Tae-goon: 'Master' Whee Sung Helped Me Get Back on Feet

New singer Tae-goon (real name Kim Tae-goon, 23) had a hard time when he just debuted, because one netizen posted his debut song, “Call Me,” without any musical accompaniment to show how poor his singing skills were. Back then, Tae-goon had already earned the nickname “second Rain” because he bears a great resemblance to Rain and has impressive dancing skills. His debut music video also drew significant attention because it featured Hero of TVXQ, his close friend from his hometown of Gongju, South Chungcheong Province.

Facing so many unexpected difficulties, Tae-goon wrapped up his debut activities and decided to take a break. We met with Tae-goon, who has recently released his second album, “Rising Star.” He said, "Back then, rather than being hurt, I was frustrated to hear people saying that I only practiced dancing and applied no effort to performing the song properly. I had practiced for a long time, because I failed auditions 100 times, but apparently it didn’t show. That’s why I was exasperated. I failed to incorporate my singing and dancing skills because I practiced singing and dancing separately."

Tae-goon sought the help of singer/songwriter Whee Sung, 27, whom he calls “master.” Whee Sung still receives vocal training despite having already gained high recognition for his singing talent. To Tae-goon, he has all the qualities to be his role model. Whee Sung has helped Tae-goon not only to hone his vocal skills but change his lifestyle as well. Tae-goon reports daily to Whee Sung via text messages what time he gets up, when he has meals and what songs he practices, and Whee Sung replies to his messages regardless of the hour.

"Master Whee Sung not only made me a better singer but he also improved my lifestyle. Though he himself sleeps less than four hours a day, he tells me to get eight hours of sleep every day and eat healthily, because singers can perform well and exude energy only when they feel well. Surprisingly enough, I feel much more comfortable now when I perform on stage,” said Tae-goon.

We asked Whee Sung what he thought about being Tae-goon’s teacher. “Tae-goon has the potential to rise to stardom and his singing skills are good enough and he can carry even high tones. He fell into despair because everybody told him he was bad. I made him sing ‘Call Me’ more than one thousand times to make him realize how easy it was,” said Whee Sung.

Whee Sung wrote the lyrics for Tae-goon’s song “Super Star” and wrote another song from his new album. Tae-goon said, “I heard that many singers end up crying when recording with Whee Sung. That’s probably because he makes them sing again and again to make them display their talent to the fullest. But I like how he uses encouragement and advice.”

On the question of whether he feels intimidated by so many dance singers who debuted at approximately the same time as him, such as AJ and Chung-rim, Tae-goon says he had known AJ and Chung-rim even before their debut because they practiced in the same rehearsal room and know each other’s skills well. Tae-goon has known Chung-rim since high school and the two often encouraged each other before their debuts. “My friend Hero from TVXQ, who comes from the same hometown as I do, also gave me advice. He said that I didn’t look comfortable on stage,” said Tae-goon.

Tae-goon majored in dance at Chungnam Arts High School and the Korea National University of Arts. He dropped out of college to prepare for his debut as a singer. He still walks in a way many professional dancers walk, with his toes pointing sideways. Tae-goon has been preparing to debut in Japan these days through the Japanese record company Pony Canyon. He said, "I don’t deserve the nickname ‘second Rain.’ But I realize that my task is to exceed Rain.”


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Credits:Omona They Didn't