Showing posts with label All Pop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label All Pop. Show all posts

Jan 13, 2013

SNSD 2010 Korean Wave Performance Pictures


SNSD 2010 Korean Wave Performance Pictures taken on the 29th of August at the Incheon World Cup Stadium during and after the concert. Other Top Pop artist performers groups were also on the concert stadium like BoA, Se7en, Taeyang, KARA, Supernova, Super Junior, 2PM, SNSD, SG Wannabe, SHINee, U-Kiss, CNBLUE, MBLAQ, BEAST, Son Dambi, and After School. The concert was hosted by the team of Oh Sang Jin, plus Yuri and Tiffany from SNSD.









South Korea Invaded by Kpop Groups


South Korea has been invaded, not by it’s neighbor from the North, but from troops of long-legged girls in the guise of carefully manufactured Kpop groups. The small peninsula of around 50 million people has seen an explosion of Kpop girl groups in the past year who all pretty much look and sound alike (arguably) but somehow manage to maintain popularity among a shared fan base. While it might be easy to dismiss this as eye-candy for teenage boys (of which there is some truth) they appear to have considerable staying power among a diverse demographic of both men and women -
In the past, one or two similar bands won fans and massive popularity, while the rest disappeared quietly after a month or two. What we are experiencing is a brand new phenomenon in which several girl bands are sharing fans and popularity among themselves – Kim Hong-in

What differentiates this new generation of starlets is their ability to cross multiple mediums such as TV dramas, movies and talk shows in addition to their musical endeavors, possibly accounting for their increased longevity and ability to dominate online as well as offline. Digital downloads have brought in a new era of affordability for casual and fanatical fans alike.


Of course behind all the glamor are entertainment conglomerates with money to burn and who work tirelessly to tweak and perfect each groups image (including the copious use of cosmetic surgery). Most groups spend as much as 2-4 years preparing for their debut and with such demanding schedules nearly all have suffered casualties from fatigue and ill health. Whilst their compexions may be perfect accusations of plagiarism are rife within the industry with lawsuits regularly being filed and many questioning the originality of locally produced content (mostly bubblegum pop).


Whatever the reasons for this uprising it’ll be interesting to see if such a large number of groups can be sustained in a relatively small market and if this trend spreads elsewhere.

To see what it’s all about for yourself videos are provided after the break in HD (apologies to Chinese readers – YouTube is blocked so you wont be able to see them directly). You can also find more info on allkpop.com.

Wonder Girls


Wonder Girls (원더걸스) is a band with five members (Min Sun Ye, Park Ye Eun, Kim Yoo Bin, Sun Mi and Ahn So Hee), formed under the guidance of male R&B singer Rain. They are signed to South Korean label JYP Entertainment and debuted in the beginning of 2007 on M! Countdown, singing Irony, the title song of their debut album, “The Wonder Begins”.

Girls’ Generation


Girls’ Generation (소녀시대), also known as SNSD, the acronym of So Nyeo Shi Dae is a large nine member girl group formed in 2007 by SM Entertainment. The group debuted on SBS Inkigayo in 2007, performing their first single, “Into the New World”. The members are Yoon A, Tiffany, Yu Ri, Hyo Yeon, Soo Young, Seo Hyun, Tae Yeon, Jessica, and Sunny. Some members speak multiple languages as they were raised outside Korea.

2NE1


2NE1 (투애니원; pronounced “to anyone” or “twenty-one”) was created by YG Entertainment. First appearing in a Cyon commercial campaign with Big Bang for LG Telecom, their debut single “Fire” was released on May 6, 2009. The group’s name stands for “New Evolution of the 21st Century”. The group consists of Lee Chae Rin (CL), Park Bom (Bom), Sandara Park (Dara) and Gong Min-ji (Minzi).

4minute


Consisting of Ji Hyun, Ga Yoon, Ji Yoon, Hyun A, and So Hyun 4minute (포미닛) was created by Cube Entertainment. Their debut song, “Hot Issue”, was released on June 15. Their style is called “The Candy Funky Style” which apparently mean their music, fashion, and performance will “show sides of sweetness and funk while being rebellious and carefree at the same time” (try saying that out loud with a straight face).

KARA


Kara (카라) debuted in March 2007 under Daesung Entertainment (DSP). Kara comes from the Greek word “chara” (χαρά, lit. “joy”), which the group interpreted to mean “sweet melody”. After losing a member in 2008, Kara regrouped to become a 5-member band and eventually achieved their first #1 song with “Honey”.

After School


After School (애프터스쿨) is managed by Pledis Entertainment and debuted on January 17, 2009 with their first dance song, “Ah”. They were also recently featured in a digitally released single titled “AMOLED” for a new Anycall Phone (Amoled Haptic) with Son Dam Bi whom is part of the same entertainment company.

