Becoming the “Bests”
Dalian Wanda Group (Wanda), built in 1988, is now one of the biggest companies in China. This 29-year old group ranked No.385 on Fortune Global 500 and No.42 on Chinese Companies 500 in 2016 with a total asset of $116.8 billion. In 2016, Wanda had a yearly turnover of $37.4 billion. Its four core industries: Commercial Property, Cultural Industry, Internet Technology and Financial Industry, contributed each 56%, 25%, 1.6% and 8.4% to the group’s yearly income.
When Wanda was first built, it gained its first success being one of Dalian’s biggest real estate dealers in the early 1990s. Although it was easy to operate, real estate was not able to generate a continuous cash flow to the company. After a three-day milestone meeting in May, 2000, Wanda changed its strategy and launched the first commercial property project. Their commercial property foundations went through several stages until an industrial chain was completed in 2005. Up to today, Wanda has 190 plazas and 50 more in the pipeline to open in 2017. Every Wanda plaza presents an independent business district, with hotels, shopping streets, apartments, restaurants and entertainment all in one.
Wanda Jin Danzhai will open on July 2nd, 2017
In 2012, Wanda launched China’s first luxury hotel management company. Five years later, Wanda is the owner of 4 hotel brands, 102 luxury hotels and is extending its wing to the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Australia and Turkey.
Worldwide Entertainment – the world’s largest movie operator
Wanda has never stopped its way of creation and exploration. Since 2009, while building hotels all over China, Wanda invested tens of billion dollars into cinemas, theme parks and sports. They have five ultra-large theme park projects, including one of the world’s largest ski resort in Changbaishan. Wanda Sports has also become one of the world’s largest sports companies, holding events in over 20 countries every year. There are 25 Wanda Sports offices located in 13 countries around the world.
What is most impressive about Wanda is the success made with the Cinema business. The merger of the second largest cinema chain in the United States in 2012, AMC, became a milestone in Wanda’s history. Wanda bought Legendary Pictures, Carmike, Odeon & UCI, Nordic, and HOYTS n the last two years. Wanda Film, collecting 12% of the global box office, became the world’s largest movie operator. It is now affecting the whole movie making industry, looking to make Qingdao the second Hollywood shooting site.
Chairman Wang Jianlin – the world’s wealthiest Chinese man
Talking about Wanda, no one would forget about Wang Jianlin (Wang). He became the Chairman of Wanda at the age of 35 in 1989. And since then, every step Wanda took, was his decision. He was honored “Lifetime Achievement Award” by Forbes in 2016,”Most Influential 50 in the World” by Bloomberg in 2015, alongside with many other titles. He ranked first in the most updated “Forbes Chinese Rich List”, becoming the wealthiest Chinese man in the world.
Wang is a man of strong belief. Because of his soldier past, his working style is very clear and straight, without much hesitation. His daily life is very simple, get up before 6:00, a little work out, then go to office. All his spending for the last five months were only three sets of suit. Money was far out of his concerns. What drives him every day is his pursuit in making Wanda a centennial company. He hasn’t found the perfect person to inherit and sustain the glory of the business. His only son, Wang Sicong, who was sent abroad to study since young, has a totally different personality. He is extremely active online and very often followed by gossip news. He showed no interest in his father’s business.
Charitable Donation – China’s biggest charity award winner
Wanda has always been a top supporter for charities and entrepreneurs. Over 29 years, Wanda has donated a total of $800 million, making it the biggest private donator in China. In 2008, Wanda was the first donator to Sichuan deadly earthquake (up to 8 on the Richter magnitude scale), giving $51 million in total. Wang Jianlin, famous for his generosity for charities, donated $147 million each to Nanjing Jinling Temple in 2010, and China Charity Federation for relics preservation in 2013, with his personal assets.
The support to society and the help to people in need, has been written into Wanda’s culture for a long time. Its ten-year project, from 2013 to 2022, gives 100 students 50 shops and $7.4 million every year for entrepreneurship. It is now already, the biggest job maker in China, creating 146,000 jobs per year. Wanda requires its employees to volunteer and visit the poor at least once a year. There are volunteer organizations in every subsidiary companies. As Wang said it himself, “Charity makes me complete” and “Everyone is a Philanthropist”. Charity has already become a label, representing Wanda and its helmsman, Wang Jianlin.
Looking Forward
With its blueprint in Commercial Property and Cultural Industry, Wanda is obviously a leading giant in China. The goal for the next five years is not a high speed expansion, but a continuous growth and internal transition. Service (light assets) industry will be expected to reach 65% of the total income, and income from oversea countries should exceed 30%. The key words for Wanda’s near future will be: Cultural Industry, International Influence and New Areas.
As for its Cultural Industry, Wanda’s goal in 2013 was to reach 20% of global box office in 2020. Wanda met some obstacles failing to buy 49% share of one of the top six Hollywood companies, Paramount Pictures. But buying one of the top six, is still Wang’s strong wish. Wanda will keep on heavy investment into Tourism and Sports, to become the No.1 tourism company against Disneyland and to help China win host right for 2022 Winter Olympics.
To expand Wanda’s international business, the first strategy is to buy companies, such as all the cinema chains. Investment would go second. Wanda has invested $15 billion in over 10 countries. In 2025, there will be at least 10 luxury hotels and 5 Wanda City to open in India, Paris, Australia and many other countries. Wanda is devoting to bring the Chinese brand to the world.
In 2014, Wanda, Baidu and Tencent have invested together for a joint e-commerce company. With the investment in Kuai Qian and cooperation with Ping’an, Wanda is heading towards new areas of Internet Finance and O2O transition. Although these new areas haven’t brought Wanda much profit yet, these are the fastest growing industries in China. Wang has been an adventurous person, and Wanda gained its success through all the adventures. No matter what will happen in the future, Wanda will definitely make a huge wave to the world.
—-Lizzy Ren
SISTAR – We Will Miss The Summer Queens
The last 7 years seems to have gone too fast for Sistar. With every comeback making the top music charts, they became one of Korea’s best girl groups. The group itself was very well kept together, and all four members were on good terms, so disbanding was a huge shock to the fans. Usually when a group goes their separate ways, it has to do with a member not getting along with the others but that was not the case for Sistar. The fans could truly see how close they were and not once were there rumors about one being bullied, which is common to hear in a lot of idol groups.
Debuting from a new company where no one has heard anything about can be a challenge, especially if success is not guaranteed. Their debut song ‘Push Push’ instantly gained popularity and they rapidly worked their way up to where they are today. Just like any other pop culture, Kpop also has one-hit-wonders, but Sistar proved their standing with a comeback song ‘Shady Girl’ which gained even more attention than ‘Push Push.’
After various comebacks, a sub-unit was formed. The group named Sistar 19, was joined by two members: Hyolyn and Bora. As Hyolyn being the main vocal, and Bora as the rapper, these two gained much love as a duo. The debut song ‘Ma Boy’ was such a hit that the song was used in all kinds of audition programs, as well as many covers on Youtube.
Known as the summer queens, when not promoting their songs as a group, all members were kept busy by doing solo/duo activities. Bora focused on variety shows, Dasom played roles in dramas, and Hyolyn and Soyu focused on their music careers. Because they worked all the time, the fans never had to wait and their schedules were pretty consistent. We all knew that every summer they would make a comeback and once that was finished, they focused on their solo careers.
On May 31, 2017 the group ended their idol career by releasing one last song called ‘LONELY.’ The fans were heartbroken by the choice made, but decided to respect them as the saying goes: “It is better to leave while clapping.”
Be sure to check out their hit songs:
How Dare You – 2010
Shady Girl – 2011
So Cool – 2011
Alone – 2012
Loving U – 2012
Give it to me – 2013
I Swear – 2014
Touch My Body – 2014
SHAKE IT – 2015
I Like That – 2016
LONELY – 2017
—-Juyeon Oh
Did you know that Koreans are the only race in Asia that has a long history of using metal chopsticks?
Here, you will find out why Koreans use metal chopsticks rather than chopsticks made of bamboo or other kinds of wood like other Asian countries.
The practice of using utensils is said to go back as far as the Baekje Period (18 B.C~660 A.D) when royalty used bronze implements for their utensils. During this period, the royal family used silver chopsticks to detect poison in their food. The upper class would also use gold, silver or brass chopsticks for events. Commoners took after the king and adopted steel chopsticks.
(During the Shilla Period (668-932 A.D), the royalty used silver implements because silver was said to get rid of poison.)
Metal is a great conductor of heat and this is convenient because Korean food is mostly served hot. But this is not the only reason that explains why Korea is the only country in the world that uses metal chopsticks.
Korean chopsticks are typically made of metal and square in shape so it is easy to pick small and thin pieces of food.
In length, the Korean chopsticks are somewhere between the Japanese chopsticks and the longer chopsticks used in China. Metal is a good conductor of heat and Korean soups are usually served boiling hot.
Metal chopsticks are proven to be more hygienic than wooden chopsticks since you can sterilize them. Korean restaurants take time out to sterilize the chopsticks in boiling water and this practice is also done at their home.
-J.Chung
We are excited to introduce Dreamcatcher, a Korean girl group signed under Happy Face Entertainment, based in Seoul, Korea.
The group consists of seven females: JiU, SuA, Siyeon, Handong, Yoohyeon, Dami and Gahyeon. The members officially debuted as Dreamcatcher on January 13, 2017 with an album that goes extremely well with their single title: Nightmare.
In case you were not informed, we’re letting you know that five of the Dreamcatcher members are not newbies to the music scene. JiU, SuA, Siyeon, Yoohyeon and Dami were active under the name – “Minx” from back in September 2014 – when they released their debut single “Why Did You Come to My Home?”
In November 2016, their company released notice that they were to re-debut under the new name, with two additional members Gahyeon and Handong.
On April 5 2017, Dreamcatcher made their comeback with singles Dreamcatcher’s concept well: “Fall asleep in the Mirror” and its title track “Good Night”.
We would like to thank each and every one of the members for their time for this interview.
Dear Dreamcatcher members…thank you for taking this interview. Would you like to introduce yourselves?
JiU: Hello, my name is JiU and who is the group’s leader and lead vocalist of Dreamcatcher.
SuA: Hi! This is SuA who is in charge of Dreamcatcher‘s choreography and vocals. I am also responsible for having a pair of “Midas golden hands” in the group since I can draw, make crafts and cook well.
Siyeon: Hello! I am called Siyeon and I was born in 1995 ~ I’m the main vocalist, as well as being the real energizer of our team.
Handong: Hello! I am a 22-year-old student name is Handong, and it’s been about a year and a half since I’ve been residing in Korea. It’s been 6~7 months since I’ve been signed to this company.
I came to study in Korea since I’ve been very interested in K-pop for a while and was given a great chance to do an audition when I was majoring in the department of “Practical Music.”
I’ve also been into musicals and so I began taking opera and acting lessons. Currently, I am one of the vocalists from Dreamcatcher.
Yoohyeon: Hello, I am a 21-year-old lead vocalist called Yoohyeon and I will make your hearts fall for my attraction.
Dami: Hello! This is Dami and I am the rapper of Dreamcatcher.
Gahyeon: Hi, this is Dreamcatcher’s lovable Maknae and sub-vocal Gayun!!
JiU
Let us know how you got interested in music as a career?
JiU: When I was growing up, my parents used to play a lot of Fin.K.L songs that got me naturally loving to sing and dance, that made me make up my mind to become a singer for sure.
SuA: I loved to dance since I was extremely young, so I was always admiring singers like Lee Hyori and Rain Sunbaenim which led me to being a singer.
I am the one who trained the longest and I’ve been now able to make this debut with all the experience as a member of Dreamcatcher.
Siyeon: I was vocalist at my school’s band for two years and used to going to massive concerts; so I wanted to perform in front of a bigger audience myself.
Handong: When I was in High school, I watched a video of Tayeon singing and felt her voice and face seemed so pure and pretty, shining on stage. From then on I wanted to become an attractive artist like Tayeon.
