Tuesday, July 30, 2013
K
Monday, July 29, 2013
When Korean Pop Culture Came To The Holy Land
“American Idol 11” Han Heejun to Release Debut Album with K
Sunday, July 28, 2013
K
Thursday, July 25, 2013
US producer Jones teams with S. Korea firm on K
Prominent US music producer Quincy Jones speaks during a press conference in Seoul on July 25, 2013. Quincy Jones has teamed up with South Korean entertainment company CJ EandM to help promote Korea's K-pop stars globally.AFP
Prominent US music producer Quincy Jones teamed up Thursday with a South Korean entertainment company to help promote Korea's K-pop stars globally.
"I feel like there is a very strong connection between Korea and the US," Jones said after signing a deal with CJ E&M, one of South Korea's biggest entertainment firms.
The deal was signed between Jones, known for producing hit songs such as "We Are the World" and "Thriller" with legendary American singer Michael Jackson, and CJ E&M's music division chief Ahn Joon.
The deal calls on Jones and CJ E&M to promote K-pop globally and set up a joint fund which will help talented musicians study at the Berklee College of Music in the United States.
Jones will serve as executive producer in co-production with the Korean company.
"There's is a sensibility here I have not found in Japan, China or Vietnam," he said, citing the success of South Korean rapper Psy's global chart-topper "Gangnam Style".
"When I first came here last time, I felt like I was back home in Chicago. They (Koreans and Americans) have an emotional connection, musical connection, conversation connection."
Popular K
BEAST has been taking over the charts with their song, "Shadow" and will be performing for the first time on a music program since their album release on July 19.
f(x) will be making their first comeback in over a year with their song, "Rum Pum Pum Pum" and has fans excited. Their new song is a fun pop dance song that many will enjoy.
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Other groups such as Koyote and singer Lee Jung Hyun will also be making a comeback today.
K
K
How do Kpop idols benefit from participating in social media such as Instagram, Twitter, Weibo, Kakaotalk, so on and so forth? Is there a down side to it?
One thing that you have to realize is that K-pop's success is primarily built around album sales, track sales, concert sales, sales sales sales. Now what's an important compound in making sure these sales are on point? Two things, the internal help, that means the marketing, the staff, the company and the artists, and external, the fans.
As a fan, I can see where the need to get to know your favorite artists comes from. You don't just want talent, you want an amalgamation of talent and likability. And how can fans like the idols when there is no connection, no sort of platform for them to know for sure that the idol is just an instant message away.
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Though the unattainable factor does play a significant role in why idols are so desirable, there comes a point where the fans need to satiate their longing for an idol by being shown that the idol is somewhat accessible. This is why social media is a good idea. This is why idols can take advantage of what accounts they have to show another side to them that isn't usually shown on interviews and concerts.
Some of the idols that I follow on twitter allow me that privilege, like Kim Jonghyun and Onew of SHINee. Since I'm heavily SM biased, I follow most of their artists, Amber of F(x) being my favorite since she tweets in English some times and as a non-Korean speaker, this makes me feel included. It also helps that she's hilarious and she tweets other artists.
Some of the idols who gather the most followings on Twitter, Super Junior seems to have a great lead in comparison to the others, Choi Siwon being in the lead of the pack with 3, 664, 295 followers. Other members from Super Junior are also in the 3 million league, like Donghae. The reason for such a strong following may have to do with the fact that they are an established group who has been in the industry for a while. Through their tweets, members show each other support for each other. When Henry was about to debut, Donghae sent him "Lots of love" through twitter. With Yesung, Leeteuk, Shindong, Ryewook and other members on twitter, they form an average of 2 million followers.
But it's not just twitter that K-pop idols have been dominating. Instagram has also been all the rage with the idols what with members like Taeyeon from SNSD and Jokwon from 2AM getting their own accounts. It is almost the international resurgence of Korean social network, Me2Day.
The thing about these social media sites is that it's easy and convenient for idols to fit into their busy schedules.
Why is that Miss A's Min, Rania's Jia, SHINee's Key, KARA's Nicole, and everyone else who rides on the social media train, are able to gather a great number of followers on their instagram just as much as their Twitter? Because Instagram offers a visual, a different aspect of something to subscribe to on a daily basis. And perhaps those filters are cool. And photos typically don't need words, making it easier to communicate. Fans can catch glimpses of their favorite artists arm in arm or before they're about to hit the stage.
On the other hand, being so available to the public does have its disadvantages. This also offers fans and anti-fans a place to bombard artists with hateful comments. A recent example is when Krystal had to delete her former Instagram account due to the staggering amount of hate she was getting for being suspected to be in an intimate relationship with G-Dragon. Remember that? She has reopened her account since.
Apart from these international sites known by everyone outside of Kpop, idols have also had social media accounts that have existed since the spurt of Facebook, Twitter and even new short video service, Vine. EXO member Kris has a Weibo that he updates. Although this is a Chinese site, K-pop idol Jessica from SNSD is reported to have one as well.
As far as how these accounts are being managed, whether it's the idols themselves making sure to update even once a week or someone else from management, you as the fan can be the judge of that. Just make sure to follow them to keep up with what's going on with them in a way that isn't stalking since this is information voluntarily being offered to the public. There's a difference, you guys. And hey, be gentle with the comments because one day they might decide to just not be there.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Best Uses of English in K
I get a kick out of K-pop songs that have Engrish verses in it. Partly because it's insanely adorable, but mostly because they're hilarious to hear. It's like if I wrote a a song in English but decided to add Korean into it. Basically, the results would be so comical that the entire nation of Korea would most likely laugh at me until I cry. Here are some of the best uses of Engrish in K-pop songs!
To start our list off, we've got BEAST's " Beautiful." The song is decent but gets really good when rapper Junhyung pops in to give us a little rap where the English portion of it goes like this: "Make a love baby. Just make a love. Feeling in my heart, so nice." I'm pretty sure he meant to say, "Let's make love baby, just make love. This feeling in my heart is so nice." Either way it's cute and embarrassingly endearing at the same time.
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KARA's " Pretty Gir l" kills me every time, and not in a good way. Their verse of "if you wanna pretty, every wanna pretty." What they meant to say is, "if you wanna be pretty, everybody wants to be pretty," well, at least that's what I think they meant. EIther way it's terrible but laugh out loud hilarious.
ZE:A's " Mazeltov" is hilarious! The song title itself should win some kind of award but the best part of the song is when they say, "Latin girl, Mexican girl, Korean girl, Japan girl." They were so close to getting it right! Wasn't anyone there just to say, no guys, it's Japanese girl and not "Japan girl?"
