Cambodian artist N’John makes music you feel in your chest. Pulling from soul, R&B, and a dancer’s sense of rhythm, he’s built a sound that’s smooth without being soft and honest without oversharing. His new single, Sweet Love, hits differently. Written in the quiet fallout of a lingering heartbreak, it trades polish for presence.

In conversation, N’John is thoughtful, grounded, and unafraid to confront the emotional cost of vulnerability. Here, he talks about the heartbreak that inspired the track, how he walks the line between nostalgia and emotional honesty, and why surrendering to the moment sometimes means saying less.

“Sweet Love” feels like a memory that refuses to fade. Was there a specific moment that triggered the first line?

I believe that every love is sweet, no matter how it ends up.

Do you think love lingers more in the absence or the aftermath? How did that shape the emotional architecture of this track?

Love is always lingering. In the absence and aftermath. You cannot escape it, even when you try. I wanted to speak up about that concept because I believe other people can relate.

You’ve said this is your most personal release—what does it cost, emotionally, to turn something private into something public?

Yes, it’s private, but it’s also real life for me and others. It’s more important that I help someone who can relate get through their situation than keep it to myself.

There’s a kind of restraint in the production, like it’s holding its breath—was that intentional, and how do you decide what not to say in a song like this?

I wanted to let the music lead the emotions, and only needed to say what was on my mind. Sometimes, less is more.

When you listen back to “Sweet Love,” do you hear closure, or does it reopen something each time?

I feel emotional every time I listen back because every word is personal to me. It is from my personal experience and deep from my soul.

There’s a line between nostalgia and emotional masochism. How do you walk on it without falling in?

Just being true to myself and sharing exactly how I feel in the moment.

Do you think vulnerability in music is a form of control or surrender?

I think it's a form of surrender to the moment. Surrender to the feelings and emotions of what story you are sharing.

What do you have planned for the 2nd half of this year?

I am going to continue to work hard and master my God-given talents. I am working on a special project that includes some collaborations that I am super excited about.

Find N'John on Instagram