The violin-driven soloist who owns his own label returns with an anthem about the cost of coming back, and a music video he directed and edited himself.
Built around the line, “dream so high your idols become your rivals,” Korean-born, U.S.-raised ALL’N drops a bold statement of intent—written from the pain of the road back and aimed straight at hope—with his second single, “Dream Higher,” out worldwide August 14 at 1 PM KST through a new global distribution partnership with EMPIRE.
Photo from ALL’N
“Dream Higher” follows ALL’N’s debut track “We Up,” released in April 2026, as he continues to expand his signature sound. A classically trained violinist who writes the instrument into every track, ALL’N drives “Dream Higher” with electric violin that runs the length of the song and erupts into a solo performed in torrential rain. For the first time in his catalog, electric guitar joins it. Around the strings: rapid-fire rap verses, vocals that climb into soaring high notes, and a chant-ready hook built to be shouted back from a crowd.
The self-directed music video for “Dream Higher” matches the lyric’s rawness: shot on RED cinema cameras, it moves between choreography, breaking, backflips, and bare-physical training sequences in the rain, unfiltered by design.
ALL’N occupies a lane K-pop has not seen before. As the founder and CEO of SKS Entertainment, the label behind his own releases, he retains ownership of his masters and IP. His April debut “We Up” passed one million views and carried him across every major Korean music broadcast, from M Countdown to Music Bank to Inkigayo. In an industry often described as manufactured, ALL’N is the opposite proposition: one artist who writes the songs, runs the label, and this time directed and edited the music video himself.
Photo from ALL’N
ALL’N is a South Korean-American singer-songwriter, producer, and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of his self-established company, SKS Entertainment, who gained attention for his unique violin-driven talent. After spending years as a competitive violinist, dedicating himself to the arts, and founding his own entertainment agency, ALL’N is finally making his dreams a reality.
Born Sam Sungmin Kang, the artist chose a stage name rooted in the English phrase “All in,” representing how he gives his all to his craft and his everyday life. The name also holds a clever second meaning derived from the Korean word for violin (“바이올린”). The last two syllables of the word (“올린”) are read as ALL’N, which phonetically sounds like the English phrase “all in.”
On April 15, 2026, ALL’N debuted with his single “We Up,” a track that mixes modern elements with classical violin sounds. He oversaw the entire creation of the project, participating in its music production, choreography, styling, visual direction, and overall concept. Following its release, ALL’N performed “We Up” live across major South Korean music programs, including M Countdown, Music Bank, Show! Music Core, Inkigayo, and Show Champion. The single racked up over 230,000 streams on Spotify, with its “Extended Mix” and “Instrumental” versions gathering over 130,000 cumulative plays.
Before debuting as ALL’N, he had already established a name for himself as an A-Class finalist on iQIYI’s Youth With You, one of China’s biggest survival shows.
He is scheduled to release his second solo single, “Dream Higher,” on August 14, continuing to feature his signature violin sound while sending listeners a message of hope.
Watch the music video for ALL’N’s debut single “We Up” here: