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Rain comes back with January album release
By Kim Ji-soo
Rain, the 31-year-old singer who was released from the military in July, will end his domestic hiatus with an album in January, industry sources said Thursday.
Rain who is currently touring four cities in Japan will perform at the 2013 Mnet Asian Music Awards that will be held Friday at Hong Kong’s Asia World Expo Arena.
The album will be his first in three years and nine months. Before entering the compulsory military service, the singer whose real name is Jung Ji-hoon released the album “Back to the Basic” in April 2012.
He released an earlier song titled “Busan Woman” in 2011, but it was a piece that he created for his fans. Rain is expected to produce his album that will carry several of his own songs.
In addition, Mnet is expected to air a reality program on the singer including his stage shows, preparation for the new album as well as his daily life as Jung Ji-hoon.
Since his discharge, Rain has been active mostly performing in Japan and China.
The singer was embroiled in controversy of a lax of duty while in service as he often took leave to meet his actress girlfriend Kim Tae-hee.
He then faced seven days of disciplinary action, leading to a quiet discharge.
Fans and industry insiders had been forecasting whether he would return with a drama or film, or with a new album.
Meanwhile, Rain started the tour through Japan starting with a two dates — Nov. 14-15 in Nagoya and will wrap up with two concerts in Tokyo on Nov. 25-28.