I love B.A.P and honestly I think they are the best rookie group around, but in their new song, " Hurricane," Himchan kills me with his rendition of "Roof is on Fire." He says the "loof is on fire" and that makes me want to hold and sway him in my arms.
f(x)'s Krystal was born in America and speaks fluent English. As to why she didn't correct this nonsensical lyric in her song " Danger" is beyond me. "I'm in danger, Pinocchio remember me," is the best line ever, mainly because danger and Pinocchio go together like guns and Ghandi.
48 Singaporean Seconds: Multi
Going Solo in K
2013 seems to be the year where artists try their hand at the solo career. Makes you wonder why this is becoming a recent trend. Is Solo the pathway to success for the group or is it solely for the artist being thrust into the solo spotlight that they won't have to share?
One of the most successful solo transitions in my opinion is Bom from 2NE1 and HyunA from 4minute. There are also the JYJ boys who have released records, Jaejoong and his unique, heavy guitar Japanese-inspired releases as well as Junsu's soft, sensual take. These artists have come from groups that have already made a name for themselves so why do they have to go solo?
Here is what I think; companies that make it a point to place their bands in a solo position eventually like YG, they would like to express how their artists have nothing to hide. Big Bang had to endure solo careers one by one, and though some were more successful than the others, none of them were total flops. In 2NE1, apart from Minzy, all of the members have debuted as a solo act, which by the way I think is bogus because Minzy has a lot to offer as a talent and is easily one of the most charismatic stage performers in that company, and possibly in all of Kpop. But that's a story for another day.
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YG is doing things right. I can't deny how this strategy works for everyone. How? When a member from a well-ranked and renowned Kpop group debuts solo and makes it in the big leagues (i.e. T.O.P., GD) it's as though YG is stating that with their artists, they have nothing to hide. Their talent doesn't need a package to float with they can do fine on their own. And not only does this provide a solid reputation for the solo artists and more recognition for the group, it also earns the company more money. Plus, the fans are pleased. So everybody wins.
What about artists that are about to do it backwards? Lim Kim was originally meant to debut as a duo with a fellow artist Do Dae Yoon. She is yet to debut in the duo, and time can only tell if this project will prove to be an advantage in her career. I personally think that either way, she's set in the Kpop industry. There are also artists who have gone solo permanently, like Henry from Super Junior and Areum who had recently just been added to T-ARA. There are artists who have been associated in an established group, although one is more renowned than the other.
Groups like SHINee who have never explored a solo debut have experimented with solo stages during their concerts where each member is allowed a performance of their choice. Many of the members have shown off what they are capable of through this, and though it has not resulted in a solo debut just yet, obviously it's in the cards for them.
I think that the point of solo debuts is to show how these artists are carved out and trained and how they need not to hide in the shadow of their fellow members. I think the artist, the company, and the fans benefit from it, so I can't say that it hurts their career in anyway, even when it doesn't go as intended.
SPICA Delivers a K
48 Singaporean Seconds: Multi
Singapore celebrates its 48th birthday on Aug 9, and to tie in with this, The Straits Times Picture Desk has put together 48 Singaporean Seconds, an audio-visual tribute to Singaporeans who have made this little red dot their home.
We are releasing their stories and videos in the next few weeks. In the 13th instalment of our series, we talk to K-pop fan Nazurah Atiqah.
Nazurah Atiqah, 23, civil servant
Like many K-pop fans, civil servant Nazurah Atigah cheers her idols at the K-pop gigs she attends.
What sets the 23-year-old apart from other Singaporean fans, though is that she actually understands every single word the performers are singing about.
She had taken a Korean-language elective while studying at the National University of Singapore as she wanted to understand what the Korean stars were singing about in their videos.
She graduated last year with an arts degree in South-east Asian studies and now works as an executive handling engagement and outreach.
Her interest in Korean culture has also made her more curious about multi-racial Singapore. "In Singapore, we may not have a homogeneous culture, yet people are still united through shared concerns," she says.
"At a football match, for example, you can see a Chinese uncle and a Malay boy discussing the game," she observes. "And when a goal is scored, everyone stands and cheers together."
As she sees it, "we're unique because we take bits from different cultures, adapt them and make them our own" - even K-pop, too.
- Photos and videos by The Straits Times Picture Desk
Now Available: K
How relevant is iTunes to Kpop? Does it boost popularity? Does it help with promotions? How does it benefit the international fans?
Here's how I see it; the answer is yes to every single question.
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iTunes is relevant because it's on the internet and the internet makes most things, if not all things accessible to the public no matter where you live. As long as you have internet (illegally or not, it's cool, we're all human), then you will be able to find a way to get a hold of the hottest tracks of Kpop.
Now, how does iTunes help K-pop in terms of recognitions. 2PM, Tablo, Xia Junsu-- these are only some of the names of the Kpop artists who have ranked number one in iTunes charts in a number of countries. iTunes provides for an international audience and it is through the diversity of the sales that K-pop can gauge the diversity of their fans. And though this said diversity has been proven many a time, it's still gratifying to keep track of the progress each year.
Despite K-pop's growing popularity, this doesn't mean that their albums are sold in every store where a fan exists. There are still cities that either sell the albums too late, or don't at all. It is for these reasons why iTunes is such a blessing because it allows for these countries and places to purchase the album still without having to wrack and attack every music store because the albums aren't on the shelves yet.
And the fact that iTunes rankings are mentioned when announcing an artists' albums' accolades, this should be enough proof that iTunes is relevant and is a staple for international listeners.
In a recent case, Kim Hyun Joong is rumored to be struggling on the charts in Korea, barely at 95 then out of the ranks altogether with the album title song "Your Story", but his album already made and broke 8 iTunes charts at presstime. One, this proves that Kim Hyun Joong is the Hallyu prince, and has a bigger international following than at home.
If anything, iTunes and iTunes rankings reveal opportunity for K-pop where in pre-iTunes era people would have abandoned possibilities, just because sales in Korea is not quite cutting it. Also, iTunes makes K-pop available sooner for international fans. While in now bygone eras, international fans may need to wait four to five weeks to receive an album, iTunes now makes the same thing accessible almost on-demand.
For the most part iTunes is good for K-pop. Because of the immediacy of availability and ease of access, there could be implications in terms of the length of album promotion cycles, or even spacing between album releases. There will be greater demand, with expectations set high for instant access. Wait until K-pop also becomes readily available on Google Play, the possibilities will be endless.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Redefining 'Live' Concerts, KPop Stars To Tour Globally Via Holograms [VIDEO]
"With the idols' hectic schedules and huge costs required to send them to different countries, entertainment agencies consider this holographic solution to be an answer," according to CNet Asia. "This was theorized to be a more economical and efficient method of bringing stars to their fans in different parts of the world."
One of the agencies has already established a hologram theatre which includes a 3D performance by PSY, in a theme park. The other plans to open a "V-Theater" concert hall next month.
Holograms may be a clever brand extension in a theme park; but in concert. will fans care that their favorite stars are not there performing live? Or is this just a logical extension of auto-tune and performing to track.
