The Obscure Sweetness of Mokyo
Mokyo is not a hidden figure in the South Korean music scene, having appeared in big-name interviews and shows, as well as collaborations with chart-buster artists, and neither are his feelings. Although he comes off as mysterious and aloof, the charming Mokyo shows his true self in dangerously underrated songs with vulnerable and bittersweet lyrics. Meet Mokyo, South Korea’s next superstar.
He was born in 1991, in South Korea. Starting off his career under the name “Thurxday” in 2019, he changed it to Mokyo to commemorate his Japanese grandfather, as it rhymes with Tokyo. He recently left the record label H1gher Music, founded by the influential Jay Park, to join the label you.will.knovv, founded by the globally acclaimed Dean, and fans are looking forward to his next breakthrough.
Emotional, sultry, and nebulous would best describe the beauty of Mokyo’s lyrics. Mixing English and his native language, Korean, in his songs, this artist has said that his main inspiration is his late mother, and Mokyo is open about his grief and scars through his music. Genre-wise, it stems from an amalgamation of noise, ambient, and punk, topped off with rap and K-RnB.
Covered head-to-toe in tattoos, Mokyo has a singular style, which inspires his grunge and gritty music videos. However, behind this dark and punk facade is a sweet soul, as he tells Stone Music Entertainment that his favorite tattoo is the one of a little dachshund on his hand. He feels strongly about the importance of friends and family, which transpires in his art, and he has the ability to transpose the delicateness of intensity and numbness in a harmonious way through his haunting songs. Gentle and blue-hued, Mokyo is outspoken about matters like domestic violence, rehabilitation, loneliness, and heartache.
Fans of BLOO and Frank Ocean are to meet their next obsession with this artist. Mokyo has an inexplicable talent to translate unspoken feelings to anyone, all while being an absolute delight to the ear.
About the Author:
Mizuki Khoury
Born in Montreal, based in Tokyo. Sabukaru’s senior writer and works as an artist under Exit Number Five.
