Seoul star

Jay Park parties in Thailand

By Suwitcha Chaiyong
Photos courtesy of Adamas

This has been a great year for talented solo star Jay Park, who has had the chance to show off his varied skills in rapping, singing, dancing and songwriting. Jay’s considerable talents have led to him being voted male artist of the year by fans on the Internet for the 2013 Korean Music Awards.

Aside from being a fantastic performer, the 26-year-old star always shows his great senses of humour on television variety shows. Since the beginning of the year, Jay has been a permanent member of the cast on the comedy show, Saturday Night Live Korea.

Jay expanded his audience internationally when he co-wrote and sang “I Like 2 Party” for the movie After Earth, which starred Hollywood superstar Will Smith and his son Jaden. Before his recent visit to Thailand, Jay toured Europe and performed in the Netherlands and the UK.

POP PARTY

On October 5, Jay met his Thai fan club, Jaywalkerz, at the I Like 2 Party Tour Live fan meeting at JJ Mall’s Kamphaengphet Hall in Bangkok. Jay kicked off his show with a cover of the Bruno Mars hit, “Nothing on You,” then continued to sing and dance through the upbeat song, “Girlfriend.”

The concert was a great showcase for Jay’s versatile abilities. He displayed his sharp rapping skills on “Appetizer” and “Enjoy the Show,” then blew everybody away with the beautiful R&B songs “Joah” and “Know Your Name.” Jay’s sexy dance moves also impressed the crowd.

FAN FUN

Since Jay hadn’t visited Thailand for three years, he was determined to please his Thai fans by performing more than 10 songs. He also arranged some activities that allowed him to get close to his audience.

The singer phoned some lucky fans who then had to compete in two different games. The first winner received an adorable bouquet from Jay, while the second received a T-shirt and the star’s autograph, causing screams of jealousy from the rest of the fans.

SWEET AND SPECIAL

Thai Jaywalkerz put in a lot of effort to impress their idol at the event. While Jay sang “Joah,” the Jaywalkerz held up cards with drawings of heart shapes to express their love for him. They also prepared a special video for Jay about a Thai fan who had been waiting to meet the star for years and was extremely happy with his visit. Jay was clearly touched and apologised for not visiting Thailand more often.

---

A day before the fan meeting, Jay met with the Thai press at Siam @ Siam Hotel for a group interview. Here’s what the star had to say.

Question: How do you feel about visiting Thailand again after three years?

Jay: I feel good. I like Thailand and Thai food. The people here are very kind. I feel sorry that I haven’t been here for so long.

Question: Are you familiar with any Thai hip-hop artists?

Jay: I know Thaitanium. I’d like to work with them some time if I have a chance.

Question: How did you get the nickname, Fresh Prince of Seoul?

Jay: I just made it up. The name is similar to the title of Will Smith’s sitcom, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which I’ve enjoyed watching since I was very young.

Question: Has touring in several different countries helped you to compose new songs?

Jay: The experience has helped me to learn about different cultures in several countries, which has broadened my perspective.

Question: Where do you normally get your inspiration for writing songs?

Jay: I listen to a lot of different songs. When I write, ideas usually come from both listening to various kinds of music and from my real life experiences.

Question: What is your role with the new label AOMG?

Jay: I’m a CEO of AOMG. The label focuses on hip-hop and R&B music. I recently produced songs for a new Thai girl group called GAIA.

Question: What kind of girls do you like?

Jay: I like a girl with a good sense of humour, charisma and a nice smile.

Question: How do you feel about having a song on the After Earth soundtrack?

Jay: I’m very happy about it because I really like Will Smith. I was thrilled to meet him in person. It was like a dream come true. I felt honoured.

 

comments powered by Disqus