Guide to K-POP: Wait….That’s a BOY?!

After a long absence from doing posts (life got busy), I’m returning with a new series of small posts called “Guide to K-Pop.” All of us have gone through a little shock when we are introduced to k-pop. Things are VERY different in the world of kpop than other genres. This series seeks to help newcomers know what to expect from artists, and hopefully, lessen the blow from the utter insanity that has just been experienced.  The first topic in the “Guide to K-Pop” series will be about androgyny and cross-dressing that’s rampant amongst kpop.

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T to B, L to R: Ilhoon (BtoB); TOP, Seungri, GD (Big Bang); Dongjun (ZE:A), Sungjong (INFINITE), Dongho (UKISS); B-Bomb, Zico (Block B)

Cross-dressing in k-pop seems to be a rite of passage. Almost every boy group has done it, rather as individuals or as groups. Some do it to cover songs by girl groups (such as Big Bang as S.E.S, and Dongjun, Sungjong, and Dongho as Orange Caramel, in the photos above). There are also groups who like to re-enact famous drama scenes or to create their own drama scenes (such as Ilhoon in the above photo). Others do it as some sort of punishment on a variety show (B-Bomb and Zico in the above photo.) Regardless, you should not go into shock when you see boys dressed as girls. It’s all in good fun, even if some look better than us girls do. hahahaha. Sometimes, the cross-dressing results in a great level of hilarity, as evidenced by SHINHWA’s Eric in the video below (starts at 57 seconds).

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T to B, L to R: Sungjong (INFINITE), Ren (NU’EST), Heechul (Super Junior), Taemin (SHINee)

Ah, K-pop boys. They can be so darn pretty–prettier than a lot girls, to be honest.  There is a select group of boys in k-pop who are so androgynous, that you question their sex the first time you see them. There is no need for them to cross-dress: They are as beautiful as girls in their normal state. It doesn’t matter how long their hair is, they still have such feminine features, that you have to look twice to see if they are a boy or girl. I know I had that reaction when I first saw Super Junior’s Heechul.   (Sidenotes: Taemin has since cut the hair and manned up, so he’s now affectionately referred to as “Taeman” instead–Still pretty, though. Also, due to Heechul’s military service, his long hair is gone, but his face is still as beautiful.)

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I want to talk about one other person in particular that is an amazing example of how androgyny plays out in kpop: f(x)’s AMBER!!  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is indeed a girl in the above picture.  I remember when I first say Amber. While I knew she was a girl, I was admittedly surprised at how masculine her image was, in comparison to what I had seen from typical female artists: short, boyish haircut, always in pants, constantly wearing a ball-cap, never in heels, and a tom-boy image.  Personally, I really like that image, especially in the world of model-like girls in short skirts and kill heels. The most shocking thing for me was the number of people who actually mistook her for a boy.  The real amusing incident came when Amber was mistaken for a boy, which led to a “scandal” concerning 4Minute’s Hyuna dating a guy. The “guy” in the photos was actually Amber, who is a good friend of Hyuna. Admittedly, this may be a cultural issue (tom-boys are common in the US, and I myself, tend to dress less feminine than others). “Flower Boys” seem to be all-the-rage in kpop world, so perhaps that explains the confusion regarding Amber’s sex.  The fact SME will continue to perpetuate (Read: over-exaggerate) her image, will only continue to contribute to the mistaken belief that Amber is a boy.  Applause and respect should be given to Amber for her ability to maintain who she is, without compromise (also for her ability to be close to all the guys like most of us wish we were hahaha).

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There you have it folks. Rather cross-dressing or just androgynous, k-pop is filled with beauty. Just remember, next time you see a girl, have a second look to make sure they aren’t packing anything under that skirt!

Why SME Sucks and Does a Bad Job at Sucking

Disclaimer: I’m not an EXO fan, so this is not coming from a butt-hurt fangirl. The only SME artists I really like are SHINee and Trax (who I’ll mention).

I seriously despise SM Entertainment. I don’t despise the artists, just the company. I try to give them the benefit of the doubt. Obviously they are doing something “right,” or else they would not be one of the Big 3 in the Korean entertainment industry. However, what is “right” is not always good. Favoritism to certain groups; bombardment of advertisement (of artists and the brands they promote); and general douchebaggery; are just some of the things that SME does that makes them horrible. I’m going to go down the list of groups and rant about how SME is screwing up with them. Plus, adding a few things that also annoy me.

