After three years away from music, Adam Oh<\/a> wasn\u2019t sure he\u2019d ever return.<\/p>\n The queer<\/a> singer, rapper and songwriter stepped back from recording without any guarantee he\u2019d find his way back. Instead of forcing inspiration, he focused on reconnecting with himself. What followed surprised even him. Within weeks, he had written an entire album that would become CLUBHAUS<\/em>, his most personal release to date.<\/p>\n Ahead of the album\u2019s release, I caught up with Oh to talk about creative burnout, queer joy, independence and why he\u2019s no longer interested in making himself smaller to fit the music industry.<\/p>\n The turning point came from an unlikely place: a workbook.<\/p>\n \u201cI have to give credit where credit is due,\u201d Oh told me. \u201cI finally tried Julia Cameron\u2019s The Artist Way<\/em> workbook that some of my favorite artists like Doechii<\/a> have recommended, and it completely transformed how I was feeling creatively.\u201d<\/p>\n The 12-week program quickly unlocked something. <\/p>\n \u201cBy week three or four I had found the inspiration and courage to get back in the booth,\u201d he said. \u201cBy the end of the course, I had a full album, a newfound confidence in my voice and more clarity around what I wanted to create.\u201d<\/p>\n That clarity arrived after a period filled with uncertainty.<\/p>\n \u201cHonestly, yeah,\u201d he said when I asked whether he\u2019d considered never returning to music. \u201cI put music on pause not knowing if I would ever come back to it, because I needed to realign and start living and creating from a more authentic place.\u201d<\/p>\n Fortunately, music remained part of that authentic version of himself.<\/p>\n \u201cMy passion for music has endured the test of time,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve learned to create from a more authentic and grounded place, so I finally get to enjoy the process again. It\u2019s cathartic, and super fun for me.\u201d<\/p>\n CLUBHAUS<\/em> is being billed as Oh\u2019s most unapologetically queer project, but for him that description reaches far beyond lyrics.<\/p>\n \u201cMy queerness is something that I used to hide and hold shame around,\u201d he said. \u201cLearning to love myself unconditionally for who I am, not despite my queerness but because of my queerness, has been a long but beautiful journey.\u201d<\/p>\n He credits his partner Bradley, queer community and fellow LGBTQ+ artists with helping reshape that relationship.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I used to carry as a burden I now get to beam with pride about,\u201d he said. \u201cBeing unapologetically queer gives both yourself and the next person permission to love and celebrate all of who they are.\u201d<\/p>\n That confidence also changed how he approaches songwriting.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen a lyric I write feels a bit risqu\u00e9, I keep it,\u201d he said. \u201cKnowing myself and my voice has made me unafraid to vocalize my creative preferences.\u201d<\/p>\n Looking back, Oh says maturity has changed more than just his music.<\/p>\n \u201cYour frontal lobe fully developing at 25 is not a joke,\u201d he laughed.<\/p>\n These days, he\u2019s less interested in appearing impressive than building genuine relationships.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing a genuine human being and conveying your passion for what you do will take you much further than trying to be the coolest person in the room,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He\u2019s also embraced collaboration after years of trying to do everything himself.<\/p>\n \u201cIt takes a village to bring your creative ideas to life,\u201d Oh said. \u201cCommunity and collaboration have taken me further than I ever got on my own.\u201d<\/p>\n The album includes collaborations with Cakes Da Killa, Baby Tate and LION BABE, artists Oh says were essential to this era.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was crucial to me to spotlight Black, queer and female voices if I was going to make an album heavily inspired by house music,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n He also wanted listeners to remember where dance music came from.<\/p>\n \u201cWe wouldn\u2019t have rap, pop or electronica in the forms we know today if it weren\u2019t for the queer, Black and trans<\/a> folks who pioneered them and continue pushing those genres forward.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s a message that extends beyond the music itself.<\/p>\n When I asked whether he ever felt pressure to soften his identity, particularly within hip-hop, his answer came quickly.<\/p>\n \u201cMy queerness was always something that I felt the need to tone down,\u201d he admitted.<\/p>\nFinding His Way Back<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Making Music Without Hiding<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Growing Into Himself<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Honoring Queer Music History<\/strong><\/h2>\n