Yang Joon-il
- Actor
- Writer
- Composer
The K-pop industry has always positioned itself as being more moral than its Western rivals, but one artist in particular surprised everyone by deciding to go against the grain of what the Korean nation could tolerate. Artists such as Yang Joon-il, an explosive pop star on the scene in the early 1990s, introduced Korean audiences to the new jack swing genre, which gained popularity in the US in the mid-1980s and early 1990s. Best seen in his renditions of his single "Rebecca," Yang personified the time with a sound that blended genres like Prince and sexy choreography like Michael Jackson, combined with a forward-thinking, androgynous appearance reminiscent of the twenty-first century contemporary K-pop idol Kwon Ji-yong.
Yang Joon Il, previously known as JIY, is a South Korean-American singer-songwriter. He was born in Vietnam and later lived in Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea before settling in the United States with his family when he was 9 years old. Yang grew up all his life in LA; graduating from Glendale High School and later attended the Business Administration program at the University of Southern California to study business. He decided to drop out during his Sophomore year as he decided to become a singer in Korea after meeting with a Korean pop music composer who persuaded him to do so.
By today's standards, the then-22-year-old Yang seemed to have everything that makes a top-tier superstar, but neither charm nor talent could make him a successful star because, as an American trying to break into the music industry in the early 1990s, during a period when Korea was still more traditional and reclusive, Yang faced prejudice and harsh criticism. Because his aesthetics and feminine mannerisms were so controversial, the government refused to renew his visa. This led him to no other option but to immigrate back to the States, disappearing from the public eye.
However just in 2001, nearly eight years after his disappearance back in 1993, he made a comeback as V2, enjoying a brief burst of popularity with his new song "Fantasy" before disappearing again from the public eye for lack of interest.
After more than twenty years, Yang's online popularity started to soar in the last few years as a result of young people's YouTube accounts featuring a lot of his performance videos from decades ago. Yang's unique sound and unique performance quality captivated audiences proving to the audiences that he was just an artist ahead of his time.
Yang Joon Il, previously known as JIY, is a South Korean-American singer-songwriter. He was born in Vietnam and later lived in Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea before settling in the United States with his family when he was 9 years old. Yang grew up all his life in LA; graduating from Glendale High School and later attended the Business Administration program at the University of Southern California to study business. He decided to drop out during his Sophomore year as he decided to become a singer in Korea after meeting with a Korean pop music composer who persuaded him to do so.
By today's standards, the then-22-year-old Yang seemed to have everything that makes a top-tier superstar, but neither charm nor talent could make him a successful star because, as an American trying to break into the music industry in the early 1990s, during a period when Korea was still more traditional and reclusive, Yang faced prejudice and harsh criticism. Because his aesthetics and feminine mannerisms were so controversial, the government refused to renew his visa. This led him to no other option but to immigrate back to the States, disappearing from the public eye.
However just in 2001, nearly eight years after his disappearance back in 1993, he made a comeback as V2, enjoying a brief burst of popularity with his new song "Fantasy" before disappearing again from the public eye for lack of interest.
After more than twenty years, Yang's online popularity started to soar in the last few years as a result of young people's YouTube accounts featuring a lot of his performance videos from decades ago. Yang's unique sound and unique performance quality captivated audiences proving to the audiences that he was just an artist ahead of his time.