Super Junior – The Cash Cow

Super Junior is probably the most popular boy group in k-pop. However, I believe their popularity is due to two things: 1) Constant promotion (i.e never letting us go a day without seeing something about them, either on TV, movies, or advertisements) and 2) SME realizing crazy fangirls will eat up anything that decent looking guys do, even if it’s total crap. That’s right, I said most of the music Super Junior is total crap. The same beats and patterns run through almost every song Super Junior promotes: a steady beat plus repetitive chorus. Not to mention the self-plagiarism.  You can not tell me that “Bonanama” and “Sorry, Sorry” do not sound the same. THEY DO!  If that wasn’t bad enough, SUJU really gets gypped with their MVs. You are guaranteed to have them wearing some strange outfits dancing in a strangely lit box. You’d think that SME would at least put a little effort into the money maker. But no. Instead we get crap like the random “SPY” (which could have been amazing). Whatever happened to the MVs like “It’s You,” “Marry U,” and “No Other”? Not only were those songs good, but the MVs were good, as well.  SME needs to stop milking their cash cow and give it some quality feed.

BoA – K-Pop Princess

BoA set the mark for what a k-pop artist should be like. Apparently, SME did not get the memo. Instead, until recently, they’ve shipped her off to Japan. If you were new to k-pop a year ago (unless you knew her from j-pop), you may not have even known that BoA was a k-pop star. It’s not like BoA has done anything to warrant unfairness. She’s always been loyal to the label (SME artist for over a decade) and is a superstar. Lucky for her, she hasn’t been subjected to crap MVs like SUJU, since BoA’s brother is fantastic at doing MVs and helps with hers.

TVXQ

I don’t even know what to say for these guys. Talk about something being effed up. Not only do you run off 3 members of the group, SME then basically ships the other two off Japan like BoA.  It was three years before TVXQ released a song in Korea. As soon as they finished promotion, back to Japan they go. It was repeated again this time. Why can’t they just stay longer? Not only that, the music has taken a nose dive. When they were last 5, the group had wonderful songs like “Mirotic.” I got youuuuu, under my skin ~~ (Sorry, had to sing that). Now, we get “Catch Me” and “Humanoids,” which are basically the same song, and like the recent songs TVXQ released in Japan (dub-step overload). Now, while I thought “Before U Go” was a good song, it is just a rehashing of “Sorry Sorry-Answer” by SUJU and “Hot Times” by SM The Ballad (EXO also joins in with “What is Love.”)  I will say this, at least TVXQ gets more of a MV budget.

Trax

Poor Trax. They seriously get the short-end-of-the-stick.  The band also went 3 years without releasing any albums, and not only was their membership changed, but also their sound.  The band went from rock to more pop-rock. The real sad thing is that Jungmo and Jay Kim are probably the best artists at SME, but we barely hear anything about them. They got almost no promotion, and when they left for their military service, it was barely talked about (unlike when SUJU members leave). Just….a shame.

SHINee

All I can say about SHINee is that, like TVXQ and BoA, they spend way too much time in Japan. It took two years for SHINee to release another album in Korea, and as soon as they did, they were back in Japan. Also, when they do come back, SME really likes to eff up their teasers (Taemin anyone?). However, it is nice they are making another Korean comeback soon (which is what led to this rant). Like Trax, they are one of the better groups, yet we don’t see them often enough. Oh, and stop dressing Taemin like he’s a girl. Seriously, stop that. We know he’s a boy.

EXO

I honestly feel bad for EXO, and I’m not even a fan.  We get bombarded by a 100 teasers for this rookie group (which turned off a lot of prospective fans), who was deemed the next SUJU or SHINee, and all we get is ONE MINI ALBUM. That’s it. Let’s look at this in perspective: fellow rookie group B.A.P had FIVE, that’s right, FIVE, comebacks before their one year anniversary; Bigstar, CHAos, C-Clown, AJAX, 100%, and VIXX had two; and BtoB and 24K had one. EXO had NONE. How the heck do you expect a rookie group to consistently stay in the minds of non-rabid fans, when we only see them for one month before they disappear?  You let a veteran group make a couple of comebacks, yet can’t invest some more time in your rookie group so they’ll develop more. You may say that despite only appearing once, they managed to win a couple of rookie accolades, but that does not remove general bull crap by the company in promoting them.

f(x)

They can not even get a fan club name. That is all.

SNSD

The golden children. Seriously, I don’t think they can do wrong within SME. They are the perfect money-making machine created by SME. Which, is a shame. Sometimes, I feel like their best interests are often left to the side in favor of making a couple of bucks off of them.

ENGLISH!!!!

