Audition stars aim for summer charts

Home > Culture > Arts & Design

print dictionary print

Audition stars aim for summer charts

테스트

A number of former contestants from singing-survival shows are gearing up to release albums this month. Among them are girl group Sista and rock band Nell along with Roy Kim and Ulala Session, both winners of Mnet’s “Superstar K.”

Kim took his first independent step into the music industry in April with the EP “Spring Spring Spring” and will release his first album this month.

“We are putting the final touches on the album. It includes songs that should be as well-received as ‘Spring, Spring, Spring,’?” said his agency, CJ E&M.

The agency projects a good run for the album given the success of Kim’s debut song, which beat out hits like Psy’s “Gentleman” and Cho Yong-pil’s “Hello” in the rankings.

Kim’s fans are especially excited about the new album as it will put the “Superstar K” contestant in direct competition with Lee Seung-cheol, a particularly harsh judge on the program. Lee will break his four-year hiatus on Tuesday with his 11th album.

“As many popular singers make comebacks in the June War of Music, Roy Kim will further ignite the buzz,” said Fortune Entertainment.

Kim, who was a guest performer for American singer Jason Mraz’s local concert last month, will embark on a tour of his own starting next month.

He will start in Busan on July 6 and then move to Seoul, Daejeon and Daegu until July 20.

At the same time, Ulala Session has garnered much public attention as it prepares to release an EP for the first time since member Lim Yoon-taek died of cancer in February.

The EP, titled “Memory,” will be released on June 27.

“Ulala Session will tell of memories and yearning for the old times through a ballad,” said the agency Ulala Company. “It is not purely a tribute to Lim, but members have expressed their feelings about the loss through the EP.”

Kim Ye-rim of Togeworl, who competed against Ulala Session in 2011, has also announced her comeback on Monday as a solo artist.

Her new album “A Voice” includes five songs, among them “Number 1,” Coloring” and “All Right.”

“As Kim Ye-rim’s charming voice will reveal her unique features, it will come as a fresh surprise to people who are tired of the same old music,” said her agency, Mystic 89.

To make her arrival to the music scene ever fresher, she has decided to use her English name Lim Kim on the album jacket.

She will present a showcase on Tuesday to promote the album a day after its official release.

Meanwhile, Akdong Musician, winner of SBS’s “K-pop Star2,” has signed with YG Entertainment but did not yet reveal the date of their debut. The sister and brother duo said on a local entertainment program that they were having a hard time getting to know Lee Hi. She was a contestant on the first season of “K-pop Star” and also signed with YG.

Other popular stars, including Ivy, After School, Sista and Nell, made comebacks of their own yesterday on Mnet’s “M! Countdown.”

Ivy, often known as a sexy queen, performed “I Dance,” which features rap by Yubin of Wonder Girls.

After School did a pole dance to promote the song “First Love” after practicing for six months, and Nell showed off a cheerful melody with “Ocean of Light.”

BY LEE SUN-MIN [summerlee@joongang.co.kr]

Log in to Twitter or Facebook account to connect
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
help-image Social comment?
s
lock icon

To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.

Standards Board Policy (0/250자)