Yoohyeon: I used to be a Wonder Girls’ fan years before, so after I was watching MTV about them, I made up my mind that I wanted to become a singer like them.
Dami: I began dreaming of becoming a singer after joining the choir in elementary school. Because I loved to response from the audience I wanted to become a singer.
Gahyeon: When I was younger, I had a random thought that I wanted to be on TV. Then my mother showed me a video of BoA sunbaenim and I decided that a singer was what I wanted to be.
Do you have any special talents or interests?
JiU: I love shopping! I like walking around so I enjoy listening to music while I wander around trying out great food. My specialty and interests are dancing, putting on lovely and natural-looking type of make-up and I’m really interested in food that is healthy… clothes and beauty-related stuff.
SuA: I like to meet up with my friends to binge great food, instead of staying indoors, I like to get out and be active. I really like to shop, watch movies, go around visit great restaurants during my free time and in-between those times I stay at home to draw or make artsy craft. But I would have to say, my most favorites hobby is watching TV Dramas.
Siyeon: I like to play games during my given free time. And I either listen to music or just enjoy being alone with the lights turned low in my room.
Handong: When I have free time, I enjoy Youtube and like to go shopping.
Yoohyeon: I love surfing on Youtube, I like channels like Pewdiedie, Buzzfeed...since I enjoy learning languages so much; I wanted to initially learn German but decided to start with English instead. I am learning English currently but not that I am not that great anymore.
Dami: I usually read a book or watch a video when I have free time. I carry a book when I have schedules and read constantly, enjoy whatever genre.
I usually like to watch videos which are music-related sources.
Gahyeon: I like to go shopping with the sisters, rest at the dorm or meet my parents. My hobbies are experimenting with cooking and I am currently absorbed in dieting and food reviews.
Who would be the one person you admire the most?
JiU: I respect my parents the most!!! I believe they’ve brought me up right and I consider that if I can only live like they do in the future, I’d consider myself happy. When I grow old I would like to be just like them.
SuA: I respect my parents the most; I am so thankful to have my mother and father as my parents – they are always diligent, know how to persevere in life and they are very considerate of others – so I respect them the most.
Siyeon: My parents, they are warm-hearted, honest folks who always strive to do their best in everything they do.
Handong: My mother~
Yoohyeon: My father is someone I admire and respect!! Because of him, I knew what I wanted to do from an early age. He told me that I could achieve anything if I put in the work which would lead me to the road to success. I also admire mother’s character and personality.
Dami: My parents: Their whole existence is an honor to me.
Gahyeon: My mother.
What would be your favorite or least favorite color?
JiU: My favorite colors are black and pink. I don’t have any colors I don’t like.
SuA: I like the color red but don’t particularly like orange.
Siyeon
Siyeon: I like all shades of blue and I don’t have any colors that I don’t like especially.
Handong: I like black and white; green is the color that I don’t like.
Yoohyeon: I like green and brown. Purple I never used to like.
Dami: I prefer yellow, black and white over other colors but I generally like all colors without exception.
Gahyeon: I like light pastel tones like pink and sky blue. I also like simple colors like black and white. I don’t have any colors I don’t particularly like, have a full wardrobe orange or green.
SuA
Tell us what you like to eat or drink?
JiU: There are so many foods and cuisine that I love, I love rice types of foods like sea food rolls and as to drinks, I love them all. I really don’t have a definite preference when it comes to drinks. This question seems to be the hardest for me, personally. Haha.
SuA: I love anything that is made of meat. Eateries like rice rolls, sushi and anything that people in general love to eat at when we are young.
Siyeon: I like onions and enjoy drinking coke.
Handong: I like cookies and egg tarts, and like to drink Oreo chocolate smoothie.
Yoohyeon: I really love ramen and kimchi!!^^~! And I think Schweppe is tasty.
Dami: Sweet potatoes – I carry dried sweet potato chips around with me these days. I like all kinds of dumplings.
Gahyeon: Chicken! Meat! Raw fish, mixed noodles my gran makes, the egg rolls my mother makes, soy bean paste soup and fizzy drinks like coke and Fanta. The thing is, there isn’t really any food that I don’t like but I hate cucumbers – I eat them only if they are served with tuna.
Handong
Let us know if there were any films, books or musicals you’ve enjoyed recently.
JiU: Well…there have not been any movies I’ve seen recently, and no books for that matter. I get to sleep after monitoring our own videos.
SuA: The film I saw recently was Master, and I read the book called, “The Courage To Be Hated.” I enjoy watching dramas so I would like to recommend you “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God” which most of you have seen. It is a drama that made me cry so much as “Kill me Heal me” did.
Siyeon: Master! I really enjoyed watching the work. After watching Master the film, I became a fan of actor Kang Dongwon. ♡
Handong: The book I’ve read recently is called, The Devotion of Suspect X.
Yoohyeon: The Resident Evil, the recent movie. It was really thrilling to watch and the actress has not aged at all.
I read a book called “Courage To Be Disliked” which something you read in life, it really helped when I was stressed, it also helped me to become more mature.
Dami: The first book of the Harry Potter series. I read the books, “Seoul District” by Sangwook Hahn and Youngjin Mun’s “Living Is Like A Flower.”
Gahyeon: A book of poetry called, “Maybe The Stars Will Take Away Your Sorrows” – it also has a blank space for you to make notes.
Yoohyeon
What would be the one song you’d recommend?
JiU: “Chase Me” by Dreamcatcher is a great song! It was really great lol. Please check that song out!
SuA: Bruno Mars – Finesse is a song that makes you want to dance to funky rythmn and tune.
Siyeon: ONE OK ROCK – One Way Ticket
Handong: A song called, Lay Me Down.
Yoohyeon: All songs by Troye Sivan! I like “Youth” and a song called “Kiss Me” that he covered.
Dami: Dynamic Duo’s – U-turn.
Gahyeon: Dreamcatcher’s – Emotion – which is a side B track but it’s a
really cool song. It’s very different to Dreamcatcher’s title song.
Do you have any bad habits you’d like to fix?
JiU: I don’t really have a bad habit to be frank. Hahaha. But I think I need to quit eating up all the food when I am really full.
SuA: I have a habit of playfully hitting people which is usually okay but sometimes I hit hard, so I think I need to work to fix that habit.
Siyeon: I pinch the back of my hand a lot and have the habit of over-thinking too much.
Handong: I get restless unless I concentrate on my eyes constantly.
Yoohyeon: I want to learn how to walk with a straight posture; usually my back is kind of crooked.
Dami: Licking my lips.
Gahyeon: My bad habits would be nibbling the skin from my finger nails, licking my front teeth and rolling my eyes.
Dami
Which stadium or country would you like to perform in the future?
JiU: In honest truth, I want to travel all over the world for a world tour!!!
SuA: We must have a performance in Tokyo Dome in Japan! We want to fill the whole place. And if I was to choose another location, it would be somewhere massive in Europe.
Siyeon: Japan! I like their uniqueness in terms of the sound system and recording.
Handong: An end-of-the year performance in Korea or I want to go to China.
Yoohyeon: I have loads of places where we want to perform. I want to go a bunch of places including; Denmark, Sweden, Germany, France, USA, Finland, Thailand, Russia, China, Japan, Australia and etc.
Dami: I want to perform in diverse places, both domestic and abroad.
Gahyeon: I want to travel all over the world!!! A world tour!
Gahyeon
Please let us know about your goals and aspirations are for the future and please add something nice for your fans. We at KCRUSH hope 2017 will be one special year for you!
JiU: I personally want to receive the Newcomer’s award as well as the award for the performance. I hope it all comes true! We hope that Dreamcatcher will get placed on the charts.
And we want to let you know that we miss our fans, although we don’t get to see them very often but they are always on our minds. We love our fans!
SuA: Hi everyone! This is Dreamcatcher’s SuA ~ I am so happy everyday due to your love and interest. We are boosted by the chants from our fans even if it means less sleep for us from working hard.
We will work extra hard to meet the expectation of our fans, so please show love and interest!!! We don’t need to consume vitamins when we’re with our fans. We love you all! ♡♡
Siyeon: We want to have a schedule that will keep us really busy this year so 2017 will be the year for Dreamcatcher!!! We will keep our fans entertained. We love you!
Handong: We want to have a number 1 on the charts this year; it won’t be easy but we will try hard! We are always thankful to our fans for their dedication and support!
Yoohyeon: We want to become active not just in Korea but abroad; and receive love from fans from all over the world!! That being said, we are going to work extra hard.
Dami: In 2017, we want to top the charts, get the Rookie Award, stay high in the charts whilst we get to meet with our fans frequently.
Gahyeon: This year we really want to receive the Rookie Award that we can’t get ever again unless it’s given to us this year. I will try to develop myself in all aspects. Thank you for loving and showing support we will do our best to return it all.
Watch out for us and please show us love and support!!
– J.Chung.
When an idol group debuts there are many things a company must handle such as fashion and KPOP fashion has definitely changed over the past few years. If you look back as far as 1990, there will be a huge difference than from today’s fashion forward looks.
Let’s start out with one of the first groups that started the Hallyu Wave we know today: Seo Taiji and Boys. Seo Taiji and Boys broke onto the scene in 1992 with”Nan Arayo” (난 알아요), bringing with them some interesting looks.
The group took the popular American sounds of rap, rock, techno, and R&B, and combined them with Korean lyrics, blowing many minds in Korea at the time. Fashion wise, their looks are very similar to trends in the United States at the time.
(R&B Group Color Me Badd)
(TLC)
We can all agree that fashion during this era is a little bit over the top, but when everyone dresses that way it doesn’t seem like that. Another group known for their interesting fashion was the boy group H.O.T. H.O.T (High-five of Teenager) debuted in 1996 and are considered to be one of the first KPOP ‘idol’ groups and as such, their outfits were very varied and interesting.
While some of these looks will stay buried in the past (thankfully!), others show up from time to time in popular music fashion today.
(GOT7, Stop Stop It MV 2014)
For female groups like S.E.S and Fin.K.L., their looks were more pure and innocent looking, contrasting to many American girl groups during this same time period. S.E.S debuted in 1997 and are considered to have ushered in the current standard of KPOP girl groups.
These clean cut fresh looks are comparable to GFRIEND and Lovelyz innocent schoolgirl looks.
The early 2000s brought in new looks as the times changed. Groups like DBSK and Super Junior debuted and took on the boyband look familiar to many western groups. One noticeable difference is the hair styling.
(Super Junior)
Alternative, groups like Big Bang who had a more hip-hop sound dressed more ‘street’ than anything. While these looks were a couple years behind the American hip-hop looks they followed, they were a nice contrast to everything else happening at the same time.
Personally, I call this time in fashion the ‘tacky era’ as many groups loaded up the clothing and accessories to make a very distinct visual. Capri jeans and vests were very popular around the world during this time and it was reflected in KPOP fashion.
(Kara)
The love of bright colors continued with groups like 4minute and f(x) who debut in 2009. Both groups debuted with an electropop sound that matched the sometimes electrifyingly bright clothing they wore.
Thankfully, as time went on accessories were lost and pants got tighter for some groups. Groups like SHINee and 2PM were introduced with toned down looks, not completely losing brightly colored clothing but definitely a step in the right direction.
(2PM)
Transitioning into the 2010’s, more groups began to dress specifically for the image their debut wished to push. Teen Top, AOA, and B.A.P are just a few examples of this.
(AOA also known as Ace of Angels)
(B.A.P known as Best Absolute Perfect)
Today, fashion is much less cringe worthy after a group debuts. Fashion has become a huge part of the KPOP industry, with many idols being sponsored by clothing brands. Twice and GOT7 were both the faces of NBA’s clothing collection and BTS were sponsored by Puma.
(GOT7)
(TWICE)
(BTS)
Most groups that debut now look much more put together no matter what their concept is. Boy group Romeo’s debut presented a much more cohesive image and mature imagine, while girl group Twice managed to throw back to bright colors while sticking to a constant theme and looking adorable at the same time.
