Malaysia Astroview Magazine, February 2009

IT'S RAINING!!
Korean hip-hop sensation Rain is making a splash with his charm and talent. What is it about him that makes women go weak in the knees (and men turn green?) We find out and about the storm that’s known as Rain.


He is Asia’s very own Justin Timberlake, and women know that when the word 'Rain' is mentioned, it is not so much in reference to Mother Nature as it is to Korean sensation Jeong Ji-Hoon. The sensational K-pop star has taken Asia's music scene by storm with his vocals, charm and of course, an unbelievable six-pack abs! One can hardly deny that Rain is indeed big news in the entertainment industry. Perhaps the best import from Korea (after kim chi, of course), this 26-year-old was voted as Time magazine's top 100 most influential people in 2006. Not bad for a guy who claims to have been an introverted and shy child. Today, you can be sure of nothing but a spectacular time when you catch Rain live in concert. Extravagance comes to mind—what with the pyrotechnics, exaggerated sets, change of costumes, and the huge amount of backstage performers with the spotlight on the dream guy of many teenage girls (not to mention, some adults too!).

STAR QUALITY

It is hard to believe that Rain almost didn't make it to the stardom he resides in to day. Says the singer of when he first ventured in the entertainment industry in 2000: "I remember going to auditions before my debut and I was rejected 12 times! I was told back then that the reason I was rejected was because my face was too ugly. I was even told after one audition that my singing and dancing was great but I didn’t make it because I didn’t have double eyelids." Well, double eyelids or not, his third album, "It’s Raining" which was released end 2005, sold over one million copies in Asia and topped the charts in Japan, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia and of course, his come country South Korea. His first concert, Rainy Day, held in Korea and Japan, was sold out on the first day the tickets were released. His fifth album, 'RAINISM' (released end of last year) is fast climbing the charts.

His parade doesn't end there Rain won the MTV Asia Grand Slam competition in 2004, introducing his talent all across Asia. In 2005, he was awarded the Favourite Korean Artist at the MTV Asia Awards held in Bangkok, Most Popular Asian Artist Award from Channel [V] Thailand, Best Buzz Asia Award during the MTV Video Music Awards in 2005 and Best Korean Singer awards in the MTV-CCTV Mandarin Music Honors in Beijing. As if those awards weren’t enough to validate his presence in the entertainment industry, Rain was also the first Asian to perform in the 2005 American MTV Video Music Awards in Miami, as well as the 2005 MTV Latin Video Music Awards in Mexico. Talk about star power... It is no wonder why Rain claims he doesn’t sleep for more than two hours a day when he's working. "My motto in life is to be humble and endlessly persist and strive," says Rain. "I really believe that there is nothing that can be gained without effort."

Unfortunately, his stint in the US did not generate as much star attention. Despite sold-out ticket sales in New York in 2007, several of his other US concerts were cancelled due to low-ticket sales and possible legal troubles. Despite this, Rain still left quite an impressive mark in the US music industry be recording a duet with Omarion, titled Man Up which was released in Omarion's album "21" as a bonus track. Rain also made it to People magazine's Most Beautiful People list in 2007 and topped Time's online poll for Most Influential Person (though the results did not make it to the actual magazine).

And it is not just Rain's singing and dancing that have us all enthralled with him. His role in the highly-successful drama Full House in 2004 made him an all-round entertainer. The Korean drama was rated with one of the highest viewings, with over 30 per cent for each episode. So no surprise that he picked up the Best Actor Award in the Korean KBS Acting Awards for his performance.

MULTI-TALENTED

It seems as if Rain has done it all, and with five albums, roles in four televisions series and three movies, is there anything left for him to do? Why, Hollywood of course. Which is why the singer has made plans to release a Hollywood film and an English album all within this year. The only glitch? He doesn’t speak English. But that doesn’t seem to be a problem for the singer. "This year I am looking to make these changes and I'm also studying very hard with English, which is the hardest thing."

Judging from him fan base outside Korea, language will not be barrier. The singer is confident he will not fail his fans. "One thing I am confident is in my stage presence" says Rain. "Having a cross of both Western and Eastern cultures on stage is, I think, my strength."

HIS LUCKY STAR
Hollywood or not, even the star is shocked at his success, but it has come as a pleasant surprise of course. "I still can’t believe that I am a singer," says Rain. "Sometimes when I find my CD among those I own, I feel my heart swell. It is true happiness that there will be people somewhere who will listen and follow my dance, like I have after the dances and songs of Seotaeji and Boys and Deux when I dreamt of becoming a singer."

The star also credits his family for all his success. "My parents were initially against it but they become supportive after a while," he says. His mother, who passed away in 2000, was a huge influence in his life. "My mother was a big part of my life. The mother-son relationship between us was very strong. To this day, I regret that I wasn't once able to pick her a bouquet of flowers or buy her a meal. At that time, I vowed in front of her picture, that when I receive a major award, it would be in her honour, I am very happy that I've achieved this. In my concert, there is a song dedicated to her. I used to cry a lot when singing this song, but I am now more in control of my emotions. I think it is because of her memory that I try harder and have become more humble. And because of her I try to be a good person and not to do bad things." Successful, sweet and humble—Rain sounds almost perfect—little surprise why he is such a phenomenon in Asia.

So what does the future lie for Rain? And is there a special someone in his life? Well, his female fans will be glad to know that Rain is solely focused on his career, and relationships are not his priority at the moment (he's still available, ladies!). "I believe that if you want to gain something, you need to sacrifice something else. So if I want to enjoy hanging out with friends or having a girlfriend, it would be better for me to give up the work I am doing now because it would be really difficult to do everything well. But because I am still young, I think it is better to lay those things aside for now and concentrate on my work," says Rain.

"The path I am on now is exactly right for me. I am not just another actor or a singer from Korea. I want to be a representative of Asia and Asian people regardless of whether they are Japanese, Taiwanese, Chinese, Singaporean or Filipino. I think that the Asian culture is great. I think it is time for more Asian entertainers to emerge in the US market. I would like to be able to do this in the near future and to become a person that all of Asia can be proud of."

And when that happens, we will definitely be asking for more Rain!

Catch more of Rain in Hip Korea, a documentary on his meteoric rise to fame as seen through the prism of Korea's dynamic society and youthful pop culture. The program will cover Rain up close and personal—tracing his roots in the suburban jungle of Seoul to his inspiration amidst Korea’s thriving hip-hop culture.

HIP KOREA Discovery Channel, February 23, Monday, 8pm

The article taken from: Malaysia Astroview Magazine, February 2009
Credit scanned pictures: adore83@rain-malaysia.com
Credit reposted: HONGTHA@rain-cloud//sixtofive1982//soompi
Retyped by: janejz@Bi's Kingdom