Standing alone is tough.
From leaving their agency to filing a lawsuit last July, the members of TVXQ became the hottest issue in Kpop last year. TVXQ members Xiah Junsu, Micky Yoochun and YoungWoong Jaejoong have not stopped going since then. They changed their names to Junsu, Yoochun and Jaejoong to become the group JYJ and when asked about their schedules since then, they confessed that they've been doing nothing but concentrating on their work.
"We've been going back and forth from Korea to Japan to perform. We've had concerts in both Korea and Japan, and we've also had our individual activities. I think we worked hard to stay busy and succeed in our individual activities because we didn't want to think about other things." (Yoochun)
SM Entertainment, the agency they worked under as TVXQ, had been a tall fence for them. But last year, they decided to take a giant leap. They parted with their agency. Though the controversy is still alive, the three had to rely on only each other and hope for a brighter future as the lawsuit continued on. But they were not taking a break before they met their current management agency. For a while, they were able to perform in Japan as their Japanese agency AVEX was taking care of them."We're still in the same kind of situation now, but back then, we were cautious and sometimes had no chance to say certain things. This was when we were like a wandering rabble in Korea. But that didn't mean it was easy for us to meet up with reporters. It was a sensitive time when any and every comment was misunderstood or criticized. It was a time when anything we said could and would hurt a lot of people. We'll probably be able to talk about everything in the future, after the lawsuit is over."(Jaejoong)
JYJ, who released new albums in both Japan and then Korea, decided to name their album 'The Beginning' to signify their new beginning. Due to visa issues, they had to hold free showcases in the United States instead of charging people. But this misfortune became an opportunity for them.
"Never in our imagination did we think fans from so many different ethnicities would show up to watch our performances. The age range was quite large too, so a grand spectacle, one you could only see at a performance by a famous pop star like Michael Jackson, unfolded before us. There were some people who didn't know who we were so they stared at us blankly at first, but then they'd start moving to the music and get in the groove, and by the end, they were giving us a thumbs-up. They had quite a different aura to them compared to our Asian fans."
Thanks to the fact that the performance was free, the three were able to introduce their music to more people. Even the production for their first album was done in a global manner. The album attracted some of America's greatest star producers such as Kanye West and is composed of seven songs, including 'Ayyy Girl', 'Empty', 'Be My Girl' and compositions from the members, as well as three remix songs. JYJ sang the entire album in English as this is a worldwide album and it includes songs composed by the three members. They included one song from each member that the three had been writing since they were in their teens and these were Jaejoong's 'Still in Love', Yoochun's 'I Love You' and Junsu's 'I Can Soar'. Also, ex-SOLID member Jung Jae Yoon was in charge of the overall tuning and producing of the album.
"They're traditional pop pieces. This is the first time we're trying this genre out. But that doesn't mean we were trying to change it to suit our style. We wanted to return to the root of music. We visited the US in order to work with our producers. Back then, Yoochun was still filming for his drama so it must have been really hard on him." (Jaejoong)
These were words directed at Yoochun, who appeared in the recently-ended KBS2 hit drama 'SungKyunKwan Scandal'. After being cast in the drama, Yoochun focused intensively on rehearsing his part and surprised everyone with his acting skills. He was not swept in any acting skills controversies like most idol stars are when they first start out. He surely must have felt extremely stressed back then but continued to work on the album while filming. JYJ are now planning to focus more on their activities in America.
"Our album hasn't been officially released yet in the US and only our songs are being sold on iTunes, but I saw that our song had been chosen by Billboard readers as one of the Top 10 songs of 2010. Amazingly, we were 5th. Kanye West was 10th and Lady Ga Ga was 7th so we were surprised." (Junsu)
Junsu will be standing on stage next year on February 1st as he will be appearing in the musical production 'Tears of Heaven'. Like so, the trio are involved in individual activities, waiting to release their album in the US in mid-January, and planning their world tour. We threw a quite heavy question at JYJ, who will be up to their elbows in work with such a schedule, asking them, "What will you do about SM Entertainment or the remaining members of TVXQ, regardless of the outcome of the lawsuit?" Though they were hesitant, they left a short but bold statement promising a future together as they said, "We are considering reconciliation. We don't know when that will happen though."
Source: [sports worldi+DNBN]
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[TRANS] 101220 JYJ' s New Leap " The Broadcasting Restrictions Are A Shame"
Unable to engage in regular activities due to problems with their former agency
Their album will be released in the US early next year, followed by a world tour
They are honest and austere. The three members of JYJ, Jaejoong-Yoochun-Junsu, are passionate youths in their mid-20s, no different from their peers. When we asked Yoochun, who recently starred in the drama as the lead role, "We enjoyed your drama. Do you plan on taking on a non-historical, modern drama?" he gave us a taste of his 'lame humor' by saying "Hyundai Geuk (modern drama), Kia Geuk, Samsung Geuk..." Everyone burst out in laughter a beat late.