I can not tell you how effing annoying SME is when it comes to English. You want your artists to be internationally successful?? Then how about you actually teach them HOW TO SPEAK/SING ENGLISH!!! I’m not talking that random and awkward Engrish SME likes to throw into their songs. “Go kick it in the butt,” “her whisper is the lucifer, “go lock-a-lock-a,” “genie for your wish,” “anonymous, nameless, whatever they are saying” anyone?? You can’t say SME can’t afford it. They make MILLIONS every year. They can invest in a few proper English tutors. Or how about the actual native-English speaking artists they have under the label (Jung Sisters, Tiffany, Amber, Henry, Jay Kim) teach their fellow members and correct the nonsense lyrics in the songs. It’s not that hard, people.

Favoritism Among Group Members

So, I understand most groups have a “face” for the group. Rather it’s the leader or just a visual. However, SME’s method is just disgraceful. We are constantly bombarded with images of only certain members within a group, whether they actually have any talent or not. In Super Junior, it’s Siwon (and formerly Leeteuk and Heechul). In SNSD, it’s Yoona. In f(x), it’s Sulli and Krystal. Due to their policies of endlessly promoting certain members, the other members are often left on the sidelines. You have Henry, who is probably one of the best artists at SME, but is only marched out for SUJU-M promotions. Talk about an effing waste. He has more swag than all of SUJU combined. Fine, if his Korean isn’t that good, then let him do solo English/Mandarin works or perhaps create a Mandarin project group of others who speak the language (Amber, Zhou Mi, Victoria). I still can’t distinguish all the members of SNSD, simply because I don’t see them enough. I’m not really insulting Yoona, I just don’t think she’s as talented (or as pretty) as the others. You have lovable characters like Sunny and Hyoyeon, who are often the least visible members. Now, I can sort of understand the situation with Sunny, since you do not want to be accused of nepotism (she’s Lee Soo Man’s niece). However, there’s really no excuse for the Hyoyeon situation. She’s the best dancer in the group (which was shown on the Korean version of “Dancing With the Stars”), and when she has a chance to separate herself from the pack, she’s relegated for only a small bit in “MAXSTEP.” Give the other girls a chance!!!  At least there was TaeTiSeo. When SME created a show that was mostly filled with SME artists, they had the chance to use the ONE GIRL IN THE COMPANY WHO COULD PASS AS A BOY.  Instead of using Amber, who some still mistake for a boy, they chose Sulli. NOBODY would ever mistake her for a boy. The show may have been fiction, but come on, at least use some logic.

Music/Style

I just…*sigh*. First, stop covering songs. SME has enough money to at least get more originality. It’s bad enough they self-plagiarize and produce mindless dribble. The least they could do is always produce original music. I will say, at least they got Team One Sound and Henry’s production team, The NoizeBank, to help with SUJU-M.  So, good on them for that. Second, cut out the cutesy crap with SNSD. They are grown ass women, and it’s time they acted that way. Kudos for changing the concept with “I Got A Boy,” but that was seriously a MISS. Just because other artists can pull off combining two or more musical styles into one song, it doesn’t mean that it’s always going to sound good. I will say, though, that when it comes to SHINee, a decent job is done. “Sherlock” was actually pretty smart and sounded better combined than in their singular form. Third, please get it together with the outfits worn. SHINee’s style is just…special. The same goes for f(x). Stop throwing random crap together and saying it’s a “concept” or “fashion.” It’s not. It’s crap.

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Seriously SME. It’s bad enough we can not get rid of those dang Genie ads on your music videos. Now, we are subjected to you artists shilling for the companies they promote for, as well, during MVs. In case you missed it, “IGAB” by SNSD featured blatant advertisements for the watches and perfume the members promote. Just, please, STOP!!  THEY ARE MVS, NOT COMMERCIALS!!!

General Douchebaggery

SHINHWA, JYJ, and Hangeng. That is all. What happened to these guys, when they defied the company, just shows how SME can be really low-down, douchey, and scum-sucking pricks.

So, yes, SME, you suck.

~Andy

Review: B.A.P’s “Rain Sound”

On January 15, B.A.P pre-released “Rain Sound” from their upcoming mini-album.  Below is our review of the song and music video.

General consensus amongst the editors is that this song is just perfect. No, that is not our bias showing. It’s simply the truth. A lyrically emotional song with the appropriate emotions displayed within the voices of the members, and the music video, makes this perfection.  Yes, I know there is no such thing as perfection, but this is pretty dang close. I agree, this song is as close to perfection as anything can be. Just thinking about it -the song-, gives me chills.

