Oli London Interview: More than meets the Eye?

OLI LONDON MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE? INTERVIEW BY LORE WALSH

It has become so easy to judge a book by its cover, with internet virality something can appear and disappear in less time than it takes to make anything more than a rash judgement.

Oli London went viral last year after having cosmetic surgery with the aim of looking like Jimin of BTS. Whether he has been successful in that aim is questionable, and because of this Oli has received more than his fair share of internet hate and trolling. At the beginning of the year, Oli released his first attempt to break into Kpop with a pop single named ‘Perfection’. This too has left people unsure and directing negative commentary at the twenty-nine-year-oldLondoner. But have we judged him too soon?

We spoke to Oli to find out more about him, his love of Kpop and BTS, his surgery and his music - would our opinions change in the hour we spent talking?

Oli is outspoken in his love and obsession for BTS, particularly Jimin - but is BTS the only Kpop artist he likes or listens to?

“I lived in Korea in 2013 so I kind of fell in love with the music at the time. So there was a boy band called Speed, who I’m still obsessed, with but they don’t exist. Oh my god, one of my favourite songs is one of their songs. And then there’s Big Bang, 4Minute, Girls Generation. I love Teen Top and BtoB. I mean I love so many different Kpop groups, but that’s the kind of ones I first started listening to. I mean now obviously BTS, you know I liked them when they first came up with like Bulletproof. I love Fire and stuff. I’m trying to think who else.

Hyuna obviously, now she lost her Cube Entertainment deal but, you know, I have so much respect for her for doing that because in Kpop it’s very difficult for any artist to live a life so she took that step. I’ve liked her since she was in 4Minute. I like Fiestar, Red Velvet. I listen to so many very varied artists, I watch the Kpop Countdown like every single week on YouTube, always kind of keeping up. I’m obsessed with them [BTS] I love BTS so much but I like to listen to kind of a varied range you know girl groups, solo artists and stuff. “

His obsession with Kpop and Korean culture developed very quickly upon his arrival in Korea to teach English. Why did he choose Korea?

“It was quite random actually, I mean I’ve worked in a few countries. I’ve worked in America and in Ethiopia doing charity projects. I was like 22/23 at the time so I just wanted to travel more and I’d literally googled one day working abroad and then a teaching program came up in Korea and I mean I’m fascinated by history in Asia. So I love kind of ancient Chinese and Japanese history and I didn’t really know too much about Korea. I knew some of their history but I didn’t know too much and I’m just I’m very much fascinated by different cultures and history. So when I saw that come up I thought wow let me give this a shot and then you know I was a successful applicant and then the I went there for a year. I had a threeweek training program and it was in

the winter and it was so beautiful in the winter. I mean the snow was very heavy it was so quiet there are no cars on the road and it’s just so so charming. I just kind of fell into it and then when I went there I immediately fell in love. The people are incredibly kind and sweet and helpful and it’s just the entire culture from the history to the fashion to the food and just everyone looks so beautiful, everyone looks like a kpop star so I kind of fell in love with that as well.”

Oli London recently released his own ‘Kpop’ single. ‘Perfection’ is in majority an English track, with a slight injection of Korean.

“It’s not everyone’s taste but, I love it I think it’s so catchy. Some people find it controversial but what I’m trying to do with the song, I get so many haters I’m trying to say ‘look, I’m perfect where I am now. This is what makes me happy now, doing plastic surgery, doing these things for myself is what makes me feel perfect. The concept was like, I’m living in my own world perfection, super happy and then the message to everyone else is, if you’re different, if you stand out in society and people judge you, just don’t listen to them do whatever makes you feel perfect. That’s the kind of message, obviously, I don’t encourage people to have plastic surgery because that’s not what I’m about, but I encourage people if they’re different, to just embrace that and love themselves and know that they’re perfect. So for me, I feel perfect because of the plastic surgery, that’s just something that makes me feel good. But with other people, I just want people to feel perfect In their own way especially the underdogs, the people who

are different in society and kind of outcasts and put-down - it’s a real kind of anthem for them, just to kind of know that they’re perfect.”

