ALL’N Is Billboard’s K-Pop Up & Comer of the Month for August: Exclusive Photos

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Classical violin and K-pop. At first glance, the two may seem like worlds apart, but ALL’N is carving out a new path between them in his own way. A classically trained musician who won international violin competitions and performed as both a concertmaster and soloist with orchestras, he eventually discovered another possibility—one that could not be fully expressed through the violin alone. Rather than putting the violin aside, however, that realization led him to expand the places the violin could go.

For him, K-pop was not simply a new genre of music. It was a culture where performance, individuality, visuals, and fandom come together to draw people directly into the music. As ALL’N expanded his own skill set to include guitar, vocals, rap, dance, and production, he began to believe that the violin, too, did not have to remain confined to the boundaries of classical music. From that idea came what he describes as “violin-driven K-pop.”

But in ALL’N’s music, the violin is more than simply a differentiating element. From his debut single “We Up,” he naturally weaves the violin into rap, vocals, and performance, treating classical music and K-pop not as two separate worlds, but as languages that can coexist within a single piece of music. In some songs, the violin takes center stage as a powerful main hook; in others, it supports the emotion of the vocals. Its role continues to shift according to what each song demands.

The meaning behind his stage name, ALL’N—both a play on “all in,” meaning to give it your all, and “olin,” a shortened form of “violin”—are both important clues to understanding his music. It represents his determination to give his best to everything within his control and to pour everything he has into the path he has chosen, without regret. Rather than searching for answers within predetermined boundaries, his attitude of creating new possibilities for himself is reflected in the way he approaches music.

ALL’N is starting from what he does best and, from there, building a musical language of his own. How far can music that began with the violin expand on the new stage of K-pop? Now, hear the story of ALL’N as he puts everything he has on the line and walks that path.

ALL’N

Image Credit: Zoo Yonggyun (주용균)
You are a highly accomplished classical violinist who has won international violin competitions. What was the defining moment that led you to pursue a path as a K-pop artist?

ALL’N: Growing up, I took the violin very seriously and had the opportunity to serve as concertmaster or soloist in many orchestras I played in. But at some point, I realized there was a limit to how much I could draw people into music through the violin alone. I remember an orchestra friend who would bring his guitar before rehearsals and play the chords to popular songs, and everyone would naturally start singing along. I could make people watch me by playing something difficult, but he could bring an entire room into the music with just a few chords. That really stayed with me.

That led me to teach myself guitar, and as I discovered K-pop, I became fascinated not only by the music but also by how performance, personality, visuals, and fandom could all come together. I began to see the possibility of taking the violin beyond the boundaries of classical music. So I don’t think I left the violin to become a K-pop artist. Rather, I used the persistence and discipline I learned from the
violin to expand into guitar, vocals, dance, and producing, and that journey eventually led me to become the artist I am today.

What is the meaning behind your stage name, “ALL’N”? Compared to when you were active under your real name, Kang Sungmin, has your mindset or identity as an artist changed?

ALL’N: ALL’N comes from “all in,” which represents my attitude toward life: giving my best within the things I can control. I cannot control every result or opportunity, but I can decide how prepared I am and how much effort I put in.

The Korean name “올린” also comes from the last two syllables of “바이올린,” the Korean word for violin. It represents my goal of building my own identity as a K-pop artist with the violin at the center of

my music. Choosing a new name also gave me a sense of responsibility to live up to it and made me think more intentionally about the kind of artist and person I want to be.
ALL’N

Image Credit: Zoo Yonggyun (주용균)
You founded your own independent agency, SKS Entertainment. What led you to choose an independent path?

ALL’N: I understand the advantages of the infrastructure and systems that major entertainment companies offer, but for me, having control over my time, creativity, career decisions, and transparency was more important. Of course, taking responsibility for both the company and myself as an artist can be challenging, but I chose this path because I wanted to make my own decisions and give everything I have to what I am building.

I had also dreamed of founding my own entertainment company someday, so I feel like I am pursuing two dreams at once through SKS.

Your debut single, “We Up,” released on April 15. What message and musical identity did you want to convey through the song?

ALL’N: “We Up” was my first introduction, so I wanted to honestly capture the process I had been through and the emotions I felt along the way. The message is that we are going up, and we are going up together. I wanted to express the confidence that comes from continuing to work hard even when no one knows what you are building yet.

