Actor Lee Minki (Mixed-up Investigative Agency and Dal Ja’s Spring) is lending his hitherto-unknown vocal talents to a track with Korean electronica/pop singer Sheean in a collaboration with Japanese electronica/Shibuya-kei artist FreeTEMPO. The song, titled “Power of Love,” was released as a digital single today.

Lee Minki managed to squeeze in recording time with Sheean in between his busy film schedule; he is currently working on the film Haeundae [해운대], which also stars Ha Ji-won and Seol Kyung-gu. FreeTEMPO (aka Takeshi Hanzawa) flew to Korea in August to work on the project.

Lee said, “I’ve always liked FreeTEMPO and electronic music, which is why I agreed to this project. It felt really awesome to work with artists I already liked.”

Lee also is to appear in the music video (catch a preview below). Meanwhile, FreeTEMPO and Sheean are set to perform “Power of Love” live at the Pusan International Film Festival on October 3.

Via Herald Biz and poweroflove.kr

SONG OF THE DAY

FreeTEMPO X Sheean - “Power of Love” feat. Lee Minki. Written, arranged, and programmed by FreeTEMPO, lyrics by Sheean. I’ve featured both FreeTEMPO and Sheean before; check out Sheean’s other songs here and here. [ Download ]

You’ll probably recognize FreeTEMPO from the two tracks featured in Coffee Prince, which you can download here (and listen below).

FreeTEMPO - “Immaterial White”

FreeTEMPO - “Sky High”

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Kim Hye-soo may have merely portrayed a singer in the period film Modern Boy, but now she’s releasing a digital single, as did her co-star Jo Seung-woo.

The music is modeled after the 1930s style, given the movie’s setting in that era. Four songs make up the single, including an American hit (1936’s “Why Don’t You Do Right”), a ‘30s-dancehall-inspired song by Japanese musician Ego-Wrappin’ (“Blues of Colors” — listen below), and another taking its lyrics from a poem published in 1930 by poet Kim So-wol. The single therefore showcases songs in three languages (Korean, Japanese, English).

The single goes on sale September 11, preceding the movie’s October 2 release.

Via EDaily.com

SONG OF THE DAY

Ego-Wrappin’ - “色彩のブル-ス” (Blues of Colors). This is the original song that Kim Hye-soo will be covering in the movie. [ Download ]

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I love Horan. Not only is she a great singer for electronica group Clazziquai as well as indie band Ibadi (not the strongest vocals, but lovely all the same), she’s smart and literate (she put out a collection of essays, served as book columnist for a magazine, and hosted an educational book program on television).

Now the singer-author-MC-radio DJ takes her first stab at a new type of stage: musical theater. Next month, she’ll debut in SHOUT! — “the mod musical” about women’s liberation that takes place in England’s swingin’ ’60s — which has enjoyed successful runs in England, the States, Australia, and Japan. Characters are named after colors (Yellow, Green, Blue), and Horan steps into the role of “Red.”

SHOUT! runs from October 24 through January 18 in Seoul’s Cecil Theater.

Via Sports Khan

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It feels like we’re constantly hearing of pop stars venturing forth into acting, and this time it’s rock-ish pop singer Younha who’ll give it a shot. She makes her acting debut in a Japanese film, titled Next Sunday, and explained that the director, Kenmochi Satoki, “saw me singing on a Japanese program, came upon an idea and had the script written. After hearing that, I couldn’t turn down this role.”

Younha has actually already appeared in a short film, 2005’s Day of Praise [천사가 내려온 날], but this project is considered her official acting debut. The movie is described as a “quietly drawn film” that follows a young Korean woman studying in Japan who falls in love with an older Japanese man.

She explained, “The crew is all Japanese, and so is the dialogue. Although it’s produced in Japan and is a ‘99% made in Japan’ film, since the movie deals with the lead girl’s development, there will be some Korean spoken too.”

About the movie: “I think of it as a movie that quietly shows the inner thoughts and feelings of a main character who realizes, through watching the hardships of a lowly cleaner, that everybody undergoes struggles.”

Seems like every pop star these days wants to become a movie star, doesn’t it? I bet if you canvassed the current players on the kpop scene, we’d find that most of them harbor acting aspirations and see their kpop work as more of a “starter” career. Still, enough pop stars have crossed over successfully that one can’t be dismissed for wanting to make the effort.

Via DongA.com

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Singer Kim Jong-kook recently completed his mandatory military service and is now back to recording. He also held his first Japanese fanmeeting on August 24 in Tokyo at Showa Women’s University.

At the three-hour event, Kim introduced a hip-hop singer Joosuc, who’s been active in the Hongdae rap scene, and performed a duet of one of his own songs, “Remembrances” [회상], as well as the songs “Lovable” [사랑스러워] and “Star, Wind, Sunlight and Love” [별, 바람, 햇살 그리고 사랑].

In the midst of all these entertainers leaving for army duty (e.g., Jo Hyun-jae, Jae Hee and Lee Ki-chan), it’s nice to welcome some back.

Via Yonhap News

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