Does Oli have any musical training?

“I’ve been having vocal coaching from some of my friends who’ve been producing my track. Obviously, I used a bit of autotune - I’m sure that’s the number one criticism. But I love the sounds of auto-tune and maybe I used a little bit too much on the track, that’s what everyone’s saying, but um I like the sound of it because it kind of goes with the theme of perfection. I sound almost robotic, kind of like a doll or something so that went with the theme but no, not necessarily musical training.”

Some listeners have commented on his use of Korean in the track. Are we to assume he has some knowledge of the Korean language?

“Yeah, of course, I lived there when I was younger. I just wanted to do something abroad and I love travelling so I did English teaching in Korea. When I was there I had like a co-teacher that was Korean so I learned a lot of words there and I have weekly Korean lessons as well in London. The trouble for me is I’ve got such a bad memory, like when I read a book I can’t remember what I’ve just read. I had a two-hour lesson in Korean last week and I can’t remember a single thing. “I remember when I hear Korean people talk, it triggers in my head so when I’m watching like a Kdrama or something that I hear the words then I remember it so I can’t necessarily remember it straight away but it’s when I hear it kind of in practice and when I’m speaking with my Korean

friends then I can kind of trigger my memory.”

Did anyone outside of Kpop inspire ‘Perfection’? Who else inspires Oli?

“I mean well basically with my music video Mariah Carey was my inspiration because like she lounges around and stuff that was the kind of the idea behind my video the perfection. I’m kind of in my own world I can’t notice what’s going on

around me. So she inspires me a lot, I love her, she’s got such a great sense of humour. I love Angelina Jolie so much because she does so much for charity, she goes to Syria and Turkey to help with the refugee camps and another one of my idols is Queen Rania of Jordan. I met Queen Rania very briefly when I was in Malibu in California, she just happened to be in a makeup shop and she had no guards, it was just her and her daughter, the Princess, and I

literally just had to speak to her but I didn’t want to disturb her too much because she was just being casual it was a day off. She does so much charity work, her country they’ve got over a million Syrian refugees. I really look up to people like that and obviously, BTS are incredible ambassadors for young people. When they did the speech at the United Nations they really resonated with a lot of people. I look up to people that give back to the world.”

So how did this all happen? Oli London isn’t a name we know from English language pop music.

“I never ever thought this would happen - releasing my music. When I was in Korea I honestly looked up to Kpop stars every day. I watch BTS on the kpop countdown and stuff and I would just think ‘oh my god, they’re amazing, I wish I could be a Kpop star’ but I just thought that was like some dream that would never happen. It’s just something you look up to, you think that’s never gonna happen to me, and it just is weird it just happened recently. My friend is a big music producer in the UK, he produces for a lot of artists and he didn’t even ask me - he just wrote me a song it was in English and I said ‘oh my god’ I love it so much, but I want to make it Kpop’ because I’m obsessed with Kpop and if he was gonna make me a song anyway I thought I might as well make it Kpop. Then I got my Korean friend who lives in Seoul to translate some of the lyrics into Korean and obviously the chorus is Perfection and then you have a kind of echo in the background with the Korean word for Perfection. I used just a few verses in this one because it’s my first video and I wanted to see what the reaction would be, because obviously, I’m trying to spread kpop to new audiences so

if I did the song in full Korean it’s not necessarily going to sell and do as well in English-speaking audiences. In my next song I’m gonna use more Korean, but this particular one I wanted to just give people a hint, mixing in with the English, so people can discover kpop. “Then they’re gonna think what is Kpop, what is BTS? They’re gonna google it then, they’re gonna fall in love because every time I tell someone about BTS that haven’t heard of it they get addicted. Like my doctor who does all my procedures and injections, every time I go there she’s listening to Kpop. “I just get everyone addicted so that’s justwhat I’m trying to do, spread kpop and through Kpop people want to learn more about Korean culture they want to visit the country.”

Oli’s intention with ‘Perfection’ is to actively spread Korean music and culture to the rest of the world. How does he feel he is doing this?

