Fun, Deep and Danceable: Ethan Soza’s Beats Come out of K-Pop and Pain

Ethan Soza has been on quite the journey.

After a few years of performing all over northeast Ohio and releasing assorted tracks, the 26-year-old Cleveland-based singer/songwriter is on the cusp of debuting his first full-length album of danceable beats and catchy lyrics.

But to get to these new musical heights, he has had to weather some pretty stark lows: navigating a tricky landscape of an ultra-religious family and a faith-based environment that condemned the LGBTQ+ community.

“My life was just not worth it because I was basically living to go to hell, and that was really hard for me,” Soza said.

Salvation came from a most unlikely place: K-Pop.

The worldwide phenomenon of South Korea-inspired pop music entered Soza’s ears, and things just started to turn around.

“Those songs were about being empowered, and it’s really helped me in my journey of loving myself,” Soza said.

Before the April 21 release of his 10-track album, “The New Era,” Soza sat down with The Buckeye Flame to talk (difficult) past, (exciting) present and (majestic) future.

The Buckeye Flame: What does music mean to you?

Ethan Soza (ES): Music is my entire life, as cliche as that sounds. It was an escape for me, growing up. My parents are pastors so it was really hard for me being gay. I felt like music was my own little world I could escape to. I would close my eyes and put my headphones on to escape into that world.

How has music helped you in your queer journey?

ES: Music has given me confidence. I got bullied a lot growing up and there was a point where I was very down and hated myself and my life and being queer. Then I found K-Pop music and I started gaining this confidence from the artists, listening to songs that uplifted me rather than listening to what other people said. Those songs were about being empowered, and they’ve really helped me in my journey of loving myself.

How has music helped you through with your parents?

ES: Originally my love for music actually came from the church. My mom is a worship leader; she has two sisters and they sing in a band together and she is a phenomenal singer. It kind of hurt because the same place I found my love for music was the place that I felt hurt by for being queer.

Growing up, I was told that being gay meant you were going to go to hell and to repent. I wasn’t out at the time, but people still said things and it’s kind of obvious. It was really hard for me hearing these things and feeling like I was going to go to hell. My life was just not worth it because I was basically living to go to hell, and that was really hard for me.

Finding that love again for music, specifically with K-Pop, allowed me to find that confidence.

I often think about my music journey. I started by listening to Christian music growing up, and it was very filtered by what my parents let me listen to. I was never allowed to listen to pop music, which meant no Britney Spears, NSYNC, or any of that type of music. I always had to find the Christian alternatives to those pop songs. I then transitioned to listening to Disney music, like Hannah Montana.

In middle school, there was this kind of break. It was not cool to just listen to Disney original movie soundtracks, and I didn’t want to listen to Christian music. I still wasn’t allowed to listen to pop music or rap music, so I took a break where I didn’t know who I was or what I wanted to listen to. I feel like K-Pop came in at the perfect time in my life.

Looking forward to the upcoming album, what are you hoping people will take away from it?

ES: I want people first to see how much I’ve grown if they’ve listened to my music before. I worked with a new producer on this and spent a lot of time and effort on it.

Obviously, my first intention is to have a catchy and entertaining song. I love to perform on stage, so my songs need to have that energy to get the crowd going. But the songs I write are always a story of how I’m feeling. It might be a diss track that sounds fun, but be a song about a guy who broke my heart, and that is a real story. I want people to catch those emotions that I have in those songs.

I have one song that I am very excited about called “Majestic.” Usually my songs are very “screw this guy who broke my heart” or “I can take your man,” something fun and that people can laugh at. However, this song is about my story of not loving myself, finding that confidence and telling myself that I am everything I need to be. That is something I am really excited for people to hear. 🔥