Singer Seven Attains Great Success in Japan

2006-04-17

Singer Seven has joined the ranks of top stars in Japan taking advantage of the Korean pop culture boom using a thorough localization strategy.

Seven fascinated 12,000 spectators with his fluent Japanese speaking skills at his concert entitled “SE7EN CONCERT 2006-FIRST SE7EN” held in the Yoyoki National Stadium in Tokyo on April 15.

Seven sang a total of 20 songs live at the concert, including “Puzzle,” “Red Boys,” “Hikari,” “Chiriboshi,” “Style” and “Start Line” from his album released in Japan. He presented most of the songs in Japanese, except several pieces such as “I Know,” “All Night Through,” “Come On,” and “Passion.” A majority of the audience was Japanese, and Seven sang and spoke in Japanese fluently in front of them without appearing overwhelmed. He has apparently overcome the language problem that is the biggest stumbling block for Korean stars who want to expand their activities overseas.

Japanese fans also gave him an enthusiastic response, waving luminous rods shaped like the number 7, the symbol of the singer. Seven has attained success in Japan one year and two months after releasing his single album “Hikari” in that country and holding his first solo concert in Yokohama in October last year.

Seven’s ageny YG Entertainment said that the singer has been learning Japanese since 2000 in order to make inroads into the country and his efforts have begun to bear fruit.

Seven’s stage manners were also regarded as excellent. He tried to meet the expectations of fans who wanted to get a closer look at the singer. In the midst of the concert, he revealed photos of his childhood school days on a VTR screen. He made a special appearance on a small motorcycle at the end of the concert as a way to please his fans. The Japanese media praised the Korean singer’s mellow voice and dancing skills.

Seven gave his second concert at the same venue on April 16. He presented songs mainly from his albums released in Korea, with fellow Korean singers Lexi and Geomi (spider), who belong to the same entertainment agency, appearing as guest singers.

Source: http://english.kbs.co.kr/entertainment/news/1392223_11858.html