(ROMEO)
KPOP fashion and fashion around the world has changed (for the better) over the last 30 or so years. However, what may be considered trendy today might be looked back on in a few years as unfashionable and tacky.
—-Ke’Anna Bullard
ASTRO are aiming for fans hearts in their newest title track ‘Baby’.
The music video starts out with Astro opening up a shop called ‘D. Store’ with a visible sign that says Astro x Aroha.
The music starts with a light and fresh beat, perfect for summer. The colors in the video are also very refreshing and bright, with the boys wearing white collared shirts and simple black pants.
The choreography is simple but enjoyable and even non-fans can admit the boys of Astro are adorable in this video. My favorite part is getting to ‘choose’ which drink you would like as each member is associated with a color and traits and are given individual shots.
Musically, the song works as well. There are not any challenging vocal moments but that does not take away from the smooth and pleasing vocals. The raps also fit well into the song and are not jarring or make weird transitions.
One cool feature of this music video is that the perspective of actor/actress being served does not show any physical features, so any fan can feel as though they’re the focus.
This song is ASTRO’s lead single for their 4th mini album Dream Part.01, which includes a total of 8 tracks.
—-Ke’Anna Bullard
Photos: Youtube
Pho
This dish needs no introduction. Pho has been the primary iconic dish that sneaks into one’s mind when it comes to Vietnamese cuisine. What kind of Vietnamese meal would it be if Pho is not mentioned? It is next to impossible to walk a block in Vietnam’s major cities without encountering a Pho stand. Pho is a simple staple, consisting of a salty broth, fresh rice noodles, and a sprinkling of herbs on top accompanying a protein of choice (most commonly chicken or beef). It is cheap, it is tasty, and it speaks to your soul. If you have not experienced this magic in a bowl, do yourself a favor and get one as soon as possible.
Bun Cha
Although Pho may take the crown as the most famous dish in Vietnamese cuisine, Bun Cha would take the title of “King of Lunch” in Vietnam. If you need help identifying Bun Cha on the street, search for clouds of meaty smoke around noon time. The smoke is caused by small patties of seasoned pork and slices of marinated pork belly over a charcoal fire. Once they are grilled to perfection, the morsels are served with a bowl of fish sauce-flavored broth, and a basket of herbs with a healthy serving of rice noodles. Very often, you would find nem cua be, or fried crab spring rolls, accompanying Bun Cha. Need a little bit more convincing to get you to give it a try? President Obama ordered this dish when he hung out with Anthony Bourdain.
Xoi
In the United States, sticky rice is often categorized as a desert. However, in Vietnam, it is more of a meal in itself. The glutinous staple comes with a variety. It can vary from protein sources, to the way it is presented. However, one common theme is that it is almost always served with scattering of dried shallots on top. Xoi is a common on-the-go breakfast item and it can be found on nearly every block of Vietnam. There are a lot of different colors to choose from. Unfortunately, the colors themselves do not influence its flavors whatsoever. For breakfast, it is most commonly served with a side of sweet sauces that are often coconut based.
Banh Xeo
A good banh xeo is a crispy crepe bulging with pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts. Topped off with garnish of fresh herbs that is a common theme in authentic Vietnamese cuisine. To enjoy one like a local, cut it into smaller slices, roll it up in rice paper or lettuce leaves like a taco and dunk it into a sauce, which most commonly would be the fish sauce. The refreshing garnishes and lettuce perfectly negates the greasiness that comes from deep frying the crepe. It is a very common dish in Vietnam that people order as appetizers before enjoying the main course. However, Banh Xeo itself can also be viewed as a main course, giving how hearty the dish can be.
Banh Mi
The French may have introduced Vietnam to the baguette, but Vietnam elevates the bread to further enhance its elegance. The result of the ascension is Banh Mi. Banh Mi varies depending on the region of the country you are currently in. In the north, the chefs stick to the basics of carbohydrate, fat, and protein, which means Banh Mi would be composed of bread, margarine, and paté. In the south, however, your Banh Mi may contain many more elements such as cheese, cold cuts, pickled vegetables, sausages, fried egg, fresh cilantro, and chili sauce. This sandwich is a bomb of flavors that will instantly punch you on the palate with no delay. This one-sandwich-to-rule-them-all style of a sandwich would engrave its tasteful presence to your mind and never disappear.
—-Joe Pengachu
BTS’ nomination and subsequent win of Billboard’s ‘Top Social Artist’ award definitely has made waves in media in America. It has been said that all attention is good attention but how true is that?
Let’s take a look at the pros first. This is obviously a big award for BTS and their fanbase. BTS broke the streak that Justin Bieber and his Beliebers have held since the invention of the award category in 2011. Those who watched the awards show saw how excited and grateful BTS were to be attending the event and getting to rub elbows with artists they had so far only admired from thousands of miles away.
It also has brought K-pop to the eye of many basic music listeners in America. They’ve participated in dozens of media appearances here with at least one radio station airing their music.
One major positive is that this is a chance to show many western music listeners that popular music exists outside the United States and the rest of the western world.
However, this leads in to the cons of this experience. American media can be extremely embarrassing with how little research they do before interviews. During their Wings tour dates BTS did plenty of interviews with American media and fans were given plenty to laugh at because of the big blunders interviewers kept making.
It has gotten to the point where it’s hard to tell what is genuine versus trying to use the thousands of fans for more exposure. Many ‘celebrities’ mention liking BTS online for the sake of gaining followers, including several Youtube stars. Reacting to KPOP has become a trend with BTS being the go-to for instant views.
There’s also sentiment that this western exposure is what will make BTS famous. BTS are known worldwide already without needing western focus or assuming that it will make them. That isn’t to say that fans cannot enjoy that they are getting the exposure, however, Americans sometimes forget there is an entire world outside of America.
There has also been backlash from fans against anyone bringing up any of these points as though they are talking badly about the group or their accomplishments. It can be exciting for someone that is known in the western world to bring up your favorite group but it’s important to realize some do not have any genuine interest and are offensive in showing ‘interest’.
It can be argued that all of this has to happen at first for the western world to settle and lose the ‘novelty’ found in KPOP. These somewhat awkward moments could just be BTS paving the way into the world of American fanatics and that there will be bumpy moments.
Obviously, the pros of BTS’ appearances outweigh the cons for the group but only time will tell how this will affect the rest of the KPOP industry in the future.
—-Ke’Anna Bullard
Photo: Billboard
Rice, a simple and delicious food, is a main staple for more than half of the population in the world. There are over 40,000 varieties of rice. Every country has its own varieties because of the differences in the way of planting and many environmental conditions such as temperature, water and soil. International classification has divided rice into four major categories which includes Indica, Japonica, Aromatic and Glutinous. It is also popular to classify rice by the length of the grain, the color or the level of stickiness.
As for the planting and harvesting of rice, there are three major steps: Pre-planting, Growth and Postproduction. In early April, after choosing which rice you would like to grow, the land preparation includes pre-fertilization, soil aeration and leveling. In late April before transplantation, the seeds need to be pre-planted before transplantation, which requests detailed cares afterwards. This includes water management, fertilization, pests and diseases control. In July, when the ears of the wheat start to bend, the golden color of the field indicates the right time for harvesting. It can be done manually or with the help of a machine. The following step is to dry the wheat under the sun. The rice is better kept in paddy form than milled. When needed, different kinds of rice hullers can be used to remove the husk and bran layers, to produce the rice that is ready to cook. The production cycle of rice lasts somewhere between 80 to 190 days. Under good maintenance of the paddy field, it is possible to produce up to three harvests per year in tropical areas.
Jasmine Rice
Jasmine rice, mainly produced in Northeast Thailand, is a long-grain variety that is farmed only once a year. It belongs to both Indica and Aromatic family. The unique pandan fragrance and the moist, smooth flavor are the typical characters of Jasmine rice. However, its fragrance is easily disappearing after a short few months. The strict and detailed standards in Thailand has helped to keep a high quality of rice, making it one of the most popular and most exported variety just after Basmati rice.
Hom Mali, produced in Roi Et, Ubon Ratchathani, Burirum and other Northeast Thailand areas, is the most worldwide famous jasmine rice for its top quality. One of the best brands recommended is ROYAL UMBRELLA, which is under C.P.Intertrade Co., Ltd. and C.P. Thai Rice Co., Ltd. Their rice is produced in 30 alliance rice mills such as Buriram Rice Mill, Kamphaengpetch Rice Mill, and sold in over 100 countries. Another top brand is GOLDEN PHOENIX, which is also widely popular.
Basmati Rice
Basmati rice is also a long-grain variety that belongs to Indica and Aromatic family. It is nevertheless, considered as even more precious and expensive compare to Jasmine rice. When cooked, it extends to 2-3 times its original length, sending forth a nutty fragrance. The cooked rice is very dry, loose and not so sticky. 70% of the world’s Basmati rice is produced in India, while 20% in Pakistan, a neighboring country. The main production areas are in Northwest India such as in Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
As for the top brands of Basmati rice, there is a list of over 20 brands from India that are all very good. For instance, India Gate, Kohinoor, Lal Qilla, Hanuman Basmati, Amira and Aeroplane. However, the top #1 to recommend is Daawat, the flagship brand from LT Foods Ltd. The company manages the whole supply chain for its rice production, owning five top manufacturing units in India and two packaging facilities in the US. Their rice is sold to over 60 countries in the world.
Black Rice
Black rice, also known as forbidden rice, purple rice, imperial rice, is a variety of rice that can be short-grain, long-grain or glutinous. It is a very ancient variety with a long history, tracing back to 150 BC. Black rice is widely used as both medicine and food for its high nutrition and curative effects. People call it “Black Pearl” or “King of Rice”. Only royalties were allowed to take it before it became popular among civilians. China accounts for 62% of its global production and the rest comes from other countries such as Sri Lanka, Indonesia and India.
One of the most popular black rice brands is Beidahuang from Heilongjiang Beidahuang Rice Industry Group Co., Ltd. The company is located in Northeast China, producing over 11 varieties of rice. They have 8 sub companies that produce rice and own 90,000 mu of rice base in Wuchang, Zhaoyuan and Suihua.
Glutinous Rice
As explained in its name, glutinous rice is very sticky when cooked. It is a widely used variety, mainly grown in Southeast and East Asia. There are different colors of glutinous rice: most of the time white, but if unmilled, purple or black. People like to cook it as sweet snacks or rice wines. Laos has been considered as a center for glutinous rice biodiversity with one-fifth of the world germplasm. Over 80% of rice production in Laos is of this variety.
Many Thai brands have very good glutinous rice such as Golden Phoenix, Butterfly and Three Ladies. The products sold on the market are very often labelled “sticky rice” or “sweet rice”. Take Three Ladies Brand for example, it is carried by Vinh Sanh Trading Corporation, whose office is based in California.
Wild Rice
Wild rice, different from paddy rice, is actually the seed of four species of grasses that grow in North American and China. It contains much higher nutrition compares to normal paddy rice. As it only grows in the wild nature, the grain is less eaten in China because of its expensive price. It remains a delicacy in North America, where three species out of four are native. The United States accounts for 90% of wild rice production and the other 10% comes from Canada. The main species remaining is Northern wild rice, grown in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan in the United States.
There are many American wild rice brands of the top quality such as Lundberg, SunWest, Amira Nature, Nature’s Gourmet, Bob’s Red Mill, etc. The one to be best recommended is Moose Lake. It is a family owned company since 1973, under the same name as their brand. The rice is 100% naturally grown from Minnesota and Canada, which can be purchased on their own online shop.
In the calendar year 2016, the world’s total rice consumption is 478.4 million metric tons. China, India and Indonesia are the three countries consuming the most, with percentages at 30.5%, 20.6% and 8.0%. They are also the most productive countries for the world rice production. Outside of Asia, the countries with the biggest consumptions are Brazil, the United States and Egypt, ranking No.10, 13 and 14 on the list. At the same year, the biggest importers of rice is China, Nigeria and Philippines. The biggest exporters are India, Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan and the United States. These five countries accounts for 80% of global rice trade.
