LEO Talks About The Release of His Debut EP, "Come Closer"

LEO talks with JoJo about the release of his debut EP “Come Closer” on this week’s iHeartKPOP With JoJo! LEO also explains the meaning behind his favorite songs “Pretty Please” and “Farewell” off of the debut EP, getting ready for performing live & more!

Episode Transcript

(00:05):
I'm looking at him on zoom rightnow. I can't believe it. It's
been a minute since I've talked tohim. Leo. How you doing,
man? Hey, Man, that'sme Man. Yeah, last time I
saw you, well, I metyou just once. This was right about
kikon La last year, twenty twentythree. Yeah, debut performance. Have
you visited the US since then?Or is that the last time you were

(00:28):
here? Oh? Fortunately not.I've been busy preparing for this new AP
that's coming on next week, andso yeah, unfortunately I haven't had a
chance to go back. But yeah, we'd love to go back soon.
I'm sure you'll be back sooner.Yeah, sooner than you know. Hey,
where in the world are you rightnow? In Soul? I assume,
or where are you? Yeah?Yeah, yeah, I'm in Saul.
Been preparing everything here, right andsafe to say, just like you're

(00:51):
talking, safe to say, you'vebeen very, like insanely busy, I
would have to assume, right,Yeah, it's just a little bit.
It's been a while since I've putout music, so yeah, I've been
putting in a lot of work withwith a lot of people. So yeah,
of course this debut EP come closer. Huge congrats man. I'm assuming

(01:11):
yeah, of course, as fansare going to be listening to these songs
for the first time ever, obviously, I assume you've listened to them at
this point, probably like a thousandtimes now, not getting at all,
right, Yeah, I mean itfeels like it. It's it's been a
while since since I recorded the songand started and I started preparing, So

(01:33):
yeah, I think I might havelistened to them more than a thousand times.
But right I'm just I'm so relievedthat you know, it's finally out
and everyone is listen to it.What's going through your mind as you release
these tracks? Like nerves, excitement? Are you about to throw up?
I mean, what kind of what? What kind of goes through your head?
Through your mind as this you know, hard work is about to be

(01:53):
unveiled. Uh. I think that'sdefinitely a bit of relief because, like
I said, it's been a whilesince I've started preparing this with with my
team, and you know, it'slike I said, it's been a while
since I've put out music as well. So there's there's a lot of relief
going on, and there's also justexcitement because there's so much to learn and

(02:15):
so many there's so many new experiencesthat I'll be you know, partaking in
in this release. So yeah,very excited. I assume you gave your
family, your friends, you know, a sneak peek, and if so,
what what was their reaction. Iactually kept it a secret from Uh,

(02:38):
not sure why, but you know, I just I just felt like
I wanted everyone to just kind ofsee it, you know, when it
comes out. I just kind ofI want to keep it to myself.
And and you know, right,and you say you're you know, you
have the sense of relief as it'scoming out. Uh, I assume that
means you are very proud of LikeI would imagine you have a kind of

(02:59):
a mental whole picture of what youwanted to sound and feel like. I
assume you've achieved that goal. Doesit feel Does it feel like you wanted
it to? Uh? Yeah,I mean it feels nice obviously, just
for like I said, for itto finally come out. And you know,
none of this would have been possiblewithout the people who support me and

(03:21):
work with me, and obviously tothe fans who have been waiting as well.
So yeah, it's it's honestly it'sit's a it's a feeling. It's
that's hard to describe in words.But yeah, like I said, I'm
just very glad and on it andblest. I've heard that putting out an
album is kind of like and youand I would know nothing about this,

(03:43):
but you know, it's kind oflike giving birth, you know me without
knowing what that's like obviously. Doyou think is it kind of like that
you been? You know, I'mwith you on the on the on the
on the fact that I don't knowwhat it's like. I will never know
what it's like. But you know, I think I know what you mean
because the fact that you know it'sgoing to come out and you know how

(04:05):
it's going to come out, andno and no one else knows, right,
but you know it's coming and you'rejust waiting for the world to see
it, and you're waiting to seeit out, you know, with your
own eyes. So it's so Ithink I kind of relate to to that,
and you kind of you kind ofhope the world like your kid,
you know, like, hey,yeah, it's cute. You're like,

(04:27):
oh god, oh yeah. Definitelya norve wracking of it and exciting at
the same time too. If Imay make a confession, I think I
think, uh, And I gota sneak peek of the EP before it
came out, and I think Imight be obsessed with the title track,
Come Closer. Do you love ComeCloser as much as I do? Leo?