Here is Girls' Generation performing a "V Concert"
Scandals prompt South Koreans to dissolve celebrity soldier unit
(CNN) -- From unauthorized dates to drunken massage parlor trips, some of South Korea's biggest K-Pop stars have been giving the military a bad name -- and now the top brass has had enough.
In a country where the mandatory two-year military service for all males is a big deal, the suggestion that celebrity recruits have been enjoying preferential treatment has created a fierce nationwide backlash. In addition to leading the top trending subjects on all nationwide news portals, social media and news sites were swamped by angry user comments, while military barracks rumbled with soldiers' complaints.
So last week the Ministry of National Defense announced it would be scrapping its celebrity soldier unit.
"Although we initially formed the unit to promote the military, a number of unfortunate incidents damaged the public image of the military and lowered the morale of all the regular soldiers who are in the service," said the ministry's vice-spokesperson Wi Yong-seob at a press conference.
Preferential treatment
On January 1 this year, South Korea awoke to paparazzi photos that showed K-Pop star Rain was secretly dating top actress Kim Tae-hee.
No more miniskirts in Seoul? New law has Koreans buzzing
Rain landed himself in hot water because he was halfway through his military service and his secret liaisons involved special leave that is not given to regular soldiers, as well as civilian contact -- which is not permitted during duty.
Last month, a local TV crew secretly taped a group of celebrity soldiers, including Rain and fellow K-Pop star Seven, drinking together in a private restaurant following a performance to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the Korean War.
Adding insult to injury, two of the celebs, Seven and Sangchu, then reportedly broke away from the group to visit an illegal massage parlor, which was also broadcast on national TV.
The backlash was immediate and furious, with the public demanding disciplinary action and musing about the integrity of military service.
In the barracks
"This news about Seven and Sangchu is a sign of the lack of military discipline even during the 20-month service period. And so the degeneration of the military service will continue," tweeted well-known lawyer Choi Young-ho.
Soldiers currently serving in the army were particularly disgruntled.
"The news made everyone very angry in the barracks," said Yoo-min Kim, 24, whose army service ended in May. "The question we were all asking was 'why do they get to have that kind of special treatment?'"
Some even questioned their entertainment value.
The fallout
"What soldiers would like to see for those special concerts are the girl groups and not some male singer," said Kim Kwon, 29, who was recently discharged from the Ministry of Defense.
With the closure of their unit, the 16 celebrity soldiers will be sent to regular military units -- with eight of them facing punishment for violating military rules. In the past, punishment for a similar offense ranged from reduced leave to a spell in a military jail.
The history
Two members are being deployed to units in the provinces -- which will come as a rude shock after their relatively cushy desk job in the capital.
First formed 16 years ago, the celebrity unit acted as the military's public relations office, and was comprised of singers, actors and comedians who used their various "skills" in public capacities such as concerts for soldiers or military broadcasts.
However, the issue of celebrities enlisting in the military has long been a controversial subject in South Korea.
With the popularity of Korean entertainment soaring overseas, some say that the K-Pop stars and actors should be exempt from army service due to the substantial foreign revenue they bring into the country.
In a similar vein, athletes are exempted from army service if they medal at the Olympic Games or win gold medals in the Asian Games.
Famous cases
But it tends to be a more sensitive issue when it comes to entertainers.
Psy is one of the most high-profile cases -- the "Gangnam Style" star famously repeated his two-year sentence in 2007 for negligence during duty in the form of private concerts and TV show appearances.
The entertainer who started it all, though, was a Korean-American singer in the 1990s called Yoo Seungjun.
The king of the K-Pop scene at the time, Yoo had voiced his eagerness to perform his military duty several times on television. But when the time actually came for him to enlist, the singer did an about-face and applied to become a U.S. citizen.
The public felt massively betrayed and in a stunning move, the South Korean government deported Yoo and banned him from the country for life.
"Since the controversy involving Yoo, the issue of military service has been taken extremely seriously and people have stricter standards toward TV stars," Korean pop columnist Moon Han-pyeong told South Korean newspaper Joongang Daily.
"People think there should be no special treatment or exemption for any group."
What the Backstreet Boys Could Learn From K
AP Photo / Disney-ABC Domestic Television, David Steele
The Backstreet Boys release their 20th-anniversary album In a World Like This today, the group's first record since This is Us came out in 2009. The members have been making the usual promotion-cycle rounds: going on a comeback tour, dropping by radio stations, appearing on morning shows.
But the fact that this group is turning two decades old means it's been together for longer than many of today's most plugged-in pop music listeners have been on Earth. And the band's popularity isn't what it once was; Backstreet's last album, This Is Us, debuted at No. 9 on the US Billboard 200 and only produced two singles of middling success. The group toured with New Kids on the Block in 2011, which cashed in on the nostalgia of people converted more than a decade ago but probably didn't mint many new fans.
Related Story
Icona Pop, K-Pop, and the Winter of American Group PopThe Backstreet Boys have discussed how the music market has changed significantly since the days of "As Long as You Love Me," so they are aware that grabbing young listeners won't be easy. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, member Kevin Richardson discusses how today's mass audience constantly expects new content from artists because of social media, which wasn't around when the Backstreet Boys were at their peak. So to attract new fans, the boy group of yesteryear may need to readjust its strategy.
Luckily, they have a model to imitate: Shinhwa, the Korean equivalent of the Backstreet Boys.
Korea's pop industry is much younger than America's own, but its trends mirror those in the U.S.: dubstep, autotune, music competition shows, etc. But unlike in America of late, Korea has latched onto group acts with particular ferocity. It has turned the production of boy and girl collectives (called "idol groups") into a science, designing them to do way more than sing and dance. While K-pop is beginning to incorporate more variety in musical styles and artists -- thanks in part to said competition shows -- idol groups still dominate and ultimately are where the money is. In 2012 alone, a staggering 61 group acts and duos made their debuts, 33 of which were male.
So K-pop knows a thing or two about boy bands. Rewind to 1998, when SM Entertainment debuted a group called Shinhwa. The six-membered boy band would go on to release four studio albums and win 17 music awards under SM before leaving the label in 2003. They are currently the longest-running male musical group in Korea, recently releasing their 11th studio album to commemorate their 15th anniversary.
As a group, Shinhwa is five years younger than the Backstreet Boys, but its approach to becoming the most prominent men-who-used-to-be-boys band of its home country is years ahead of Nick Carter & co.
All six of Shinhwa's members are in their 30s, and those physically fit to do so have completed their government-mandated stints in the army. In their 15 years together as a group, they've consistently released music, gone on tour, and appeared on television. Their 2012 album The Return sold more than 80,000 copies last year, which is a solid number in Korea for a group coming back after a four-year hiatus, competing against artists in an oversaturated market. Currently, some members act, others make music, and some are even involved in helping produce the next generation of idol groups. All of this keeps Shinhwa on the Korean public's ears and minds.
