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omonatheydidThree former members of Korean boybands have struck out on their own and are doing fine
There is life after boybands. And you do not need to ask the likes of Take That's Robbie Williams (who nevertheless has returned to the fold after soaring as a solo act). Just ask the former members of Korea's popular boybands.
In fact, Life! did just that. It turns out that going solo has been a success for several boys-turned-men-alone on stage.
They have gone on to expand their fanbase by garnering thousands of followers all over Asia, for example.
Take Chinese singer Han Geng. He left 13-member boyband Super Junior last year after filing a lawsuit against management SM Entertainment, saying the 13-year contract worked him too hard.
Despite this, the 26-year-old's popularity did not wane. He has launched a new album, Geng Xin, and is heading to Singapore for a showcase at the Esplanade Concert Hall on Oct 3. It is part of an Asian tour.
The same goes for Korean-American singer/rapper Jay Park, who used to be the leader of sexy male dance group 2PM.
The 23-year-old left the boyband when some negative comments about South Korea that he made years earlier on a social networking website surfaced on the net. The comments sparked outrage among fans in the country.
He was supposed to return to the boyband early this year but his contract was abruptly terminated by his management JYP Entertainment for undisclosed reasons.
That did not deter the young pop idol, who is staging a meet-the-fans tour in Asia including Korea, Taiwan and Singapore. He will be in town at Wave House, Sentosa, on Sept 25.
Most recently, heart-throb Kim Hyung Jun, 23, left popular boyband SS501 after his contract with his agency ended in June this year.
The hardworking good-looker immediately plunged into a solo career. He will be in Singapore on Sunday for a showcase at Republic Polytechnic, as well as a meet-and-greet session at IMM Level 3.
Life! finds out how it has been for them after they stopped being one of the boys.
=====
Kim Hyung Jun
PHOTO: Warner Music
Ex-member of Korean boyband SS501
Heart-throb Kim Hyung Jun left Korean pretty boy five-member group SS501 after their contract with their agency, DSP Entertainment, ended in early June.
The 23-year-old, not to be confused with his ex-bandmate Kim Hyun Joong who acted in drama Boys Over Flowers (2009), is currently touring Asia on his own for a showcase and meet-and-greet session with fans, and he will come to Singapore on Sunday.
It is his first time performing as a solo artist. And the ex-SS501 member finds going solo quite a different number.
He says in an e-mail reply translated from Korean punctuated with emoticons: 'I have been practising very hard, singing and dancing till midnight every day.
'I have faced some problems but I know that my fans in Singapore are waiting for me, so I am trying my best now.'
He adds: 'Fans can look forward to a solo stage performance from me, and time for close interaction.'
Kim seems touchingly close to his ex-band members. The sentimental pop idol admits: 'I miss them all the time, especially the moments we spent together in the hotels in all the different countries.
'The disadvantage of being a solo artist is that I feel lonely sometimes.'
However, looking on the bright side, the 1.8m-tall singer adds: 'Being a solo artist allows me to show more of who I am compared to being in a boyband.'
Still, whether you are in a group act or you are the act, it is tough. Kim says he feels sad from time to time as he has had to sacrifice his privacy and personal time.
He reveals: 'When I was still training to be a star, I felt like giving up. It took a long time and I was really eager to debut. There was so much stress and it felt like a never-ending wait for my turn to debut as a newcomer.'
The hardworking idol kept thinking about his family and close friends to keep himself going and told himself not to give up as he had come so far.
He need not worry, though - he has many fans all over Asia. Although he has just started on his solo career, he already has a packed schedule which includes working on a new musical and a new album and going into acting.
As for his personal life, Kim, who is single, says: 'I like a girl who is lovely and considerate and enthusiastic in everything she does.'
He jokes that if he could choose a female celebrity to fit his ideal type, he 'wants to choose all of them', before adding: 'If I have to choose one, I think BoA might be the closest to being my ideal woman.'