For even more check out f(x), and Brown Eyed Girls. Via randomwire

K-pop girl idols draw young Japanese with Net blitz

Thanks to the Internet and an early fascination with South Korea’s boy bands, young Japanese girls and women are shifting in droves to the latest pop idol sensation—Korean girl groups.


Rio Nagasaki, a 15-year-old junior high school student, is among a growing number of fans smitten by South Korean pop music—dubbed ‘‘K-pop’’—performed by artists of about her own age.


‘‘I learned about KARA a year ago before their debut via the Net,’’ she said, referring to the all-girl five-member group that is so far the most visible K-pop girl group in Japan.

‘‘They are very cute and dance well, and I like the fact that they are not that familiar with the Japanese language,’’ said Nagasaki after making a purchase from one of the stores selling K-pop goods in Tokyo’s Okubo district, which has become a focal point for K-pop fans.

Barely a minute’s walk from JR Shin-Okubo Station are several shops selling K-pop paraphernalia such as notebooks, mugs and accessories that shoppers flock to.

Lee Keun Hang, chief of Hanryu Hyakatten (Korean Department Store), said, ‘‘Customers have grown threefold now from last year, and almost 100% of our customers are female.’‘

‘‘Female fans in their 30s and above are already customers because of their love for South Korean dramas and boy bands, but recently I’m seeing more and more teenagers and those in their 20s coming here,’’ Lee said, noting that for avid fans visiting the Okubo district is like experiencing a ‘‘little South Korea.’‘

Masayuki Furuya, a radio DJ, journalist, and TV celebrity who is an expert on Korean pop culture, explained that the boom in K-pop girl groups stems from two factors—the captured fan base of popular South Korean boy bands and the accessibility of information via the Internet, especially the YouTube video-sharing site.
‘‘What happened was when fans of boy bands such as TVXQ and BIGBANG were searching the Internet in 2009, there was so much information about K-pop girl groups, which were becoming increasingly popular, and as they learned more about K-pop they discovered the charm of these girl groups,’’ Furuya said.

As if to illustrate his point, two women in their 20s, who were shopping for Girls’ Generation items, said they were fans of the five-member TVXQ, popularly known in Japan as Toho Shinki, and this had ‘‘extended’’ to their fascination with the nine-member Girls’ Generation.

Furuya also pointed to the crucial role of YouTube, where the artists’ official music videos or songs have been made accessible for promotion, a far cry from the situation several years ago.

Realizing the potential of this industry, the South Korean government has thrown its full support behind its K-pop artists and Korean TV drama actors, and now their celebrities and the products they endorse are well-known in China, Vietnam, and Thailand, said the Japanese trade and industry’s June report, which noted the tough competition Japan now has with South Korea in terms of capturing the Asian market for pop culture.

According to Furuya, Japanese girls are attracted to K-pop female idols as there is currently no real Japanese idol to look up to, unlike in the 1990s with the likes of pop sensation Namie Amuro, and these idols have perfect bodies, can sing and dance, and perform songs that have catchy lyrics and can be sung easily in karaoke sessions.

According to the Korea Creative Content Agency Japan Office, exports of broadcasting content from South Korea in 2009 amounted to $183.59 million, up 1.9% from 2008. The main market is Asia, with Japan accounting for more than 60% of it.

Exports of music alone, based on the agency’s latest figures, were worth $16.50 million in fiscal 2008, of which the Japanese market accounted for 68%. The agency predicts the fiscal 2009 figures will higher due to the surge of K-pop girls’ groups around that time.

Since last summer, KARA and Girls’ Generation have made forays into the Japanese market. Their singles have ranked in Japan’s Oricon music charts, their concerts were jam-packed, and they are being featured in fashion magazines and on TV. While some of the members can speak Japanese, some fans said that when it comes to performing they prefer to listen to them sing in their native tongue.

Miho Matsumoto, a 31-year-old resident of Shizuoka Prefecture, said she prefers to listen to the Girls Generation’s original version of ‘‘Gee,’’ their debut single in Japan.

‘‘Korean songs have melodies that are not in Japanese songs, and when they sing it there’s already so much emotion in it, so I prefer them singing in Korean,’’ said Matsumoto, whose love of K-pop and all things Korean has made her take up studying the language.

Cha Yu Jin, one of the managers of KoreaPlaza, which has a vast collection of original and Japanese versions of K-pop songs, said that a great percentage of the original CDs have been sold.

But whether this phenomenon will grow to embrace the whole of Japan remains is to be seen.

