K-pop

Pop world cuppers over at Freaky Trigger may have seen Korea Republic flaming out of the tournament today. A solid run, with one genuine classic, but it prob gave non-fans an impression of the korean mainstream as a very one-dimensional thing, ALL hyperactive, tuneless aggro-pop. Not true.

Evidence to come. But first, today, from Bloomberg, on the massive, PEACEmaking power of k-pop:

“South Korea broadcast a pop song extolling freedom of choice and a warning on the dangers of overeating into North Korea, ending a six-year moratorium on propaganda in retaliation for the sinking of a warship…

The propaganda broadcast made on FM radio began at 6 p.m. local time yesterday when a woman anchor announced what she called the “voice of freedom.” North Korean listeners were regaled with a song by a South Korean girl band, Four Minute.

In the tune, “Huh,” the band sings: “When I say I want to appear on TV, when I say I want to become prettier, everybody says I can’t do it. Baby, you’re kidding me? I do as I please…”

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ai0hoXoCzgCw&pos=8

Obviously this song very much IS tuneless aggro-pop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daddHplnXEM

good on them. S. Korea has one of the most vibrant pop music scenes in the pacific rim.

Some girl groups of the past year and a half have set the tone with the clinical dishwasher-in-the-mix madness, but listen to the biggest female star of the last seven years, Lee Hyori, and her comeback single this year:

Elegant and effortless, and a real grower.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQlNeXA_9bs

i have a very old tape of a seo-taiji album composed of mediocre boyband pop, techno and death metal, but it's interesting that they put these disparate genres all on the same album.

I'm kinda big fan of korean girl groups (and not for entirely musical reasons ;_;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAAfW9PvkrQ

philip, I don't have much experience but I think it's quite common for Korean pop groups and maybe Asian pop groups in general to combine styles on albums

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9403-9CptH8

A fellow Korean presents...

"Tell me your wish!" Collectively enticing, collectively hollow, and lost in lights
This is where it's at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9dYLkmGuZs

kaito knows where it's at. SNSD are always one step ahead of the pack, their singles are EVENTS. I've enjoyed mostly everything they do. Their debut single is sickly sweet but incredibly catchy, and the sweetness belies the lyrics' emotions. Sentimental as I am I couldn't help reading a little korean history into its title, and ponder the changes pop culture has brought on the confucian attitudes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRBXRZzrvtQ

"Hot Issue" and "Bo Beep" are not my favorite tunes, although I like both groups. They're better when they add a little melody. T-ara's album is really solid.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-HG2Z6M4ww

wow SNSD are pretty great! I'm very much a neophyte w/r/t this stuff, the two I posted were just what I scribbled down from a thai music channel's top 20 countdown. hah

what else should I be checking out? the last korean group I really got into was H.O.T. ;_;

Check out every SNSD single first I guess. Otherwise, let's go through it artist for artist. To offer a contrast to SNSD, here's 2NE1 and their very American, Polow da Don-sounding, arrogant girlfriend-fronting hit "I Don't Care":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MgAxMO1KD0

But this year they also did a uniquely, 100% Korean single, "Try To Follow Me". It took a little time to settle, and seems like a bit of a marmite song, but to me it's incredibly attractive in a freewheeling, ramshackle way. The girls jump on the out-of-control track and tackle whatever obstacle that hits them. Bang-a-bang-a-bang, bang-a-bang-a-bang!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAJ6Xk9bnew

I'm not too keen on the sports-ignited nationalism, but this is otherwise fantastic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt8Mnvdp6S0&feature=related

God, I love subtly played ballads which pull it all off. This is glorious, mysterious, moving. The lyrics are great, fyi.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tyilXRSlCQ

Mind, I also love a grandose ballad of UNBEARABLE emotions.. Listen through to the end and hear BoA emoting with every breath she takes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49G4Gt1E1YE

The 'Applegirl' (김여희) who went viral a few months back with Gaga and Beyonce covers performed on four ipods has just released a 3-track single with her self-penned material, and it's great!

'My Music', a simple song which heads straight for a climax of melody and intensity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF42AM1v-mg

Here's her doing 'Slow Motion' by Karina
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VTOwtL6RE0

wow @ 'my music!' that girl's got a set of pipes.

I think I've listened to the song 5 times in a row now. thank god the youtube link make it so easy to acquire!

K-pop taking over Japan:

http://snsdkorean.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/2cqk2sg.jpg

Recent k-pop highlights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqxmS2djm2g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiJsDQiw3j4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ8QUqnK3vQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt6jNIcpbH8
k/j-pop:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bs0C0rKwzo

the synth sounds in that shinee song are like catnip to me

It's you and I, dyao, we'll stroll into the k-pop sunset singing high-budget production pop tunes all the way.

Main HBIC BoA with her korean comeback.. so self-confident she's basically gloating. Awesome, even though I prefer her rnb material.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqmaH915m6k

Lots of great material in here, thanks to everyone's contributions. I must confess I came across K-Pop via Super Junior, the 13 (!) member boy band/pop culture sensation of Korea. "Sorry, Sorry" is as good an intro as any, although there is much more on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qWp1p1cpE0

Because they have so many members there are sub-groups made up of various member configurations with names like "Super Junior-M" and (my favorite) "Super Junior Happy." I think concept trumps the actual music in the case of Super Junior but I can't help but be utterly fascinated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pit7RS4mPI0

True, and here's a nice SNSD (the five lead vocalists) take on 'Sorry Sorry'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkMdA7zsjn8

super junior t is the best!! srsly this song is 1x actual jam:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0K2R1Mw2IzI

(nb i have not really listened to any other suju)

these two playlists of kpop are good: http://bunnybissoux.blogspot.com/2010/06/where-did-all-k-pop-go.html

wait are they called super junior m because they sing in mandarin? that's some breaking-the-chinese-market strategy they've got going there.

Yeah they're basically some guys from Super Junior teamed up with two Chinese stars for Chinese market K-pop crossover potential. I *think* all their singles come out in Korean and Mandarin versions, though that may not be 100% accurate.

how do they usually get the mandarin sounding ok? software or ringers?

tbh the mandarin doesn't sound very ok

This is too sweet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI2OD-rIx6Y

These guys are on some sort of revival mission, and it's earworming its way into my heart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IldrTU6n5rI

^Great stuff and different from most of the K-Pop I've heard^

Thanks for posting.

yes, that is really nice! great summer jam, glad it showed up while there's still some summer left.

Starting today I'll go through all the #1 winners on long-running k-chart show "Music Bank", from September 2007 and onwards (because that's when Wiki starts listing every winner)... why not?

07-09-2007: Big Bang - Lies (3 non-consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=DZFaUp2PADM

"So sick of love songs", like Ne-Yo. Gets pretty grim lyrically. The melody sounds a little simple today, nothing much happens in the verses except for the quite good rapping. Big Bang have done better, but at their blandest they're still ok. The bass beat is a plus. 6/10

14-09-2007: FT Island - Lovesick (1 week on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=5bCr4Imp0Ts

Very little here to seperate it from countless other bombastic Asian rock songs, strings and all, but the melody is pleasant enough and I'm sure it's fun to belt out at your local noraebang. 5/10

I like this idea!

These first ones are bit boring so I'll go through a few more.

21-09-2007: Kang Jin - Ddang Beol (1 week on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=xup0ZFR2MjM

Simpler times, only three years ago. I very much doubt a trot (korean folk pop) song could win a chart show award today, and why should it? This is aimed squarely at older women, and since these tv shows count viewer votes as well I'm not really sure why it did win back in 07. I hear it featured in a movie, and the singer could charm the pants off your grandma. In any case it's trot on autopilot. 2/10

12-10-2007 FT Island - Thunder (1 week on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=UDmBGSH1tYo

Another one from these 20 year old guys, who - with their plodding songs - sound at least 20 years older than that. Slower and more careful than their previous #1, and a little more boring. 4/10

02-11-2007 Wonder Girls - Tell Me (2 consecutive weeks, 5 weeks in total + year-end win) -- youtube.com/watch?v=GFW1zxz9BDs

Wonder Girls broke some commercial milestones in Korea, but I've never cared for them. The songs and the girls are too bland (blame producer/boss JYP for the songs), and the fact that they have become the artists with the biggest push to break the American market is truly sad and has probably ruined opportunities for better-fit artists - past AND future. But this is by far their best song, flirty and light on its feet. 8/10

16-11-2007 Insooni - 거위의 꿈 (1 week on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=98cBKB4Vbzs

Revered Korean singer with Korean mother and African American father, and a 30 year career behind her. It's difficult to claim she doesn't deserve some awards, and the song sounds particularly nice performed live, where her personality shines through more than on record. 6/10

(Weeks of repeat winners and album chart shows follow)

21-12-2007 Big Bang - Last Farewell -- youtube.com/watch?v=7B2SyAf7EB4

Big Bang are already back! It's not hard to see why they dominated 2007 -- they do the modern RnB game dominated by Americans without coming off as second rate copycats, and they're explosive performers. This one's slightly better than "Lies". 7/10

2008 coming up.

18-01-2008 Ha-ha - You Are My Destiny (2 consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=Kql1GbYHi9o

It's worth reminding new, casual k-pop listeners that the aggressive electro pop spearheaded by groups such as 4Minute and copied by many is a recent trend and not the foundation of all k-pop (nor is it necessarily what sells the most now). This is about as mellow and passive as pop gets, a slight retro tune with few ideas spread thinly, but apparently with a hummable enough tune to give Mr Ha-Ha two weeks at the top. 4/10

15-02-2008 Park Ji Heon - The Day I Miss You (1 week on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=EpaIkOUA0gg

Mid-tempo ballad, lifted from a movie soundtrack, which just bores me endlessly. 2/10

22-02-2008 Brown Eyed Girls - LOVE (1 week on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=cof6QXhkOUA

This is interesting. B.E.G re-invented themselves (found their true calling) in 2009 with smash hit 'Abracadabra', and this first chart #1 from them is anonymous in comparison. Not bad, though - an airy chorus and pleasantness without sugary sweetness. Talented rapper Miryo is given parts, but her pizzaz fits better with the group's later material. 6/10

29-02-2008 Girls' Generation (SNSD) - Kissing You (February chart) -- youtube.com/watch?v=CRNANAUOIsM

My least favorite SNSD single because it's too satisfied with its own sweetness. Everything is harmony here, the girl even describing how her and her boo's feet synchronize when strolling along. "고마워 사랑해 행복만 줄게요" - "I only want to give you happiness, thank you and love you", uck! Too much. It's still catchy enough for a 6/10.

thanks for doing this! some real gems, but also some real stinkers. electropop, girl groups really are the best.

^ It's interesting to note the relative slim girl group pickings in the charts "back then". Now they're everywhere and new ones are popping up monthly. Girls' Generation were absent for almost the whole of 2008 and really weren't very popular among the general public.

07-03-2008 Jewelry - One More Time (7(!) consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=Dzkfz9UWu_E

Maybe that's why people loved the girl group hits they got so much? The few groups winning awards this year accounted for a lot of the weeks, combined. This is a straight remake of In-Grid's (remember Tu-Es-Foutu?) song and the European sound appealed to a lot of people. The appeal mainly comes from the same sampled gimmick as In-Grid's bigger hit. The song was bigger than the group, though, and they still haven't won another first place. 6/10

25-04-2008 Lee Seung-gi - I Will Give You Everything (1 week on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=G36N_Sem2So

Male ballad singer searches for ways to sufficiently pay back his girlfriend for being the most amazingly warm and caring person on earth. Fine and gentle, but very predictable unexciting. 3/10

02-05-2008 MC Mong - Circus (5 consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=TTUclwr-Jo0

It's the year of the huge hits. Funnyman and hip-hopper Mong calls out the naysayers with a big sing-a-long chorus and what sounds like an organ - apparently it's also the year of the aerophone instruments. 6/10

06-06-2008 Wonder Girls - So Hot (5 consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=lmun5PO54VE

In 2008 Wonder Girls were the biggest pop stars in Korea. This sounds really amazing for the first minute, but fails to take it all the way to 'masterpiece'. I had still underrated severely it in the back of my mind, though, but it IS the last good single they released. K-pop fans' opinions are split on the obligatory rap bits in so many pop singles (and designated rap members in girl groups), but why not? It's not like it doesn't fit as a bridge here. 8/10

Here's a K-Pop/J-Pop piece that Jaime Lowe wrote for the Voice 10 years ago, fwiw:

http://www.villagevoice.com/2000-02-01/music/so-much-difference/

That's interesting.. so much has changed in those ten years. "Low-tech" and "less money, less makeup" are probably the least fitting descriptions possible of the music and videos these days, although "a world unto itself, yet steeped in references" still describes it perfectly.
---

18-07-2008 Davichi - Love and War (1 week on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=V97rRGbO94o

Davichi are a female dance pop duo who specialize in slightly schlager-ish tunes. Most of their singles are perfectly listenable, ranging from a 6 to a 7 - this one gets a 6/10.

25-07-2008 Brown Eyes - Don't Go Don't Go (1 week on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=6VoUgXgDeGQ

Grand ballad. Male singer. About what you'd expect, but the video goes way beyond that. 3/10

01-08-2008 Lee Hyori - U-Go-Girl (3 consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=kRhwgQyyy6Q

For me, one of the quintessential k-pop singles. Cut-up and crazy, the intensity waxes and wanes through talk-singy, sprightly verses and a chorus which speeds things up and directs a frightening barrage of heavy beats in the general direction of the listener. The bridge, meanwhile, takes the concept of "several songs in one" to a mad new level. "U-Go-Girl" is everything that's both appealing about k-pop to so many and slightly baffling to others, and its catchiness lies in a certain je ne sais quoi of rhythm, repetition and power which may escape listeners out for a sugary pop fix. Adding to all of this the lyrics are funny and great, so I'm linking to a translated video. 10/10

Sorry, I guess that's actually the post-chorus* or second part of the chorus.

Girl groups knocked it out the fucking park yesterday. Three major new singles revealed.

Amazing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6jnCTkojOM

Sort of amazing (but with less glee):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKliL9QyFTQ

Forgot the Rich Harrison one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x14FT5_hm04

what's going on in that brown eyes video :o

catching up

22-08-2008 Big Bang - Day By Day (5 non-consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=MzCbEdtNbJ0

This is a fairly standard recipe for a k-pop rnb ballad - some angry-sounding rap parts contrasted with a bitter-sweet chorus, preferably featuring a weeping piano. I see now that girl group After School never won a Music Bank #1 with their hit "Because of You", but I recommend checking that one out for a prime example of this formula. That one's maybe strong 8/10, this a 5/10.

29-08-2008 Seo Tae-ji - Moai (1 week on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=tq_jBNAMb9g

Some sort of hymn to the statues of Eastern Island. Got nothing to say about this. 2/10

03-10-2008 Wonder Girls - Nobody (4 consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=3cspKsfe3VY

This is the song Wonder Girls later translated to English to try and break the American market with. This!? It's a limp, false appropriation of a 'retro' sound, with none of the explosiveness of the music it wants to be. And live, it's even more depressing, so you can imagine my disgust watching the prime-time So You Think You Can Dance performance of this song, realizing how long it would be until a k-pop artist got the same slot again. 5/10

31-10-2008 TVXQ - Mirotic (1 week on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=HtJS32n6LNQ

Crackling synth rnb. Not so much about the melody as the producer's warm carpet of sounds, but there are some nice harmonies from the boys here. 7/10

07-11-2008 Kim Jong-kook - Today More Than Yesterday (2 consec weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=YSMmJV8-Qys

Big muscular guy turns out to be soft as a feather in every way. Sympathetic enough. 5/10

21-11-2008 Big Bang - Sunset Glow (2 consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=vkRmw_vADS8

They're back! And throw away the anger to put on the party hats, in the process becoming far less boring. Celebratory synth cascades, hungry performers and even some sing-a-long potential. Good times. 8/10

05-12-2008 Baek Ji-Young - Being Hit by a Bullet (5 non-consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=1unBAP6xvhw

This must've hit some note with the Korean public... Baek's got a pretty long history there, with a sometimes troubled career, so that might explain the resonance. Does very little for me, this ballad. 4/10

That's it for 2008.

