K-pop

To increase my confusion, I see that, according to Generasia, Bang Si Hyuk, a.k.a. "hitman" Bang, is president of Big Hit Entertainment, a JYP subsidiary — but GLAM are listed in the category "Former Artist," and if you go to the Generasia page for GLAM, their company is identified as "Source Music," the entry for Source Music consisting entirely of this useful information: "Source Music (쏘스뮤직) is a South Korean record label," followed by a short list of artists and some links. Clicking the links, I see that GLAM's vids are among the "favorite videos" on the Source Music YouTube page, and that the Source Music Website has as its front page a massive embed of the YouTube vid for GLAM's "Party(XXO)." Source Music's Twitter gives their five artists: "Source Music 공식 트위터 / Artist_GLAM / Artist_간미연 / Artist_8eight / Artist_이현 / Artist_Eden Beatz."

Visiting our untrustworthy friend Wikipedia, who is not yet on the case for GLAM, we find "Big Hit Entertainment" as a subsection under "JYP Entertainment." Both GLAM and 8Eight are listed as artists, but 8Eight, unlike GLAM, has the note "left the company (2012)." The Wikip entry for 8Eight identifies their label as Source Music, which gets no entry on its own. Wikip's list of Korean Idol Groups puts both Big Hit Entertainment and Source Music as GLAM's label. Finally, Allkpop told the world last spring, "On May 25th, Big Hit Entertainment announced that 'GLAM' will be making their debut on July 16th in collaboration with Source Music. 8Eight and Kan Mi Yeon are housed under Source Music, while 2AM is under Big Hit Entertainment. For the past three years, the two companies have been working together to produce GLAM." And "hitman" Bang offers these happy words: "I actually feel sorry calling GLAM a girl group because they have genuine musical talent and passion. As opposed to producing them, it's more accurate to say that I helped them realize their hidden musical potential and helped them foster that as a partner by their side."

So, I can't tell if Source Music is an independent entity that collaborates with Big Hit or is a subsidiary of something, ultimately under JYP. The GLAM dance instruction video was posted by LOEN, not by JYP or any of its subs. That's where I'll leave my researching, as I now kinda like need to stop gallivanting around the Web for the rest of today.

Speaking of T-ara -- and when am I not finding a way to speak of T-ara -- back when I discovered the wonderful "Like The First Time," I listened to a bunch of other "hitman" Bang tracks without liking what I heard: ballad sap seemed his taste. But I've only heard a small fraction of his oeuvre. "I Like That" hits me as better than most of it, though I'm not yet sure how much better.

To further confuse matters, GLAM's leader, Park Jiyeon, has the same name as T-ara's biggest star, Park Jiyeon.

Since this is an active thread now, songs of interest for the week:

Super Junior M - Break Down. Very appropriately, the breakdown just before Suju-M sing the hook is the best part of the song. There's a kind of doppler effect on the vocals which is picked up by the video, set in what looks like a wind tunnel. Towards the end of the video, an unfortunate birds wanders too close to the fan and the resultant feathery explosion adds visual interest to what is otherwise a standard-issue "hot guys in a box with flashing lights" SM vid.

Girls Generation - I Got a Boy. Picked apart on the singles jukebox and now I like it a lot more. My favorite thing about it is the Greek chorus of the other 8 members telling the boy-crazed narrator, "girl, you crazy".

SPEED - That's My Fault. SPEED are the male half of co-ed school and labelmates to T-ara. They seem to be the appointed torch-bearers of 20-minute epic T-ara music video tradition, though this video is more accomplished, with better acting and camerawork, and also much tighter editing (it's only 11 minutes long and not confusing at all). The video is about the Gwangju Massacre and the sad military horns in the instrumental are perfect for the topic. Unfortunately, not every member of SPEED is a decent rapper equal to the task at hand, though a couple of them manage okay.

