24-Year-Old K-Pop Trainee Samuel Kim Arredondo Releases New Spanish-Speaking EP Amid Personal and Professional Evolution

At just 24, Samuel Kim Arredondo, known professionally as Samuel, has navigated a multifaceted career in K-pop, culminating in the June 8 release of his Spanish-language EP “Samuelito,” according to a press release from his label, Samuel Music Group. The album marks a return to his cultural roots and a shift toward Latin-influenced soundscapes, following a period of personal loss and professional reinvention.

From K-Pop Trainee to Independent Artist

Arredondo first gained attention as a child in Los Angeles’ Koreatown, where he attended Wilshire Park Elementary School before moving to South Korea with his mother, Kyung-ju, in the fifth grade to pursue K-pop stardom. He became a trainee under Pledis Entertainment, a subsidiary of Hybe, the company behind BTS, according to a 2021 report by Korea Bulls. Pledis was forming the group Seventeen, and Arredondo appeared in early “Seventeen TV” footage, though he did not debut with the group. He later contributed lyrics to their 10-year anniversary album.

After leaving Pledis, Arredondo signed with Brave Entertainment and formed the hip-hop duo 1Punch in 2016, as documented by Genie On Air. He competed on the second season of Produce 101 in 2017, reaching the penultimate episode before the formation of Wanna One. That year, he released his first solo album, Sixteen, showcasing his dance skills and vocal range, according to a Soompi profile.

Personal Tragedy and Creative Rebirth

Arredondo’s career trajectory shifted dramatically after the 2019 death of his father, José Arredondo, a Bakersfield, California, entrepreneur who built a car dealership and other businesses, as reported by The Bakersfield Californian. The loss, which occurred amid public media coverage, left Arredondo reclusive for years. “The articles went out first… I had no choice to keep it private,” he told Korea Bulls in a 2024 interview. “It was hard for me.”

Following a contract exit and support from his mother, Arredondo launched his own company, Samuel Music Group, in 2022. “If I kept on staying in the past, I think no one would like it… I learned to be grateful,” he said, per Korea Bulls. The EP Samuelito is his second independent release, following Now in 2024, and features three original tracks alongside an interlude.

Blending Cultures in “Samuelito”

Songs like the reggaeton-infused “Zigi Zigi Zigi” and the Spanish-language track “Never Say Goodbye” reflect Arredondo’s multicultural upbringing, blending K-pop discipline with Latin rhythms. “I used to listen to a lot of Spanish music… I wanted to bring back my roots,” he told Korea Bulls. The album includes Korean slang phrases like “Ddook Ddak,” meaning “just like that,” and features collaborations with Canadian-Mexican songwriter Andrea Rocha, who praised his “star qualities” during the recording process, according to Soompi.

Arredondo’s vision for future projects includes working with “genre-spanning Latino pop artists” like Selena Gomez and Rauw Alejandro, as stated in an Instagram post. Fans, including Korean-Nicaraguan viewer Liz Zeledon, have highlighted the significance of his fusion of K-pop and Latin influences, noting the underrepresentation of “Korean Latines” in the industry, per Instagram.

Looking Ahead: A Dual Life Between Seoul and L.A.

Arredondo now splits his time between Seoul and Los Angeles, reestablishing ties with his father’s family in Bakersfield. “Getting back to my roots is the biggest thing I’m happy about,” he said, per Korea Bulls. His journey—from K-pop trainee to independent artist—reflects a broader narrative of cultural hybridity in global music, as seen in acts like BTS and Bad Bunny, according to Billboard analysis.