JYJ’s Kim Junsu has proved yet again that he has unbeatable ticket power by selling out all 32,000 seats for his Seoul and Busan concerts.
According to Kim Junsu’s agency C-JeS Entertainment, all 18,000 seats of XIA Junsu’s Seoul concerts sold out last week and all 14,000 seats of his Busan concert, for which ticket reservations began yesterday, have sold out as well.
Kim Junsu also sold out all 20,000 seats for his nine Elisabeth performances in August, meaning that he has managed to attract a total of 50,000 people to his events in the month of August.
Regarding this, a representative of the ticket reservation site in charge said, “It’s amazing enough that he managed to sell all his tickets in August, the off-season for musicals, but to hear that he has sold out his concerts in Seoul and Busan as well, which are set a week apart, shows just how powerful Kim Junsu is when it comes to selling tickets.”
Meanwhile, Kim Junsu held a showcase on the 15th to commemorate the release of his second solo album, and will begin his Asia Tour on the 20th in Thailand.
Kim Junsu (XIA) is at the center of the spotlight for revealing the process behind the creation of his song ‘Isn’t This Song Funny’.
Kim Junsu held a showcase at the UNIQLO AX Hall on the 15th to commemorate the release of his second solo album ‘Incredible’.
During the press conference that was held after the showcase, Kim Junsu talked about his song ‘Isn’t This Song Funny’ and had everyone laughing when he said, “The song was done and all it needed was a title. But I found that nothing really worked as well as ‘Isn’t This Song Funny”. The staff members were at a loss for words when I told them about how I had chosen the title of the song.”
He continued to say, “When I was writing the lyrics, I tried to express what I had always wanted to say in a funny way. I left out any heavy material like love stories and looked back on things I had written on my Twitter account for my inspiration,” and “It’s a song that I wrote as a present to my fans.”
He smiled and said, “It’s supposed to be a bonus track so I was surprised to see how popular it is.”
Netizens who heard this left comments such as, “Isn’t This Song Funny, even the behind-the-scenes story is funny”, “Isn’t This Song Funny, the bonus tracks are always the jewel in any album,” and “Kim Junsu must not like writing about serious things.”
Meanwhile, ‘Isn’t This Song Funny’ has been drawing much attention for expressing the various happenings that Kim Junsu faced as a solo singer. A more fun and exciting aspect has been added with Boom’s narration.
XIA (Junsu) has returned with an album full of challenges.
IA (Kim Junsu) held a showcase at the UNIQLO AX Hall on the 15th to commemorate the release of his second solo album ‘Incredible’.
It’s been a year since he last made an appearance as solo singer ‘XIA’, and not a member of JYJ. Although he has been busy as a musical actor, he put all his effort into preparing his latest album, and did not disappoint fans as he has come back as a more mature singer.
During the press conference that was held after the showcase, Kim Junsu said, “I tried to put as many different genres as possible in this album. I only started choosing songs after I decided which genres I wanted in my album, and I paid much more attention in my song selection process this year.”
His vocal skills have changed drastically as well. Regarding this, Kim Junsu said, “I can’t say that my time as a musical actor hasn’t influenced the way I sing at all, but I tried very hard to find the perfect balance. I tried to find what worked best for each song, and applied that to my music, ” and “I left it up to the feel of the song.”
Kim Junsu emphasized, “This album was a great challenge for me. I wanted to discover a new side of me through this album.”
He expressed his hesitation of filling the majority of the album with his own compositions. He said, “When artistes compose their own music, the good thing is that they are able to put all of their strengths into one song. But you might also get yourself stuck in one mould,” and “Although I try to branch out when I write music, the quality of my album might drop if I become too greedy about writing and singing my own songs. I focused most on choosing the best songs.”
The showcase that was held on the same day was aired live on MelonTV. Kim Junsu performed a total of four songs, ‘Tarantallegra’, ’11 o’clock’, ‘I’m Sorry’ and ‘Incredible’, to perfect his successful comeback.
