JYJ: The Biggest Boy Band in the world you’ve never heard of

JYJ: The Biggest Boy Band In The World You’ve Never Heard Of

Trivia question: Who’s the biggest boy band in the world? Backstreet Boys? *NSYNC? New Kids? Hanson? Take That? Menudo? Nope. According to reliable source Guinness World Records, it’s JYJ.

Never heard of JYJ? Well, obviously you haven’t been to Korea lately, where the group’s singers, Kim Jaejoong, Park Yoochun, and Kim Junsu, are bigger than Justin Timberlake. Their popularity in their homeland landed them in Guinness in 2008 and 2009 for having the world’s largest official fanclub (more than 800,000 members in Seoul alone) and for being the most photographed celebrities on the planet (they’ve been snapped professionally approximately 500 million times).

And now JYJ are going global, as they release their first English-language album, The Beginning, on Atlantic Records. The disc features production on two tracks, “Empty” and “Be My Girl,” by superstar studio guru Rodney Jerkins (Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Janet Jackson, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Mary J. Blige), and the album’s lead single, “Ayyy Girl,” actually boasts vocals and production by a little American artist named Kanye West.

While the members of JYJ started performing together in 2003 in the Korean boy band TVXQ (who released four successful albums in Korea and four in Japan), the new album title The Beginning is apt here, since JYJ is a rebirth for them–and not just because they’re finally launching their careers in America. It took a long and arduous journey for JYJ to reach this point. Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu, while still in TVXQ, had to sue their record label, SM Entertainment, in order to get out of what was basically a ludicrously unfair 13-year “slave” contract. Despite having sold millions of units and breaking world records in Asia, until they successfully extricated themselves from SM Entertainment, Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu were literally broke.

But things are looking up for JYJ now. A recent issue of Billboard with JYJ on the cover sold out in 24 hours, for instance, and their record label actually had to halt all pre-orders for the limited luxury edition of The Beginning due to too much demand. And obviously, JYJ’s Western-friendly R&B sound has already earned them some very high-profile U.S. supporters.

“I’m really glad to work with JYJ on their debut album,” says Jerkins. “It’s all about the East meeting the West these days, and the world is becoming a melting pot of various cultures. To have Kanye and myself champion the cause of unifying the world through the international language of music and introducing top artists from one end of the globe to this end in America makes this a very special project to us.” And JYJ add: “It was a great new experience that we are really privileged to have. We felt the pressure of working with such superstars initially, but our anxieties were allayed when Kanye/Rodney showed us great support. We were able to have a really good time working with them and exchanging ideas about music with one another.”

Prepare to witness JYJ set a whole bunch of other Guinness records in the near future.

Source: [news.yahoo]
Shared by: tohosomnia.net
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I think the writer got it wrong. It wasn’t just JYJ who made the two Guinness records. It was TVXQ who made and holds those records.

The charms of JYJ

101026 The charms of JYJ
> The Korean band’s debut album showcase in Malaysia recently has their fans screaming for more
BY CHAN SOO WAH

MALAYSIAN fans of Korean boy band JYJ went gaga over the handsome trio when they were in town recently to launch their global English debut album, The Beginning.

JYJ, comprising Kim Jun-su, Kim Je-jung and Park Yu-chun (formally of the boyband DBSK aka Tohoshinki), held the JYJ The Beginning Showcase Tour 2010 at Stadium Negara with 4,000 ecstatic fans screaming for their idols.

Fresh from their showcase in Singapore, the boys had a jam-packed schedule which saw them performing in the afternoon and holding a press conference that same evening before rushing off to the airport for their next destination.

But they were in top form and jumped quickly into their dance sequence, rocking the stadium with their song, Empty, while their roaring fans cheered them on.

This was followed by another of the fans’ favourite tracks, Be the One, sang with energetic dance moves and crystal- clear harmonious vocals. The stereo system, however, marred their performance.

Emcee for the night, Serene C, then joined the boys with a translator for a little chit-chat. Unfortunately, nothing could be heard as the fans kept interrupting with their screams and squealings.

While Yu-chun has an excellent command of the English language, Je-jung and Jun-su admitted to having difficulties expressing themselves in English. Fortunately, Yu-chun was on hand to help them learn the diction as well as sing in the language.

The trio then continued their performance with four more songs including Be My Girl, Chajatta and Ayyy Girl. Fans were left shouting for more when they ended the showcase with a remix version of Empty.

Most were reluctant to leave the stadium, hoping for an encore which did not materialise.

At the press conference later, the boys appeared really shy and quiet. Je-jung said they were very appreciative and flattered to see the stadium filled with their fans and noted that they were sad at the limited chance of coming to Malaysia.

However, they hoped that they would have the opportunity to come back to Kuala Lumpur as soon as possible, for a holiday or perhaps for photo shoots.

