sora is a young man who aspires to be a successful pop artist

The young rising star who officially started his music career in 2011, on the day he wrote the song, "Hello, November." His legacy already includes two EP's and an album, "PARAMOUNT."

Photographer: Daniel Waghorne

Career beginnings / Influences

sora is an emerging artist with 28 years old. He's Taiwanese-American, born in Taiwan but grew up in New Orleans.

He started his music career officially in 2011. "I cite November 1 as my starting date, because that was when I wrote "Hello, November," (song from his first EP, included on his debut album, "PARAMOUNT") finished in a day too!" he told My Sweeter Place.

sora assumes himself as "an aspiring pop artist" who started in musical productions of theater and choirs and, later, studied classical music in college. "But pop runs through my veins, and I took every aspect of my performance career to feed my art," he adds.

The singer grew up listening to Japanese pop music since high school. "I would say that Ayumi Hamasaki shaped my compositions, while Namie Amuro is a great inspiration in terms of performance," among many others, he stated. In high school, "I was introduced to the work of Lady Gaga, and she, of course, left a lasting impact in terms of art and creativity. Lately, I've been listening to many K-Pop artists and groups. I strive to reach the level of complete visual and sound art that they bring as well."

The EP'S: "The Insomniac EP: Sleepless Nights on Illuminated Roads" and "Gloire"

His first steps into a musical career were with his first EP: "The Insomniac EP: Sleepless Nights on Illuminated Roads," released on February 5, 2016, composed with four tracks.

On August 18, 2017, he dropped his second EP: "Gloire," with six tracks.

The debut album: "PARAMOUNT"

sora released his first full-length album, "PARAMOUNT," on June 14, 2019, and features some songs from both EP'S, culminating in a 17-track sonic adventure across multiple genres and sounds.

"Love's Worth" and "Only For Tonight" were the first two singles, and today, September 11, he present's his third and last single, "Bad Decisions." It has such a fun tropical pop vibe to it that I really enjoy, and I know that others would like too."

Written entirely by himself and produced by Thomas N. Gillis, Jr., behind a track which serves us with fresh sounds, there's a personal story behind, as he reported. "So I didn't start drinking until I was of legal age. (…) I didn't really care for it beforehand, but once I started I understood the appeal and would go wild any time alcohol was involved.", confessed.

He continues that he "jokingly calls "Bad Decisions" my 'alcoholism bop,' but that's basically what it is." Besides that, the purpose is "capture living in the moment and having a good time, but also recognizing the potential "dangers" that may have."

The original idea for the music video was "vastly different.", the singer said. "I wanted it to be a first-person view video, where the first shot would be the main character walking up to a house party. But as the night went on and more drinks had been had, the surrounding environment would warp. So like, they would go to the bathroom, and then when they leave the bathroom they're in a different room or house, or they would look at one person, look away, and turn back to find the person had either changed or disappeared completely. Basically a crazy night of party-hopping."

However, because of the pandemic and the uncertainty for the future overall, things had changed. "I decided to switch gears and come up with this home take selfie-style video. I wanted to showcase how people have been dealing with these new times, and to encourage safe practices (wear your mask!), and I also just generally love working with my friends. They're great."

The second album will come, but all in good time. "For now, I'm just playing it by ear and seeing what the future holds before I make my next official move."

Photographer: Daniel Waghorne