Singer Jang lands top spot on Japanese enka chart

Singer Jang Yoon-jung’s second Japanese single “Saigo no Kawa,” or “Last River” in English, has reached No. 1 on the enka chart, a chart for traditional Japanese popular music, on March 4.

The enka chart lists popular songs that have been aired on different music stations, and songs that people like to hear repeatedly.

“A foreign singer getting the No. 1 spot on the enka chart is very unlikely, and this proves her popularity,” said Inwoo production, the singer’s agency.

Her Japanese EP, released on Feb. 6, features four songs including “Saigo no Kawa,” the Japanese version of Korean song “Cho-hon.” The music video of her hit single was very controversial in Japan, featuring Kenichi Mikawa, an enka singer who is famous for blurring the line between male and female costuming and makeup.

Jang made her debut as a singer of trot, Korea’s oldest pop genre, in 2003. It was then rare for a young singer to adopt the genre, and she became an immediate starlet. Meanwhile, Jang is actively performing in Korea with her title track “Watguna Watseo,” from her sixth album released in October last year.

By Bae Soo-min, Intern reporter
(soomin623@heraldcorp.com)