Chae Yeon
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| Chae Yeon 채연 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Lee Jin-Sook |
| Also known as | Chae Yeon |
| Born | December 10, 1978 |
| Origin | Seoul, South Korea |
| Genre(s) | K-pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 2001 Brand New Biscuits (?)2001–2002 (with UltraCats) 2003–present (solo) |
| Label(s) | Medialine |
| Korean name | ||||
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Lee Chae Yeon (이채연), born Lee Jin Sook (이진숙) on December 10, 1978, better known as Chae Yeon (채연), is a popular Korean pop singer who rose to fame with her hit single "둘이서" (Two of Us) in 2004 and her wave dance style.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Beginning of career
It took Chae Yeon many years to attain her current level of fame in Korea's entertainment industry. In fact, she had to start out in Japan first. She was part of a singing group called Brand New Biscuits (ブランニュービスケット?), debuted in Japan on January 1, 2001, when it had 6 members. Brand New Biscuits included also another Korean singer, Yuny Han (Han Tae Yoon). Chae Yeon was also member of group UltraCats (ウルトラキャッツ?) under the name of “Jinny” (ジニー?) or “Jinny Lee” (ジニー・リー?) from 2001 to 2002.
Having passed an audition held by an entertainment management company in Japan, Chae Yeon first appeared on a popular show called “Uchan Nanchan no Urinari!” on Japanese NTV. She appeared on the show for almost 3 years. Along with the television show, Chae Yeon (then Jinny) performed as a singer releasing 3 singles and 1 mini-album in Japan.
[edit] Pursuing career as an entertainer in Korea
She returned to Korea with her first official album It’s My Time under her new stage name, Chae Yeon. Debuting late in 2003, nobody expected her to be successful as she is now. Initially, she was simply viewed as yet another "sexy concept" singer, as many female singers were at that time. However, unlike many others, she had a fairly successful debut. She proved to be a great dancer, and she showed off her vocals in her ballad songs and live performances. Her title song "위험한 연출" (Dangerous Presentation) did well, but her real success came when her 2nd album released late in 2004. "둘이서" (Two Of Us) the lead single, pushed her to #1 on many music charts in the spring of 2005.[citation needed] The music video for "둘이서" was controversial for being too "racy" in conservative Korea (for it contained scenes showing her full back and exposed underwear).[1] Subsequently, the video was banned on television, and the airing time was limited to after 10:00 p.m. in some cable channels.[2]Becoming heavily played on radio, the song became so popular that a signature "move" from the choreographed dance became known as the "Na-na-na" dance (named after the hook of the song). It managed to hit the top of various music charts in Korea. The follow-up single "다가와" (Come to Me) was released soon after and was also popular, riding on the wave of its predecessor.
She returned after a brief break in order to release her third album III, which came in the fall of 2005. The first single, "오직 너", fared poorly on the charts, as it was not a strong dance single, lacking a catchy hook. The record company then quickly switched to the "Disco Mix" of the song, which helped sustain its life on the charts, although not by much. The second single, "세번째 사랑" (Third Love), also fared poorly, despite the fact that it had a very sexy video and was a bit more uptempo than the lead single. However, this can be attributed to the fade of sexy R&B music in Korea at the time, as ballads were once again the style of choice for Korean singers; albums by other "sexy concept" singers such as Lee Hyori also underperformed.
Chae Yeon has managed to maintain her popularity by continually participating in variety shows, such as SBS's X-Man and Love Letter, where she portrays both cute and sexy images. Her appearances on these variety shows allowed her to display her bubbly and positive personality. She ended her official schedule with her last X-Man episode on September 25, in order to concentrate on recording her fourth album.
Although briefly hospitalised due to exhaustion, she was able to prepare for her comeback, which was at the end of March[3]. Her lead single from her fourth album was "My Love", which was a Latin-tinged dance song. The single was extensively performed, with a remix promoted from May onwards; she then followed up with "서투른 사랑" ("Clumsy Love"). The album sold 12,346 copies in 2007, placing 68th for the year.[4]
In addition to promoting her album, Chae Yeon has also joined the cast of Hi-Five, part of KBS's Happy Sunday line-up. On the reality-variety show, which also stars Hyun Young, the stars attempt to succeed in various tasks, including starring in a musical, becoming flight attendants, and performing action movie stunts. She remains a part of this show as of May 2008.
Most recently, she has drawn wide media attention and enjoyed soaring of her image with her investing and being directly involved in managing a fashion brand company of her own named Bequem, which is a German word for comfort, acting as a model to promote its stylised products, mainly caps and bags. Moreover, her portfolio with a sexy 'Party' concept has hit record sales by elegantly mixing her sexy image with adorable and cute feminine touches.
[edit] Profile
- Place of birth: Seoul, South Korea
- Education: Department of Broadcasting & Entertainment, Seoul Arts College
- Family: Parents, one older brother
- Marital status: Single
[edit] Discography
| Album cover | Album Info | Track listing; Singles in bold |
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It's My Time
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Virginalness Bloom
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III
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| Best & Figure |
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My Love |
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[edit] Endorsements
- D&G [Fashion Wear]
- Elle Korea
- Jinro Soju
- DnShop Model Pics [Fashion Wear, Cosmetic Products]
- Make Up For Ever [Make-up Cosmetic]
- ChocoGem [Handmade Accessory]
[edit] External links
- (Korean) Chae Yeon's own fashion brand enterprise
- (Korean) Chae Yeon's Cyworld
- (Chinese) UNOFFICIAL Website serving Chae Yeon's Chinese audience
- (English) Online Star Focus Chae Yeon (Arirang)
- (English) Teen (Korea) Times Interview on February 24, 2005
- (English) Star Interview earlier in Chae Yeon's career
[edit] References
- ^ 금주 핫 이슈, 섹시 논란 '채연'
- ^ '속옷 논란' 채연, 뮤비 방송 금지
- ^ Bronx's Junkyard
- ^ Music Industry Association of Korea. 2007 Album Sales Chart. Retrieved May 11, 2008.