‘‘In terms of music sales, the K-pop girl groups and boy bands are doing well, but on the other hand their popularity is more concentrated in one area, mostly in the metropolis and big cities, and this has yet to gather steam in the rural areas,’’ Furuya said.

Via dkpopnews

Jan 12, 2013

Korean Pop Music Out To Conquer The World

A host of young Korean stars are taking to the stage in London, New York and beyond in a bid to crack one of the final global frontiers for Asian culture -- pop music.


"K-pop", as Korean pop is called, has made major inroads into Japan, the world's second largest music market.

But breaking into key countries further afield like Britain, Germany, France and, most crucially, the United States, has so far eluded acts who may be household names at home but remain virtual unknowns outside Asia.

Korean bands are not the only ones trying to be the next Britney Spears, Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber.

Japanese artists, some of them "J-pop" superstars, have also looked overseas for new audiences, although the size of their own market, only just behind the United States in the world rankings, means they have less incentive.

"It is a pain for a lot of these Japanese bands to make the effort to try and penetrate overseas markets," said Steve McClure, executive editor of McClure's Asia Music News and an authority on the region's music scene.

"Time spent doing that is time not spent here and it's a really fast-paced market and you have to work at it," he told Reuters, speaking from Japan.

Foreign music accounts for around a quarter of Japanese record sales, and the top 10 albums on record are all by local artists. Hikaru Utada holds the record with "First Love" from 1999, while Mariah Carey is the biggest international artist.

K-POP VS. J-POP

McClure, like many others, believes that K-pop stands a better chance at success globally than J-pop, although even that is far from certain.

The structure of Korea's relatively small music market is such that telecom companies control a large proportion of revenues, he said, meaning bands have an economic incentive to look abroad.

And K-pop acts, often created and nurtured by savvy record companies like S.M. Entertainment, are being groomed for specific markets -- learning Japanese, for example, and fitting in with Japan's musical mores.

One recent success story has been the nine-member South Korean girl band Girls' Generation, whose first full-length Japanese album sold over 500,000 copies in Japan.

McClure also argued that Korean pop acts, though often manufactured, were generally more professional than their Japanese rivals and produced a better sound.

The most obvious, and biggest barrier to Asian acts breaking regions like Europe and North America is language.

Since music is about communicating ideas and feelings, common language helps. And the prevalence of English makes it easier for a singer from Toronto, for example, than one from Tokyo.

"The language barrier is probably the biggest thing that sets us apart from the global (arena)," said G.NA, a 24-year-old Canadian-Korean singer whose first language is English but who has found success in Korea.

She, along with two other K-pop acts, will be appearing at London's 02 Academy Brixton on December 5 as part of what the PR company handling the gig called "The Invasion of K-Pop".

It follows a K-pop concert at New York's Madison Square Garden in October. Those and other similar gigs outside Asia underline the ambition of K-pop acts and management companies to conquer the West and beyond.

It may be less invasion and more a small-scale foray, but promoters say there are encouraging signs for K-pop.

"We can't spend too much money if there is no market for us," said Ronnie Yang, head of CABA Entertainment who is organising the London gig featuring artists from Cube Entertainment.

"But we feel this is the right stage for developing a new market -- there is demand and it is higher than before."

G.NA, for one, is not getting lost in the hype. Chance, she says, is as important as anything else.

"This industry is kind of like gambling," she told Reuters by telephone from Seoul. "You lose something, and you may lose everything. You may win and win more than expected. I think there's a lot of luck.

"It does depend on how much we try, but no matter how hard we try, if the circumstances don't work out, then things may not work out the way we planned. This concert is huge -- if people don't like it that could be the end of that."

"GENRE-SPECIFIC"

The wide pop genre may be the hardest market to crack abroad, but there has been success in the United States and elsewhere within narrower categories of music like classical, dance, rock and heavy metal.

Japanese heavy metal band X Japan staged a North American tour in 2010 catching the attention of major news outlets, and have visited Europe, Latin America and Asia this year.

L'Arc-en-Ciel, a Japanese rock group, has flirted with the United States and Europe, and plans a 2012 world tour.

The event is limited in scale so far, however, with seven dates showing on the website including indigO2 in London with a capacity of around 2,500.

The band's guitarist Ken alluded to a cultural barrier which has proven tough to break down.

"In Japan I am always listening to music from the U.S. and the UK," he told Reuters by telephone, speaking through a translator.

"But I never really got the impression people in the UK were listening to music from other parts of the world. So I'm really looking forward to getting a sense of how those people in Britain will perceive our music."

McClure added: "Music is meant to be the universal language...well, yes and no.

"There does seem to be this inability to accept an Asian face in the world pop music market place. I don't know why that is, as there are Asians who have done well in other spheres."