It's 2009, and suddenly all the songs are good.

16-01-2009 SNSD (Girls' Generation) - Gee (9 consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=U7mPqycQ0tQ

Greatest song ever made. 10/10

20-03-2009 Davichi - 8282 (2 non-consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=Z-QX7Fe71fA

Wonderfully melodramatic stomper. As they're wont to do, Davichi have put two songs in one, one slow and one fast, which seemingly don't fit at all. I thought this was a 7/10, but right now it feels novel enough for a 8/10.

27-03-2009 Super Junior - Sorry Sorry (5 non-consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=x6QA3m58DQw

"Sorry Sorry" and "Gee" being released around the same probably did most of the work launching k-pop as an internet phenomenon with millions of video views, and k-pop blogs launching every day. The echo of "Sorry Sorry"s repetitive synthesized sound is heard in many k-pop boyband singles later on. 8/10

01-04-2009 Son Dam-Bi - Saturday Night (2 consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=Q-OWotWibTg&

Rollerskates! That makes it disco, right? Light-hearted pop funk. Yes, I think it would work very well on a saturday night. 7/10

Some news about the Korean Wave.. KARA becomes the first Korean girl-group to enter the Japanese Oricon chart's top 10, at number 5, with 'Mister'. SNSD are entering the market in September and if logic prevails they should do even better.

And 2nd best girl group 2NE1 are releasing their first full-length album in September. Here's the twist: They're semi-simultaneously going for the American market, and several tracks on the album have been produced by will.i.am. Apparently he's gonna help them achieve better things there than other k-pop artists have done. Well, I guess he deserves some credit for Cheryl's success in Europe. Hopefully longtime label producer Teddy will have more to say on the music side of things.

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad234/abcfsk/2nepants-o.gif

22-05-2009 Super Junior - It's You (1 week on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=7ErgffP0wVw

Instantly appealing RnB smoothy with a sneaky, restless clap percussion. It's a beautiful song, but its haunting, intimate atmosphere makes you question what each of the 13 members is contributing to it. 8/10

05-06-2009 Shinee - Juliette (2 non-consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=kCzDYBGbx-M

Scritti Politti perfectly channeled via Korean boyband. These guys can seriously dance, but a better example is that of their debut single "Noona you're so pretty" (why didn't it chart on Music Bank? It was a hit). For a long time these guys stood out among the Korean boybands as something different, more casually confident. I'm not such big a fan of their latest single, though. 8/10

12-06-2009 2pm - Again and Again (1 week on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=wLiLn91TKzc

A brilliant, simple hook to the beat. The song mostly lives up to it, finding a spooky, desperate core. 8/10

03-07-2009 2pm - I Hate You (1 week on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=kx4KtnTIG1o

Over-autotuned, bit of a mess. 4/10

10-07-2009 SNSD (Girls' Generation) - Tell Me Your Wish (Genie) (1 week on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=6SwiSpudKWI

A thumping synth pop thing performed with military precision fitting of its naval uniforms. Truly one of the most irrestible electro pop songs made last decade, partly because it doesn't feel the need to blow a whole load of half-cooked ideas (typical of so many chilly electro pop songs) at one time, or banal prettiness, instead playing up a chorus of crystallized FORCE, all the girls energy focused on one spot ('NAN.NEOL.SARANG-HAE'). 10/10

17-07-2009 2NE1 - I Don't Care (5 consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=4MgAxMO1KD0

Girl power hits k-pop! Independent women proclaim that, well, if you're like THAT I won't bother with you in the future and NO, I won't shed a tear about it. Hell, "from now on I'll be a bad girl who makes guys cry". These girls are crazy good, as fiery characters in the small stories of their music videos, as performers with an aura of comfort around them, as singers and rappers. YES we do believe that they're this tough, and the sing-a-long chorus is as catchier than any other RnB anthem of 2009. This was their second single. The first single 'Fire' is crasser, more hip-hop-y and almost as good. 10/10

whoa, 'sunset glow'!

K-pop is currently holding five out of ten Twitter trending topics. If you guys want to be hip with the world wide web kids you better get on this train now, bros.

The 'Applegirl' (김여희) who went viral a few months back with Gaga and Beyonce covers performed on four ipods has just released a 3-track single with her self-penned material, and it's great!

'My Music', a simple song which heads straight for a climax of melody and intensity:
http://www.youtube.com/v/PF42AM1v-mg&fs=1&hl=en

Here's her doing 'Slow Motion' by Karina
http://www.youtube.com/v/0VTOwtL6RE0&fs=1&hl=en

― abcfsk, Monday, May 31, 2010 5:48 AM (2 months ago) Bookmark

yo abcfsk has she done anything since? I downloaded the three track single and all three of them are such jams, they are among my most played songs of the year

No I don't think so. She got to perform twice on prime time music tv, but I don't know how much she sold. I'm sure the label didn't expect too much, it was a low-key deal, so I hope an album is in the works. She did a short English version of 'My Song' on youtube: youtube.com/watch?v=JLBNf79oB8k -

BoA performs one my favorite ballads off her new album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkTlbRnWcyc

TIME: "Korean Pop, with Online Help, Goes Global" http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2013227,00.html?xid=rss-world-huffpo#ixzz0xiGGmrlS

Not much new, talks a little about 2NE1's American venture, and some new quotes from Taeyang -- who's just released the international version of his very, very good RNB album. It's doing quite well on the itunes RNB charts around the world. For dyao it mentions that Kim Yeo Hee will release a new single in September.

is there a full-on subgenre of christian kpop, or is it isolated to the odd song here and there?

What particular songs are you thinking of? Or are you just asking in general?

21-08-2009 Brown Eyed Girls - Abracadabra (1 week on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=OIUk0vzhOdw

Here's the tune where relative veterans B.E.G re-invented themselves as edgy and won a lot of new fans. "You'll change me into something bad" they say, but they're pretty bad already here. Irresistible verses trump the chorus. 8/10

28-08-2009 G-Dragon - Heartbreaker (5 consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=LOXEVd-Z7NE

Big Bang's bad boy goes solo. Attitude and pizzazz, but too much autotune. 6/10

02-10-2009 Kim Tae-Woo - Love Rain (3 consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=kBP2blvEWtY

Soft, big boy with a ballad that's uplifting and pointed towards the sky. Better pompous and fairly catchy than subtle and boring in this case. 6/10

23-10-2009 Leessang - The Girl Who Can't Break Up, The Boy Who Can't Leave (1 week on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=4oCLl4f21N4

Soul-sampling hip-hop number, sounds a little like 00's American soul-sampling hip-hop, maybe like Kanye-produced Common. It's catchy, the guy attacks every line with a sympathetic aggression. 7/10. Lee Hyori stars in the video.

30-10-2009 Shinee - Ring Ding Dong (2 weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=roughtzsCDI

First step down the road to Autotune madness for Shinee. It works here, at least. I think a pop world cup commenter compared it to Crazy Frog. It's got some of that potentially headache-inducing repetitiveness, but there's an actual construction on top of the beat here, a real song, at times powerful. 7/10

13-11-2009 SS501 - Love Like This (2 weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=UMD5QXM47aI

Sped-up and slowed-down synth rnb number. The record buying public probably found it to be a nice easy listening contrast to Shinee's aural attack. Pleasant. 6/10

27-11-2009 2PM - Heartbeat (4 weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=bKtvDv7eykg

Opens promisingly with spoken-word intensiveness and restraint.. and then becomes a little too predictable and pretty. Strong 6/10. Impressive dance stunts in performances.

I just googled christian k-pop, and the only thing that seemed to come up were references to specific songs that were devotional,
and groups that i suspect are stateside inventions, but there doesn't seem to be a secular/christian divide in k-pop proper.

I've been reading this book on the weird world of bizarro christian culture and it seems the only genre of music that doesn't have
a christian counterpart is country, presumably because it is already ideologically consonant with christian culture so it'd be
redundant to cultivate a mirror one.

i suppose the question to ask is if there are any outspokenly atheist k-pop groups?

I doubt anyone have come out as officially atheist as part of their group image. Other than that there are openly Christian group members of course (many pop idols go to the same bible study), but nothing of that seeps through to lyrics or image. I'm sure there are some christian bands on a grassroot level I don't know, though. In SNSD several members are outspokenly religious while one (Taeyeon, the leader) is a self-proclaimed (from a q&a) atheist.

If there are 'christian k-pop' groups they don't show up on the charts.

"(Taeyeon, the leader) is a self-proclaimed (from a q&a) atheist."
this is interesting! how would a question like this come up?

I don't remember exactly the context, it was in their debut days, a question and answer deal. I think it came up because Tiffany is very open about being a devout Christian so others were asked about religion as well.

Two older youtubes I really like.

SNSD doing 90s K-rock ballad standard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2etcTYbmQKw

Minzy & CL of 2NE1 doing their crazy hip hop banger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdmX-g2SGk8

Thanks for all your work in this thread abcfsk. This place is a real pleasure.

^^^^^^^^^^^^

^Thanks. I like doing it for selfish reasons as well, puts things in context, makes me re-evaluate songs and discover new ones.

01-01-2010 T-ara - Bo Peep Bo Peep (2 weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=9403-9CptH8

May be my least favourite T-Ara single, but if the nagging chorus does get under your skin it can stay there for a while. Take a look at the video, the cutesy-sounding song curiously soundtracking a seedy late night tale of sex and supernatural mischief. 6/10

15-01-2010 Ga-In & Jo-Kwon - We Fell In Love (2 consec weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=_9Asvi99NOc

Context: Ga-In & Jo-Kwon participate in a show called 'We Got Married', a sort of celeb reality show where two stars are paired and go through a 'fake marriage' -- that is, getting a house or apartment, going on trips, and doing flirty things that really have very little to do with an actual marriage. It's a bizarre concept, but you can see why it's popular. The audience gets a romance that feels half way between make-believe and reality, where you're not really sure what's what, some couples getting closer to eachother than others and at least one previous actor couple ending up as real-life lovers afterwards. Many of the participants are pop idols who really can't openly date in their everyday life, and some speculate that this is an excuse to do so - it was recently revealed that they can set up a wish list to the producers of people they want to be coupled with. Personally I think it's pretty entertaining because it's so incredibly awkward. These two are currently the longest-running couple still on the show, and they recorded a duet together. It definitely wouldn't have done as well without the public loving their on-screen struggles. 4/10

29-01-2010 CN BLue - I'm A Loner (1 week on top) youtube.com/watch?v=qrXFPmQPTkk

Indie rock! Using the British definition of the term, "jangly guitar music band with a magazine-friendly image". Funnily enough the lead singer is currently seen on the aforementioned 'We Got Married'. It's fairly boring and lifeless stuff. 4/10
Here's a Korean 'indie' tune I quite like: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcc58d_mv-hey-gravity-yyyy_music

05-02-2010 SNSD (Girls' Generation) - Oh! (5 consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=TGbwL8kSpEk

Initially a disappointment, as I felt it went too directly for the simple sweetness, it has now grown to become one of my favorite singles of the year. I'm not sure I can pinpoint why, except that I haven't tired of the repeated "ah-ah-ah-ah"s and "oh-oh-oh-oh"s or the honest charm of the melody. The lyrics are on the dumb side, "o-o-o-oppa (brother/older guy) I love you", all passive love and adoration. But take a peek at the end of the music video to see how they're actively playing up the contrast between this and their next single. 8/10

12-03-2010 KARA - Lupin (3 consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=YpQWfyOOZqA

Normally KARA serve as the cuter, less edgy version of SNSD, but this time they bring in the tribal drums and black suits to prove a point. It worked! Although it sounded a bit aimless to me at first, I found myself returning to it again and again. It's got a coolness to it, I like the odd "hallo, hallo" (or 'hella, hella') shouts, the sense of urgency, and the horror screams. 8/10

02-04-2010 SNSD (Girls' Generation) - Run Devil Run (2 consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=iYaLI1iFt-4

Back in black! It's fascinating how carefully the one-two knockout of Oh! and this were planned, with one video linking to the other, and the male fantasy female portrayed in the first discovering girl power and a 'we fuck you' attitude. After the passive lover role the girls played in Oh, they realize they're too good to just let the 'oppa' do what he wants with them. "I told you to make the most of my love" is a wonderfully arrogant line. I love the fact that when SNSD go electro they stay away from the kitchen-sink production and tuneless autotune mess and instead find a tune as sophisticated as this. 8/10

How many have heard the late 80s rock hit SNSD were named after?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaeokzJqHDk

Of course the cover version of it was released as their second single.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iiZvsOmF6A

16-04-2010 Rain - Love Song (3 consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=kx5COTBjcNc

He's just cruising on his fame at this point, isn't he? Not taking any risks or doing anything interesting to those of us who aren't members of his fan club. 2/10

07-05-2010 2PM - Without U(2 consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=pB4920B2l5g

I appreciate the effort to push the song beyond what the fairly standard chorus would suggest, and there are interesting production tricks here. Ultimately, though, it ends in disappointment where the climax should be. 6/10

21-05-2010 Super Junior - Bonamana (3 consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=tSOSxwEWFA4

The songwriter behind "Sorry Sorry" really fell in love with autotune and sharp sounds at some point, penning the previously reviewed "Ring Ding Dong" and the forthcoming "Lucifer", both from Shinee, plus this. I think he's gone too far. At the same time, he's got SOMETHING. The chorus is lacking in melody, but something tells me I should hum it for hours afterwards. Opinions would be appreciated. 6/10

11-06-2010 SS505 - Love Ya (2 consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=VprGHf3-144

Comically grand tune from boyband veterans. Pleasing chorus. 6/10

02-07-2010 IU & Seulong - Nagging (1 week on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=lC4dyX-BssI

IU is the sweetest, most charming and sympathetic new character in k-pop. A huge voice and wiz on the guitar with a knack for knocking out fantastic cover versions of every new k-pop hit, but without the perfect song of her own. My suggestion: Let her write it herself and perform it w/ guitar. Guaranteed smash. Anyway, this duet is probably a tad too simple, but for me it's the right kind of simple. 7/10

09-07-2010 Super Junior - No Other (1 week on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=LICj7J0lQME

This is how I dig my SJ, to be honest, sweeter and less hectic. Too pretty? Maybe, but I'd argue that the word-packed chorus freshens up the song enough to avoid sugar shock. 7/10

Finishing this up in the next post.

16-07-2010 Taeyang - I Need A Girl (1 week on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=nWq4evFjYrU

Seductive rnb which follows in the wake of other 'soft men' rnb singers who are not so much demanding that girls come to them, as pleading that they give them a chance, promising the earth and the stars. He wants "a girl who's good at eating the kimchi fried rice I make" instead of one who's making it for him. And he's making a potent distinction in saying, "even though we've got different interests, we share the same taste". Lovely stuff. Dara from 2NE1 plays the arrogant, dangerously beautiful 'girl' in the video. 9/10

23-07-2010 miss A - Bad Girl Good Girl (1 week on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=o7f3lx9fNfE

Rookie girl group. I didn't like the song at firs, found it anonymous-sounding, but then I didn't really listen to it. The sound is nothing too original, sure, but there's a conviction to the delivery and a power behind the words. And twas the lyrics which made me want to give the song a second chance -- they're taking names and calling out hypocrisy and I find myself thinking of these girls as the real deal. 8/10

06-08-2010 SHINee - Lucifer (1 week on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=Dww9UjJ4Dt8

The third installment in our autotune trilogy and a real hot mess. There's not a trace of melody here, and I can't think of many songs as extreme as this charting anywhere. But this time it's too hectic, too inaccessible, too unfriendly. The fans must see it differently. 5/10

13-07-2010 BoA - Hurricane Venus (3 consecutive weeks on top) -- youtube.com/watch?v=vz7Gstx5ogk

How sweet to end this round-up with BoA, and to see her successful in Korea again after five years in Japan (with a short American stay). I prefer her in RnB mode, but Hurricane Venus flaunts a huge chorus, and BoA sells it. The live performances have been stunning and worth the entry price no matter the song-- her stage presence and dance moves are second to none in the world of pop. 7/10

-------
And those are the Music Bank winners. Disappointingly some of my favorite hits hadn't actually won, but that was that.

great work! after all that, the ones that I ended up getting:

big bang - sunset glow
SNSD - gee
IU & Seulong - nagging
taeyang - I need a girl

think I need to come back to this and go through the songs more thoroughly. but for the moment, I am k-pooped.

