Behind the artist name NoSo says Baek Hwongs, who grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood in Chicago, USA. It was also here that the name NoSo was created, inspired by a question he was often asked while growing up: “North or South Korean?”.

After NoSo moved to Los Angeles, he immersed himself in guitar melodies, while songwriting filled most of his waking hours. Today, he is known for writing deeply personal lyrics that resonate with both himself and others.

On his debut album Stay Proud of Me from 2022, NoSo dreamed away in fantasies of fully embracing his transmasculine identity, including the use of He/She pronouns. Now the next album in the series awaits, When Are You Leaving?, where he replaces fantasy with reality. The record explores the difficult problems that can arise when embracing your own new identity, but also says that the album is still a celebration of life's small victories:

"Although the lyrical content is intense at times, it's still triumphant, but in a more grounded and realistic way. The joy comes not from daydreaming, but from tangible, smaller victories like leaving toxic relationships and painful situations"

The honest lyrics are flanked by a wide mix of genres, from songs like “Dad Made Toast!”, an explosive, experimental house-inspired number, to the heartfelt piano-laden opener “A Believable Boy.”