Rain, a solo artist who reached the pinnacle of his career in the 2000s, and Kim Junsu of TVXQ fame, recently took a nostalgic trip down memory lane, recalling their glorious past in the K-pop industry.
On Rain's YouTube channel 'Season B Season,' a video titled 'You'll Think About This Before Sleeping' was uploaded, featuring Kim Junsu and Jung Sung-hwa, stars of the musical 'Beetlejuice,' as guests. Together with host Rain, they vividly recounted the vibrant atmosphere of past music shows.
Despite debuting just a year apart in 2002 and 2003, respectively, Rain and Kim Junsu revealed that this was their first in-depth conversation on a broadcast, surprising many.
Rain opened up about the first time he witnessed TVXQ's performance, expressing his awe. He recalled, "Back then, during rehearsals, other artists would watch with their arms crossed. When TVXQ's five members danced and Junsu ad-libbed, his unique voice left everyone speechless."
Kim Junsu responded, "It was a time when live performances were a must. I remember dressing up even for rehearsals in front of senior artists, putting in extra effort to impress."
A highlight of the conversation was the fierce rivalry between SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment, which dominated the K-pop scene at the time.
Rain humorously shared, "We meticulously planned album releases with J.Y. Park, but hearing TVXQ would release theirs two weeks later was daunting." He added, "The fanbase size difference was significant. We often competed for the top spot, but their album sales were always five times ours." Rain described TVXQ as "a strong motivator and the fiercest competitor."
Reflecting on his solo career, Rain mentioned his ambitious 'Rainism' era, saying, "I hoped for a number one, but TVXQ released 'Mirotic' at the same time. Honestly, the song was annoyingly good."
Kim Junsu, touched by Rain's praise, admitted, "I admired Rain's 'Rainism' performances, where he commanded the stage alone," creating a warm and respectful atmosphere.
By Chaeryeong Lim, Ten Asia Reporter syjj426@tenasia.co.kr