(04:48):
Because I really not like love thatthat track? Thank you manh Yeah,
it's it's it's a nice track,and you know, like I said,
it's it's it's a song and it'san EP that you know, it
will be the start of many differentthings and hopefully will open up so many

(05:12):
new doors for me. So yeah, like I said, I'm very excited
for everything to come. Do youhave a favorite track on the EP?
Or is that I don't know ifyou want to say If you do,
maybe that's you know, I don'twant to one of the other songs,
but uh, I mean, Ithink I do have my favorites. I
mean, I love all songs,and I'm very grateful for every single you

(05:33):
know, writer and producer of everysong that's I mean, it's on the
EP because I like it so fairenough. Yeah, yeah, but I
think between those songs, probably myfavorite is a song pretty Please and it's
if I go into a little bitof detail about that. I actually made

(05:53):
that on my last LA trip whenI when I saw you guys, and
I was in a studio with apretty is called Bangs, and he was
just playing me a lot of tracksand I just kept telling him, just
play me your best tracks. Iwant something like, play me something hard.
And then he played me that beatand and you know, it came
to me straight away, like Ijust came up with the title and the

(06:16):
melody and all that straight away inone go. And that's what I thought,
you know, this might be thethis might kick off the new record.
And you know, so I likethat song too. And also the
last song, which is called Farewell. It was a song that that uh

(06:36):
a senior from my my label behe gave to me. He played me
a few songs actually, and betweenthose few songs, Farewell was my favorite
because it kind of just struck achord, you know, with me,
and I felt I really related tothe lyrics a lot and just just really

(07:00):
hit me. So I just,yeah, I was like, yo,
can you can you give me this? I want to use this, And
thankfully and gratefully he yeah, hegifted me the track. So yeah,
do you have kind of a visionin your head how you want to perform
these songs live? Uh? Yeah, Like I said, there's gonna be

(07:23):
a lot of new there's gonna bea lot of challenges and new experiences,
and so from this CP, Ikind of want to show a bit more
of my performance side. There mightbe a little bit more dance, and
we put a lot of me andmy team put a lot of focus onto
the visuals, like music video andlike just performance, which was something that

(07:46):
is different from the last song.So yeah, there's so much to look
forward to and it's very exciting.Leo. Your fans already love you obviously,
and your your your star, forlack of a better words, is
just growing and growing. But nowthat EP is out, are you ready
for this? Fan love to getjust bigger and you know, crazier and
wow, are you ready for theI don't know, the madness? Are

(08:11):
you ready for the madness? Probablythe best way to play it. I
mean I'm always ready. But butyeah, like I said, I've been
working really hard on this with everyonethat's been supporting me, and you know,
just to the people who have beenwaiting for this it's been It's been
such a long time since I've puton music, so you know, I'm
very grateful for everyone who's been waiting. And recently, my my fans have

(08:35):
gotten a new name, fan namescalled Leos. So yeah, I hope
the LEAs would like this new release. I hope there'll be many more Leos
to come with the release of thisnew EP. And yeah, it's very
exciting times. I think the mostimportant question is, uh, when are
you going to visit me here inl A again, Leo? When are

(08:56):
we going to work work this out? You know, I'd love to go
back as soon as possible because honestly, the weather and soul has become has
gotten like a lot better. Soyeah, that's that's kind of reminded me
of La a lot recently, SoI hope to come back soon. I
hope this, like I said,this new EP, WI will open up
a lot more doors. And youknow, I'll have a chance to go

(09:20):
back to la as soon as possibleand see you in the studio. But
love that all the US is waitingfor you. Man. We I guess
I can't speak for everyone, butI'm kind of speaking for We're very very
excited goals for twenty twenty four.Obviously you want the EP to you know,
the EP release is a major pieceof twenty twenty four for you,
But what are your other goals forthis year? Well, like I said,

(09:41):
just like like you mentioned the releaseof the EP, it is a
big kind of stepping stone for methis year, and I hope to put
out more music apart from this EP. I hope to just broader my catalog
musically this year. And I thinkthat's the biggest goal for me and everyone
else. All right, final question, message to your fans, message to

(10:03):
Leo's and is there anything in particularyou want to say to them before they
Like this is almost like an introto the EP. What should they know
before listening to this new EP?Uh? Well, yeah, to the
LEAs everywhere around the world, thankyou so much for waiting. I know
it's been such a long wait,but you know, I've been preparing really

(10:26):
hard, like I said, withmy team, And you know, just
one thing before listening to the EP, i'd say is I don't know,
just just expect something new, youknow, because this whole EP, this
whole project, like I said,is is there's a lot there's a lot
of new challenges and a lot ofnew Yeah, we're experimenting a lot of

(10:50):
new stuff this time around. Soyeah, I hope you guys listen.
Not sure, Just I hope youguys enjoy it. That's all I really
need to say right now. Fairenough, Hey Leo, it's honestly really
good to see it. Congrats oneverything, and uh, the EP,
man, it's just really good.I love my fave. Everybody has their
favor I get it. I justlove Come Closer. I've listened to it

(11:11):
a thousand times. It seems likeit's just so good, dude. So
just congrats on everything. Great tosee you, Thank you man, Thank
you for having me. Absolutely