KIM HYUNG JUN SINGAPORE SHOWCASE
Where: TRCC centre, Republic Polytechnic
When: Sunday, 3pm
KIM HYUNG JUN MEET & GREET SESSION
Where: IMM Level 3, Garden Plaza
When: Sunday, 7.30pm
Admission for both events: $50 to $180 from HMV (313@Somerset) and CD Rama (Bras Basah Outlet)
Info: Go to www.facebook.com/warnermusicsingapore
=====
Han Geng
PHOTO: Global Music
Ex-member of Korean 13-member boyband Super Junior
Chinese singer Han Geng parted ways with popular Korean boyband Super Junior in spectacular fashion.
He left them last year and filed a lawsuit against his ex-agency, SM Entertainment, claiming the 13-year deal he signed was a slave contract which worked him too hard.
Life post-boyband bust-up seems good. He went back to China and signed a new contract with a talent agency there.
The 26-year-old star released a new album, Geng Xin, this year, and is busy with promotional activities and showcases in Asia, including a performance in Singapore on Oct 3. He is also looking at movie scripts.
Speaking to Life! over the phone from China, he sounds happy and relaxed, saying: 'My lawsuit is still not settled and my lawyer is handling it for me. I try not to think so much about it, especially since I am so busy with a packed schedule.'
He adds in Mandarin: 'I need to work in an environment where people respect one another. I am so much happier now.
'I even get to put many of my own ideas into my new album, something I couldn't have done in the past. I also get to control my own schedule and time.'
He says that his boyband environment was too restrictive and he had no control over anything.
The boyish-looking star says: 'There were times when I worked so hard that I developed very poor health and suffered from appendicitis. There was no time to rest and I was very burnt out, both emotionally and physically. Everything kept building up inside me and it reached a point when I felt that I had to leave.'
Although he misses his ex-band mates, he says he has no regrets and still keeps in contact with them, exchanging text messages or phone calls from time to time.
Han, who was born and raised in China, was the only Chinese member in Super Junior. He was chosen out of 3,000 participants, debuting with the band in 2005.
For his upcoming showcase here, the singer-dancer admits that he feels pressured performing on stage on his own, compared to being in a group of 13. He will be performing songs from his debut album.
He says: 'It is my first time in Singapore and I have let my fans here wait for a very long time, and I promise that I will have a much longer (on-stage) interaction with them when I come this time round.'
Somewhat surprisingly, given the lawsuit, he declares: 'I also want to go back to Korea after my lawsuit is settled. I know many fans are waiting for me there, and I don't want to disappoint them.'
HAN GENG: GENG XIN SHOWCASE
Where: Esplanade Concert Hall
When: Oct 3, 7.30pm
Admission: $60 to $120 from Sistic (call 6348-5555 or go to sistic.com.sg)
=====
Jay Park
PHOTO: Warner Music
Ex-leader of sexy male dance group 2PM
Korean-American singer-rapper Jay Park left boyband 2PM and went back to America after the controversial comments he wrote about South Korea on his MySpace page sparked an outrage among fans in the country.He was accused of making fun of Korean men.
The 23-year-old has since been busy, working on a single with American rapper/producer Snoop Dogg and famed American record producer Teddy Riley, who has also worked with the likes of Lady Gaga. In fact, his latest single, Demon, comes out tomorrow.
The busy former boybander is also part of a Seattle-based breakdancing group Art Of Movement B-boy Crew and is also working on a Hollywood dance movie, Hype Nation, set to be released soon. It tells the story of an American dance group and a Korean hip-hop crew who go head-to-head in a battle.
Park's Korean tiff has not put him off trying to woo Asian fans. He is coming to Singapore for a meet-the-fans tour on Sept 25 as part of a whirl around Asia.
The multi-talented celebrity, who debuted with 2PM in 2008, told Life! over the phone from the United States: 'I just want to put the past behind me and move on.
'I have no hard feelings or hostility towards anyone, and I don't want to say or explain the same things over and over again. I am thankful to my fans who have stuck by me, my friends and my family.'
The friendly star, who was born and raised in the US, adds in English: 'Thinking back, I guess I could have been more mature and thought about other people rather than myself.'
For his upcoming fan-meet tour here, he will perform the song Demon for the first time. He will also put on a 'b-boy' (breaker boy) dance showcase with his crew. Fans also get the chance to participate in games and interact with him.
Park says: 'My crew and I have been practising very hard for this showcase. I am very excited and a little nervous to be meeting up with my fans once again.'