Song Analysis

Music

We are initially greeted with the sound of rain and an acoustic guitar.  As the song continues along, the percussion and bass line are added to provide more impact and drive the song forward. However, the addition of the percussion, synthesized strings, and bass do not overshadow the acoustic guitar, and only add to the melancholic feel of the song. The simplistic instrumental maintains the tone of the song. With the bridge, the piano is added, adding depth and providing a proper transition to the ending of the song.

Lyrics

Is this sound of the rain, your voice?
Is this a sound that calls to me?
Am I the only one thinking of you?
Will this rain comfort me?
Do you know how I feel?
I keep thinking of you

First, there was no Engrish. Granted, there is only one English sentence in the song (repeated twice by Bang Yong Guk: “I can’t live without you, girl”) and Daehyun sings “Oh, no” once.  However, they both sing/rap the parts flawlessly.  That’s an achievement on it’s own. We all know how notorious Kpop is for horrible English.

Lyrically, the song is a story of a man who can not forget the woman he loves and is haunted by memories of her. He questions whether he’ll be able to erase her  from his mind and if the rain will provide the needed solace. Yet, the rain continues to remind the man of the moment he fell in love with her.  The man can not escape the love he had for the girl.

The song is lyrically poignant and poetic.

Vocal Performances

Our first vocal introduction is done by Jongup. We normally don’t hear much from Jongup, but his mid-range voice is a nice lead-in for the song. We also hear more of his sweet and light voice during Bang Yong Guk’s rapping. While the lightness could have failed in this song, the tone does not take away from the sadness of the lyrics. Jongup has more lines! YAY! That is all. Your JongUp fangirling is hilarious, as always. (Mind you, I fangirled, too, when I heard him sing, and his dancing…Ok, I’ll stop now, while I’m ahead.)

Bang Yong Guk (BYG) begins the song with “singing” his initial rapping part. With his deep voice, you feel the depression he is trying to convey. With the introduction of the bass and percussion lines, BYG’s rapping becomes more powerful along with the instrumentals. YongGuk has come a long way, i think, from underground rapper to going into a group -a kpop/hep hap group-, dancing, writing and producing songs, and finally trying his hand at singing.

Zelo was particularly impressive with his ability to express proper emotions.  Similar to BYG, he “sings” his initial lines before going into his rap. Given his higher-pitched rapping style, not to mention his speed, it could have been difficult for him to express the sadness of the lyrics. However, Zelo was able to impart the appropriate level of angst needed for the song. Zelo left me speechless, at his parts in this song. From his singing, which, WOW, to his rapping. All of it conveyed so emotionally well and accurately..Just. Speechless.

Himchan’s vocal was a bit surprising. Although most B.A.P fans know that he can sing, we rarely hear it, especially in a pure form. Himchan’s deep voice is perfect for the song, as it adds to the darkness and melancholic feel. Himchan, physically -I think-, conveyed the emotions of the song, the best. Though it might have been the make up and his eyes…  Those eyes…

As for Daehyun and Youngjae, their vocals are always spot-on, and in “Rain Sound,” they don’t disappoint. Their ability to trade off as lead vocalist, and still have the same emotional depth each time, is only a further example of their vocal prowess. DaeHyun and YoungJae’s voices always affect me (all of the guys’ voices in B.A.P affect me), but in this song, they struck a chord.

Music Video Analysis

The MV for “Rain Sound” is artistically beautiful and emotionally provoking.  Symbolism, in relation to the lyrics, is throughout the video. For example:

• the rain is like memories that flood their minds, instead of washing away their pain.
• the shooting of the members represents how losing the girl is killing them.
• the use of “rewind” to depict the constant returning of memories.
• the bleak colors used (white, gray, black clothing) furthers the dark tone.

The sets (and the members interactions with the sets) for the MV are important, but the implications can be overlooked. If you look closely, the sets are like that of a mental institution, complete with gurneys and bleak lighting (the TV/Movie versions of mental institutions, at least).:

• Jongup: old bed and ambulance
• Himchan: mannequin head and playing with fire
• Bang Yong Guk: room with a chair in the middle, which he breaks
• Youngjae: mannequins on gurneys with IVs attached
• Zelo: old flower in a pitcher, which he throws on the floor
• Daehyun: darken, dungeon-like hallway, with Daehyun screaming as an overhead florescent bulb bursts

The use of the old film-reel and flickering florescent lighting effects also adds to the emotionally imbalanced feel of the song. The guys are going “crazy” without the girl.