Will wait for abcfsk to weigh in on the 2NE1 three-in-one-day onslaught before trying to form my own opinion, but just want to link the tag for the K-pop discussions we've been having on my lj, if anyone wants to join in.

For reference, the three singles and music videos they released in one day are:

Go Away - youtube.com/watch?v=3yW13T2sfKg
Clap Your Hands - youtube.com/watch?v=ZTw-UM5Jy4E
Can't Nobody - youtube.com/watch?v=Ihi_kJJj_8A

I listened to the album a few times before I watched the videos so I've had some time with the songs. At first I had to accept that they're not really the pure hip-hop/rnb group of 'I Don't Care', but a uniquely Korean urban brand of their own. "A sound that's not quite anything I've ever heard" as Frank says. 'Go Away's bittersweet and catchy melody makes it the most straightforward of the three songs, so it's no wonder it gets a story MV. 'Clap Your Hands' is, I think, my favorite, and it stands among their best songs. The fluid way it morphs from the snake-like autotune verses to the chorus and the rap parts. I might form more rational thoughts after a while, but for now I guess it's just got a certain "I don't know what" that makes me play it on repeat.

That one and 'Can't Nobody' would fall spectacularly flat, I feel, if they were performed by less aggressive artists. You have to fight hard to stand out as personalities among all the production tricks and vocal effects. But these girls do, and they are, and as a result I think they're one of the most constantly stimulating groups in k-pop (or pop in general) so far in their short career. I've been excited to see the reception these songs get, cause they're potentially very marmite-y tunes aren't they?

Promoting three title tracks at once seems like a mental idea to me, but so far the sales have been huge. All three performed live today: http://www.allkpop.com/2010/09/2ne1-returns-with-triple-hit-stages-on-inkigayo

'go away' is pretty massive, does she say 'han solo' and 'beyonce' in her verses?? could do without the scenes of domestic violence in the MV though

my facebook feed is blowing up with people sharing these 2ne1 videos, btw - feels like a huge event

"Fiance? Beyonce - I'm walking out on destiny." is what I hear. The video is quite violent isn't it, and the debate has been raging about who dies at the end of it. First it seems only her car blows up, but then both are engulfed in flames--- but THEN, as the girls walk away, supposedly only his car is burning in the background, and CL's participation was a fantasy.. because she let his sorry as go and doesn't care anymore. Who knows.

If you haven't checked out the album you might also be interested in the English version of 'Can't Nobody' youtube.com/watch?v=8A5Kz3n5C1k

was there ever a mecha-hiphop subgenre that ever took off other than that Taekwon-V single?

^ Same label as 2NE1. I don't think so, that would be most welcome. Spiritually I guess you could say that yes, many artists today sound like half robot hiphoppers.

Also
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLcZlDMKCqk

don't know what's gonna come out of this. Nervous, cautiously optimistic.

i guess they're referencing irreplaceable then?

Beyonce leaving Destiny's Child is the pun, surely.

Here's a slice of meta-k-pop, one of the first I've come across. San E is slightly reminiscent of early Eminem in delivery and humour, including some jabs at girl groups (but featuring a member of one). The English subtitles are from the official channel, albeit clearly written down in a hurry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jx3qP9LiqI

You have to launch it in its own tab/window to see the subtitles, it seems.

If you're interested in a quick overview of what's selling in Korea right now, this youtube channel does a nice job of presenting the combined digital single sales, weekly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5keJyNlw8w

New BoA single

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJwIMW7jTIA

No matter the song there's no one I'd rather see on stage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTnwjlDhAY4

released today, apparently. percussion reminds me of swizz beatz. a little, at least.

That's a catchy tune, I think this group is finding their place and aren't sounding like all the others at the moment. Probably the strongest 2010 girl group debut. I see their label JYP now subs all the new video releases in English on their official channel. Recall that 2NE1's label YG is now going to upload their TV show "2NE1 TV" on youtube with subs, as well. Performance show 'Music Bank' has recently started reading international twitter requests (in English) to the artists, in an effort to reach out to the global audience. In the past year they've really become aware of the power of the international fanbase, doing things like this and releasing stuff on Itunes internationally by default.

And on that note, ANOTHER new girl group tries out a different strategy, debuting in Korea and America at the same time:

http://www.allkpop.com/2010/09/upcoming-girl-group-rania-to-debut-in-both-america-and-korea

I feel Hyunah's "Change" live routine is Electrik Red's "We Fuck You" as interprative dance. Either way it's one of the best live performances of the year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0w5Vdl02lo

Video makes it even more... direct.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCMlVS-66hw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhNqdRectqM

K-pop history: In 1992 "Seo Taiji Boys" debuted and changed the industry in every conceivable way. In this clip they perform on a talent show and are promptly given two thumbs down by a stern jury:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC7yS0kpHWM

... but this is the template, the blueprint, through which k-pop as a sound and identity was created. You hear it today, not only in hip hop groups, not only in male groups, but from more or less all artists on the chart. Taiji is to many The icon or the founding father of Korean pop. (One of the other three members is Yang Hyun Suk, the current chief of YG Entertainment where Big Bang, Se7en and 2NE1 are signed.)

The group's explosive popularity upended censorship laws and norms both on and off scene. Their blend of dance pop and hip hop is why even most cutesy girl groups today have a dedicated rapper. Even stately ballads have rap parts! Electro-club-hip-hop still dominates among both girl and boy groups.

any speculation on why their use of metal didn't carry over to the rest of the genre?

also does anyone have more info on the anti-beef imports DBSK beef? (I saw it mentioned in businessweek of all places)

I don't know why, exactly, but plenty of other 'noisy' elements seem to have replaced it.

The beef details escape me, but you should know that DBSK's fan club ('Cassies') is the craziest and most zealous fan club among countless crazy and zealous k-pop fan clubs. Those girls are dangerous, and to get what they want they organize and demand it. The group members themselves had nothing to do with, it was a case of angry forum discussion among the club members leading to organized protests. And Koreans are very defensive about their beef.

the only reference i saw online had some group member being poisoned with krazy glue slipped into their drink.

Oh yes, an anti-fan of DBSK's Yunho, a schoolgirl, gave him a glue-poisoned drink. He ended up in hospital, it was bad. He decided to not press charges because she was the same age as his sister. The fans were less forgiving--- "yunho oppa, i will poison and kill that fucking ugly girl that poisoned you. she must rot and die in hell" reads one Youtube comment. It's probably the most severe case of k-pop antis acting out on their fucked up ideas, although sending a blood-stained letter to SNSD's Yoona doescome close.

this was all over a beef protest the group had nothing to do with? what happens when a group does get politically active?

No, that had nothing to do with the beef thing. The beef thing did not create any backlash against the group. This is the note the homicidal hater delivered along with the poison:

To, Jung Yunho

You watch your mouth!! Ever since the debut you were so stuck up. You won't last after a couple years... You would be forever seen as some teen idol, not a real singer. Do you know your limit? Only little kids like you!... I really want to kill you.

PSY signs with YG and gets a bigger sound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmHdefsaL6I

SNSD "Hoot"

Catchy, autotune-free, interesting chorus. Music video tomorrow.
----

Will.I.Am must've gotten inspired working with 2NE1. His new video with Nicki Minaj is Koreanified up the wazoo. http://community.livejournal.com/omonatheydidnt/4907406.html

Maybe Korean is the new Japanese in terms of pop culture adaptation ala Gwen Stefani's "let's put some japanese girls up in here".

On today's charts SNSD is #1 in Japan with Gee and #1 in Korea with Hoot. Historical feat in many ways!

SNSD 'Hoot' video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4-SxcCO5d0

Now for something completely different

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xwI8GLwqjQ

This tune's got a pretty great one minute long climax at the end

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy2szffdMSI

the first k-pop song I've really liked in weeeks! love the soaring chorus.

however, this group seems to be composed of the can't dance rejects from the higher echelons.

those guitars in the chorus are a good look

I love the style switchups - starts out with club banger synths, then transitions into an anthemic 'go away' type song

Yes. And I like a good balls-out break-less ending.

The new KARA is a pure crowd-pleaser, which is the path they should go down as a fairly nondescript group.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIl-Vl1n1m4

Let's try that again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNsDnPDSQ_k

I seriously cannot stop listening to the nothing lasts forever song. so exuberant! I wish the music video matched the sense of melancholy present in the song, but it's about partying.

It is pretty great, and such a huge surprise/turnaround since the group debuted earlier this year with shit no-one cared about. You can always watch the live performances -- they sing well, and do a weird splits sequence, even if the dance is otherwise amateurish.

oh lord at the splits sequence

disappointed they didn't strap on guitars midway through!

Liking this Gummy - There Is No Love (live)

An absolute smash hit from 2NE1. Supposedly a song made for Yamaha as a commercial soundtrack thing, but I hope this gets the proper treatment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5ekB4l-6wg

have to wonder, is this current phase of k-pop running out of steam?

^ you say that after that BANGER?

Well yeah, 2009 was a peak year and set so many milestones that 2010 has ended up as a "well, shall we try to do that again?" year. A very attentive global WWW audience has worked with the same zealous force as Bieber fans in pushing videos to the 'most viewed' section of Youtube and artists to Twitter TT, and we've seen a successful move into Japan and a potentially lucrative future. But the music has felt less eventful than the stories. Meanwhile, those who have actually taken different paths have silently found a bigger success -- group member gone solo Ga-In, who was cheeky enough to take some control herself and put out a record with an oddly fully-fledged tango pop sound, did a lot better than her company expected and reached #1. Secret went the Rich Harrison-route, a sound no one else is doing in k-pop now, and took off, despite a low-key media presence. Countless new rookie groups who have copied others with a lot of attention given to them, meanwhile, have failed sales-wise. That should be a wake-up call.

Prospects: Big Bang is coming back, partly this december and fully in February. They're increasingly self-made, songwriting and producing much of the material themselves now and with the rest of the YG artists represent a more feel-good view of the k-pop industry. Koreas (potential) Taylor Swift (credit: me) IU is coming back in a WEEK and I have no idea what it will sound like, but if it isn't guitar-driven and if she hasn't been given a chance at songwriting herself (obviously something she can do as per her cover arrangements) I might give up on the industry. God knows she's got the potential to single-handedly change it and inspire a flood of self-made girls/ labels giving them a chance, because every little 'featuring' she's had on a song this year has made it reach #1. She's definitely one of the most valuable assets for the industry.

I think that's where it needs to go: Stronger personalities and characters, not another girl group made of long-legged models with 10 members who don't even have the dance/vocal skills we always knew we'd get in k-pop (*cough* Nine Muses) - and I do love k-pop girl groups. But there's a reason the buyers prefer 2NE1, or Taeyang, or this year's "Korean Idol" winners. And I do think it's where they will go, because the industry's turnaround rate is pretty impressive. It's only a few years ago when girl groups were all out of fashion.

My personal best of 2010 list soon.

yeah, the asian penchant for copying things to death is well known. I'm excited for IU - I only have that one song she did with 2AM, but it's fabulous. one of my students was really excited about her because of the reasons you mentioned.

And this gorgeous duet she did with the mellowest voice in Korea. His is the sound of cream poured over strawberries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcQ7YBjb89A

is there any kind of NK-pop scene? (state sponsored or otherwise)
the last article i read about refugees only had a snippet about a kind of tacitly approved black market in chinese pop stars for DPRK ex-pats.

BBC radio DJ Andy Kershaw noted, on a visit to North Korea, that the only recordings available were by the pop singers Jon Hye-yong, Kim Kwang-suk, Jo Kum-hwa and Ri Pun-hui, and the groups Wangjaesan Light Music Band, the Mansudae Art Troupe and the Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble, who play in a style Kershaw refers to as "light instrumental with popular vocal".[3] There is also the State Symphony Orchestra, the Sea of Blood Opera Company, two choruses, an orchestra and an ensemble dedicated to Isang Yun's compositions, all in Pyongyang. The Pyongyang Film Studios also produces many instrumental songs for its films.

Some of this was featured in the Pop World Cup.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyfwiZElkIE

I'd also like to offer up to other tracks from her new mini-album-
Guitar-looped RnB...love her vocals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aw3g11yVcI
Folk-ish, beautiful mild melody https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKGGOCDak9w

I tried to put those as urls instead of embeds, guess that didn't work.

and you say she writes all her songs herself? I have a new crush

p.s. does anybody else read this thread besides me and philip nunez?

aaaaaand she's 17, so I don't have a new crush

Haha.

I didn't say that, unfortunately, I said I hope she will be composing soon because her guitar cover arrangements that she has arranged herself shows she's got the touch, and she's expressed in interviews she wishes to eventually take full control. She did write some lyrics on this album though, and has associated herself with the right people.

Not sure if anyone reads it.. no one replies, anyway! Frank's doing a fair bit of k-pop posting on his livejournal, though.

On that note, hello everybody, I've decided to jump in on this thread! I run, for lack of better description, a conscious K-pop blog called My First Love Story and was referred here a while back by Frank Kogan. Interestingly I am also a friend of the person who repped Korea Republic in this year's Pop World Cup, but that's neither here nor there. (For the record, he didn't take many of my suggestions!)

I'm here to post this because it's amazing: "High High", from an upcoming side project of two members of Big Bang, G-Dragon and T.O.P. It seems G-Dragon had a hand in a lot of the songwriting/production for this album, which is a level of control/authorship that is quite rare in K-pop.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC66dT6dFBU

It also seems like this has been talked about in relation to Big Bang/G-Dragon before. Oops. That's what I get for tl;dr-ing.

nice to have you posting! your blog looks pretty great

Thanks! I'm looking forward to the discussion here (such as it is).

Here's the video for "High High" featuring cameos from the other members of Big Bang and Teddy Park (a producer with YG Entertainment). There might be others (I'd be shocked if Yang Goon himself wasn't in it) but it's a bit like playing Where's Waldo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1M0UKcq8ro

Welcome!
High High sounds a bit 'Like a G6'-ish, doesn't it? A few listens in and I'm pretty hooked. I'm going to admit I hope the Big Bang album does not sound like this, but it's a great way to launch a side project. Here's the song they did with Park Bom, and she's the best thing about it. Are they shooting an MV for that as well?

The folks at The Singles Jukebox are going through 'lost and found' singles of the year and here's their take on After School's Bang!. A lot of them like it - let's hope they decide to visit this thread.

hah, even the video to how high is kind of simialr to the video to like a g6

bang! sounds underproduced. it needs to sound more massive than it is

Ga-In solo remains one of the best surprises of the k-pop year, now with another single

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2cXvd1aDkg

Retracing the k-pop hits of 2010 I've discovered that it has actually been a fantastic year for singles. I think I could've kept going with this list.

