Daily Inspiration: Meet Chaerin Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chaerin Park.

Hi Chaerin, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I go by “chaerin” as an artist. Although I grew up playing the piano and singing, music became my true passion at 16, when I secretly auditioned for and was accepted into a music high school in Seoul without telling my parents.

After graduating, I attended Berklee College of Music, where I dual-majored in Vocal Performance and Music Business. During my time there, I focused on show production and developing myself as a performer, while also founding a K-pop club on campus.

In 2020, due to COVID-19, I returned to Korea and began working at Sony Music Publishing while simultaneously writing music for my own album.

My first EP, After School, No More Fairytale, was released in 2022. I wrote all the melodies and lyrics myself, establishing the foundation of my own musical identity and discography. Following the release of the singles 모든(modeun) and We Should’ve Have Been Just Friends, I joined HYBE as an A&R. At the same time, I released my second EP, But still, love is so sweet. Collaborating with high school and college friends who are now active K-pop writers, the project became a defining work that solidified my musical color and artistic direction.

Now, after six years of working full-time — and often overtime — in the music industry, I’m looking for new opportunities to challenge myself further as an artist. More than ever, I want to put myself out there, connect with a wider audience, and continue growing both creatively and personally through my music.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not at all — working a full-time office job at a K-pop entertainment company while saving every penny to fund my albums from A to Z and independently releasing two EPs was honestly no joke. I had to constantly doubt myself, then convince myself all over again just to keep taking small steps forward. Sometimes I’d see friends thriving and moving ahead, while I was still stuck at my desk past 4AM in the middle of the week, wondering if I was doing the right thing.

But singing, performing, making music is still the only thing that I don’t hesitate to do, so for past few months there was another long dispute in my head if I’ll be able to make another shot to throw myself out there.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I write songs, I write melodies and lyrics, when my co writers produced the song production, I share ideas and develop the songs with them. I am a producer, which can make me be an A&R and at the same time I am a performer, harshly had built myself as a stage performer too.

What makes you happy?
Making my own stories on my songs, and perform with and share it with others.

I contemplated about it countless times, I tried to find some other ways that I can be richer or happier, but I only got to realize this is the only thing that I’d choose to do for the rest of my life.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chaerinthatsme/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chaerinthatsme

Image Credits
Image credits: chaerin
Photo by HENG