Tonight (8th) at 8:30 PM, KBS Joy’s “20th Century Hit Song” episode 312 will dive into the theme “My Ears are in Love, Eardrum Boyfriend Singers’ Hit Songs,” introducing various legendary tracks.
This episode features Byun Jin-sub’s iconic song “To a Lady.” Known for its emotional lyrics that feel like a love letter and a beautiful melody, it is considered one of the hits that defined Byun Jin-sub’s peak, alongside “To You Again.”
After listening to the song, Kim Heechul was completely amazed, exclaiming, “The voice, the lyrics, and the song are all crazy!” The show also reveals that Byun Jin-sub ranked first as the most popular singer among teens and people in their 20s in a 1990 survey.
At the time, the media recognized his unique sensibility, describing his music as having a “sweet and flowing tone.” Kim Heechul added his own praise, suggesting, “I think he might be the one who created the term ‘ballad singer.'”
Some wild stories about his fandom will also be shared. It is said that fans crowded his home so much, including students from nearby schools, that he eventually had to move at the request of the school.
Because of his clean singing style, he was misunderstood early in his career for “singing without power.” However, this eventually became his signature emotional style that earned him immense love. Composer Ha Kwang-hoon also reportedly praised him as having “Korea’s number one voice.”
Byun Jin-sub is regarded as a representative singer who led the golden age of Korean ballads in the 1980s and 1990s. He continues to be loved today for numerous hits, including “Wish List” and “To You Again.”
You can check out the hits and behind-the-scenes stories of various “eardrum boyfriend” singers on KBS Joy’s “20th Century Hit Song” tonight (8th) at 8:30 PM.
