August 18, 2020 • 35 mins
Singer, songwriter, and theatrically trained actress Jennifer Chung always knew she wanted a career in the arts. After going viral on YouTube, she landed an opportunity to go to Korea to pursue her artistic career, but things took a different direction when once again social media got her noticed. Jennifer talks with Esther about how she found her way to Atlanta's K-Town, why she chose to focus on pop/R&B music instead of K-Pop, and her life as a working artist.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is amazing. Frying chicken all morning, girl, I smell
like fried chicken right now. Wait, this is an honor.
What the heck? This is amazing. Oh my gosh, I
made it today. I meet it this morning. Hey guys,
welcome to get down with Kaytown. It's your host Esther Troy.
(00:24):
As a part of season one, I visited three locations
that I have a strong Korean American community, and one
of the cities that I chose was Atlanta. Of course,
when it comes to Atlanta, I had to talk to
my good friend and graphic designer Jeane Kill chat out
to Jean, who actually designed this show's logo. Jean grew
up in Atlanta's Kay Town, so I had to ask
her to introduce me to some great talent in the area,
(00:47):
and she immediately said that I must meet Jennifer Chung.
And of course I've heard of Jennifer. Jennifer is a
multi hyphenit artist who is a singer, songwriter and theatrically
trained actress who went viral on YouTube. Years for social
media influencers came to exist, but because of this early
on engagement with social media, it changed her life course
(01:07):
both professionally and personally wait till you hear about how
she met her husband, because it's crazy. I sat down
with Jennifer and discussed her life career and why she
chose to perform American music over K pop. She relocated
Atlanta seven years ago and now considers herself an honorary
eight Alien. I was born in Korea. Moved to the
(01:28):
Bay Area with my family actually because my dad got
a radio job and he was going to be a
host for this Korean program. So we ended up moving
and lived in the Bay and um that was home
and until I graduated high school, and then I moved
to u C Irvine, Irvine to go to school as
a theater major there, and then I lived in Kaytown
for had been in l A. Of course it's so
(01:49):
now I live in old kay Town in Atlanta. So
I just can't stay away, of course you can. I mean,
how can you stay away from kay Town? I can't.
So California most of your life and you come from
a family background of all musicians, right, can you talk
a little bit about that? How is that? So it's
an artistic life? Like my dad was technically a comedian first,
(02:11):
and but the thing is with his comedy. He played
a guitar while doing it set and then from there
he became a singer okay in Korea. In Korea, and
my mom was actually a dance teacher. Um, she grew
up doing modern dance. Um, so music was always playing
in her house. If not um my dad like practicing something,
would be my mom like moving to something. And when
(02:32):
we moved to the States, though, my mom taught Korean
traditional dance, so I grew up doing that. I did
a lot of like changchu, yeah, like drum dance. So
I actually have a tattoo of like the humbulk, which
is like the Korean traditional dress, and um the drum,
the Korean drum, just because this is like such a
big part of my life. And my grandma was a
(02:52):
dance teacher too, so basically our yeah, all we do
is like music and arts and that's what you know what.
I love. The Korean traditional dance. I actually was a
part of only for one semester because I couldn't handle
I was not that musical. So you know them with
that humble which is the traditional Korean totally the fan dance,
(03:15):
fan dance, that's so beautiful. So you did all that. Yeah,
I definitely did fan dance. Um. And then there's cutchium,
which is like with the knives. I wasn't very good
at that one with the sword, but yeah, the drum
was my bread and butter, okay. And your mom was
a teacher of this. Yeah, So if you're if you're
like a Korean girl and you grew up in the
(03:36):
Bay Area, you probably have been taught by my mom
a certain so she must be fierce and she is
very fierce and scary because I always remember the leaders
of the Korean traditional dance, like the Puma pant they
were really like intense, very strict, very strict, and it's
all about like the totally stuff. Yeah, I was. I
was taught like at a very young age. Like even
(03:57):
if you're a day older than me or one millisecond
bolder than me, you're a new or but you know,
and you have to like speak like this and low key. Though,
Like my mom was fierce to me too. I remember
like I couldn't do like a two step or something,
and she let me know that that was not okay.
Was she also like your music teacher, Like did she
teach your piano and stuff like that or no solely dance.
(04:19):
So it's fun funny because my parents split when I
was really young, when I was six years old, and
my dad moved back to Korea. But it's I had
an affinity for music, even though like my dad wasn't
really around to teach me that. Maybe it was because
my mom was always playing music, but I felt like
it was in a way finding my own thing. And
then when I got into acting, doing theater productions even
in high school, I really felt like that was like
(04:39):
my own thing. So to be able to marry music
with acting, it's still something familiar. And with musical productions
you do have to dance sometimes too and do choreography.
So it's it's been a my own lane that I
can create for myself. I feel like musical talent is genetic.
I mean yeah, I mean I think honestly, I feel
(05:00):
all Koreans have something about us were music just like
pierces through our hearts. And I think that's why there's
a lot of great Korean vocalists because you know, our
han like the feeling that we have, the way we
sing songs and the way that it moves us, like
there's no way but if we're going to sing it.
We're going to sing it to the top of our lungs.
It's very emotional. It's very emotional. So for our listeners, Han,
(05:22):
do you want to describe what a han is? I mean,
I feel like there's so many ways we could describe it,
but I like to say it's kind of like our
pride but also of our pain, but it could also
it's like a fire in us that could be used
for good or evil. Koreans have been through a lot,
so we have this like fierce energy about us and
we like to call it han and it comes from
like almost anger to write. But it's just a very
(05:46):
emotional thing. And you're right, and music is, you know,
probably the most emotional language where everyone can understand, Like
you don't need to understand like the words that are
being said, but just the tone and like the breasts,
like all of it. I totally agree. So I want
to go through your life as a performance artist. How
was it growing up as an Asian because you know, yeah,
(06:09):
usually our parents are not really supportive of that, but
you know, our parents were performance artists, So how was
that growing up with parents? So it was different? I mean,
it's you know when you know nothing but that you
think of that as a norm. But I think my
parents always wanted me to do what made me happy.
But because my mom was a single mom, and like
(06:31):
being a dance teacher in the Bay Area, like to
make a living and raising two kids, it's hard. You
and your brother were raised by your mom, Yes, we
were raised by our mother, And I just saw how,
like financially it is really hard for us, Like I
was probably one of the few Korean kids that grew
up on food stamps, you know. But there's also something
about being a teacher of like our culture, to our community.
(06:52):
We still felt taken care of in terms of like
people inviting us to things. But it gave me the
strength to work harder and also make a very conscious
decision if I'm going to pursue art, I have to
be very disciplined at homes because we always had to
go sick a bad friends because it's so hard. It's
(07:16):
not even about your talent, it's about your grit and
it's consistency. So um I grew up doing Korean traditional
dance and being on stage, so I feel like the
stage is not an unfamiliar place for me, and it's
been that practice of just always being able to perform
in front of people, improv do all these things um
and in a way my safe place because you get
(07:39):
to play a part in a way, even when you're
performing a song, like you don't have to have your
heartbroken to sing a song about heartbreak, but of course
if you experience it and live life a little bit,
then it feels that much more authentic. Which is the
balance that I've had to find of Yeah, I gotta work, work, work,
got to do to do. But there's been a time
like even when I first moved to Atlanta, the first
three or four years, I wasn't doing anything creative. I
(08:00):
really thought it was like past me. Like I was
just like, okay, it's been. It was a good it
was a good run. I'll see what else I can do.
But were you like working a different job or did
you have a different career. So, like long story short,
with my husband, like he and I met on Instagram.
So I was in Korea at the time. I had
reunited with my dad after ten years, a lot of reconciliation.
I didn't know I have to do, I had to do.
