Here's a break down of what we liked and disliked (and were neutral on) about 2013!
Lisa
what i liked:
- exo's striking success
- the daejun performances around year's end
- idea of opening a store selling goods of a group (BWCW)
- Collaboration between companies (JIN's GONE feat. Exo's xiumin
kwill with chanyeol)
- GD's epic mv including the fans
- snsd winning youtube awards
- personally: exo's visit in a less known country.. reaching out to broader audience?
- eatyourkimchi getting more chances to hold interviews (not limited to ukiss anymore, they get to interview groups like barbarbar, SHINee, etc.)
- Henry's solo debut
- sbs radio show by zhoumi and co. for Chinese idols living in Korea
what i disliked:
- hate on TaeEun couple on wgm. it's scripted anyways so people should calm down. One day they get married anyways.
- everything involving sasaengs -
- release of exo's private game chat.
- sasaeng occasion on Baekhyun's brother's wedding and the minor car accident in which Luhan and co. was involved also caused by sasaengs
-exo sasaengs protesting in front of sm building because tts & exo performed together - getting into a fight with sones causing exo member suho trying to stop the fight
- shinees many comebacks - they deserve a break
- sj not comming back at all instead --> unfair distribution of money investment into groups or attention between groups
-----neither like or dislike-----
Dongho leaving ukiss:
it shows that idols should be treated better or get more human work hours. According to eyk he quit because he admitted that his body won't be able to take all this stress and workload anymore. Additionally, he prefers a normal life over the life of an around the clock observed idol. This also emphasises the point that idols' privacy in Korea are more than invaded. Fans are able to follow their every step and the distance between idol and fan that used to exist in the past, slowly closes (because shows that unveil their true personalities become more and more in nowadays. Ever since fancams became popular the idols' off screen moments are revealed to the public as well. ). All in all, being an official person in Korea is a hard job.
smrookies
on the one hand it might be an advantage to SM to promote their trainees before their official debut by measuring their popularity on behalf of the audience's reaction. At the same time the audience gets hints of the direction SM wants to head to for the upcoming years. As of how the next group will look like etc.
But on the other hand, their trainees get 'exposed' at an early stage. Their must be a more complicated concept behind it. Because in my opinion, not all SM ROOKIES are able to debut.
what I wonder the whole time is, why they only show their faces and a few questionable dance and singing videos... how should people remember or recognize them this way?
All in all I think it's an interesting thing SM does there. I loose interest in every trainee quickly, but maybe SM tries to put something together for a larger project. We can only be attentive for more news.
Rachel
Top 20
Things of 2013 in K-Pop
What I
Liked, Disliked, and Discovered.
1.) SMROOKIES
So
SM has me hook, line and sinker with this! I’m the idiot who stays up on Sunday night to see what they
posted about the new trainees…and scours the internet for obscure info about
them. ^^ It won’t be for awhile
before we see if this actually works.
People could get tired of just pretty faces and no evidence of talent
(unless SM starts hopping on that horse…) or get tired of plain waiting (since
we’ll have to wait 3-5 years on some of the younger trainees before they even
have a prayer of debuting because of labor laws) or become fiercely loyal like
with what happened with EXO.
My
only real gripe about SMROOKIES is that SM is now concentrating on these
newbies as opposed to the poor bastards on their rosters. I feel a sweeping pit of pity for CSJH
The Grace (especially Sunday and Dana), Zhang Liyin, ICONIQ, J-Min and
Jino. Espeically Jino. He could have been apart of SMROOKIES
or debuted (if they’d run with SM The Ballad), but now he’s in limbo,
apparently somewhere in Japan doing a musical…
2.) Ailee’s Nude Photo Scandal
This
is what restored my faith in netizens.
Usually they serve swift, severe judgment and leave the smoldering
remains of the celebrity behind them.
This could have easily been the end of her career in conservative
Korea. However, this time, they poured
out their support for her. It
showed netizens were willing to stand up for talent and that her career was
built more on her talent than image.
She kept her chin up and performed strongly at the end-of-the-year
awards and specials. She’s even
planning a comeback sometime in January.
You go girl.
3.) Woolim Merges With SM C&C
My
jaw dropped when I saw this because Woolim never struck me as having a similar
style to SM. But it seems like
their artists are fitting in nicely.
INFINITE and especially TASTY are cozying up to their new labelmates at
the SM concerts. They’re paving
the way as LOEN Entertainment recently merged with Starship Entertainment,
making IU, Sunny Hill, and FIESTAR labelmates with SISTAR, K.Will, and
Boyfriend. I wonder who else will
follow suit…[a YG-TS merger would be epic!]
4.) f(x) gets some recognition
“Electric
Shock” was my anthem last year and f(x) has done it again! f(x) has always been SM’s secret
weapon. While people gripe about
their supposed “lack of exposure” (come on guys, they’ve won trophies while
groups like B.A.P. are still without one…), it’s a good thing they don’t have
SNSD’s level of fame. f(x) gets
the high quality songs and actually gets to be a electronic band. This has led to recognition at the
Korean Music Awards for “Electric Shock” and landing a spot on FUSE magazine’s
41 Best Albums of 2013.
5.) Korea Can Brainwash You
So
not in the way you’re thinking…
When I took my trip to Korea last year, I thought f(x) must just be
super popular with “Electric Shock”.
