Artist of the week - Shin Hye Sung

Mar 22, 2009

PROFILE

Real name : Jeong Pil-kyo
Date of birth : November 27th, 1979
Education : Department of English, Cheonan University
Physique : 179cm, 61kg
Nickname : Sonic
Blood type : A
Religion : Christianity
Hobbies : Listening to music, driving
Talent : Taekwondo(officially approved 3 dan)
Motto : I can do it!
Favorite food : Flavorful food with sesame seeds and oil
Favorite colors : Black, white

BIOGRAPHY

For this week’s artiste of the week, we have Shin Hye Sung. It’s been seven years since he first created waves with his groundbreaking debut as a member of the charismatic dance group,Shinhwa. Since then, going from the main vocalist of Shinhwa to becomign a member of the trio singing group S, Shin Hye-sung’s career has been marked by both brilliance and success. But his passion for music doesn’t just stop there. He has decided to take on another challenge by becoming a ballad singer, releasing his first solo album, "The Love of May". Despite his many experiences with being onstage and in front of the camera, he still gets nervous and tense as though it were his first time. Shin wrote five of the 14 songs from his new album. These songs are about love and heartbreak. He has had his fair share of loving someone and breaking up with them. He thinks those experiences are the source of his inspiration.

Also, he has a habit of writing down good lyrics on his cell phone and saving them whenever he thinks of something. Shin Hye-sung plans to enter the Japanese pop market with a new Japanese
album this fall. He’s planning to release a completely new Japanese album without any of the songs being translated from his Korean album.

Shin Hye-sung moved to the U.S. when he was in his third year of junior high school in Korea and spent his high school years there. In junior high school, he liked playing sports such as soccer but he especially enjoyed basketball. Although he has enjoyed singing since he was a child, he never dreamt of becoming a singer. But, when he was in the U.S., he entered a singing contest at a Korean festival in L.A. and he really enjoyed it.

In 2007, Shin Hye-sung released his second album, right on the footsteps of solo efforts by fellow Shinhwa members Kim Dong Wan and Lee Min Woo. In conjunction with his new album, Shin Hye-sung held his first solo concerts in Korea and Japan, and the response was amazing. The tickets for his Aug 11 and 12 concerts in Seoul were snatched up in a mere 30 minutes, and his 4-city Japan concert tour in late August was sold out.

Shin Hye Sung’s third solo album Live and Let Live expects to deliver a hit of celestial proportions. Shin’s latest effort is being released in two separate albums, labeled Side 1 and Side 2. In the first installment Side 1– Live and Let Live,
Shin steps out of his comfort zone to deliver an eclectic mix of sounds which include alternative, British rock, swing, and big band. But fans still craving for his signature ballads won’t be disappointed – the second installment Side 2 – Live and Let Live contains all ballads, and will be released in December ‘08.

Beloved by many for his tender, heart-piercing vocals, Shin Hye-sung shifts his focus back to ballad, a genre in which the singer has carved a niche for himself over the past decade. In the second installation of his third album entitled Side 2 – Keep Leaves, Shin offers a
huge dose of soulful, heart-rending lyrics and enchanting melodies, highlighted by his trademark vocals. Some of the collaborators for the album include Kim Jae Seok of Wanted, high-profile hitmaker Kim Do Hoon, up-and-coming songwriter Willgoh, and multi-talented musician Vink, Shin’s regular contributor who previously worked on Shin’s second solo album as well as Shinhwa’s 9th album.

The principle track Whe jeon wha het seo ("Why Did You Call" – Track 3) is composed by Ha Jung Ho, the same talent behind Sarang hagi jo eun nal ("Perfect Day for Romance"), Shin’s duet with Miss Korea Lee Ha Nee which featured in the previous installment Side 1– Live and Let Live. Though awash in tears with lyrics about yearning for a lost love, the song sets itself apart from conventional ballads by mixing in a wide
range of dynamic sounds. In the music video version, Shin teams up with his SBS variety show Love Letter partner Lee Young Ah to render a beautiful love story set against Sapporo’s snowy landscape.

DISCOGRAPHY

* Love of May (1st album, 2005) :Mirror, Don’t Leave, Same Thought, Punishment, Buen Camino feat. 강수지, Tears, Everything, Don’t, I’m sorry I left you, A song for you, Love…Love…, Later…, Present

* The Beginning, New Days (2nd album, 2007) : The Beginning, Island, First Person, You know it all, Everything is you, Monologue, Age, Women must be glad, Tearful Eyes, Center, The day we first met, Rain of Sorrow and l Luv You

* Side 1 – Live and Let Live (3rd album, 2008) : Live and Let Live, Awaken, Because of You, A Good Day to Love (Feat. Honey Lee), Urban fever (Feat. Showgun), Waltz, Love Actually (Feat. Vink), Peter Pan’s Serenade, Promise (Feat. Park Seung Hwa), Sequelae, Awaken (Instrumental), Because of You (Instrumental)

[BUY THE ALBUM]
* Side 2 – Keep Leaves (3rd album, 2009) : Keep leaves..part1, Why Did You Call, Keep leaves..part2, Love letter, Beautiful girl, Still etc