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IMAGINE walking into your local cafe on a rainy Sunday, later in the morning, serenaded by honeyed vocals that remind you of slow walks and gentle kisses as a whiff of freshly brewed coffee nudges your sleepy, lovesick brain – Corbyn Besson’s latest EP Head First, which dropped earlier this year, feels just like that.
Serving up tracks such as Kiss, Tied Up, Summer ft Jeremih, Blink ft Tzuyu, Ruin Me and Hypnotized, the EP is a curated “playlist” that strips down falling in love, as it slow dances between yearning and desire for that one person whose smile you cannot get out of your head.
Head First teases his sound, cementing his identity and authenticity as a solo artiste who has matured in music but is still at the dawn of his career.
Getting a headstart in music as a member of the Why Don’t We, Besson was used to sharing the spotlight with four other boys – Jack Avery, Zach Herron, Jonah Marais and Daniel Seavey – thus exploring music on his own got him excited and nervous, as one would be.
Peeking into Besson’s revival in music as a soloist, theSun had a little chat with the 27-year-old Texan who dished on going solo, his musical inspirations and his plans for the future.
Going solo
Citing Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake, Michael Jackson, Kehlani, Sza and Chris Brown as his musical idols, Besson’s love for music actually started at home.
“I grew up in a household that was always listening to music.”
Taking piano lessons as a young kid opened the musical box for Besson as he cultivated an interest in playing instruments.
He shared his parents bought him his first electric guitar and playing it became a hobby.
“Fast forward a couple of years, I stole my dad’s old acoustic guitar and started learning how to sing – and the rest is history!” he said, adding that he has always been surrounded by music as his dad grew up in New Orleans, “which had a very rich music culture”, and his mum played the harp for about 30 years.
Acknowledging his boy band start in music, Besson explained being a part of Why Don’t We taught him about music production – but the tune changed once he started making and writing his own music.
“The music became so much more personal and I realised I could take risks musically that I couldn’t really take before,” he said, admitting it was weird and scary at first.
Over time, he found the process liberating as it had deepened his love for music production.
Finding identity in familiarity
With a 2010s, almost Y2K and R&B sound to his rather young discography, his sound is sprinkled with Timberlake and Brown crumbs, so when asked if it was intentional, he shared it was a little bit of both.
“I fell in love with pop music in the 2010s, so I think that era has naturally inspired how I create today.”
Despite being inspired by yesteryears’ soundscapes, Besson finds his authenticity in songwriting as he draws inspiration from his personal experiences as much as he can.
Proving he is a versatile artiste, he also believes that some songs have a route of their own, he claimed “sometimes songs take on lives of their own and can tell a great story”.
“Sometimes we write about something someone else in the room went through or something a friend of mine has gone through.
“It really just depends on the day and the point we’re trying to get across!” he quipped, adding that the melody comes first for him.
“I usually will start by recording a few vocal takes where I just mumble random words while singing melodies that feel natural over the best I’m writing to until I sing something that sticks and feels catchy.”
He also shared sometimes “random words or vowel sounds” will stand out to him, helping him to solve a lyrical puzzle.
Even so, music can be very formulaic, especially pop, with the same four chords being recycled – while the formula widely works, it can take a toll on authenticity.
But for Besson, who loves writing music in a judgment-free room, the formula exists as a guideline to “help organise ideas”.
“One of the beauties of humanity is that everybody is unique, so I find that really just embracing my individuality and trusting my instincts keeps everything authentic to me.”
Being a part of production and songwriting is knowing that experiencing creative block is a risk to take and that is why Besson has gracefully accepted that it is a natural part of the process.
He believes the important thing is to “just keep showing up and know that it’s okay to write a bad song”.
“You have to write terrible songs to get them out (of) the way to make room for the great ones.
“Bad ideas often lead to the best ones,” the artiste shared, who expressed Blink ft. Tzuyu and Tied up are songs that are quintessentially Cobryn Besson.
met at Lollapalooza. – ALL PICS BY STONE TAUL
Fans and collaborations
For Besson, being an artiste is a rewarding experience as he finds gratification in helping to “make their days/lives a little better” – but it is the high that he gets on stage that defines his journey as a performer.
“There’s nothing quite like the adrenaline rush you get when the spotlight hits you on stage for the first time during a show.”
His interaction with fans does not stop only on stage as he also shares behind-the-scenes of his music productions via TikTok. Expressing regrets over not having grown up with opportunities to learn from his favourite artistes, he takes joy in spreading his musical knowledge to inspire his fans who dream the same dream.
“I’m also a huge nerd and love the technical side of creating music. So, it’s fun for me to show my fans everything that goes into writing their next favourite song,” he said, adding that social media has helped him connect with his fans personally and bring them into his world.
As an emerging artiste, a career-defining moment for Besson was his collaboration with Tzuyu of Twice, which put him in the spotlight for not only Western media but Asian media too.
Having written the song in October 2024, he said the intention was to always have a female artiste sing the chorus but he took some time to figure out the right voice for the track.
“About months later, after dozens of conversations about potential features that didn’t feel quite right, my A&R called asking me what I thought about having a female K-pop idol on the song,” he remarked, adding that they sent the song to her and she wanted to be on it.
Besson said they started teasing the collaboration when they first met at Lollapalooza in Chicago, where Twice headlined the iconic music festival.
“Then I flew to Korea in September with my creative team to hang together has been one of my favourite experiences in my career so far.”
Looking ahead
A musician with a busy year ahead in 2026, he is set to go on his first solo tour as a solo artiste after dropping his EP Head First earlier this year.
“I’m really proud of this EP and know my fans are going to love it and I can’t wait to bring it to them in person around the world,” he said, revealing the possibility of an album this year.
He teased more dance-pop and “early 2000s R&B nostalgia and some 2010s R&B/Pop vibes” and with “heavy emphasis on thumpy drums, thick 808s and smooth vocals”, foreshadowing his sound as a young musician.
Besson also expressed desire to dive deeper into R&B, the genre that shaped his musical upbringing and it has been “one of his dreams for a while to do a full R&B album”, but those are plans for 2027.
As he marches ahead in the music industry, he leaves his Malaysian fans with this heartwarming message.
“Thank you so much for your continued love and support. It means the world to me. One of my favourite memories in my life so far was getting to visit the Batu Caves in Malaysia in 2019.
“I can’t wait to come back and see everyone in person. Y’all better be ready to sing and dance your hearts out when I get there! Saya sayang awak!”