As what we can see from the global rice trade, Basmati and Jasmine rice are the two varieties leading the market. India and Pakistan are exporting 100% Basmati rice to all around the world. The demand is four times nowadays than 15 years ago. For Jasmine rice, Thailand used to be the only exporter. Vietnam took over its market share by 40% over the last few years. Although the United States produces less than 2% of the world’s rice, it is one of the main exporters for many kinds of rice to Mexico and Central America.
If you are visiting an Asian country and you see a lot of people wearing facemasks in public, do not be surprised… do not panic either. Since early 20th century, due to several outbreaks of infectious diseases such as 1918 (the Spanish flu) and 1968 flu pandemics (the Hong Kong flu), facemask started to appear. The 2002 SARS and 2006 Bird flu have brought the facemask-wearing into a common practice. It remains very popular among East Asian countries, especially China, Japan and South Korea. However, the causes of wearing masks have changed into many directions nowadays.
Causes
The very basic and most important function of masks is to prevent the spread of diseases. When talking about masks, it always reminds you of doctors as they wear masks all the time, visiting patients or conducting operations. For common people, it works as to protect yourself from the outside environment, or the other way round. In China and Japan, people tend to wear masks when they catch a cold. It is the same reason as to cover your mouth when coughing, which is considered as politeness.
With the fast development of China and India, the relation between economic growth and environmental conservation has lost its balance. The Air Quality Indexes in Beijing and Delhi are most of the time far above 500, which already means severe pollution. Outdoor activities are very dangerous to people at this stage, so a top-quality mask is extremely important. Sometimes, even military gas masks can be spotted in Beijing. In 2015, Singaporeans also experienced the need for masks when they were suffering from the fire smoke pollution coming from Indonesia.
A funny fact in Japan among the young generations, is that masks are becoming a part of fashion. People wear it as common as wearing a hat. Many girls believe that by wearing masks, their eyes will look bigger and their faces will look cuter, which also adds a mysterious attraction to boys. However, if going a bit further, masks are becoming an excuse for young people to isolate themselves. They can hide their faces behind masks, avoid conversations with people and just play cool. In this case, masks become social firewalls which is unhealthy to mental growth.
Besides what’s mentioned above, there are many other causes for people using masks in Asia. It is said that over 20% Japanese are allergic to cedar pollen. Wearing masks can protect people from the hay fever, caused by the allergy. In South Korea, masks are also popular among celebrities. It helps them to avoid public recognition and disturbances. During air travel, if a girl doesn’t wish to make up for that day, she can simply put on a mask to hide her face. Masks are also useful to reduce bad smells or prevent the cold. Because of the high population density in many Asian countries, imagine yourself in a very crowded metro or bus where people are almost kissing each other, you might want to have a mask to keep yourself from all the possible smells or bacteria that comes around you.
Consumer Market
Starting from 2010, the mask market has been gaining continuous growth in East Asian countries. In 2015, the world mask consumption reached 1.2billion pieces, doubling the volume in 2011. China as the biggest mask-consumption country, accounts for nearly half of the market. Some Medias estimate the Chinese pollution mask market worth $500 million in 2015, with a growth of more than 15% each year. At the last season in 2016, JD.COM has witnessed a double to ten-time sales growth on its anti-pollution products in Northeast China. Japan, South Korean, India and Singapore have all reported significant market growth in mask sales in the latest several years, mostly due to the declining of air quality.
However, the main reason to purchase a mask, mostly is to fight against pollution. The PM2.5 mask is the most popular kind on the market. There are several different types of masks, gauze mask, surgical mask, N95 mask, cotton mask and active carbon mask. N95 mask is proven to be the best type against PM2.5, which prevents the person wearing it to contract 95% of virus. People still prefer white for masks among all the other colors as it represents cleanness. Black is also getting popular when people buy it for fashion. Very often there is only one standard size for masks, but customized large or small sizes are available for some brands. It is especially necessary to have small sizes for children.
Supplier Market
As for the major manufacturers of masks, the top 5 brands are 3M, Green Shield, Honeywell, UVEX and Hakugen. Some Japanese brands such as Shigemats, Koken, are considered as dark horses coming from nowhere, but getting popular all of a sudden. Out of the top five brands, 3M is by far, the leader of them, occupying 90% of the Chinese market. There are around 300 mask processing and supporting companies in the cities of Northeast China, such as Dalian and Jiaozhou.
Regarding 3M, there is a lot to talk about. Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing is the full name of the company and the brand. Built in 1902 in the United States, 3M produces a full range of products, from housewares to medical supplies, from electronics to school items. They first created a particulate respirator for hard labors who were highly exposed to high-density dusts in 1970s. For the next 40 years, they’ve been looking at details, improvements, and finally impressed China with its N95 range during 2003 SARS period. They ran out of stock many times because of the high demand coming from the Empire of the Middle.
Green shield is the only Chinese brand out of the top five. The brand is under Sinotextiles Corporation Limited, who started to sell masks only from 2011. Honeywell, founded in 1885 in New Jersey, has a small range of masks. UVEX is a German company built in 1926. They specialize in personal protective equipment and most famous for their eye protections. Hakugen, created in 1923, is considered as an expert for manufacturing high-tech household chemicals. All these brands have great products and their own specialties, but it remains difficult for them to go beyond 3M regarding masks.
Because of the explosion of e-commerce business in China, a high percentage of masks, coming from local companies, fail to pass quality tests. This urges China to build up a much detailed and comprehensive standard for mask production. The current market price for a mask varies from $0.15 to $0.40 for low end, from $4.5 to $5.8 for better quality ones. As there is a continuous growth in incomes for Chinese people, the higher end is more and more looked at. Nowadays many people are buying masks at the price of $22 to $37.
—-Lizzy Ren
Spicy Green Papaya Salad – Tam Mak Huong
The name itself may sound like it is a weird combination, but having fruits involved in a tasty salad is no new combination. In fact, numerous European cuisines also utilized fruits in the same manner. It is all about accessibility when it comes to cooking. And this is a fine example of such principle. Due to its tropical environment, papaya is one of the primary fruits that exist in Laos. Hence, it should serve as no surprise to find papaya sneaking into a couple local dishes. The papaya salad, also known as Tam Mak Huong, is made from shredded papaya. The primary ingredients besides papaya are tomatoes, sprouts, basil, and peanuts. There are several versions of this dish, but the core element that glued the ingredients together remains constant. The main ingredients are then soaked with hot chili, sour lime, salt, fish sauce, and sugar. This is a refreshing take on the salad which is perfect in a hot climate. Be warned though, the spiciness of this dish may vary from vendor to vendor.
Larb – Laap, Larp, or Lahb
When it comes to Laotian cuisine, “spicy” is the name of the game. Following the main theme of fiery flavors, larb is another popular dish that one can find on the streets of Laos. In short, it is a type of meat salad. This dish is so popular that many deemed it as the national dish of Laos. This special cuisine can be made from various sources of protein. Chicken, beef, pork, duck, fish, or even mushroom. The protein source is heavily flavored with lime juice, fish sauce, and fresh herbs. It is commonly accompanied by raw vegetables and sticky rice. One can even go as far to say that such combination is a match made in heaven. With its potent flavors from larb itself, balanced out with mild scent from the herbs on top of the neutralizer rice is simply a dance inside the mouth that one cannot be ignorant to.
Lao Sausage – Sai Oua
Sausage making has been revered as one of the many epiphanies in the culinary world. Packaging various parts of meat into a condensed cylinder package is often revered throughout the world. Hence, it should come as no surprise that Laos has its own interpretation of sausage. In Laos, sausages are made from chopped pork. It is heavily seasoned with ginger, lime leaves, garlic, fish sauce, and salt. It is often accompanied by a side dish filled with fish sauce. Though it may not be easily accepted due to its scent stemmed from the fish sauce, its flavor is undeniably rich. And one should definitely not judge the sauce before trying it.
Lao Noodle Soup – Khao Piak Sen
Unlike the western hemisphere, there are numerous types of noodles which are rice based. Khao Piak Sen is a descendent from the family of rice noodle dishes. It is part of traditional Laotian cuisine, often seen as comfort food. The closest Western equivalent would be the infamous chicken noodle soup. Much like chicken noodle soup, Kaho Piak Sen does not require many ingredients, hence it is cherished as the perfect dish with its simplicity. In fact, this rice noodle soup is often consumed at breakfast time. The bowl comes with beef or chicken broth, which is then poured over rice noodles that are accompanied by various herbs.
Lao Barbecue – Sindad
As you now know, concepts of some of the most popular dishes in the world are shared at different corners of the globe. Hence, allowing the cultures to inject their own identity into it and present the world with their own interpretation. Barbecue, revered as the salvation of Western cuisine, also exist in Laos. The traditional Lao barbecue includes a round metal dish and a cooking platform where one can take a slab of fat and coat it before the grilling process. Many sources of protein are available to choose from, but chicken and pork are the two most popular protein sources. Locally, Lao-styled barbecue is known as Sindad. What stands out the most in Lao-style barbecue is the sauce that accompanies the content of the dining experience. Unlike the popular Western BBQ that usually accompanies the meat and sauce prior to the actual cooking process, Lao-style bbq does the opposite: The sauce accompanies the meat after it was cooked. Due to its simplicity in preparation, it is very easy to find Lao-style BBQ on the streets.
—-Joe Pengachu
Warning: Some YouTube comments contain course language that may not be suitable for some readers.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, there’s a group trying to break into the K-Pop world called EXP Edition (formerly EXP). The Columbia University thesis project by Bora Kim has been generating buzz since 2015 when news broke that a non-Korean group would be trying to debut in Korea as a K-Pop idol group. In April 2017, the training, Korean language-learning, and fundraising finally paid off as EXP Edition released “Feel Like This” as their official Korean debut song.
Now a four-member group, EXP Edition improved greatly since their first release “LUV/WRONG” to include stronger musicality, tone, and harmony. “Feel Like This,” while not up to the processed standard of the typical K-Pop track, is a nice throwback to the 1990s American boyband-era thanks to mature vocals and stylization. With many K-Pop songs recalling past music eras and genres, “Feel Like This” fits right in with the current trend, so its release comes during an appropriate time.
With their Korean debut, EXP Edition had different opportunities open to them including appearances on Music Bank and I Can See Your Voice. For all intents and purposes, they’ve been treated no different than any other K-Pop group promoting now, so they have a chance to experience what other K-Pop groups get to experience during their debuts.
Unfortunately, EXP Edition have come across ridiculous amounts of hate from K-Pop fans both domestically and internationally. Exploring their Instagram and YouTube pages, in addition to the number of dislikes the group receives, messages wishing for the group to disband or to “die” far outweigh positive messages at the time of this writing. There’s no clear reason why all the hate exists at this point, but one thing for sure is this: It is uncalled for and unnecessary.
Different Training is Still Training
Even though EXP Edition is a project group, they’re really no different from other K-Pop groups. While EXP Edition’s training is different from the years of training and sacrifice Korean K-Pop groups endure, training did occur to help them groom for this moment. Just because training was shorter and differed from the methods used in Korea, this shouldn’t minimalize the hard work EXP engaged in to get to this point.
Time frame aside, why is it assumed EXP Edition did not train as hard as other groups? Does years of training trump effort? Effort is what counts. Watching the group’s growth through YouTube videos and Instagram snapshots, the members had to learn how to carry themselves to cater to a Korean audience along with improving stage presence, choreography, appearance, and overall performance and they have improved since “LUV/WRONG.” Each member comes from a different musical background, so there is a period of also learning how to mesh different styles to have a more cohesive piece. This takes time and effort. Just because they didn’t train for seven, eight, or 14 years should never take away from the effort behind the act. There isn’t a medal of honor that comes from length of training. In the end, quality is better than quantity, people learn at different rates, and years of training doesn’t necessary mean attention and riches.
