Spotlight: Eric Nam

Eric Nam at the GRAMMY Museum

At the GRAMMY Museum, Eric Nam joined a moderator for a lively, candid conversation about his career, new music, acting projects, and life on the road. The evening was full of laughs—many at Eric’s own expense—and ended with fan questions. Although he said he’d return to sing, the subtitles end before any performance.

Career and Independent Music

Eric traced his unusual path from being born in Atlanta and studying at Boston College, where he expected to become a consultant, to spending roughly 15 years in music. That includes a decade in the K-pop system and a later move to independent work.

He described indie life as creatively freeing but demanding. With a small team, he’s constantly figuring out how to get his music and projects in front of people. The upside, he said, is getting to perform and sing with fans—the part that keeps him going.

Confessions of a Lonely Heart

Much of the discussion focused on Confessions of a Lonely Heart, which Eric said grew from a writing process that began in late 2024. He joked that one early idea was to make the whole project about “texture”—including the sound of something squishing in your ear—before the songs’ recurring theme of loneliness became clear.

Eric connected that feeling to constant solo travel and to the strange isolation of being highly connected online. Still, he didn’t want the album to end in despair: loneliness can help you understand yourself, and the closing song, “Someday,” leaves listeners with the hope of finding love, friendship, and connection. Eric called his style “dance cry” songs.

Stories Behind the Songs

• “Someday” came partly from Eric’s repeated trips to romantic Paris—usually alone. He recalled meeting a friend there on a “baby moon” and jokingly wondering whether he looked lonely enough to be invited along. The video was a last-minute project: after a packed weekend made filming in London impossible, the team headed to Bath, where Eric ended up slow-dancing by himself.
• “Miss Me More” brought out his strong opinions about karaoke. He doesn’t hate it, he explained, but only if the group is ready to get “unhinged.” He also pleaded for bad singers to show some self-awareness—and for people not to monopolize the microphone.
• “Psycho” and “Revery” explore all-consuming infatuation. Eric said he’s usually practical and rational, but is curious about what it would feel like to lose himself in love—as long as the passion is “in a non-toxic, safe way,” or, as he put it, “BPA free.” He and the interviewer joked about the songs’ references to “crazy eyes” and “psychopaths.”
• “Sober Up” draws on the anxious spirals Eric experienced after drinking. He said he took a break from alcohol for health reasons and because he’d wake up worrying he’d said something awful, only to call friends and learn he hadn’t. The song began as a much more “bro” country track before evolving.
• “How the Fire Started” was written just before Eric went on The Traitors. Its connection to the show led to a carefully concealed video shoot, since the cast had strict nondisclosure agreements. Eric said he was glad viewers found him relatable, and explained that he chose not to betray fellow contestants Rob and Mara because he didn’t want his introduction to America to be as a backstabbing traitor. He admitted he’s trusting—perhaps naively—and joked that one day he’ll write a book about the “psychopaths” he’s encountered.

Acting Projects

Eric discussed voicing an iconic character in Avatar: The Last Airbender. The recording process stretched over two to two-and-a-half years, and he often recorded alone before the other actors’ voices were added. He met Dave for the first time at Comic-Con and joked that all his secret projects—and fear of breaking NDAs—make him sound perpetually mysterious.

Asked what kind of bender he’d be, he picked earthbender, then invented “lonely bending.”

In the fan Q&A, Eric said he weighs acting roles largely by whether they fit his schedule and whether he can see himself doing them. He turned down one audition because it involved playing a college student in a project with substantial nudity and sex.

Fan Q&A and Other Highlights

Asked what inspires him, Eric described a difficult year spent second-guessing the album and working with a lean team. His remedy has been to remind himself what he’s accomplished—and to give himself credit. “Chris Jenner works hard,” he joked, “but I work harder.”

Other highlights included Eric confessing he has performed with his fly down and once slipped in water onstage, then carried on singing “Echo” as if nothing had happened. He also described the lavish snacks and catering on his first big studio film compared with indie productions, where he suspects he’s “dumping money down the drain.”

His final piece of advice was that perfection—and perfect fairness—doesn’t exist. If something conveys the emotion you’re aiming for, he said, “good enough is perfect.”

Personalities Featured

Eric Nam; an unnamed moderator/interviewer; audience members.