[NEWS] Kim Hyun Joong will also return with solo album in May...

Source: http://news.donga.com/3//20110207/34613174/1

김현중도 5월 솔로앨범…SS501은 홀로시대!

가수로 복귀…정규음반 마지막 작업중
박정민 등 이어 SS501 멤버 네번째 도전

‘이젠 김현중 차례다’

그룹 SS501의 멤버로 그동안 솔로 데뷔 시기가 관심을 모았던 김현중(사진)이 마침내 본격적인 음반 작업에 들어갔다.

김현중은 이르면 5월께 첫 솔로 정규 앨범을 발표하고 가수로 본격적인 활동에 나선다. 그는 지난해 드라마 ‘장난스런 키스’에 출연하며 연기 활동에 치중했다. 연기자가 아닌 가수로 팬들 앞에 서는 것은 SS501로 활동한 이후 처음이다.

소속사인 키이스트의 한 관계자에 따르면 그룹 활동과 차별화되는 무대를 위해 100여 곡이 넘는 곡을 받고 선별 작업을 하고 있다. 앨범 형태도 상대적으로 부담이 덜한 디지털이나 미니 음반이 아닌 정규 앨범을 선택했다. 그만큼 이번 솔로 활동에 대한 김현중의 자세는 진지하다.

소속사 관계자는 “현재 앨범 제작의 마지막 작업 중”이라며 “솔로 가수로 무대에 처음 서는 만큼 댄스, 발라드 등 다양한 곡으로 활동할 것”이라고 설명했다.

김현중의 솔로 활동은 1월 ‘낫 얼론(Not Alone)’으로 활동을 시작한 박정민, 이달 말 댄스 가수로 데뷔하는 허영생, 그리고 일본 에이벡스와 계약을 체결하고 3월께 활동을 시작하는 김형준에 이어 SS501 멤버 중 네 번째다. 이로써 연기자로 나설 예정인 김규종을 제외한 SS501 멤버들은 모두 솔로 가수로 활동하게 됐다.

이정연 기자 annjoy@donga.com

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English Translation: Ode @ http://ss501ode.blogspot.com/


Kim Hyun Joong will also return with solo album in May...

"It's now Kim Hyun Joong's turn"

Group SS501's member Kim Hyun Joong who has been receiving lots of concern over his solo activities all this while has entered the final stage of album preparations.

Kim Hyun Joong will be releasing his first official solo album in May and step into activities as a solo singer. He has had experiences in the field of acting where he was last casted in drama [Playful Kiss]. This shall be his first time stepping forth after SS501's activity period not as an actor, but as a singer.

According to one personnel from his agency KEYEAST, in order for him to have a much distinctive stage as compared to past stages while with his group, he has had since received more than 100 songs and are in process of song selections at the moment. As for his album structure, instead of a smaller scale as a digital single or mini-album wherein burden would also be less huge, they have thus decided for an official full album. With that, it is much obvious that Kim Hyun Joong is really adamant and serious about his solo start-out for this time.

Personnel from his agency has explained, "We're now in the final stages of album production", "He will be challenging dance, ballad and diversified genres since it will be his first time on stage as a solo singer".

Kim Hyun Joong's solo activities will be the fourth member in SS501 as a solo singer after Park Jung Min who first started out in January with [Not Alone], and then to Heo Young Saeng who will be challenging as a dance singer at the end of this month, followed by Kim Hyung Jun will begin his activities in March after signing on with Japan AVEX agency.

Apart from member Kim Kyu Jong who will be slated to step forth as an actor instead, all SS501 members will be doing activities as a singer for the time being.