Yes, those who’ve trained for years do have an edge, especially in the Korean music industry where precision, finesse, and graciousness can make a break a group. Even so, there are sometimes up to or over 50 groups that debut each year in Korea (in 2015, over 75+ groups debuted), and maybe 10 to 15 get to survive for further releases while others disappear without their names ever being known. Even with years of training, there are groups that can’t keep it together enough to be cohesive and perfect in an industry that demands absolute perfection. These are groups that train for years, sacrifice their lives and childhoods and even their health for a chance for stardom, but many just don’t have what it takes. This could be due to lack of support, and it could be due to lack of quality training, so quantity does not always mean “the best.”
EXP have a lot riding on them too. Not only do they have the pressures of training like other K-Pop groups, they also have the added pressure of being a project. As a project, failure isn’t an option even if the group, as some eloquently point out in comments, exists for collecting data. No matter the reason, the group worked hard to get to this point, and minimalizing their efforts is an insult to anyone who’s ever worked for anything.
The Nuances of Language
Additionally, the members had to learn Korean to prepare for their debut and connect with the Korean audience. Yes, their Korean is not smooth, but Korean is not their first language just like with Korean idols who learn English: English is not their first language. Furthermore, they learned Korean as adults, which, linguistically, is considered a much more difficult task than learning another language at a young age. This involves the Critical Period Hypothesis, which is one of many language theories that suggests second language-learning occurs best between the time a child can speak until puberty. During this time, there’s a higher chance of fluency and natural flow, which is something that doesn’t come easy for adult learners.
Speaking as an ESL instructor and tutor, learning a second language is difficult for anyone no matter the language. For adult learners, it’s not going to come easy and it’s not going to flow naturally. Yes, EXP has American-sounding Korean; that’s to be expected. Unless they’re going through an immersion program, natural flow and cadence is not expected, and those who criticize their Korean are just looking for another reason to complain.
The fact is this: EXP took the time to learn Korean to sing, perform, and communicate. While it’s not perfect, it’s still effort that should be commended because they’re not blowing into Korea expecting everyone to speak English to them as if they’re superior beings. For those who have and are learning a second language, take a moment to recall what the learning period was like and the awkward missteps that occurred. No one can learn a second language perfectly overnight. No one can expect perfection all the time. On the same coin, aren’t there K-Pop fans and even non-fans who make fun of K-idols and their English-speaking and singing missteps? What about the unnecessarily cruel remarks B.A.P’s Himchan endured for pronouncing “roof” as “loof” in “Hurricane” (of which caused B.A.P to re-record the song to correct pronunciation and prevented Himchan from singing his lines for a period)? What about the awkward English used in Super Junior songs? A second language is difficult if one is not fluent; even K-artists aren’t an exception to this rule and saying otherwise is hypocritical.
K-Pop: Is it Korean Language or Only for Korean People?
Dissect the word “K-Pop.” It is short for Korean Pop. The K in K-Pop refers to the language used, not just the people in the genre. If the K only stood for Korean, then Asian artists from Japan, Thailand, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, and any other Asian country represented in K-Pop should be banished for not being Korean.
One of the arguments used against EXP is that they are not Korean. Over the years, there have been many non-Korean artists infiltrating the Korean music scene, yet no one bats an eyelash. Perhaps this is because these artists have stereotypical East-Asian features that help them pass as Korean artists. Yet, these artists are in K-Pop because they are in Korean groups singing songs in Korean, which is the K in K-Pop. With this, the K also stands for the country of Korea. Here again, we have non-Korean artists who live in Korea making Korean music.
K-Pop is what is because it is performed using the Korean language. When Little Mix released the Korean version of “Wings,” the song became a Korean Pop song despite them being a Western group, whereas if it remained in English only, it’s a Western song. If a song is primarily Korean and promoted in Korea, it is a Korean Pop song regardless of the artists’ backgrounds.
Double-Standards
EXP Edition’s Korean debut brings forth the important topic of double-standards since the concept is strongly rearing its ugly head.
As mentioned, K-Pop fans call out EXP as non-K-Pop artists because they are not Korean. Yet, there are already many non-Korean artists in the industry. These individuals like BP Rania’s Alex, CLC’s Sorn, GOT7’s BamBam, Jackson, and Mark, f(x)’s Amber, and CrossGene’s Casper and Takuya among other idols are not Korean, yet they’re embraced and loved by fans. If the K in K-Pop is for Korea and Korean, then non-Korean group members should be immediately removed from their groups because they don’t embody what people think K-Pop should be.
Over the years, fans—especially International fans—have called for more diversity in K-Pop. However, when diversity does exist in the form of other Asian artists and mixed race artists, it’s not diverse enough for some because the artists still have the stereotypical East Asian appearance. The same fans who cry for diversity are the same fans who show disgust when it actually appears. With the introduction of EXP, diversity appears, but people hate them because they are white in a Korean market. For fans, diversity is only acceptable if it is a certain type of diversity.
During the same time EXP made their Korean debut, the African American duo Coco Avenue also released the Korean song “Eottae.”
The reactions to both releases are vastly different: While EXP gets hate, Coco Avenue receives praise and positive comments (with a few calling the Koreaboos) for adding diversity to the K-Pop tapestry. This is not a slam against Coco Avenue because they do deserve praise for their sexy single and efforts. The truth is, both groups add diversity to the K-Pop scene because both are non-Korean and non-East Asian in a primarily monoethnic industry and homogenous country. The same works in reverse: In a country that’s primarily Caucasian, any time a non-White person is represented, that is diversity. In terms of the Korean music industry, different races—regardless of it black, white, Hispanic, and even South Asian— making an impact is diversity.
The reactions to Coco Avenue (top) and EXP (bottom) are vastly different.
EXP’s negative responses are due mostly to them being white. Comments for both “Feel Like This” and Coco Avenue’s “Eottae” point to this as K-Pop fans suggest diversity only exists if the singer or group is ACOW (Any Color Other than White). Arguments for this include how K-Pop uses elements from the black music and fashion scenes.
The truth is, K-Pop doesn’t just use elements from black culture as it uses elements from Western culture as a whole just like Western music pulls inspiration from various cultures and countries. Music—as well as food—is one of the great equalizers as it is one of the true societal melting pots. K-Pop does borrow from black culture, but it also uses EDM and other club influences that were developed by white people. Music is diverse because it does seek influence from everywhere, so no one group is more influential over another when it comes to the whole music scene. Music adapts and changes as it always has for centuries as different influencers come around.
With that said, both Coco Avenue and EXP have the right to partake in the K-Pop scene regardless of race or influence. One shouldn’t have more of a right over the other, and suggesting that one group does have more of a right is part of the problem today. Everyone, regardless of race, socio-economical background, or culture should have an equal shot of getting somewhere. Believing otherwise creates issues on top of tensions that already exist.
“It’s a Project. Don’t Take Them Seriously”
Another reason EXP Edition receives hate is due to their thesis project status. To K-Pop fans, the phrase “thesis project” is a turn-off because they feel the group doesn’t take the hardships, training, and promotion process as seriously as true K-Pop groups do. K-Pop fans can speculate all they want, but what actual proof do they have suggests EXP and its creators do not take the process seriously? A project doesn’t necessarily mean this is “for fun” or that it’s not taken seriously.
EXP and the IMABB crew worked hard to get to this point. Fundraising, promotions, and, of course, the aforementioned training and language learning made this project happen. That takes time and money. Even if the project is there to collect data as many commenters suggest, how does that influence the time and energy taken to make EXP Edition happen? The group debuted under non-traditional circumstances, but they debuted nonetheless showing that they were and are serious about the direction the group takes and what comes out of the debut. Even if they disbanded tomorrow, the effort it took to get to Korea still existed and should be noted. Why shouldn’t they be taken seriously with everything considered?
Trendy Haterade
With the overwhelming dislikes, it becomes clear people want EXP to fail and that it is a trend to hate them. Instead of sipping the tempting haterade the K-Pop fans, bloggers, and vloggers lay out, why not give them a chance and cheer them on? It’s one thing to dislike something because a song may not be your cup of tea, but to blindly hate something because it’s different and not what’s considered “normal” by industry standards is cruel.
Even if the non-Korean K-Pop experience laid out by EXP and others like Coco Avenue doesn’t pan out, they should be praised. At the same time, their experiences open the door to the necessary conversations we need to be having world over about diversity. Diversity isn’t just an issue stateside, but a global issue. Instead of hating and fueling tension, why not talk about both in the respect of diversity and what needs to be done to improve it globally? Regardless of where the EXP Edition experiment goes or if other non-Korean groups break into K-Pop or even if Asian artists break into the Western world, the lesson should be that we need to talk and work toward accepting people’s differences instead of hating on people because of their skin and background. Otherwise, what’s the point?
—-Joelle Halon
Like any music genre, there are some K-Pop tracks that are not original and are remade. While some songs are from other Korean artists, others may be from international artists. It’s fun to see each artist adds their own unique flavor to old tracks. Here are eleven Western songs and their Korean remakes.* Which do you prefer?
En Vogue “Don’t Let Go (Love)” (1996) vs. Bella “Don’t Let Go” (2011)
En Vogue sang “Don’t Let Go (Love)” for the Set it Off soundtrack in 1996. The song was En Vogue’s last number one hit and last top ten hit before member changes prevented the group from reaching their former glory. In 2011, Bella released the track as their debut song. Both groups have similar tone and arrangement, so Bella didn’t really make the song their own despite it suiting their voices beautifully. Both groups gave justice to the lyrics without one outdoing the other.
Monrose “Hot Summer” (2007) vs. f(x) “Hot Summer” (2011)
Monrose’s “Hot Summer” was a popular hit in Germany when it was released. The track even had commercial airplay in the US. Monrose’s rendition had more sex appeal that matched the lyrical content. F(x)’s version had a stronger poppy-but-feminine feel. Monrose’s instrumentals feel noisy compared to f(x)’s SM-produced processing that makes it more appealing, but both tracks have unique flavor.
Salt ‘N’ Peppa ft. En Vogue “Whatta Man” (1994) vs. I.O.I “Whatta Man (Good Man)”
“Whatta Man” is an essential 1990s song that perfectly encapsulates the era. Salt ‘N’ Peppa and En Vogue were among the hottest groups in the US. The track was a chart-topper and an award winner. The song is sexy, edgy, and cool. I.O.I’s version lacks the edginess and has more pop flavor. While it’s a nice rendition, nothing compares to the original.
Justin Guarini & Kelly Clarkson “Timeless” (2003) vs. Junsu & Zhang Liyin “Timeless” (2006)
Featured in the movie From Justin to Kelly, American Idol alums Justin Guarini and Kelly Clarkson released the popular track “Timeless.” The song features beauty and emotion and was popular in Asia at the time of its release. In 2006, Zhang Liyin and Junsu released their own version that had stronger delicacy and sweetness. Their vocals were better suited for the song, especially since Guarini and Clarkson were almost in a shouting match at the end of their version.
Maroon 5 “This Love” (2002) vs. G-Dragon “This Love” (2006)
In 2002, “This Love” was one of the biggest songs of the year and helped to enhance Maroon 5’s career. Adam Levine’s vocals have the strength and uniqueness to make the song memorable even 15 years after its release. G-Dragon, while being one of South Korea’s most internationally known artists, didn’t quite have the chops to carry the song. His version incorporates rap elements that make the track sound harsh in spots. GD’s pitch doesn’t fit the tone and arrangement, while Maroon 5’s version hits all the right spots.
will.i.am “I Got It from My Mama” (2007) vs. PSY ft. CL “I Got It from My Daddy” (2016)
“I Got It from My Mama” has plenty of sexual tones as it objectifies the female body. PSY’s “I Got It from My Daddy” spins the concept on its head as it parodies will.i.am’s song as PSY flaunts around as an older gentleman in his version’s MV. Unfortunately for will.i.am, his version sounds one-note while PSY’s fun take, lyric shift, and modern twist makes the track more enjoyable to the ear.
