Lim Hyung Joo "Finally" (Universal Music Japan)
When thinking of K-pop, acts that come to mind are girl groups like Girl's Generation or 2NE1, who have ranked highly in the Billboard chart in recent years, or Psy and his signature "Gangnam Style" dancing that exploded internationally in 2012. However, South Korean opera singer Lim Hyung Joo doesn't rely on costumes or dancing; instead of taking "pop" to the extreme, the United Nations Peace Medal-winning singer blends the catchy components of pop with traditional opera singing (a combination known as "popera") on his new album "Finally."
Covers of famous classical compositions such as Antonio Vivaldi's motet "Nulla in mundo pax sincera" and George Frideric Handel's aria "Ombra mai fu" are sang in an authentic operatic voice, along with the usual symphonic layers in the background. Despite being accompanied by the Prague City Sinfonietta, the big-budget backing does not overshadow Lim's flair for pop.
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