I didn’t have much access to TV since we lived in TV-less campus dorms
and moved around a lot and when we did have a TV, my roommate was sick and
didn’t want the TV on. Then came
this year’s trip. HOLY COW.
The
top, like 10 songs are played over and over and over…and over…and…over. O.O Kinda like how Marshall’s car only played “I’m Gonna Be (500
Miles)” non-stop. It plays so
much, you like it, then you hate it, and then you love it FOREVER. Seriously. I didn’t know who Younha, Nine Muses, LC9, Juniel, or
WonderBoyz were and didn’t care about SECRET, HELLOVENUS, Shinhwa, 2PM, or Jay
Park. Now, I can’t help but like
“The Real Reason We Broke Up”, “Wild”, “MAMA Beat”, “Pretty Boy”, “Tarzan”,
“YOO-HOO”, “Would You Like Some Tea?”, “This Love”, “Should Have Treated You
Better”, “Why SO Serious” “What’s Your Name?”, “What’s Going On?”, “Come Back
When You Hear This Song”, “Ha.Ni.Bun”, “Countryside Diary”, and “JOAH”. These played CONTSTANTLY on TV and in
stores.
I
will also be forever enslaved to the Juniel/EXO commercial for SUNNY10 (which
took us like 8 times of watching it before we realized the guy was Chanyeol and
the girl was Juniel…), Kim Soohyun’s drink commercial (though for the life of
me I don’t know what for…) and Eunji, Niel, and Lee Kwangsoo’s Fanta
commercial. Seriously. They played EVERY commercial.
6.) Girls’ Generation and the US
Irony
is funny. Despite their push into
the US market last year with “The Boys”, Girls’ Generation didn’t seem to have
much success. Then they tried the
Korean market again and voila!
They got some US recognition.
TIME named “I Got a Boy” one of the top songs of 2013, and they won a YouTube
Award for “Video of the Year”, beating out Justin Bieber, One Direction, and
Katy Perry.
7.) SM leaves K-Pop Star
Okay,
so we kinda all saw this coming with their reluctance to pick any trainees
(though with their release of SMROOKIES, it makes sense). But they lost an interesting
perspective with the loss of BoA and some of its draw. BoA was a currently popular artist who
a lot of these auditioners looked up to.
Yes, JYP is still active, but he doesn't have the current pull that BoA
does. She also was the sole female
voice. Now we have the CEO of
Antenna Music, an indie label.
While this is good for the more unique groups (Akdong Musicians would
have done well here), the whole point of K-Pop Star was the fact that if you
won, you were guaranteed to be a “K-Pop Star” since you could choose to base
yourself at SM, JYP or YG. Antenna
has produced any big stars, so there goes a third of the appeal.
8.) Robbing the cradle/grave
First
Tony and Hyeri and then (supposedly) Sulli and Choiza. The girls are barely legal and the guys
are probably desperate to settle down.
While I’m all for age gaps, cause numbers don’t mean a thing (my aunt
and uncle are 11 years apart and my cousin married a lady almost 15 years older
than him), I just hope they knew each other well before dating… Some 35ish year old guy at work, who’ve
I’ve only had a few conversations with, asked me out and I’m 20…now that’s weird.
9.) 6 Degrees of Separation…Kinda
It’s
not a “K-Pop” connection, but I did receive a headband from my Korean foster
mom that is the exact same crystal flower headband that Alice wears in the last
scene of HELLOVENUS’s “Would You Like Some Tea?” MV. I’m pretty sure my foster mom didn’t know who HELLOVENUS was
or that they were currently promoting that song…XD
10.) Dongho Leaves U-KISS
When
I saw this I said…”What????” This
just highlights the difficulties of the idol business and what it can do to
your body (and sanity) in the long run.
11.) All Hail EXO
This
was definitely the Year of EXO.
After not winning anything for MAMA [which is okay since they were
rookies], they blew everyone out of the water with “Wolf” and “Growl.” I was ever so shocked because of the concept
and the lyrics. To a non-Korean
speaker, “Wolf” doesn’t sound terrible (except for the howling), but once you
understand the lyrics it’s…dumb…>.>
“I’ll eat you in one bite like cheese”…O.o But someone they pulled it off! And they even won “Song of the Year” for “Growl”. And kept winning for their Christmas
album and “Miracles in December”! Way
to go!
12.) Hyosung’s Word Slip
SECRET’s
Hyosung got some flack this year for a misuse of a word. Many people bashed her for it, but I just
feel bad for her. My sweet sister
does this all the time! Heck, I do it all the time!