Aside from Shinhwa's omnipresence, an integral part to the group's longevity is smart self-awareness. In a recent episode of SNL Korea that Shinhwa hosted, the members poked fun of themselves in a skit aptly titled " A Night at the Museum." They play much younger versions of themselves, acting literally as relics from another time, on display for visitors to mock. Dressed in boy-band garb from a past decade, Shinhwa stand in formation as young museum goers express confusion at the group's identity, not recognizing who they are.
In a Digital Short from the same episode, Shinhwa play life-insurance salesmen, selling a product called " Idol Retirement Insurance Plan," a package designed to provide retired idols with fawning fans to celebrate birthday parties with, ass-kissing from active artists, and most importantly, stalkers to make the retired idols feel young and well-loved.
Nobody's saying that the Backstreet Boys need to bro out with One Direction. (But can you imagine?) Still, connecting with the younger crop of artists would make them appear less outdated.
The skits are tame, but their self-condescension shows that Shinhwa gets it. It's charming to see the band members acknowledge the ridiculousness of people their age performing synchronized routines to pop songs aimed at teens, to see them show some awareness that they could soon become actual has-beens.
What the Backstreet Boys can learn from Shinhwa, then, is to get over the awkwardness of being grown men in a boy band and embrace the jokes thrown their way. Their current promotional strategy, however, isn't really helping on that front. They're dating themselves constantly by harping on old slogans ("Backstreet's back!") with complete earnestness. They over-rely on puns that only older fans would get, or worse yet, puns that will only serve to trigger sneers from younger pop fans (" Can't believe Millennium went Number One 14 years ago today! You guys continue to make us feel Larger Than Life. :)"). They participated in Letterman's " Top 10" segment to sing updated lyrics to their best-known songs, referencing Justin Bieber's monkey problems and making an obvious Chris Christie fat joke--a shtick that made them seem like out-of-touch uncles trying too hard to show they're up on pop culture.
Another point of comparison lies in the K-pop outfit's variety show, " Shinhwa Broadcast," which brings on a wide array of younger groups. In the episodes, both the guests and Shinhwa play games and compete, among other activities. It's a hit, and great for Shinhwa's public image. Bringing on popular, young groups both helps rope in their fans and gives Shinhwa the opportunity to be "one of the guys" with the younger crowd, situating them as still-relevant peers as well as influential elders.
Korean culture has strict hierarchies in place, which makes fostering relationships between younger groups and older groups easier. While these junior-senior relationships don't exactly translate over to America, the Backstreet Boys should realize that younger groups on the scene -- and their fans -- can help them. What's more, the group could not have asked for a better time to return: Boy bands are becoming mainstream again. Though acts like One Direction and The Wanted are careful to make the distinction that they're more "band" than "boy," they remain five-membered pop groups that heavily rely on their looks and youth to influence the desires (and wallets) of hormonal teens.
Nobody's saying that the Backstreet Boys need to bro out with One Direction. (But can you imagine?) What they do need is to realize that connecting with the younger crop of artists would make them appear less outdated. They need to take full advantage of social media, and of the producers and execs out there who would love to sit a veteran boy group together with a young, hot European one. They need a lightly self-mocking SNL appearance. Maybe they could line up some interesting endorsement deals. The possibilities seem endless, but whatever the solution, it doesn't involve "Backstreet's back."
Scandals prompt South Koreans to dissolve celebrity soldier unit
(CNN) -- From unauthorized dates to drunken massage parlor trips, some of South Korea's biggest K-Pop stars have been giving the military a bad name -- and now the top brass has had enough.
In a country where the mandatory two-year military service for all males is a big deal, the suggestion that celebrity recruits have been enjoying preferential treatment has created a fierce nationwide backlash. In addition to leading the top trending subjects on all nationwide news portals, social media and news sites were swamped by angry user comments, while military barracks rumbled with soldiers' complaints.
So last week the Ministry of National Defense announced it would be scrapping its celebrity soldier unit.
"Although we initially formed the unit to promote the military, a number of unfortunate incidents damaged the public image of the military and lowered the morale of all the regular soldiers who are in the service," said the ministry's vice-spokesperson Wi Yong-seob at a press conference.
Preferential treatment
On January 1 this year, South Korea awoke to paparazzi photos that showed K-Pop star Rain was secretly dating top actress Kim Tae-hee.
No more miniskirts in Seoul? New law has Koreans buzzing
Rain landed himself in hot water because he was halfway through his military service and his secret liaisons involved special leave that is not given to regular soldiers, as well as civilian contact -- which is not permitted during duty.
Last month, a local TV crew secretly taped a group of celebrity soldiers, including Rain and fellow K-Pop star Seven, drinking together in a private restaurant following a performance to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the Korean War.
Adding insult to injury, two of the celebs, Seven and Sangchu, then reportedly broke away from the group to visit an illegal massage parlor, which was also broadcast on national TV.
The backlash was immediate and furious, with the public demanding disciplinary action and musing about the integrity of military service.
In the barracks
"This news about Seven and Sangchu is a sign of the lack of military discipline even during the 20-month service period. And so the degeneration of the military service will continue," tweeted well-known lawyer Choi Young-ho.
Soldiers currently serving in the army were particularly disgruntled.
"The news made everyone very angry in the barracks," said Yoo-min Kim, 24, whose army service ended in May. "The question we were all asking was 'why do they get to have that kind of special treatment?'"
Some even questioned their entertainment value.
The fallout
"What soldiers would like to see for those special concerts are the girl groups and not some male singer," said Kim Kwon, 29, who was recently discharged from the Ministry of Defense.
With the closure of their unit, the 16 celebrity soldiers will be sent to regular military units -- with eight of them facing punishment for violating military rules. In the past, punishment for a similar offense ranged from reduced leave to a spell in a military jail.
The history
Two members are being deployed to units in the provinces -- which will come as a rude shock after their relatively cushy desk job in the capital.
First formed 16 years ago, the celebrity unit acted as the military's public relations office, and was comprised of singers, actors and comedians who used their various "skills" in public capacities such as concerts for soldiers or military broadcasts.
However, the issue of celebrities enlisting in the military has long been a controversial subject in South Korea.
With the popularity of Korean entertainment soaring overseas, some say that the K-Pop stars and actors should be exempt from army service due to the substantial foreign revenue they bring into the country.
In a similar vein, athletes are exempted from army service if they medal at the Olympic Games or win gold medals in the Asian Games.
Famous cases
But it tends to be a more sensitive issue when it comes to entertainers.
Psy is one of the most high-profile cases -- the "Gangnam Style" star famously repeated his two-year service in 2007 for negligence during duty in the form of private concerts and TV show appearances.
The entertainer who started it all, though, was a Korean-American singer in the 1990s called Yoo Seungjun.
