Shinhwa kicks off Asian tour

May 16, 2006

Shinhwa, one of K-pop’s most popular groups, made a successful comeback with back-to-back sold-out concerts over the weekend, attracting an audience of over 30,000.

Thousands of teenage fans greeted the six-man group with ear-splitting screams, as they came out on stage at the Gymnasium Hall in Olympic Park, Sunday night (May 14).

For more than a year, the six members have been pursuing individual activities, showing their talents in various entertainment fields including TV soap operas and sitcoms.

Their two "SHINHWA 2006 Your: State of the Art" performances signaled the official start of promotion for their newly released 8th album, "State of the Art," and of their Asian tour. For the next five months, the group will tour various regions of Japan as well as Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore and Hong Kong.

"I am so happy that all six of us are gathered altogether for a concert after a long time. We will fill the stage with passion and energy," group member Eric said at a press conference before Sunday’s concert. "This year, we will focus on showing a new side of the band to spark a Shinhwa syndrome in Asia."

At Sunday’s concert, Shinhwa tried to keep their sound fresh by performing new versions of such hits as "Hey, Come On," "Only One" and "Perfect Man." Although they are now in their late-twenties, quite old for dance singers in Korea, Shinhwa showed off their strong vocals and powerful dance moves. Since their debut in 1998, the group has enjoyed consistent popularity.

The concert served as a showcase for their 8th album, "State of the Art." The group performed the song "Once in a Lifetime," a ballad produced by Brian Kim, which describes the aspirations of Koreans ahead of the upcoming World Cup. Other new material performed for the first time on stage included "Weak Man," (Yakhan Namja) "Highway Star," "Midnight Girl" and "You’re My Everything."

Their first Japanese-language single, "Bokurano Kokoroni Taiyou Iru" (It Will Always Be in the Bottom of Our Hearts) was unveiled during the concert. Shinhwa performed the song live while their music video, shot in Japan, was shown on the big screen.

To the the fans’ delight, all the members showcased their individual talents.

Source: http://www.korea.net/news/news/newsView.asp?serial_no=20060515018&part=106&SearchDay=&page=1