Jay Park to join Asia's Got Talent judges' table

WHEN it was announced that Korean pop sensation Jay Park was joining David Foster and Anggun at the judges' table for the second season of Asia's Got Talent, it caused more than a minor flutter.

Park is currently riding high on the K-pop wave and he has been signed on to Jay-Z's Roc Nation, an entertainment company that has a wide variety of major artistes such as Big Sean, Rihanna, Demi Lovato, DJ Khaled, Omarion, T.I. and Lil Wayne.

Park, 30, is an award-winning, multi-platinum recording artiste and savvy entrepreneur, CEO and founder of two successful record labels.
This singer, rapper, dancer and record producer will take the coveted hot seat alongside the show's returning judges, 16-time Grammy Award-winning music producer David Foster and internationally acclaimed singer and World Music Award winner Anggun.
The judges were announced on July 27 at a press conference in Singapore that was streamed live.
"Asia's Got Talent may reach a lot of people, but mostly it unifies a lot of countries and that's what I'm most excited to see - the people. I'm looking forward to being amazed, shocked, motivated and inspired," said Park who is no stranger to discovering and developing talent.
"I'm excited to be a part of the show, and I'm looking forward to joining the incredible David and Anggun to discover the next generation of Asian stars."
During an interview session, Park described being signed on to Roc Nation as a dream come true as he has always admired Jay Z who built on his brand and is a huge success.
He hopes that by signing on to this label, he will overcome perceptions about K-pop music.
"Most people in Asia know Jay-Z as Beyonce's husband. But Roc Nation brand is very high up there. The urban community (US hip hop, R&B market) out there doesn't really acknowledge Asian music and being acknowledged as a hip hop/ R&B artiste really means a lot."
His take on Asian artistes who want to break into the international market is, "I think you need authenticity. It is not how big you are. You need to approach it in an authentic manner so people can see if you are real or not. A lot of Korean artistes have a lot of fans. Some even more that me. But I got signed with Roc Nation because I was different."
Asia's Got Talent is a record-breaking series, that set new ratings records for the English general entertainment genre during its first season in 2015.
The second season will premiere on AXN (Astro Channel 701/ 721) in October. Over the course of 10 episodes – comprising five judges' auditions, three semi-finals, the finale and the results show – the best of the best from all over Asia will battle it out for the grand prize of US$100,000.