Kim Hyun-jung: 90s Chanel's First Korean Model

Singer Kim Hyun-jung appeared on JTBC's 'Hidden Singer 8' and revealed that she was Korea's first Chanel model during her activities in the 1990s. Since her debut in 1997, Kim Hyun-jung established herself as a representative diva of the 90s by releasing numerous hit songs such as 'Alone in Love,' 'Her Farewell,' and 'Stupid.' Her past experience of working as a Chanel model, where she was called 'Jenny,' garnered attention.

Jeon Hyun-moo shared an anecdote proving Kim Hyun-jung's explosive popularity: during his military service in the KATUSA, American soldiers were enthusiastic about her congratulatory performance. Kim Hyun-jung boasts a wide musical spectrum, capable of performing everything from Pansori to heavy metal, and expressed her anticipation for the appearance of imitators, saying, "In my life, I've never sung my voice exactly the same while performing live."

Her long-standing friendship with actress Jang Seo-hee was also revealed on the broadcast. The two grew close while enduring hardships together at a Mongolian event in 2009 and have continued to support each other since. However, Jang Seo-hee's inability to recognize Kim Hyun-jung's voice during a round caused laughter, and Song Eun-yi commented that Kim Hyun-jung presented a confident image of a woman, unlike other female solo singers at the time.

Kim Hyun-jung drew attention by revealing that she goes to bed at 7 PM for vocal cord care after suffering from vocal cord nodules. She also disclosed that her representative song 'Alone in Love' achieved great success despite a short promotional period, and shared her awkward experience recording it 30 years ago and the fact that she had her crooked teeth corrected for better vocals.

Although the judging panel was confused from the first round, finding it difficult to identify Kim Hyun-jung, she narrowly avoided elimination by just two votes, overcoming the crisis. 'Her Farewell' did not receive much attention upon its release but later gained popularity and dominated the 90s. Kim Hyun-jung's success influenced the emergence of female solo dance singers like Lee Jung-hyun, Baek Ji-young, and Chae Yeon.