Fan Mail: Fiona Lu On Eric Nam

Eric Nam is everything. A multi-hyphenated talent, Nam keeps adding to his eclectic list of accomplishments: a hit singer-songwriter, TV personality, podcaster, and now film actor–he was recently announced to star in the Forest Whitaker/Nina Yang Bongiovi-produced psychological thriller, Transplant. With his reach blanketing many arenas, it shouldn’t be a surprise that he’s amassed over four million followers on Instagram alone. But as his fans will tell you, the Atlanta-born, Korean American singer’s ubiquity isn’t what sets him apart. It’s that, despite his global success, there’s an intimacy to his art that makes him feel close to home.

We reached out to Eric Nam superfan, Fiona Lu, to share exactly what the star means to her. The Australian-Chinese lawyer and aspiring writer wrote a Twitter letter of love for Nam’s mental health advocacy work, his authenticity and vulnerability, and his leading by example. It was his both fearless and whimsical way into entertainment that even inspired her to consider writing full-time, just like Nam had left a stable 9-to-5 to follow the path that’s now made him an international popstar. 

Here, Lu dives into all-things Eric Nam, what led her to join the millions in Nam Nation, and how she sees the artist’s impact on the world.

Rolling Stone: When did your Eric Nam fandom begin? How were you introduced to his music? 

Fiona Lu: I came across his music in 2014. My family and I host YouTube nights where we’ll just sit together and watch random YouTube videos. That night I had control of the remote control and I was looking at K-pop videos. Eric’s music video called “Heaven’s Door” was recommended in the music section. I’d never heard of him, so I thought I’d check it out. I was actually quite blown away by his vocals, and just that clean-cut boy next door image that he had. Then I [found myself] jumping through a rabbit hole of his album, his live performances, his music videos and interviews. He just seemed like a pretty cool, genuine person and I wanted to follow his journey. 

RS: Following that journey, what do you think sets him apart from the different artists out there?

FL: Eric takes a genuine and authentic approach in how he connects with his fans. I’ve seen the way he interacts with Nam Nation online and in person. He makes sure everyone feels included in every aspect of his career, and even created an inclusive community on Facebook for Nam Nation. He’s actively online, always viewing tagged IG stories, and also commenting, replying, and liking fan posts. 

Another example is during the COVID pandemic, Eric provided a phone number so they could stay connected to him no matter where they are. I remember seeing fans share photos of texts from him on their birthday. He still sends texts to this day! He’s always taking the time out to show appreciation for his fans and putting them at the forefront of what he does.

Have you seen him perform live yet? 

FL: He actually came to Sydney in 2019, but I was unable to go. He’s coming next month and I’ll be there.

That must be so exciting! From what you’ve seen of him, what do you think is so unique about his on-stage performances?

FL: I know! Finally! On stage he’s quite eccentric. You can tell that he’s not your conventional type of artist because he dabbles in different genres. He also mentioned, with dancing, it’s not something he’s good at. He does these really funny body rolls that his fans make fun of, but he still owns it. 

He’s also sort of whimsical. My friends have told me he makes fun of people with their signs at concerts because some get a bit out there. I remember seeing one about someone asking him to be their dad, and then another person who was calling their actual dad during the concert because their dad wanted them to come home. They gave their phone to Eric, he took the phone off them and told their dad, “You should let them stay at the concert.” He really goes all out and interacts with his fans.

RS: What about his art do you think connects with his fans?

FL:  A lot of his fans like myself connect to his playful personality that he shows off in his style, but also to the range of emotions in his music and the messaging in his lyrics. He writes songs for people like you and I to connect to because they’re based on shared human experiences, like falling in and out of love, heartbreak, and just the intense emotions surrounding it. 

RS: Do you have a favorite song or lyric?

FL:  I definitely resonate with the song “Admit” from his album There and Back Again. There’s a sentence which always gives me goosebumps whenever I hear it. It goes, “Feelings change, but your fingerprints remain.” The weight of the words and the symbolism is really powerful. When I think about the fingerprint in that sentence, it’s about the fact that people can leave an impression, maybe permanent, on your life. Even if they’re no longer in it, you’re living with the consequences of them not being there. That song definitely got me thinking. 

RS: Speaking of resonant messages, you mentioned being a Mindset ambassador on Twitter. For those unfamiliar, Mindset is Nam and his brothers’ audio platform meant for sharing inspiring stories and empowering advice, especially focused on mental health. How did you get into it?

FL:  I came across his Mindset collection last year when we were in lockdown. I listened to one of the first episodes in which he was speaking about being an outsider, and I was feeling that then too in the legal industry I was working in. That’s when I realized he’s also a self-help person you can turn to for words of wisdom. 

They had a town hall on their Discord server where I saw him and his brothers talk about Mindset and the conversations they were having around [mental health.] In the industry where I’m from where mental health is barely talked about and frowned upon, so I wanted to help out in whatever way. It’s always something I’ve believed in. So far I’m helping out with moderating their Twitch streams, taking down notes for meetings, and just posting, being a part of the community, building the community.

RS: It goes without saying that he’s been an inspiration. But if you had to encapsulate it, why is his music so important to you? 

FL: First and foremost, it’s the fact that he’s a musical genius and he’s creative, but also his identity as an Asian American. Whenever I see an Asian succeed and rise to prominence in any industry, I always feel super proud and like I’m being represented, seen, and heard by them. With Eric rising in the music industry, he’s paving the way for current and future generations of Asians who want to get into entertainment, and also giving visibility to our communities and cultures.

One of the things he spoke about was betting on ourselves, showing the people around us how strong we are and how strong we can be because he said we’re worth it. I believe that Eric is worth it. How he treats his fans, his values, his ambitions, his character, his talent—he’s an artist that should be looked up to and he deserves all the success. Whatever he does next, we’ve got his back.