Corbin Bleu “Deal with It” (2007) vs. SHINee “Juliette” (2011)
While not a direct remake, SM Entertainment bought the rights to Corbin Bleu’s track; Jonhyun and Minho penned the “Juliette” lyrics to the track to make the song their own. The arrangements are exactly the same without much difference between the tone and harmonies. Both songs have their own unique lyrics to make both tracks equally decent.
Aly and AJ “Potential Breakup Song” (2007) vs. Tahiti “Love Sick” (2011)
While J-Line Entertainment never fully admitted Tahiti’s “Love Sick” is actually “Potential Breakup Song,” the similarities are there and quite prominent. Tahiti’s version has tinnier instrumentals that give it more pop nuances, while Aly and AJ’s version has more rock influences. The lyrics to both songs are different with Aly and AJ being angry over being jilted and Tahiti’s version covers a female stringing her partner along. As Tahiti’s third single and track with a different member lineup, the vocals lacked power despite the song being fairly decent. However, Aly and AJ win this round because their version has more power.
In 2001, Jennifer Lopez was one of the “it” artists and “Play” was one of the “it” songs. As a popular track on MTV’s Total Request Live and on several radio stations, it was hard to escape the song and its catchy beat and chorus. Three years later, Baby V.O.X released Korean and English versions of the track as a remix. Unfortunately for Baby V.O.X, their version didn’t reach its potential since it was released following the “Xcstasy” controversy where the group sampled content from Tupac (the rights to the content were unclear at the time). While “Play Remix” fit Baby V.O.X’s image, their version was more repetitive while Jennifer Lopez’s had clear verses and chorus.
Blazin’ Squad “Flip Reverse” (2003) vs. Jang Woo-Hyuk “Flip Reverse” (2005)
English hip-hop group Blazin’ Squad released “Flip Reverse” in 2003 on cassette! The track, which was widely popular in the UK with airplay in the US. Years later, it’s one of the group’s most remembered tracks. H.O.T’s Jang Woo-Hyuk’s version appeared on his No More Drama album as his first solo release. Jang’s version lost a little something without a whole group behind him and with the higher pitch. He does Blazin’ Squad’s track justice, but Blazin’ Squad’s rendition is the stronger of the two.
Luis Fonsi “Keep My Cool” (2002) vs. BoA “Spark” (2004)
Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi’s “Keep My Cool” appeared on his 2002 Fight the Feeling album. The original’s masculine vocals fit the lyrical content, while BoA’s feminine charms and power enhanced the track nicely. Both tracks kept the Spanish influences to make it recognizable, and there wasn’t a lot of change from the original in BoA’s version. Both tracks are strong and have different tones to make them stand out for both artists.
—-Joelle Halon
*Tracks are singles or side tracks released by Korean artists. These tracks are not cover songs.
China, being the most populated country in the world, never runs out of talent in any field. Bboying is not an exception. With its rich gymnastic achievements and history, Chinese bboys adopted an unique style that showcases their understanding of the human physique. However, developing such style is no walk in the park. Although China was exposed to the Hip Hop culture around the same time other Asian countries were exposed, it took its time to absorb the culture and the dance. It was only until recently that Chinese bboys started to attract international attention with its homegrown bboys having strong showings in international events.
Bboys and bgirls on this list are mentioned because of their achievements from 2016 to the time when this article is published. The ranking is, by no means, a definite way to measure each individual’s skill level in relation to one another.
Bboy Devil
Representing the Mental Fusion Crew, bboy Devil is a rising superstar of his region. With impeccable flow that demonstrates his understanding of his body and awareness, he skillfully combines both powermove and footwork into one powerful style. Power combinations after power combinations, injected with a hint of footwork, is perhaps the surest way to dedicate his youth. This bboy has demonstrated that he is no stranger to international stage when he participated in the battle Hustle and Freeze, a competition which attracts bboys from all over the world. Though he fell short in the competition, his presence echoed deeply in every person’s mind.
Bboy Boss
As his name suggests, there is no better word to describe this man other than the the word BOSS…followed by numerous exclamation points. Bboy Boss, representing the Force Crew, is an iconic figure in a new branch of bboys we refer to as “strength type” bboys. Strength type bboys specializes in feats that are seemingly impossible to execute unless, of course, he or she possesses inhuman strength. Bboy Boss’s signature move is the very definition of this genre of bboys: Flare to an elbowless airbaby stall is nothing short of herculean feat. But that is not his only weapon. He is also equipped with flavorful footwork transitions that can take advantage of his musicality. Combined with his unique power that illustrates his strength, his presence on the floor is not to be underestimated.
Bboy NoName
Ironically, bboy NoName is a bboy who has made a name for himself. Considered to be one of the older generation bboys that hail from China, bboy NoName’s name has been embedded into Chinese domestic bboys mind as a god-like individual with insurmountable skills. He is the very epiphany of a bboy that has it all: Power moves, footwork, flow, freezes, musicality, and battle attitudes. Putting aside his skills that stood against the test of battles, it also stood against the test of time. Bboy NoName is considered to be one of the bboys from the older generation that helped the dance to prosper to this day. Representing the STO Crew, bboy NoName had brought nothing but honor to his motherland. Having high level understanding of every single category of bboying, bboy NoName is a lethal presence on the floor. Countless times he represented the yellow-starred flag of blood on international stages and achieved satisfactory accomplishments.
Bboy Marbles
Among the countless rising stars and young talents that China has to offer, Bboy Marbles is one of those cases where he managed to make a mark on international stages early on in his bboy career. Unlike many famous bboys, bboy Marbles currently has no known official affiliation with any other crews. However, that is not to say that one can underestimate this man. Bboy Marbles is a powermove specialist that emphasizes primarily on tricks and power moves. His unique signature power moves and transitions happens where one would least expect them to happen: In motion. Those added details painted the perfect impression that describes this beast of a man. His dominance was shown in the most recent Mounfund Jam in a heated battle against Venezuela. Everyone counted China out, as the Chinese did not have many bboys on the international stage. However, what bboy Marbles and his partner put out there are nothing less than astonishing.
Bboy Lil-Chao
Deep embedded in the Chinese society is a philosophy that truly reflects its cultural beliefs of balance. Bboy Lil-Chao is the bboy embodiment of such concept. He demonstrated his skillful fundamentals through his musicality while also putting up a show with an injection of power moves to put an accent to his rounds. Representing the STO crew alongside with bboy NoName, he had numerous opportunities to test his skills against international competitions. Though he recently had not taken any titles, he always achieves a standard of excellence on the floor. There is no telling what the future holds for this bright young man.
—-Joe Pengachu
For some reason, fans have become obsessed with the idea of their favorites winning on music shows and have begun to idealize the concept. The highly sought after win for some means a group has ‘made it’ and have lowered their risk of forced disbandment. Others have pure intentions, like wanting to give their favorite group a tangible sign of their support. Either way, there are some misconceptions about the ‘winning’ process.
First off, groups are not usually eligible to win during the first week of their comeback. That means they will appear on the show, but not be up for nomination. Most shows will display the full list of groups up for nomination on their website or voting list.
Music shows all use a point system to decide the winner for the week. For example, Mcountdown’s point breakdown is as follows:
10% – Broadcast Score/Live Voting
10% – Popularity Score
15% – Social Media Score
15% – Physical Album sales
50% – Digital Music sales
As you can see, digital music sales weigh extremely heavy in determining the group’s weekly score. Digital sales are considered the plays and downloads that the song gets on the Korea music sites, the most popular of which is Melon. On most of these music sites, you are able to monitor what are the top 100 songs every hour.
If your group does not have enough of a following to get places on any of the music charts or the song is not well liked by the public that uses the sites, it will be extremely hard for them to win on most shows. Even more so if they cannot make up for it in the other categories. What this means is no matter how much you insist their comeback is better, if another artist ranks higher than your favorite, that artist will win. I repeat, no matter how much you rant and rave about your group’s song being better, if another scores higher, your group will not win.
Winning is nice, but it is not everything. Supporting your group is not a bad thing, but attacking others under the guise of support is not the way to do that. International fans in particular have to accept that there is only so much you can do to help a group achieve a win. Even further, some music sites and voting are only available for Korean residents, so there is nothing you can do to help sometimes. Some groups will win extremely fast and others have not gotten a win in their entire career. As long as they are able to continue releasing music for their fans, they are a success!
Groups like UKISS and GOT7 have toured all around the world, performing for thousands of fans before getting a win. Does that sound unsuccessful to you?
Groups’ popularity can rise and fall in an instant and a music show win does not stop a group from having problems or even disbanding. What can help is supporting your favorites in healthy ways and not spreading negativity.
—-Ke’Anna Bullard
With so many comebacks, the music charts are becoming more competitive. Despite the large fandom, it all comes down to which music is more appealing to hear without the age gap. Due to kpop being popular among all age groups, songs with high quality and catchy rhythms seem to win the battle. The recent successful comebacks include:
IU
IU has recently released her 4th album ‘Palette.’ This album not only comes with great quality of songs, but it also gained some extra attention when fans heard about the collaboration between Big Bang’s G-Dragon, and Hyuk Oh. As soon as the album was released, she “killed” the entire music charts with all her songs. It is very rare for a solo female artist to gain such success with their comeback, but because IU is known for her composing skills, people take a listen without hesitation.
- Dlwlrma
- Palette- ft. G-Dragon
- Ending scene
- Can’t love you anymore- with Hyuk Oh
- Jam Jam
- Black out
- Full stop
- Through the night
- Love alone
- Dear name
BTOB
The title song ‘Movie’ is composed by one of the BTOB’s members, Ilhoon. This song consist of a unique and funky style that is not often used in kpop. Not too many are familiar with this group due to their label not giving them enough push in the industry, but this album really contains one of the best kpop songs. 10th mini album ‘Feel’eM’ features 5 songs:
- Movie
- Someday
- Just tell me
- About time
- Rock N Hiphop
Red Velvet
Although two months has passed since their comeback, the song itself is so addictive that it is still standing high on the charts. This was their 4th mini album called ‘Rookie.’ After finishing off their last successful ‘Russian Roulette’ album, the Rookie album received even more love. It is one of those songs that once you listen to it once, you cannot get it out of your head.
- Rookie
- Little little
- Happily ever after
- Talk to me
- Body talk
- Last love
Taeyeon
After her first two mini-albums, Taeyeon is back with her 1st full-length album called ‘My Voice.’ In this album, you can really hear her vocal capabilities, as it contains various genres such as pop, R&B, ballad, etc. It takes a lot to become this successful as a solo artist outside SNSD, but she has proven that through her hit singles: I, Rain, Why, and several of her OST songs.
- Fine
- Cover up
- Feel so fine
- I got love
- I’m OK
- Time lapse
- Sweet love
- When I was young
- Lonely night
- Love in color
- Fire
- Eraser
Highlight
Former ‘Beast’ members created their own label after leaving their previous company, Cube Entertainment. Because their group name is owned by Cube, the members came up with a new name, Highlight. This album is very special to the Highlight members because they have “re-debuted” with a new name. The ‘Can You Feel It’ mini album contains 5 songs:
- Plz don’t be sad
- It’s still beautiful
- The beginning
- Dangerous
- CAN YOU FEEL IT?
Also be sure to check out upcoming comebacks including: PSY, Twice, Lee Hyori, Roy Kim, KARD (although they have not “officially” debuted), and many more.
—-Juyeon Oh
On April 12, 2017, B.A.P brought their Party Baby Tour to the Rosemont Theatre in Chicago. The colorful spectacular showed the fun and sensual sides to B.A.P through a medley of songs that had the fanbase pumped despite the empty seats that dotted the venue. Even though the venue wasn’t as full as it was in 2016 due to BTS performing weeks earlier and the Party Baby Tour coming through right smack in the middle of midterms season for many colleges, spirits were not dampened.
With this being B.A.P’s fourth tour in the United States, expectations were high for an amazing show. For the most part, B.A.P performed well and delighted fans with their signature sound. The boys were full of energy and smiles, especially Bang Yongguk, whom many worried about following his hiatus for anxiety and depression. The boys gave their all and pulled off a wonderful, memorable show.