Starting on the 20th in Bangkok, Thailand, Kim Junsu will set off on his world tour that will take him to Shanghai, China on the 20th, Seoul on the 3rd and 4th of August, and Busan on the 10th and 11th of August.
His second solo album showcase.. A Summer dance track ‘Incredible’
JYJ’s Kim Junsu (XIA, 26) has come back with his technicolor second solo album ‘Incredible’.
Kim Junsu held a showcase for 1,200 fans at the UNIQLO AX Hall in Seoul on the 15th. The day’s event was aired live through Melon and LoenTV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sa351v9k4g).
Having released his new album on various online music sites and iTunes, Kim Junsu performed a total of four songs, ‘Tarantallegra’ from his first album, and ’11 o’clock’, ‘I’m Sorry’, and ‘Incredible’ from the second album.
Appearing on a throne, the singer exuded an air of confidence and charisma for his rendition of ‘Tarantallegra’.He continued to sing ’11 o’clock’ a capella, till he was joined by a piano halfway through. ‘I’m Sorry’, which is a traditional ballad, captivated his fans with his husky voice.
Last of all, Kim Junsu walked on stage wearing the red jacket he donned in his music video and was joined by his neon-clad dance crew. He performed ‘Incredible’ for the first time, showing off his perfect live skills, unmarred by a difficult choreography. The song has a fun melody and strong beat, and showcases Kim Junsu’s powerful performance capabilities. As a collaboration with composer Automatic, who Kim Junsu worked with for his US single ‘Uncommitted’, ‘Incredible’ features a rap segment from Puff Daddy’s son Quincy Brown.
The music video was shot in a house in Malibu and is as refreshing as the song itself. When fans honed in on the kiss scene in the music video, Kim Junsu feigned ignorance as he said, “Oh, the kiss scene. Was that included?” He had everyone laughing as he said, “I just pretended to kiss her. I took on the ‘American mindset’. Whether it actually happened or not is up to your imagination. Then again, this is all just business…”
During the press conference that was held after the showcase, Kim Junsu said, “This is the first time in nearly four years that I stood in front of a camera (for a broadcasted show). Although it wasn’t on TV, it was still a broadcasted program and it was fun and exciting. I had a great time.” Kim Junsu has been unable to appear on broadcasted programs in the past due to his legal dispute with his former agency SM Entertainment.
Kim Junsu’s second album features a total of 12 tracks, including the pre-released track ’11 o’clock’. Kim Junsu participated in the composing, lyric writing and producing process of the album and showcased his maturity as a singer.
His second album features a variety of genres including dance, ballad, electronic, funk, neo-soul, R&B and acoustic. C-JeS Entertainment stated, “The composers who participated in this album all praised Kim Junsu for his musical abilities and value as a vocalist.”
Kim Junsu will be kicking off his Asia Tour with the release of his new album. Staring in Bangkok, Thailand on the 20th, he will hold concerts in Shanghai (28th), Seoul (August 3rd~4th), and Busan (10th, 11th).
[News] 130712 TVXQ! Rocks L.A. Feeling ‘Brand New’ at World Tour Stop: Live Review
TVXQ! — aka 27-year-old Yunho and 25-year-old Changmin — pose for a photo backstage at the July 5 L.A. date to their TVXQ! LIVE WORLD TOUR ‘CATCH ME.’ SM Entertainment
“We are nervous, but extremely excited. Everything feels brand new, as if we just debuted” – Yunho
TVXQ! — aka 27-year-old Yunho and 25-year-old Changmin, undoubtedly two of the biggest names in K-pop history — proved their supremacy as a pair of “K-pop Kings,” by amassing a total of 700,000 fans to their five-stop, Japan Dome tour, “TVXQ! Live Tour 2013 Time.” Continuing the success, the duo embarked on their first world tour titled, “TVXQ! LIVE WORLD TOUR ‘CATCH ME,’” on Nov. 17, 2012, in Seoul, Korea. They dazzled thousands in Hong Kong (Jan. 19), China (March 30) and Malaysia (May 18), and they finally brought the much-anticipated leg of the tour to America for a Los Angeles date on July 5.
