A heartbreaking start of the year for all of the rising dynamic duo’s fans and avid listeners.
All good things must truly come to an end as the indie-pop tandem consisting of James Alyn Wee and Karn Kasidej Hongladaromp called it quits in an official statement released on their social media accounts, relaying their intention of ending their partnership as well as sending appreciation to their supporters.
“Sadly, it’s time to let our fans know that the HYBS project has come to an end,” wrote in their announcement.
They also recalled their journey of starting from a short clip posted for fun on Instagram Reels to having the opportunity of recording and producing original songs, collaborating with top independent artists in Asia, and touring in various countries at large stages and music events.
“Most of all, we’ve had the privilege of playing live in front of tens of thousands of our fans from various countries around Asia, making that human connection with all of you, and enjoying our music together. That, to us, is priceless, and we will treasure it forever,” the music partners expressed.
“We would like to thank each and every one of you, our fans, for the love you have shown towards our songs, the shows, and the band. We love you!” they added.
HYBS or Have You Been Shrimp was formed and debuted in 2021 during the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic by model-turned-singer/songwriter Alyn (29) and model-turned-actor Karn (26), long-lost friends who were reconnected and reunited to create music out of pandemic boredom, uncertainty, and isolation.
Starting from producing catchy and relaxing Pop and R&B tunes for Instagram which unexpectedly became a viral hit, they eventually started their own music career releasing their debut album “Making Steak.” Included in this body of work are their famous songs “Ride” and “Dancing with My Phone” which currently combine for a total of 100 million Spotify streams. At present, HYBS has almost 2.8 million followers on the said streaming platform.
The Bangkok-based duo also has a couple of collaborations with fellow Asian acts such as the Singaporean R&B trio brb. and GANGGA, a singer-songwriter from Indonesia. Besides that, they participated in multiple festivals with energetic and memorable performances like at the Wanderland Festival in Manila, Hong Kong’s Clockenflap, South Korea’s Busan International Rock Festival, and many more.
According to them, the tandem will be releasing their final EP in the new few months composed of several unreleased tracks. They also plan to hold a final farewell concert in their hometown of Bangkok.
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