Twenty-two-year-old Charley Yang initially created his mysterious moniker, BoyWithUke, as a way to anonymously share his music on social media. “I didn’t want to show my face because my friends would roast the heck out of me if they knew it was me,” he says over a recent video call.
His disguise—a hoodie and an evolving series of masks—combined with the extremely personal, original, bedroom-pop he was playing, rocketed him to social media stardom. Four years later, BoyWithUke—with a global audience of more than 17 million fans, three EPs, five albums, multiple platinum records, and a slew of sold-out, headline shows—is retiring.
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Well, sorta.
Burnout, his fifth studio album released on November 15th, is his final one under the BoyWithUke moniker. Yang’s new album chronicles his hero’s journey from the shy, ukulele-playing masked singer-songwriter to an artist who confesses self-doubt, personal trauma, questionable relationships and his fear of change through masterful experimentations of doom rock, grunge, R&B, and hip-hop. In his final album, BoyWithUke shows not just who the man behind the mask is but also how he came to be.
Yang never intended to be famous. He began playing violin and classical piano when he was four, then writing songs at 15. It wasn’t until he was a senior in high school that he started playing the ukulele to impress a girl. “I think it worked. We dated for a while,” he says.
It was his little brother who encouraged him to upload his music to TikTok in 2020.
“For the longest time, I would just make music and not share it with anyone,” Yang tells me. “But my little brother heard the songs and he thought they were pretty good.”
Yang admits that he’s not a huge social media fan, but decided to upload the one-minute songs he wrote with the camera strategically pointed below his face to avoid any potential embarrassment. Then the mask came. And he blew up.
But what originally was a way to overcome the shyness that came with creating his deeply vulnerable music evolved into an alter-ego that became increasingly difficult for Yang to sustain.
“It helped me just do things I normally wouldn’t do, and it was great for a time,” he says about the LED mask for which he became famous. But in October 2023, BoyWithUke made the decision to share an image of his face on social media, alongside the release of his fourth album, Lucid Dreams, where he experimented with a more personal narrative with lyrics detailing his personal life, now with a revealed identity.
Charley Yang unmasked (Credit: Connor Gaskey)
“I think towards the middle and end of that whole mask stint, it sort of got to the point where…I had to be something that I wasn’t, rather than getting to be something that I couldn’t do before,” Yang says. “It had a really big negative association towards the middle and end…it almost felt like I had to because this character that I had built…the kids are hungry for more content and more of this character. It just became something I guess I was forcing myself to do.”
While the act of shedding his mask was symbolic of a new chapter in his music career, Yang’s BoyWIthUke persona still echoed online (and in comic-book form) until this month, when he told me he’s starting a new music project under the name, Chandol, which is the English spelling of his Korean name. Yang says his new creative venture will be less about social media content and more about the music. “…which is something I’m super excited for, honestly,” he says. “it’s what gets me out of bed in the morning to work on new music. And it’s been nice.”
Yang will be touring for the last time as BoyWithUke in 2025. Then, Chandol will emerge.
Here’s a day in the life of…the artist formerly known as BoyWithUke.
Date 11/20/24
Time I woke up Like 6:00 a.m.
Every day starts with A shower.
Breakfast consists of A Clif Bar and tea.
To get going I always Listen to “Ballerina” by Yehezkel Raz.
I don’t feel dressed without Socks.
Before I start working I must Have my tea.
Currently working on New artist project.
But I’d really love to be Finished with new artist project.
Book I’m reading This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J. Levitin.
I don’t know how anyone ever Sleeps at a reasonable hour.
(Credit: Connor Gaskey)
If I had to play one album on repeat, it would be Sunburn by Dominic Fike.
The perfect midday consists of A breakthrough in the studio.
To help get through the day More tea.
Not a day goes by without speaking to My girlfriend.
My daydreams consist of Playing live shows.
I’ll always fight for FC Barcelona.
Currently in love with Music and my girlfriend.
Hoping to make time to watch The Champions League.
By my bedside I always have My headphones.
To help get through the night I listen to people on YouTube talk about history.
When I think about tomorrow I geek out. I try to stay in the present.
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