Kim's parents always encouraged her to be involved in music. Kim started singing in church and was a self-proclaimed band geek in high school. She focused on the saxophone and continued playing throughout her time at Berklee College of Music, but switched her focus to singing when she was 24. She realized she had devoted her life to studying and performing all types of music, but never the '90s R&B she really loved. In 2016, Kim decided to follow her passion for R&B and rap, and formed a cover band called Legends of Summer dedicated to playing her favorite music.