Musically, I wanted to naturally show my identity as a violinist, vocalist, rapper, dancer, and producer within one song. Rather than making the violin feel like a separate classical section, I wanted it to exist naturally within the K-pop sound and performance. Ultimately, I wanted to show ALL’N as a K-pop artist building his own sound around the violin, rather than a classical violinist simply experiencing K- pop.
ALL’N

Image Credit: Zoo Yonggyun (주용균)
You personally handled the production of your debut song. What track or sound did you spend the most time refining?

ALL’N: I spent the most time on the violin intro of “We Up.” I wanted to show my identity as a violinist while still making the intro feel natural to the song, so I recorded and revised it countless times. “Dream Higher” was also challenging because I paid close attention to the balance of the synths, guitar, and drums, as well as the question of where the violin should sit within the song. I ended up refining a lot of those small details in the sound and arrangement.

When performing live with violin, vocals, and rap, what do you pay the most attention to?

ALL’N: The hardest part is being able to move that much while still producing a good sound. Because I also perform with the violin, I have to make sure that my bow control, intonation, and tone don’t become unstable as I move. Ultimately, I focus a lot on stamina, breathing, and body control, repeating everything until it looks natural to the audience.
ALL’N

Image Credit: Zoo Yonggyun (주용균)
The term “violin-driven K-pop” feels fresh and distinctive. Where did the idea for this unique combination originate?

ALL’N: It started with the idea that the violin doesn’t have to mean classical music. Just as K-pop incorporates hip-hop, rock, R&B, electronic music, and many other genres, I believe the violin can exist in many different sounds as well.

Rather than making every song follow the formula of “classical violin + hip-hop beat,” I want the role of the violin to change depending on the genre and mood of each song. In one song it could be the main hook, while in another it could support the emotion. I want to keep showing how naturally the violin can fit into different genres.

Traditional classical music and mainstream hip-hop can feel like very different worlds. What kind of music inspires you when bringing those worlds together?

ALL’N: I tend to draw more inspiration from individual songs than from one specific artist. My classical training has also influenced the way I listen to music. I naturally analyze the tempo, key, rhythm, and structure while thinking about why a particular song creates a certain emotion.

I think classical music and hip-hop ultimately share elements like rhythm, harmony, tension and release, dynamics, and emotion. So I take inspiration from music across different genres, and rather than simply following the surface of what I like, I try to understand why it works and then create something new in my own way.
ALL’N

Image Credit: Zoo Yonggyun (주용균)
How do you balance rap, vocals, and violin when working on a song?

ALL’N: As a K-pop solo artist, I wanted to create more contrast by using rap, vocals, and violin almost like different members within the same song, rather than filling three minutes with one tone. I use a deeper tone for rap, a softer tone for vocals, and the violin as another voice.

The balance changes from song to song. Rather than deciding on a fixed percentage, I keep asking myself, “Which voice should lead this part?” and adjust each element according to what works best for the song.

What is the meaning behind your fandom name, “N’CORE,” and what does it mean to you?

ALL’N: N’CORE combines the meanings of “encore” and “core.” Like an audience asking for one more song after a performance, they are the people who want to keep listening to my music, while “core” represents the people who have been by my side from the beginning.

The belief N’CORE gives me is what motivates me to dream higher, and I hope that someday I can give that same belief back to my fans.

Is there an artist you would particularly like to work with in the future?

ALL’N: Henry Lau. He was one of the artists who showed me from a young age that the violin could

exist within K-pop, so making music with him someday would be personally very meaningful to me.

Of course, I am also open to unexpected collaborations that could show new possibilities for the violin through combinations people might not normally expect.

Now that you have completed your debut promotions, what are your plans for the remainder of the year?

ALL’N: I have a short, high-energy song planned for a surprise release in September. I also have various songs in progress, from tracks I started years ago and am revisiting to completely new music.

Just because I introduced myself as a “violin-driven K-pop” artist doesn’t mean I want every song to sound the same. I want to use each song to show how far the violin can continue to expand.

Ultimately, what kind of artist do you hope people will remember ALL’N as? And is there anything you would like to say to your fans?

ALL’N: I hope people remember ALL’N as an artist who gave everything he had and continued to build his own path until the very end. I am always grateful to N’CORE, and because you believe in me while I am still building this story, I want to repay that belief through better music and performances.