(08:21):
I went to Korea because I had a singing opportunity
and I was going to get signed as an indie
artist there. But my husband was working at a recording
studio here and he found my YouTube video here Inta
in Atlanta, and he found my YouTube video of singing
and he started supporting me online. And then January he
liked to pick Draw on Instagram. I checked him out
because I'm like, oh, he's Korean, maybe I know him.
(08:42):
I don't know him, but he's super cute. But also
in Atlanta, I don't I've never been there, but we
connected that week, started talking online, and um, a month
later I flew to Atlanta. Didn't know this guy. I
flew here a month later, Yeah, and we met, We
got engaged that yeah, and then um, three months later
(09:02):
we got married on that incredible Wait, so you met
you legit met your husband a month later after meeting
on Instagram? First, yes, then like engaged, got engaged him,
and then just married him. Yes, all within like three months. Yeah,
so technically January talk, February, engaged, April, got married, moved
(09:23):
to Atlanta. That is like insanely, it's really crazy. I
don't recommend it, but it worked out for us, really,
it did. Wait why don't you recommend, because it's a
lot of heartache and heart work, because it's not just
about the heart ache of like the toughness of like
being in a relationship with someone you barely know, but
leaving everything you know, you know, like especially being from California,
(09:45):
you don't think you're gonna live anywhere else. But Atlanta
has been such a gift to me. And like the
timing of me being here because of my career doing
music and doing acting. Um, it's all god sent. Because
even when I went to Korea, I made one friend,
one friend that was in Atlanta in the like singing
opportunity that I had was like a singing show, and
he was from Atlanta and he just happened to know
(10:05):
my husband when because he's from Atlanta. And I asked
him just like you know, just in general, like hey,
what do you need this guy? And he's like, oh,
he's a good guy. And because that guy said yeah,
I was like, Okay, this is like the co sign.
This is like the most modern love story ever. I
love it. I love it. So essentially you married your fan.
I don't know, that's a weird thing. Like he's not
(10:27):
even like a huge YouTube watcher anything like that. Yeah,
he was just getting into videography and with his background
doing audio engineer and he does music production, raps and everything,
he was looking into making YouTube videos. And for me,
like after high school, I started posting YouTube videos in
two thousands seven, which is very early. It was very early.
(10:48):
No one was doing YouTube to become YouTube famous. This
was like years ago. Yeah, it was a long time ago,
and I was just in my bedroom and I had
moved to a different city from like my hometown. I
was like, okay, I even missed my friends and they
would be like, oh, can you sing like a video
and posted online. We just miss here and you sing.
That's how it started. You were just like, okay, you
did it for your friends. Yeah, I did it for
(11:09):
exactly And then I like people would randomly start watching
my YouTube videos and start making requests. I was like, oh,
this is kind of fun. And one day my Alicia
Keys cover went viral. Back then, it was a big deal.
And it wasn't even because they thought I was good.
It was more like, check out this Asian girl singing
Alicia Keys. You got like four million views on that video. Yes, yes,
and it's super basic. It's authentic and nowadays, like YouTube
(11:33):
videos are very overly produced, which I appreciate, like there's
a lot of time and creativity that goes into it.
But I think as a vocalist, like you just want
to know does this singer have the ability to just
sing live? And I think that's the practice that I've had,
whether it was on stage or making YouTube videos, where
I was just like, press record, let's just go for it.
So YouTube change your life. It really did. It really
(11:56):
did for mainly for the better because I met my
husband through it. It that's one major point. Obviously you
became an influencer through YouTube essentially. Yeah, and back then,
like there was no Instagram or anything, so there wasn't
even that word influencer. And back then you couldn't even
monetize off of videos, so I wasn't like making money
off of this. But it was a great time because
(12:16):
I was just getting into college and I had opportunities
to perform like at different universities for Asian American clubs,
because for them, there's no representation of singers that they
can look up to besides K pop or you know,
any music that's from abroad, So for them to see
someone who looked like them, who sang in English. And
I started writing original music when I was seventeen, when
(12:39):
when I met my dorm mate and we started making
original music and I would perform that. So Monday through
Thursday I'd beat at school doing work, and then Friday
I'd fly out to the university somewhere in the US.
Saturday I'd performed, and then Sunday I'd come back. And
that was like my schedule following in the not falling
up o m hm, each of us not done in
(13:07):
the Crown. So you were like that true Korean American
that was really influencing the way people were wanting to
become performance artists as well as a Korean American. You
only know there's no real Korean American singers right right
(13:28):
right yeah? And then and you know that there are
Kreine Americans who have gone to Korea and like killed it,
you know, doing really well in the K pop scene.
But for me, I just knew that it wasn't for me.
I don't know if it's I mean, I'm sure it's
a lot of influence because my dad was in the
cream music industry, and even him, like he wasn't like
super gung ho about me going into the K pop industry.
I think he knew how people were being treated. I'm
(13:48):
sure things have gotten a lot better. Did you want
to or did you? Did you think about it totally?
Um when I was growing because you know, you think
like that's the only way. You think that's the only way,
so let me maybe try. So. I when I was
starting high school, maybe like eighth grade before that, I
had auditioned and I was supposed to train with SM,
and my dad was like, do you want to do it?
(14:09):
And I was in care I was in America at
the time, and I decided, like, I'm going to go
to high school. So SM Entertainment back then was like
the hottest entertainment group. That was where HUT was born.
SyES yeah, but can't so that's amazing. So you were like, no,
I want to go to high school instead and be
(14:31):
what normal? You know, I understood the high school such
a pinnacle moment in your life and I but there
must have been something that strayed you away from making
that decision. I think it's the pressures of knowing that
I would have to become a certain way either I
have to sing songs that I may not be really
into or I may have to change the way I
(14:52):
look drastically, not just losing weight, but like being told
that I have to look a certain way and starve yourself. Yes, yes,
because you know when I visited my dad in Korea
every so often when I was younger, like, um, he
would send me to like um, some of the training
k pop training, hogwings or schools, just so I could
try it out. But I know that they treated me
(15:13):
still a little better knowing that my dad was who
he was, just because he's in the industry, you know,
with the hierarchy of like you said, like humbiz who
biz and all that stuff. But I could tell that
some of these people, you know, they were so talented,
but um, it's a hard life and I wanted to
figure out who I was more so. And when I
(15:33):
look back on it now, I'm like, I don't know
if I would have written the songs that I have
and had the opportunities to really go into theater and
be a multi hyphen itt and like try these different
things if you were trained to be a because it's
it's very intense, like it's almost like a camp. Yeah,
it is. You could be super talented and who knows
why they cut you? And then what and then what?
(15:54):
You're like broken and you just can't do anything anymore.
But you know when you were saying like starving yourself,
like that's a real thing. Like I have struggled so
much with the way that I look, not just because
I'm a woman, but also on top of that being
Korean and on top of that, like being having parents
that are artists, and on top of that being in
that industry and you're constantly in front of the camera
(16:15):
or the people's eyes. And I've dealt with that even
on YouTube, people saying things about like my weight, like
oh you've gained weight. Oh you've experiences at a very
early age, So early I was seventeen years old, not
knowing what I was even doing with YouTube, and then um,
it was fun because it's like a thing that I
could do besides like being in school and like kind
of like enjoy myself. But when it started becoming very competitive,
(16:38):
I realized like, oh wait, this is not what I
signed up for, and I couldn't handle it. And I
think it's also because I needed time to develop my
worth and not get validation from people who don't know me. Also,
it's like your music is your music. It shouldn't be
based off of the way you look right, right, But
so much of the Korean pop industry is that, unfortunately,
(17:01):
and it's like perfection, you know, like every unattainable perfection.