13.) VIXX
I
really didn’t pay attention to VIXX when they first debuted, but “hyde” caught
my attention. I’ve been hooked
ever since with “Thank You for Being Born” and “Voodoo Doll”. I’m impressed that this boy band
stretches into the dark territory and shows stuff like stabbing and strangling
in their videos. Not that stabbing
and strangling are good things, but it’s unique in the world of K-Pop. Also, as someone who was head of the
make-up department in my high school theater, the “Voodoo Doll” MV’s use of
prosthetics was a real holiday treat for me. Sure you could see the seams in the fake skin at the
beginning, but at least they tried!
14.) T-ARA
T-ARA,
T-ARA. For their seemingly endless
stream of members that don’t last long (Jiae, Jiwon, Hwayoung, Areum) and the
controversies that follow them, they always seem to weather it. Another example of netizens forgiving
talent, or should I say songs that are freaking catchy? “Countryside Diary” and “Number 9” were
so addictive I totally forgot about being indignant about Hwayoung or weirded
out by Areum.
15.) 2NE1
I
do admit I slacked off on listing to their string of single releases until
“Miss You” was released. I love
this song! And the video! It’s reminiscent of “Lonely” in style
in both the music and the MV.
Also, notable for CL’s nude scene.
16.) NINE MUSES
Another
group I didn’t really pay attention to until later in their career. “Wild” played. With their model like looks and their
coordinated dances, they’re one of the few groups that I like watching
live. They have solid vocals and
dance well in formation.
17.) International Fans Don’t Always Get the
Big Picture
When
I was in Korea this year and talking to my new Korean friends, I realized
international fans usually don’t know who is truly popular in Korea. B.A.P. is pretty much a nugu to the
general population, as is HELLOVENUS (despite the repeats of “Would You Like
Some Tea?”). The general public
probably only knows about PSY, Girls’ Generation, Big Bang, 2NE1, Super Junior,
f(x), SHINee, B2ST, T-ARA, KARA, EXO, INFINITE, JYJ, 2PM, BoA, and TVXQ because
of advertisements. Want to know
why SM is so popular? Because you
can’t go 10 feet without seeing one of their artists’ mugs plastered all over
something. Nature Republic (EXO), Missha
(BoA, TVXQ), Etude House (2NE1, SHINee), Dunkin Donuts (B2ST), Natuur POP [ice
cream] (INFINITE), 2PM (all over Apgujeong on banners for their comeback),
Super Junior (all over Myeongdong for some shopping special), and PSY was
everywhere…
Also,
K-Pop is a niche market, much like Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato, and the Disney
version of Miley Cyrus are in the US.
Some of my Korean friends were completely unfamiliar with K-Pop (with
one of them being so removed from popular music he didn’t know what a CD
was…his indie music was only released online in mp3 format!~).
18.) Solo Branching Outs
Henry
went solo and so did Hyorin. While
Henry was a bit of a pleasant surprise (since SM not really into releasing
soloists and Henry wasn’t my first pick for a soloist in their roster), Hyorin
was a “finally!” since SISTAR is pretty much a Hyorin and the Back-Ups
show. Since APink also suffers
from “Eunji and the Back-Up Dancers”, when will Eunji get her debut?
19.) Daniel of DMTN Goes to Jail
After
being the go-between in a marijuana scandal, Daniel was sentenced to
prison. A lot of international fans
reacted with “What’s the big deal?”
Marijuana is held to the same level of seriousness as cocaine in South
Korea. I’ve seen what pot did to
my friends in school and am proud that my idols don’t need drugs to “relax” or
“be cool”.
20.) The Year of the Subunits
Subunits…O.O…so
many… With Taetiseo’s success last
year, it seems like everyone is hopping on the bandwagon. [Yes, Super Junior and their subunits
have been around for awhile, but they usually promoted overseas and Trot and
Happy never gained much success as a separate unit]. INFINITE H, 100%V, AOA Black, 2YOON, ZE:A5, NU’EST-M, uBEAT,
T-ARA N4, [T-ARA] QBS, ZE:A4U, and M&N [Brown-Eyed Girls]. (Also, what’s with the caps…?)
Top 20 Songs
of 2013
NOTE: No particular order…mostly just the
order in which I have them on my computer!
(Cause I’m
indecisive and couldn’t separate the songs!)
1.
NC.A – “Oh My God”
2.
EXO – “Growl”
3.
T-ARA – “No.9”
4.
f(x) – “First Wisdom Tooth (Rum Pum Pum Pum)”
5.
Girls’ Generation – “My Oh My”
6.
EXO – “Wolf”
7.
Troublemaker – “No Tomorrow (Now)”
8.
T-ARA N4 – “Jeonwon Diary”
9.
4Minute – “What’s Your Name?”
10. HELLOVENUS
– “Would You Like Some Tea?”
11. AOA
Black – “MOYA”
12. Younha
– “The Real Reason We Broke Up”
13. SHINee
– “Why So Serious?”
14. Nine
Muses – “Wild”
15. Girls’
Day – “Expectation”
16. Girls’
Day – “Female President”
17. Apink
– “U You”
18. F-VE
Dolls – “Can You Love Me”
19. SISTAR
– “Give It To Me”
20. SISTAR
– “Gone Not Around Any Longer”
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