Best of 2010

Singles-

1. 2NE1 - Try To Follow Me
2. E.Via - Shake!
3. After School - Bang!
4. IU - Good Day
5. GD&TOP - Knock Out
6. 2NE1 - Clap Your Hands
7. SNSD - Oh!
8. f(x) - NU ABO
9. Girl's Day - Nothing Lasts Forever
10. Hyunah - Change
11. GD&TOP - High High
12. Ga-In - Irreversible
13. SNSD - Run Devil Run
14. SISTAR - Fake Girl
15. Lee Hyori - Swing
16. Infinite - She's Back
17. Taeyang - I Need A Girl
18. 4MINUTE - Huh
19. KARA - Jumping
20. KARA - Lupin

Honorable mentions:

Sung Shi Kyung & IU - It's You
2NE1 - Go Away
Gummy - As a Man
BoA - Woo Weekend
BoA - Possibility
JJ - Come Closer
YDG ft. Fresh Boyz - 탄띠 (Bandolier)
Rainbow - A
SISTAR - How Dare You
Super Junior - Bonamana
Super Junior - No Other
SNSD - Hoot
VNT - Ye Ye Ye
Lady Jane ft Verbal Jint - Love You Everyday
T-ara - YaYaYaA
Secret - Madonna
Nine Muses - No Playboy
Infinite - Come Back Again
Shinee - Lucifer
Seo In Young - Into the Rhythm
Taeyeon - Like a StarA

Albums/EPs -

1. GD&TOP - GD&TOP Vol. 1
1. 2NE1 - To Anyone
3. Taeyang - Solar
4. BoA - Hurricane Venus
5. Ga-In - Step 2/4

for some reason I forgot Miss A, who def had one of my favorite singles

Ok, so the MBC Gayo Daejun (year-end show for MBC) killed most any k-pop spectacle I've previously had the pleasure of watching, in terms of general smoothness of presentation and novelty of performances.

Highlights:

After School introducing a new guitar-wielding (and guitar-majoring, music academy-graduating) member in the oddest, greatest stunt of k-pop 2010. A few questions to ponder: When will expert electric guitar talent ever come in handy as a girl group member? If they do make use of it, how can it not be the greatest thing ever to have her break into ridiculous solos for all future middle eights?

Rainbow with the greatest remix of the night, a new 'A' version. Takes on a bass-heavy, dirtier quality.

Fairly badass BoA tribute.

GD&TOP feat. 2NE1

IU and Luna (of f(x)) (and Onew of Shinee) joining two slightly dull indie rock bands... with a pretty great result?

Run Devil Run really is the best of last year's SNSD singles when it comes to live performances.

INFINITE showing supreme dancing skills. Look at that synch!

Davichi w/ Sunset Glow cover

2PM, Miss A and particularly Fei doing some sweet moves.

for some reason I forgot Miss A, who def had one of my favorite singles

― abcfsk, Sunday, December 26, 2010 11:56 PM (1 week ago) Bookmark

I love good girl bad girl, which has such a melancholic feel

Jan. 23
Lee Eun Mi (South Korean pop singer on 3 city US tour, NYC, Orange County & the Wash. DC area) at 7 at George Mason University Center for the Arts, 4400 University Dr. Fairfax, VA

k-pop don't stop etc. first batch of 2011 releases/videos

TVXQ/DBSK, now only 2 members strong after members leaving, forming their own group (JYJ) suing SM Ent etc., finally make a comeback. Recall earlier discussions about 'Cassies', ie the most zealous fanbase in Korea. Keep Your Head Down wants to sound epic and important (horns, always horns in _big_ tunes), but it's a bit "eehh" isn't it?

My favorite among the various GD&TOP lead singles, Knock Out.

Production/songwriting duo E-Tribe have started their own girl group, 'Dal Shabet'. In a sort of Xenomania/Girls Aloud / TheDream+Tricky/Electrik Red (not anymore, I guess) way they'll be responsible for their output. Supa Dupa Diva is not for you if you've ever made the argument that k-pop producers stuff too many ideas/songs into one composition.

Re: new DBSK, since this will inevitably be compared to JYJ's American single(s) I might as well do it now and say that I like this a lot better, though I acknowledge that it has something to do with my expectations for K-pop being different from my expectations for North American-oriented pop. The video, though, is on about the same level of embarrassing and overproduced as Ayyy Girl's, so there are no winners there.

I prefer JYJ's song. I don't love that one either, and think they should take some more English classes, but at least it's closer to my sweet spot, ie smooth rnb that goes down easy. The DBSK video is trademark SM Ent on autopilot -- shiny, clean, gray surroundings to dance in front of.

HANTEO physical album sales 2010*

OVERALL
1. SNSD 312,000
2. Super Junior 263,000
3. SHINee 155,000
4. JYJ 128,000
5. B2ST 112,000
6. 2PM 107,000
7. 2AM 96,000
8. 2NE1 64,000
9. BOA 63,000
10. KARA 54,000

*Hanteo is but one chart. Although it's got some credibility to its name they only count select stores. The ranking is probably accurate, the numbers way too low. Note that these are general album sales counting all albums/mini-albums sold by the artist in 2010, including old releases.

Not to mention they don't count December sales (ie IU and GD+TOP)

Another point to consider here is that a group like Super Junior is super strong on physical sales rankings (bc of super devoted fan base?), but non-existant at the top of digital sales rankings. This is not true for SNSD, their presence is strong everywhere and they can be considered more of a mainstream act and less at the mercy of supporter loyalty (that's how I read it anyway). 2NE1 is the #1 ringtone artist of the year, by the way. As far as I know there's nowhere to see digital album sales in Korea, or digital numbers at all. The GAON chart counts both physical and digital, but sales info...? And international sales, like 2NE1 with their US Itunes chart showing, is of course a mystery.

My inclinations proven somewhat right with the first digital album ranking for 2010. It's just for one store, MelOn, and they strangely count 'single albums' as well as actual albums (which means singles from album campaigns are not counted, but singles that were not featured on an album might be).

You can see the list here http://www.allkpop.com/2011/01/melon-releases-results-for-2010-top-100-album-chart - I don't want to post the whole thing just to show that Super Junior is as low as #85 with their album, while SNSD is at #2. Perennial bores 2AM with their mini-album at the top are best left unmentioned.

1. 2AM – “Can’t Send You Away Even If I Die”
2. SNSD – “Oh!”
3. 2NE1 – “To Anyone”
4. DJ DOC – “Taste for the Arts”
5. IU & 2AM’s Seulong – “Nagging”
6. CNBLUE – “Bluelove”
7. “Baker King Kim Tak Gu” OST Part 3
8. Homme by Hitman Bang – “Homme”
9. T-ara – “Braking Heart”
10. CNBLUE – “Bluetory”
11. miss A – “Bad But Good”
12. Blue Brand – “Trauma”
13. Davichi – “Innocence”
14. Hyori – “H Logic”
15. Hot Potato – “Seesaw”

my new kpop fave

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they already won m.countdown with this, congrats

also, so many great songs mentioned in this thread, but not much beast, i'm really surprised.
yg artists are the most popular internationally right now i guess, but beast is gonna take over soon i guess.

fixing the embed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL0sfti1DcA

also, the beat is kind of a straight rip of

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UlhLd76IzQ

thanks for fixing my failed embed

yeah it's a possible rip cause diplo already made a few remixes of perculator & knock out is the first kpop produced by diplo.

diplo dıpןo
its true kpop is soo #based right now
10 hours ago

still going through your post abcsfk, but oh my BoA may be my new favorite k-pop artist. it's a lot easier to glom onto a single person rather than an anonymous 5 person front.

also that sistar song in the top 20 is great. also like the gummy track so far

No one does 'casual cool' better than BoA imo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwPrEWVZpJA

She rose to 5th on the list of richest stock investors in the Korean entertainment industry last year, btw. Deserved.

Here's my Korean top twenty for 2010, very similar to Mat's, which is not surprising given that I was basically following his and anhh's recommendations as to what to listen to. You'll notice that I rank the wrong E.via track and the wrong Miss A track higher than the right ones. "Knock Out" is 2011,* and I'm not sure where I'll put it; it's slow and strange at first, then it gets good and strange. TOP's hair is as white as Jim Jarmusch's.

1. After School "Bang!"
2. E.via "Pick Up! U!"
3. E.via "Shake!"
4. 2NE1 "Try To Follow Me"
5. DJ DOC "I'm A Guy Like This"
6. GD&TOP "High High"
7. Girl's Day "Nothing Lasts Forever"
8. Miss A "Breathe"
9. Rainbow "A"
10. Lee Hyori "Swing"
11. IU "Good Day"
12. 2NE1 "Can't Nobody"
13. DJ DOC "Together (Remix)"
14. Ga-In "Irreversible"
15. SNSD "Oh!"
16. T-ara "Ya Ya Ya"
17. Kara "Jumping"
18. Miss A "Bad Girl Good Girl"
19. 4minute "I My Me Mine"
20. 4minute "HuH"

I discuss some of these as part of my year-end singles wrap-up over on my lj, if anyone wants to visit. Also on Friday tried to get a discussion going regarding "Ya Ya Ya" to inaugurate Problematic Korean Video Friday but didn't get many takers so far. If you have any candidates for further problematics, let me know.

*Actually, I'd count a lot of these tracks as eligible for 2011, also, anything released in December for sure and maybe some in November.

Possibly problematic video: 2NE1 - Go Away (feat. domestic violence (later, in a live performance of the song, CL convincingly beats down a male dancer)).

I'm surprised at 'pikachu' suddenly at #2. You and the Single Jukebox crew's work on pushing 'Bang!' contributed to me moving it a lot of places upwards.
----

Similarly I've realized that I've underrated SM Entertainment's in-house producer Yoo Young-jin's work last year, partly because of this interview which lead me to put his songs on repeat x 10. Mainly Super Junior's Bonamana and SHINee's Lucifer. I think I was frustrated by the lack of melody when they were released, and how uninterested they were in prettiness. I don't even know how to capture their spirit in words, something about words as bullets and impossibly sharp edges, at least for 'Bonamana', which is the greatest of the two.

He really has found his own sound, and also applied some of it to f(x)'s fantastic NU ABO, which I already had included on my top 10 (and also took a long time to get into), although that song is co-credited to some foreign songwriters.

Not that he's close to being a one-trick pony, as seen on his discography. He's worked with the company from the start and wrote most of their early hits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFlfCjpI_kU

Interestingly, his only work with SM's big guns Girls' Generation is writing the lyrics for 'Genie'. And this corny little tribute that was shown on their Asian tour concerts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKqhgoKN9g0

Seo In Young - Into the Rhythm

^^ has a 'katy on a mission' vibe to it

Holy shit holy shit

Reports of KARA splitting from their agency, DSP Media Entertainment, has sent shockwaves throughout the music industry. The members of KARA, excluding leader Gyuri, reasoned that they had lost their confidence in their relationship with DSP Media Entertainment, and that it could never be regained again.

Landmark, KARA’s lawyers, reported on January 19th:

“Despite KARA receiving much love from their activities in both Korea and Japan, the members have experienced inexplicable pain that brought them to this decision. They’ve held it in for a long time, but in order to protect their rights and their future, the members have decided to part ways from their company.

KARA has tried their absolute best in compromising with their company prior to their decision, but their agency used their power in forcing the members to fulfill schedules that they did not want, and continuously added activities on top of a loaded schedule without prior consent or discussion. The psychological damages that the members were forced to endure cannot be explained in words, and their efforts have gone to waste. Their misery is severe, and they can no longer remain under such a company, which is why they decided to declare their withdrawal.

Trust is the most important aspect of a relationship between an agency and its artist, but the agency has been using KARA as a way to make money. A variety of issues that have not been stated are still present. The agency has decided the majority of the girls’ celebrity activities without any sort of discussion or meeting, and has rejected requests asking for explanations or for proper documents. Their relationship has been destroyed to the point that it could never be restored again.“

Representatives of DSP Media commented, “This is ridiculous, we are not sure what went wrong. We have yet to understand the situation. We’ll be releasing an official statement soon.”

The final Big Bang side project before their comeback.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QZo5Ji43u8

^Has k-pop ever sounded more American?

I was a huge fan of Lee Jung-Hyun back in the day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0Mtk9NGpU8

Anyone know if her 2010 album is worth investigating?

Between 2NE1's To Anyone, the GD&TOP album, and now Seungri's album, I see YGE's production heading in a direction much more in tune with current trends in American pop music. This song even has a "My Love"-style part in which the rapper tells the girl to go for the singer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnDNbztO1K8

It makes me curious as to what Big Bang's upcoming album (if it ever materializes...) is going to sound like, because I think Big Bang's output has been steadily heading away from directly American-inspired hip hop to the typical synthy K-/J-Pop sound. Are these solo projects just so Big Bang can keep doing what it's doing without stifling its members?

Mr YG himself said that groups break up because the individual members don't get to display their individual creative ambitions. Or something like that. I hope that doesn't mean they'll abandon the rnb sound for Big Bang. They can still do synths, but in a 'Sunset Glow' kind of way. I heard talks about a rock sound, though? Hmm.

You're right, but is To Anyone that Americanized? Some of the songs probably are, but 'Follow Me' and 'Clap Your Hands' is like a step away from the familiar sounds they did I Don't Care and into a more unique, crazy place.

Hafta say the DBSK tune has grown on me watching ridiculous live performances such as this http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjQwMzIyNDY4.html -- all that POWER.

SNSD on the same (Japanese) show. Run Devil Run works so well live http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjQwMjk3NDY4.html

The awesome Japanese-turned-American SM Ent. choreographer Rino Nakasone doing her latest piece for DBSK

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x98_BT22uCY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzv7aHKbz_U

Slant Magazine try their hand at k-pop http://www.slantmagazine.com/house/2011/01/house-playlist-girls-generation-purity-ring-and-rainbow-arabia/

Girls' Generation, "Hoot." This one may be a few months old in its native South Korea, but that doesn't keep "Hoot" from being one of the best discoveries of 2011 on this side of the Pacific. The best K-Pop singles take a truly fearless approach to appropriating different genres for fun and profit, and "Hoot" starts off as a bit of jagged guitar pop as forceful and catchy as any of Max Martin's productions for Kelly Clarkson. But the song shifts its focus to the dance floor once the multi-tracked percussion loops kick in. The layered rhythm arrangement works with the song's overall conceit, which finds the girls giving an overdue brushoff to an acid-tongued boyfriend. His poison-tipped arrows are the "trouble, trouble, trouble" of the simple-is-better hook, and the group's cheerleading-squad-as-girl-group structure gives their off-you-go message its own built-in support group. The choice of violent imagery belies the apparent sweetness of the group's nine members and the single's simply massive hooks, but it's a perfect fit with the James Bond guitar figure that runs throughout. As far as 007 motifs doubling as pop songs go, "Hoot" fully holds its own alongside Britney Spears's "Toxic." Jonathan Keefe

Surprised Hoot is the one they go with, but..

Well I guess they actually named 'Gee' the 10th best single of 2009.

Never paid much attention to Slant, so I don't know what this is indicative of.

Sorry I don't post on this thread more often. My browser is Google Chrome, which has some weird issues with Shockwave Flash, so when I get a thread with a lot of video embeds my computer often freezes and I have to hit ctrl-alt-delete and turn off Shockwave Flash (which turns off the vids). May also be due to a relatively weak CPU.

Weird that Keefe compares "Gee" to Taylor Swift's "Love Story," since the two have little in common, other than both being pop songs about love. Taylor's singing is personal self-expression, with drama in the way the voice goes from wavers to emphasis, all about Taylor's story, no one else's. "Gee" is a girl group dance track, voices scooting in and around each other and chasing evanescent "yeah yeah yeahs" and "oh oh ohs" and "gee gee gees."

The guy writes up a lot of country, too. Wonder if he posts on ilX under some other moniker, since his tastes seem to run close to some of ours (Miranda Lambert, Laura Bell Bundy).

He might be. I know there are k-pop fans here who've never posted in this thread!