The excitement caused by TVXQ’s first L.A. concert was felt at Nokia Theatre on Friday night. TVXQ’s fans, known as Cassiopeia, arrived hours before the show was to begin. Most fans, dressed in red t-shirts (a signature color for TVXQ!) showed support by holding flash mob events as well as handmade signs.
Backstage, TVXQ appeared energized and high-spirited, despite jet lag and exhaustion from hours of rehearsal. The duo spent the last hour before the show relaxing their vocals (Changmin singing Kim Gun Mo’s “Moon Of Seoul”), taking pictures with lucky fans, joking around with staff members and talking to Billboard for an exclusive video interview.
“We are happy that we get to finally meet with our fans in the States,” says leader Yunho. “The show here [compared to ones in other countries] is more intimate. We are nervous, but extremely excited. Everything feels brand new, as if we just debuted. We want to share our good vibes with our fans that have waited so long.”
At 8:30 p.m. the extravaganza began slightly delayed (due to concertgoers’ unwillingness to leave merchandise booths). Ear-splitting screams erupted, red glow sticks illuminated, and some fans even cried as the packed venue watched the duo appear via hanging on wires.
TVXQ!’s electrifying show kicked off with hardcore, back-to-back performances of “Rising Sun,” “Getaway” and “Why (Keep Your Head Down).”
Taking a moment, Changmin expressed his gratitude to the thousands of fans by saying, in English, “We are so thankful to each and every one of you that came to see us tonight.” With an interpreter, he continued in Korean, “I know our U.S. fans have waited ten, long years for this concert to happen and we will promise to make up for it.”
Throughout the two-hour and a half event, the K-pop kings delivered a pitch-perfect live show with masterfully choreographed dance moves, assisted by six male backup dancers, plus special solo performances. For the solo stages, Changmin mesmerized with a cover of Maxwell’s “Whenever, Wherever, Whatever,” in a casual, striped shirt in front of a backdrop of a cityscape visual. Then, Yunho spiced it up by crooning and hip-swerving his way through his solo track, “Honey Funny Bunny,” in a sequined jacket.
‘You Guys Are So Amazing!’
The duo went through their extensive catalog of Korean and Japanese hits, including “Wrong Number” (showcasing perfectly in-sync dance moves down to their feet) “Purple Line,” “Humanoids” (their most-recent K-pop single) “Destiny,” “Dream,” “Catch Me” (wearing LED light jeweled jackets, highlighting the technical “Hulk dance”) “Before You Go” and “Mirotic.” In between performances, various TVXQ! videos were shown on the screen to preview each song.
Before bringing the show to a close, the crowd united as one for a touching moment. At one point, fans held up a placard that read, “We will always be here.” Yunho responded to the crowd in English, “You guys are so amazing! I am touched.”
The highlight of the night came when TVXQ! daringly stormed into the crowd — the first they’ve ever done so in their 10-year career, they told Billboard afterwards. The boys went off in separate directions, running through the aisles, leaving fans (and presumably security guards and ushers) in awe.
After successfully wrapping the concert Yunho reflects, “I was really taken aback to see such diversity in ages. We even saw a lady [who seemed to be in her 60s] singing along to our lyrics. This was a special night for all of us. The amount of response we got was tremendous. We won’t forget this night and we hope that our U.S. fans. will remember this night as well.”
Looking forward, TVXQ! will become the first foreign artist to perform at Japan’s Nissan Stadium on August 17 and 18. The two-day event is projected to bring in a total of 150,000 fans.
