Super Junior album release draws strong international interest

Posted on : 2011-08-05 14:08 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Observers say it was representative of the growing global interest in K-pop music

By Surh Jung-min, Music Correspondent  

  

On Thursday, the Imperial Palace Hotel in Seoul’s Nonhyeon neighborhood was packed with about 200 reporters, including about 70 foreign journalists from Japan, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Broadcaster Kim Seong-ju, who was the MC, began by saying, “It is unusual for a group to hold a press conference on releasing a new album, but this press conference was arranged because there has been a great deal of interest from both the domestic and foreign media.”

Even with popular singers, rarely was such a large-scale press conference held in a hotel upon releasing a new album. Management company SM Entertainment estimated that this press conference drew the highest number of foreign journalists ever. It was a scene reflecting how great global interest was in a Korean pop group.

Super Junior began as a 13-member group, but now ten are active.

Super Junior’s fifth album, “Mr. Simple,” released Wednesday, comes a year and two months after their fourth album, “Sorry, Sorry.” The title track, “Mr. Simple,” features the same intense, addictive electronic hooks as their sit song “Sorry, Sorry.”

“The mood of “Mr. Simple” shares some similarities to “Sorry, Sorry,” but it has a charm all its own. In particular, you should listen to the lyrics well,” said lead singer Leeteuk. “It contains a message that even if there are a lot of difficult, sad and frightening stories in the newspapers these days, you should take hope by thinking easily and simply. I want people in this hard-hearted world to listen to our songs and feel good.”

The album also includes a song entitled “Good Friends,” which includes the story by singer Yun Jong-sin, who has watched Super Junior since their debut.

“I thought there should be a song that included our friendship, and I am thankful that Yun made such a warm-hearted song for us,” said group member Sungmin.

Group member Donghae said about the song “Y,” which he wrote, “It is a love song that encompasses my own past experience.”

When asked about the secret to getting so many fans overseas, too, Leeteuk said “Because our music was planned worldwide from the beginning, since we worked with European song writers, it seems we were able to catch the hearts of overseas fans.”

“This time, we really want to put on concerts in several European nations and South America,” he added. “If it helps inter-Korean relations, we would even want to travel to Pyongyang to put on a good performance.”

Fans from all over the world also sent questions by Youtube at the press conference. One 17-year-old from the Ohio in the United States asked at what point in their activity was the group the happiest. Leeteuk answered that the most memorable and happiest time was right before their debut, when their hearts were fluttering with thought of their dreams and future. A 22-year-old Kuwaiti woman in a hijab asked if they planned to do a concert in the Middle East, since the group has many fans there. Leeteuk answered they had a plan to do one, but asked her to wait a bit longer.

The video and photographs of the press conference went straight up on Youtube and Facebook. It seemed as if Super Junior held its press conference not just with the journalists, but together with fans worldwide.

  

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