Striking out on his own has not been easy for the young pop idol, who admits that it feels 'odd to entertain the whole crowd by myself on stage'.
He says matter-of-factly: 'It is hard work being a solo artist and sometimes I get out of breath because it is very tiring. As for the advantages, I am not too sure now. It could be the fact that I get to choose my own style of songs.'
The star, who reveals that he will be working on a mixtape for his fans after his Asia tour, adds: 'I don't know if I would get to work with 2PM again. But if there is ever a chance, I would love to.'
JAY PARK FAN MEETS TOUR 2010 SINGAPORE
Where: Wave House, Sentosa
When: Sept 25, 7pm
Admission: $120 from Sistic (call 6348-5555 or go to sistic.com.sg)
=====
Reported by: Jocelyn Lee for the Straits Times (Singapore) [accessible to paying subscribers only]
Man, is Singapore the place to be or what? Wonder Girls, Beast, Super Junior, Lee Min Ho, C.N. Blue, SHINee, Big Bang, Girl's Generation, Infinite, U-Kiss..did I miss out anyone?
There is life after boybands. And you do not need to ask the likes of Take That's Robbie Williams (who nevertheless has returned to the fold after soaring as a solo act). Just ask the former members of Korea's popular boybands.
In fact, Life! did just that. It turns out that going solo has been a success for several boys-turned-men-alone on stage.
They have gone on to expand their fanbase by garnering thousands of followers all over Asia, for example.
Take Chinese singer Han Geng. He left 13-member boyband Super Junior last year after filing a lawsuit against management SM Entertainment, saying the 13-year contract worked him too hard.
Despite this, the 26-year-old's popularity did not wane. He has launched a new album, Geng Xin, and is heading to Singapore for a showcase at the Esplanade Concert Hall on Oct 3. It is part of an Asian tour.
The same goes for Korean-American singer/rapper Jay Park, who used to be the leader of sexy male dance group 2PM.
The 23-year-old left the boyband when some negative comments about South Korea that he made years earlier on a social networking website surfaced on the net. The comments sparked outrage among fans in the country.
He was supposed to return to the boyband early this year but his contract was abruptly terminated by his management JYP Entertainment for undisclosed reasons.
That did not deter the young pop idol, who is staging a meet-the-fans tour in Asia including Korea, Taiwan and Singapore. He will be in town at Wave House, Sentosa, on Sept 25.
Most recently, heart-throb Kim Hyung Jun, 23, left popular boyband SS501 after his contract with his agency ended in June this year.
The hardworking good-looker immediately plunged into a solo career. He will be in Singapore on Sunday for a showcase at Republic Polytechnic, as well as a meet-and-greet session at IMM Level 3.
Life! finds out how it has been for them after they stopped being one of the boys.
=====
Kim Hyung Jun
PHOTO: Warner Music
Ex-member of Korean boyband SS501
Heart-throb Kim Hyung Jun left Korean pretty boy five-member group SS501 after their contract with their agency, DSP Entertainment, ended in early June.
The 23-year-old, not to be confused with his ex-bandmate Kim Hyun Joong who acted in drama Boys Over Flowers (2009), is currently touring Asia on his own for a showcase and meet-and-greet session with fans, and he will come to Singapore on Sunday.
It is his first time performing as a solo artist. And the ex-SS501 member finds going solo quite a different number.
He says in an e-mail reply translated from Korean punctuated with emoticons: 'I have been practising very hard, singing and dancing till midnight every day.
'I have faced some problems but I know that my fans in Singapore are waiting for me, so I am trying my best now.'
He adds: 'Fans can look forward to a solo stage performance from me, and time for close interaction.'
Kim seems touchingly close to his ex-band members. The sentimental pop idol admits: 'I miss them all the time, especially the moments we spent together in the hotels in all the different countries.
'The disadvantage of being a solo artist is that I feel lonely sometimes.'
However, looking on the bright side, the 1.8m-tall singer adds: 'Being a solo artist allows me to show more of who I am compared to being in a boyband.'
Still, whether you are in a group act or you are the act, it is tough. Kim says he feels sad from time to time as he has had to sacrifice his privacy and personal time.
He reveals: 'When I was still training to be a star, I felt like giving up. It took a long time and I was really eager to debut. There was so much stress and it felt like a never-ending wait for my turn to debut as a newcomer.'