And I know people that are in the industry and
they have to do like really drastic measures to look
the way that they do. And I respect them so
much for their grind and their commitment to their craft
because it is an art. But I don't know if
it's the art form for me. That was your background.
You decided not to go into kate pop, that wasn't
(17:22):
for you, so you're like, Okay, I'm going to do
my own thing and figure out what I want to do. Yeah,
I've had my ups and downs of like you know,
I was very blessed to have people who wanted to
manage me, but at the same time, like I don't
know if the industry was ready for someone like me
because even now, like we still aren't seeing Korean American singers. Right.
(17:43):
So it was earlier on, but I had the opportunity
to record my first album and um, but it was
actually in l A and I was living in kay Town,
and I had graduated school early because I really wanted
to pursue music, so I wasn't even focusing on acting.
I did maybe a few productions in college, but I
didn't even consider that because of the focus is music.
(18:05):
But when I like worked on my album and all
these things, like, I I don't know it was. It
was just I didn't know myself well enough to have
strong opinions and whatever people said, I was like, Okay, yeah, sure,
Like I wanted to be accommodaing to them because I'm like,
you're helping my dreams come true. But I was your
(18:26):
first album, yeah exactly. And it's so important for you
to know, like what you like or what you don't like.
But if you want to know that, you all kind
of live life. And I felt like I was growing
up in front of everyone because I was on YouTube
since I was seventeen, and I needed to take a break,
and I just knew that. My circumstances were hard because
once I graduated college, my mom was like, well, you're
(18:47):
not coming back home with me. There's no space. So
I had to work all these odd jobs in l A.
I worked at a restaurant, I worked at an ice
cream shop, and I worked at a salon where I
was just a receptionist, all while recording my first album.
So this is all retail jobs that you you had
just to support yourself for your dream. Yes, And I
(19:07):
thought I needed to get part time jobs so that
I could have the flexibility of doing shows. So like,
let's say I'd be working a like an hourly job,
making like nine to twelve dollars an hour, and then
I do a gig and make a few grand, you know,
and it would just be like a thirty minute performance.
So my view of money was so crazy because there's
no consistency with music. But it was stable to have
(19:29):
like a part time job, of course, and it was rough,
and I thought, like, this isn't the life for me.
I always say when I lived in l A. K Town,
like there was a dark cloud following me. I mean,
it's that lifestyle, right, and in l A. A lot
of people are trying to do it and that grind
that you have, but you just have to be sure
of yourself, right, But it's really hard, I'm sure. Yeah,
(19:50):
And I think I was grateful that I made friends
with people who truly loved me for me, and when
I left to go to Korea for that singing opportunity,
it was really just like a savor I had to
grab on because I was I felt like I was
dying in l A. So what was the singeing opportunity
in Korea? Because you were technically an American, right right?
(20:10):
So I had an opportunity to be on a show
called Superstar k oh I show and competition show. Yeah,
and that's the thing, Like, I'm not a competitive person.
I don't know why I went for it, but I
do because I was so broken. I just needed something.
And they're like, look, if you just do it, like
we'll give you a flight there and back, just experience it.
And I was like, all right, that's fine because honestly,
in the States it's just me, my mom my brother.
(20:32):
I was like, if I could get to see all
my family members, it'll be a good time. And so
I went and I ended up getting kicked off like
pretty early on. But you know, they try to egg
you on, like to cry and feel something, but I
was like, Hella not crying. I was like, bro, I'm
like in Korea, like this is so good, Like it's
so much either to eat food here too. Like, I
was just happy to not be in the dark cloud anymore.
And I ended up reuniting with my dad and like
(20:53):
learning who he was as an adult and not letting
the things that my mom experienced or the things that
she said dictate my relationship with him, and like faith
is a big part of my life, and I just
needed to know that. I didn't even know I had
to forgive him for anything. And you know, people who
don't grow up with their father, they might say, like, oh,
she has daddy issues. The thing is like, I didn't
(21:15):
even know who my dad was. I didn't know what
life was like with a dad, so I didn't know
what it was. All I knew was like, I don't know,
he's just a guy named dad. Um. But to figure
out who he was and learn how similar I can
be with him. Um. But yeah, I was in Korea
and um. I ended up meeting with like publishers there
and they wanted to release my album again actually in Korean, um,
(21:37):
the album that I had created in America. So did
you end up doing that too? So I was in
the works, but then I met my husband in Korea.
I was in Korea on Instagram oh, you were in
Korea when you met him. Yes, I was in Korea.
I moved to Atlanta after we got married. So what
is new? Just waiting and que It's hard to Everything
(22:05):
happened very quickly. But once I met him, I was like,
you know, I could take a break from Korea, and
I was like, I think I need to meet him.
So I just put it on Instagram. No, not Instagram,
put on Facebook, like, is there anyone that could get
me a cheap flight to America. I used someone's buddy
pass and I was able to stop by the Bay
Area and I saw my mom before I met my husband.
Well that back then, he was a stranger that I
(22:27):
really liked because I was like, what is he going
to come to Korea and kill me? No, but I
was going to Atlanta to get killed. No. But um,
I met my mom. I met with my mom, and
he flew me out to Atlanta and that was the
first time we met in person. That week we got engaged.
And then three months later, I wait, how how did that? Like?
Did he ask you? Like a week later It's like,
I know, I only knew you for five days, but
(22:47):
would you know we got into our first fight and
it was it would be a foreshadow of like how
we work together, Like it's hard to work together, but
when we do finish something, it's awesome. But we were
working on music and just not getting along, and then
he decided to just do his own thing, and he
told me, like when he gets mad, he needs his space,
and I was glad to give him that space. But
then I wrote him a letter and just telling him
(23:07):
I'm thankful to have met him and like for this
opportunity even though we've gone to fight. And I went
to sleep, and then he woke me up and asked
me to marry him. Wow, yeah, no ring, So y'all
like if your man can't give you a ring, it's okay.
Like I mean, I feel like if you know you know,
yeah right, And we're broke. So we were like, it's okay,
(23:27):
we'll be broke together. So I have a song that
we wrote and it's called Broke If You're wrong, lest
to it and it's the story of our our love. Yeah,
we're still broken, never broke in flash it things can
get the stressing from what's happening with them, was still happy.
It doesn't even were that's incredible. So you you moved
(23:54):
over to Atlanta and decided you're going to just like
leave everything behind and just start this new light all
over from scratch. And I didn't know anyone except for
that one guy that I met on the Singing Show.
But like, I just felt like I moved for love
because something I prayed for more than my music career
(24:16):
was to meet a man of God that I could
have a relationship with. Because I didn't see a functional relationship.
I thought that was more unattainable than having a music career.
And I met my man and we had a lot
to work through. And I'm a community person, so I
didn't want to just create music on my own. I
need to find people I could work with. UM. But
that took time, and I worked a lot of odd jobs,
(24:37):
like I worked that lou Lemon and I thought I
was going to do that for a long time. UM.
