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Skylyne Spotlight: HIMANG
- Edward Sun
- Jul 17
- 9 min read
Inside HIMANG’s in-between world of cultural identity, self-discovery, and growing into a “BIGKID.”
Skylyne Spotlight: HIMANG
I was first introduced to Himang at his festival performance during Asian Music Industry Festival and immediately noticed not just the singing, but the way he carries himself in front of a camera. There is a very clear pop-star brain behind it: the looks, the movement, the attitude, the way one clip can already feel like part of a bigger stage. He is someone who already knew the kind of artist he wanted to become.
Himang is a Korean-Indian pop artist and performer raised in Beijing, now building his creative life in Boston. His work sits naturally between music, movement, and visual storytelling. His latest single, “BIGKID,” gives a strong first look at that world: bright, emotional, and built with the kind of hook that stays with you. With the full EP released on July 17th, including “BIGKID,” “Shooting Stars,” “lexi,” and two new tracks, he is stepping into a new area that feels like a real introduction to who he is as an artist.
This past week, I got to speak with Himang about BIGKID, the world around the EP, and what this next chapter is opening up for him.
SKYLYNE: Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today! Something you mentioned in your backstory really stood out to me - the idea of being “in between” — between cultures, places, and different stages of growing up. Does that feel true to where you are right now, or does it feel more complicated than that?
Himang: I definitely feel very in-between at the moment. I’m in between different stages of my life, between finishing up school and launching my career, between physical spaces as I’m also planning to move cities, and also between sonic spaces as I am also exploring new styles of music for my upcoming projects.
SKYLYNE: That makes so much sense. Congrats on your new EP “BIGKID.” It’s such a simple title, but it says a lot. When did that phrase first start feeling personal to you?
Himang: Thank you. I always knew I wanted to write a song around the concept of still feeling like a kid, like you never grew out of a phase. The term “BIGKID” means so many things to me — it tells the story of how I’ve grown up always feeling destined for bigger things, but not having the environment that could host them, and now having relocated to a different space and still not able to grow out of that “restricted” mindset. It unpacks so many different personal experiences of mine including navigating imposter syndrome, cultural differences, and even body dysmorphia, and in turn reclaiming my identity as a “BIGKID” now as a full grown adult.
SKYLYNE: There is something really powerful about taking a word that feels personal and turning it into something people can hear and connect with. I also saw that you opened for Grant Knoche, which must have been such a special moment. What was that whole experience like for you?
HIMANG: Grant is an artist that I’ve looked up to for a while now. He’s really keeping the craft of being a male “pop triple threat” alive, and I’m so honored to have opened for him on the GOOD LUCK GETTING OVER ME Tour. I got to meet his team — his manager, dancers, and his dad — and they were all so sweet and supportive throughout the entire process before, during, and after the show. His fans were all so sweet, and I’m so glad to have some meaningful 1:1 time with them too. The energy in the room felt so loving and united, and I felt really supported throughout my set.
SKYLYNE: It’s always amazing to hear about artists supporting other artists, and I’m sure it only helped you grow as a performer. Speaking of, you have such a clear stage presence, but I’m also curious about the offstage version of you too. What are you like when you’re not in artist mode?
Himang: If you hang out with me from up close, you would know that my on stage persona is something that I turn on as soon as I step on stage, and turn off as soon as I step down. I can be very lowkey in my day to day life, and am often shy and reserved in my first few encounters with people. I like to take my time opening up to people, but when I find the right people I connect with I let my guard down pretty quickly. Both versions you see still feel very true to me — I understand the importance of putting on a show and enjoy connecting with an audience when I’m on stage, but I also like to protect and conserve my energy in other settings.
SKYLYNE: You have such a layered background: Korean, Indian, raised in Beijing, and now building your life in the US. Do you feel like music has become a place where all those different parts of you can sit together?
Himang: Definitely. I always say that music is the fourth language that completes my way of communicating. I feel like it conveys emotions that I struggle to articulate, and reveals sides of me that don’t come out in a purely verbal conversation. I’m able to pull from all my cultural backgrounds, and represent how they work together to shape the person and artist I am.
SKYLYNE: That makes me think about language too. You’re trilingual in English, Korean, and Mandarin, which is so interesting to me. Do different languages bring out different sides of you when you’re writing, singing, or performing?
Himang: I think because English was my primary academic language used in school, I tend to use English to think and reflect in a more analytical way. I’m able to unpack my experiences in more detail and draw clearer conclusions from them, which inspires me to come up with a clear concept when writing songs. However, I also love to pull from Korean and Mandarin, and sometimes even Hindi to come up with unique concepts for songs and creative direction. I think these inspirations often are more nuanced and personal to my experiences growing up that I try to expand into more relatable or applicable feelings for all of my listeners.
SKYLYNE: I know you’re not only a singer, but also a dancer and performer. When you’re building a song, do you hear the music first, or do you start seeing the movement and visuals too?
Himang: I grew up on K-pop and Bollywood, so I’m used to seeing music performed with full choreography in colorful movie scenes. Visuals are always an important part of my artistry and story telling. Every song comes to me differently, but more recently, I’ve been gravitating towards specific emotional concepts that represent a part of myself, then I try to build a world around that. I’ll focus on how this emotion sounds, looks, moves, behaves and resonates with others, and try my best to reflect that in my music and performance.