The acting of B.A.P is also impressive. All the members are able to properly emote the sadness and frustration of losing the girl they love. From BYG breaking the chair to Youngjae weeping over a mannequin, you can sense their sorrow.  The tears and pain on the faces of the members adds to the despair, especially at the end of the song, when the lyrics express the final resignation to hopelessness.  Their acting will make you cry along with them. I sure did.

As for the dance, we do not see much of it, so the correlation with the song is unknown.  Since they currently are not planning on promoting “Rain Sound,” we may only see the full dance thanks to fan-cams of concerts. However, what we do see, is good.  The movements are slow, which matches the beat.  I personally loved Jongup’s spin. How does he do that without falling over?? Seriously. Too slow again. That spin had my head spinning and wanting to watch it over and over again.

One thing that we like about the MV, besides everything, is that there is not one girl for six guys. It’s just a video showing how humans can break and deal with lost love. It deals with memories, but not in an obvious way, and the emotions that are connected to said memories.

Overall, we give “Rain Sound” a 5 out of 5. We simply love the song and video.

~Andy and Juju

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Sources: TSENT Youtube and Color-Coded Lyrics

Sound Off: Trust Hell to Ensue

So, I was asked my opinion on the most recent issue with Block B. Initially, I was not going to talk about it, but after seeing so many things floating around, I feel the need to rant about what is happening. Let me start off by saying that no matter what, I support Block B. They are artists who deserve all the love and success that they gain.

If you are not up-to-date on the most recent happenings, Block B has sued their label, Stardom Entertainment. Luckily, the drama surrounding Block B is not a result of something they did themselves. The current suit stems from, undoubtedly questionable, actions by Stardom Entertainment. You can read translations concerning the statements from the parties involved here, here, and here. As to the reality of the situation, we can only sit back and wait for the situation to be handled in the courts or through arbitration. We should not pass any judgment until all the facts have been set out and made clear.

Now, this leads to what I really want to rant about: fan reactions. Seriously, people, WTH?!

1.) News comes out about the group, AS A WHOLE, and your first concern is disbandment? As BBCs, your first concern should be about the physical and mental well-being of the guys! Nothing more, nothing less. My initial reaction: Those poor boys; always having to deal with tough things. All this talk about “Are they going to disband?,” “OMG, I hope they don’t disband!” etc. should not have crossed your mind; at least not immediately. I even saw someone comment about how Zico should go solo (Newsflash: Zico already does things as a soloist. Where have you been since his predebut? Heck, where were you the last couple of months in 2012?). Such things also ignore one important fact about the situation: BLOCK B FILED AS A GROUP!! They filed the suit as 7 members and friends. Some are making a comparison with DBSK. What I’m about to say is based on various things I’ve read, so it may not be 100% correct. First, the situations are different. DBSK wanted musical freedom and freedom from a horrid contract, while Block B wants to get paid. Second, even before the suit was filed, DBSK had internal schisms, with JYJ doing things separately. Up until now, as far as I know, Block B has no internal issues and have been promoting together, as usual. When the DBSK suit was filed, JYJ were the only ones to do so, so the damage was done. We have no evidence of such things happening with Block B. The comparisons need to stop now! The boys have always shown their love and reliance on each other. They have stuck together through all sorts of drama. So, as BBCS, we should continue to have faith in the group and stop the disbandment talk. You are helping no one; least of all, Block B and yourselves.

2.) On top of disbandment talk, fans are already speculating what new label the group would be under. At no point has there been any hint of them actually leaving Stardom. Admittedly, I jokingly made remarks about them going to Brand New or YG Entertainment; but it was said in jest, and was not serious in any way. However, others are seriously considering what new label Block B will move to as a result of the suit. Block B is a part of the Stardom Family, and until the boys say they are leaving, the BS about them leaving needs to stop.

3.) As BBCs, you should not be having a freaking hissy-fit over the situation. You should know the boys well enough to realize that they are strong and one. Have they ever showed us anything different? They share each other’s joy and pain, happiness and sadness, success and failures. I understand being a bit surprised by the situation, I know I was, but as BBCs, we’ve been through enough to face the situation calmly. I don’t want to say “real BBCs,” but, I feel that somehow it’s appropriate in this situation. The BBC fandom is filled with people of immense hope and faith in a group of silly derpers who create fantastic music. Where has that faith gone? A real BBC would never lose such hope. Oh, and to those who trashed Block B during the Thailand BS and are now crawling back: Just stop. To those who have remained calm and cool: Thank you!

To conclude, please, stop the insanity and pessimism. This is a time to show the boys that we are still behind them and have immense love and respect for the group. BBCs will always have Block B’s back. Block B Fighting!

For Amusement (got to love BBCs)