Anyone watched the magazine Monocle's new TV show on Bloomberg TV? They spent a good 15 minutes on k-pop, talking about how the Korean pop industry is using the web to make a global push, which WSJ and others have written about as well. Some interviews with both labels and stars, though, and a little talk session at the end. Worth a watch. Video here: http://www.allkpop.com/2011/02/kpop-covered-by-monocle-on-bloomberg

A few odd things are said, like Korea not being culturally protectionist, as opposed to Japan.. um, I'm not so sure about that, even though you can find k-pop on youtube.

Oh, the places my name turns up...

I've only posted in the Rolling Country thread prior to finding my "Hoot" write-up in here today, but yes. Hi. I've bee around for a bit.

I chose "Hoot" simply because, of "Hoot," "Oh!," and "Genie," it's the SNSD single that I've listened to the most frequently so far this year, and it's the one that I think has the most interesting production.

Frank, I didn't actually compare "Gee" specifically to "Love Story," and I agree that it wouldn't make sense to do so. I just quoted the little spoken-word, "Listen boy/It's my first love story" line that Tiffany says at the beginning of "Gee."

The comparison I was making is between what I love about K-Pop and what I love about Taylor Swift's best singles: The deliberate, all-hooks-all-the-time production choices that are far more sophisticated than many listeners might give them credit for. "Gee" also covers much of the same thematic territory as Swift's <em>Fearless</em> era singles, and does so with a similar plain-spokenness that works in context.

Hey Jonathan, hope you drop in more. Convo needs more voices. I didn't even know K-pop existed until a year and a half ago. (I've tried to get K-pop convos going on poptimists, to no avail. But I've enticed Mat and annh and Sabina and Tari to help learn me the subject over on my lj, if you want to join.

Sorry I didn't read your "Gee" blurb more insightfully.

"Hoot" is definitely growing on me, thanks to Sooyoung's screaming fangirl. Plan to do a post when I get the chance regarding my dreams of how it should be looped and remixed.

So, Big Bang's new mini-album. Quoth descriptivist above, "Are these solo projects just so Big Bang can keep doing what it's doing without stifling its members?" It seems like that is the plan: Solo / side-projects: Let them do what they want, experiment according to taste and curiosity, get Diplo to do a single, whatever--- Big Bang as a group: Play it safe, give the fans what they expect. Lead single "Tonight" is a bit disappointing -- pretty, but not huge and meaty like, say, 'Sunset Glow', and it sounds much like their recent Japanese output.

But it's popular. It's currently at #12 on the American main iTunes album chart. A new high for an all-Korean album, surely?

Disappointing is the word. It's "Lies" + Seungri's "What Can I Do" + echoes of "Mazeltov" aka the WORST K-pop boy band song!!! And I thought we weren't doing Autotune any more. (I do like that in the MV they let the least sexy member have the (implied) sex scene.) But I missed Daesung's voice so I'm hoping the rest of the songs are a bit more listenable.

Have Korean albums always been available through iTunes or is this a new thing? Because given the recent increase of articles on the rise of K-pop overseas via the internet, I think appearances by Korean albums on the American digital sales charts can only increase.

I have to say that I've been hoping some more stranger elements of kpop gain traction overseas, maybe provoking something maybe not so much as embarrassment, but an internal re-evaluation of what is culturally valuable. this might be a false hope because in the other direction, glenn branca isn't as much a household name in SK as yngvie malmsteen.

I think in order for that to happen, at least from my North American frame of reference, K-pop would have to jump, if not knock down, the "other countries are so weird and different" hurdle that's been set up here - otherwise, audiences and critics are more likely to perceive the differences ("haha, we're not that weird") than the similarities ("oh, that's what our popular music sounds like to other cultures...hmm"). For some reason the only example that comes to mind is Dragostea Din Tei, which became known here not because it held up a mirror to the North American boy-band craze, but because its hook sounded so hilarious.

I wonder if the Korean diaspora and the huge online communities would make a difference on the mainstream perception of a weird k-pop tune making waves. Pushed from the inside. The k-artists who have tried have more or less attempted to be an exact mirror image of American pop, or just quite bland (Wonder Girls).

'Tonight' ended up peaking at #6 on itunes, but has fallen a lot since, and I don't know how many albums are sold on itunes. Anyone know any figures for a typical weekly #1? Impressive, anyway. I think some companies, like SM Ent, were quick to offer their music internationally on iTunes, with others coming along. I even find some stuff on Spotify, now.

@descriptivist loads of kpop stuff is available via itunes, but they've never been actually promoted or even mentioned. i usually search for artists by searching for one of their tracks that had an english title in korea... kpop artists' data in itunes is not very clean, so searching for the band doesn't always gets you results.

anyway, i checked in after i found this
japanese version of beast's shock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDKjdBus4xs

Just for laughs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpXJJ71OxAA

^The tables have turned.

This one isn't plagiarism - LPG got the rights to do a remake of 'We No Speak Americano'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ofAaHwrN5A&feature=player_embedded

and I confess a weakness for the sunny sounds of Infinite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpT4EkgSIQg

New Girl's Day song, "Twinkle Twinkle". It's certainly no "Nothing Lasts Forever", but it's kind of nice, in the same vein as "Rock U"/"Honey"-era KARA. Orange Caramel proves there's a market for this stuff, but I'm not sure how, well, relevant it is right now. (Someone want to jump in with a counterexample?) At least we find out that previously mute member Yura (the blonde one) is actually the rapper.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEEIN-mtN6c

Yeah, sounds a bit like Kara. I don't know if Orange Caramel are comparable.. they sold that crazy aesthetic more than the songs (which I kinda like). But in the aftermath of Orange Caramel, hardly any girl group have gone for cutesy songs NOR silly cute costumes. Now Orange Caramel is coming back (...again) and they've dropped the kids stuff in favor of silly fashion-y costumes.

Quite like new girl group Chi Chi's debut single, Don't Play Around. The "I'm gonna break you" reminds me of E.Via's Shake, but otherwise the chorus reminds me of another song, possibly non-kpop. Any help?

Maybe the middle eight (which, say, 4minute would have made a full song out of) is meant to acknowledge current trends/add an edge? It's true that even Orange Caramel is no longer doing Orange Caramel.

I dig the new girl's day track!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7aFRaKyTfo

Some euro dance, courtesy of Orange Caramel: Bangkok City

As per the discussion of Girl's Day's "Twinkle Twinkle" above, here's some more girl groups getting sexy/adult. First, 4minute's comeback, "Mirror Mirror":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbXMJuzebOI

And then there's Rania's "Dr. Feel Good", which is also of note because this group has been trying to debut for at least a year. They're produced by Teddy Riley and, if I recall correctly, were slated to debut in the U.S. and Korea at the same time, though I'm assuming that plan has been scaled back. Either way, I'm hoping this song is gonna be huge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aEZJz2c-Vw

Ok, the more I listen to that 4minute song the more I realize it's a damn mess.

Yeah I've held back on scoring Mirror Mirror because I've come to love k-pop tracks that seem like a damn mess before, but I'm not sure about this one. Some good parts, though - I really like the keoura-keoura keoura-keoura of the chorus.

The Rania girls are hot. I wonder if the video will get any rotation on TV.

that twangy synth sounds straight lifted from like a g6... seems like they're mining that song pretty heavily (iirc the double bubble song or w/e also pretty directly references it)

haha the dr feel good video reminds me of those nudie pens that you turn upside down

Feel Good live @ M!Countdown

Killing those moves... but I'm not convinced any lines were sung live.

Endless stream of new releases. Summary:

Big Bang - Love Song
Big Bang - Stupid Liar
New rnb group Brave Girls
Rainbow - To Me
English version of 2NE1's Can't Nobody video

Kim Greem - a lot more 'self-made' artists are finding themselves at the top of charts in the aftermath of 'Superstar K', a Korean Pop Idol-ish show. Ironically, perhaps.
Jang Jae In is another star from the same show.

SHOW ME THE RECEIPTS/MR REMOVED!
Maybe when Rania's dance gets banned they'll be able to put more energy into singing...For a debut stage I think they should have at least done the improvisations at the end live to prove they can, but w/e.

Is this the "rock sound" G-Dragon's been promising? urrrrgh

The first thing I learned about k-pop was to not take promises about how songs would sound seriously. "This girl group will do hip hop a-capella" -> proceeds to release generic electro pop track. "This release will show fans a shocking transformation" -> same old shit.

I can answer my own question from upthread as to whether the latest Lee Jung Hyun album is worth investigating. Sadly, it isn't. Sounds really generic, unfortunately.

Shame.

Mnet have started a performance show, Club MRoot, seemingly in response to complaints that there are no real places for indie bands to show themselves off http://www.allkpop.com/2011/04/10cm-monni-mate-no-reply-perform-on-mnets-club-mroot

I'm not a big indie rock listener in general, but some of these bands have got a nice pop sensibility and what I'd call a very Asian (J-rock-ish) sense of melody. This seems like a nice show, anyway, a good idea.

Bonus: SNSD - Run Devil Run Japanese video, released later this month with their first original Japanese track, Mr Taxi.

Debut of (overhyped?) boy group Block B: Don't Move

I actually get more out of this song by pretending it's Big Bang's comeback and their whole "rock phase" (where "rock" = post-2000 U2) never existed.

Another so-called hip hop group that ends up being totally generic electro crap.

Ahaha, the Love Song video has been released and it's U2 as well! Here.

Gotta say.. I enjoy the new Dal Shabet single more than any other E-Tribe production in a long time. They're often too clever for their own good with the awkward structures and general mayhem of their compositions, and maybe that's the case here as well, but it's prettier this time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Foi2dmN0r4

As far as cutesy rookie groups go, Dal Shabet was made instantly irrelevant when A Pink made their debut in 'SNSD four years ago'-mode. The packaging is way too sickly sweet, but it's an undeniably catchy song and I think they've got an enthusiastic fanbase already.

But let's talk about f(x). How can they sound so f(x)-like on each single when they change producers all the time? The group's got a real strong identity - do any artists sound like them in Korea or elsewhere? - and that's without just copying their recipe each time.

Nu ABO is one of the great k-pop singles, in my opinion, and it's co-written with a Scandinavian team and SM Ent's representative producer Yoo Young-jin, who said in an interview about the fascinating co-op process:

Sometimes I take the sub-melody in the original composition and make it the main melody, or even make a new one from scratch. If a song has a great overall flow but a weak climax, I make it stronger. For example, [Korean girl band f(x) member] Luna's singing part in the latter part of "Nu ABO" -- that part changes the entire flow of the track. But the way it breaks the original flow and changes to a completely different vibe with a definite impact -- I think that is the style of Korean pop music.

Their new single Danger... I really like

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKS12iGFyEA

New SNSD JP joint / 'dance video' for Mr Taxi
Enjoyed the dance.

SM Town World Tour(SNSD, Shinee, TVXQ, SuperJunior, f(x)) will be the first big k-pop show in Europe - at Zenith de Paris, capacity ~7000 people.

I think SM underestimated the k-pop interest in Europe and especially France, because the tickets went on sale today and were sold out within 40 minutes. On ebay now up to 400€.

I may be holding the fort here alone, but we're experience the best month of the year. After School released what is, after initial disappointment that it wasn't Bang! 2.0, surely one of the grooviest summer jams we'll see this season.

After School - 'Shampoo', the most unswerving extended metaphor of the pop year

experiencing*

ha, I'm reading! haven't really been impressed with any of the stuff lately. feel like K-pop might have run its track? dunno

Dunno, 2010 had a slow start but the 2nd half made it top 2009. 2011 has had a slow start but this month rocked. Did you listen to 'Shampoo'? Gorgeous.

okay yeah I dig this. those are gorgeous synths.

my friend just sent me this from 2009

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHWklhbVXSw

what are the k-pop classics of yore?

Love that track and that dance. Jay Park sounds quite a bit like Taeyang on his new mini-album 'Take a Deeper Look', which you should check out. He's released two videos, Tonight and Abandoned.

'Ma Boy' by this Sistar sub-unit is has grown on me so much, one of my favorites of the year now. Sexiest K-pop rnb EVER (assisted by body waves). Here's the video.

First single from new 2NE1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n4V3lGEyG4

Won't be promoted, so it's just a buzz single

Posting the weekly Gaon digital numbers now that they've started providing them

1. Yim Jae-Bum - 너를 위해 339,398 HOT
2. After School - Shampoo 334,252 UP
3. Miss A - Love Alone 312,456 NEW
4. Park Bom - Don't Cry 300,478 DOWN
5. Sistar19 - Ma Boy 291,397 NEW
6. f(x) - Danger 288,548 DOWN
7. BMK - 꽃피는 봄이 오면 262,411 HOT
8. Lena Park - Mia 237,380 NEW
9. Toy - 여전히 아름다운지 228,024 HOT
10. 10cm - Americano 198,999 HOT

If anybody here didn't already know this, Frank Kogan has been discussing K-pop regularly in his livejournal blog in recent months:

http://koganbot.livejournal.com/tag/k-pop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kyy4VLqCMaQ

I can't wait for this album. Love the teaser.
If people are gonna be overusing the words 'Fact' and 'Fiction' in the following months, blame B2ST.

B2ST release something every month, don't they? Seems like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_Ue2sHpUVk

B2ST? They haven't released anything since last December. I was gonna go crazy, cause I'm addicted to them.
Their comeback stage (since last October I think? not sure) is tomorrow, it's gonna be fun.

Did you listen to Fact and Fiction? Some really nice vocals.

On the SM Town thing: the French/Spanish fans succeeded. They added a 2nd date.
I was planning on going, but there're only €220 VIP tickets left... That's just a bit too much for me at the moment with the flight and hotel costs. I'm saving up to go to Seoul instead.

Fiction was indeed a very nice song.

SNSD's first Japanese album is so good! Such a huge surprise seeing as they've always gone the filler route when it comes to most album tracks previously. This sounds like a real album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbcAANqXUJw

I was never really into SNSD, but I have to admit their new Japanese stuff is good.

SMTown Paris is over, now it's time to get that YG London rumour confirmed... I can't wait to see Big Bang and 2NE1.

Haven't been posting much due to having to kill shockwave flash and therefore kill the embeds to get this thread to load on my computer. Also, was listening to new music early in the year, missed a couple months, now only somewhat back. Anyhow, here's a K-pop best-of of what I've heard so far for 2011:

EPs & ALBUMS:
1. SOOLj Electro SOOLj (EP): As advertised, hip-hop guy explores the electric beat, flicks around very well among synthesized menace and synthesized beauty.
2. LPG The Special: "Trot" is the genre, they say; sounds like the Korean equivalent of light-of-step, eclectic disco.
3. Rainbow SO女 (EP): You know about "A" and "To Me"; in "So Cool" they wrap themselves around a guitar chord and a tough beat; in "Mach" they breathe in opposition to synth squelches. Singers seem overmatched, but that's not too much of an obstacle.
4. Kim Hyun Joong Break Down (EP): Never heard of him, though Wikip tells me he's a long-running heartthrob. He sounds reasonably pretty, while synths and beats carry knives.

Singles 2011 (I'm counting anything late November and onward as 2011)
1. GD&TOP "High High": Everything at the wall, everything clicks, exuberant.
2. Galaxy Dream ft. Turbotronic "Ready 4 Romance": Deep-night trance and sex.
3. IU "The Story Only I Didn't Know": Art ballad, small-voiced IU climbing cliffs and walking across high wires. Lots of feeling, total control.
4. Big Bang "Tonight": Everything at the wall, and harmonies too! Lyric translations (and the Japanese version has way more English, for some reason) reveal potential ugliness of sentiment, though I'll have to examine further: think that when T.O.P. romantically says "Good night" at the end, he's basically kicking the woman out of bed. Men are scum.
5. GD&TOP "Knock Out": Goofballs. Cutely handsome, aren't they?
6. Secret "No. 1 (Inst.)": The singers are unbearably cutesy, so take them away and you get a wicked little dance track.
7. Girl2School "Let's Play Dance": Lack style, can't sing, can't really dance, lousy video. So I guess this is all on the song and arrangement, as the music rolls over all resistance, like bumpercars. Don't know whether to excoriate K-pop for wasting so many good songs on lackluster voices, or to see this as strength, that they can achieve greatness through anyone. Maybe there are times when good voices would get in the way.

