By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
Korean diva Lim Jeong-hee will make her big debut on the American pop scene after releasing her third album here. ``I've somehow come this far,'' the 26-year-old was quoted as telling Yonhap News.
Lim had to endure five sweat and tear-stained years of training with JYP Entertainment before launching her singing career in Korea. After just two years and several hit songs under her belt, she left for the United States last November, and is now back in training for her international debut as ``J-Lim.''
Living in a small studio in New York, Lim spent busy but lonely days studying English and getting singing lessons. ``I should have taken it easy. Why am I taking the hard way here? I thought. But then I'd think, `wow, I'm in New York.' My feelings waver. I've actually been very lonely,'' she said.
The pop singer recently made headlines for collaborating with Grammy-winning hip-hop group Outkast. Lim sealed a record contract with Laface, the record company run by Outkast's member BigBoi, who won the recruiting bid over Pharrell Williams, the musical magician behind superstars such as Britney Spears and Snoop Dog.
BigBoi supported her third Korean album ``Before I Go J-Lim,'' which she made during the month of August while splitting her time between Seoul and New York. The rapper features in the album's title song and music video.
``My third album reflects my one-year stay in the U.S. It imaginatively evokes lovers making out in the streets, diverse languages and races. It has a very open feeling to it. I also feel like my emotional range has become enriched,'' said Lim. She will be promoting her new songs for three months before returning to the U.S., where a new beginning awaits her.
``When Ricky Martin succeeded in the American pop market, he broke stereotypes about Latin music. Topping the Billboard chart would be awesome. But I wish to make a symbolic mark opening up a new frontier as an Asian. A `landmark' Asian singer perhaps? I will try my best to make this dream come true,'' she said.