Who is ‘The Traitors’ Star Eric Nam? 6 Facts to Know About the K-Pop Singer

Although he sings for a living, Erin Nam doesn’t use his voice much on The Traitors. The K-pop singer is lying low on the Peacock show.

K-pop is short for Korean popular music. According to Britannica, K-pop infuses upbeat pop, dance music, and ballads, and is typically sung by someone who speaks Korean.

He was given an ultimatum on episode eight when Candiace Dillard Bassett (The Real Housewives of Potomac) was banished, and Rob Rausch (Love Island USA) was the only traitor left — join Rausch and become a Traitor or get murdered. His decision can be seen in episode nine on February 12.

The 23 competitors this season are Nam, Dillard Basset, Rausch, Tara Lipinski, Johnny Weir, Mark Ballas (Dancing with the Stars), Kristen Kish (Top Chef), singer Erin Nam, Donna Kelce, Porsha Williams (The Real Housewives of Atlanta), Caroline Stanbury (The Real Housewives of Dubai), , Lisa Rinna (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills), Dorinda Medley (The Real Housewives of New York), Ian Terry (Big Brother), Tiffany Mitchell (Big Brother), Rob Cesternino (Survivor), Natalie Anderson (Survivor), and Yamil “Yam Yam” Arocho (Survivor), Maura Higgins (Love Island USA), Colton Underwood (The Bachelor),  Monét X Change (RuPaul’s Drag Race), Stephen Colletti (Laguna Beach), Michael Rapaport, and comedian Ron Funches.

Here is everything to know about Eric Nam. Find out if he continues in the game in episode nine.

He was born in America

Although he is a K-pop singer and has gained fame in South Korea, where he lives now, Nam was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1988. Nam is the oldest of three boys. In 2011, he graduated from Boston College with a degree in International Studies and a minor in Asian Studies.

Before turning to singing, Nam accepted a position as a business analyst in New York City at Deloitte Consulting, according to Boston College. However, the outlet reported that he delayed that job to work in India on microfinance initiatives.

His singing career

Nam posted a cover of him singing on YouTube in 2011. That video gained the attention of the South Korean Broadcasting company, MBC, and they invited him to compete on the second season of Star Audition: Birth of a Great Star, the Korean version of The X-Factor. He placed within the top five and jump-started his singing career in South Korea. The show signed him as a solo artist with BSM Entertainment.

He released his first EP, Cloud 9, in 2013. It features the singles “Heaven’s Door” and “우우 (Ooh Ooh).” Nam released his second EP, Interview, in 2016. That same year, he released his first U.S. Single, “Into You,” with the electronic band KOLAJ. It reached number one on Hype Machine.

Honestly was his third EP, released in 2018. This debuted at number six on the Billboard World Album Charts. He went on his first North American tour that same year.

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November 2019 was a big month for Nam as he released his first English-speaking album, Before We Begin. He was set to go on a world tour for the album, but it was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

His second English-speaking album, There and Back Again, was released in 2022. House on a Hill, his third album, was released in 2023. Since his career started, he has performed at Lollapalooza and in many concert tours.

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Other media ventures

Aside from music and The Traitors, Nam has appeared in TV shows, movies, and podcasts. He played Jonah Yoon in the Korean thriller, Transplant. Nam voices Aang on The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender. He will be in an upcoming untitled K-pop movie in 2027 and a film called Loser.

Nam has also hosted Saturday Night Live Korea, After School Club, Section TV, and No Oven Dessert 2. He also appeared on We Got Married, Wizard of Nowhere, Chrissy & Dave Dine Out, The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy, The Loud House, and more.

He also hosted the podcasts K-Pop Daebak w/ Eric Nam and I Think You’re Dope w/ Eric Nam. 

His Traitors connection

Nam met Lipinski and Weir before he appeared on The Traitors with them this season. He was named an Honorary Ambassador at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. He appeared on the Primetime Broadcast and provided an in-depth look at K-pop with Weir and Lipinski, who have been commentators for the Olympics for years.

A positive mindset

Nam is known for being a mental health advocate. He launched the mental wellness self-care app, Mindset, in 2021. He is the co-founder and creative director of DIVE Studios, which launched the app.

In 2023, he was recognized by TIME Magazine as a recipient of the Time 100 Impact Awards for continuing to raise awareness on mental health. Nam was also honored as a Voice of Mental Health Award Honoree at The Jed Foundation Annual Gala in 2024.

Is he married?

Aside from being “The Nation’s Boyfriend” in South Korea, Nam appears to be single. On The Kelly Clarkson Show, he told the host that there is a Korean phrase that translates to “One Eric Nam per household” that has made its way into dictionaries.

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