nicole han and her new song, "how dare you"

Meet nicole han. The artist is the master of a good melody. So much so that she even predicted what an Olivia Rodrigo song would sound like before its release. Now Nicole is creating her own melodies, and her newest release, “how dare you,” proves that she is just as good at creating her own music as she is at predicting someone else’s. Twenty Minutes Later got the chance to ask Nicole a few questions about her latest release and more. Read our interview below.

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?

I’m from Orange County, but I go to school in LA, so I’m kind of back and forth between the two.

ARE YOU STUDYING ANYTHING MUSIC-RELATED?

I’m actually studying graphic design, so still something creative but not quite music. Art has always been a passion of mine, so it’s a dream that I’m able to design my own album covers and mesh my art and music passions together.

WHEN DID YOU START MAKING MUSIC?

I was always into writing and singing when I was little. I would write jingles and stuff. It was always something that felt very natural to me. But I didn’t start writing more seriously until the end of high school when quarantine first started. I got a keyboard and was writing almost every single day. I just became a lot more confident in my writing ability, and then I started posting on TikTok.

YOU’VE POSTED A LOT OF ORIGINAL SONGS ON TIKTOK. HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHICH SONGS TO OFFICIALLY RELEASE?

It’s kind of funny because the first song that I finished with a producer was the first song that I ever put out, called “aftertaste.” I was really excited about it from the start and didn’t want to waste any time putting it out. Technically it was kind of an impulsive decision, but I’m glad I just went for it because it’s given me so many incredible opportunities.

WHAT’S YOUR WRITING PROCESS LIKE?

I write everything in my bedroom on my keyboard. I have notes and notes of random original songs. I typically take those into the studio and start production on my favorites. I’ve done a few collaborative writing sessions, but my music is mainly what I write straight from my bedroom, like what you see on TikTok.

HOW MANY SONGS DO YOU THINK YOU’VE WRITTEN?

Oh my gosh. Probably like 100 to 200. A lot!

HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT “how dare you” WAS YOUR NEXT SINGLE?

Typically, in the studio, I’ll pull up voice memos of songs I’ve written to decide with my producer what song we should work on. I remember playing “how dare you” and it standing out because the chorus was really catchy. Production-wise, everything came together pretty quickly. But I think the biggest thing was that I was writing about something I cared about and had a lot of emotion behind. I felt like I needed to tell the story as soon as I could.

WAS THE SONG ALREADY FINISHED BEFORE YOU WENT INTO THE STUDIO?

Everything was done except for the post-chorus—we wrote that in the studio.

THERE’S A VIDEO ON YOUR TIKTOK ABOUT BEING IN THE STUDIO FOR 14 HOURS. WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?

That was the longest I’ve ever been in the studio! So basically, the studio that I record at is in OC, but during the entire school year I’m in LA, so I have to make the most of the days that I get to go. I had no class that day, so I spent the entire day there and then slept at home in OC because it was so late when I left! But it’s so fun and I enjoy it. I would much rather make the most of my time there than drive back and forth from LA all the time.

WHAT’S THE HARDEST PART ABOUT BALANCING SCHOOL AND MUSIC?

I think having to figure out ways to block off time to go to the studio. Another tricky part is trying to find the time to write. The music rooms at school are usually occupied and I can only write when my roommates aren’t in the apartment, so whenever I’m alone it’s like, “Homework can wait!”

HOW LONG DID THE SONG TAKE YOU TO FINISH?

I like to write in one sitting. If I have an idea, I typically want to finish it right away. It’s super satisfying. It probably took me a couple of hours to write, and then we worked on the song for a few weeks in the studio.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE LINE FROM THE SONG?

There’s a line in the chorus that says, “You’re asking where I’ll be / Thought that meant you loved me.” I really like that line because I think it embodies what it means to be a hopeless romantic and feeling led on by someone— like thinking that if someone shows you the slightest amount of attention or asks where you’re going, it means “I love you” in your head.

WAS THE SONG INSPIRED BY ANYTHING?

This song was inspired by a personal experience. I like to write about what's going on in my life—either in the present or drawing from the past. Not everything I write about is 100% accurate and true to detail, but the emotions behind it are real. Sometimes I exaggerate or sometimes I put myself in another person’s shoes. But writing about experiences is what feels the most honest to me.

DO YOU HAVE ANY HOPES FOR “how dare you?”

I am being super dramatic in this song by saying that someone ruined my life when they brought someone else to a party. But I think blowing heartbreak out of proportion is a real thing, so I hope people relate to that and feel less alone. If someone resonates with the song in any capacity or is going through the same thing and can relate to it, that is amazing in itself. I think it’s cool that music has the power to do that.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE LISTENERS TAKE AWAY FROM THE SONG?

I hope people resonate with it, cry with it, and scream it at the top of their lungs.

YOU CAN LISTEN TO “how dare you” BY nicole han ON STREAMING SERVICES LIKE SPOTIFY AND APPLE MUSIC. GO LISTEN AND MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW @twentyminuteslater TO STAY UPDATED ON FUTURE POSTS.