But while I was there, I had another opportunity to
go on the Voice, And this was when I wasn't
doing anything. They just reached out to me and they
were like, look, you don't even have to do like
the auditions auditions before the auditions, like you'll just go
straight to blinds and you know, they pay for you
to be there, and I was like, you know, like
what what if I got to lose I'm not even
(24:57):
doing was that in l A? Yeah, So they flew
me out to l A and I was surrounded by
all these musicians and they all believe they have what
it takes. And I felt like God was challenging me,
like you know, you have this platform of people waiting
for you to release music, like are you just going
to squander it. That's when I decided, like I'm not
done with music yet and um but even after that,
like finances right, like you would be responsible. So I
(25:18):
worked at a nine to five. I was working at
a startup and at the same time, my agency reached
out to me, my acting agency, and um I ended
up signing with them. So all of these opportunities happened
very kind of randomly, these people reaching out to you, yes,
meaning it's like that's what you're meant to do. Seriously
sometimes like people God knows me, and like I don't
(25:40):
want to be a try hard I want to work hard,
but I don't want to try hard right, like I
need to know like this is a sign, like I'm
supposed to do this. How are these people finding you
through your YouTube channel? Yeah, I think for the voices,
definitely YouTube. Maybe someone passed along my video for my
acting agency. They were actually considering maybe like starting like
an influencers department. And I didn't even consider myself an
(26:01):
influencer because not like my Instagram's at popping, but just
because of what they saw online they called me and
I was like, hey, like, I actually studied theater. I
would love to be representing TV and film and commercial
and I sing. So I auditioned for them, and that
influences department never happened, but they signed me. So on
on top of me working my nine to five at
a startup, I was auditioning for random companies and so um,
(26:24):
there's a thing called industrials, which is like internal stuff
like could be like HR videos or like conference videos
that only like the workers or company see. So I've
been in a lot of things you've never seen, but
I've definitely been seeing like a pickup in the last
quarter of me auditioning more for a TV and film,
which has been really cool. And do you think it's
the up and coming of Asian Americans in industry because
(26:45):
I think like they want to find people, but they
don't know how to. But I think sometimes you need
to do so much work yourself so that it's easy
for them to find you. Yeah, like you put you,
you have to put yourself. You af there and obviously
you have a very specific talent. And if if there's
anything that coul differentiate me, it's that, Like, yeah, I
was a vocalist first, and the music is what got
me into watching Disney and like doing musicals and setting
(27:08):
myself up for success. So I always tell people, like,
if you want to do this, just keep working on
your craft even if no one's watching, because there's going
to be a day the door opens and you have
to walk through it. And when you walk through it,
you got to show them what you got. Otherwise I'll
tell you to leave. Have cool and pain. I just
want to talk about started entertainment, right. Yeah, So we're
(27:30):
we do like content media. Were a creative content agency.
So my husband does photo video because he has an
audio engineering background, Like he creates his own production music
production for shoots that we do too, and I help
with social media accounts for our clients and help produce content.
How long have you been at it? Three years? Three years.
(27:51):
So once I left my nine to five, I got
my first client just from someone reaching out to me.
And UM, since then, I've been working with a couple
of them for three years and I do like one
off projects and help my husband when it comes to
producing shoots. And you guys just started a podcast too, Yeah,
we did about it. Yeah, it's called watts Cast podcast.
It's really just to highlight some of the the amazing
(28:14):
people that we've met here in Atlanta. We can't help
but discuss our Asian American experience and what that looks like.
But I think even for my husband, like when he
goes onto these shoots, like there's not a lot of
people that look like him, He's a Korean guy, and
UM to be able to break through, but also encourage
like the next generation, like you might be that one,
but you could be that one that really inspires other
(28:35):
people to hire people that look like you. Um. I
feel that being on set and like being like the
only Asian girl or even going to auditions and being
the only Asian girl. And if I'm going to do
anything great for our community, it's to do my best,
not just for me, but for people to be like, hey,
that girl is pretty good. Like we should call in
more Asians really, and like, you know, if you want
to see representation, like you can't just think about yourself really,
(28:58):
I know, like the group, there's that drive of like
I want to be that one person, but it's like no,
then what's the point because you don't get to celebrate
with your people. That is right, Well, I can't wait
to listen to your podcast. We have people who aren't
Asian American on as well, um, but we just can't
help but discuss and share what our experience is compared
to theirs. We love highlighting other Asian Americans and like
what they're up to in Atlanta, because I mean, the
(29:20):
South is so talented, but it's definitely not like l
A or New York where there's been like generations and
generations of Koreans or the new generation. Yeah we are,
and like we're setting a precedent. So it's good to
kind of like get together and be like, hey, you
do this, you do that, Like let's work and people
have to just be unafraid of the work. Would you
share like a little tiny bit of music live? Yes,
(29:44):
So this one's I know I should call I know
I should call before very good at all? Oh, I
should call before it all? I know that I should,
I should should should I know that A shoot, I
(30:10):
know that ash call before. I regret it all? Thank you?
Oh my god, how amazing was that your voice? Thank you?
My god, I just got the chills. I love it.
Thank you, You're amazing, You're amazing. Thank you so much
for doing that. Did you did you? Did you know
that I was gonna like that? Which one can? I do?
(30:31):
That is straightforward? See, that's when you know you're a
true performance artist, like on the spot. But I have
a surprise for you. I was frying chicken all morning. Okay,
so you're ready to eat some chicken? I am ready.
I was born ready because this is amazing. Frying chicken
all morning, girl, I smelled like I smell like fried
(30:52):
chicken right now. Wait, this is an honor? What the heck?
This is amazing. Oh my gosh, you've made it today.
I meet it this morning and we don't even have
to reheat it because I literally so good. You don't understand.
I might cry actually, so I hope you enjoy it. Oh,
(31:13):
I can't wait. This is crazy. You don't understand how
much I wanted to eat your food. Oh my god,
and it's it's starting with this. Can I eat it? Yeah? Please? Please?
So crispy I hear it. Oh my gosh, you could
taste the marinade or whatever she did, this magic within
(31:37):
the chicken. It's sweet but savory. Oh, this scallions so good.
It's called young Young chicken. I love fried chicken, honestly.
The sauce is what makes it's so different and unique.
(32:02):
Is this still crispy? It's also the batter that makes
it unique. It's a very thin, light batter that stays
crispy for hours. And that's like the most important part
of fried chicken. Like, if your Korean fried chicken is
getting soggy within like thirty minutes or an hour, then
you're not making it right. This is so good. I'm
so sorry that you you can't taste this right now. Jennifer,
(32:31):
what's your first memory of Korean fried chicken? My grandma, grandma,
my grandma. Um. What I love about fried chicken is
whenever I would visit Korea, You're supposed to be hanging
out with your dad because my dad lives in Korea,
but we would always end up staying with my grandma,
my mom's side, and one of my favorite things was
(32:53):
to order the fried chicken, the young Young chicken, and
my grandma taught me not to ever leave anything on
the bone, so you have to eat it clear, is
like the ligaments and stuff, like, I'll eat it very clear, yeah,
because you can't leave it, you know. And I just
love that it was something we could all enjoy together.
And I knew that it was a good day because
(33:13):
you know, usually your grandma cooks for you. But to
be able to just order something and enjoy it together,
it just felt like a tree. Also, Korean fried chicken
delivery in Korea is a very special experience and I
have that with my family too. It's always like chicken payther,
Like you're not going to make that at home, you
know what I mean. And I don't like you just
can't replicate the taste, like the taste of this at
like regular fried chicken places in America. I mean, it's
(33:36):
it's not it's just like a completely different thing. And
that's why it's so hot. Yeah, And like because of
how like decadent the taste can be, Like the panchen
that comes with it just tastes that much better and
it's like really refreshing. Sorry I didn't make you the chicken, no,
but this is so good. You have no idea. I
might cry. Actually, Jennifer is going to cry and finish
(34:00):
her bucket of chicken that I made her. Where can
we find you? If you just look up Jennifer chunk
can find me on the first page Google. That worked.
I worked really hard for that. Um But on Instagram,
YouTube b allow, this stub is Jennifer J Chung c
h U n G. Yeah, follow me and like listen
to me on Spotify, Apple Music, all the platforms because
I'm constantly coming out with music. Yeah, really great music
than you amazing. You have an incredible voice. Thank you
(34:22):
so much for joining Jennifer today than for me, oh
my gosh always and that's our show. Thanks for listening.