8. Kara "Jumping": It's like Latin freestyle riffs that have pumped iron and were given a high-glaze finish.
9. Rainbow "To Me": Wavers among come to me but on my terms, come to me on any terms, come to me or you're a goner. Draws on freestyle too: not the riffs but the emotional wail at the end.
10. T-ara "Why Are You Being Like This?": Pretending to be frustrated by love games, they sound as if they're on a total lark.
11. T-ara "Ya Ya Ya": More tongue-sticking and nyaah nyaah. Video is problematic, featuring arrows and a captive audience.
12. 4minute "Mirror Mirror": Can they sing? Can they dance? Does anyone notice if they can't, or care? They can stand, they can pose, they can wiggle, they've got the greatest hair. Here's the live version that shocked easily shockable TV viewers (see 2:41 especially). Maybe the ordinariness of the voices is a virtue, as the young women struggle through, and look sultry. Am I overrating this? Underrating this? Great song, at any rate.

13. Blady "찌릿찌릿": Cute, passionate, and cute. And cute. Good if cute is your thing.
14. Orange Caramel "Bangkok City": Excellent Italodisco that's simultaneously haunting and nonchalant. But this time I can't rationalize the mediocre singing.
15. Teen Top "Supa Luv": Voices are too weak, but this crew show promise in a world created by New Edition, Bel Biv DeVoe, New Kids, Backstreet Boys, etc.

13. Blady "찌릿찌릿": Cute, passionate, and cute. And cute. Good if cute is your thing.
14. Orange Caramel "Bangkok City": Excellent Italodisco that's simultaneously haunting and nonchalant. But this time I can't rationalize the mediocre singing.
15. Teen Top "Supa Luv": Voices are too weak, but this crew show promise in a world created by New Edition, Bel Biv DeVoe, New Kids, Backstreet Boys, etc.
16. THeThE "못믿을 사람": Indie singer wends her way between dream and stupor, guitar providing vegetation, vistas.
17. Swan.B "Be All Right": Eurodisco or happy hardcore or Dutch new beat or... I don't know, never learned the terminology, but it's pretty lively, and has that Korean flash.

I think a couple of Rania tracks might get in there too, but I'll have to listen more. Also a self-consciously slutty track by AB.

I couldn't agree more with High High's first place. The rest of my list would be completely different, though. I think my most played this year are High High, Knock Out, and *surprise* Fiction.

I guess I should open a BEAST thread, I can't really post on here without mentioning them, sorry... What can I do, they're too perfect. They'll be on MTV World Stage in August!

http://i53.tinypic.com/21b6jvc.jpg

Also let's take a moment to appreciate SM's budget for their European promotions.

GD&TOP featured on my 2010 lists, so no go for them

this time.

1. f(x) - Danger: Youthful brattiness and staccato nonsense, one note repeated until a gorgeous bridge achieves liftoff and briefly breaks away from the madness of jump rope rhymes.

Roughly ranked:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OSmITtaX3o"">After School - Shampoo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8d5QEWdHchk"">Big Bang - Tonight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n4V3lGEyG4"">2NE1 - Lonely
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6XXia5B2Wg"">Sistar19 - Ma Boy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPPmNzUjnhI"">Jay Park - Tonight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqvdj0Fl_MY"">Rainbow - To Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djJb5iSL0Do"">TVXQ - Keep Your Head Down (Dance cover)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ni_8EOdlxY"">Rainbow - Sweet Dream
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkDEWopV8w4"">Rania - Dr Feel Good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXXRenlJiA0#t=3m42s"">Big Bang - Hands Up
IU - Story Only I Didn't Know
BEAST - Fiction
4Minute - Mirror Mirror
4Minute - Already Gone
DJ Schedule 1 ft J'Kyun - Back Hug
Miss A - Love Alone
Dear Cloud - For You
U-Kiss - 0330

Standing Egg - Fly

Swan.B - Be All Right

Heenain - 1,2,3

Albums:
1. SNSD - 1st Japanese
2. Big Bang - Mini #4
3. Jay Park - Take A Deeper Look
4. Navi - Hello

Wow, I messed that up. Not even sure what happened there, all of those were supposed to be regular links and instead ruined the thread.

None of those links even work. So if a mod sees this you're free to delete that post.

Well I guess the best thing to do is post a lot to move that mess of a post into the fold.

Some hot stuff released the past week. Rainbow - Sweet Dream
2NE1 - I Am The Best
T-Ara - Roly Poly, 12 minute mini-drama music video

I love Roly Poly and I Am The Best. Currently listening to the latter.
Shorter version of the T-Ara - Roly Poly vid
Okay 2NE1 ended, so it's Lolly Lolly Polly time.

I hope Hyuna's solo stuff is at least half as good as these!

and here it is! Hyuna - Bubble Pop!

Personally I prefer Hyuna's shouting to her singing so at first I was a bit disappointed, but the more I listen to it the more it sounds like an ideal summer jam to me. Minus that dubstep breakdown, which is too long and doesn't really need to be there.

Yeah, it's a jam. She fills a void too, at least when Hyori's away (and yes, the comparison works, but Bubble Pop doesn't SOUND like anything Hyori's done even if the stage looks like 'U-Go-Girl'). Here's a nice live performance.

I would be very thankful for some help decoding/analysing the lyrics to Dana and Sunday (The Grace)'s comeback single 'One More Chance'.

The day Hyuna placed higher on youtube than Beyoncè. The funniest about this for me is that Beyoncè had even less clothes on.

I'm still with Roly Poly, though.

80s-ish vibes from Infinite: Be Mine. They're always so very listenable!

2NE1 go animated (via Mari Kim) Hate You. 2NE1 in melodic mode.

http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/8329/357637940.png

Haven't made up my mind about 'Ugly' yet, though.

I pitched "I Am the Best" for a single review about a month ago, and my editor shot it down because he hasn't yet been converted as far as K-pop goes, despite my best efforts... I still don't think they sing as well as Girls Generation, but I love that 2NE1 seem to be building something of an international following.

That godawful dubstep break really does kill "Bubble Pop," which is pretty fantastic otherwise.

She's exchanged the dubstep break with several other variants live lately, for no apparent reason.

Version 1
Version 2

Mat, where's that chart from? I'm assuming whatever it is, it's daily sales rather than weekly. Also, is the official name of the EP 2nd Mini Album or is it Ugly? Or doesn't the younger generation do "official" names?

The verse and chorus of "Ugly" sound like different songs; or maybe my confusion is because that sort of verse, if it's a lead-in to a dance-oriented-rock chorus, needs the chorus to be something like glimmering "Flashdance" DOR rather than Martin-Shanks-era Bon Jovi or whatever variant of sing-along dance-along hair metal or pop-rock it seems to derive from. --Not sure if I'm hitting the right comparison, or right era, even; seems '80s rather than early '00s, but '80s Jovi and Crüe isn't quite the same thing as "Ugly." Maybe you people can help me home in on it. With a few tweaks maybe it could be a modern country chorus, and better than most of what's on country radio this year, though disappointing in comparison to the previous three 2NE1 singles. Thought "Hate You" was a dance trance of beauty, no matter that the lyrics have something else in mind.

I had a sudden urge yesterday to engage in 20 seconds of research, and, succumbing to the urge, discovered that "Roly-Poly" and "Bubble Pop!" are written (and I assumed produced) by the same two people. Then went beyond my allotted twenty and determined that Shinsadong Tiger can do no wrong when it comes to 4minute, is a bit more fallible with T-ara (thumbs up on "Roly-Poly" and "Bo Peep Bo Peep," somewhat meh on the other two), and is fairly weak with Beast, or anyway can't transcend Beast's weakness. I wouldn't mind being proven wrong about the latter.

I am totally fine with the dubstep break in "Bubble Pop!" The bubble and pop needed a break, and HyunA needed an excuse to thrust her pelvis again.

Not that I've ever really figured out what the word "dubstep" refers to. But whenever I walk by a Starbucks or some place that is playing music, I will say, sagely, "obligatory dubstep break," no matter what's actually playing, and will rub my chin thoughtfully.

The thrusts are energetic, but I wouldn't say HyunA's any great shakes as a dancer. Isn't horrible, just doesn't inhabit the rhythm or find a way to let it flow through her in the way that a group like Miss A does, for instance. Do think HyunA's powerful as a rapper, digs in and can sound hard and wounded like a Lil Kim, even if her words, whatever they are, take her elsewhere. And of course the hair is always awesome.

The chart pic I just found it posted on some forum, without any info. The EP isn't called "Ugly", it's some variation of "2nd Mini Album".

Unsure if inspirational lyrics like these can ever be interesting, but is there something to be said for how loyally it sticks to flipping the 'Beautiful' script 180 degrees around? "I am ugly, no matter what you say". Whether I'm getting exactly the nuance they're going for, I'm not sure, even if the words are simple. At least there's an attempt to make things interesting.

Prominent year for Shinsadong Tiger. I liked Beast's "Fiction", the simple hook got to me, but it's the first time I've really noticed the group. Never got involved to the point of thinking about their strengths and weaknesses, or producers. I was going to post a dance cover of Fiction now, but then I came across these girls dancing to TVXQ, a clip previously removed from youtube, and it's so so amazing.

I want to discuss Teen Top's new cheater's anthem as well - Don't Spray Perfume. I think it's a funny song with a great, enchanting chorus. I don't believe that these boys would dare seduce an older woman, but remain entertained imaging it - and the little details in the videos, like the bad boy buying his girlfriend the same perfume as his fling, are precious. This song is all about the practical issues of adultery, in a world where moral qualms don't exist. I choose to ignore the potential moral qualms with this actress (Park Si-Yeon, 32) being twice the age of the OLDEST Teen Top-member (the youngest is 15) as well. Not sure if this group does anything I like outside of being there for the song, smiling intensely, but here we are.

Well ok, so maths isn't my strong point. Since the oldest member is 18 and not 16 the age difference isn't that great - but not knowing their names and faces I have no clue if the member playing the role of the punk here is the oldest one.

숨 / Breathe is also a likeable Beast track, but I think it'd be better performed by 4Minute.

Shinsadong Tiger seems to be the writer-producer for Blady as well, and their singles are two for two: lots of "ohs" and "ooos" in "Spark Spark," but the emotion of the melody doesn't get lost in the cuteness; and "Crazy Day" is halfway to the anguished feeling of Latin freestyle. (This is the second track in the last month the melody style of which made me think of Judy Torres' great "Come Into My Arms" and "No Reason To Cry," the other one being, to my total surprise, Selena Gomez & The Scene's "Love You Like A Love Song." Wouldn't think that little heart-voiced Selena could evoke Judy's sky-scaling wails, but safely back in the mix Selena's spectral oh-woh-ohs do just that. And "Crazy Day" does some of the same. I also thought I heard a bit of that freestyle emotion in Rainbow's "To Me," as well as freestyle riffaging in Kara's light and bright "Jumping." It's been a busy year for my projecting freestyle onto every halfway impassioned sound I hear.)

The promo copy that accompanies the video for "Crazy Day" tells us, "This style of choreography is powerful yet easy, so that it can express Blady's uniqueness. This also allows fans to be able to learn and keep up with the dances." Quite considerate of Blady to accommodate their audience in such a manner.

Are managed (or signed to or whatever, I'm not sure how this stuff works) by SY6 Entertainment, about which the Internet is revealing almost nothing.

Unsure if inspirational lyrics like these can ever be interesting, but is there something to be said for how loyally it sticks to flipping the 'Beautiful' script 180 degrees around? "I am ugly, no matter what you say". Whether I'm getting exactly the nuance they're going for, I'm not sure, even if the words are simple. At least there's an attempt to make things interesting.

Thought "Unpretty" and "Don't Let Me Get Me" hit pretty hard back in the day, the latter especially with Pink sounding ripped-up from the inside, not blaming this entirely on the patriarchy.

"Ugly" also does a nice 180-degree flip on "I Am The Best"'s "Even if you were me you'd envy my body." I am positive that the very same people who chant "NAE GA JE IL JAL NA GA" whenever they hear it will sing along with "Don't lie to my face, I know that I'm ugly," and feel the exact same liberation when singing either one.

Haven't yet gone looking for English translations, to try to locate nuances, though a translation may miss them as well, assuming there are any. But what we've got instead of nuance are tensions between song and singers, between this song and other 2NE1 songs, complications that appear whether the song acknowledges complication or not.

(The Korean Music Copyright Association lists Lydia Soo Paek as co-writer of "Ugly" along with Teddy Park (whose name they spell "Te Di"). And she's listed as co-writer of "Don't Cry," also with Teddy. I've no other information about her.)

Lydia is apparently a dance crew member and singer, and a friend of Shaun Evaristo, who's done choreography for YG. Here's the story which I just found through Google http://letsplay2ne1.wordpress.com/2011/04/27/article-quest-crew-member-lydia-paek-co-wrote-and-co-produced-park-boms-dont-cry/

I came across these girls dancing to TVXQ, a clip previously removed from youtube, and it's so so amazing

Yes, awesome. What's the story with the clip's removal and return? It would be great if, with their normal looks and weight, they could get a shot.

Listened to the Teen Top album once and was hugely disappointed, since "Supa Luv" had shown promise. Even on that one the singing was too feeble, but the song had a nice glide, making the pale voices not a big problem 'til the embarrassing speaking bit at the end. This second listen to "Don't Spray Perfume" makes me think I underrated its tune a little, and of course I had no idea it had such words. Probably still doesn't rate higher than "interesting," but if I were to revive my "problematic Korean videos" series, this one would surely belong.

I don't know, it just disappeared and I had to watch it on a Korean site for a while. They should apply to Korea's Got Talent.

It's SNSD's 4 year anniversary today. Here are some clips from a recent Seoul concert, doing Britney, Madonna and Janet.

Sunny
Yoona & Yuri
Jessica

Sunny's '3' performance again, since it was removed.

Also SuJu's new single... as the biggest Bonamana fan here following the same formula for a third time in a row is pushing it. And the video is so bland and grey and typically SM lame.

With a few tweaks maybe it could be a modern country chorus, and better than most of what's on country radio this year...

I definitely agree, and actually I get much more out of the song by watching <a href=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skRVr6_Fl5g>;solo acoustic youtube covers of it</a> - stripping the bombast out of the chorus makes it seem less teen-angsty to me, although I suppose being teen-angsty isn't necessarily a bad thing. (I'm sure the single would have spoken volumes to me at that stage of my life.) Matt of Totally Amazing has some good insight into the meaning of the song vs. the meaning of the video <a href=http://totallyamazing.tumblr.com/post/8192716256/2ne1-ugly-well-i-was-just-talking-about-how>;here</a>.

As for the new SJ single, I'm disappointed the video doesn't look anything like the teaser pictures and I'm disappointed that the song is unworthy of forming a trinity with Sorry Sorry and Bonamana. Haven't listened to the rest of the album, but I generally ignore SJ's music past the singles.

crap, messed that up! but all the links are visible anyway?

I get the link to Totally Amazing, but not any acoustic covers.

ok, here is the acoustic cover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skRVr6_Fl5g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AqF8AiCNcs

Was going to post that on lj last night if I hadn't been too sleepy. Will probably do so today. HyunA's relative stillness makes her just as steamy as she always is, and Zico just kills it. I think his rap in the middle is entirely new - doesn't seem to match DOK2's on the EP. And he improves it.

The Block B EP starts strong with "Halo" and then blands out; too much mediocre boyband singing, but Zico's rapping is sterling; unfortunately, he doesn't get many chances to stretch out as he does here.