The king of the K-Pop scene at the time, Yoo had voiced his eagerness to perform his military duty several times on television. But when the time actually came for him to enlist, the singer did an about-face and applied to become a U.S. citizen.
The public felt massively betrayed and in a stunning move, the South Korean government deported Yoo and banned him from the country for life.
"Since the controversy involving Yoo, the issue of military service has been taken extremely seriously and people have stricter standards toward TV stars," Korean pop columnist Moon Han-pyeong told South Korean newspaper Joongang Daily.
"People think there should be no special treatment or exemption for any group."
Scandals prompt South Koreans to dissolve celebrity soldier unit
(CNN) -- From unauthorized dates to drunken massage parlor trips, some of South Korea's biggest K-Pop stars have been giving the military a bad name -- and now the top brass has had enough.
In a country where the mandatory two-year military service for all males is a big deal, the suggestion that celebrity recruits have been enjoying preferential treatment has created a fierce nationwide backlash. In addition to leading the top trending subjects on all nationwide news portals, social media and news sites were swamped by angry user comments, while military barracks rumbled with soldiers' complaints.
So last week the Ministry of National Defense announced it would be scrapping its celebrity soldier unit.
"Although we initially formed the unit to promote the military, a number of unfortunate incidents damaged the public image of the military and lowered the morale of all the regular soldiers who are in the service," said the ministry's vice-spokesperson Wi Yong-seob at a press conference.
Preferential treatment
On January 1 this year, South Korea awoke to paparazzi photos that showed K-Pop star Rain was secretly dating top actress Kim Tae-hee.
No more miniskirts in Seoul? New law has Koreans buzzing
Rain landed himself in hot water because he was halfway through his military service and his secret liaisons involved special leave that is not given to regular soldiers, as well as civilian contact -- which is not permitted during duty.
Last month, a local TV crew secretly taped a group of celebrity soldiers, including Rain and fellow K-Pop star Seven, drinking together in a private restaurant following a performance to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the Korean War.
Adding insult to injury, two of the celebs, Seven and Sangchu, then reportedly broke away from the group to visit an illegal massage parlor, which was also broadcast on national TV.
The backlash was immediate and furious, with the public demanding disciplinary action and musing about the integrity of military service.
In the barracks
"This news about Seven and Sangchu is a sign of the lack of military discipline even during the 20-month service period. And so the degeneration of the military service will continue," tweeted well-known lawyer Choi Young-ho.
Soldiers currently serving in the army were particularly disgruntled.
"The news made everyone very angry in the barracks," said Yoo-min Kim, 24, whose army service ended in May. "The question we were all asking was 'why do they get to have that kind of special treatment?'"
Some even questioned their entertainment value.
The fallout
"What soldiers would like to see for those special concerts are the girl groups and not some male singer," said Kim Kwon, 29, who was recently discharged from the Ministry of Defense.
With the closure of their unit, the 16 celebrity soldiers will be sent to regular military units -- with eight of them facing punishment for violating military rules. In the past, punishment for a similar offense ranged from reduced leave to a spell in a military jail.
The history
Two members are being deployed to units in the provinces -- which will come as a rude shock after their relatively cushy desk job in the capital.
First formed 16 years ago, the celebrity unit acted as the military's public relations office, and was comprised of singers, actors and comedians who used their various "skills" in public capacities such as concerts for soldiers or military broadcasts.
However, the issue of celebrities enlisting in the military has long been a controversial subject in South Korea.
With the popularity of Korean entertainment soaring overseas, some say that the K-Pop stars and actors should be exempt from army service due to the substantial foreign revenue they bring into the country.
In a similar vein, athletes are exempted from army service if they medal at the Olympic Games or win gold medals in the Asian Games.
Famous cases
But it tends to be a more sensitive issue when it comes to entertainers.
Psy is one of the most high-profile cases -- the "Gangnam Style" star famously repeated his two-year sentence in 2007 for negligence during duty in the form of private concerts and TV show appearances.
The entertainer who started it all, though, was a Korean-American singer in the 1990s called Yoo Seungjun.
The king of the K-Pop scene at the time, Yoo had voiced his eagerness to perform his military duty several times on television. But when the time actually came for him to enlist, the singer did an about-face and applied to become a U.S. citizen.
The public felt massively betrayed and in a stunning move, the South Korean government deported Yoo and banned him from the country for life.
"Since the controversy involving Yoo, the issue of military service has been taken extremely seriously and people have stricter standards toward TV stars," Korean pop columnist Moon Han-pyeong told South Korean newspaper Joongang Daily.
"People think there should be no special treatment or exemption for any group."
Monday, July 22, 2013
Least Popular Members in Popular K
Least Popular Members in Popular Groups Part I
Continuing from our part I of least popular members in big groups, let's tackle part II of our post!
2PM's least member is debatable. Some people have said Junho but I highly disagree with this answer. He's currently kicking major booty with films, dramas, solo concerts, etc. In my personal opinion, the least loved member of 2PM would have to be a toss-up between Jun.K and Chansung. Taec and Nichkhun get the most love in the group but I never hear of either Junsu and Chansung any kind of success outside of the group. What do you think?
There are only two members of SISTAR that I know by name and those members are Hyorin and Bora. Other members Dasom and Soyu are unknown in my K-pop bank of knowledge, which is unfortunate because these two are known for vocals! Did you know Soyu is the lead vocalist of the group?
Wonder Girls have been through lots of losses and gains when it comes to members. The current group is made up of Sunye, Lim, Sohee, Yoobin, and Yeeun. Before Lim it was Sunmi who was loved by many. Unfortunately, being the new girl is tough and Lim gets zero to no love. Often referred as the "ugly" member, Lim hasn't been embraced in WG like we hoped she would be.
The longest standing boy band, Shinhwa's youngest member Andy is by far the least most popular member. I give him props for trying to compete with his members but there was a time where Andy realized his purpose was useless, and left the group. Thanks to the support of his members, Andy made a comeback with the group and has since stayed loyal to fans and his music brothers for 15 years. He's found success in his solo career and being a cutie pie on variety shows.
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Fantasy K
Last month, Grammy Award-winning singer Chrisette Michele gave an interview with Daum Music in which she praised teenage singing sensation and 15& member Baek Yerin.
The American singer said she was moved to tears while watching Yerin's rendition of "Like A Dream."
"I recently watched 15& member Baek Yerin sing 'Like A Dream' online. Although she looked as young as 15 years old, I could not believe how much she sounded like me," said Michele. "When I saw her perform, I started to cry like a baby."
Covering songs is, at times, dangerous business. Artists run the risk of underperforming when compared to the song's original singer, being called 'unoriginal' or worse, being labeled an imposter.
When it is done well, or when the song's arrangement is fresh, a cover has the ability to launch a singer into the limelight.
