K-pop Singer Samuel Honors His Latino Roots With Flair In New Ep 'samuelito'

At only 24, Samuel Kim Arredondo, amended known arsenic Samuel, has lived done astir each loop imaginable successful a K-pop idol’s career.

As a kid increasing up successful L.A.’s Koreatown, he attended Wilshire Park Elementary School — but by nan 5th people he had moved to South Korea pinch his mother, Kyung-ju, pinch dreams of K-pop stardom. There, he became a trainee nether Pledis Entertainment.

Now a subsidiary explanation of Hybe — genitor institution of K-pop superstars BTS — Pledis was forming what became 1 of nan astir successful “third generation” K-pop groups of each time: Seventeen. Samuel, who was successful nan moving to debut pinch nan group, is moreover captured successful early footage from their “Seventeen TV” assortment show.

Though he didn’t make nan cut, he remained adjacent pinch nan members and helped constitute lyrics for their 10-year day album. Just past week, he filmed a dance challenge pinch singer-MC Mingyu for nan reggaeton-infused popular number “Zigi Zigi Zigi” — nan lead azygous disconnected of his caller EP, “Samuelito,” which dropped June 8.

After leaving Pledis, Samuel — who is fluent successful some English and Korean — signed to a caller agency, Brave Entertainment, past formed 1 half of a short-lived hip-hop duo, 1Punch. (He was Punch, nan different kid was One.)

In 2017 he competed connected nan 2nd play of Produce 101, a globally celebrated Korean title franchise, wherever he made it to nan penultimate section earlier nan debut of nan group Wanna One. That aforesaid year, he released his first solo album, “Sixteen,” afloat showcasing his outstanding creation ability, youthful swagger and velvety tenor.

Yet earlier he could yet make headway, he suffered a devastating loss.

Samuel’s father, José Arredondo, who came to nan U.S. from Michoacán arsenic a child, died tragically successful a 2019 lawsuit that made national and local headlines. After having spent years isolated from his begetter while surviving successful Korea, Samuel spent value clip pinch him soon earlier his death.

José was a pillar of his community; he roseate from washing cars to owning his ain car dealership, alongside different businesses successful Bakersfield. A precocious young Samuel tin still beryllium recovered showing disconnected his creation and Spanish skills successful an aged commercialized for nan dealership. (“Volkswagen maine hace bailar,” he says earlier busting a move.)

The nonaccomplishment of his begetter was made much harrowing erstwhile nan news went public, Samuel recalls complete a Zoom question and reply from Seoul, wherever he is promoting his caller album.

“The articles went retired first,” he explains. “It was everyplace earlier I moreover wanted to talk astir it, truthful I had nary prime to support it backstage … of people it’s decidedly difficult for me.”

In nan aftermath, Samuel went nether nan radar — but aft a twelvemonth aliases two, he started to pave a measurement forward. After getting retired of nan statement pinch his erstwhile label, and pinch nan support of his mother, he launched his ain company, Samuel Music Group.

“If I kept connected staying successful nan past, I deliberation nary 1 would for illustration it — moreover my dada wouldn’t for illustration it,” he says. “I learned a batch done that emotion arsenic well. Always beryllium grateful, ever beryllium thankful each time, and effort to opportunity ‘thank you’ always, particularly to parents.”

Composed of 3 songs and 1 interlude, “Samuelito” takes its sanction from nan puerility moniker immoderate cognize him by today. As nan follow-up to his 2024 EP, “Now,” it is his 2nd grounds merchandise since he became independent. It’s besides his first grounds sung predominantly successful Spanish — on pinch nan occasional sprinkle of English and Korean. (Take nan onomatopoeic “Ddook Ddak,” which is Korean slang for “just for illustration that.”)

Singing successful Spanish for nan first time, he tells me, to euphony he created himself, made his “heart race.”

“Samuelito” is not truthful overmuch an exploration of Mexican philharmonic traditions, but of Latin-influenced rhythms and sounds filtered done his uniquely multicultural lens. In nan future, he dreams of moving pinch genre-spanning Latino popular artists who crossed complete culturally, for illustration Selena Gomez, Camila Cabello and Rauw Alejandro.

In an Instagram reel from earlier this twelvemonth he described his efforts arsenic “K-tone” — a Latin and reggaeton fusion, powered by K-pop discipline. The comments beneath were peppered pinch encouraging responses from fans successful aggregate languages.

Wrote Liz Zeledon, from Oceanside: “As a Korean-Nicaraguan who grew up pinch vulnerability to some cultures, I emotion proceeding Latin influences successful K-pop… Korean Latines are truthful underrepresented successful nan Korean euphony industry.”

Reached by phone, Zeledon is simply a K-pop instrumentality who has kept tabs connected Samuel since his Seventeen trainee days; she is besides a kid of migrant parents.”Representation is truthful important, because beingness and visibility are not nan aforesaid thing,” she says.

In nan lead-up to nan album’s release, Samuel posted photos and videos of himself arsenic a young child. In one, his dada holds him up arsenic a baby, dressed successful all-white pinch a tam hat. Though Samuel says nan EP is not an on-the-nose tribute to nan elder Arredondo, his tone resonates done nan lyrics of nan poignant downtempo track, “Never Say Goodbye.”

“Gritos que yo sé/Que llegan hasta El Cielo/Gotitas en el suelo/Y se maine cae el mundo entero,” he sings. (“Cries that I know/Reach each nan measurement to Heaven/Little drops connected nan ground/And my full world comes crashing down.”)

“I utilized to perceive to a batch of Spanish euphony while I was increasing up … I utilized to eat a batch of Mexican nutrient too,” he says. “While I was successful nan workplace past year, I had [this] large vision: [‘What if] I bring backmost my roots and conscionable beryllium nan existent maine and telephone this medium “Samuelito?”’ It conscionable felt fresh.”

Samuel started songwriting and producing for himself successful nan making of “Now.” On his caller album, only 3 writers are credited, including himself — which is somewhat of a rarity these days successful K-pop. One of them is Canadian Mexican singer-songwriter Andrea Rocha.

From her caller location successful L.A., Rocha said nan main extremity was to seamlessly blend 2 chopped philharmonic cultures. Although Samuel came to nan workplace pinch nan building for his songs already successful place, they worked connected melodies and penning successful Spanish together, since this was his first clip penning lyrics successful nan language.

Rocha says she was taken aback by Samuel’s professionalism. “I’d beryllium like, ‘Oh, what astir this melody?’ And past he would singing it perfectly,” she says. “I did inquire him astir his K-pop training, because it sounds really intense. I deliberation it shows really difficult he’s worked successful those years because he’s sewage each nan prima qualities. Compared to a batch of newer artists that I activity with, I’m like, ‘Ooh, they’ve [done] a batch of activity to get to that level.’”

These days, Samuel splits his clip betwixt Seoul and Los Angeles — erstwhile again calling Koreatown his imperishable home. He besides continues to walk clip pinch his dad’s broadside of nan family successful Bakersfield.

“I deliberation nan biggest point that I americium happy astir is getting backmost to my roots, wherever I started,” says Samuel.