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发表于 2007-5-12 10:37
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（2007.05.12/路透社）
INTERVIEW - Korean heart-throb Rain wants to woo U.S. fans
Sat May 12, 2007 4:22 AM IST
By Claudia Parsons
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Asian pop sensation Rain announced on Friday a string of U.S. concert dates, saying his dream was to be as big in the West as at home rather than just known as the "Korean Justin Timberlake."
"It's not going to be an easy task," Rain told Reuters in an interview after announcing performances in Atlanta, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Honolulu, starting June 15.
"I do foresee it being very, very difficult especially because there hasn't been an Asian artist that came to the United States and really succeeded here," Rain, whose real name is Jung Ji-Hoon, said through an interpreter.
The 25-year-old performer, who blends R&B and hip hop in high-tech stage shows inspired by the likes of Madonna, has taken Asia by storm since his 2002 debut, selling millions of albums and bringing teenage fans across Asia to their knees.
A news conference in New York on Friday drew dozens of reporters, mostly from Asian news outlets, including at least one who flew in from Los Angeles for the occasion.
Last year he played Madison Square Garden in a gig that sold out within days but he admits that his U.S. fan base so far is mostly Asian Americans.
"Because I really haven't performed or had a single album out here, I think the United States market is not really all that aware of me yet," he said.
But Rain is determined to win over U.S. fans.
"I think more than anything with the synergy between the best producers here in the United States with the know-how and experience and my performing skills, I think maybe, maybe, we'll have a good shot at it," he said.
Rain was voted one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine last year, while People magazine included him on its list of 100 most beautiful people.
He started his six-month long "Rain's Coming" world tour in December with shows across Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, China and Japan. Promoters have said they expect ticket sales to total 100 billion won ($108.7 million).
He said the main hurdle to breaking into the U.S. market was his lack of English but he is taking daily lessons and watching U.S. televisions shows such as "Prison Break" and "The O.C." to improve his language skills.
"I'm still afraid of making a mistake up on stage," he said. "It does get to a point where I get frustrated at myself because learning English at my age is not an easy task."
He cites Michael Jackson and Timberlake as his influences, but adds: "Eventually I would like it if people would just say 'Oh, that's Rain,' rather than compare me to other artists and say 'He's a Korean this or a Korean that.'"
© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved. |
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发表于 2007-5-8 21:47