But when we brought up the topic of their legal dispute with SM Entertainment, the agency of their former group TVXQ, a shadow was cast on the three youths' faces. Last July, the three members filed an exclusive contract suspension injunction stating that, "13 years for the contract length is too long, and we have not been receiving just treatment with regards to things such as income distribution from album sales." The Courts ruled in favor of JYJ that, "Until the verdict on the lawsuit is made, SM cannot interfere with the trio's independent activities in the entertainment industry," and the lawsuit on the exclusive contract is currently underway. With regards to the reason of why they filed the lawsuit, Junsu stated, "It wasn't just because of the unjust nature of the contract," and "We were hurt and scarred by the agency in areas where we put our trust in them so we began to think about searching for a happy life."Though JYJ released their first album in October, they have not been able to engage in regular activities due to many problems, including SM claiming that JYJ are locked in a 'dual contract'. The Korean Federation of Pop Culture and Art Industry sent an official document to broadcasting companies requesting that they refrain from giving JYJ appearances on their shows. Junsu stated, "It's a shame and it's frustrating that we don't have the freedom to appear on TV like other singers. Because our relationship with AVEX, who was in charge of our Japanese activities, no longer exists, our door to Japanese activities is blocked as well."
They are currently holding activities after signing on to an agent contract with CJeS Entertainment. What is different from before? "Everything that we thought was unjust has been fixed. We feel a greater sense of accomplishment because everything revolves around our opinions, no matter what it is. We've learned to be thankful of even the small things that we used to easily brush off before." (Junsu) "Each and every detail on the album, from the cover to the recording and mixing of the songs, was decided upon through discussions between the agency and the three of us. The thought that 'Doing things this way is really nice' was reinforced through the process." (Jaejoong)
"Back when we were TVXQ, there was too much work and no time to spare. When we were working on an album, the staff, excluding us and our composers, would hold discussions and just send us their decisions on everything." (Yoochun)
The trio decided to include songs composed by each of them in their album. Junsu stated, "We enjoy writing songs, but we won't insist on having to include songs composed by ourselves," and "What matters most is that we're singing good songs, regardless of whether it was us who wrote the songs or not." In their first concert on the 27th and 28th of last month, they sang Jaejoong's new composition 'Nine'. It is a song about the nine years the five members of TVXQ have spent together. "When I look back on the past nine years, there were times when we shined and there were times when things were rough... It's hard to express it all in one sentence. What I included in the song is only a small portion of what I feel." (Jaejoong) "If we were to express in song, everything that has happened till now, we'd need to compose at least 500 songs?" (Yoochun)
The trio still have a strong attachment to 'TVXQ'. When asked about their feelings on U-Know Yunho and Choikang Changmin's comeback as TVXQ next year, Jaejoong stated, "We support them and we hope all goes well for them." But he also added that, "But we do feel sad that they're using the name TVXQ. Because we think that TVXQ can only truly be TVXQ when the five members are together, we decided to use another name. TVXQ is a name that is as valuable to us as our lives." Yoochun added, "Though we are currently facing many difficulties, we are always open to the possibility of a TVXQ reunion," and "That would be like Utopia for us."
JYJ will be kicking off their US activities with the release of their album in the US early next year. Jaejoong stated, "While we're in the US, we'll be working on some music and holding a world tour." Junsu sounded bitter as he stated, "There is the aspect that due to the restrictions on our domestic activities, we've had to entirely focus our attention on overseas activities."
We asked them one final question. We asked them whether or not they felt sad that other singers were reaping the rewards of the hard work the members had put in to get the 'Kpop' wind blowing in Japan as JYJ are unable to perform there.
"Not at all. We were able to be loved in Japan thanks to BoA and Bae Yong Joon. If what we've done benefits our juniors, then that's something to feel good about. If our juniors to well and the Japanese market expands, we might be able to perform in Japan again." (Junsu)
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I'm relief, finally they can talk about this and we can know what they thought about the whole thing. Not just rumor or scandal that the media and netizens made up
There are another article that said, Jaejoong tried to call Homin but Homin changed their number and they did not get in touch.
Its sad to hear that coz all this while I kept believing that they still kept in touch despite all the lawsuit thing. Some fellow Cassies give me hope that "even though SM tried to separate them, maybe they're still in good contact (we never know)"..but the truth is.....
But I'm glad that JYJ did not abandon TVXQ completely, they still consider to get together again if the situation allow them to do so...
No matter how long, I will wait for that day...the day that TVXQ has 5 members and greet us with..
"1, 2, 3. Annyeonghaseyo Dong Bang Shin Ki imnida!"
ALWAYS KEEP THE FAITH
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