Writer홍보협력팀
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2022-08-01
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Now, with KSIF
Much loved by his Chinese fans, Hwang Chiyeul, famous for his husky vocals, is possibly the most popular Korean singer in China. Chinese fans were deeply moved when they saw him memorize the lyrics in Chinese so that he could perform in Chinese. The singer has always been passionate about learning the country’s language in order to deliver his musical message in the language of his audience. His fans, known as ‘Chiyeuls,’ recently donated 2,000 copies of his newly released fourth mini album to KSIF. In this interview hosted by KSIF, Hwang Chiyeul reveals the secrets to his popularity in the Greater China area and to his proficiency in a foreign language. Read on to find out about his thoughts on the relationship between language and music.
Hello! We are very excited to have you here at KSIF. Last June, your fans, ’Chiyeuls,’ donated 2,000 copies of your newly released album to KSIF. Please tell us about this fourth mini album ’By My Side’. We know that you were involved in the overall producing of this album, which came out only 8 months after your last album.
Hello, nice to meet you. We created the album ‘By My Side’ around the theme ‘your place, always next to me.’ It was my way of saying thank you to my fans for always being there for me, always walking alongside me. But then again, I guess all of my past albums were made with that gratitude in mind. I wanted the album to feature just the right tracks, so I was naturally very involved in picking out the tracks and giving my feedback, which is how I ended up being part of the entire process, I guess (laughs).
‘By My Side’ made it to the top of the iTunes album chart in four Asian countries, including Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore. You are undoubtedly a global superstar now, not only in the Greater China area, but in the entire Asia. Why do you think your Asian fans love you so much?
A global superstar. Wow, I’m honored (laughs). I owe it all to for the tremendous amount of luck I was given to get to meet and perform for my international fans. It was nothing short of a miracle. I’m forever grateful to be able to sing for my international fans (laughs). When I perform, I don’t usually think of myself as representing Korea. Rather, I just give my best, whenever and wherever I am.
Many of our readers probably remember seeing you on
For me, it wasn’t as if I could set aside a fixed amount of time everyday to study Chinese. So, I had to find my own way. My biggest priority was memorizing lyrics, so I wrote down the pronunciation for the Chinese lyrics in Korean and just read it over and over again. And once I got used to the pronunciation, I then started studying the meaning. That repetition paid off in the end. It wasn’t long before I realized I could speak more and understand more. The method that worked best for me was reading a lot and pronouncing the words out loud a lot (laughs).
Understanding a new culture and learning its language are mutually inclusive. Was the cultural difference ever a hurdle when you were not as fluent in Chinese? Also, is there a characteristic element of Chinese culture that you’ve gotten to know while living in China and studying its language?
When I was young, it was somewhat common for kids to learn Chinese characters and calligraphy. Most importantly, I loved Chinese films (laughs). So, thanks to them, I had a rough picture of the culture in China. However, learning about how different intonations lead to different meanings was quite confusing and interesting at the same time. I don’t think I can recall any particular event when the cultural difference became a hurdle.
When you were on , you came in second when you sang
I wanted to be myself for the first performance. Most of the people at the studio didn’t know about me then, so I prepared the performance like how I would prepare for a blind date. I still remember vividly the round of applause and the warm facial impressions on the faces of the audiences after they heard my song (laughs). I knew then that our hearts connected despite the language barrier. The entire place was one under music.
Is there a difference in terms of emotions or expressions when you sing in Korean versus when you sing the same song in Chinese? We would love to hear if there are any lyrical differences between the two languages.
There are differences in pronunciation, but personally, I don’t think singing a song in Korean versus in Chinese is different in terms of expressing my feelings and delivering the lyrics.For me, what’s most important is the connection I feel with the audience.
KSIF has the most number of locations in China. This goes to show that so many Chinese people are interested in the Korean language and culture. Have you ever met a Chinese fan fluent in Korean who wrote a fan letter in Korean or talked to you in Korean? We would also love to hear if you have ever felt firsthand the growing popularity of the Korean language.
Of course. So many fans have sent me letters in Korean, and there were even some who I talked to in Korean during our video call fan meeting events. And seeing their Korean improve tremendously is how I tell that Korean culture is becoming more popular among my fans worldwide (laughs).
Last but not least, could you please say a word of encouragement to KSI students studying Korean all over the world, including in China, as well as a congratulations to KSIF on its 10th anniversary?
First of all, my sincerest congratulations to KSIF on its 10th anniversary! I wish only the best for KSIF in the years to come. For those studying Korean all around the globe, you always have my support. I wish you all the best of luck in your achievements.
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