The concert opened with a live DJ, DJ B.Shoo. B.Shoo’s energy filled the theatre as fans started to dance and blow their whistles. He was a nice opening act to get everything started. B.Shoo used a good mix of familiar, remixed tracks to assist with creating the pumped, energetic atmosphere that lead to the countdown to B.A.P’s appearance on stage.
The opening segment was fun while “B.A.P” opened the show, which is reminiscent of 2014’s tour. The opening featured a camera going backstage to find the boys before they went on stage. Looking at them during the intro, it was clear the boys were ready to rock!
When B.A.P appeared, they opened the show with EDM remixes of “Hurricane,” “Badman,” “No Mercy,” “Bang x2,” “That’s My Jam,” “How I Feel,” and “Dancing in the Rain.” The 18-minute set was reminiscent of 2016’s EDM set with a few songs added. The energy and joy B.A.P had during the set should have gotten the crowd more into the show, but Chicago fans were reserved despite B.A.P’s efforts. With headbangers like “Bang x2” and “That’s My Jam,” B.A.P pulled out all the stops: Zelo, who was pretty extra all night, showed off his goofy side, while Yongguk rocked hard. Himchan, who is still nursing a rib injury, moved about the stage with his signature smile etched on his face, while Jongup showed off his moves. The dance portion of “Hurricane” had B.A.P’s usual precision. When Yongguk started to rap, he appeared larger than life and like he didn’t miss a beat during his hiatus.
Following the EDM portion, the lucky fan event took place. Daehyun was the host for the B.A.P Lounge portion and he selected 27-year-old Rachel as his lucky fan. Rachel was dressed to the nines in Daehyun’s rose theme. While on stage, B.A.P asked her questions and took photos before handing her the SD card of her experience. Rachel was adorable and held her composure well while on stage (I, personally, would have been freaking out and trying to figure out a way to smuggle Himchan off stage and into my purse). Over on her YouTube page, My Rara Pop, Rachel discusses her experience, so check it out!
Following the lucky fan event, Jongup and Zelo performed their solos “Try My Luck” and “Shining Star.” Unfortunately, Daehyun did not perform his solo for the Chicago stop. Jongup and Zelo performed their solos beautifully! Jongup’s soft sweetness contrasted with the strong arrangement of the track. Jongup even incorporated some rap portions into his track which surprised fans and added more dimension to Jongup’s ability. Meanwhile, Zelo showed another side of himself by singing a ballad instead of performing a rap. “Shining Star” shows Zelo’s softer side and depth as an artist. What was also surprising is that “Shining Star” is entirely in English, so Zelo catered well to Western Babyz.
One of the most anticipated portions of the concert were the performances of “Fermata,” “I Guess I Need You,” and “Body & Soul.” For “Fermata,” B.A.P’s vocal line shined brightly. Daehyun has better control over his vocals as he effortlessly slid between high and low notes. Youngjae provides a strong middle ground to Daehyun’s strength and Jongup’s innocent vocals. The depth and layers in “Fermata” were enhanced by the vocal line’s live performance to make the song memorable.
“I Guess I Need You” and “Body & Soul” had effortless sexiness without the “Body & Soul” crotch dance that entranced fans in 2014. The body rolls and more mature dancing actually made the songs more appealing because they were sexy performances without being over-the-top. Unfortunately, it was during these performances where it was evident Himchan wasn’t fully recovered from his rib injury as he did wince during a few of the moves.
Youngjae then performed his solo, “Lie.” Youngjae has improved nicely as a vocalist also. His power has improved to show his vocalist potential. He, like Jongup, has a sweetness to his vocals that help him tell the story within the song he’s singing.
Following Youngjae’s solo, the finale of the main concert exploded with “Skydive,” “Young, Wild, & Free,” and their latest single, “Wake Me Up.” “Skydive” showed B.A.P’s strength and prowess, while “Young, Wild, & Free” got the fans riled up again. However, “Wake Me Up” was one of the fan highlights of the night with the sounds of whistles and chorus.
The boys wrapped with a one encore performance of “Check On,” which recalled the dance from the 2014 tour, and “SPY,” “Feel So Good,” and the fan-favorite B-sides “Be Happy” and “Carnival.” Even though at this point it was clear the boys were tired, they still performed with strength and energy and interacted with fans with enthusiasm before wrapping with “B.A.B.Y,” which made a few fans emotional as the concert came to a close. There were supposed to be two encores, but due to Chicago’s curfew, the city only experienced one.
Following the concert was Hi-Touch and the photo op fans had a chance to purchase to round out the evening. Like last year, the Hi-Touch was a quick hi-five with the B.A.P members. For the photo op, groups of ten got to take photos with the group to preserve their memories, which was a really cool option have this year. Along with the package, fans got a t-shirt, album, whistle, and a slogan which made up for the cost of the package.
The Nitty-Gritty: Good, Bad, and Indifferent
Like with past concerts, B.A.P really know how to perform. When it comes to performances, they’re among the true professionals in the industry. Going to one of their shows always prompts the “they eat their CDs for breakfast” phrase. This was the case for this year’s tour as the boys gave their all into their performances.
What was nice about this year’s tour is that there were solos from Youngjae, Zelo, Jongup, and Daehyun. It’s great to be able to hear the boys show what they can do individually, even though it was a bit disappointing that Yongguk and Himchan didn’t have solo stages. Perhaps this is due to Yongguk’s anxiety disorder and Himchan’s injury, but it would have been cool to hear “Pray” live or even their collaborative track, “Sexy Clap,” which is a cult favorite in the B.A.P fandom.
While B.A.P had a good song selection this year with their party-esque songs and performances of old and sexy favorites from past tours, there was something missing with fan-favorite tracks like “Warrior,” “Power,” “One Shot,” and “1004” excluded from the setlist. These are B.A.P’s iconic tracks and serve as crowd-pleasers that are guaranteed to get fans’ engines revving despite them not fulfilling the party vibe. Groups do need to change their setlists year-to-year so shows don’t get stale, but a little taste of these tracks in a form of a remix medley would have been a nice touch.
For the Chicago show, the talk sessions were the longest out of all the stops. With B.A.P and Chicago, there seems to be a strong connection between the group and the fans which is why talk sessions go on longer for any other city. This was the case in 2014 and in 2016 also. At one point, Youngjae spent several minutes discussing a sign a fan had, which really took longer than it should. The talk session length was probably one of the reasons why Chicago didn’t get a second encore. Talking is fine, and it gives the boys a chance to connect with fans; at the same time, there are fans who prefer more show than chit-chat, so it takes away from the mood of the concert.
The next bit of criticism comes with the scheduling of the show. The Chicago show was on a Wednesday in April, which is bad timing in the Midwest given how it is a weeknight. There is a curfew to contend with, people still in school, midterms occurring at area colleges, and the evils of rush hour traffic in the city. With K-12 school still in session and college midterms ongoing, not to mention how B.A.P came after BTS and HyunA, the venue had a lot of empty seats. TS Entertainment and the promoters need to figure out a better schedule for 2018 to avoid issues like this. I doubt fans would object to a summer tour.
With the above considered, Chicago fans did try their best to encourage the boys even though the general crowd was more subdued compared to past years. However, Chicago Babyz came through with several fan projects including the Himchan birthday project by K-Pop Fans of the Great Lakes, the green ribbon project by #ForeverBAPsBabyz, and several smaller banner and bias heart projects individual fans came up with to show love to B.A.P. Despite the small turnout and reserved nature, Chicago fans made up for it with the love they sent to the group.
Other issues were reported by various fans at the venue after the show with some saying Powerhouse staff were rude, pushing people, and rushed fans too much, while others claim that Rosemont staff were just rude. These incidents were reported on various social media outlets by more than one fan. If this is the case, professionalism failed at various points throughout the concert and need to be addressed by next year.
Overall
B.A.P’s Party Baby tour was a worthwhile experience. The show was fun and exciting with nice fan interaction. The Chicago stop could have been better if there was a better fan turnout, but we tried our best. In relation to 2014 and 2016’s tours, Party Baby comes in second in terms of experience and quality right after last year’s Awake Tour. Hopefully, next year will be stronger—with a better turn out—so B.A.P can show their prowess!
—-Joelle Halon
Asian tourism is getting more and more popular, as it offers foreigners totally different experiences with affordable budgets. It may be useful to learn local customs before visiting a country. Reasons are various: for a more comfortable trip, to show respect to local people and avoid any kind of unnecessary conflicts. Every Asian country is different from one another as for their unique customs and culture. While at the same time, many traditions are shared in common because of a connected history and/or geographic adjacency. For example, being low profile, avoid touching children’s head, and not opening gifts in front of the giver are typical Asian customs that most countries follow. Here, we are going to look at some examples: what you should do or not do when visiting Asian countries (this list is non-exhaustive and can be studied further).
Singapore
Don’t chew gum, smoke, litter, graffiti, jaywalking or spit in public. Singapore is famous for its cleanliness and strict laws. Since gum used to bring inconvenience to public transportation and people, the gum ban was introduced by Lee Kuan Yew in 1992, to achieve perfection in the country. It is legal to carry some for personal use but illegal to sell gum. If you do any of these mentioned above, you might face a several-thousand dollar fine plus a few months in prison.
Don’t walk naked or look at pornography, even at home. It is strictly banned to show your naked body in public or in private places while exposing to the public. This law was released on February 1996. If you are caught doing so, you might face a fine up to $2000, a three-month prison stay or both. Officers can enter your room without authorization and use force to arrest you.
Do reserve a table with tissue. Singaporeans like to reserve their seats with their belongings like tissue or umbrellas. If you notice something like a pack of tissue on the table in a crowded restaurant, seriously better not take that seat. There might be people coming after and kicking you out. So do as the Romans do, take a seat before somebody else, leaving your own tissue on the table.
Do bring two oranges when visiting families on Lunar New Year. Something special with Singapore New Year is that everyone brings two oranges when visiting each other. You give two when the host opens the door and they will give you back two when you leave. Orange in Chinese is “Ju”, which sounds similar with “Ji”. “Ji” means luck in Chinese. Two oranges mean double luck. Singaporeans exchange their best wishes to each other with two oranges instead of any expensive gifts.
South Korea
Don’t refuse food or drinks. Koreans like to receive guests with coffee, tea or non-alcohol drinks and guests must accept. When you are invited for a meal, the host will serve you more than once. If there’s no more rice in the pot, they might even take rice from their own plate and put in yours. The more you eat, the happier your host will be. Never refuse food or drinks from your host. If you are full or don’t want any more, it’s even more polite to leave some food in your plate.
Don’t enter the kitchen for if you are a male. Koreans are still very traditional in this case, thinking that women are inferior to men. Men would go first when entering the door and women are obliged to serve their husbands in public or at home. People take it as a dishonor to see men entering the kitchen. If you are a foreign woman married to a Korean man, don’t let your husband enter the kitchen to serve you in front of your mother-in-law, otherwise you’ll be in trouble. Please, note that some of these traditions are slowly changing.
Do wait for others to pour drinks for you. If you pour and drink on your own, people would think you are depressed. It is considered as politeness to pour drinks for each other at the table. Normally you pour drinks to your own glass, give it to your friend, your friend drinks it, pour another one for you, and then you take it back and drink. Married women can only pour drinks for her husband and herself.
Do remove your shoes before entering your host’s house. Koreans stay a lot on the floor for eating and sleeping. It will be extremely impolite if you walk in with your shoes and dirty their floor. Make sure to wear clean socks without any holes in them. Many restaurants would also require the same.
China
Don’t stick your chopsticks in the food. Sticking chopsticks in the food, especially a bowl of rice, is considered as an extremely impolite behavior in China, as well as some other Asian countries like Singapore and South Korea. Chinese like to burn incense to pray for God or mourn the dead. Therefore chopsticks in the middle of the rice bowl would look like the incense for dead people, which will bring bad fortune to the people doing this.
