ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: hongjoin’s First Full Album, “CLOCKWORK,” Is A Soundtrack For Life

Singapore-born and Brooklyn-based triple threat artist, hongjoin, intimately captures each moment in time in his first full-length album, CLOCKWORK. Meant to reflect the 12 hours on a clock face, the project’s 12 tracks meditate on time through love and loss. Released on May 29, CLOCKWORK arrives two years after his last project, KOMOREBI, and offers his most introspective storytelling yet. 

hongjoin hopped on Zoom from his family home in Singapore for his second interview with EnVi. His room, decorated with figurines and plushies, mirrored the down-to-earth personality and whimsical creativity described in his artistry. Through a healthy balance of laughter and sincerity, hongjoin shared how CLOCKWORK relates to his past, present, and future while touching the hearts of global listeners with its universal messages.

In the Early Hours

At only 24, hongjoin has been in the game for over six years now as a singer-songwriter and self-taught producer. Hongjoin found his footing in music by uploading song covers onto YouTube and TikTok during his time in the army. Before he could even comprehend the magnitude of it, hongjoin soon found himself headlining shows and earning multiple accolades from Spotify. 

He lightheartedly described his unexpected transition into a musician as a “slippery slope” and “happy accident.” hongjoin never intended to become the full-blown producer and singer-songwriter that he is today, but looking at the impact he’s made thus far in his career — it’s safe to say that fans everywhere are so glad he did. 

What kept hongjoin grounded throughout the bulk of his journey was a “Decide It Yourself (DIY)” mindset. “DIY” initially represented his roots and values as an independent artist. However, he shared that after meaningful collaborations, his “DIY” ethos might be entering a new phase. 

“It has evolved into me taking ownership of what I want in my music and what I put out,” he reflected. “But obviously, I can’t do it alone. Nobody does this thing alone anymore. At some point, you realize that it is important to work with people, and it is so much more rewarding when you share [the results] with people that also worked on it. It makes it a lot easier to celebrate the small wins. Throughout this long process of my rollout […] the people around me constantly fueled me with new ideas, a lot of moral support, and made me feel like I don’t have to do this alone — and I’m not!”

hongjoin’s newest project, CLOCKWORK is a labor of love alongside many creatives in support of his journey. CLOCKWORK’s focus track, “Universe,” is evocative of this synergy. The cinematic music video, inspired by one of hongjoin’s favorite stories, The Little Prince, was brought to life with production by the University of Southern California’s Asian Pacific Cinema Association (USC APCA).

CLOCKWORK

CLOCKWORK represents “Decide It Yourself” at its core with its deeply personal narrative. Each track offers a glimpse into a defining period of hongjoin’s life that shaped his outlook on the human experience. hongjoin captures stories that are sometimes difficult to share — like overcoming heartbreak in your mid-twenties or delusionally daydreaming about a fleeting encounter — with a refreshing honesty. Told through a medley of genres from bossa nova to acoustic pop, every song is structured with intention. 

“My goal with this album is that every single song has to be a strong song as a standalone,” hongjoin shared. “I think it’s the kind of album where you just have to sit down and listen to it in one sitting […] because everything that I did on this project was intentional. If you think I did it this way because of this or whatever reason, you’re probably right.”

hongjoin went on to explain how the album’s fourth single, “I’m Tom, You’re Summer,” serves as a sort of case study for CLOCKWORK’s philosophy. “I’m Tom, You’re Summer” is an upbeat tune inspired by the melodramatic romantic comedy (500) Days of Summer. hongjoin took to Instagram to share the film’s lasting impact on him: “imagine being 18 and watching it for the first time after going through your first heartbreak. i then went on to watch it 8 more times, and with every watch you realize that no one’s really wrong. life just….happens.”

The song was penned back during hongjoin’s college days, and if you listen closely, you can hear remnants of that time — literally. 

“I had my friend Chase, who also does music, I had Doug, my co-producer, and August, who plays drums for me,” he explained. “They were all just screaming the lyrics in like an iPhone mic, and we were just practicing it. That was the really early days of the song, and the fact that it made it into the final part of the song […] it is just super organic and I think that was what I was trying to capture when I made this project.”

It is no exaggeration to claim that the most authentic retelling of hongjoin’s life story lies within CLOCKWORK. Though each song is deeply personal, hongjoin’s commitment to authentic storytelling in across facets of production allows listeners to connect with his outlook on life.

At This Current Hour

CLOCKWORK is also a time capsule of songs dating back six years ago. One of the songs written by hongjoin’s 18-year-old self is the saccharine “A Little More Time.” hongjoin shared that the song’s heartfelt message remained intact throughout the song’s different iterations over the years.

“How I view love has stayed the same, and I think it’s kind of pure, and I wrote it about this person that I wasn’t with at that age, and I’m with that person,” hongjoin reminisced with an unmistaken look of bliss. “Fun fact: it’s about the same person in the span of six years.”

Though hongjoin’s life changed tremendously since the song’s conception, CLOCKWORK proves that hongjoin’s “loverboy” attitude hasn’t faltered one bit. What’s apparent from each hour in hongjoin’s life — or each track in this album — is that hongjoin is not afraid to love hard. “Time Machine,” for example, is a heartfelt ode to his best friend: “I want it to be you that I grow up with / We could talk forever, it seems / Seconds turn to hours / I think you’re the reason / that I hold onto my dreams.” The album’s namesake, “Clockwork,” further cements this as he compares loving someone to being as instinctive as clockwork.

However, the song most evocative of the current hour in hongjoin’s life is “Surprise.” Before explaining why, he playfully prefaced that “Surprise” was “lowkey a sleeper” since it wasn’t a single (another subtle reminder to thoroughly listen to each and every track). 

“The message that I wanted to give with ‘Surprise’ is that the things that you should appreciate and love are the things that are right in front of you,” hongjoin explained. “Sometimes you forget to see that, or it’s easy to ignore. But when you do realize that, you have to hold onto it super tightly.”

As for what that looks like for hongjoin, he mentioned how time spent at home with his parents and grandparents is precious. “Moments like these are hard to come by now that I’m away and kind of ‘all grown up,’” he continued. 

The “Universe” Is In His Hands

As our conversation came to a close, hongjoin took a moment to share some wisdom with the next generation of artists.

“If you’re an artist, just keep believing in your art,” hongjoin reassured. “If you make things intentionally and for yourself, people notice, and that’s what I try to do. I think also surround yourself with people that truly care about the craft, and keep working quietly. You don’t have to show every single step. It’s okay to be in your dormant phase and just work on your own craft and work on yourself and kind of just live life a little and then write the thing — you can’t force it.”

A cursory glance at hongjoin’s 2026 schedule shows that his advice is paying off big time. hongjoin played his biggest headline show ever on July 26 in Singapore before making his way over to the United States to support one of his “favorite artists ever,” EJEAN, on the “Meant Love Tour.” If you missed him in the states, you’re in luck because in October he will return for a special headline show, “The Clockwork Show,” for two-nights-only in Los Angeles and New York. 

hongjoin’s CLOCKWORK era hasn’t run out of time quite yet — he still has more hours to capture with his undeniable wit and profound lyricism. 

CLOCKWORK is now available to stream on music platforms. Spend some time with hongjoin on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Looking for more soloists to add to your heavy rotation? Check out EnVi’s exclusive interview with Korean singer-songwriter chandol!