With such a remarkable response from Chrisette Michele, Baek Yerin has started being noticed by industry professionals around the world.
Michele later uploaded the "Like A Dream" cover to her Twitter and sent a video message to the teenager. "I'm sure there are a lot of people who have been impressed by your performance as well," she said in the message. "Thank you for showing your sincerity and your heart."
Obviously, Baek Yerin along with her 15& musical partner Park Jimin, are talented young ladies with powerful voices.
Jimin was the winner of K-Pop Star, a reality singing competition show and shortly after the show finished, signed with record label JYP Entertainment.
Yerin, had already been a trainee at the company for several years following her appearance on Star King where she was introduced as an 'R&B genius' at only the age of ten.
Still at the beginning of their careers, 15& do not have any sort of expansive repertoire behind them, but they do have drive and talent. Given the opportunity to explore their own sound and experiment with different styles, a lot can be expected of Jimin and Yerin in the future.
At nearly twice their age, Chrisette Michele has already released four studio albums, won a Grammy Award for her song "Be OK" and has worked alongside some of the biggest and most prominent names in music.
The American singer-songwriter has paved her own way in the industry from her gospel beginnings to her unique jazz and hip-hop infused R&B sounds.
A collaboration between 15& and Chrisette Michele would need to be a little different from a typical artist mash-up.
Not wanting the young Korean singers to fall into the "cover trap" reworking an old song together would not be in everyone's best interest. Writing a new song to perform together also does not seem like the right way to go about things as Michele is so powerful on her own and there are some style differences and language issues to be considered.
What would, then, be the best way to go about seeing 15& perform with Chrisette Michele would be in a live concert setting. Michele has already praised Yerin and Jimin for their talent as singers, but the young girls are still relatively inexperienced as a whole. Being invited to open for Chrisette Michele on tour would be an exceptional way for them to gain valuable experience.
Chrisette Michele, too, would be able to spread her music more easily around Asia by pairing up with the Korean stars.
The Grammy-winning singer has recently released her fourth studio album Better and has signed on to support Keyshia Cole and Mary J. Blige in their tours this year, but perhaps the next solo tour she holds could feature 15& as a supporting act.
To check out previous editions of Fantasy K-Pop Collab, click HERE
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Anna Kendrick's “Cups” Gets A K
Anna Kendrick's surprise, slow-burn top 10 hit " Cups (Pitch Perfect's "When I'm Gone")" has been covered by relatively unknown K-Pop girl band SPICA. Their version shows a high degree of passion for the original - the ladies have the cup moves down pat - but something is definitely lost in translation.
It doesn't help that the video is unintentionally hilarious. Look out for the random dude who walks into the room only to shooed away by a clearly annoyed PR person, who then accidentally wanders into frame to take pics. Girls Generation have nothing to worry about yet!
Is this a hit or miss? You be the judge in the comments.
[Via Billboard].
K
It's time for a new series here at Kpopstarz called "K-pop Face Off" where we pile one idol star against the another and you tell us who your choice is. Today's face-off is Girls' Generation's Yoona and miss A's Suzy.
Every group has one member that rises above the rest in popularity, endorsements, and tv appearances. Yoona is that member in Korea's most popular girl group, SNSD, and Suzy is the superstar in Miss A. Both idol singers are the current "IT" girls in Korea and both have proven their worth through their numerous amounts of CFs, drama leads, and endorsements. But who is the most popular of all?
SNSD's Yoona is long, pretty, natural, talented, and loved by the masses. She first debuted with Girls Generation, where she caught the eyes of all everywhere. Though she is a singer, she's also known for her success in dramas. Starring in dramas such as "9 Ends, 2 Outs," "You Are My Destiny," "Cinderella Man," and "Love Rain," Yoona found fast fame with audiences everywhere with her charm and likability. In addition to her singing and acting ways, she was a cast member on the variety show, "Family Outing Season 2," and was an MC for the 2011 KBS Entertainment Awards, the 2011 SBS Gayo Daejeon, and the 2012 KBS Gayo Daejun. She's currently a model for Clean & Clear, YeJiMin Pad, Innisfree Cosmetics, S-Oil, Eider, Ciba Vision's DAILIES & FreshLook Contact Lenses.
On top of her success as a model, singer, actor, and female eye candy goddess, Yoona's bagged some #1 spots on popularity poll charts including the following: Idol with the most seductive eyes, idol with eyes that resemble a snow flower, most beautiful star with an egg line face shape, the top female artist you want to spend the hottest season with, the star you'd want to kiss on the coming of age day, celebrity born in 1990 with the biggest potential to go far, idol with the most beautiful smile, the woman most females want to be like, the celebrity with the healthiest skin, the star with the hottest hairstyle, the celebrity you'd like to be born again as, most beautiful among SM's female singers, Japanese fans' favorite SNSD member, and the idol you'd find most difficult to forget as a first love. Basically, she's popular ya'll!
Moving on to Miss A's Suzy. Yoona may be a huge hit, but there's no one that can hold a candle to Suzy's rapid success. She debuted with JYP's Miss A as a singer, dancer, and rapper. The group is full of talented ladies but Suzy has quickly become the group's superstar. She began her outside activities as a hot for MBC Show! Music Core and later hosted other suchs like Inkigayo, M! Countdown, M! countdown Hello Japan, the 21st Seoul Music Awards, 26th Golden Disk Awards, Mnet 20's Choice Awards. She then moved on to debut in dramas like "Dream High," and won the hearts of Korea in her film debut, "Introduction to Architecture." She's the first Korean female celebrity to have more than a whopping million followers on Twitter and is the first to win a singer rookie award, drama rookie award, and movie rookie award (Best New Actress Award at the 48th Paeksang Awards). She's currently ratings ass in "Gu Family Book" alongside Lee Seung Gi. It's also been confirmed that she's more popular for commercials than all 9 girls of Girls Generation. What does that tell you?
So who is it folks? Who will win this face-off? Suzy or Yoona? Tell us in the comments below!
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Road To K
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Nicole was a contestant on the SBS K-Pop Star season 2 and she will be the first to tell you she was as surprised as the next person when she was selected and kept advancing in the show. Nicole comes from the American mid-west and has a heritage that's as far from Korean as you get, with an African-American father and European-American mother.
Surprisingly, the K-pop Star 3 auditions will be bypassing New York City, but instead will head towards Nicole's neck-of-the woods in Chicago, which is America's number one mid-western city. Is it possible that with her success, the organizers of K-Pop Star are looking for more hidden treasure, and that the New York's talent pool has been exhausted?
Well, those in the New York talent pool can take heart, because there's a new K-Pop related reality talent show audition coming to the New York/New Jersey area. It's called Dream Stage ( www.mydreamstage.com). The auditions begin on July 20, 2013 and will be broadcast on the Korean Broadcasting Network (myKBN.com). The executive producer, Jay Lee who worked with 2NE1, LeeSSang and B.A.P. during their American tour, says the show is "for musicians dreaming about the big stage" and his wish is that "local armature musicians will challenge themselves" and aspire to playing to a global audience.
