K-Pop continuously evolves, which keeps it appealing to millions of fans worldwide. Part of this success is the collaboration with other artists from around the world - one of them is Jayrah Gibson, whose talents have supported some of the biggest Korean acts today: BTS, EXO, and more.
Jayrah Gibson, a 30-year-old singer-songwriter from Long Beach, California in the United States, has been composing and producing hits for some of the largest K-Pop groups. Among his K-Pop hits include EXO's 2012 song "Angel" and their 2015 hit "Love Me Right." In 2014, Gibson also worked with the K-Pop boy group UNIQ for the song "Born to Fight," used in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film's official soundtrack.
Gibson also collaborated with BTS members Kim Nam Joon (RM) and Jeon Jung Kook (Jungkook) in the single "My Time," which was featured on the boy group's seventh studio album (and fourth Korean language), "Map of the Soul: 7."
"This is a dream come true," Gibson said of his BTS collab in an interview with The Korea Herald. "This is the new wave of youth that are advocating for love, inner peace, embracing your inner faults, and just accepting yourself for who you are."
Gibson wrote and recorded "My Time" from his home in Porter Ranch, in Los Angeles, California. His home and studio has seen the birth of some of his hits - and has been watching his own, self-titled project come to life.
In a press release from The Entertainment Guys, Gibson is set to release his next single, "God Bless You," featuring the Grammy-nominated music producer BOS on the track's instrumentation. The Gibson and BOS collaboration is expected to drop later this fall, sharing the relatability that pervades through his music and lyrics.
From American Idol to Korean Pop
Drawing heavily from R&B elements, his sound has been described as imagining "a dope lyricist [whose] singing performance has shared the stage with American Idol Finalists." Gibson grew up in Long Beach, finishing high school at Rubidoux High School in Jurupa Valley, CA.
In 2012, Jayrah Gibson had one of his first national appearances by auditioning for American Idol season 11. In introducing himself, he already said that he has been writing songs, sampling one he specifically wrote for judge Jennifer Lopez. In his actual audition piece, he serenaded judges Lopez, Randy Jackson, and Steven Tyler with Musiq Soulchild's "Just Friends." Gibson easily hits every note of the soulful R&B track, earning him three approval votes from the panel.
Although he could not reach the finals of the competition, his career has only gone uphill since. He has collaborated with A-listers such as Usher, Ty Dolla Sign, The Stereotypes, Steven Franks, and more.
Aside from writing and composing songs for other artists, Gibson has also released his tracks over the years. His songs include the R&B/ Soul singles "Five Senses" (2016), "No Kissin" (2016), "Million Ways" (2017), and "Privacy" (2019). He has also featured in the Bless One track "Take Advantage."