If you like what you heard, please subscribe and leave
us a five star review. Get Down with Kaytown is
a production of I Heart Radio and was created by
our executive producer, Christopher Haspiotis and me as their toy
(34:42):
Follow me on all social media at toy bites, and
I'd also like to thank our producer, editor and mixer
Marcie to Pina. For more podcasts from I heart Radio,
visit the I heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever
you listen to your favorite shows.
This is amazing. Frying chicken all morning, girl, I smell
like fried chicken right now. Wait, this is an honor.
What the heck? This is amazing. Oh my gosh, I
made it today. I meet it this morning. Hey guys,
welcome to get down with Kaytown. It's your host Esther Troy.
(00:24):
As a part of season one, I visited three locations
that I have a strong Korean American community, and one
of the cities that I chose was Atlanta. Of course,
when it comes to Atlanta, I had to talk to
my good friend and graphic designer Jeane Kill chat out
to Jean, who actually designed this show's logo. Jean grew
up in Atlanta's Kay Town, so I had to ask
her to introduce me to some great talent in the area,
(00:47):
and she immediately said that I must meet Jennifer Chung.
And of course I've heard of Jennifer. Jennifer is a
multi hyphenit artist who is a singer, songwriter and theatrically
trained actress who went viral on YouTube. Years for social
media influencers came to exist, but because of this early
on engagement with social media, it changed her life course
(01:07):
both professionally and personally wait till you hear about how
she met her husband, because it's crazy. I sat down
with Jennifer and discussed her life career and why she
chose to perform American music over K pop. She relocated
Atlanta seven years ago and now considers herself an honorary
eight Alien. I was born in Korea. Moved to the
(01:28):
Bay Area with my family actually because my dad got
a radio job and he was going to be a
host for this Korean program. So we ended up moving
and lived in the Bay and um that was home
and until I graduated high school, and then I moved
to u C Irvine, Irvine to go to school as
a theater major there, and then I lived in Kaytown
for had been in l A. Of course it's so
(01:49):
now I live in old kay Town in Atlanta. So
I just can't stay away, of course you can. I mean,
how can you stay away from kay Town? I can't.
So California most of your life and you come from
a family background of all musicians, right, can you talk
a little bit about that? How is that? So it's
an artistic life? Like my dad was technically a comedian first,
(02:11):
and but the thing is with his comedy. He played
a guitar while doing it set and then from there
he became a singer okay in Korea. In Korea, and
my mom was actually a dance teacher. Um, she grew
up doing modern dance. Um, so music was always playing
in her house. If not um my dad like practicing something,
would be my mom like moving to something. And when
(02:32):
we moved to the States, though, my mom taught Korean
traditional dance, so I grew up doing that. I did
a lot of like changchu, yeah, like drum dance. So
I actually have a tattoo of like the humbulk, which
is like the Korean traditional dress, and um the drum,
the Korean drum, just because this is like such a
big part of my life. And my grandma was a
(02:52):
dance teacher too, so basically our yeah, all we do
is like music and arts and that's what you know what.
I love. The Korean traditional dance. I actually was a
part of only for one semester because I couldn't handle
I was not that musical. So you know them with
that humble which is the traditional Korean totally the fan dance,
(03:15):
fan dance, that's so beautiful. So you did all that. Yeah,
I definitely did fan dance. Um. And then there's cutchium,
which is like with the knives. I wasn't very good
at that one with the sword, but yeah, the drum
was my bread and butter, okay. And your mom was
a teacher of this. Yeah, So if you're if you're
like a Korean girl and you grew up in the
(03:36):
Bay Area, you probably have been taught by my mom
a certain so she must be fierce and she is
very fierce and scary because I always remember the leaders
of the Korean traditional dance, like the Puma pant they
were really like intense, very strict, very strict, and it's
all about like the totally stuff. Yeah, I was. I
was taught like at a very young age. Like even
(03:57):
if you're a day older than me or one millisecond
bolder than me, you're a new or but you know,
and you have to like speak like this and low key. Though,
Like my mom was fierce to me too. I remember
like I couldn't do like a two step or something,
and she let me know that that was not okay.
Was she also like your music teacher, Like did she
teach your piano and stuff like that or no solely dance.
(04:19):
So it's fun funny because my parents split when I
was really young, when I was six years old, and
my dad moved back to Korea. But it's I had
an affinity for music, even though like my dad wasn't
really around to teach me that. Maybe it was because
my mom was always playing music, but I felt like
it was in a way finding my own thing. And
then when I got into acting, doing theater productions even
in high school, I really felt like that was like
(04:39):
my own thing. So to be able to marry music
with acting, it's still something familiar. And with musical productions
you do have to dance sometimes too and do choreography.
So it's it's been a my own lane that I
can create for myself. I feel like musical talent is genetic.
I mean yeah, I mean I think honestly, I feel
(05:00):
all Koreans have something about us were music just like
pierces through our hearts. And I think that's why there's
a lot of great Korean vocalists because you know, our
han like the feeling that we have, the way we
sing songs and the way that it moves us, like
there's no way but if we're going to sing it.
We're going to sing it to the top of our lungs.
It's very emotional. It's very emotional. So for our listeners, Han,
(05:22):
do you want to describe what a han is? I mean,
I feel like there's so many ways we could describe it,
but I like to say it's kind of like our
pride but also of our pain, but it could also
it's like a fire in us that could be used
for good or evil. Koreans have been through a lot,
so we have this like fierce energy about us and
we like to call it han and it comes from
like almost anger to write. But it's just a very
(05:46):
emotional thing. And you're right, and music is, you know,
probably the most emotional language where everyone can understand, Like
you don't need to understand like the words that are
being said, but just the tone and like the breasts,
like all of it. I totally agree. So I want
to go through your life as a performance artist. How
was it growing up as an Asian because you know, yeah,
(06:09):
usually our parents are not really supportive of that, but
you know, our parents were performance artists, So how was
that growing up with parents? So it was different? I mean,
it's you know when you know nothing but that you
think of that as a norm. But I think my
parents always wanted me to do what made me happy.
But because my mom was a single mom, and like
(06:31):
being a dance teacher in the Bay Area, like to
make a living and raising two kids, it's hard. You
and your brother were raised by your mom, Yes, we
were raised by our mother, And I just saw how,
like financially it is really hard for us, Like I
was probably one of the few Korean kids that grew
up on food stamps, you know. But there's also something
about being a teacher of like our culture, to our community.
(06:52):
We still felt taken care of in terms of like
people inviting us to things. But it gave me the
strength to work harder and also make a very conscious
decision if I'm going to pursue art, I have to
be very disciplined at homes because we always had to
go sick a bad friends because it's so hard. It's
(07:16):
not even about your talent, it's about your grit and
it's consistency. So um I grew up doing Korean traditional
dance and being on stage, so I feel like the
stage is not an unfamiliar place for me, and it's
been that practice of just always being able to perform
in front of people, improv do all these things um
and in a way my safe place because you get
(07:39):
to play a part in a way, even when you're
performing a song, like you don't have to have your
heartbroken to sing a song about heartbreak, but of course
if you experience it and live life a little bit,
then it feels that much more authentic. Which is the
balance that I've had to find of Yeah, I gotta work, work, work,
got to do to do. But there's been a time
like even when I first moved to Atlanta, the first
three or four years, I wasn't doing anything creative. I
(08:00):
really thought it was like past me. Like I was
just like, okay, it's been. It was a good it
was a good run. I'll see what else I can do.
But were you like working a different job or did
you have a different career. So, like long story short,
with my husband, like he and I met on Instagram.
So I was in Korea at the time. I had
reunited with my dad after ten years, a lot of reconciliation.
I didn't know I have to do, I had to do.
(08:21):
I went to Korea because I had a singing opportunity
and I was going to get signed as an indie
artist there. But my husband was working at a recording
studio here and he found my YouTube video here Inta
in Atlanta, and he found my YouTube video of singing
and he started supporting me online. And then January he
liked to pick Draw on Instagram. I checked him out
because I'm like, oh, he's Korean, maybe I know him.
