Credit: http://pinoykpopfan.blogspot.com
Repost from Kathys Bench
Repost from Kathys Bench
Any fan of Kpop should know who Kim Hyun Joong is. In the firmament of stars of Kpop-dom, if there's one star who cemented a place in every screaming fan girl's heart (or fanboys for the matter... hehehe!), that would be him.
He first came to fame with the male idol group SS501 as their ever enigmatic and very quirky leader. His exploits on Korean TV in shows like "We Got Married" (with his TV wife, Hwang Bo) made him even more popular in Korea.
What catapaulted him to fame internationally are his famous roles in the Korean versions of the Japanese mangas "Hana Yori Dango" / "Boys Over Flowers" (which has had tons of iterations over the years --- Taiwan's "Meteor Garden" with the ever famous Chinese F4, and Japans own production starring Arashi's Matsumoto Jun), and "Itazura no Kiss" / "It All Started With A Kiss"(which was titled "Playful Kiss" in the Korean drama).
He first came to fame with the male idol group SS501 as their ever enigmatic and very quirky leader. His exploits on Korean TV in shows like "We Got Married" (with his TV wife, Hwang Bo) made him even more popular in Korea.
What catapaulted him to fame internationally are his famous roles in the Korean versions of the Japanese mangas "Hana Yori Dango" / "Boys Over Flowers" (which has had tons of iterations over the years --- Taiwan's "Meteor Garden" with the ever famous Chinese F4, and Japans own production starring Arashi's Matsumoto Jun), and "Itazura no Kiss" / "It All Started With A Kiss"(which was titled "Playful Kiss" in the Korean drama).
Now, no matter how many times we scream and jitter at the very sight of his awesome smile, we have to always remember that his roots are in his music. I've heard SS501, and I have to say that the group is mighty talented (although my biases lean elsewhere though ... hehehe!). With the group in hiatus, it's usually an opportunity for their individual members to launch their own solo efforts (like fellow SS501 members Park Jung Min and Heo Young Saeng, who have also both released solo projects this year).
Hyun Joong is scheduled to release his solo mini-album sometime soon titled"Breakdown" (although a date hasn't been disclosed by his managing agency), but to build anticipation for it, it's launching single, "Please" is already out as digital single. One of my close friends, Grace (who made me aware of the impending release of this single), has been waiting for this album for the longest time, and I'm pretty sure she and thousands of other Henecians ("Henecia" is the name of the official fan club of Kim Hyun Joong).
Prior to the release of the digital single, momentum was built for the launch by the upload of an online teaser for the digital single "Please". It shows cut scenes of Hyun Joong on the roof of a building while performing the dance for the track. It also shows cut scenes of romantic scenes between him and the female lead of the video.
Prior to the release of the digital single, momentum was built for the launch by the upload of an online teaser for the digital single "Please". It shows cut scenes of Hyun Joong on the roof of a building while performing the dance for the track. It also shows cut scenes of romantic scenes between him and the female lead of the video.
What caught my attention here though was HIS SHORT HAIR!!! It's the first time I've seem him with short hair --- and the look suits him (I've always liked clean-cut guys hehehe!). It's apparent that's he's built up more mass since he looks much more buff than when I last saw him in "Playful Kiss" --- the look gives him a more mature, sophisticated vibe.
I just listened to "Please", and it's an awesome R&B track. The theme of the song is not uncommon in Kpop though --- discovering infidelity, and dealing with the conflict emotions of love and hate. The rhythm of the song is catchy and infectious, and I love the way the background intrumentals (piano and violin) are able to build and heighten the emotion of the song.
Hyun Joong's voice is well-suited for R&B since it has a mellow and breathy characteristic to it. No question that Hyun Joong can handle a tune very well (especially with low and mid tones), but definitely he needs some help with his range since some editing was needed to stretch his voice for the high notes. Doesn't take away from the fact that he handled this song very well (and he nailed the pronunciation for the English parts of the song! Awesome!).
Hyun Joong's voice is well-suited for R&B since it has a mellow and breathy characteristic to it. No question that Hyun Joong can handle a tune very well (especially with low and mid tones), but definitely he needs some help with his range since some editing was needed to stretch his voice for the high notes. Doesn't take away from the fact that he handled this song very well (and he nailed the pronunciation for the English parts of the song! Awesome!).
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