“Of course some people disagree with what I’m doing but basically a lot of people that have now heard my story had not actually heard of kpop. So a lot of my friends that don’t know me so well, they didn’t really know much about kpop. “I’m just trying my best. I know my song’s not to everyone’s tastes - I mean even I laugh at it, sometimes it’s quite funny, especially some of the comments I get. “Obviously the whole song is not in Korean, it’s a few verses, I’m trying to kind of make it more

commercial to new markets so what I’m trying to do in the UK, I’m trying to when I go to clubs I get them to play Kpop. I’m trying to bring Kpop to new audiences because a lot of people asked me what on earth is Kpop is and then I explain it and they automatically become interested then when I talk about BTS and they haven’t heard of BTS, like it’s crazy. “I go to DJ’s and they don’t even know what BTS is and I go crazy because I’m like how could you not know them, they’re so big. “I just want to spread kpop because I think the music’s so kind of addictive, it’s so well coordinated and through Kpop you also spread to Korean culture, and for me personally, I want

to give back to Korea cause Korean people were so so kind to me when I was living there. I had the best time of my life so it’s my kind of way of sharing a little bit of their culture of music with the kind of people that wouldn’t have heard it necessarily before.”

And what about those people that say he is promoting BTS, now Korean music in general?

“I mean BTS are among the best ambassadors for kpop. You had PSY before BTS that helped kind of make kpop global with Gangnam Style but with BTS what they’ve done they’ve kind of paved the way for other Kpop stars so now you’ve got BLACKPINK,

NCT 127 ... so they were kind of really the pioneers that helped spread the kpop around the world and put it up to new audiences. They kind of opened up the Kpop market to a wider audience. I love them so much anyway but that’s why I kind of love and respect them so much because they’re really spreading Korean culture around the world. They received a Korean Cultural Medal from President Moon, so they’ve done so much to help other Kpop artists get success in different countries. Before it was kind of more just dominating kind of Japan, China, Thailand those kinds of countries, whereas now it’s completely global thanks to BTS.”

With Western audiences split on their opinion of Oli and ‘Perfection’, how does he expect Korean audiences to react?

“I’m sure they’ll love it. Basically, I’ve been in Korean news already I was in a very big newspaper inside Korea and they already know me over there anyway from the TV show I did before, but I’m actually going there in a couple of months. I’m going to stay there for a few months and I’ve got some more songs that I’m working on already, there’s a bit less autotune on the next one so I’m working on some more songs that are going to be more BTS style. So I’m really practising dance moves and practising my singing at the moment because I really want to improve and have a higher standard and also the concept of my other music’s

gonna be different. Perfection was more kind of Mariah Carey style just me lounging around, you know, being perfect in my own world. The other videos are going to be super Kpop; so, me with like loads of dances and stuff, doing BTS style dancing. So yeah, I think Korean people are - they’re always fascinated by people from the Western world that are interested in their country, when you go to Korea and you make an effort to speak their language they greatly appreciate it and they greatly appreciate Westerners taking an interest in their country - so I get a lot of positive feedback from my Korean friends. Obviously, some people find it funny and shocking and stuff but, the Korean people will appreciate it and they will see what I’m doing.

“I’m just gonna go to the clubs and stuff, I’m gonna DJ it and play it and stuff, I don’t really perform, I’d rather have a perfect product, I want it to be a high standard. So I’m going to DJ my song in different places; I’m gonna give my song to different radio stations DJs; do TV interviews. Then I want to record one of my new videos in Korea. I want to hire, with my best friend Frenchy Morgan - who was on Celebrity Big Brother, she’s obsessed with BTS - we want to hire Kpop style dancers and I even want to try and get a Kpop star to feature in my next music video as well. I’m just gonna promote as much as I can on different TV shows and stuff.”

So who might that Kpop star be?

