Krysta Youngs is a versatile artist, vocalist, and songwriter who has left her mark across a wide range of popular music.
With songwriting credits on the likes of BTS’ “ON” and “HOME” and over 23 million streams on her hit single “Habit,” Krysta Youngs’ undeniable talent has solidified her as a force to be reckoned with in the landscapes of pop, R&B, and EDM. In celebration of the release of her HIT HOOKS sample pack, we had the opportunity to sit down with Youngs to discuss her tips and perspectives on the world of songwriting for K-pop groups and artists—read on for highlights.
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1. Play the numbers game
While the quality of your songwriting is paramount, Youngs also emphasizes that putting in the hours and pitching a large volume of music is key to finding success in K-pop. “I got into K-pop about eight years ago,” she recalls. “My friend Melanie Fontana was writing a lot of it, and she encouraged me to start. It was a really organic process, and consisted of hundreds of hours of writing and pitching. I think I’ve pitched 300 songs to Big Hit alone—I used to fall asleep at my desk because I was doing three or four songs a day.”
“But, like everything else, once you land one it gets a lot easier to land another and another. Going to Korea and working directly with amazingly talented Korean songwriters and producers has definitely been the highlight of my experience (and the Billboard #1s and platinum albums don’t hurt, either). I now write every day and have been for over a decade—it’s a muscle, and if you use it all the time you’ll stay strong.”
2. Make each member shine
One element that distinguishes K-pop groups are their incorporation of anywhere from a few to over a dozen members, and Youngs keeps this top of mind when approaching the songwriting process. “K-pop groups have more parts,” she says. “You need to give each member their time to shine, and every part has to be a hook.”
Catering to each member’s natural musicality can also help your pitch resonate better. “You can go on Spotify and listen to an artist’s range,” Youngs suggests. “On the other hand, if a label sends me a track, then I know it’s already in the key of the artist.”
3. Cherish the collaborative process
It’s also important to note that songwriting for K-pop is deeply collaborative—your contributions will often be a part of a larger puzzle. “With the BTS and TXT songs I helped write, it’s amazing how the label picked the best parts from each writer and used them to create the entire song,” Youngs shares.
“I have over 40 K-pop cuts, and each one has been created differently. ‘Love in Color’ was written by me and my friend Myah Marie on the piano. When I sent it to SM Entertainment, they loved it for TAEYEON and actually used my original piano track.”
“I’ve built lifelong friendships with a lot of my collaborators, and working alongside the labels allowed me to create relationships with the A&Rs. Relationships are how things happen in this industry.”
Incorporate Krysta Youngs’ vocals into your own productions
If you’re inspired by Krysta Youngs’ artistry, you can incorporate her vocals into your own productions via her new HIT HOOKS sample pack. “This pack is all hooks,” she tells us. “I’m super excited about it because producers and DJs can just pop in my vocal and have the beginnings of a song. I tried to make each sample as ‘hooky’ as possible; I wanted to give Splice users something they can be inspired by. If I give 100%, my hope is that producers and DJs can also give 100% when they’re producing around my vocal.”
“Music is music no matter who I write for, and my voice is my voice. I think this sample pack is my best one yet. I’d love to hear what you create with my vocal samples—feel free to DM me on Instagram anytime.”
Dive into Krysta Youngs’ hand-crafted hooks:
February 19, 2025
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