Want more TVXQ!? Check back to Billboard’s K-Town for an exclusive video interview with Yunho and Changmin coming soon!
[Trans] 130711 XIA (Kim Junsu) Gets Together With Quincy Brown To Create ‘Incredible’
XIA (Junsu) met with Quincy Brown to work together on a song.
On the 11th of July, C-JeS Entertainment stated, “XIA (Junsu) worked with Quincy Brown, the son of famous rapper Puff Daddy, on his new song. As an upcoming rapper and actor in the US, Quincy Brown helped XIA (Junsu) out on his second solo album by featuring in his title song ‘Incredible’.”
According to this representative, Quincy Brown makes the song more mesmerizing with his English rap that begins with ‘You’re so hypnotic girl, you’re incredible’.
They continued to add, “The partnership of XIA (Junsu) and Quincy Brown, such energetic artistes, has created a high-quality song. The two artistes met at the music video shooting in L.A. and enjoyed their time together, talking about music,” and “XIA (Junsu)’s music video is a fusion of a song and video that goes great with the Summer season.”
XIA (Junsu)’s ‘Incredible’ music video brought back the staff behind the music video of his first album’s title song ‘TARANTALLEGRA’, which was praised for its sophistication.
Meanwhile, XIA (Junsu) will be releasing his second album ‘Incredible’ on the 15th and is planning to hold a showcase on the same day. The showcase will be aired live through MelonTV.
[Trans] 130710 Stealing An ‘Intro’? Girl Group Tahiti Stirs Controversy By Using JYJ’s Song Without Permission
Using the intro of ‘Mission’ at overseas concerts and college festivals
Girl group Tahiti has been embroiled in a controversy of using a song without permission.
JYJ fans began making the claim that Tahiti has been using the intro of JYJ’s hit song ‘Mission’ without their permission. The fans brought up a problematic YouTube video that shows Tahiti performing their song ‘Hasta Luego’ at a festival in Hongik University.
The issue is that the intro of the performance uses the intro of ‘Mission’. Park Yoochun’s voice saying ‘just pull it off’ can be heard in the middle of their performance as well. After their performance, Tahiti stated in an interview with the MC that, “This intro is a special one that we only use during our overseas performances, but we decided to use it today because we’re at Hongik University.”
In a video of Tahiti performing in Cambodia in March, JYJ’s ‘Mission’ can be heard as the intro of ‘Hasta Luego’.
Fans raised the issue with the entertainment agencies of both groups, and one fan posted an apology e-mail that they received from a representative of Dream Star Entertainment, the agency in charge of Tahiti.
The e-mail says, “We would like to apologize to the fans,” and “We decided to use the music as our intro at the suggestion of a concert representative during one of our overseas concerts.”
It also says, “We found out that the music had been reused due to the inattention of their manager,” and “Disciplinary action has been taken against the manager, and the music file has been terminated.”
Fans who read the e-mail said, “They shouldn’t send an individual e-mail like that; they should provide us with an official apology”, “I didn’t say anything at first because I assumed they had paid royalties before using the song, but the fact that the entertainment agency apologized shows that they used it without permission,” and “Even if the music was used at the suggestion of a concert representative, shouldn’t you have checked before using JYJ’s song, especially a composition by one of the members?”
Dream Star Entertainment stated in a phone conversation with CBS NoCut News that, “We didn’t know it was a JYJ song,” and “We said that it would be nice to have an intro to the concert, and one of the concert’s representatives, who had been the head of JYJ’s concert business team, brought the music to us and we began using it from Tahiti’s Philippine performance.”
The agency continued to add, “It should have ended as a one-time happening, but we kept using it for the Cambodia and Hongik University performances,” and “If we had known it was a JYJ song, we wouldn’t have used it.”
A representative of JYJ’s agency C-JeS Entertainment stated, “We contacted the Korea Music Copyright Association and found out that they used the song without permission,” and “We have no idea who they are talking about when they bring up the concert business team representative.”