As Nicole's relative success, which led to a brief-stint at YG, shows it is possible for non-Korean Americans to make significant headway in Kpop auditions. In the final analysis, aspiring contestants can learn from her by having a bright personality - genuinely smile and laugh a lot, showcase your skills - some originality won't hurt, and be open to new things - as Nicole was with acupuncture as suggested to her by Epik High's Tablo. Most importantly though, is have fun.
Interview: John O. Email him at: JohnO[at]KpopStarz [dot]com | Twitter: @GoodMoMusic
K
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Sunday, July 21, 2013
JYJ Yoochun Voted The Artist Who Best Represents K
The final results of Stage 2 of the KpopStarz semiannual reader poll are in, and JYJ singer Yoochun has been named the artist who best represents K-Pop so far this year.
Yoochun came out on top ahead of his former TVXQ group-mates U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin with 20.33% of the vote.
It seems like fans of Stage 1 'Group Who Expanded the Most Globally in the First Half of 2013' winners TVXQ were divided over which member to vote for - Yunho received 12.62% of reader votes and Changmin rounded out the top three with 9.4%.
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Yoochun's fellow JYJ members Jaejoong and Junsu also made their ways into the top ten at number five (6.5%) and number eight (3.47%) respectively.
The results raise an interesting point - unified or divided, the original five members of TVXQ remain a constant force in the Korean music industry a decade after their debut.
There were a variety of other noteworthy idols who had strong showings in our poll results. CNBLUE leader Jung Yonghwa was just barely beat out for the third spot by Max Changmin, and came in fourth with 9.05% of the votes, also topping last year's winner Jaejoong.
Kai and Luhan, two EXO members, one from EXO-K and one from EXO-M found themselves among the poll leaders, ranking sixth and tenth overall.
The only female idol to make it into the top ten was f(x)'s Victoria at number seven and Big Bang leader and solo sensation G-Dragon made an appearance at number nine with a respectable 3.26%.
The first solo artist to rank was Kim Hyun Joong at number 11, while the next female on the list is 15th place finisher Jiyeon of girl group T-Ara.
You can view the full results HERE.
Thanks to all of you who voted!
K
2AM member Seulong shared photos capturing himself and the rest of 2PM members enjoying their drinks for the night.On July 21, Seulong uploaded the photos on their tweeter account with the message saying, "It's been so long since we've all been together! I'm so happy. Even taking the day off can seem no different than the rest. What you need is Hennessy (cognac)."The uploaded photo shows Seulong has his arm slung over Wooyoung while making the peace sign as Wooyoung flashes his angelic face for the camera shot. On the other uploaded photo features Chansung and Taecyeon raise their wine glasses as to celebrate their gentleman's night out.
Internet users who saw the uploaded photos gaves their comments saying, "Aww, I wish I could join in on their party!", "I wonder what the other members are doing?", "Their playful poses are too cute" and "Looks like they know how to enjoy a glass of wine!"Looks like the boys of 2AM and 2PM really have fun on their gentleman's night out.
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K
They also added information about much awaited performance of the group stating, "AOA will be performing their own songs, and also perform their own arrangement of AKB48's 'Heavy Rotation'."
AOA Black which is the band sub-unit of AOA is consisting namely of Ji Min, Cho-A, Yuna, Yoo Kyung, Min Ah will be joined by their original members Hye Jeung, Seol Hyun and Chanmi as they are set to perform both as a band and dance groups -- featuring their popular songs --'ELVIS' and 'Get Out'.AOA debuted first in Korea, almost a year before their upcoming Japanese showcase, in July 30 of 2012. Since then, they have proved that even though they were rookies in the business they still manage to give a greater impact to audiences especially overseas.
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Members SeolHyun and HyeJung also showed their acting prowess recently starring in dramas and FTISLAND's music videos.
Recently, AOA Black also released teasers for their upcoming comeback title track entitled 'MOYA',which caught the attention of listeners worldwide including countries like Taiwan, America, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, and Brazil.
The full length music video of AOA Black' MOYA' is scheduled to be released on July 26.
My K
Awarded the "Fashionista Award" at the Golden Disc Awards in Malaysia earlier this year, FTISLAND Lee Hong Ki cemented his fashion-forward status in K-pop. Ever since 2010, the rock band's lead vocalist has taken a liking to nail art. This habit is quite uncommon given that Lee Hong Ki is a guy, but his nail art habits has always caught attention.
Earlier this year, Lee Hong Ki hinted on his Twitter about the possibility of authoring a book on nail art, giving him some room to pursue his passion. And this hint has recently come to fruition with the release of his co-authored book with his favorite nail art provider 'Trend-N'. Ever since the book release was announced, Lee Hong Ki has swept the Japanese and Korean book charts, topping for weeks in a row by now.
As his band recently wrapped a whirlwind arena tour in Japan, Lee Hong Ki comes home to Korea to promote his book, which remains at the top of the charts.
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In this first episode of "My K-pop Stash", KpopStarz walks you through the Limited Edition of the book so you can see what the hype is all about (and perhaps even grab a copy for yourself).
The Limited Edition of Lee Hong Gi Nail Book features eight stylings of nail art for the actor-singer-idol, as well as self-help tips on nail art. Also featured in the book are nail art destinations in both Korea and Japan. In Korea, these nail art destinations (for supplies) can be found in Namsan-dong, Uljiro and Gangnam.
The book also comes with a making DVD, and a random draw box which has nail art accessories and a coupon for Trend-N services in Korea. Trend-N is located in Cheongdamdong in Gangnam district, quite near the JYP building.
The book's self-help section is primarily targeted to its main audience - female, featuring nail stylings ranging from pearled accents to pastel gradients. It is quite obvious that Lee Hong Ki was thinking of his readers when he prepared the book, more than himself - offering them advice suited to their tastes. For Primadonna, Lee Hong Ki fans and also nail art lovers, this book is truly a must-have on the shelf.
You can watch the Limited Edition Lee Hong Gi Nail Book unboxing video, here:
KpopStarz is accepting requests for future episodes of these series. Send your requests in via the comments section!
K
When Lee Byung Hun read the script for "Red 2," he saw that the assassin he played was described as having a "perfect body." And there would be a nude scene. So the "Iris" star worked out as much as he could. Creating the perfect abs takes him about three months, he said. And fans would say his abs in the movie were indeed perfect.
But that doesn't necessarily make them the best. On a recent episode of the Korean "Dynamic Gym" show, trainers voted actor Kwon Sang Woo, star of "Queen of Ambition" and of the upcoming drama "Medical Top Team" as having the best actor abs. Trainer Kim Seung Hyun said, "There are many muscular men, but in abs, Kwon Sang Woo is the best."
