NuNew on stage nerves, acting retakes and sad duet 'Kata'

Thai singer and actor NuNew says both acting and live singing make him nervous.

He spoke to Billboard backstage at the 2026 TMElive International Music Awards in Hong Kong, where he performed “Heartquake” at Kai Tak Stadium. The interview was published on 16 October as part of Billboard All Access and was conducted in Thai through a translator. These backstage chats are kept short, with only a few minutes between stage calls.

NuNew said he loved singing since he was a child. The enjoyment came early. The confidence came later. He told Billboard he realised he could sing at around age 19 or 20.

Before music took over, he worked as a professional actor. That screen work includes starring in Cutie Pie. Music, he said, began in earnest only after that acting spell.

For a new listener, that order matters. He came to the microphone with acting experience already behind him. Acting teaches timing, memory and working to camera. Singing live asks for breath control and nerve in the moment.

Asked whether singing or acting is more nerve-racking, he did not pick one. His answer was both. The nerves feel different in each job. Many performers describe that same split.

He put the difference down to second chances. On a set, a scene can be shot again. Each retake gives the actor another try to get it right and gradually improve.

On stage, a live vocal has no safety net. It can only be done once, in front of everyone. That single chance explains the pressure.

He also talked about “Kata”, his duet with Thai singer-songwriter Bowkylion. A duet is simply a song built for two voices. This one, NuNew said, is sad at its core.

It is about seeing the person you love in love with someone else. Listeners do not need background to follow it. The idea is direct.

Sad words do not always mean a sad sound. NuNew said Bowkylion handled the music arrangement for “Kata”. The arrangement adds brightness.

That lighter touch gives the track a positive element alongside the heartbreak in the lyrics. One musical choice can shift the whole mood.

For fans, this means a fuller sense of where NuNew is coming from. He is an actor learning to trust his singing voice. He is a singer still weighing the risk of one live take. And he is choosing collaborations that mix sorrow with light.

What makes this stand out is the contrast. A sad story can still feel open when the music lifts it. That mix gives casual listeners an easy way in. The feeling lands before the details do.