
Cream: False
Ian: I think maybe true. Why not list just one food.
Artic: True. Only 'nasi goreng'
The name Cream was inspired by ice cream.
Ian: False
Artic: False
Cream: False
One of you has had their love rejected.
Cream: For me true
Artic: Yeah true
Ian: True.
Cream: lies.