They continued to add, “But as their actions were unintentional, we will send them an official statement and take the proper actions against this violation that took place between two companies.”
JYJ’s ‘Mission’ was released in their 2011 album ‘In Heaven’ and was composed by Kim Junsu and had lyrics written by his brother JUNO.
[Trans] 130703 Kim Junsu Proves His Vocal Talent With A ‘Les Miserables’-esque Music Video
JYJ’s Kim Junsu, seen as the greatest vocalist amongst idol groups, has released a one-take live music video, the first of its kind in Korea, and proved the power of his vocal talent yet again.
Having pre-released ’11 o’clock, its adequacy’, an acoustic ballad track from Kim Junsu’s upcoming second solo album, Kim Junsu worked with LoenTV to create a special video. Differentiated from most music videos that have a pre-recorded audio track added to the video, Kim Junsu created his music video by recording his singing voice on set.
In order to create the best video possible and accentuate the emotions carried by his voice, Kim Junsu sang the song from beginning to end in one take, unlike most videos that cut up the song into sections and record the music video in many takes.
Kim Junsu wore a special microphone with his outfit, as well as an in-ear in his left ear while filming the music video. A piano instrumental began playing halfway through the song in the in-ear and till then, he had been singing without any background music.
The production crew explained that the music video was created in a similar way as the musical movie ‘Les Miserables’, which recorded all the voices live on set to maximize the emotions expressed by the actors.
The music video was filmed near the coast in Daebu-do, Ansan. The equipment was set up at 6am and filming began at 7am. Kim Junsu sang the song from beginning to end three times, and filming ended in a mere hour.
A representative of LoenTV stated, “We filmed the music video live in one take because we wanted to portray Kim Junsu’s emotions and vocal tone. His melodious but plaintive voice fused with the sound of birds and the wind to create a fantasy atmosphere.”
(9:45am KST) Though I ended up basically living in the recording studio, I was really happy while preparing my second album. I hope that you will be able to feel that happiness~~~
[Trans] 130704 TVXQ’s ‘SCREAM’ To Be Used As The Theme Song Of Japanese Movie ‘Sadako 3D 2
Sankei Sports announced on the 4th that Hallyu star TVXQ’s new song ‘SCREAM’ has been chosen as the theme song of the movie ‘Sadako 3D 2′.
According to the newspaper, this movie is the latest production of the ‘Sadako 3D’ franchise, the first of which was released last May and grossed over 1.3 billion Yen.
It was said that Producer Kobyashi made the offer to TVXQ as he said, “We’d like to breathe new life into the movie with TVXQ, who are loved all around the world as the core of Asia.”
Describing the new song, which will be accompanied by powerful choreography, Max Changmin said, “It’s a mix of dance and rock that goes well with the horror movie genre.” Their new single ‘SCREAM’ will be released on the 4th of September.
Director Tsutomu Hanabusa, who was in charge of the first movie, will be sitting in the director’s chair for ‘Sadako 3D 2′, which will be released on the 30th of August. It is set to be shown in six different countries, including Korea, Hong Kong and Russia.
[TRANS] 130703 Kim Junsu Ticket Power, Takes Him Only 5 Minutes To Sell Out All His Shows
Kim Junsu has proved his ticket power yet again.
During the second round of ticket reservations that took place today for the musical ‘Elisabeth’, Kim Junsu sold out all of his shows in five minutes.
C-JeS Entertainment revealed on the 3rd that, “During the ticket reservations that took place today, Kim Junsu’s shows were sold out in five minutes. Most of the tickets were gone in the pre-sales that began at 2pm, and when regular sales for tickets began at 3pm, the server crashed and proved just how powerful Kim Junsu is as a musical actor.”
Kim Junsu was highly praised last year for creating the closest representation of Death that the original writer had intended. Receiving positive reviews from critics and audience alike, he won the Best Musical Actor Award at the 18th Korea Musical Awards. On the 1st, he released a teaser photo that showed him with dark hair and a mystical gaze.
