Singer Byul Still Shining 10 Years After Debut

When Byul released her debut album in 2002, JYP Entertainment founder J.Y. Park gave her the stage name Byul ("S tar"), signifying his desire for her to become a shining light in the Korean music industry.

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Although Byul has failed to dominate the firmament of stars, she has managed to keep shining with a soft glow for the last decade and recently released her latest album "No stalgia" in commemoration of her 10th year in the limelight.

"This album is to celebrate the 10th year [since my debut]", she said. "But I'm not attaching too much significance to this, or trying to prove myself in any particular way. I just, as always, sang songs that convey my every day feelings and thoughts".

Byul's songs are mostly medium-tempo ballads. "Maybe the reason I've been able to stick around so long is because I don't try to mix things up too much. I need to maintain a balance between my desire to change and the being the person people want to see. My fans seem to want me to stay the same as when I debuted".

She has been making headlines more frequently recently due to developments in her personal life. She announced in August that she will marry the singer Haha -- who appears in the popular TV show "Infinite Challenge" -- on Friday, and her father recently passed away.

"I miss my father so much, but Haha has been a big help", she said. "People think he's probably a bit of a troublemaker, or mischievous, but he's actually very caring and sincere. Because he is a singer, rather than just being an entertainer, he really pours his heart into his music".

"We are not as glamorous and famous as Jang Dong-gun and Ko So-young [Korea's leading celebrity couple]. We see ourselves as being more approachable, like the couple who live next door", she said.