The hardworking idol kept thinking about his family and close friends to keep himself going and told himself not to give up as he had come so far.
He need not worry, though - he has many fans all over Asia. Although he has just started on his solo career, he already has a packed schedule which includes working on a new musical and a new album and going into acting.
As for his personal life, Kim, who is single, says: 'I like a girl who is lovely and considerate and enthusiastic in everything she does.'
He jokes that if he could choose a female celebrity to fit his ideal type, he 'wants to choose all of them', before adding: 'If I have to choose one, I think BoA might be the closest to being my ideal woman.'
KIM HYUNG JUN SINGAPORE SHOWCASE
Where: TRCC centre, Republic Polytechnic
When: Sunday, 3pm
KIM HYUNG JUN MEET & GREET SESSION
Where: IMM Level 3, Garden Plaza
When: Sunday, 7.30pm
Admission for both events: $50 to $180 from HMV (313@Somerset) and CD Rama (Bras Basah Outlet)
Info: Go to www.facebook.com/warnermusicsingapore
=====
Han Geng
PHOTO: Global Music
Ex-member of Korean 13-member boyband Super Junior
Chinese singer Han Geng parted ways with popular Korean boyband Super Junior in spectacular fashion.
He left them last year and filed a lawsuit against his ex-agency, SM Entertainment, claiming the 13-year deal he signed was a slave contract which worked him too hard.
Life post-boyband bust-up seems good. He went back to China and signed a new contract with a talent agency there.
The 26-year-old star released a new album, Geng Xin, this year, and is busy with promotional activities and showcases in Asia, including a performance in Singapore on Oct 3. He is also looking at movie scripts.
Speaking to Life! over the phone from China, he sounds happy and relaxed, saying: 'My lawsuit is still not settled and my lawyer is handling it for me. I try not to think so much about it, especially since I am so busy with a packed schedule.'
He adds in Mandarin: 'I need to work in an environment where people respect one another. I am so much happier now.
'I even get to put many of my own ideas into my new album, something I couldn't have done in the past. I also get to control my own schedule and time.'
He says that his boyband environment was too restrictive and he had no control over anything.
The boyish-looking star says: 'There were times when I worked so hard that I developed very poor health and suffered from appendicitis. There was no time to rest and I was very burnt out, both emotionally and physically. Everything kept building up inside me and it reached a point when I felt that I had to leave.'
Although he misses his ex-band mates, he says he has no regrets and still keeps in contact with them, exchanging text messages or phone calls from time to time.
Han, who was born and raised in China, was the only Chinese member in Super Junior. He was chosen out of 3,000 participants, debuting with the band in 2005.
For his upcoming showcase here, the singer-dancer admits that he feels pressured performing on stage on his own, compared to being in a group of 13. He will be performing songs from his debut album.
He says: 'It is my first time in Singapore and I have let my fans here wait for a very long time, and I promise that I will have a much longer (on-stage) interaction with them when I come this time round.'
Somewhat surprisingly, given the lawsuit, he declares: 'I also want to go back to Korea after my lawsuit is settled. I know many fans are waiting for me there, and I don't want to disappoint them.'
HAN GENG: GENG XIN SHOWCASE
Where: Esplanade Concert Hall
When: Oct 3, 7.30pm
Admission: $60 to $120 from Sistic (call 6348-5555 or go to sistic.com.sg)
=====
Jay Park
PHOTO: Warner Music
Ex-leader of sexy male dance group 2PM
Korean-American singer-rapper Jay Park left boyband 2PM and went back to America after the controversial comments he wrote about South Korea on his MySpace page sparked an outrage among fans in the country.
The 23-year-old has since been busy, working on a single with American rapper/producer Snoop Dogg and famed American record producer Teddy Riley, who has also worked with the likes of Lady Gaga. In fact, his latest single, Demon, comes out tomorrow.
The busy former boybander is also part of a Seattle-based breakdancing group Art Of Movement B-boy Crew and is also working on a Hollywood dance movie, Hype Nation, set to be released soon. It tells the story of an American dance group and a Korean hip-hop crew who go head-to-head in a battle.
Park's Korean tiff has not put him off trying to woo Asian fans. He is coming to Singapore for a meet-the-fans tour on Sept 25 as part of a whirl around Asia.
