K-pop icons Rain, a solo sensation who dominated the 2000s, and Kim Junsu, formerly of TVXQ, recently took a trip down memory lane, revisiting their golden era in the industry.
In a recent episode of Rain’s YouTube series ‘Season B Season,’ titled ‘You’ll Think About This Before Sleeping,’ the duo was joined by Jung Sung-hwa, their co-star from the musical ‘Beetlejuice.’ The trio painted a vivid picture of the electric atmosphere that once defined K-pop music shows.
Despite their careers running parallel – Rain debuted in 2002 and Kim in 2003 – both stars revealed this was their first substantial on-air conversation, much to the surprise of fans.
Rain recounted his first encounter with TVXQ’s performance, saying, “Back then, artists would watch rehearsals with folded arms. But when TVXQ’s five members hit the stage and Junsu improvised, his distinctive voice left everyone in awe.”
Kim Junsu chimed in, “Those were the days when live performances were non-negotiable. We’d dress to the nines even for rehearsals, eager to impress our seniors.”
The conversation hit its peak when discussing the intense rivalry between industry giants SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment, which defined that era of K-pop.
Rain humorously recalled, “We’d strategize album releases with J.Y. Park, but hearing TVXQ was dropping theirs two weeks later always threw us for a loop.” He added, “The gap in fan bases was huge. We’d vie for the top spot, but their album sales consistently quintupled ours. TVXQ was our biggest motivator and toughest competition.”
Reflecting on his solo endeavors, Rain mentioned his ambitious ‘Rainism’ era: “I was gunning for number one, but then TVXQ dropped ‘Mirotic.’ I hate to admit it, but that track was frustratingly good.”
Touched by Rain’s candor, Kim Junsu reciprocated, “I always admired Rain’s ‘Rainism’ performances. The way he commanded the stage solo created this incredible, respectful vibe.”
By Chaeryeong Lim, Ten Asia Reporter syjj426@tenasia.co.kr
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