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2NE1 member Sandara Park says she ‘got influenced’ by the late ‘Meteor Garden’ star Barbie Hsu when she was starting her career in the Philippines
MANILA, Philippines – K-pop star Sandara Park paid tribute to Barbie Hsu, calling the late Taiwanese actress one her early influences.
Park sang “Ni Yao De Ai,” a part of the original soundtrack of the Taiwanese hit drama series Meteor Garden starring Hsu, during a New Year countdown party in Kaohsiung City.
“Rest in peace, Barbie Hsu,” Park wrote on X in a reply to a post showing her performance. “I got influenced by you since when I started my career. We will always remember you.”
Hsu grew to prominence in the Philippines when ABS-CBN aired Meteor Garden — originally released in 2001 in Taiwan — in 2003 as the show gained a massive Filipino fan base and spurred the popularity of Asian novelas.
It was also the time Park was starting her career in entertainment, with the Korean joining ABS-CBN reality talent show Star Circle Quest in 2004.
Park finished second in the inaugural season and enjoyed a successful acting and singing career in the Philippines, releasing a Tagalog album that went platinum. She also got featured in multiple movies and television shows.
She returned to Korea and became a member of girl group 2NE1, which played a huge role in the rise of K-pop in the Philippines following hits like “Fire,” “I Am The Best,” “I Don’t Care,” “Lonely,” and “Come Back Home,” to name a few.
Adopting the stage name Dara, Park made a couple of covers of “Ni Yao De Ai,” which was originally sang by Malaysian singer Penny Tai, and posted them on her YouTube channel, garnering over two million views.
Park remains a part of 2NE1, with the group serving as one of the headliners for the Head in the Clouds Festival in Los Angeles in May. – Rappler.com