“Oh well obviously, I mean that would be like an honour - Jimin - but just maybe even if it’s featuring someone from a boyband, like maybe like a rapper or someone like Ravi from VIXX. I’m trying to think who else I’d like - just someone that’s got the rap style

because that’s what I want. Maybe, someone that needs exposure so maybe even a rising star because I like to support new and emerging artists, so there’s a boy band I really like called N.TIC, they’re very new and they’ve just got a few songs out but I’m obsessed with them. When they go on Instagram live I go crazy but they never respond to me. I’m just like ‘oh my god I love you, you’re amazing’ and then I get my friend Frenchie to come on there as well and try and get their attention. One of the Kpop stars from that band actually did a video message to say hi to me - that was really sweet. Yeah, maybe an emerging artist cuz I like to support new talents.”

So what is the long term goal? And what sets Oli apart from the emerging artists already fighting to be noticed in Korea?

“Well, first of all, because I’m a Western artist doing this thing - I don’t think it’s been done like this, obviously you’ve had some people do kpop before, an Eastern European band and American guy - but I just think it’s gonna be different because a lot of people in Korea know my story. I went viral last year with my TV show and I’m just gonna really push it. It’s a very very catchy song maybe I can do some remixes of it, maybe I could do more Korean

for the Korean market, and yeah I would love to get a number one. I actually reached number 31 on the iTunes kpop chart [when my song released] so that was really cool. So, I know I can do it I just have to be in the right place - Korea is obviously the right place, that’s the obviously the strongest market for Kpop. I’m just gonna aim for number one there.”

Surely he’s aware of Chad Future and EXP Edition?

“I didn’t actually know who he was until someone mentioned him recently. His music’s really cool, I didn’t know whether it was Kpop or not but he had some Kpop stars in his videos.

“I thought I was the first person, I didn’t actually know about him until the other day, but his music’s cool it’s very much in the style of Kpop how it was back five years ago. I’d like to do something like that, do some kind of features with different Korean artists and do like some crazy dancing and have crazy sets, which I know they have in Korea, they have the most amazing music video sets.”

Where they failed, how can Oli succeed?

“I think I have a lot of personality. I think that’s what people like with me and so I think my personality will win people over. I’ve got some new TV shows coming up very soon as well, I’m going to do some TV shows in Korea I’ve got lots planned for when I’m there - I just think that I’ll kind of win them over with my personality. The fact that I’m really really trying and really making an effort to appreciate their culture to learn their language. I’m not trying to become Korean at all, that’s not what I’m doing, I just love their culture. I’m just trying to learn as much as I

can about their culture I think they will greatly appreciate that they’ll see my devotion to their country and I think that will win them over.”

We couldn’t possibly speak with Oli and not discuss the Jimin ‘look’ and his surgery. Why Jimin over the picture perfect idols such as Kim Jaejoong or Kim Heechul?

“I just think he’s cute. Obviously, he’s changed over the years. But he’s just got a baby face, very round, cute baby face, the most beautiful eyes, his smile, everything about him. “I watch a lot of BTS videos when they’re doing behind-the-scenes things, just them in the house and stuff, and he’s just adorable. When those eyes look at you in the music videos, just like pierces my heart so he’s just absolute perfection. That’s why my song is also abouthim - obviously, the song is about me as well - but it’s also about him because he’s perfection in my eyes and what makes me feel perfect is trying to kind of emulate him in every way possible.”

Any regrets? Did doctors manage expectations and advise against anything?

“I mean all my nose is completely botched so I have to do it again. I’m going to do it in Korea - it’s completely messed up I have cartilage coming out of my nose at the moment so I’m gonna fix that when I’m in Korea. But I don’t have any regrets. “I did actually do surgery when I was initially in Korea, so I did three procedures when I was there, but the other procedures I’ve done since have been in other countries, not Korea, so my only regret is I didn’t go back to Korea to do the rest of the surgery because they would have done a

better job. They’re the only ones that can obviously give me the look that I want - because they’re Korean - so any other doctor I’ve been to hasn’t quite been able to give me what I want.”

