[KU REPORT] Exclusive Interview with TIM HWANG!

Singer Tim Hwang is a Korean-American ballad singer and known as ‘Korean Prince of Ballad’ for his singing skill and great music. He just released the 1st Album of Indonesian Debut with ‘Saranghapnida’ along with his special drama debut “Saranghapnida” or “I Love You”.

Korean Updates had the privilege of catching up with this handsome and nice singer for an exclusive interview for Jjangers!

Q : Considering you have already debuted as a singer for almost 10 years, and now you try your acting skill on the first joint Korean-Indonesian drama. We think, you must have less language barrier, but did you find difficulties in communicating the team from Indonesia?…. Did you learn some Indonesian words?

A :

Oh ya, you know I learn little here and there of course. “Sekali lagi” used a lot. “Lagi, lagi” or “cepat” ,“hurry up” “okay, you you you!”, “okay go go!”, “go fast” for move, stop and usual things we learned “saya capek”, “saya lapar”. Those very important things if I’m tired or I’m hungry. I mean you learn here and there and I think that was the fun part of it. You just not working in here , you learning a different language and a different culture and I find myself trying to talk now. It’s hard to put sentences together yet. You know, still hard for me to understand but I’m still trying like a child to talk to my driver like “do you know where is …” andI try to figure out how to say ‘you know where’ is ‘kamu tahu dimana’ and that’s how you try to converse and I think it’ve been fun.

Q : Do you have a fear to show your debut drama acting skill, and you start with this Joint drama between Indonesia and South Korea?

A :

I mean there are difficulties in just acting in theirself, and within this drama is so special like very unique, drama you never seen before and Indonesian-Korean collaboration. It’s not easy because you saw many different cultures, language barrier, social barrier too. But like i said, the crew, the staff, the actor and the actresses have to go along so well and it’s been really really great. Like ‘saranghae’ beyond the actual drama, ‘saranghae’ is the actual journey that we going through. We had to learn how to do ‘saranghae’ each other, love each other, be passion with one another. You know sometimes are you, sometimes not. Sometimes cry, sometimes laugh. That’s all part of ‘saranghae’ and I think that’s why this drama is associated.

Q : Can you tell us a bit about what you’ve been installed in these 30-episode drama that can surprise the fans?

A :

Honestly, a lot of the character that I played is the part of me too at the same time because a lot of similarity. Between Youngmin ‘the character’ and Youngmin ‘the actual person’. Youngmin is my real name but Youngmin is the character in the actual drama. But of course i’m not from the rich family, you know I wish sometimes I was, but yeah so he from the rich family, he’s a hurted guy, a lot of anger because his broken family. More than surprise, I think there maybe a lot of connect with Youngmin, understand him, just understand the situation. But at the same time the whole idea like a celebrity meeting together with traditional girl like “Wow”, like the famous Cinderella-type story and so I think that people will enjoy watching it. A lot of good character, a lot of funny people there too.

Q : What do you think about Indonesia generally? Do you like it here?

A :

Oh yeah, I said it before Indonesia feels like my 2^nd home, it’ve been really really good debut, everyone really really good to me. Still adjusting of course you know to the weather. I’ve got a lot better when it come to the weather but that even the food have been delicious and great. But like if I began to stressed out and sometimes i miss Korean food .. so it’s the part of the battle of the journey of adjusting. Indonesia has been a place that I feel I’ve been growing and learning. I really wanna learn the language cause the more time you spend in a different country, the more you understand how important the language is. And luckily I speak English so I can try to communicate with people but still you need to learning the language so that you can grow more with each other.

Q : Let’s talk about music now, I guess this is not your first time to collaborate with a female singer, what’s make Astrid different from others?

A :

Okay well, the first is she’s Indonesian, she’s not Korean. Astrid has a special voice. I think she has a voice that very crunchy but at the same time it’s poppy and so having a opportunity to somebody like that, it’s very cool. Korean.. like there lot of girl you find many prettier voice or like RnB and more Korean Pop feel but in Indonesia have so many different ways when it come to musicality of it. But when I heard Astrid’s voice, she has really cool sad voice but poppy feel. It really mixed well with I do too as well. And also her, she’s nice person, she’s really cool, she’s such a good person and a beautiful person.

Q : Can you tell us the meaning of the song “Saranghamnida”?

A :

Well, it means “Aku cinta kamu” right? in Indonesian. It’s different color of love. There’s so many different colors of love. I think love is not an emotion but love is something that you do and you were born to do. You were born to have it. And so ‘saranghamnida’ is just one part of that experience. It is sad but sometimes you just go through it, you need learn from it. So I think it’s just connect to that level, ‘Saranghamnida’ is sad but yet at the same time sweet song. A love that’s confess to a girl and a lot of guy used it in Korea to confess their love to a girl.

Q : What do you think about the album release with the Indonesian musician?

A :

Very greatful that I have opportunity to do something like that. I’m really thankful that I have an album that I can happily be able to let people listen to. A song “Pahitnya Asmara” in Bahasa but I mean were not perfect in Bahasa but it’s my heart , like something that I wanna try so Indonesian fans can connect more.

Q : In you specially released Indonesian Album “Saranghamnida”, which song that has the most touching meaning to it?

A :

I recommend all of the songs. The songs in the albums are really great songs.

Q : If we are going with the trend in Indonesia, most of the young generation likes the up-beat songs from the boys group; did you have the wish to sing more up-beat song?

A :

Of course I wanna try all music genres. I often to listen music I my room and like .. (He was shaking his head like listening music on headphone). Can you imagine me do it in house? Definitely in the future I’m planning I can do other genres as well. But I think it can be funny if I start dancing and you know that kind of music ‘That’s not me’. I’m hoping that definitely I can adjust to trend. But good music always be a good music so I hope that I can make a good music.

Q : For the last question, after about 10 years of your career, what achievement you have not achieved?

A :

There’s a lot more that I wanna do , of course the musician..learn more, play better. Play more instruments, learn more music, learn more language but definitely in the future I’m hoping to produce more. Yeah I think that’s the biggest. Producing more and the genre I think not just ballad but other types of music to be able not just do it but to impact do that music. So I’m looking forward to do it.

So, finally the interview finally finished and that was a fun also friendly interview with him. Tim Hwang send a video greeting to Korean Updates’s Jjangers too!

Check it out!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY3_mPL6doM&feature=plcp]

COMING SOON! TIM HWANG’S SIGNED ‘SARANGHAPNIDA’ ALBUM FOR GIVEAWAY!