Going into the archives with this pre-debut DH moment. Remember how singing was Donghun’s first and foremost goal when embarking on a career in the music business. Dance was secondary but an idol’s gotta do what an idol’s gotta do. That includes some pre-debut legwork (100% pun intended) in the form of a back-up dancer. Yes….Donghun had a back-up dancer gig as part of the crew used in Korean solo singer Hi.Ni’s MV as well as live performances of her song, 클러치백 (Clutch Bag).
I am not sure if Hi.Ni (real name Won Yoori) is still out there making music. It looks like the last releases she had were back in 2016 and since then, there has been nothing. It just goes to show you how saturated the K-pop world is with talent. It is truly hard to break through and maintain. There are so many variables. Variables that keep an artist, idol, and/or group in the public eye, consistently making music, appearances and the like. And, there are many variables that remove them from such like the agency repping them goes bankrupt, scandal, or just a desire to step away and lead quiet life.
Anyway, Hi.Ni debuted back in September 2012 and in 2014 released an EP, Clutch Bag with the title track of the same name. It’s catchy, has a nice groove, and Hi.Ni is absolutely charming, and so pretty. Also, she has a very nice tone to her voice. In fact, I think she has a voice that would suit R&B quite well. But back to the subject at hand, Lee Donghun.
Donghun began his training at CJ E&M and that is the agency Hi.Ni debuted with. So there is the connection as to the how and why he landed as a back up dancer. He wasn’t alone. His fellow trainee, A.C.E’s Wow was also part of the back up dance crew for Hi.Ni. They both show up in the MV as well as on the live performance stage. I am certain you will be able to spot them both.
First the MV:
And now, a live stage that features actor Kim Minjae as a rapper. He, too, was a trainee with Donghun, Wow, and Junhee at CJ E&M. Seriously, such a small, small, idol/actor world we live in.
Seriously, I am living my best fangirl life discovering Kim Minjae, who I sincerely appreciate as an actor, captured in video of a live stage performance with Donghun (and Wow). There is nothing like having the best of my Korean entertainment worlds collide. And it is all thanks to this ambitious countdown that I am learning so much. I am looking foward to the next 593 days to see what other treasures and nuggets of gold I will find.
~♥~