K-pop singer Samuel honors his Latino roots with flair in new EP 'Samuelito'

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

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

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

Though helium didn’t marque the cut, helium remained adjacent with the members and helped constitute lyrics for their 10-year day album. Just past week, helium filmed a creation situation with singer-MC Mingyu for the reggaeton-infused popular fig “Zigi Zigi Zigi” — the pb 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 fractional of a short-lived hip-hop duo, 1Punch. (He was Punch, the different kid was One.)

In 2017 helium competed connected the 2nd play of Produce 101, a globally fashionable Korean contention franchise, wherever helium made it to the penultimate occurrence earlier the debut of the radical Wanna One. That aforesaid year, helium released his archetypal solo album, “Sixteen,” afloat showcasing his outstanding creation ability, youthful swagger and velvety tenor.

Yet earlier helium could yet marque headway, helium suffered a devastating loss.

Samuel’s father, José Arredondo, who came to the U.S. from Michoacán arsenic a child, died tragically successful a 2019 lawsuit that made nationalist and section headlines. After having spent years isolated from his begetter portion surviving successful Korea, Samuel spent prime clip with him soon earlier his death.

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

The nonaccomplishment of his begetter was made much harrowing erstwhile the quality went public, Samuel recalls implicit a Zoom interrogation from Seoul, wherever helium is promoting his caller album.

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

In the aftermath, Samuel went nether the radar — but aft a twelvemonth oregon two, helium started to pave a mode forward. After getting retired of the declaration with his erstwhile label, and with the enactment of his mother, helium launched his ain company, Samuel Music Group.

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

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

Singing successful Spanish for the archetypal time, helium tells me, to euphony helium 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 the future, helium dreams of moving with genre-spanning Latino popular artists who crossed implicit culturally, similar Selena Gomez, Camila Cabello and Rauw Alejandro.

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

Wrote Liz Zeledon, from Oceanside: “As a Korean-Nicaraguan who grew up with vulnerability to some cultures, I emotion proceeding Latin influences successful K-pop… Korean Latines are truthful underrepresented successful the 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, due to the fact that beingness and visibility are not the aforesaid thing,” she says.

In the lead-up to the 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 with a tam hat. Though Samuel says the EP is not an on-the-nose tribute to the elder Arredondo, his tone resonates done the lyrics of the 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,” helium sings. (“Cries that I know/Reach each the mode to Heaven/Little drops connected the ground/And my full satellite comes crashing down.”)

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

Samuel started songwriting and producing for himself successful the making of “Now.” On his caller album, lone 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 the main extremity was to seamlessly blend 2 chiseled philharmonic cultures. Although Samuel came to the workplace with the operation for his songs already successful place, they worked connected melodies and penning successful Spanish together, since this was his archetypal clip penning lyrics successful the language.

Rocha says she was taken aback by Samuel’s professionalism. “I’d beryllium like, ‘Oh, what astir this melody?’ And past helium would sing it perfectly,” she says. “I did inquire him astir his K-pop training, due to the fact that it sounds truly intense. I deliberation it shows however hard he’s worked successful those years due to the fact that he’s got each the prima qualities. Compared to a batch of newer artists that I enactment with, I’m like, ‘Ooh, they’ve [done] a batch of enactment 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 with his dad’s broadside of the household successful Bakersfield.

“I deliberation the biggest happening that I americium blessed astir is getting backmost to my roots, wherever I started,” says Samuel.