Jun-su, in particular, said he would love to have a shoot with his favourite tree – the coconut tree.

Each of them had written a love song in their new album which prompted one journalist to ask if the songs were based on their personal experience.

While Je-jung and Yu-chun answered no, Jun-su truthfully revealed that I Can Soar is partially based on his own experiences and feelings.

It has been four years since the trio last visited Malaysia with their previous boyband, and they promised their fans that this will not be the last time. They expressed the hope to come back to perform a full-length concert next year.

The JYJ The Beginning showcase tour 2010 was organised by Redstar and Marctensia.

Source: The Sun Daily
Shared by: halo92 @ OneTVXQ.com

[Fan account] JYJ Worldwide Showcase in Taipei

101030 Fan Account – JYJ Showcase in Taipei

They sang 3 songs to start with: ‘Empty’, ‘Be the One’ and ‘Be My Girl’

This was followed by the footage of them recording in the US

During the MC section, they started to discuss some of the recent news
Yoochun and Jaejoong kept giving each other looks and then making Junsu answer the questions.
Junsu wouldn’t stop talking about Jiji throughout the interview, he asked Jaejoong to give him Jiji on several occasions.
Jaejoong explained that he got scratched because he thought Jiji was getting too fat and put him on a treadmill. (The MC told Jaejoong he was a genius and he said thanks XD)

Yoochun revealed that he, Junsu, Junho and their manager went out together one day
Jaejoong got mad after finding out that he wasn’t invited to their little outing
(he’s getting his car fixed because he scratched it on his way to see Yoochun on set)

Junsu saw Jaejoong with Jiji and decided to get himself four cats all at once
He took care of Jiji for a while and insists that Jiji prefers him over Jaejoong

The MC knew the boys pretty well and the three of them were quite shocked
He even knew about Junsu’s love for fried chicken~~

They performed ‘Chajatta’
The fans did quite well with their chants but I’m not sure if the boys heard it

And then they played another video

The three of them came out again, sung ‘Ayyy Girl’ and then said a few words of thanks
Most of the time they were apologizing for how short the showcase was, but Yoochun promised that they’d be back in Taiwan for a concert

They ended with ‘Empty’
Yoochun told everyone to stand up in English! Everyone in the VIP and A zone looked like they were at a party and gathered at the front of the stage.

It seemed like the three of them had a hard time with the sound system at the venue… quite a few times, I saw Yoochun pressing on his earpiece, and Junsu kept having problems with his mic
Their performance was absolutely amazing~ Jaejoong kept smiling today, he was so adorable
Yoochun seemed a bit tired, probably from all the filming, but he kept smiling most of the time
And he really is a flower boy~ He’s nearly as beautiful as Jaejoong

I had a really good time tonight, it was fun jumping up and down with the rest of the audience!
(I’m) looking forward to the concert.

Tonight’s red ocean was amazing.
Cassies are the best!

Credits: TVXQBaidu
Trans by: dorfehh@DBSKnights
Shared by: DBSKnights

Hahaha! Jiji is really becoming popular. Imagine, he’s being talked about even at the boys’ showcase? LOL.

Finally, we get to know why Jiji scratched JaeJoong’s hands. JaeJoong really has weird ideas! Only he would think about putting his cat on a treadmill just because he thinks his pet is becoming fat! Hahaha! No wonder Jiji got mad at him and thus, he got those scratches. Poor JaeJoong, he really has no luck when it comes to pets! :P

Max Matsuura’s Statement on Twitter

101030 Max Matsuura’s Statement on Twitter

If reading from the image, please read the tweets from bottom to top; text version is below.

Text Version :

Good afternoon. This is the last day of my ascetic practice. Only week, but it may have changed my viewpoint a bit for the rest of my life.

I got a call from Mr. Chiba, CSO. We talked about Twitter and how we can best use it. I’ve decided to read, but not reply to, expressions of opinion and criticisms. When I receive helpful opinions from our customers and fans I will forward them to the right people in our company. They will address issues and respond if needed. We believe we should use Twitter effectively and in a friendly way.

Many customers have very strong feelings about Tohoshinki and other artists. I’m not always the best person to answer them. Twitter isn’t always the best place for addressing concerns or making statements – some contracts have very strict non-disclosure language.

For example, there may have not been enough explanation about JJY, but as a listed company we can freely release only limited information. We abstained from making contentious comments, even though there were some differences of opinion between the other party and ourselves.

As CEO of avex I was blamed by the fans. It made me consider my responsibilities and I honestly felt that sometimes they were too much. That pressure caused some emotional Tweeting. But I do want the fans to be able to vent by telling me their anxious feelings or complaints.

I’ll continue listen to all opinions and complaints, but I may use the blocking function for people who apparently attack me personally.

