Chae Jung-ahn is returning to her roots with her first album in seven years.

Chae, like Jung Ryeo-won and Jeon Hye-bin, is the type of actor who’s finding a lot more success in her second wind than she’d found in her initial foray into entertainment as a “dance gasu,” or a pop singer whose shtick is based more on dance routines than sheer singing ability. She’d been in a bit of a career slump, but following a divorce and a revitalized image with Coffee Prince, she’s now enjoying a rejuvenated career.

I never really liked her music all that much — she released three albums of that awful trancey processed kpop that was so popular in the late ’90s, like the stuff Uhm Jung-hwa and Lee Jung-hyun were putting out. But the “teaser video” for her comeback single, “TV Love,” has just been released (watch below), and if that’s the sound her music is taking, it’s a marked improvement. (Considering her career upswing, the title is pretty apropros.)

It’s got a tinge of what he article describes as “Brazil electro,” which I think is better termed bossa-nova-inflected or groove electronica. I’m a bit sad that, while I love the music, it seems to be heading into “flavor of the week” territory, but in any case, I might as well enjoy the trend while it’s here.

Via Sports Chosun

SONG OF THE DAY

Chae Jung-ahn – “아니야” (It’s not). Here’s a track off her last album, released in 2001, which is mostly upbeat techno pop. This one’s a little more listenable, imo, than some of the other stuff on the album. [ Download ]

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