Eight years after making his solo debut with the strong hip-hop single “HOLUP!”, iKON member and solo artist BOBBY is still captivating and wowing the listeners with his fiery skills not only in singing, rapping, and dancing but also in writing and composing songs. Fast forward to 2024, he now has a plethora of rich and fresh music and is touring in various countries, igniting the stages wherever he goes.

Last month, the multifaceted musician dropped his third full-length album, ‘Sir.Robert,’ following the release of his previous albums titled ‘S.i.R’ and ‘ROBERT.’ “I just want to show my true self,” BOBBY on ‘Sir.Robert,’ which boasts a total of 12 tracks: “intro,” “sae (Feat. Huh),” “why stop now (Feat. Jung Sangsoo),” “harmless (Feat. CHANMINA),” “hercules! (Feat. JUSTHIS),” “moon (Feat. iHwak),” “Cherry Blossom,” “I’ll do that,” “Drowning (Feat. SOLE),” “20s 30s,” “help me out o kill me not,” and “f.”

BOBBY kicked off the year 2024 with a solo tour dubbed ‘ZERO GRAVITY’ across five cities in Asia: Yokohama, Osaka, Manila, Bangkok, and Seoul. During our exclusive interview, he emphasized his commitment to keeping his fans engaged with his performances. Bringing such high-energy performances live from the opening song until the encore, BOBBY’s show is undoubtedly something that you don’t want to miss, leaving you wanting more once you witness him rocking the stage.

Before he took the stage in Manila and enthralled the crowd, BOBBY sat down with allkpop backstage to talk about his recent studio album, ‘Sir.Robert,’ living in his 30s, next ultimate goal, and more. Continue reading to learn more about the musician!

allkpop: Your latest albums are titled ‘S.i.R’ and ‘ROBERT’ and then your third full album is named ‘Sir.Robert.’ Who is BOBBY, and who is ROBERT? What do you want to convey with these albums, and how are they connected?

BOBBY: I think I'm the same person onstage and I am offstage. BOBBY and ROBERT are someone who's just like me who's making music. And the reason I put the name ROBERT is because it's BOBBY's name. ROBERT's nickname is BOBBY. I just want to show my true self, a more honest picture of what's deeper inside me, and express that through my music. I’m just a happy living young man who loves music.

allkpop: There is a song titled “20s 30s” on the album. And you’re going to turn 30 next year (international age)! What is something, a value, lesson, mindset, or such, that you will always bring with you until the next chapter of your life—your 30s?

BOBBY: If you ask me what my next chapter is after 30, and if there's a value or mindset I'd like to have in my next chapter, I'm not sure. Well... I'm actually pretty happy with my life right now. I’m doing what I want to do and I’m hanging out with the people I love. I think I’m still in the process of protecting the things that make me happy. I think it would be good to study more ways to earn and keep them. Also, I’m trying to find out how to maintain that kind of mindset I need to have to keep that happiness going and how to keep doing that moving forward. I think it would be a good idea to figure out what to do and feel more like an adult with a new mindset since I have just entered my 30s.

allkpop: Are there any lines or lyrics from any of your songs on ‘Sir.Robert’ that resonate with you and have the biggest impact on you? Could you describe that connection?

BOBBY: In the song “20s 30s,” there’s a line in the lyrics that says, “I apologize to my shadow for becoming my shadow.” I think that's because my self-esteem was so low, and I saw my shadow on the wall and I felt sorry for it. I think that's why I liked those lyrics the most. I seem to really like lyrics that make you feel bad about yourself as much as you can, and in fact, I think those lyrics are lyrics that everyone can relate to in some way. So, I try to write lyrics that are very sad and can empathize with others.

allkpop: What is something important that you learned from your career not only as a singer and rapper but also as a composer and lyricist? Do you think you’ve found yourself, your identity, and what you want for your music now? Or are you still working toward that?

BOBBY: First of all, I'm now in a position where I'm always making and writing songs. But now, I always feel like after I finish writing a song, I'm never 100% satisfied with it. I've never been 100% satisfied with it, and there's always this feeling that I wish I could have added something more, that I wish I could have taken something out. I think that's something that I'm going to have to figure out in the future, like how I can be a better writer and how I can make better songs because I'm still in a position where I'm still learning. I still have a lot of things to learn, but I believe I'm just starting.

allkpop: If you could leave an impression or something in the industry, what would it be, and why? What do you want people to remember about you?

BOBBY: I just want to be a one-of-a-kind person. I don't want to leave a certain impression, but I just want to leave an impression that that person is BOBBY and that impression itself is one-of-a-kind. I just want to leave an expectation that no one can replace him, and that that person has a large musical spectrum, too. I just hope people don't see me as just a rapper but as a musician rather than an artist.

allkpop: In your interview in 2020, you said that you want your music to bring comfort and courage to listeners. I think you have already achieved that! Now that that goal is ticked off, what else do you want to achieve in the long term?

BOBBY: I actually thought it would be a good idea to make a song that you can listen to while falling asleep, which seems to be working out well for me lately because I have made those kinds of songs and I’m satisfied with them. This time, I just want to make some music that when you listen to it, that music boosts your emotion and helps you feel honest about it. I think it would be nice to make music that helps people in their lives and gives them strength. Music that they can listen to whenever they love, laugh, are sad or having fun, and even working out.