I want this Twitter account to be fun and use it to receive valuable opinions from all of you. Thank you very much for your understanding.

Source: [Max Matsuura’s Twitter]
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“Ayyy Girl” MV (?) fancam

OMG, this is total HOTNESS! <333

Though I don’t get the “flying” thing (or whatever you call that), the Jae fangirl in me is delighted by the fact that the camera kept on focusing on Jae’s hot body. LOL. *gets bricked for being a perv* :)

Credit: 13977397

101030 JYJ Twitter Updates

101030 MASTER POST – JYJ Twitter Updates

Jaejoong is awake & tweeting!
(Jaejoong) Today, we’re in TAIWAN!! It’s been a while (since we last visited) ㅠㅠ (7:58am KST)
(Sung Pil) @mjjeje Jaejoong~ Take care of your health and do a good job there^^* Buy your dongsaengs delicious things to eat lol Take care of your health so that you don’t catch a cold.. I will always cheer you guys on! Shower the country with your energy~ Hwaiting^^* (8:41am KST)
(Jaejoong) @kangsungpil I’ll have a safe trip^^ And I’ll call you (9:37am KST)

Jaejoong & Ayu send their greetings
(Ayu) Take care on the way to TAIWAN～♪have fun♪ (9.04AM KST)
(Jaejoong) I’m off, see you later^^ (t/n: literal meaning is “I’ll go and come back) I’ll do my best (9.36AM KST)

Junsu Updates his Twitter!!! (Seriously felt like a drought yesterday)
(Junsu) We’ve arrived at the hotel.. I took my clothes off and lied down on the bed and it felt so cool and good…^^ (1:32pm KST)
(When he says ‘I took my clothes off’ in Korean, he could either mean he took off his coat or he did really take all of his clothes off. It’s probably the first definition though ^^)

I guess Yoochun also plays the game Junsu is addicted to..
(Yoochun) A~~~i~~~~on~~~~!!! I want to play it!! (2:31pm KST)
(Sung Pil) @6002theMicky Really~~Ah~~Dongsaeng!! (2:39pm KST)
(Yoochun) @kangsungpil hahahaha Hyung, you should play too!!! ^^ (2:44pm KST)
(Sung Pil) @6002theMicky I’m in the middle of filming~~^^* Have fun playing~ (2:50pm KST)
(Yoochun) @kangsungpil Hwaiting!!!^^ I’ll see you in Korea!! (2:52pm KST)

Junsu hasn’t been playing his favorite game… WHAT?
(Yoochun) @0101xiahtic Junsu~ You should start playing again! Our legion’s moving up~ (2:37pm KST)

Jaejoong’s love for elephants is up again!
(Jaejoong) Elephant♬Only the two of us♬ (2:38pm KST)
(When you add ‘끼리’ from ‘코끼리’ to ‘우리’, ‘우리끼리’ sounds like ‘Only the two of us’. We say that they rhyme in Korean because they end in the same pronunciation)

Jaejoong’s Elephant :)
(Jaejoong) Elephant-phant-phant♬ http://yfrog.com/7bkhfxj (2:42pm KST)
(It’s a fun way of saying ‘KoKkiri’ by repeating the ‘Kkiri’ ^^)

Apparently Yoochun gets his younger brother to pack his bags for him lol
(Yoohwan) @6002theMicky I didn’t pack you your mousepad.. Sorry.. kekeke (2:42pm KST)
(Yoochun) @rypaffo I know, I looked and knew immediately that it wasn’t there hahaha It’s okay!!^^ Ask Yoon Jeong if she’s collected all the White Gold Balls!! There’s one Manboo Accessory left! (2:46pm KST)
(Yoohwan) @6002theMicky Okay~ (2:50pm KST)

OMG GROUP MEETING!! Can I join? XD
(Jaejoong) Junsu, meet me in Yoochun’s room! Go Go Go (2:50pm KST)

Yoochun sucks at ‘Sudden Attack’ and he admits it
(Mirang) @6002theMicky Let’s play Sudden (Attack).! (2:50pm KST)
(Yoochun) @mirang_ Everytime I play Sudden, I always get headshot. (2:52pm KST)

Yu Ah In’s Manager and Yoochun Talk Aion, and I’m zoning out…
(Jae Min) @6002theMicky I’m a Level 50 Healer (3:35pm KST)
(Yoochun) @forever4850 I’m in the Royal Palace!!! The Devil Clan!! What about you, hyung?? (4:38pm KST)
(Jae Min) @6002theMicky I’m part of the Devil Clan too, in the Mayflower Ring (4:54pm KST)

