Hong Kyung-min
| Hong Kyung-Min | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Revised Romanization: Hong Kyung-Min |
| Born | February 9, 1976 |
| Origin | South Korea |
| Genres | Pop rock, Latin dance |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, Actor, DJ |
| Instruments | Guitar, Keyboard, Drums, Saxophone, Harmonica |
| Years active | 1997 - present |
| Website | Official Site |
| Stage name | |
| Hangul | 홍경민 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 洪景民 |
| Revised Romanization | Hong Gyeong-min |
| McCune–Reischauer | Hong Kyŏng-min |
Hong Kyung-Min (Hangul: 홍경민; born February 9, 1976) is a South Korean pop rock singer known for his versatility. He is one of a few singers in Korea that excels at many different styles of music, from rock to dance to ballad. He has also proven himself a talented musician and a well rounded entertainer.
He made his debut as a rock-ballad singer in 1997 with the song “Now” ("이제는"). Hong Kyung Min's style of rock was much unlike any other rock singer. Different from rock singers with loud high-pitched tones, Hong Kyung Min's mid-to-low voice color and stable tone approached listeners with a more comforting sensation.
Although he was acknowledged as a talented singer with his strong husky voice appealing to many music lovers, his place in the pop music market was not significant. However, in 2000, the single “Shaky Friendship” ("흔들린 우정") was released from his third album and became a strong success. The single's release marked a change of style, as Hong broke away from his previous rock-styled songs and moved into the Latin music genre. His third album was a strong success and the best-selling album of Hong's career, with 280,422 copies sold in its release year. As his new style of music continued to increase his popularity, Hong Kyung Min was nicknamed affectionately as “Korea's Ricky Martin”.
Hong Kyung Min's success continued on into 2001, as he released his fourth album, with the hit track "Take It" ("가져가"), a single that blended rock and dance music. His fifth album, Forever and A Day, saw a brief return to his pop ballad roots with the title track "After" ("후").
2002 marked the five-year milestone in Hong Kyung Min's career. To celebrate he released a two disc compilation entitled The Hong Kyung Min Best 1997-2002 History which featured a new disco themed track "Her Charm" ("그녀의 매력"). One disc dubbed "Passion" showcased upbeat dance tracks, while the other disc ("Mood") contained ballads, showcasing Hong's diversity as a singer.
2002 also marked Hong Kyung Min's entrance into the army, putting the singer on hiatus for the next two years.
Having finished full military service at the end of 2004, Hong Kyung Min returned with his sixth album, Listen and Repeat, with a hit rock song "Tonight". Also featured on this album is "To My Friend", the music video for which had appearances by Hong's real life friends Cha Tae-hyun and Kim Jong-kook.
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Wikipedia