Evidently he's got a mixtape. Hope he doesn't feel the need to be too tough and real.

haven't caught up with this thread yet but just stepping in to agree that the dubstep breakdown in Bubble Pop is AWFUL A-W-F-U-L

maybe someone can do an edit? :\

I certainly don't think there's an agreement on that.

Tea and cakes at the Blue House looks like an awkward affair

http://i.imgur.com/6QFcd.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Bgssz.jpg

sweet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe_J_tcu3QE

Billboard K-Pop Hot 100 Launches; Sistar Is No. 1 on New Korea Chart

Billboard goes K-Pop today (Aug. 25) with the launch of a new chart, the Billboard K-Pop Hot 100. The tally, which ranks Korea's top-selling songs, kicks off with girl group Sistar's "So Cool" grabbing the No. 1 slot and beating out second-place Leesang and 2NE1, who land not only at No. 3 (with "Ugly") but also No. 14 ("Hate You") and No. 21 ("I Am The Best") on the chart dated Sept. 3.

The Billboard K-Pop Hot 100 chart, launched in conjunction with Billboard Korea, is based on digital sales via leading websites as well as downloads from mobile service sites using an industry-standard formula and the most credible music data sources within Korea. The K-Pop Hot 100 debuts simultaneously here on Billboard.com, in the international chart section of Billboard.biz, in Billboard magazine, and also on Billboard Korea's website, billboard.co.kr.

"The launch of the Billboard K-Pop Hot 100 chart is a milestone event, as it will provide the Korean music market with what we believe is Korea's most accurate and relevant song ranking," says Silvio Pietroluongo, Billboard's Director of Charts. "We're excited to be expanding Billboard's globally recognized Hot 100 chart franchise into this country, and look forward to enhancing the K-Pop Hot 100 chart in the near future with additional data as well as creating new charts that showcase the breadth of Korean music."

finally caught up with this thread. the 4minute album is nice!

'ugly' really bothers me, seems not good for people with self esteem issues.

sorry if its already been mentioned, but this is amazing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty4g27YHZ-Q

New U-KISS single, Neverland. Of note because it was written and produced by JD Relic, an American who is mostly known for posting English-language covers of K-pop songs on Youtube.

It sounds pretty North American to me, though maybe that's just because the "shiny club beats" trend is happening everywhere anyway. Also if you're unfamiliar with U-KISS this amount of English used isn't unusual for them - part of their deal has always been that they have a fairly high ratio of native English speakers (3 out of 7 members).

My favorite is "Someday" from the new U-Kiss album. It's the anthem of non-successful K-Pop acts.
They really stepped up with this one.

Re their English, probably because of the native speakers, even the others are above average English speakers.

caught up with the TSJ reviews and can I just take a moment to point out that korea and japan are not the same? really getting tired of japanese references (i.e. harajuku girls, hello kitty) making their way into k-pop reviews.

Kara

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pPrZ-QN4Iw

video is down

it was working like 45 mins ago

this should work

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYoYoBtLqOY

my eyes hurt

thanks for the link!

The bridge to Step feels like an injection of morphine.

it's like "bang!" for people who think after school are too scary

great thread guys. kinda love this:

A Pink - It Girl

the outfit coordination in that kara video is next level

my friend just sent me this from 2009

http://www.youtube.com/v/EHWklhbVXSw&fs=1&hl=en

this is properly amazing

I always thought "Where U At" sounded better with the beat from a Justin Bieber song under it.

I like A Pink's Protect the Boss song as well. I know this is blasphemy, but they're like a (vocally) improved version of SNSD to me.

I wish Jay Park sold better...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmPMZlsDlVY
Perfect.

Also I can't get over Someday. It's so touching.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwSQVbxOa6w

woah!! 'abandoned'!!

Yeah, I was spinning that a lot. His EP is solid.

Blasphemy or not, I really don't see how A Pink is a vocally improved SNSD. If they are they haven't got any chance at showing it off with that cutesy affectation on every track. They're kinda similar to Kissing You-era aka shitty era SNSD , though, I'll give you that.

Omg there's an English version of SNSD's "Born To Be a Lady" on Demi Lovato's new album.

So much feel-good energy in this performance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em3E3n5dLu0

Brown Eyed Girls, finally back. Stepped up their badassery.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgJVNAbkTwc

Great gender-switching performance of buzz single 'Hot Shot'
Sixth Sense live

WHO RUN THE WORLD (BROWN EYED GIRLS)

The new SNSD album was originally set to be released on 10/04, but evidently that's been pushed back a couple of weeks to work out better international distribution deals.

The teaser trailer (which, why isn't this a more common practice globally?) is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeiB3Pq_5dY&feature=player_embedded

I hope that the music sample is actually taken from the album and isn't just filler, because it sounds fantastic.

the trick to 'bubble pop' is to listen to so much shitty brostep that the brostep breakdown seems good by comparison.

the production on this song is really great, balanced but the attack is quick.

by contrast, on the 4minute album they often sound like they're using a webcam to record.

Many different opinions about SNSD's Korean/worldwide comeback single The Boys. More on that later. You can't deny though that they naaailed their first perfomance. This song really allows them to show off themselves as powerhouse vocalists, and the choreography is really powerful as well. It's all very cool image-wise. Seohyun is AAA here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9YFncRmZdM

I see thread contributor descriptivist is disappointed with the Korean lyrics on her tumblr. Yes, maybe I agree, it's not like it should be their place to cheer on the boys. But the lyrics don't really come off as simple as that. Sunny says as much in an interview:

Sunny – “The lyrics’ (meaning) are up to the interpretation (of the listeners'). Rather than just the simple meaning of girls giving boys support, it can be interpreted in many ways. The girls could be telling the boys that we’ll take the lead, giving off a more tough image. It could also be interpreted as girls telling the boys to get their act together and cheer up. (laughs) The song is also aims to give courage to people, whether they’re girls or guys, who are tired out (by life).”

Then there's the rap thing and the Athena reference..

I found this song really plodding and without melody imo

k-pop just can't pull off these bangers

don't really know what 'these bangers' means here

okay, well, aggressive, dirty sounding assertive bangers

kpop has been a big internet fad for a lil while huh

yeah

check this version of the boys out btw. I like it better than the final mix

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq2-YQxsAPA

"okay, well, aggressive, dirty sounding assertive bangers"

foundation of k-pop imo. what they do best

what are your favorite kpop dirty bangers

the singers never feel like they have enough individuality to pull off the swag necessary for a dirty banger

who is the beyonce of k pop

boa?

Well don't you think 4Minute's singles fit that category? The 'Huh's? Shinee's Lucifer? Some of 2NE1's hits? I think I might like DR Feelgood even better as far as Riley-produced girl group bangers go, though. Maybe we have different definitions of dirty bangers, but when Seo Taji and his followers put down the rules in the 90s they were basically about sounding dirty and loud.

BoA is more like.. a super-talented britney mixed with a bit of Ciara. Beyonce of k-pop.. Hyori fits the career trajectory of being too big for a big girl group and becoming the leading pop star in the country, all individuality and sass, but her music, style, voice, don't fit. Some people predict Sistar's Hyorin going that way, she's done beyonce dances on tv, her voice is great and rnb-y, she's been a solo star in 'Immortal Song', the singing contest where established artists battle eachother.

Pitchfork give their official take on k-pop http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/8700-to-anyone-the-rise-of-korean-wave/

Bah! I wanted to write something about K-Pop for another outlet but the thunder's being stolen left, right and centre. I hope the growing interest lasts longer than a few articles, though.

The up and coming Minneapolis duo Elite Gymnastics are very vocal K-Pop fanatics. They have a free mix here with a lot of K-Pop on it:

http://elitegymnastics.tumblr.com/post/8628044234/all-we-fucking-care-about-is-kpop-whitehouse-and-our

K-Pop is definitely a growing internet sensation among Western Audiences.

Sorry if that came off spammy - I really like these guys but they seem relevant to the "Is K-Pop going mainstream in the West?" discussion.

Ummm LOL ok that P'fork article is written by a dude from Elite Gymnastics.

Heh, yeah, I noticed they fronted k-pop in an interview there earlier, guess Pitchfork needed the expertise.

Well don't you think 4Minute's singles fit that category? The 'Huh's? Shinee's Lucifer? Some of 2NE1's hits? I think I might like DR Feelgood even better as far as Riley-produced girl group bangers go, though. Maybe we have different definitions of dirty bangers, but when Seo Taji and his followers put down the rules in the 90s they were basically about sounding dirty and loud.

BoA is more like.. a super-talented britney mixed with a bit of Ciara. Beyonce of k-pop.. Hyori fits the career trajectory of being too big for a big girl group and becoming the leading pop star in the country, all individuality and sass, but her music, style, voice, don't fit. Some people predict Sistar's Hyorin going that way, she's done beyonce dances on tv, her voice is great and rnb-y, she's been a solo star in 'Immortal Song', the singing contest where established artists battle eachother.

Pitchfork give their official take on k-pop http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/8700-to-anyone-the-rise-of-korean-wave/

― abcfsk, Wednesday, November 2, 2011 8:53 AM (8 hours ago) Bookmark

maybe some of 2NE1s? I listened to 4minute's latest album and their voices get buried underneath the production - it sounds like they're singing from the next room!

is there a k-pop 'goodies'?

if you could follow only one blog about k-pop news, and wanted to be on top of all the latest singles, what would it be?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fy4cqWMhyI

I do dig this (courtesy of http://maddieloveskpop.tumblr.com/post/12502584957 )

allkpop is the biggest - it's ridiculously big, there are 15 000 comments on the story about snsd releasing the boys video. they mostly translate gossipy tabloid korean stories, often infuriating stuff, but i do use them as the main source to know what is released and when. omonatheydidnt.livejournal.com process most of the allkpop stories and add some of their own, with a less childish crowd (although the ohnotheydidnt-ian demographic with all their "slayed" and "dead"s are capable enough of annoying on their own). so.. one of those two.

I follow some youtube users for more obscure pop releases.

that wonder girls song is so much in the vein of jyps miss a singles, but it's fun and catchy

'be my baby is great'

I like the little fakeout at the beginning with those low rubbery synths that have become associated with the 'k-pop dirty banger' but then the stadium synths drop in and it's just such a summery little song

but why did they release it in november :(

lots of people call it a christmas-y tune, though

T-ara's new MV is boinkers insane as per t-ara standards. tune is back to their first album vintage sound, sweeeet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ju79e8rM0c

ah, what's the song they're covering in the beginning?

oh wait, britney, right?

Just borrowing some of Max Martin's chords.

hah well part of it definitely sounds like oops I did it again... or baby one more time... can't remember which

Truly impressive performance from the Wonder Girls fans in this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPEYerkEl6c

Here's the Cry Cry audio http://youtu.be/AC9if2OBRyI

I reviewed the new Wonder Girls album on Burning Ambulance today.

that brown eyed girls single upthread is so massive. more aggressive disco strings everywhere, please

christ this whole wonder girls album is really solid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doXnuStEf2I

I love this egregious use of stadium synth by the wonder girls, does every song on the album use them?

It's not on the Wonder Girls 2011 album. You can probably hear that sort of thing on a few tracks, but the album is a bit of this and a bit of that, although surprisingly cohesive and... good.

Some noteworthy 2012 singles so far:
Nine Muses - News
Sunny Hill - The Grasshopper Song(or "hey fellow Koreans, let's not get consumed by work ethics and long hours")

I love how the Nine Muses cut off the final vowels in the chorus. Like hissing snakes.

meant to say something in this thread last year about the miss a record, on which every track is bangin'

I was a bit disappointed myself! But then I had heard almost all the songs as singles, and they were excellent, and then I'm left with the few new ones. Without that in mind it's a pretty great album.

Now a 2011 album which really surprised me with its high quality was SISTAR's So Cool.

You can enjoy SNSD on LIVE WITH KELLY Wednesday the 1st.

really like that nine lives song

nine muses, I'm sorry

They're also appearing on DAVID LETTERMAN. Too bad it's not their best single!

Then new Dal Shabet is good, has grown on me, packs a real punch. The video is a bit too violent for my taste.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhM4ossYcjg

But this.. industrial? metal? album track is also great: http://youtu.be/Ge5cM2nzkQI

I don't get this. How can you listen to songs like "Sorry Sorry" without feeling awkward? I turned it off after 10 seconds. Anyway, I enjoy 2NE1's "I Don't Care." What songs are similar to that?

Did you just look at the posts from two years ago? Anyway I don't know why I'd feel awkward listening to Sorry, Sorry even if it's not one of my favorites.

There have been a few I Don't Care-like synth rnb tunes since then.. maybe this http://youtu.be/8TybPXqzQ50

why would you feel awkward?

I like the revenge angle!

abcfsk: haha yeah, I just found this thread yesterday.

dayo: because it sounds, uh, (I don't know how to say this without offending someone) gay.

anyway here's my country's version of k-pop. these groups are very big here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSWtfW-94iA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48pGg0rZ0jU

You didn't really manage to not sound offensive, or make any sense.

this is not really k-pop but rather k-punk, but i figure this is a good as thread as any?

i've recently rediscovered crying nut after finding out that they're on spotify

http://open.spotify.com/track/0QJdScYJuZDw0SgICqJpqO
http://open.spotify.com/track/4og6Qix8vofFvC8UdZobEb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgkSTFbWGPg

anyone know/like them?

Can't say I know them. Will check out.

Meanwhile

http://www.smpcdn.com/static/images/infographics/kpop-groups-infographic-soompi.png

Copy paste that image url somewhere else obviously.

Mind, this is just one site's work and their inclusion of some hip-hop groups/ vague definition of "idol groups" make it less than perfect.

does this look familiar?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6h2s8E7kDA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO9yFjodDtM

I tried following allkpop on google reader but there were like, 70 posts in a day. O_O

are there any k-pop blogs that are just the singles?

That Letterman performance is great! Not a top tier single but they sold it and the dance breaks were ooon point. Regis very excited.

And I don't know any k-pop blogs without gossip, unfortunately. Just check allkpop's twitter and hone in on "releases..".

lol yeah, I was just thinking how creepy it was that they came on right after two old white men were interviewed

http://s3.amazonaws.com/data.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyq75ivQaN1qf89zjo1_1280.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJ6IHWSU3BX3X7X3Q&Expires=1328207970&Signature=wUhzKTffglYEv5uiKZ761%2BNy7ls%3D

!

lol I just posted that pic to the "photos of famous people you'd never expect to be together" thread. so great.

I was really surprised by their english accents! (mean that in as unoffensive a way as possible)

im gonna post this on a bill murray thread brb

(mean to clarify the xpost as in: normally I don't care at all about english usage in k-pop songs, but since SNSD is targeting the US market, thought it would be relevant.) xp to myself

does anybody else hear a lot of H.O.T. in B.A.R.?

Thoughts on SPICA's Russian Roulette?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRnQUHw2cs8

despite the similar imagery, a little too upbeat for the k-pop russian roulette?

I like the song, the group is more believably 'an rnb group' than previous attempts at that and the production is catchy - plus it still sounds very Korean. The mini-album supports these claims.

I'm not necessarily keen on all k-pop videos these days featuring guns and death.

They can sing: http://youtu.be/mA7RebIbs_M (also check out Brandy/D Child covers)

I think we're going to see more solo stars this year. This debut single by 'Ailee' is a melodic belter we've heard on the Billboard chart many times http://youtu.be/L9ro1KjkJMg

Jang Jae In is a typical example of the new kind of solo k-pop star: http://youtu.be/LYFJ2v9aaY0 - currently topping Korean digital charts

She was a contestant on "Super Star K", has roots in indie rock, is a singer songwriter, etc - these types have made the biggest impact in the talent show surge of the past few years, finding a platform that didn't exist before, making it a commercially viable genre. (Slick ballad singers and teen idols have had more than enough screen time, which might explain why the talent show audiences favor lo-fi stars)

has IU done anything lately?