“My doctor wouldn’t give me half the things I was asking for. He still performed on me but I didn’t tell anyone I was having surgery. I never do, I just like to get it done and then tell people because people always get upset. My doctor kept saying no to what I wanted. I was asking for a really really small nose and he wouldn’t give it to me. I wanted fat removed off my chest he said no, he said just go to the gym you’ll be able to work it off and it didn’t work, so I’ve had that surgery last year actually.

“The dedication of the service in Korea and how they look after you is amazing, but the doctor was telling me some things I couldn’t do. Sothe doctor was saying no to something so I had to kind of obviously go with them because I was young, I was naive and stuff, and also if the doctor tells you something you have to do what they say because they normally have your best interests at heart. They know what’s gonna look good they know how your nose is going to function and stuff.“

What would Oli say to a young fan who told him they wanted to get surgery to look like an idol?

“I don’t encourage plastic surgery. Unless someone’s really thought about it. Especially if they’re young.

You can’t be having plastic surgery when you’re young, it’s something that you have to seriously think about. You can get any modification you want, you can look the way you want - it’s kind of normalized. I think it’s incredible to be able to do these things, but obviously, you have to be an adult and you have to make an informed decision. In Korea, one in five people get plastic surgery, particularly with the eyes and a lot of people get them when they’re 18 as well, so there’s a huge societal pressure. But if a young friend came up to me I wouldn’t encourage them to do that I would just say ‘look. It’s something you’ve really got to think about’, but I always encourage people to be individual and follow their dreams. If that’s what they really want to do, then do it but it’s about individual decisions and we all haveto make informed decisions. So if it’s something they’ve thought about for years then do it, but if it’s something like spur of the moment then I don’t actively encourage that.”

So to the main controversies - many think Oli does not look like Jimin, and therefore what he says he has done mock’s the BTS idol.

“No, it doesn’t mock him at all. He’d probably find it a compliment. I’m sure he’s seen it already, I mean BIGHIT know about me already. I’ve had some of my producers contact them so I’m sure he’s seen me already, Obviously the BTS message ‘love yourself’, that’s one of the biggest criticisms I get, but this is my way of loving myself because it makes me love myself more. It makes me confident, makes me happy, so I think Jimin would - he might be obviously shocked initially because BTS, they get a lot of

crazy crazy fans, so he might get shocked initially - I just hope he doesn’t take any offence. It’s a compliment to him, to his beauty. I just hope he’s not upset because I would never ever want to upset him because he’s so sweet, he’s very sensitive as well. so I would never want to upset him.”

Are there any social or moral issues surrounding changing your identity to look like someone from another race?

“I’m not trying to change my race. It’s not about changing my race because I know I’m British. but I fully identify with Korean culture and, I mean, I wish I was born in Korea in a way because, just the culture for me, I identify with so much more so than British culture. I feel almost outcast in this country. Some people find it controversial, I’m not trying to change my ethnicity at all - but I’m obsessed with the Kpop look, and Jimin, the way he looks. So that’s more what I’m going for, I just want the kpop look. It’s a bit like people some people want to have surgery to look like Kim Kardashian, so it’s the same kind of thing. They’re trying to look like her, I’m just going to like a Kpop star. Kim Kardashian, she’s from Armenia originally so she’s also mixed as well but there’s never any kind of controversies with her when people want to look like her.”

Is this akin to cultural appropriation? If you look at someone like Jay Park who has recently been accused of appropriating black styles - how does Oli wanting to emulate a visual look he would not naturally have as a Caucasian man, and singing in a language he doesn’t fully know differ?

“These days people are so politically correct and I get it,

especially when people are from different ethnic backgrounds when they’ve grown up with a culture of abuse and people making their lives difficult just because of who they are. So I get why it’s a sensitive issue like with Jay Park and stuff, so what if he wants to do that? Kim Kardashian, sometimes she braids her hair and she gets criticized for that, at the end of the day you can do what you want like. Jay Park’s not hurting anyone, I’m not hurting anyone. “Jay Park loves hip-hop, that’s what he does, he’s a hip-hop star rapper and that’s what he loves and good for

him for doing that. It’s not about him trying to change his race or anything, it’s just that’s his kind of music, that’s what he loves and it’s the same with me - it’s just what I love. I don’t see why people get offended, I can understand the sensitivity around these kinds of issues. “I’m really striving to learn more about Korean culture and I know so much about it already so I don’t feel like I’m doing anything wrong because it’s just me at the end of the day. I can’t live my life in the wrong body, I just want to look a certain way. Same with Jay Park, he’s a

rapper, that’s what he likes to look like, that’s how he likes to sing and good for him because I know he’s had a lot of controversy over the years.”