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With the obligatory shower or swimming pool scene featured in so many kdramas, actors have to work hard to stay in top shape. Here are a few kdrama actors whose workouts deserve a mention or maybe even applause:
So Ji Sub: The star of the cyber detective story "Phantom" will soon appear as a cynical boss in "The Master's Sun. The actor says he actually enjoys working out. He swims and lifts weights, exercising whenever he gets the chance.
Gong Yoo: The "Coffee Prince" and "Big" star thinks its more effective to exercise before you eat, but he fits workouts in whenever his filming schedule permits. The star, who recently played a client on "Dating Agency: Cyrano," also diets if a role requires him to take his shirt off. He plays basketball for fun.
Song Seung Hoon: He doesn't smoke, he only drinks occasionally and he exercises a lot to maintain his good looks and muscular build. He bulked up for his role as the thug-turned-successful businessman in "When A Man Loves." But then he also looked great in "My Princess" and is not above posting shirtless photos on Facebook and Twitter.
Chansung: Although it was not his first opportunity to show off his abs, the 2PM singer did get to flash them for the first time on a kdrama when he played a rookie agent in "Level 7 Civil Servant." Chansung showed how hard he works out by punching a sandbag. The production team said he had the talent to go head-to-head with professional boxers.
Taecyeon: Chansung's fellow 2PM member was chosen by the music industry as having the best kpop abs. He did wow Suzy's character with them in "Dream High" when she surprised him after a shower. To achieve his perfect physique, trainers recommend fast walking, plus back, shoulder and chest workouts, as well as aerobics for more an hour every day.
All that exercise is hard work but fans do appreciate the results.
Feature by: Kdramastars.com
K
On July 19th on KBS 2TV's show 'Yoo Hee Yeol's Sketchbook', where Ailee was a guest, the MC asked her about what particular event was there when she felt like she spilled some tears while singing. Ailee recalled her experience saying, "The first time I cried while singing happened after I made my debut in Korea and I sang the Korean national anthem at the opening ceremony for a baseball game. I cried then."Ailee continued to give some details about her experiences and explained the reason behind her tears saying "There weren't any opportunities for me to sing the Korean national anthem in the States. While I attended school in the States, I always thought of myself as a Korean person and I shared the Korean culture with my American friends. But I was finally able to sing the Korean national anthem for the first time."
Most of Ailee's interview were about her school days experiences and how proud she was being a Korean that she also shared her culture with her fellow classmates.Ailee was very overwhelmed by the audiences cheers saying, "After I finished singing, I was able to hear the cheers from the audience and I felt like we all became one through the Korean national anthem so I spilled tears", sharing her pride as a Korean artist.
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Spilling tears while singing any songs even the national anthem is a touching story. Being emotional helps to express the message of the song, it entails a certain depth and triumph that artists should also be able to deliver for the audiences to feel.
Last Day To Vote! Which Artist Best Represents K
We are just hours away from the end of Stage 2 of the semi-annual KpopStarz reader poll in which you get to tell us the artist you think best represents K-Pop during the first half of 2013!
At 11:59pm EST on July 21 the second poll will close - so if you haven't already, you can cast your votes HERE.
This year has already turned out to be a very exciting for K-Pop - new artist debuts, sub-unit projects, and long-awaited comebacks from some of our favorite Korean singers.
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With the first half of the KpopStarz reader poll finished, you had the chance to be heard by voting for the K-Pop group that has expanded their international influence the furthest so far this year with pop duo TVXQ coming out on top after a heated battle.
The second poll is underway now, so be sure to let your voice heard and vote for the artist you believe is most representative of K-Pop this year!
Below is a list of the nominees. While some artists are members of popular Korean groups, others have made an impact on the music industry with their own solo careers. Tell us what you think!
Which Artist Best Represents K-pop During First Half of 2013?
Ah Young: Dal ShabetAilee: SoloAJ: U-KissAmber: f(x)Andy: ShinhwaAron: NU'ESTBaekho: NU'ESTBaekhyun: EXO-KBaro: B1A4BoA: SoloBom: 2NE1Bomi: A PINKBora: SISTARBoram: T-ARA
C.A.P.: Teen TopChangjo: Teen TopChangsub: BTOBChansung: 2PMChanyeol: EXO-KChen: EXO-MCho Yong Pil: SoloChoi Jonghoon: FTISLANDChoi Minhwan: FTISLANDChorong: A PINKChunji: Teen TopCL: 2NE1CNU: B1A5
D.O.: EXO-KDaehyun: B.A.P.Daesung: Big BangDara: 2NE1Dasom: SISTARDi: RANIADonghae: Super JuniorDongho: U-KissDonghyun: BOYFRIENDDongjun: ZE:ADongwoo: INFINITEDongwoon: BEASTDoojoon: BEAST
Eddie Shin: AziatixEli: U-KissEric: ShinhwaEru: SoloEunhyuk: Super JuniorEunji: A PINKEunjung: T-ARAEunkwang: BTOBE-Young: After School
Fei: miss-AFlowsik: Aziatix
G.O: MBLAQGaeun: Dal ShabetGary: LeessangGayoon: 4minuteG-Dragon: Big BangGikwang: BEASTGil: LeessangGongchan: B1A4Gyuri: KARA
Ilhoon: BTOB
Max Changmin: TVXQMin: miss AMinah: Girls DayMinho: SHINeeMinhyuk: BTOBMinhyun: NU'ESTMinwoo: BOYFRIENDMinwoo: ZE:AMinzy: 2NE1Mir: MBLAQ
N: VIXXNaeun: A PINKNamjoo: A PINKNana: After SchoolNichkhun: 2PMNicky Lee: AziatixNicole: KARANiel: Teen Top
Onew: SHINee
Peniel: BTOBPSY: Solo
Qri: T-ara
Ram: D-UNITRania: After SchoolRavi: VIXXRen: NU'ESTRicky: Teen TopRoy Kim: SoloRyeowook: Super Junior
T-ae: RANIATaecyeon: 2PMTaeheon: ZE:ATaemin:SHINeeTaeyang: Big BangTaeyeon: Girls' GenerationTao: EXO-MThunder: MBLAQTiffany: Girls' GenerationT.O.P: Big Bang
UEE: After SchoolU-Know Yunho: TVXQUZin: D-UNIT
Victoria: f(x)
Woohee: Dal ShabetWoohyun:INFINITEWooyoung: 2PM
Xia: RANIAXiumin: EXO-M
Yesung: Super JuniorYong Guk: B.A.PYoochun: JYJYoona: Girls' GenerationYoseob: BEASTYoungjae: B.A.P.Youngmin: BOYFRIENDYura: Girl's DayYuri: Girls' Generation
Zelo: B.A.P.Zin: D-UNIT
VOTE NOW!
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