Lauren Nakao Winn
Audio By Carbonatix
Hannah Bahng rose to prominence as a social media personality, releasing vlogs and covers of songs such as Queen’s “Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy” and Billie Eilish’s “Happier than Ever.” Using the platform she had built on social media, Bahng embarked on a music career and made waves with songs like “Perfect Blues” and “POMEGRANATE.”
When we caught up with Bahng over Zoom in October, she was taking a break during the third day of her tour rehearsals as she prepared for her upcoming world tour. Even through the screen, her excitement about the prospect of performing to fans across the U.S. in the coming months was palpable.
The Australian singer-songwriter’s upcoming show in Dallas next month marks her return to the Dallas venue exactly a year to the day from her debut headline U.S. show in 2024. She remarked that she learned a great deal from her debut tour and was able to grow and evolve as a performer as a result of the experience.
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“The Misunderstood Tour is a bigger production and will have bigger energy because I want to feel completely different from my last tour. From the first tour, a lot of it was just me and my guitarist,” said Bahng. “It was very stripped back and intimate and more of a raw feeling. That was good for the first run because the true fans showed up for that and it was an intimate experience with my fans.”
She added, “But, from that, I learned that because it’ll be at bigger venues and with the new EP and this new sound, I want everything to be bigger and be more energetic. I want everyone to be bouncing with the music and feel like a completely new experience.”
Bahng’s ongoing tour is in support of The Misunderstood EP, which was released in September. The EP is an introspective and intimate indie-pop project that showcases her growth as a musician and further cements her place as one of the most exciting artists in that genre.
“The Misunderstood EP is very much an exploration of myself and trying to put it into words. I need to understand myself,” said Bahng. “I can’t find understanding through other people and through my surroundings. If I can’t find understanding within myself, then I won’t find it through my environment. I was feeling misunderstood constantly and that’s a feeling that a lot of people can relate to.”
One of the highlights is “Sweet Satin Boy,” which has become an instant fan favorite with almost three million streams on Spotify.
“I wrote that song on my piano in my home in Sydney, which is where a lot of my songs are born. It was a moment of, ‘I need to get everything out.’ I wrote it and played it on the piano, but I remember thinking that it would sound even better on guitar. I brought it into the studio and played it for [my producer], but with the vision being for guitar,” said Bahng.
Lauren Nakao Winn
She added, “After releasing it, it’s always fun to see the fans’ reaction of, ‘Oh, I had a sweet satin boy once.’ We can all relate to it.“
In her early beginnings, Bahng began releasing videos on YouTube with the implicit intention of building her own brand so that she could eventually release her own music as an artist.
“Initially, the end goal of everything was so that I could release my own music. I wanted to build my fan base and show people my personality and sense of humor. From there, I was releasing a lot of covers and slowly incorporating music into things, so when I would eventually release music, it was a natural transition,” said Bahng.
Through social media, Bahng has been able to build a stronger connection with her fans, as they can get a genuine glimpse of the artist’s personality. This leads to a special experience shared between the artist and her fans during concerts.
“Using social media to build my audience and that fanbase of people who really care about me and what I’m trying to do and what message I’m trying to give,” said Bahng. “It’s crazy to see. That’s why I love performing so much, because I get to see everyone. Sometimes you forget that when you just see numbers on a screen, there are people, but when you really see them in person, that’s insane.”
Avoiding the pitfalls of signing for a major label, Bahng had an unusual route into the music industry as she started her own entertainment company (Bahng Entertainment) to manage her music and career.
Bahng believed it was essential to have complete creative control and ownership of her music, allowing her to bring her vision to life in its most authentic form.
“Creative control has always been the most important thing to me. Having my own label, I am able to have that. I am very hands-on with everything I do and I am very particular about how the creative vision should and needs to come out,” said Bahng. “I can direct my own music videos. I can design all of my physical merchandise. I need to be in it. Creative control is so important and because I have Bahng Entertainment, I can facilitate that and I can do everything by myself.”
An artist who is in the driver’s seat of her success, we asked what the future holds for her. “World domination,” she replied, with an evil, maniacal laugh to match.
“After the tour, I’ll be back in the studio making more music,” said Bahng. “The emotional turmoil is always there, so I always have things to get out.”
Lauren Nakao Winn
Hannah Bahng will perform on Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. at House of Blues Dallas, 2200 N Lamar St. Tickets are available starting at $75.50 on Ticketmaster.com.