【ありがとう】RAIN（ピ）39【ごじゃいます】
On the three albums he has released since 2002, Rain and his songwriter, producer,
promoter and mastermind, Jin-Young Park, have imported and digested pop-R&B
from the English-speaking world, emulating it with Korean lyrics. Since Rain's voice is lower
and huskier than Mr. Jackson's, he dabbles in other pop-R&B approaches: the acoustic-guitar
ballads of Babyface, the light funk-pop of Justin Timberlake, the crooning of George Michael
and the importunings of Usher. Seeing him onstage was like watching old MTV videos dubbed into Korean.
The moment Rain appeared onstage, he was mimicking Mr. Jackson's costumes
and moves: a fitted leather jacket, a dark suit and slouch hat, the freeze-frame postures.
He's a fine dancer and a passable singer. At first, he tried Mr. Jackson's tense demeanor,
but soon he was smiling. "I'm lonely," he announced, "I need a girlfriend," and
he brought a young woman onstage from the audience, handing her a teddy bear
and a bouquet of roses before giving her a chaste hug. (Perhaps with crossover
in mind, the woman he chose was one of the few non-Asians in the audience.)
By the end of the show Rain was dedicating a ballad to his late mother.
Rain seems like a nice guy, but he doesn't have the tormented charisma of Jackson,
the relaxed sex appeal of Usher or the quick pop reflexes of Mr. Timberlake.
promoter and mastermind, Jin-Young Park, have imported and digested pop-R&B
from the English-speaking world, emulating it with Korean lyrics. Since Rain's voice is lower
and huskier than Mr. Jackson's, he dabbles in other pop-R&B approaches: the acoustic-guitar
ballads of Babyface, the light funk-pop of Justin Timberlake, the crooning of George Michael
and the importunings of Usher. Seeing him onstage was like watching old MTV videos dubbed into Korean.
The moment Rain appeared onstage, he was mimicking Mr. Jackson's costumes
and moves: a fitted leather jacket, a dark suit and slouch hat, the freeze-frame postures.
He's a fine dancer and a passable singer. At first, he tried Mr. Jackson's tense demeanor,
but soon he was smiling. "I'm lonely," he announced, "I need a girlfriend," and
he brought a young woman onstage from the audience, handing her a teddy bear
and a bouquet of roses before giving her a chaste hug. (Perhaps with crossover
in mind, the woman he chose was one of the few non-Asians in the audience.)
By the end of the show Rain was dedicating a ballad to his late mother.
Rain seems like a nice guy, but he doesn't have the tormented charisma of Jackson,
the relaxed sex appeal of Usher or the quick pop reflexes of Mr. Timberlake.
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