K-drama actor Ahn Hyo-seop on ‘Something Special’, his new single with US R&B star Khalid

From an early age, Ahn Hyo-seop has had a burning passion for music. After school, he would talk about music and even produce tracks with his friends for fun. This passion led him to train under JYP Entertainment with the hopes of becoming a K-pop idol.

However, Ahn decided to follow a different career path as an actor, becoming a household name in South Korea with performances in Dr Romantic (2016) and Business Proposal (2022).

After starring in films and shows for over 10 years, Ahn recently surprised fans by announcing his musical debut in a collaboration with US R&B star Khalid.

The duo released “Something Special” on May 22, a cross-cultural track that blends K-pop and US R&B seamlessly.

“Music has been a hidden passion for me for a long time,” Ahn says. “This project came to me very naturally. It was a good opportunity to be part of a fun project with a very creative team. And of course, Khalid, I’ve been listening to his music for a very long time. To be able to make music [together] was a great honour.”

Ahn has previously performed on soundtracks for the film KPop Demon Hunters (2025) and K-dramas A Time Called You (2023) and Top Management (2018). However, he feels “nervous” and “thrilled” about releasing the new track because he is revealing personal experiences and showing a new side of himself creatively.