Hailing from Jakarta, meet your latest pop sensation Francis Karel. If you’ve been discovering new music on TikTok like I have, you probably have seen him come across your for you page. We got to chat with him about virality and his journey into music.
Tell us how you decided to start curating content and sharing your songwriting process with the world on TikTok?
Francis: Initially, I was doing a lot more covers. I think as soon as I saw that there was an audience invested in the content I made, I decided to test out a lot more of the songwriting material. At that moment it was very much a trial & error situation. Eventually there were a lot of open verse challenges on TikTok so I decided to hop on them and it kind of became a part of my expected content.
Can you tell us the inspiration behind "Small Talk?"
Francis: Having experienced falling out of love/friendships, I noticed a tendency of mine where I allow it and continue to let it exist in my world. I didn’t like that about myself and honestly, didn’t really want to write about it. But per usual, writing about the stuff I feel helps me get over it. I don’t know why - it’s some sort of acceptance process of mine… but that’s how “Small Talk” came about.
Who are some artists that you listened to either now or growing up that influence your sound?
Francis: I’d have to say that few of my biggest influences are Jon Bellion, Ed Sheeran, Tori Kelly, Julia Michaels & Bruno Mars. I think a lot more artists inspire me but those are my top 5 who truly move me with their approach to songwriting.
What's something fans might be surprised to know about you?
Francis: I’m a lot more chaotic than they expect. I didn’t realize how much I was perceived as a good/calm person on social media.
What's next?
Francis: I have a lot more songs coming & a lot more that I’m writing. It’s all a part of a puzzle that’ll help me figure out who I am 🙂
Samantha Fong
"At 15 years old, I begged my mom to take me to Walmart to get Taylor Swift's debut deluxe album and I never turned back. This was my very first entry point to stan fandom. Growing up in Memphis, Tennessee I was exposed to a ton of music - from rapping 3 6 Mafia to bopping to Justin Timberlake's solo discography. Now, in LA have a day job working in nonprofit development, but by night, I'm a full-fledged fangirl. I'll listen to generally any genre, but I'm a sucker for a good pop song. If you ever need someone to scream sing Carly Rae Jepsen's E·MO·TION with, I'm your girl. No, I still have not gotten over the One Direction hiatus. Please continue to respect my privacy. Twitter : samfonggg, Instagram : samantha_fong"
