Artist of the week - Ok Ju Hyun

PROFILE:

Name : Ok Ju Hyun
Date of birth : March 20, 1980
Height : 173
Weight : 54
Blood type : Type O
Hobbies : Taking photos
Personality : Sociable
Talent : Singing
Religion : Buddhism
Favorite foods : Pizza, spaghetti, sushi, sashimi
Favorite musicians : Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Seo Tae-ji, TLC
Starred in musicals “Aida” and “Chicago”
Won best actress award at the 2nd The Musical Awards in 2008
Debut: 1998 as part of FINKL

BIOGRAPHY:

It’s been 10 years since Ok Ju Hyun debuted as a member of FINKL, one of the most successful female groups ever in Korea. Despite being FINKL’s lead singer, Ok Ju Hyun did not have many chances to shine on her own back then as FINKL were often doing dance music or easy listening pop ballads to fit the whole group. Moreover, she was often in the shadow of fellow FINKL members Lee Hyori and Sung Yuri. Still, critics had already noticed her strong vocal capabilities.

When Ok Ju Hyun released her first solo album "Nan" in 2003, her career took off in leaps and bounds. "Nan" was a pop opera-style ballad which required strong singing skills, and fans were pleasantly surprised to hear Ok’s breathtaking vocals. That also landed her musical roles such as Aida in “Aida,” Roxie Hart in “Chicago” and Grizabella in “Cats.”

Ok’s solo albums have been very different from the ones by FINKL. The songs are grander in scale, well-suited to Ok’s wide vocal range and fully mature emotions. In 2008, after a nearly four-year long layoff, Ok Ju Hyun released her 3rd solo album "Remind". Working with Korea’s top songwriter Cho Young Soo this time, the title song of her latest album is “Honey,” a medium-tempo song with an addictive melody and simple piano arrangements, and of course, features Ok’s strong vocal. It is a song mixed with electronica and lounge genres. Within 3 weeks of release, "Honey" found its way to to the top 10, showing that fans have not forgotten Ok Ju Hyun despite her extended absence from the music industry.

DISCOGRAPHY:

Nan (1st album, 2003-06-02) : This Crush, Nan, It’s Okay, Never, Insomnia, Next World, A Man, For a Day, etc.

L’Ordeur Original (2nd album, 2004-11-15) : Sweet Rainy Day, We Are Dancing, Catch, Love Diary, I’m Sorry, Forgive and Forget, Come to Me, etc.

Remind (3rd album, 2008-06-10) : Honey, It’s a Lie, I Should Have Been Nicer, My Romeo, He Comes to Me, Mute, A Number without a Title, etc.

Credits: KBS World, edward1849