‘Parasites’ was written in the wake of NoSo’s recovery from top surgery, as a message to their younger self, celebrating their newfound physical and emotional freedom.

“The parasites, removed from your skin / And so lovely to meet you again / So lovely to be born again.”

The music video is Hwong’s directorial debut, and the track serves as the opener on ‘Stay Proud Of Me’.

“I made the instrumental and it sat in my DAW (digital audio workspace) for a long time, but I didn’t know what I wanted to write about,” they say. “I didn’t have any romantic interests or typical gay pining going on, so I felt stuck. I shelved it for months, then had top surgery on Jan 8, 2020, which prohibited me from playing music for six weeks.”

“After I healed, I revisited the song and grappled with what I wanted to say. The instrumental felt dreamy and romantic, but I didn’t want to keep writing romantic songs about other people; I just had a significant procedure that brought repressed memories to the surface, and I needed to express it somehow.”

“I decided to speak to my younger self in 'Parasites'. The opening verses describe me waking up post-surgery (where I was loopy and left alone for a moment so I sang ‘On My Own’ from 'Les Miserables'), being wheeled to the car, and my earliest childhood memories with gender confusion. Through the song, I assure younger Baek that there’s hope in the future, and to stick around to experience it.”

Most of ‘Stay Proud Of Me’ was written in NoSo’s bedroom during quarantine. It’s a coming-of-age story, and a nuanced introduction to NoSo’s universe. It grapples with the search for a sense of identity, overcoming imposter syndrome and repressed memory.

‘Parasites’ is out now. ‘Stay Proud Of Me’ is out 8 July.