Singer Alex has admitted on the variety show Sang Sang Plus airing on the 20th that back before he was well-known, he’d once lied about his identity. And gave a fake name. That name being Tablo.

Alex explained that it was back in the beginning of his career — Clazziquai was more or less an underground group until they shot to popularity after being featured prominently in the drama My Name Is Kim Sam Soon. His face wasn’t well-known then, and when he was rushed to surgery after his appendix burst, the nurses repeatedly asked (not recognizing him), “I heard you’re a pop singer. Are you really a singer? What’s your name?”

Even with his mind growing muddled from anesthesia, he felt embarrassed just giving his name. And so at the last minute he said, “I’m Tablo from Epik High.”

HA.

I don’t know much about their personal lives, but Epik High and Clazziquai have collaborated multiple times, and the music industry is a small world, so it’s doubly funny thinking about it. Especially considering how nobody would mistake either star for the other (or anyone else) these days.

Source: Newsen

SONG OF THE DAY

Clazziquai - “After Love II.” One of my favorite Clazziquai songs, from their fantastic first album.
[ zShare download ]

 
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• Alex acts
• Yes, but what does it SAY?!

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Minwoo was on an episode of the talk show Yashimmanman that aired on the 12th, where he talked about being the first of the Shinhwa boys to go solo — citing oversensitive Dong Wan as one of his reasons.

(God, will you look at those eyes? How can a guy have such pretty anime-like eyes? You know, people slag on Minwoo’s height all the time but I think it’s a good thing he’s not taller — just imagine how annoying he’d be if he added heart-swoony tallness to all his attributes. He’d be totally conceited without some major flaw holding him back. I mean, look at Daniel Henney. The guy’s stunningly beautiful but I’m pretty sure he’s also insufferable. I have not liked him in one single interview I’ve seen him give. Which would be more overlookable, say, if he were actually talented. But for all the apologists out there — Have you SEEN “Seducing Mr. Perfect”??)

Whoa, major sidebar there. Back to Minwoo and Dong Wan.

Okay, so it turns out the full story’s not nearly as dramatic as it sounds. During their days of living in the same house, Minwoo found that the only time he could work on writing songs was when he was alone in his room at night, trying to keep quiet and wearing headphones. But Kim Dong Wan, in the next room, would always know and come by, saying, “Hey, keep quiet! I’m trying to sleep!”

Minwoo would therefore try to find places to work alone, and in the end decided to go solo. He expressed how he felt living with the Shinhwa members: “Back then, it was really my dream to go solo, but now I really miss those days.”

(He also revealed some stories from those days, such as the time someone had put a ketchup bottle in the shower instead of shampoo — and when Andy tried to wash his hair, he shouted in shock, “Ah! My head’s bleeding!” Heh.)

Source: Osen

SONG OF THE DAY

Kim Dong Wan - “사랑이 가여워” (Love is pitiful). [ zShare download ]

 
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Recently married actress Seo Minjung, last seen in the very popular sitcom The Unstoppable High Kick, had moved to New York after marrying her gyopo husband in August and retired from acting. She’s back in Korea, though, and hanging with her former High Kick co-stars:

 
The primary reason for her trip to Korea was for knee surgery, but she had time to meet with young heartthrobs and rising actors Jung Il Woo (in yellow) and Kim Hye Sung (baseball cap), who were her affectionately termed troublemaking students on the show.

I know the entertainment industry is small and close-knit by nature. But it’s still nice to see actors who seem to carry on genuine friendships after their work relationships have come to an end. And when said actors are as adorable as these guys (just as long as I don’t look at their birth years, eek!), you’ve gotta thank stars and their cyworlds for documenting all such instances.

Just for good measure, here’s another photo of her back in the High Kick days, with Jung Il Woo and Kim Bum, both of whom are entering university this year:

Source: Newsen

SONG OF THE DAY

Hourmelts - “Moonlight Melody” [ zShare download ]

 
RELATED POSTS:

• High Kick movie
• The Unstoppable High Kick

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Actor Gu Hye Sun and singer-actor Lee Minwoo (or just “M”) first worked together in the sitcom Nonstop 5, but they had their first meeting some time before that.

And, apparently, Gu Hye Sun was less than thrilled.

On the cable program Park Kyung Rim’s Wonderful Outing, Minwoo had a segment where he’d call his friends and ask them to meet up. Lots of entertainers have been the recipients of the call, and on a recent episode airing October 26, he called Gu Hye Sun. She was home resting (she’s currently filming the historical drama series King and I), and despite the late hour, she came out for her friend.

Others who’d showed up included Kim Min Sun, Kang Kyung Joon (also from Nonstop 5 — I love that they’re all still buddies), Kim Chang Ryeol, Shim Eun Ji, and Kil Gun. The MC and recently married comedienne Park Kyung Rim asked for a show of hands for whoever liked Minwoo best of the six Shinhwa members. Everyone raised their hands, except for one person — Gu Hye Sun.

SONG OF THE DAY

M (Lee Minwoo) - “Sweet Sound” [ zShare download ]

How did Minwoo offend Gu Hye Sun? >>

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Jae Hee’s back!

This time, though, he takes on the role of MC for the M.net cable program X-Boyfriend Season 2, which kicks off its run on October 26. When asked if there are any other MCs whose paths he’d aspire to, Jae Hee answered that he’d like to be like the ever-popular MC of MBC’s Ultimate Challenge, Yoo Jae Soek (who’s hosted tons of other variety programs, including X-Man and Love Letter).

Jae Hee said, “When I watch Ultimate Challenge, I think to myself that the shooting must be so crazy. … My goal is to be like Yoo Jae Seok, who hosts so entertainingly.” He also compared his style with prior host, actor Jang Geun Seok: “If Jang Geun Seok’s emceeing was like running on asphalt, mine will have the feel of running on a mountain path.” And no, I’m not exactly sure what that means.

Source: Newsen

SONG OF THE DAY

Tensi Love - “My Life” (club bossa version) [ zShare download ]

More Jae Hee pics, just because I heart him >>

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Wow, here’s one to make you feel really old. (Or really young, I suppose.)

Back in the Stone Ages, aka the ’90s, there was a pop group that was terribly popular for about a second and a half. Maybe the title of their hit single in the summer of my (loooong-bygone) youth is a reference to that short-lived fame, maybe not. The group burst on the scene and immediately gained popularity, which I’m figuring was mostly due to its quirky, cute sound, which was different from the sea of homogenous kpop music dominated at the time by — oh, and boy do we feel old! — such balladeers as Shin Seung Hun and groups like Seotaiji and the Boys, Noise, DJ Doc, Roo’ra, Cool, Diva.

 
That group was Two Two. Perhaps this picture rings a bell?

(And perhaps now you’d like to un-ring that bell?)

I just figured they were a one-hit wonder (technically I think they were more of a two-hit wonder), but one of their former members, Ms. Hwang Hye Young, went on to be in a few more pop groups and eventually resurfaced as a minor actor (she also recently appeared on MBC Every1’s variety program Put On a Neverending Show with another former ’90s gasu (pop singer), Kim Ji Hyun of Roo’ra fame).

And next month, she’ll be back after a decade away from acting, appearing in KBS’s sitcom Unstoppable Wedding. Seeing as how the day the news was announced (today; the 17th), her name hit #1 on the search portals, response to her comeback has been sizable. (Plus, the online shopping mall she runs had such a crush of traffic that the server went down.)

I just can’t believe that after thirteen years, I can still sing along to this song —

(Random) SONG OF THE DAY

Two Two - “일과 이분의 일” (One and a half) [ zShare download ]

(Source: Sports Chosun)

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