Eun Ji-won Puts His Pride as Dance Singer at Stake

Singer Eun Ji-won, who is a former member of the 1990s idol boy band Sechskies, debuted as a solo hip-hop artist in 2000 shortly after his group was disbanded. His first four albums focused solely on the hip-hop genre. But for his just-released fifth album entitled "Platonic", Eun has chosen the electronic hip-hop dance song "Siren" as the title track despite opposition from his agency.

Eun said, "When I had just debuted solo, I was engrossed in the world of hip-hop because I was working with such renowned hip-hop artists as Drunken Tiger. But this time I chose a dance song because I wanted to show that my dancing skills were still good. I have become so used to hip-hop that dancing is a bit of a challenge to me, but if I don't start dancing now, it'll be too late. I am not as good at dancing as today's idol singers. My choreography this time is the revived form of the 'dog leg dance'. I call it a 'guileful dog leg dance'."


◇"Love" as never-changing subject in music
But despite the title track, Eun's fifth album is still based on hip-hop. It was produced in cooperation with the hip-hop producer Keeproots, who is Eun's close friend. The singer also broadened his musical spectrum by combining hip-hop with his favorite music style. His new album is reminiscent of 1980s pop. It contains the euro-sound track "Out Of Control", the old Miami-style hip-hop number "160" and the lounge-style "Just Like The First Time", as well as the winter version of Eun's hit song "Dangerous" and the Latin jazz version of "Adios".

One of the most noteworthy tracks is "160", which features Lee Soo-keun, who appears along with Eun on the KBS TV2 show "Happy Sunday". Eun said, "Soo-keun included improvised free-style rap in this song. The '160' refers to Soo-keun's height, the beats-per-minute of this song and also my 'IQ' that my teammates form 'Two Days and One Night' have given me".

Eun says the title of his new album, "Platonic", refers to pure love rather than just mental love. "Siren" is about a man whose friend's girlfriend falls in love with him. Another song, "Everything", is about a man who promises to love one woman, and "Just Like The First Time" is a pledge to keep loving feelings always as fresh as when the two people just met.

Eun said, "I asked the songwriters to write something that I have never experienced so far. When my girlfriend hears 'Siren', she didn't like it. She said that a guy must adhere to his own principles instead of wavering. 'Just Like The First Time' was written specifically for my girlfriend".

Eun says he feels happiest when he works in his recording studio but feels pressure when performing on stage. He said, "I'm not tired even after spending four days in a row in my studio. But when I sing on stage, I feel like I'm being evaluated. I hate that. I am comfortable appearing on variety shows, so I'm not scared of cameras. I want to hold concerts more often because only people who like my music come to see them".


◇Real Eun Ji-won on "Two Days and One Night"
Though Eun is an ambitious singer, during his hiatus he kept appearing on the variety show "Two Days and One Night" where he has the nickname "Eun Choding". Eun says he enjoys filming the show because it is a 100 percent unscripted reality show where he can display his real-life personality. He adds that what people see on stage is probably false compared to what they see on "Two Days and One Night". He said, "I have been on this show for two and a half years. It was the hardest thing for me so far. Every week, I receive more difficult challenges. We usually shoot it on Fridays and Saturdays. When Monday arrives, I get indigestion. But thanks to this show I have made good friends".

Eun says that to him Kang Ho-dong is the best counselor in terms of marriage and personal relationships. He also cherishes his friendship with MC Mong and is willing to do anything in the world for him. While shooting the show, he has discovered places that he would like to visit and food he wants to try with his girlfriend. He said, "I remember the traditional house village in Haenam and the scenic Geoje Island. I even had an urge to sell my house in Seoul and move to Geoje. I liked Naju gomtang and tteokgalbi in Damyang. They were very delicious".

Eun says he trusts his girlfriend, who is two years his senior and who is also the sister-in-law of soccer star Lee Dong-kuk. He met her in Hawaii when they were both working part-time in the same store. She was his high school sweetheart. He reunited with her nine months ago after coming across her picture on the personal blog of singer J. Eun said, "I feel respect for her when she thinks ahead. Perhaps that's because she's older than me. She's my best friend but she's also like a mother to me because she always cares about me. I see in her an ideal 'spouse'. But rather than getting married, I am eager to have children. Even when I get married, I want things to stay as if we're still dating".

Eun says he has not faced any inconveniences since disclosing his girlfriend. What really causes him inconvenience is the fact that he comes from a famous family. A picture showing him at a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the death of late President Park Chung-hee, his grandfather, was posted on the Internet, drawing significant attention. Eun is the grandson of President Park's elder sister, Park Kwi-hee, and the nephew of former Grand National Party Chairwoman Park Geun-hye.

Eun said, "I have attended this ceremony every year, but it's become especially noteworthy this time because my popularity has risen since I began appearing on 'Two Days and One Night'. I don't know anything about politics and I have no intention to use my family background. I simply followed my father to this family occasion".

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