'The emperor of ballads' singer Shin Seung-hoon received applause even from 'national MC' Yoo Jae-seok for a conviction he has upheld for 35 years.
Shin Seung-hoon appeared on the cable channel tvN variety program You Quiz on the Block, which aired on the afternoon of the 22nd. After releasing his 12th full-length album SINCERELY MELODIES on the 23rd of last month and making a comeback, he appeared on a variety show for the first time in a long while, adding to the welcome.
In particular, that day Shin Seung-hoon drew attention by revealing the conviction he has kept for 35 years since his debut. After hearing Shin Seung-hoon's story, Yoo Jae-seok also expressed 'admiration' and applauded.
Yoo Jae-seok asked, "There are many stories about Shin Seung-hoon that have been passed down like legends. Is it really true? Have you never filmed a commercial in 35 years? Why?" Comedian Cho Sae-ho, surprised, said, "I feel like you must have done one. There's no way you haven't done commercials."
In response, Shin Seung-hoon said, "No, I've never filmed one," and explained, "Honestly, at that time many artists did direct commercials. For example, if it was a 1-liter drink, they would always be shown holding and drinking it. They'd be like, 'It's delicious,' but I was honestly someone who sang a lot of sad songs. It didn't match. When I sang 'Invisible Love' and got first place, I'd sing very sadly while being showered with flowers. But right after that to say 'It's delicious' felt off."
As a ballad singer who sings sad songs, he avoided exposure to overly direct advertising. It was a policy of respecting his main work and maintaining courtesy toward fans who listen to his music.
Then, jokingly, Cho Sae-ho laughed and said, "But for example, if you eat chocolate and go 'Oh my mom~' that would be fine, right?" Shin Seung-hoon replied, "That was in 2000, during my seventh album, so it didn't come then." Yoo Jae-seok said, "I understand what you're talking about," and applauded Shin Seung-hoon's conviction.
Still, Shin Seung-hoon laughed and added, "People ask what happens to younger artists who do commercials, but these days there are so many indirect advertisements and image-enhancing commercials that when I look at them now I regret it. If things like that had existed then, I would have done them 100 percent."
Shin Seung-hoon also said he was cautious not only about commercials but about variety show appearances. His conviction was that, as a singer, he should first find stages where he can show his music and sing. Shin Seung-hoon said, "I really got a lot of offers for variety shows. I have things like this. A singer should sing first. You should show the music first and give service to the fans. I honestly appeared on all the music programs where I could sing from my album, including You Quiz. They weren't ranking programs, but after doing all that, I can now talk about many things like this."
Yoo Jae-seok said, "It's not easy to protect values like 'my main work, what should I do first' and my own thinking. I really feel respect for Shin Seung-hoon for consistently doing this." Fans are also applauding Shin Seung-hoon's respect for his main work and the conviction he has kept for 35 years.
[Photo] tvN broadcast screen capture.
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