Actor Ahn Hyo-seop has taken a dazzling first step as a solo artist with the release of a collaborative digital single with world-renowned R&B artist Khalid.

Released simultaneously worldwide on May 22, this single marks Ahn Hyo-seop's official solo debut. The project was born through 'FANDOM,' a new initiative co-presented by Musicow, a Korean music IP royalty-sharing platform, and Roc Nation, an American entertainment company. Designed to allow fractional ownership of music copyright shares based on the U.S. securities regulatory framework, the project garnered enthusiastic attention from global music fans even before its launch.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone Korea, Ahn Hyo-seop shared his thoughts on the collaboration with Khalid. He said, "I had been a fan who enjoyed listening to Khalid's music for a long time. When we got the chance to work together, I had high expectations for what kind of music would come out of it. We come from different backgrounds, but our emotional sensibilities were similar, so we clicked much more naturally than I expected."

He continued, "We both wanted to naturally convey the sincerity and warmth of the song rather than overdoing anything. What matters is not the similarity of our voices, but the authenticity of understanding the emotions contained in the song in the same way," emphasizing the direction of the project. The collaboration was pursued intensely despite both artists' busy schedules. Khalid was performing his North American tour 'IT'S ALWAYS SUMMER SOMEWHERE TOUR,' while Ahn Hyo-seop was simultaneously filming the Netflix series 'A Business Proposal' and continuing work on the track. Ahn Hyo-seop reflected, "I really had to pull a lot of all-nighters, but it was a creatively meaningful project. Even during filming, it was always in the back of my mind."

Currently meeting global fans through the Netflix series 'A Business Proposal' and the animated film 'KPop Demon Hunters' as the voice of 'Jinu,' he also touched upon the value of communication through music.

Ahn Hyo-seop said, "We now live in an era where people respond to authenticity rather than language. I believe that even though our cultural backgrounds may differ, universal emotions like loneliness, comfort, hope, and love touch everyone's heart." He added, "This single is a song that captures the moment of finding comfort from someone unexpected. I hope it becomes a small but meaningful comfort in the day of listeners around the world."