B2ST and A Pink - 5 My Baby. Five attractive men meet five attractive women and no words are necessary because everyone is hot. The video perfectly captures this feeling by having all the members of A Pink and Beast emerge from boxes, circle each other, and then pair off. There are also lots of scenes where they check themselves out in mirrors, which is appropriate as this song is a sequel to last year's Skinny Baby and, like Skinny Baby, is a promotion for Korean fashion brand Skool Looks. By the way, although I might sound dismissive I think this is a good song. Robot imagery + minimalist lyrics seems reminiscent of early electronica and the song sounds a bit like that as well, to my untrained ear.

Boyfriend - I Yah. Another Boyfriend/Sweetune collaboration and more "Sweetune" than their previous collaboration Love Style. Boyfriend play controlling not-quite-boyfriends and sing about their sensitivity and total emotional dependence. So far, so Kpop. In the MV description box, however, they are called "homme-fatales" which does at least show awareness of both the attraction and destructiveness of this character type. It also says that "homme-fatale" will be the concept of Boyfriend's album, so perhaps there will be an attempt to build up a narrative. The MV actress, Kim So Hyun, plays a perfectly nice and normal high school student who doesn't deserve to be emotionally destroyed.

Next week I am looking forward to:
-The Infinite H album produced by Primary, which is coming out on my birthday;
-Gayoon and Jiyoon (of 4minute)'s country-pop(!) debut album Harvest Moon

I'm so super excited about the INfinite H album. Right before christmas I said I hoped he would produce more for pop stars after the K Will success and then he delivers just a few weeks later with one of the better boy bands! And the whole EP is produced by him! And Zico and others of his friends show up in front of and behind the mic!

The 2-Yoon project is the opposite of what I was hoping for (and I was pretty excited about the unit) but I'm still curious about this 'dance pop country' single.

I knooooooooow, it looks like it's gonna be so good! Maybe I should control my expectations a bit, but with the featurings list (Zion.T! Dynamic Duo! Baby Soul!) it's hard not to be excited. Hoya and Dongwoo really lucked out.

I don't see Zico though, am I missing something? Does he have like a second name he works under?

I'm not sure the 2yoon thing will be good, but I'm also curious, yeah. Country-country or Taylor-Swift-country? It's pretty easy to signal "country" on a pop song, you just need some twangy guitars. Will they sing in Korean-countryside accents? That kind of stuff... plus, they have pretty good voices. I would have thought something more divaish or soulful, but this could be good.

Doh, I meant Sion T.

If Swift then her latest singles since they mentioned dance pop as well.

Maybe they are trying to be the originators of a new (to Korea) trend.

I can't believe I forgot this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPoGVtC9msQ

Don't have much to say, except that I love everything about it.

girls gen song is amaaaaazing

Infinite H album leaked. Ehh, it's okay - a bit generic. I'm glad "Victorious Way" is the single.

Somewhat more surprisingly, 2yoon country-pop is pretty good! It turns out "country" means "ballad with emphasis on the upbeat" and some harmonica, haha.

Also: D-Unit - Sleeping In Pt. 2, Brit - Goodbye Yesterday, maybe more to come as I work my way through this person's uploads.

Well that's just one Yoon, for another project.

Put that D-Unit track on my 2012 list- don't know if it qualifies as a single but since a rejigged version got re-released as a buzz single-ish thing before their real comeback I counted it.

There's a point - should there be a K-pop 2013 post? Or do we not have critical mass?

I could go for one

So then... who's gonna start it? I feel like an interloper here.

I'm fine with anyone starting it. I can do it as well but I felt I had my shot with this thread.

SNSD interview http://omonatheydidnt.livejournal.com/10420138.html

It's kind of an unusual article for k-pop idols, at least as far as I've come across. Critics in Korea haven't been as positive towards 'I Got A Boy' as those overseas and here the group is confronted with specific criticism against the song. They seem to enjoy themselves promoting the song.

Well, if you're okay with it...

K-pop 2013

My 13 yo just ordered two tix. 220 euro. Welp. But she’s ecstatic. Going to Day6

Day6 are cool

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

I love the chorus on this one, it's so chromatic and happy

This is also cool

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL_KC_7GDNE

Sadly I think their latest songs are a little more trendchasing. But man they know how to write a catchy hook.

Wrong year perhaps?
The current thread is here: Kpop 2019

nm, these are older tracks! sorry for confusing matters.