OKHABIN Tests the Comfort of Solitude on “Alone”

“Alone” begins at a pace that leaves plenty of room for thought. At 76 beats per minute, OKHABIN settles into the reflective pull of a ballad. Then, halfway through, the pulse jumps to 115. The shift brings a new energy to the song, but the question at its centre remains: how can you love being on your own and still wish someone were there? Released November 5, 2026, “Alone” is the third and final single ahead of his debut album, It’s a Dance.

The song grew out of a month spent in Point Arena, a small coastal town in northern California. Inspired by Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, OKHABIN rented a place for 30 days with the intention of writing an album. What he hadn’t anticipated was just how lonely the experience would feel. But as the days passed, something changed. He began to appreciate the solitude, eventually finding himself surprisingly comfortable in his own company. By the end of the retreat, he had written a dozen songs and discovered that the quiet could be unsettling for an entirely different reason.

“That kinda scares me honestly,” he sings, shortly after admitting how much he enjoys being alone.

As OKHABIN explains, “I find myself saying I like being alone but also catch myself totally hoping someone was next to me.” It’s a contradiction that feels immediately familiar. Solitude can be both a refuge and a reminder of what we’re missing, and the ability to enjoy it doesn’t necessarily quiet the desire for connection. The song’s sudden acceleration brings a sense of restlessness to that realization, as though the comfort he’s discovered has raised more questions than he expected.

OKHABIN‘s path to music has involved a few unexpected turns of its own. Raised on soul and ballads in South Korea, he moved to the United States at 13 and later developed an interest in electronic music. He studied computer engineering and worked in the field for four years before writing his first song during the pandemic, eventually leaving engineering to pursue music full time. A chance encounter with M83’s Anthony Gonzalez at a Los Angeles karaoke bar would prove influential. After hearing OKHABIN‘s first EP, Gonzalez encouraged him to make a full-length record.

Two and a half years in the making, that record arrives December 5, 2026. The self-produced It’s a Dance features contributions from guitarist and bassist Matty Bedrosian of Yummm and drummer Devon VonBalson of Flipturn. At its heart is an idea about acceptance: loosening our grip on how life is supposed to unfold, and recognizing that a misstep doesn’t mean we’ve stopped dancing.

On “Alone,” that philosophy finds a particularly personal expression. OKHABIN doesn’t try to reconcile his competing desires or decide which one is more authentic. A month by the ocean gave him the space he thought he wanted, only to reveal how complicated wanting something can be. There’s something reassuring in his willingness to leave that contradiction intact. Learning to enjoy being alone doesn’t mean he has to stop wishing someone were there.

Photo credit: Brian Roedell