"The hard work we put in to be the best in what we do has so far been rewarding. There are of course times where that is not the case. however with the strength from our love of music, the constant support of fans, family and friends, we are able to overcome any hardships. We believe that the hardships we experience help us to persevere and ultimately mold our characters to be more mature. As we mature as individuals, our music will also mature, and as our music matures, we hope that it can bring hope and strength to others."
That is the philosophy of JYJ, comprised of three members from South Korea: Kim JaeJung, Park Yuchun and Kim Junsu. JYJ is releasing its new global debut album The Beginning (Atlantic Records) on November 28 in the U.S. The title of the album is synonymous with their journey to date and marks a first for the group to release an English language album.
JYJ was originally from the boy band TVXQ, and Tohoshinki which was formed in 2003 in Korea. JYJ is arguably the biggest boy band Internationally, evidenced by the trio making it into the Guinness Book Records in 2008 and 2009 for having the World's Largest Official Fan Club at over 800,000 members in Seoul alone and being The Most Photographed Celebrities in the World shot an estimated 500 million times in magazines, albums jackets, and commercials from the time of their debut in 2003 to May 19, 2009 with their former group.
JYJ has teamed up with A-list US producers Kanye West and Rodney Jerkins for The Beginning JYJ's musical style consists of many genres such as pop, R&B and dance; they are also known for singing a cappella. Besides the catchy first single by Kanye West, The Beginning also sees original compositions by top music producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. The two tracks are "Empty" and "Be My Girl". "I'm really glad to work with JYJ on their debut album. It's all about the East meeting the West these days and the world is becoming a melting pot of various cultures. To have Kanye and myself champion the cause of unifying the world through the international language of music and introducing top artistes from one end of the globe to this end in America makes this a very special project to us" adds Rodney Jerkins.
How did JYJ hook up with West and Jerkins? "Our Korean producer has connections with them in the US and thought it would be a great idea tor JYJ to collaborate with them. So a few calls were made and we were thrilled to find out that the feeling of wanting to work together was a mutual one!"
About working with such luminaries as West and Jerkins, JYJ says, "It was a great new experience that we are really privileged to have. We felt the pressure of working with such superstars initially, but our anxieties were allayed when Kanye/Rodney showed us great support. We were able to have a really good time working with them and exchanging ideas about music with one another."
According to JYJ band member Kim JaeJung, "Being a singer was a dream of mine since I was in middle school." For Kim Junsu, it was even earlier. "I wanted to be a singer since I was in elementary school." The whole band agrees on their motivation to create music as a career: "We all want to always be real and true to who we are and what we do, and to always do our best. We choose honor over money and fame."
"We constantly listen to many genres of music in order to help in being better singers, composers, musicians, and we are inspired by many artists; from rock to R&B to acapella to piano pieces." Some of their musical influences/heroes include Brian McKnight, Boyz II Men, Stevie Wonder, and of course Michael Jackson.
JYJ has just recently started writing songs in English, which is not their first language. According to Kim Jae Jong, "There is pressure as we are not native English speakers, but we are not daunted by it. We hope our music can cut across the language barrier and still deliver our message." Adds Park Yuchun, "I think it is liberating to be able to express our music in English, if it is acceptable to our fans. I hope this will help bring our music to more people around the world and bring us closer to those who like our music."
"Being able to perform in a more widely known language is really wonderful as we are now able to reach out and connect with more fans with my music," says Kim Junsu. "There is also a deeper connection with existing English speaking fans who are familiar with our Korean and Japanese music."
To those who have not yet heard JYJ? "Prepare to be surprised," advises JYJ. "Just relax and leave any pre-conceived ideas about Korean artistes/Asian pop aside and listen to us with an open heart."
Source:
JYJ Official Site
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