Jaejoong is perfect..because he has twitter?
(Fukutaro) @mjjeje (It’s) FUKUTARO!! Can you see?? (Approx. 4.00pm KST)
(Fukutaro) @mjjeje Perfect! (Approx. 4.00pm KST)
(Jaejoong) @fuku0501 I finally did it! Fuku! (Approx. 5.00pm KST)
~Note: Fukutaro is the owner of Six-Star

Junsu @0101xiahtic Repeats Himself and finally succeeds in Following someone else
(Junsu) @kangsungpil Hyung, Hwaiting on your filming~!!^^ (5:01pm KST)
(Junsu) Sung Pil hyung, Hwaiting on your filming~!!!^^ (5:02pm KST)
(Junsu) @zerotic0124 Our super dancer.. I succeeded in following you (5:15pm KST)

Junsu fell asleep.. so he missed the JYJ meeting in Yoochun’s room?
(Junsu) I just, fell asleep…… lol (5:01pm KST)

Junsu’s Life Revolves Around Chicken..♥
(Previous Tweet/Junsu) Sung Pil hyung, Hwaiting on your filming~!!!^^ (5:02pm KST)
(Sung Pil) @0101xiahtic You too~~^^* Take care of your health~Have lots of chicken while you’re there~~keke Hwaiting! (5:19pm KST)
(Junsu) @kangsungpil I don’t think they have the kind of chicken that I want in Taiwan..ㅠ (6:51pm KST)

Yoochun shows affection by uploading strange photos of others?
(Yoochun) Gun Young hyung ^^ I really like you!!! A present~~ http://yfrog.com/6wh5enj (10:17pm KST) (Gun Young is @zerotic0124)

JYJ’s Taiwan Showcase is Over!
(Jaejoong) We’re done, it was really fun, thank you Taiwan! (10:22pm KST)
(Junsu) Taiwan.. I felt it through my heart..^^ (10:23pm KST)
(Yoochun) I felt a joy that was more joyful than any other joy… Thank you so much!!! Ah~~ I feel good!!! http://yfrog.com/f5q24aj (10:28pm KST)

First thing Jaejoong does after the Showcase is give us a photo of his Cat?
(Jaejoong) ^^ Jiji is saying ‘Huh?’ http://yfrog.com/49urlkj (10:24pm KST)

Junsu wants to know what his Pro Gamer Friend is doing
(Kyung Jong) @0101xiahtic Puhaha… Just wait two days… ^^!!!!! (8:27pm KST) (I think he’s referring to Junsu’s inability to find chicken that he likes)
(Junsu) @StarBell87 Kyung Jong~ What’re you doing..? (10:25pm KST)
(Kyung Jong) @0101xiahtic haha I visited Suwon, what about you? (10:29pm KST)

Junsu tries to Justify his Broken Promise to EunHyuk♥♥♥
(Junsu) One day, our EunKyuk-nim (‘nim’ is a title you give to show the highest form of respect).. said on a tv show that I drank alcohol.. and it later became distorted into saying that I enjoy drinking alcohol.. Keh.. To put it straight.. Yes, I have had alcohol before, but now, I don’t like it and I don’t drink it ~ lol Now that I’ve been talking about him, I miss our Hyuk Jae… Naw (10:29pm KST)

Junsu writes lyrics and reminisces of the past… :(
(Junsu) Just now.. In my hotel room.. I wrote the lyrics for the first song we will perform at the concert.. I don’t know why I was suddenly flooded by memories of the past.. (3:18am KST)
(Junsu) Tonight, I will fall asleep, cherishing these sad memories… (3:19am KST)

Junsu’s gonna make us all cry at the concert (this is actually getting legit depressing)
(Junsu) What I’m feeling right now.. On that day, inside that concert venue ……. I’ll let you hear it (3:28am KST)
(Junsu) The feelings that I have right now, at this moment …… at 2010.10.31 2:29am (3:29am KST)

Source: [Jaejoong+Junsu+Yoochun+ Other’s Twitters]
Translation credits: mandasoh@tohosomnia.net + jeeelim5@tohosomnia.net + ssunsett@tohosomnia.net
Shared by: tohosomnia.net
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JaeJoong is addicted to cats AND elephants! LOL. Seems like he was having the “i love elephants” syndrome again yesterday since his tweets includes elephants. Hahaha! :D

Yoochun was in gaming mode yesterday. I think just for one day, he was more addicted to games than Junsu! :P

LOL @ Junsu clearing up the so called “Junsu broke his promise” revelation of EunHyuk in one show. I’m sure Junsu misses EunHyuk so much as much as we miss seeing both of them bicker. Junsu is finally following EunHyuk on Twitter and hopefully he’ll follow Junsu, too. I want to see them have a conversation on Twitter!

But Junsu’s last tweets are somewhat sad and depressing. :( I wonder what song did he write/is still writing? I’m sure it’s a beautiful one and it surely will make us cry once again.