Kim Junsu stated, “I decided to appear in ‘Elisabeth’ this year because I wanted to show the audience a newly interpreted and evolved Death.”
The musical ‘Elisabeth’ is a unique take on the beautiful Hapsburg empress Elisabeth. The fantasy character of Death has been added to the dramatic interpretation of the royal’s life, with a unique storyline of Death falling in love with the empress. With music created by Composer Sylvester Levay, who has also written the music for ‘Mozart!’ and ‘Rebecca’, the musical has been loved in Europe for over 20 years.
Meanwhile, the musical ‘Elisabeth’ will open its curtains on the 26th of July at the Opera Hall in the Seoul Arts Center.
[TRANS] 130703 JYJ’s Junsu, His Ballad Tactics Have Worked… Unprecedented Results On Music Charts
JYJ’s Kim Junsu released his new ballad ’11 o’clock, its adequacy’, which is garnering attention for successfully ranking high on various music charts.
Taking into consideration the fact that most male idol singers don’t do very well on online music charts, his feat of ranking high on various music charts with a ballad is extremely rare, and raises the anticipation for this second solo album.
’11 o’clock, its adequacy’ was released at noon on the 2nd and secured a spot in the top 5 rankings on Melon and Bugs today. What’s most surprising is that he was able to rank high with a ballad when hip-hop is the current craze with the return of Dynamic Duo.
Even his agency was extremely surprised by the results. They decided to push a ballad to showcase Kim Junsu’s vocal tone, but didn’t know that it would do so well on music charts, especially considering the fact that it wasn’t a OST buoyed by its drama. Many are surprised to see a ballad in the top 10 rankings these days.
This has increased the anticipation for Kim Junsu’s second solo album, which is set to be released on the 15th. His first solo album’s ‘Tarantallegra’ was not very approachable to the public, but this album has shifted a stronger focus on this aspect. Considering the fact that the title song’s genre has incorporated an element of hip-hop, which is snapping up top positions on music charts these days, the song is expected to be loved by fans and the public alike. With the number of acts who succeed without appearing on any broadcasted programs increasing, Junsu is ready to kick off his album and Asia Tour.
A representative of his agency stated, “We focused more on being approachable to the public with this upcoming album, and we’re all feeling very encouraged because the pre-released track is doing so well on music charts,” and “We hope that more people will be able to enjoy his solo album that will be released in two weeks.”
’11 o’clock, its adequacy’ is a song that expresses the sorrows of a man after a break up. The piano instrumental accentuates the emotions of Kim Junsu’s vocals and adds a dramatic element to the song, with a four seasons theme.
Kim Junsu recorded the whole song in one take and used only acoustic instruments to accentuate his charming tone. The special a cappella clip that was released on the same day as the music file has also garnered much attention for being filmed live in one take.
[TRANS] 130702 A Never-Before-Seen Photo Of XIA (Kim Junsu)’s ’11 O’Clock’ Is Revealed, ‘A Dreamlike Atmosphere’
XIA (Kim Junsu) recently revealed a never-before-seen photo.
At noon on the 2nd of July, JYJ’s Kim Junsu released the live music video of his pre-released track ’11 o’clock, its adequacy’.
He also released a photo from his music video that had never been seen before. The photo shows Kim Junsu standing alone in a field with a longing expression on his face. He is drawing attention from many for his perfect portrayal of the man in the lyrics of ’11 o’clock, its adequacy’.
According to a LoenTV representative, the music video was filmed in one take to portray the lonely emotions and vocal tone of Kim Junsu’s voice. His melodious voice mixes with the sound of birds and the wind to create a dreamlike atmosphere.
Meanwhile, Kim Junsu will be releasing his second solo album on the 15th of July and holding a showcase to commemorate its release.