You mean since You&I? Which even she admitted was a Good Day ripoff she didn't want to release at first. Did gangbuster numbers and is catchy, though. Weak after album release she had all the top 10 spots on the singles chart because of album tracks. Has writing credits on half the album so making bank as well. If you're checking out the album go for tracks 9-13, the rest is pap but these hint at where she herself said she wants her sound to go. This is the kind of stuff she does when she has no co-writers with her http://youtu.be/z3vrXXQC6a0

She's debuting in Japan with a JP version of Good Day these days before doing a follow-up single in Korea.

ah okay, you mentioned indie songwriters and she popped to mind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEonbbcdCtg

what's the guitar sample at the beginning?

http://www.thesinglesjukebox.com/?p=4929#comments

will the TSJ ever review a k-pop single without making a gratuitous, vague east asia reference?

Even (Hollywood) kids note the Lady Gaga-Kpop connection:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yd6EQ4MxTWE

"The Boys" sounds like "Telephone" to me.

I really love this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaKU7_PhQL4

Does anyone know anything about the rapper (Bla Bla)? He's hard to Google in English.

Every time the rap part comes in there's a split second where it sounds like Maino, "Hi Hater" to me lol.

SNSD songwriter has bizarre racist twitter meltdown, wtffffff
http://www.asianjunkie.com/2012/02/jenny-hyun-songwriter-for-snsd-chocolat-is-a-racist-psychopath/

yikes!

don't have the slightest ideas who jenny hyun or SNSD are, but might be the most disgusting public display of racism i've ever seen from a public figure. not sure how koreans in general tend to view such things, but i assume that calls for genocide are no less acceptable there than they are here.

It's not a one-off meltdown, as far as i can tell, her whole feed is littered with racist tweets. It's either a fake account or she's 100% crazy.

http://jennyhyun.wordpress.com/2012/02/15/niger/

http://jennyhyun.wordpress.com/2012/02/15/a-late-valentine-for-indians-only/

http://jennyhyun.wordpress.com/2012/02/15/a-comparison/

Her published songs list suggests she co-wrote one SNSD album track which might explain why nobody seems to give a fuck about this. She only has 400 followers on Twitter.

hope they cut her off forever

http://jennyhyun.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/notorious-big-mo-money-mo-problems-ft-mase-puff-daddy/

seems like she has no qualms about enjoying the music of the people she wants to commit genocide against

don't have the slightest ideas who jenny hyun or SNSD are, but might be the most disgusting public display of racism i've ever seen from a public figure. not sure how koreans in general tend to view such things, but i assume that calls for genocide are no less acceptable there than they are here.

― Little GTFO (contenderizer), Saturday, February 18, 2012 6:49 PM (21 minutes ago) Bookmark

afaict she's korean-american

another one from yesterday

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj242/donaldparsley/jennyhyun1.png

afaict she's korean-american

having done a little googling, SNSD and chocolat (the acts she writes for) seems to be south korean, though, right? it's not like either has a big US pop presence, so far as i know...

SNSD (girl's generation) are trying to break it big in america, they recently appeared on letterman.

ah. i'm not sure that this is the best strategy, then.

she doesn't write for them as much as she sold the rights to two tracks they used as filler on albums. no relation in reality

she seems batshit insane, though, should probably get a padded cell

new miss a EP rather underwhelming

i only listened to the title song so far, it's such a mess. i guess the other songs must be better, will give the ep a listen in the next few days.

expect to see this on the youtube chart next week https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GRP1rkE4O0 big bang - blue

Yeah I'm liking the Big Bang, toning it down was a good idea, feels like a 2012 version of their earliest stuff.

This is kinda dreamy and great

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw077fxesZs

The new Brave Girls single is decent, but this album track kills it http://youtu.be/cm_OV7q_GVk

Wow. I'm not sure i've listened to Park Ji Yoon in about nine years but that's really lovely.

yeah I really like the big bang song. interesting that the girls in it are european - recall a few blog posts dissecting the gender politics of the last big bang (or was it gd/top) video that did that.

My favorite thing about the "Blue" video is that G-Dragon made ALL the members of Big Bang pose so that they ambiguously are, and are with, the white hipster girl.

When it was announced that Teddy Park had co-written most of the tracks on the Big Bang album, I was (happily) anticipating something like this, without the editing glitches:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9oa45GuRMk

Big Bang vocals and an actual sad-euphoric build is all I ever wanted out of a song, apparently. >_> Blue is not bad though, it is restful next to their more dramatic tracks. I am holding out hope for at least one really "big" track on the album, though.

man I don't know why I wrote european, I should have just said white. sorry about that.

@dayo the video with mostly white girls is GDTOP, High High (about clubbing). They used a Korean girl for their teen romance song, though. Now I wanna read those blog posts...

think the gist of it was male aggrandizing as specifically related to asian males - i.e. they're so masculine that they get white chicks. or something.

That makes sense. There was a lot of male aggrandizing going in the videos for that album, you know, all the playboy bunny girls, the girls at the club and the spa, etc.

(I wrote "compensatory male aggrandizing" but it could have also been because it was a more 'hip hop' album and that's what hip hop albums are like, I guess.)

seems like I only learn about new k-pop songs after they get posted on TSJ, but I love how aggressive this one is

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiMntBGX-6c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qnV55LUFVM

big bang pursues more white hipster girls

what's that horse's tail hanging out of gd's hat?

That's his Skrillex 'do.

I'm liking this as a lot well, looks to be a great campaign for Big Bang. They needed some scandals to.. ehm, chill out their music? A bit much 'walking in NY' if the coming MVs follow suit, though.

There's nothing new to this Rainbow song except they've found the most infectious phrase ever to go with an infectious chorus. GONNA GO, GONNA GONNA GO, GONNA GO - LETS GO!: http://youtu.be/dKDS7zzz-kU

Ok I think this will become one of my favorite Big Bang songs.

Not a great video, but it does its job. Alive is selling visible amounts on iTunes worldwide.
The song is nice.

we haven't talked about this yet?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjr485xFf7A

http://i.imgur.com/CVct0.gif

Talked about it at other places and forgot, I guess. I like that EP of hers, and was surprised she basically used it to give her own take on various American pop templates instead of doing a more pure hip hop album (where her roots are). As some TSJ folks pointed out her rapping in the verses are the highlights of DIRTY, still not 100% sure if I like the safe-pop production, but it's a fun song. Also like SNSD Sunny's singing on that one track.

Btw the third Big Bang MV is not 'walking in NY'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAbokV76tkU

that doesn't feel like the video the song deserves

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aOq_1T8XY0

Talked about it at other places and forgot, I guess. I like that EP of hers, and was surprised she basically used it to give her own take on various American pop templates instead of doing a more pure hip hop album (where her roots are). As some TSJ folks pointed out her rapping in the verses are the highlights of DIRTY, still not 100% sure if I like the safe-pop production, but it's a fun song. Also like SNSD Sunny's singing on that one track.

― abcfsk, Tuesday, March 6, 2012 11:25 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark

yeah the rapping is key - TSJ write-up compared her to nicki but I'm not quite sure that's accurate - maybe if just focusing on swagger.

I love the end of 'dirty' where she's going all out in autotune. so much energy - except instead of coming through in feedback and distortion, it's coming through in autotune. using autotune as a filter for rage? interesting!

Big Bang Fantastic Baby video is a takeoff on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgJVNAbkTwc";>Sixth Sense</a> as well as being a gigantic loveletter to the international fanbase. Basically while Brown Eyed Girls fought against censorship in their MV by being actively sexual, Big Bang lounge around on thrones or face personal demons while their supporters in gas masks fight the battle against the people who didn't want them to release music this year. As a reward, the fans get to join in the dance party at the end.

Taeyang, Daesung and Seungri all take their shirts off in this, but I'm actually more struck by how objectified TOP is, like he's literally a piece of art hanging on the wall of the gallery! Even when he "comes alive" he's still not very active-gaze. Flashing back to Knock Out and his brag verse about having the prettiest eyelashes.

That should have been Sixth Sense:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgJVNAbkTwc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r08H6gbW6YQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn8mfNvGVYQ&feature=colike

smh @ kanye "HUNRGHS"

wonder if gd got extensions to get that skrillex hair?

oh the kanye HUHs were in the studio version too, just not so pronounced

is K-Pop EP-oriented in general? definitely approve - wish the american record industry would return to this format also

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z37WOB7cf44

"is K-Pop EP-oriented in general? "

Generally, yeah. Allows them to put out two a year instead of one, less of an investment, etc. Usually works out for the better musically as well.

Top 5 year-end sellers are full albums, though.

2011 YEAR END PHYSICAL ALBUM SALES CHART

1. Girls' Generation - The Boys (385,348)
2. Super Junior - `Mr. Simple` The 5th Album (343,348)
3. TVXQ - `왜(Keep Your Head Down)` (263,412)
4. JYJ - In Heaven (220,442)
5. BEAST - Fiction and Fact (142,272)
6. BIG BANG - BIGBANG 4th Mini-Album (136,594)
7. Super Junior - `Mr. Simple` The 5th Album Repackage (A-Cha) (129,894)
8. CNBLUE - FIRST STEP (115,467)
9. Kim Hyun Joong - Break Down (EP) (114,642)
10. Kim Hyun Joong - Lucky (2nd Mini Album) (101,705)

11. KARA - STEP (100,662)
12. 2PM - Hands Up (100,379)
13. BIG BANG - BIG BANG Special Edition (89,371)
14. 2NE1 - 2NE1 2nd Mini Album (85,819)
15. IU - Last Fantasy (71,860)
16. Various Artists - Infinite Challenge West Coast Highway (71,300)
17. Jay Park - Take A Deeper Look (EP) (66,316)
18. JYJ - In Heaven (Special Edition) (62,790)
19. f(x) - `Pinocchio` The 1st Album (61,637)
20. TVXQ - `왜(Keep Your Head Down)` REPACKAGE (60,205)

new BoA!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUrGpU6KY6M

New BoA but in a "uplifting talent show soundtrack" role and no one gets out of that with much personality left. Still, thankful for what I get and she's very much amazing as a TV personality on the show (since, for us fans, she's avoided talk/variety TV like the plague her whole career, it's a surreal weekly experience).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DDpo7qQQDI
UK-Pop for a Japanese release. Pixie Lott ft. GD&TOP - Dancing On My Own. I wonder if there're gonna be other collaborations like this in the future. I would prefer an original song with Korean rap. This isn't bad either.

re K-Pop vs the EP format: yes, loads of EP's there. It's just they prefer to call it Mini-Album and stuff like that.

Did you guys notice the last update on Jenny Hyun's site (about one day after her shit blew this thread up)? http://jennyhyun.wordpress.com/2012/02/19/apology-to-all/

apology to all
Posted on February 19, 2012 by Jenny Hyun

Jenny Hyun has been admitted to a hospital today. She is a paranoid schizophrenic and has been battling mental illness, a debilitating disease for many years.
Friends and family of Jenny want to extend their sincere apology for any harmful statements made verbally or via the web that Jenny has made while she was in the height of a psyshosis episode. We appreciate your understanding during this difficult time for he

yeah we discussed how it doesn't pass the sniff test in the 'is this racist' thread

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kyG5tTZ1iE

digging this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9ro1KjkJMg

ah I love the handclap sound

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk6_37xuu1Q

dope throwback

think I'll stop embedding for the sake of everybody's browsers

http://youtu.be/raOsXsYgd7M nice straight-up dance pop

Don't know if you meant to post the two big old-skool k-pop boy bands after one another, but it's a nice example of how one comes off slightly desperate in his comeback attempts (Tony An, not talking about that performance, though) and how Shinhwa still seem pretty well-suited for the pop star life. Wouldn't say Venus is amazing, but people have been saying the EP is pretty solid.

As for Ailee there, I said somewhere else, she and her songwriter really nailed that formula. The big melodic belter. To be honest I think that stuff would have an easier time making it big on the Billboard than the ones trying really hard.

hah I don't know shinhwa, but it pleased me to see H.O.T. doing 'candy' in 2012 (or, as it were, just tony an)

but yeah ailee strikes a nice balance between ballad and banger

as for ballads I like Lyn

I like this Ali ballad http://youtu.be/U6xIO6j2mqE

New SPICA - Painkiller http://youtu.be/gO-n43lUS7s

http://youtu.be/QbJCB2ArgK0

Tomorrow at the lower east side!!

(probably not the perfect thread for that band but i had to express my glee)

'follow me' really seems to have been the template for 'i am the best'

new 4minute rather disappointing

opening of 'dream racer' rather blatantly copies a part of 'i am the best'

Volume Up is a mega hit.

I can find nothing redeeming about it

Adding the sax hook was a good idea - it will make this a big sales hit like Trouble Maker. Love the rest of the song as well, the lyrics, the techno beat, the main vocalists belting without being cloying about it.

"volume up" is totally awesome, sorry dayo

thought there were a lot more jams on the LP

http://youtu.be/Qk3Cxmvljpk

4minute also totally biting themselves w/ the buildup to the chorus in volume up

http://youtu.be/h97jt1XtnGQ

totally into self-biting

losing my faith in k-pop anyway since 'busker busker' is occupying the charts

Good week - Sistar comes back with a really sexy track http://youtu.be/E0ZHXVp_wUE

http://www.soompi.com/news/jyp-sheds-light-on-koreas-deeprooted-racial-divide-on-sbs-kpop-star

Having watched the show I don't think that was the best example, isolated speaking, as she did reach #5 and except for one dude I thought the others left were better - but it was a great opportunity to bring up a real problem so kudos to JYP. Yesterday's poor performance by the opposition in the Korean parliamentary election wasn't the most uplifting result, but a lot more women were elected and one of them the first naturalized Korean citizen to do so, Jasmine Lee from the Phillipines. Her inclusion was a move by the ruling party to appeal to the growing number of naturalized citizens and is an acknowledgement that that number IS steadily growing. So the topic will (have to) be dealt with, one way or another and I'm happy JYP talks about it in such a super-mainstream setting. The blackface incident earlier this year also got a lot of talk going, which isn't a matter of course as those skits have been pretty frequent on Korean TV. Some people defended it but it got a lot of coverage online and in the news, and artists like Tiger JK spoke up about it (himself being the husband of African American / Korean Yoon Mirae). Pretty obvious there's a lot of work to be done but I'm glad it's a mainstream issue at least (at last).

Didn't mean to suggest a connection between Michelle and the plight of naturalized citizens, of course, though my confusingly worded post might lead you to that idea --- just talking about the new multicultural Korea.

Good week - Sistar comes back with a really sexy track http://youtu.be/E0ZHXVp_wUE

― abcfsk, Thursday, April 12, 2012 6:50 AM (3 days ago)

K-pop SOTY

everything in that sistar song is a hook

it's a lot more po-faced than their previous singles

excited about the new girl's day!

You hate on the two great singles of the year, but Girl's Day gets you in the mood?!

well I haven't actually listened to girl's day yet

but sorry, those two singles are sleek but lifeless!

the 'mehness' of the new 4minute made me revisit their LP though, which is really quite good

http://youtu.be/tL9OB0DxkE4

and 'ma boy' still walks all over the new sistar!

Their LP was really weak, but I like their previous EPs.

I know you don't actually believe that!

I like them american rnb-y (as their album tracks pre-LP are) over that brisk synth pop stuff. And their singles should aggressive, not sweet like the extremely disappointing "Heart to Heart". Now THAT was lifeless.

hah well I guess that's where you and I diverge. K-pop is at its best for me when it's fun and bombastic and spilling over the edges, not when it's trying to be a jet-black sports car, but that's just me!

What do you think about f(x)?

may have heard a few singles in passing but not sure any have stuck. what do you recommend?