The multi-talented celebrity, who debuted with 2PM in 2008, told Life! over the phone from the United States: 'I just want to put the past behind me and move on.
'I have no hard feelings or hostility towards anyone, and I don't want to say or explain the same things over and over again. I am thankful to my fans who have stuck by me, my friends and my family.'
The friendly star, who was born and raised in the US, adds in English: 'Thinking back, I guess I could have been more mature and thought about other people rather than myself.'
For his upcoming fan-meet tour here, he will perform the song Demon for the first time. He will also put on a 'b-boy' (breaker boy) dance showcase with his crew. Fans also get the chance to participate in games and interact with him.
Park says: 'My crew and I have been practising very hard for this showcase. I am very excited and a little nervous to be meeting up with my fans once again.'
Striking out on his own has not been easy for the young pop idol, who admits that it feels 'odd to entertain the whole crowd by myself on stage'.
He says matter-of-factly: 'It is hard work being a solo artist and sometimes I get out of breath because it is very tiring. As for the advantages, I am not too sure now. It could be the fact that I get to choose my own style of songs.'
The star, who reveals that he will be working on a mixtape for his fans after his Asia tour, adds: 'I don't know if I would get to work with 2PM again. But if there is ever a chance, I would love to.'
JAY PARK FAN MEETS TOUR 2010 SINGAPORE
Where: Wave House, Sentosa
When: Sept 25, 7pm
Admission: $120 from Sistic (call 6348-5555 or go to sistic.com.sg)
=====
Reported by: Jocelyn Lee for the Straits Times (Singapore) [accessible to paying subscribers only]
Man, is Singapore the place to be or what? Wonder Girls, Beast, Super Junior, Lee Min Ho, C.N. Blue, SHINee, Big Bang, Girl's Generation, Infinite, U-Kiss..did I miss out anyone?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-08-27 04:53 am (UTC)wat.
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Date: 2010-08-27 05:13 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2010-08-27 04:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-27 05:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-27 04:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-27 07:50 am (UTC)And, I'm living in Singapore.
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Date: 2010-08-27 04:59 am (UTC)lmao what
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Date: 2010-08-27 05:00 am (UTC)But in all seriousness, I feel so sad especially for Hyungjun. Magnae is all alone. TT_TT
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Date: 2010-08-27 05:13 am (UTC)Don't worry Hyung Joon isn't alone! SS501 has not disbanded. =]
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Date: 2010-08-27 05:01 am (UTC).. can't say i'm particularly look forward to the possible ensuing uncharacteristic crazy behavior though :3
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Date: 2010-08-27 06:05 am (UTC)(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2010-08-27 05:03 am (UTC)can't find the jay screw girls one but this one pertains to the situation as well i suppose.
Still have money bbs?
Date: 2010-08-27 05:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-27 05:16 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2010-08-27 05:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-27 05:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-27 05:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-27 05:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-27 05:25 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2010-08-27 05:46 am (UTC)Anyway we should re-title this as..Case of the estranged and wanton members
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Date: 2010-08-27 06:08 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2010-08-27 06:29 am (UTC)Sometimes I don't now if I'm glad they're all coming here or not. :/
It gets kind of tiring when one keep on coming after another.. coz I'm always the one buying / queueing for tickets and the events themselves for my group of friends. D:
But well I guess it's all worth it. (: (:
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Date: 2010-08-27 06:37 am (UTC)Man we should make a list.
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Date: 2010-08-27 06:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-27 06:41 am (UTC)but I stay in Singapore now..
happy for that one fact that I live here at the right time but sad that I'm happy when my wallet is crying
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Date: 2010-08-27 06:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-27 06:46 am (UTC)THEY ARE NOT DISBANDING
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Date: 2010-08-27 07:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-27 06:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-27 07:03 am (UTC)Then I got it. Okay. LOL
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Date: 2010-08-27 08:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-27 08:40 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2010-08-27 10:33 am (UTC)to bad i cant go.
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Date: 2010-08-28 04:05 pm (UTC)i can't go because im going over to UK for sch. same for the korean pop night. damn, i don't envy their wallets though.
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Date: 2010-08-27 11:38 am (UTC)