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Artist Spotlight: Yoon Hyun Sang

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yoon hyun sang

SBS’s “K-pop Star” has had four seasons so far, and each season produces fresh new talent for the ever expanding Kpop industry. The winners of said competition normally achieve commercial success when they make their debut (think Akdong Musician and Bernard Park) but what happens to the rest of the contestants who do not make the final cut? Throughout the show these contestants grow a lot as artists, and they show plenty of promise and talent. Sadly, they normally do not become as popular as the winners, and Yoon Hyun Sang is one such example.

Two years after the competition, he made his debut under Loen Entertainment with his debut album, “Pianoforte”. He also made his comeback earlier this year, but still remains relatively unknown in the industry.

During his audition on “K-pop Star,” Yoon played the piano as he sang and impressed the judges (JYP, Yang Hyun Suk, and BoA) with his soulful compositions. Right from the start Yoon Hyun Sang showed great control of his smooth voice and a lot of potential as both a singer and a composer. He continued to perform impressively throughout the season, eventually finishing in seventh place.

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When he debuted in 2014, Yoon Hyun Sang had the privilege to collaborate with labelmate IU for his debut track, “When Would It Be”. IU is known primarily for her outstanding vocals, but she did not outshine Yoon Hyun Sang at all. The way that they flawlessly complemented each other just highlighted his vocal abilities, a rare feat for a rookie artist. The duet was simply breathtaking, and it sent chills all the way down my spine. His soothing voice was sincere and sounded effortless, despite the difficult vocal techniques required for this song. The entire song was very calm, yet every note he sang was nuanced and evoked a lot of emotion in listeners.

It is probably harder for ballad singers to become popular because they don’t dance or rap, but with his most recent release, Yoon Hyun Sang showed that he isn’t your typical ballad singer. He had the courage to experiment with different genres of songs and even pulled them off with much success. In his latest mini album, “Wave”, Yoon showcased a different side of himself through every track. I really appreciate the fact that he had the boldness to try the blues in this album, in a way that still allowed him to stick with his ballad roots. “20 Blues” is the perfect example of such a fusion, and it just made me respect him as an artist even more.

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Yoon Hyun Sang is also extremely talented musically. It is rare to see Korean artists composing their own songs, let alone rookie artists writing their own lyrics and doing their own arranging.He showed off his composing skills during his time in “K-pop Star” and in his albums. Even his latest work, “Embrace” (for the OST of SBS drama “Hyde, Jekyll, Me”) also showcases this.

Yoon Hyun Sang understands his voice and knows how to use it as a musical instrument, hence he is able to apply that knowledge to his composing and come up with songs in which his voice can shine the most. He is also able to sing with so much emotion because he is able to relate to the songs and lyrics that he writes, showing his growth and maturity as an artist. His love and passion for music is very evident and it definitely shows in the wonderful pieces he creates.

As a singer, Yoon Hyun Sang is still a very underappreciated artist in the K-pop industry, but hopefully he will have more opportunities in the future to showcase more of his talent and potential. It warms my heart to know that there are passionate musicians like Yoon Hyun Sang, who do music because they love it. I’m definitely looking forward to his next album. In the meantime, check out the touching and emotional music video for his latest title track “Time Forgets”.

Have you ever heard of Yoon Hyun Sang? What do you think about the quality of artists in the Kpop industry nowadays? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.

4 Amazing Talents To Watch For From ‘K-Pop Star 4’

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Every season of the SBS’s survival audition program K-Pop Star has us on the edge of our seats. The hidden talent keeps coming up during every run of the show. This competition has given us a lot of artists that we now love, many of whom have had tremendous success in the Korean music industry like Lee Hi, Park Jimin, Akdong Musician, and, the show’s latest winner, Bernard Park. Season 4 so far has us discovering hidden gems with amazing vocals, unique timbres, and even some contestants that are very young but are singing better than professional singers out there. Yang Hyun Suk of YG Entertainment, Park Jin Young of JYP Entertainment, and singer-producer Yoo Hee Yeol will surely have a hard time this season to choose the next K-pop star. These five new faces are the new amazing talent that we need to watch for from K-Pop Star 4.

4. Jung Seunghwan

Jung Seunghwan became a hot topic not only in the show but in the music charts in Korea after his performance of Kim Jo Han’s I Want To Fall In Love.” His rendition topped various music charts in Korea. Jung managed to impress all three judges and was even promised by Yoo Hee Yeol himself to have a spot on his music show, Yoo Hee Yeol’s Sketchbook. His voice full of emotions, which is perfect for gayo (Korean popular music,) has made other competitors fear to go up against Jung Seunghwan, and has the viewers falling in love and supporting him. Keep an eye on the judges; Jung’s performances has one ending up in tears.

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3. Lily M.

Lily M. is one of the youngest and most talented singers on K-Pop Star 4. She is a Korean-Australian actress-singer that has the judges falling in love with her every time she performs. Her unique raspy voice, falsettos, and her natural control over breathing while she sings has Park Jin Young amazed at what she can do at such a young age. Yang Hyun Suk has picked her as his favorite this season, and has stated many times how he wants to train her at YG Entertainment. Did we mention that Lily M. is only twelve years old? Imagine what she will be able to do when she’s older and after proper training! We just cannot wait for her to debut formally as a singer.

2. Lee Jin-Ah

As soon as Lee Jin-Ah opened her mouth she had not only the judges and guest panelist amazed, but also all the shows viewers amazed. Her unique voice when she spoke had everyone wondering how her voice would change once she sang. To the surprise of everyone watching, her unique voice also translated to a unique vocal style, which everyone fell in love with. Yoo Hee Yeol even said during her first audition that her voice was like a fresh breathe of air. Not only did her voice impress everyone that witnessed her audition but her self-composed song also impressed everyone. Her songwriting skills so simple but accompanied by the keyboard and her music arrangement, Lee Jin Ah’s song made such an interesting combination that left everyone who listened to it wanting more. Park Jin Young himself couldn’t even seem to categorize her in any genre and said how she is a complete new genre of music that he has never heard of. The childish tone in Lee’s voice makes everyone rejoice and have a nostalgic reaction to her music.

1. Grace Shin

27-year-old New Yorker, Grace Shin had previously auditioned for the show, but due to visa problems she wasn’t able to be part of the show. As a true comeback kid, Grace came back and auditioned again. She had previously managed to impress only Park Jin Young in her New York audition, but this time around she impressed all of the judges. Her vocal range is so high that even Yang Hyun Suk commented that her skills are better than those of many established recording artists. She was only criticized for not showing enough emotion during her first audition, but starting in the ranking auditions she proved the naysayers wrong by showing the judges that she can convey emotion with her features while she sings. Her powerful vocals will surely keep her in the competition and could lead to her taking one of the top spots.

Bonus Video:

Here’s an amazing rendition of 2PM’s Again & Again by Grace Shin and Lee Bong Yeon that had Park Jin Young, who wrote the song, amazed by their version.

This season of K-Pop Star has many unique incredible talents. We can anticipate that the live shows will leave us all in shock with everyone’s performances but make sure to keep an eye on this four contestants.

Are you watching K-Pop Star 4? Which one is your favorite contestant? Let us know in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.