(08:42):
I don't know him, but he's super cute. But also
in Atlanta, I don't I've never been there, but we
connected that week, started talking online, and um, a month
later I flew to Atlanta. Didn't know this guy. I
flew here a month later, Yeah, and we met, We
got engaged that yeah, and then um, three months later
(09:02):
we got married on that incredible Wait, so you met
you legit met your husband a month later after meeting
on Instagram? First, yes, then like engaged, got engaged him,
and then just married him. Yes, all within like three months. Yeah,
so technically January talk, February, engaged, April, got married, moved
(09:23):
to Atlanta. That is like insanely, it's really crazy. I
don't recommend it, but it worked out for us, really,
it did. Wait why don't you recommend, because it's a
lot of heartache and heart work, because it's not just
about the heart ache of like the toughness of like
being in a relationship with someone you barely know, but
leaving everything you know, you know, like especially being from California,
(09:45):
you don't think you're gonna live anywhere else. But Atlanta
has been such a gift to me. And like the
timing of me being here because of my career doing
music and doing acting. Um, it's all god sent. Because
even when I went to Korea, I made one friend,
one friend that was in Atlanta in the like singing
opportunity that I had was like a singing show, and
he was from Atlanta and he just happened to know
(10:05):
my husband when because he's from Atlanta. And I asked
him just like you know, just in general, like hey,
what do you need this guy? And he's like, oh,
he's a good guy. And because that guy said yeah,
I was like, Okay, this is like the co sign.
This is like the most modern love story ever. I
love it. I love it. So essentially you married your fan.
I don't know, that's a weird thing. Like he's not
(10:27):
even like a huge YouTube watcher anything like that. Yeah,
he was just getting into videography and with his background
doing audio engineer and he does music production, raps and everything,
he was looking into making YouTube videos. And for me,
like after high school, I started posting YouTube videos in
two thousands seven, which is very early. It was very early.
(10:48):
No one was doing YouTube to become YouTube famous. This
was like years ago. Yeah, it was a long time ago,
and I was just in my bedroom and I had
moved to a different city from like my hometown. I
was like, okay, I even missed my friends and they
would be like, oh, can you sing like a video
and posted online. We just miss here and you sing.
That's how it started. You were just like, okay, you
did it for your friends. Yeah, I did it for
(11:09):
exactly And then I like people would randomly start watching
my YouTube videos and start making requests. I was like, oh,
this is kind of fun. And one day my Alicia
Keys cover went viral. Back then, it was a big deal.
And it wasn't even because they thought I was good.
It was more like, check out this Asian girl singing
Alicia Keys. You got like four million views on that video. Yes, yes,
and it's super basic. It's authentic and nowadays, like YouTube
(11:33):
videos are very overly produced, which I appreciate, like there's
a lot of time and creativity that goes into it.
But I think as a vocalist, like you just want
to know does this singer have the ability to just
sing live? And I think that's the practice that I've had,
whether it was on stage or making YouTube videos, where
I was just like, press record, let's just go for it.
So YouTube change your life. It really did. It really
(11:56):
did for mainly for the better because I met my
husband through it. It that's one major point. Obviously you
became an influencer through YouTube essentially. Yeah, and back then,
like there was no Instagram or anything, so there wasn't
even that word influencer. And back then you couldn't even
monetize off of videos, so I wasn't like making money
off of this. But it was a great time because
(12:16):
I was just getting into college and I had opportunities
to perform like at different universities for Asian American clubs,
because for them, there's no representation of singers that they
can look up to besides K pop or you know,
any music that's from abroad, So for them to see
someone who looked like them, who sang in English. And
I started writing original music when I was seventeen, when
(12:39):
when I met my dorm mate and we started making
original music and I would perform that. So Monday through
Thursday I'd beat at school doing work, and then Friday
I'd fly out to the university somewhere in the US.
Saturday I'd performed, and then Sunday I'd come back. And
that was like my schedule following in the not falling
up o m hm, each of us not done in
(13:07):
the Crown. So you were like that true Korean American
that was really influencing the way people were wanting to
become performance artists as well as a Korean American. You
only know there's no real Korean American singers right right
(13:28):
right yeah? And then and you know that there are
Kreine Americans who have gone to Korea and like killed it,
you know, doing really well in the K pop scene.
But for me, I just knew that it wasn't for me.
I don't know if it's I mean, I'm sure it's
a lot of influence because my dad was in the
cream music industry, and even him, like he wasn't like
super gung ho about me going into the K pop industry.
I think he knew how people were being treated. I'm
(13:48):
sure things have gotten a lot better. Did you want
to or did you? Did you think about it totally?
Um when I was growing because you know, you think
like that's the only way. You think that's the only way,
so let me maybe try. So. I when I was
starting high school, maybe like eighth grade before that, I
had auditioned and I was supposed to train with SM,
and my dad was like, do you want to do it?
(14:09):
And I was in care I was in America at
the time, and I decided, like, I'm going to go
to high school. So SM Entertainment back then was like
the hottest entertainment group. That was where HUT was born.
SyES yeah, but can't so that's amazing. So you were like, no,
I want to go to high school instead and be
(14:31):
what normal? You know, I understood the high school such
a pinnacle moment in your life and I but there
must have been something that strayed you away from making
that decision. I think it's the pressures of knowing that
I would have to become a certain way either I
have to sing songs that I may not be really
into or I may have to change the way I
(14:52):
look drastically, not just losing weight, but like being told
that I have to look a certain way and starve yourself. Yes, yes,
because you know when I visited my dad in Korea
every so often when I was younger, like, um, he
would send me to like um, some of the training
k pop training, hogwings or schools, just so I could
try it out. But I know that they treated me
(15:13):
still a little better knowing that my dad was who
he was, just because he's in the industry, you know,
with the hierarchy of like you said, like humbiz who
biz and all that stuff. But I could tell that
some of these people, you know, they were so talented,
but um, it's a hard life and I wanted to
figure out who I was more so. And when I
(15:33):
look back on it now, I'm like, I don't know
if I would have written the songs that I have
and had the opportunities to really go into theater and
be a multi hyphen itt and like try these different
things if you were trained to be a because it's
it's very intense, like it's almost like a camp. Yeah,
it is. You could be super talented and who knows
why they cut you? And then what and then what?
(15:54):
You're like broken and you just can't do anything anymore.
But you know when you were saying like starving yourself,
like that's a real thing. Like I have struggled so
much with the way that I look, not just because
I'm a woman, but also on top of that being
Korean and on top of that, like being having parents
that are artists, and on top of that being in
that industry and you're constantly in front of the camera
(16:15):
or the people's eyes. And I've dealt with that even
on YouTube, people saying things about like my weight, like
oh you've gained weight. Oh you've experiences at a very
early age, So early I was seventeen years old, not
knowing what I was even doing with YouTube, and then um,
it was fun because it's like a thing that I
could do besides like being in school and like kind
of like enjoy myself. But when it started becoming very competitive,
(16:38):
I realized like, oh wait, this is not what I
signed up for, and I couldn't handle it. And I
think it's also because I needed time to develop my
worth and not get validation from people who don't know me. Also,
it's like your music is your music. It shouldn't be
based off of the way you look right, right, But
so much of the Korean pop industry is that, unfortunately,
(17:01):
and it's like perfection, you know, like every unattainable perfection.
And I know people that are in the industry and
they have to do like really drastic measures to look
the way that they do. And I respect them so
much for their grind and their commitment to their craft
because it is an art. But I don't know if
it's the art form for me. That was your background.
