Korean Boyfriend’s Stanley Cho has two words to sum up the video for “Work I Do”: simple and absurd.
“Like the song, it’s about the fine line between art and work,” says Cho. “What exactly is the ‘work’ here? Is it the act of typing, the writing, the thinking, the pink paper with words on it, the repetition, the time spent?”
As frontman, writer and producer, Cho has spent his fair share of time crafting Korean Boyfriend’s authentic self. The project began as a “wannabe K-pop band” before evolving (mostly out by necessity) into a more personal undertaking reflective of the Los Angeles native’s rollercoaster relationship with his adopted hometown of New York City. Marked by warm analog synths and sweet melodies, KB’s latest release, Simple Face, has a restlessness and intelligence that transcends its pop-culture disposability. A fine guitar player, Cho got his start in punk bands around L.A., and that edge bleeds through on “Work I Do” and other Simple Face tracks.
“Is it ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’ or ‘art as art’ or ‘making ends meet’?” poses Cho, continuing the litany of questions that inspired “Work I Do.” “It can get a little fuzzy sometimes.”
We’re proud to premiere Korean Boyfriend’s “Work I Do” video.
—Hobart Rowland
