sunkis may not yet be a familiar name to many, but you’ve likely heard his songs on curated playlists or even danced along to his music on TikTok.
His remix of “Like I Do” by Melbourne-based J.Tajor, has reached more than 19 million streams on Spotify. But most notably, the track has made the rounds on social media, after Filipino TikTokker Rizelle Disono created a dance challenge from the song. Since then, K-pop stars like TOMORROW X TOGETHER, Seventeen and Enhypen have been seen participating in the trend, making it a viral sensation.
“It was insane, because they have such massive platforms and audiences. And I’m also a huge fan. I love K-pop,” sunkis said in an interview with RepresentASIAN Project. “Just to see them do anything associated with me is just really an honour.”
But like many things found on the Internet, sunkis says he came across “Like I Do” by chance.
The song was first released as a single by J.Tajor in 2022, but did not become a mainstream hit. sunkis says hearing “Like I Do” for the first time made him wonder why the groovy pop-R&B song wasn’t more popular. “I think when I found it, it was just under 200,000 plays”, sunkis, born Chris Sung, said over Zoom from Los Angeles. “Why isn’t this a bigger hit? It’s such a great song!”
This realization soon sparked what would change his life. Inspired by what he heard, sunkis sent J.Tajor a private message on Instagram and asked if he could write a verse for “Like I Do.”
“Let’s try to push [the song] together,” sunkis recalls telling J.Tajor. “And soon enough, after the verse and we released it, it started blowing up even more. It was a great win on both sides.”
The success of “Like I Do” is just one of many milestones the 26-year-old singer has been having in 2024. In February, his track “Top Tier” went viral as well, with the song showing up more than 12,000 times on TikTok videos, and garnering more than eight million plays on Spotify. And off the internet, he joined rapper BM of the K-pop group KARD on tour as an opening act.
Later this month on September 28, he’ll also perform alongside singers like Eric Nam and Henry Lau at the MetaMoon Music Festival in New York. Nam and Lau are American and Canadian artists, respectively, who have both made their names in the Korean music industry before coming back to North America.
sunkis says it’s an honour getting the opportunity to continue performing alongside artists he looks up to.
“To see somebody following a similar dream as an Asian American trying to be a pop-R&B singer in the U.S. is something I have immense respect for,” sunkis says of playing in the same event as Nam and Lau. “It’s not an easy task, and it’s a big, long journey.”
Growing up in San Francisco, sunkis says he wasn’t always “musically-inclined” but always knew he loved to entertain. Whether it was the lead role in a musical theatre production or a dance routine, he describes performing as “almost second nature.”
It was only during his college years when he started dabbling in music, writing lyrics during his hour-long commutes to Santa Clara University where he was studying economics. Over time, he saved enough money to buy himself a microphone and laptop to record his own songs. And using beats he found online, he’d post his tracks and covers on Soundcloud, where he started to build an audience.
Eventually deciding that economics was not for him, sunkis made the leap to do music full-time four years ago.
As a Chinese American who grew up in the United States and spent some time attending school in Taipei, sunkis’ cultural background plays a role in his music. He makes a point of blending English and Mandarin into his lyrics, and he names singers like Jay Chou, JJ Lin and David Tao as influences.
“I love being Asian American, and I love that I can tap into my Chinese side whenever I want because I grew up internationally too,” he said. “I feel like I have this third culture personality, so I can relate to both sides whenever I want to. It’s kind of fun.”
But there’s also a global feel to sunkis’ persona on stage, one that feels reminiscent to western pop stars of the 2000s and 2010s like Justin Bieber and Usher. sunkis is also a great dancer, delivering smooth choreography in his track “Top Tier.”
“I think pop idol, R&B singers are in!” sunkis said. “Just this early 2000s vibe and male pop stars are back.”
Still, sunkis acknowledges there are still hurdles to cross in the western music industry. While opportunities for Asian artists have grown with the likes of thuy, keshi, and Joji, sunkis says it can be easy for people to lump them into one genre or group.
“I think where there’s room for growth is that there’s more Asian American artists than just K-pop,” he said. “I just think there could be more sensitivities in a big market like the U.S. to notice the subtleties between all Asian cultures.”
However, one thing sunkis has been able to do to set himself apart in the music industry is his social media savviness and knack for penning viral hits. “Social media has been my favourite tool to be able to push my music and get myself out there because the barriers to entry are a lot lower now with technology,” he said. “I’m glad that there’s algorithmic support now to see my things. You know, as opposed to before, you need direct relationships or certain plugs to be able to even get your things out there.”
Looking back at the last four years, sunkis says what he’s been able to achieve in his short career so far has been “pretty surreal.” But he says there’s much more he wants to do, including releasing more singles, putting out a full-length album and eventually touring around the world.
“I know all the hard work that’s been put into [my career], it’s amazing to see,” he said.
“I’m ready to kick butt for the next five years. I love that I’m just having my moment, and I feel this energy to keep pushing.”
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