You decided not to go into kate pop, that wasn't
(17:22):
for you, so you're like, Okay, I'm going to do
my own thing and figure out what I want to do. Yeah,
I've had my ups and downs of like you know,
I was very blessed to have people who wanted to
manage me, but at the same time, like I don't
know if the industry was ready for someone like me
because even now, like we still aren't seeing Korean American singers. Right.
(17:43):
So it was earlier on, but I had the opportunity
to record my first album and um, but it was
actually in l A and I was living in kay Town,
and I had graduated school early because I really wanted
to pursue music, so I wasn't even focusing on acting.
I did maybe a few productions in college, but I
didn't even consider that because of the focus is music.
(18:05):
But when I like worked on my album and all
these things, like, I I don't know it was. It
was just I didn't know myself well enough to have
strong opinions and whatever people said, I was like, Okay, yeah, sure,
Like I wanted to be accommodaing to them because I'm like,
you're helping my dreams come true. But I was your
(18:26):
first album, yeah exactly. And it's so important for you
to know, like what you like or what you don't like.
But if you want to know that, you all kind
of live life. And I felt like I was growing
up in front of everyone because I was on YouTube
since I was seventeen, and I needed to take a break,
and I just knew that. My circumstances were hard because
once I graduated college, my mom was like, well, you're
(18:47):
not coming back home with me. There's no space. So
I had to work all these odd jobs in l A.
I worked at a restaurant, I worked at an ice
cream shop, and I worked at a salon where I
was just a receptionist, all while recording my first album.
So this is all retail jobs that you you had
just to support yourself for your dream. Yes, And I
(19:07):
thought I needed to get part time jobs so that
I could have the flexibility of doing shows. So like,
let's say I'd be working a like an hourly job,
making like nine to twelve dollars an hour, and then
I do a gig and make a few grand, you know,
and it would just be like a thirty minute performance.
So my view of money was so crazy because there's
no consistency with music. But it was stable to have
(19:29):
like a part time job, of course, and it was rough,
and I thought, like, this isn't the life for me.
I always say when I lived in l A. K Town,
like there was a dark cloud following me. I mean,
it's that lifestyle, right, and in l A. A lot
of people are trying to do it and that grind
that you have, but you just have to be sure
of yourself, right, But it's really hard, I'm sure. Yeah,
(19:50):
And I think I was grateful that I made friends
with people who truly loved me for me, and when
I left to go to Korea for that singing opportunity,
it was really just like a savor I had to
grab on because I was I felt like I was
dying in l A. So what was the singeing opportunity
in Korea? Because you were technically an American, right right?
(20:10):
So I had an opportunity to be on a show
called Superstar k oh I show and competition show. Yeah,
and that's the thing, Like, I'm not a competitive person.
I don't know why I went for it, but I
do because I was so broken. I just needed something.
And they're like, look, if you just do it, like
we'll give you a flight there and back, just experience it.
And I was like, all right, that's fine because honestly,
in the States it's just me, my mom my brother.
(20:32):
I was like, if I could get to see all
my family members, it'll be a good time. And so
I went and I ended up getting kicked off like
pretty early on. But you know, they try to egg
you on, like to cry and feel something, but I
was like, Hella not crying. I was like, bro, I'm
like in Korea, like this is so good, Like it's
so much either to eat food here too. Like, I
was just happy to not be in the dark cloud anymore.
And I ended up reuniting with my dad and like
(20:53):
learning who he was as an adult and not letting
the things that my mom experienced or the things that
she said dictate my relationship with him, and like faith
is a big part of my life, and I just
needed to know that. I didn't even know I had
to forgive him for anything. And you know, people who
don't grow up with their father, they might say, like, oh,
she has daddy issues. The thing is like, I didn't
(21:15):
even know who my dad was. I didn't know what
life was like with a dad, so I didn't know
what it was. All I knew was like, I don't know,
he's just a guy named dad. Um. But to figure
out who he was and learn how similar I can
be with him. Um. But yeah, I was in Korea
and um. I ended up meeting with like publishers there
and they wanted to release my album again actually in Korean, um,
(21:37):
the album that I had created in America. So did
you end up doing that too? So I was in
the works, but then I met my husband in Korea.
I was in Korea on Instagram oh, you were in
Korea when you met him. Yes, I was in Korea.
I moved to Atlanta after we got married. So what
is new? Just waiting and que It's hard to Everything
(22:05):
happened very quickly. But once I met him, I was like,
you know, I could take a break from Korea, and
I was like, I think I need to meet him.
So I just put it on Instagram. No, not Instagram,
put on Facebook, like, is there anyone that could get
me a cheap flight to America. I used someone's buddy
pass and I was able to stop by the Bay
Area and I saw my mom before I met my husband.
Well that back then, he was a stranger that I
(22:27):
really liked because I was like, what is he going
to come to Korea and kill me? No, but I
was going to Atlanta to get killed. No. But um,
I met my mom. I met with my mom, and
he flew me out to Atlanta and that was the
first time we met in person. That week we got engaged.
And then three months later, I wait, how how did that? Like?
Did he ask you? Like a week later It's like,
I know, I only knew you for five days, but
(22:47):
would you know we got into our first fight and
it was it would be a foreshadow of like how
we work together, Like it's hard to work together, but
when we do finish something, it's awesome. But we were
working on music and just not getting along, and then
he decided to just do his own thing, and he
told me, like when he gets mad, he needs his space,
and I was glad to give him that space. But
then I wrote him a letter and just telling him
(23:07):
I'm thankful to have met him and like for this
opportunity even though we've gone to fight. And I went
to sleep, and then he woke me up and asked
me to marry him. Wow, yeah, no ring, So y'all
like if your man can't give you a ring, it's okay.
Like I mean, I feel like if you know you know,
yeah right, And we're broke. So we were like, it's okay,
(23:27):
we'll be broke together. So I have a song that
we wrote and it's called Broke If You're wrong, lest
to it and it's the story of our our love. Yeah,
we're still broken, never broke in flash it things can
get the stressing from what's happening with them, was still happy.
It doesn't even were that's incredible. So you you moved
(23:54):
over to Atlanta and decided you're going to just like
leave everything behind and just start this new light all
over from scratch. And I didn't know anyone except for
that one guy that I met on the Singing Show.
But like, I just felt like I moved for love
because something I prayed for more than my music career
(24:16):
was to meet a man of God that I could
have a relationship with. Because I didn't see a functional relationship.
I thought that was more unattainable than having a music career.
And I met my man and we had a lot
to work through. And I'm a community person, so I
didn't want to just create music on my own. I
need to find people I could work with. UM. But
that took time, and I worked a lot of odd jobs,
(24:37):
like I worked that lou Lemon and I thought I
was going to do that for a long time. UM.