“Obviously with what I do some people find it very controversial and some people take offence, but at the end of the day I’m very sensitive to other people’s feelings and I’ve never purposely set out to offend anyone. I don’t believe what I’m doing is offensive in any way whatsoever, the only reason people get offended is just that I’m different. Whenever someone’s different in life they always get criticized. Society is very very judgemental and it’s actually very sad how judgmental it can be, so it almost puts people off being different. “I want to be a kind of figure for these young people to see you can live your dreams you can do what makes you happy and who cares what people say. “I’ve got so many young fans and I’m not encouraging them to have a surgery or anything, but I’m just encouraging them just to be themselves, be unique, never listen to what people say because I get bullied every single day online by some horrible horrible people and these people are very insecure. That’s why they deflect their negative energy and feelings onto other people.I just think it’s very hard in society to be different and I’m a different person and for me being in the public spotlight makes me feel better in some ways because at least I can be free and open, at least people can actually understand who I am as opposed to me just kind of concealing that and people not understanding the whole Kpop thing. “I just think society needs to be a lot less judgmental of people that are unique and different and doing things for the first time. I’m releasing a kpop song, I’m not

from Korea but it’s just because I’m one of the first people to do that - that’s why I’m getting the backlash. Whenever somebody does something different in society, whenever someone is the first to do something, there’s always a backlash. Look at Martin Luther King in the 60s, he got so much hate, so much backlash and he was a hero at the time, people didn’t see that. I’m not in any way comparing myself to him at all, I’m just saying somebody that does something first before other people always gets backlash and criticism. So, I hope I can pave the way for other kinds of Western artists to do kpop and they won’t receive such a heated response.”

Is that what we should expect?

“Yeah absolutely, I think it’s only a matter of time, because now you know BTS is just so huge around the world so there are so many young fans and I’m sure there will be other artists, particularly in America that will copy the Kpop style and I think it’s a really great thing. I definitely think there’s a lot more to follow and it’s great because it’s just nice to have Kpop being mixed with American music and stuff making it more diverse. Even in the UK, it’s getting better because we have Kpop nights in London and different cities now.” Oli London is always going to be marmite. The success of his aim to look like Jimin will always be questionable. The skill and success of his music always debated.

But one thing is for certain, ‘Jimin Lookalike’ sells Oli London short. I am not afraid to admit that I came into this interview thinking it would be boring and vacuous and only succeed in confirming my dislike for what he appeared to stand for. But that is not the case.

Though I don’t agree with all his opinions, he is smarter than I initially thought, and he is more informed. What he is doing does not hurt anyone, and while he still presents as obviously Caucasian, it is hard to definitively decide that his external appearance causes social and moral issues.

Oli has the opportunity to use his voice in a far more useful way. He could be a mouthpiece for all the people he aims to speak to - but while his main spin revolves around BTS, and looking like one of the members, it’s not something that seems likely to happen. However, maybe Oli needs to utilise his ability to go viral to be noticed before that voice can shine. Whatever you think of Oli, it is undeniable that he has a will to succeed - and regardless of whoever believes he can’t, he will continue to fight to do the things that make him happy.

“When I believe in something and I know it’s can succeed, I really think it’s important in life to invest in yourself and this is my one chance. It’s a sign from the universe that my friend wanted me to do a song and then I turned it into a k-pop song. This is my dream so I’m just gonna pursue it no matter what.”

While I won’t be in a rush to download his music, I will pay attention if I see his name in future. Oli London isn’t wholly the charicature he comes across as at first impression and hopefully he will do more to back that up as time passes. His voice could one day make a difference.