'Little Psy' debuts as singer
"Little Psy" Hwang Min-woo poses during the launching ceremony for his debut album in Nonhyeon-dong, southern Seoul, Wednesday.
By Park Si-soo
A nine-year-old boy known as “Little Psy” who leaped into stardom when he featured in the rapper’s “Gangnam Style” music video, has debuted as a singer himself with the release of his first album.
Hwang Min-woo hosted the launch ceremony for his debut, “Show+Time,” which features mostly upbeat songs with catchy tunes, at a convention center in Nonhyeon-dong, Seoul, Wednesday.
“I want to be a singer who is internationally-recognized like Psy,” said Hwang, wearing a blue suit, black bow tie and familiar sunglasses, and seeming nervous of performing before a roomful of reporters and photographers. “I will do my best to join the U.S. Billboard charts top 10 with this album.”
The album was produced under the guidance of executive producer Lee Jung-min and a team of composers, called G-Bro. Hwang’s management agency, Star Zone Entertainment, said the album has already caught the attention of music promoters in Japan, China, Vietnam and Singapore, where Korean pop music is highly fashionable.
Hwang recently visited China to appear in an entertainment show and has received a flurry of calls from Japan, Malaysia and other Asian countries, according to the agency. To facilitate smooth performances without linguistic barriers, Hwang is studying English, Chinese and other languages of his major target audience, it added.
“Psy bought me three pair of sunglasses to celebrate my debut,” the singer said. “I will do my best with them.”
In an interview with The Korea Times in November last year, Hwang said his dream is to become a “big singer” recognized globally, like pop legend Michael Jackson.
Hwang, a second grader at Odung Elementary School in Gwangju, has danced since he was three months old, according to his parents. Hwang’s agency calls him a dance prodigy, claiming he has an outstanding sense of rhythm and beat. He was born to a Korean father and a Vietnamese mother.
His mother, Vu Thi ly, said Hwang was famous in his town even before “Gangnam Style” became a smash hit last year but after that, his popularity soared.
Since then he has been busy appearing on shows, events and commercials not only in Korea but also in the U.S., the Philippines, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Britain.