But while I was there, I had another opportunity to
go on the Voice, And this was when I wasn't
doing anything. They just reached out to me and they
were like, look, you don't even have to do like
the auditions auditions before the auditions, like you'll just go
straight to blinds and you know, they pay for you
to be there, and I was like, you know, like
what what if I got to lose I'm not even
(24:57):
doing was that in l A? Yeah, So they flew
me out to l A and I was surrounded by
all these musicians and they all believe they have what
it takes. And I felt like God was challenging me,
like you know, you have this platform of people waiting
for you to release music, like are you just going
to squander it. That's when I decided, like I'm not
done with music yet and um but even after that,
like finances right, like you would be responsible. So I
(25:18):
worked at a nine to five. I was working at
a startup and at the same time, my agency reached
out to me, my acting agency, and um I ended
up signing with them. So all of these opportunities happened
very kind of randomly, these people reaching out to you, yes,
meaning it's like that's what you're meant to do. Seriously
sometimes like people God knows me, and like I don't
(25:40):
want to be a try hard I want to work hard,
but I don't want to try hard right, like I
need to know like this is a sign, like I'm
supposed to do this. How are these people finding you
through your YouTube channel? Yeah, I think for the voices,
definitely YouTube. Maybe someone passed along my video for my
acting agency. They were actually considering maybe like starting like
an influencers department. And I didn't even consider myself an
(26:01):
influencer because not like my Instagram's at popping, but just
because of what they saw online they called me and
I was like, hey, like, I actually studied theater. I
would love to be representing TV and film and commercial
and I sing. So I auditioned for them, and that
influences department never happened, but they signed me. So on
on top of me working my nine to five at
a startup, I was auditioning for random companies and so um,
(26:24):
there's a thing called industrials, which is like internal stuff
like could be like HR videos or like conference videos
that only like the workers or company see. So I've
been in a lot of things you've never seen, but
I've definitely been seeing like a pickup in the last
quarter of me auditioning more for a TV and film,
which has been really cool. And do you think it's
the up and coming of Asian Americans in industry because
(26:45):
I think like they want to find people, but they
don't know how to. But I think sometimes you need
to do so much work yourself so that it's easy
for them to find you. Yeah, like you put you,
you have to put yourself. You af there and obviously
you have a very specific talent. And if if there's
anything that coul differentiate me, it's that, Like, yeah, I
was a vocalist first, and the music is what got
me into watching Disney and like doing musicals and setting
(27:08):
myself up for success. So I always tell people, like,
if you want to do this, just keep working on
your craft even if no one's watching, because there's going
to be a day the door opens and you have
to walk through it. And when you walk through it,
you got to show them what you got. Otherwise I'll
tell you to leave. Have cool and pain. I just
want to talk about started entertainment, right. Yeah, So we're
(27:30):
we do like content media. Were a creative content agency.
So my husband does photo video because he has an
audio engineering background, Like he creates his own production music
production for shoots that we do too, and I help
with social media accounts for our clients and help produce content.
How long have you been at it? Three years? Three years.
(27:51):
So once I left my nine to five, I got
my first client just from someone reaching out to me.
And UM, since then, I've been working with a couple
of them for three years and I do like one
off projects and help my husband when it comes to
producing shoots. And you guys just started a podcast too, Yeah,
we did about it. Yeah, it's called watts Cast podcast.
It's really just to highlight some of the the amazing
(28:14):
people that we've met here in Atlanta. We can't help
but discuss our Asian American experience and what that looks like.
But I think even for my husband, like when he
goes onto these shoots, like there's not a lot of
people that look like him, He's a Korean guy, and
UM to be able to break through, but also encourage
like the next generation, like you might be that one,
but you could be that one that really inspires other
(28:35):
people to hire people that look like you. Um. I
feel that being on set and like being like the
only Asian girl or even going to auditions and being
the only Asian girl. And if I'm going to do
anything great for our community, it's to do my best,
not just for me, but for people to be like, hey,
that girl is pretty good. Like we should call in
more Asians really, and like, you know, if you want
to see representation, like you can't just think about yourself really,
(28:58):
I know, like the group, there's that drive of like
I want to be that one person, but it's like no,
then what's the point because you don't get to celebrate
with your people. That is right, Well, I can't wait
to listen to your podcast. We have people who aren't
Asian American on as well, um, but we just can't
help but discuss and share what our experience is compared
to theirs. We love highlighting other Asian Americans and like
what they're up to in Atlanta, because I mean, the
(29:20):
South is so talented, but it's definitely not like l
A or New York where there's been like generations and
generations of Koreans or the new generation. Yeah we are,
and like we're setting a precedent. So it's good to
kind of like get together and be like, hey, you
do this, you do that, Like let's work and people
have to just be unafraid of the work. Would you
share like a little tiny bit of music live? Yes,
(29:44):
So this one's I know I should call I know
I should call before very good at all? Oh, I
should call before it all? I know that I should,
I should should should I know that A shoot, I
(30:10):
know that ash call before. I regret it all? Thank you?
Oh my god, how amazing was that your voice? Thank you?
My god, I just got the chills. I love it.
Thank you, You're amazing, You're amazing. Thank you so much
for doing that. Did you did you? Did you know
that I was gonna like that? Which one can? I do?
(30:31):
That is straightforward? See, that's when you know you're a
true performance artist, like on the spot. But I have
a surprise for you. I was frying chicken all morning. Okay,
so you're ready to eat some chicken? I am ready.
I was born ready because this is amazing. Frying chicken
all morning, girl, I smelled like I smell like fried
(30:52):
chicken right now. Wait, this is an honor? What the heck?
This is amazing. Oh my gosh, you've made it today.
I meet it this morning and we don't even have
to reheat it because I literally so good. You don't understand.
I might cry actually, so I hope you enjoy it. Oh,
(31:13):
I can't wait. This is crazy. You don't understand how
much I wanted to eat your food. Oh my god,
and it's it's starting with this. Can I eat it? Yeah? Please? Please?
So crispy I hear it. Oh my gosh, you could
taste the marinade or whatever she did, this magic within
(31:37):
the chicken. It's sweet but savory. Oh, this scallions so good.
It's called young Young chicken. I love fried chicken, honestly.
The sauce is what makes it's so different and unique.
(32:02):
Is this still crispy? It's also the batter that makes
it unique. It's a very thin, light batter that stays
crispy for hours. And that's like the most important part
of fried chicken. Like, if your Korean fried chicken is
getting soggy within like thirty minutes or an hour, then
you're not making it right. This is so good. I'm
so sorry that you you can't taste this right now. Jennifer,
(32:31):
what's your first memory of Korean fried chicken? My grandma, grandma,
my grandma. Um. What I love about fried chicken is
whenever I would visit Korea, You're supposed to be hanging
out with your dad because my dad lives in Korea,
but we would always end up staying with my grandma,
my mom's side, and one of my favorite things was
(32:53):
to order the fried chicken, the young Young chicken, and
my grandma taught me not to ever leave anything on
the bone, so you have to eat it clear, is
like the ligaments and stuff, like, I'll eat it very clear, yeah,
because you can't leave it, you know. And I just
love that it was something we could all enjoy together.
And I knew that it was a good day because
(33:13):
you know, usually your grandma cooks for you. But to
be able to just order something and enjoy it together,
it just felt like a tree. Also, Korean fried chicken
delivery in Korea is a very special experience and I
have that with my family too. It's always like chicken payther,
Like you're not going to make that at home, you
know what I mean. And I don't like you just
can't replicate the taste, like the taste of this at
like regular fried chicken places in America. I mean, it's
(33:36):
it's not it's just like a completely different thing. And
that's why it's so hot. Yeah, And like because of
how like decadent the taste can be, Like the panchen
that comes with it just tastes that much better and
it's like really refreshing. Sorry I didn't make you the chicken, no,
but this is so good. You have no idea. I
might cry. Actually, Jennifer is going to cry and finish
(34:00):
her bucket of chicken that I made her. Where can
we find you? If you just look up Jennifer chunk
can find me on the first page Google. That worked.
I worked really hard for that. Um But on Instagram,
YouTube b allow, this stub is Jennifer J Chung c
h U n G. Yeah, follow me and like listen
to me on Spotify, Apple Music, all the platforms because
I'm constantly coming out with music. Yeah, really great music
than you amazing. You have an incredible voice. Thank you
(34:22):
so much for joining Jennifer today than for me, oh
my gosh always and that's our show. Thanks for listening.
If you like what you heard, please subscribe and leave
us a five star review. Get Down with Kaytown is
a production of I Heart Radio and was created by
our executive producer, Christopher Haspiotis and me as their toy
(34:42):
Follow me on all social media at toy bites, and
I'd also like to thank our producer, editor and mixer
Marcie to Pina. For more podcasts from I heart Radio,
visit the I heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever
you listen to your favorite shows.
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