SKYLYNE: That sense of building a full world around a song really comes through in “BIGKID.” It has this emotional pop feeling, but also nostalgic electronic and pop-rock energy. When you were making it, what kind of world did you want the song to live in?
Himang: I wanted it to represent my upbringing and the evolution of my self-discovery journey, and so it reflects multiple musical influences of mine. I think it lives in the pop world, but it does dip into different waters like the very guitar-driven pop rock sounds of the 2000s Disney stars, the EDM drops from The Chainsmokers and Zedd from the 2016 era, and of course I always like to showcase my love for 90s R&B in my very extra vocal harmony stacks, paying tribute to legends like Brandy, Mariah, and all their children continuing their legacies today.
SKYLYNE: Love that, and those influences make a lot of sense when I listen to your music. Did “BIGKID” feel like the start of a bigger era for you, or more like a personal moment you needed to release first?
Himang: Great question. I would say both. This entire BIGKID EP almost feels like an overdue school assignment because I started some of these songs when I was 18 or 19, and it’s only taken me until now to finally wrap them up to share them with the world. So I do feel the need to release this project first in order to welcome my upcoming eras. At the same time, I am also subtly teasing elements of what’s coming up ahead. So to me, it only makes sense to release this project now, so people can understand where I come from and look forward to where I’m about to be.
SKYLYNE: Since this project comes from such a specific point in your life, I’m also curious about how your writing has changed over time. I saw that you studied songwriting at Berklee. Did being in school make you more confident in your instincts, or did it make you question yourself more?
Himang: Another great question. It has definitely taught me so much, and it does often make me overthink creative decisions. There are times when I listen back to songs I wrote before Berklee, and think I was a way better songwriter back then. At the same time, I have learned so many new tools that pushed me beyond my comfort zone and default way of doing things, and am now a more versatile musician overall. I think if anything, I’ve just learned to develop new instincts to trust, and am still learning through trial and error.
SKYLYNE: That tension between learning more and trusting yourself is such a real part of becoming an artist. Outside of classes, what did Berklee teach you about being an artist?
Himang: I learned that being an artist is not about how technically skillful you are at your craft, but rather more about what you bring to the table that is new. So it is really important to discover what makes you stand out and be confident in your own work and identity.
That and also maintaining a growth mindset. There are so many talented individuals at this school, and there is always so much to learn from everyone around us. I think it definitely took some work for me to let go of my ego as an artist, but it is only when I realized the power of collaboration and growing by learning from each other that I felt like I was creating better quality work from a happier place.
SKYLYNE: You’ve performed in Boston, Beijing, Seoul, and on TV in Korea. Do you feel like each place taught you something different about how to hold a stage?
Himang: Definitely. Every stage that I step on gives a different energy, and every crowd also brings a different energy. I’ve definitely met and still meet some tough crowds from time to time, but I’ve learned different ways to connect with them whether it be engaging members of the audience that hold more eye contact with me, or asking them about their day, or singing an impromptu birthday song. I feel I’m able to appeal to different sides of my cultural identity to the local audience depending on where I’m performing.
SKYLYNE: What’s something about you that people might not fully understand from the outside, but your music is slowly helping you explain?
Himang: I think the song “BIGKID” helped me unpack a lot about why I am the person that I am today. Being a mixed Third Culture Kid growing up, I always felt like I stood out wherever I went, so I’ve only ever wanted to fit in. With that came a series of insecurities like imposter syndrome, body dysmorphia and a constant need for external validation, and this created a lot of chatter in my brain.
After moving away from that environment and now enjoying the luxury of not needing to fit in or receive approval from others anymore, I’m now having trouble unlearning all these insecurities and fully seeing myself and all the potential I am capable of.
SKYLYNE: When a song carries something that personal, letting it go must be its own process too. As an indie artist, how do you know when a song is ready to leave your hands and belong to the audience?
Himang: This is always the hardest part that stresses me out the most. I have a circle of close friends whose ears I trust very much, and I always play my final mixes and masters to them and ask for their feedback before proceeding to release them.
SKYLYNE: Now for a fun question — what’s something you’re weirdly serious about that other people probably think is unserious?
Himang: I take Halloween costume-planning extremely seriously. I’ll spend months curating something original and unique and I have so much fun doing it!
SKYLYNE: That actually makes sense with how much personality comes through in the way you present yourself. I also really like the way you interact with people online. What’s the most random thing in your camera roll right now that somehow explains you perfectly?
Himang: Probably a selfie I took in a recent songwriting session. I’ve been traveling to collaborate with as many people as I can to write new songs for my upcoming post-BIGKID era, and I’m really excited for all that too.
SKYLYNE: Thank you so much again for taking the time to answer these so thoughtfully. To close things out, here’s your spotlight: what do you have going on right now, and what should people be looking forward to next?
Himang: The “BIGKID” EP just dropped on July 17th. This is a long-waited project, and I can’t wait for everyone to hear the full story. It consists of 5 tracks, all reflecting different parts of my growing up and journey of self-discovery, and I hope people find it resonating. I am also working on a lot of new music, and dipping into newer waters — sonically, conceptually and visually. I’m excited to share everything coming up ahead, and am also planning to collaborate with more artists back in Korea too.
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