Don’t cut your hair in Lunar Calendar’s January. In North China, if you cut your hair in the month of January under the Lunar Calendar, people would think that misfortune, and most likely death, will happen to your uncle (mother’s brother). This goes back to Qing Dynasty when people were forced to have a special haircut. People from Ming Dynasty tried to fight against it but they failed. To keep hair in January became a way in memory of Ming Dynasty. To remember the past is called “Si Jiu” in Chinese, which shares the same sound as “dead uncle”. This is some kind of blind belief that lasted over three hundred years.
Don’t wear green hats. When the wife cheats on the husband, people say she makes him wear a greet hat. There are legend stories connecting green hat with wife’s infidelity, even prostitution. If you don’t want to be laughed at on the street, don’t wear a green hat.
Do prepare a lot of “Hong Bao” for big events such as weddings and Chinese New Year. Chinese have a heavy tradition of gifting. When someone does a favor to them, they return double. On weddings, every guest will leave a Hong Bao at the reception. The amount of money inside can vary from 100 to 1000RMB, or much more, depending on how close you are with the receiver. On Chinese New Year, the elder people will give Hong Bao to young children and babies. Other events include the celebration for births of babies, birthdays of the olds, teenagers going to universities, and most happy events.
Do insist to treat and pay the bill, even if people decline a few times. Chinese don’t like to share bills between friends or family. People would always offer to treat after going for a meal with them. You can accept for a few times but make sure to return the favor next time. Very often your offer would be declined, but please insist strongly and pay the bill, they will be happy to see you understand the tradition.
Vietnam
Don’t eat dog, duck, squid or shrimp in early January according to the Lunar Calendar. Dog meat is very popular in Vietnam. However, it is considered as unlucky to eat it during the Vietnamese New Year. The black color of the meat or the homophonic meanings in the names are the reasons for this phenomenon. Don’t ask the locals to go try dog meat with you during this time of the year. It will make them feel very uncomfortable.
Don’t rush people when they take too much time. Vietnamese don’t like to be rushed. They take their time to do things. Sometimes you would have to wait for a while before you get your food in a restaurant. This also works for business. Make sure to take your time talking about irrelevant things such as the weather or your personal matters, before you seriously get down to business. Vietnamese are famous for not being punctual so keep calm when they break their promises.
Do avoid any physical contact that is too intimate between lovers. Holding hands is common in public, but kissing is not. About ten years ago, Vietnamese people thought kissing was very sacred and private, which should not be seen in public. It is still very new and inappropriate to kiss on the street nowadays.
Do ask permission before taking someone’s photograph, especially military related. Many ethnic groups believe that taking a photograph of them will take away their soul, like some tribes in Africa and some Native Americans. Some Vietnamese are happy in front of cameras but it is always more polite to ask for permission before you take the picture. Do not insist or try to offer money if you are rejected. Just accept it and go. Otherwise some locals may find you rude and get really upset.
Have you experienced any of these traditions?
—-Lizzy Ren
Netflix is the movie lovers’ paradise because they can find the best of the best. In this article we talk about the best 15 Asian movies on Netflix.
- Fist of legend:
The movie takes place before the outbreak of World War 2 as the Japanese troops threaten the existence of one of the masters of martial arts in Shanghai.
- The Beauty Inside:
This Korean movie is the remake of an American film that bears the same name. The movie is a romantic comedy that talks about a man who wakes up in a different body with a different life every single day. The only thing that doesn’t change is the girl he loves.
- Internal Affairs:
This Chinese masterpiece actually inspired “The Departed” by Scorsese. The story is about a police officer who goes undercover in order to become a part of a gang. At the same time, a gangster joins the forces in order to know their secrets. If this sounds familiar then you might want to watch the original piece.
- Nobody Knows:
This Japanese heart wrenching tale is made more tragic because it is based on a true story. It tells the story of a 12 year old boy who is forced to care for his 3 younger siblings when their mother chooses to abandon them. It tells the story of feelings and hardships as the boy grows up before his time.
- House of Flying Daggers:
This Chinese movie marked the entrance of China to the world of Academy Awards by being nominated for the award of best cinematography. The story revolves around 2 policemen who try to find the secret behind a gang with the help of an exceptional blind dancer who masters martial arts. The motion on the screen can be a mixture of dancing and fighting but is exceptionally beautiful to watch.
- The Host:
Due to the dumping of toxic waste, a large mutant amphibian appears in the Han River of Seoul. It kidnaps a little girl and the whole city goes into chaos as her father starts to look for her. He goes on a quest to find where the monster hides with the authorities trying keep him away.
- Moebius:
This is a dark and disturbing movie that was first banned in Korea then was accepted later on. It mainly talks about the desires of a father and how they affect his son who follows his footsteps. The film doesn’t involve much dialogue but is still one of the darkest productions out there.
- Rigor Mortis:
The movie is really scary as it follows the life of a depressed actor who suffers after his wife leaves him. He decides to hang himself only to be greeted by 2 ghosts who try to possess his body and a vampire who competes for his soul.
- The Housemaid:
This classical triangle has more than what the name implies when a man has an affair with the housemaid not knowing that his wife knows of the affair. While the maid tries to maintain her name and reputation, the wife seems to know more than what she tells.
- The Five venoms:
The movie tells the secrets of the world of Kung Fu when a dying Kung Fu master sends his student on a quest to find 5 of his late students to know which one of them has forgotten about the rules of Kung Fu and has gone evil. The movie is especially popular with martial art lovers who know that nothing beats Asian Kung Fu.
- The Midnight after:
The movie is a real intellectual horrifying experience for movie lovers who like to experience something of the extraordinary. It talks about a minibus that is full of passengers and arrives at a new dimension where a strange virus infects everybody in the city.
- The phantom of the theatre:
The movie is set in the glorifying 1930s of China where everything was elegant and mystical. It tells the story of trapped souls that perished after a fire that took place 13 years ago in a theatre and currently waiting to haunt more victims when the new show opens.
- Miss Granny:
This comedy movie has been a success since its release and this is why it is so popular on Netflix. The movie tells the story of an old grandmother who has pushed her family away with her bad attitude but one day she has her photograph taken to realize that she has returned to her 20 year old body.
- Miao Miao:
This romantic movie tells the story of a young student who develops an attraction for another colleague and the funny situations that arise from this new found romance.
- The Divine move:
Asian movies are all about honour and revenge and this movie says this best. After being wrongfully imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit, a Go player joins forces with a Go master in order to seek revenge.
—-A. Licia
Produce 101 is back with Season 2! If Season 1 was all about forming a girl group, Season 2 is all about a male idol group. Looking back to Season 1, so many were against Mnet running another audition show (former shows: Unpretty Rapstar, Show Me the Money, The Voice of Korea, Superstar K, etc.). Although some of these shows had some successful seasons in the past, as the seasons continued they received less popularity. To the fans, Mnet is known for their editing skills, meaning they only focus on those who bring drama/interest to the show. Lack of talent won’t stop them from airing those individuals, as long as they can bring the attention from the viewers, especially those that are receiving hate or respect. This especially became an issue for Produce 101 Season 1, as one of the members named Kim Sohye remained in the top positions for votes. She was the only member from F group to debut as I.O.I and there is still a lot of controversy today as to why she was the one to debut. During the show, Mnet spent majority of the episodes only focusing on very few members, and that included Sohye. The reason why it became such a big issue was because she was taking other members spotlight. There were plenty of other girls who had what it takes, but they were no where to be found in the episodes. Sohye improved magnificently as the show got closer to the end proving she is capable of becoming an idol but some still say she should not have been the one.
Who knew there would be another season of Produce 101? Let’s just all agree that Season 2 can never be as good as Season 1 unless some miracle happens, and that was why most were raising eyebrows at Season 2 of the show. Only 2 episodes have aired, and yet people are already beginning to change their minds. Just like how they never thought of watching Season 1, but began to love it as it went on, that is exactly what’s happening for Season 2. People seem to have a much higher expectation for this season, which is why many were disappointed. They imagined more talent and competition because it is an all male competition. After watching the first two episodes myself, I am also one of those disappointed people. Not only were many lacking talent, but they had no desire to win. To those who have watched the episodes can all agree that there is less talent in Season 2 than 1. It almost feels as if Mnet rushed into finding trainees that they didn’t even care about what they show to the viewers. Current idol groups even came on the show but most of the members did not even show ambition towards winning. Those who actually had talent were barely shown. Now, it has only been two episodes so we cannot judge too soon, but this is how things are going. Hopefully it will get better as the episodes continue! If you don’t want to miss out, make sure to watch Season 2 every Friday night.
—-Juyeon Oh
We at Kcrush enjoy introducing you to products and services that help you to get to know Korea even better, especially in the world of music and beauty! This is why we’re excited to introduce you to Inspire Me Korea, a subscription service shipping adorable gift boxes filled with Korean goodies to people who enjoy Korean culture or just want a taste of what South Korea has to offer. Based on our experience, each box is carefully put together, from the presentation to the monthly themes and hand selected goodies! We definitely feel the love and passion that goes into creating each box shipped across the globe. After having a chance to review one of their fabulous box options, we can honestly say Inspire Me Korea will bring joy to anyone who subscribes to the service.
First Impressions
The package comes in an aesthetically-pleasing box, we love the calming colour palette, the crisp white and blue hues and minimalist design is very attractive and makes us excited for what is inside! The packaging is sturdy with a flip-lid that gives the box a keepsake feel. The box itself is worth saving for gift-giving or even to store items, keepsakes, or crafts – it’s too nice to throw away.
Let’s Open the Box!
Inspire Me Korea neatly packages the box contents. Everything arrived in great condition, so there’s a lot of love and care put into the packaging to ensure safe arrival. I like how the packaging makes everything inside feel more special, like it came from a small, artsy boutique. I’m a fan of aesthetics, so the packaging and protection pleased me greatly. The contents lie nestled in tissue paper with their branded stickers sealing the contents. I received the K-Pop Box which contained the following goodies:
- An EXO Pepero box (Cookie flavored: My favorite!)
- Inspire Me Korea monthlymagazine
- One cookie rice cake (addicting!)
- A strawberry snack pie
- Secom Dalcom peach candies
- A “K-Pop is Life” shirt (in size medium)
- One rose Nature Republic face mask*
For around $17 USD (£13.99), you’re getting a neat package that gives subscribers an immersive and all rounded experience of Korea through its variety of products. The high quality t-shirt itself makes up the cost here, so the box is a nice deal.
The Products
While everything received in the box was lovely, my favorite item is the monthly magazine. The magazine is printed on nice, high-quality paper and packs a punch despite its stature. The articles published in it are informative and fun, highlighting different aspects of Korea related to the theme of the month. My favorite part of the magazine is the section that provides Korean language basics like the Hangul alphabet and pronunciation guide and useful sayings. Since this is the K-Pop box, the language in this issue was geared toward the K-Pop crowd, but the section is useful nonetheless. The magazines are worth collecting!
My second favorite items are the rice cake and snack pie. After having both and sharing with my niece, we immediately went on a search for more because they are totally addictive and delicious. The strawberry pie has a rich strawberry and chocolate flavor that almost heavenly, while the rice cake has a delightful sweetness.
The Secom Dalcom peach candies are tangy, sweet and refreshing! A great candy for on the go, or travelling. While they are good, for those with capped teeth, they’re not as fun to chew. The flavor does pack a punch and tastes refreshingly peachy, so they are worth a little inconvenience.
The Pepero is a must-have in any sort of gift item like this. Pepero is a well-known, signature snack that always brings a sense of excitement. What’s nice is that the Pepero received arrived fresh with a nice crisp cookie and tasty coating. Sometimes, ordering Pepero abroad means long waits and no freshness guarantee, so it’s nice to receive a product that is fresh.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to use the rose mask due to allergies (I’m allergic to certain flowers, cucumbers, and melons), but it is a nice token in box to introduce someone to Korean skincare. Sheet masks are fantastic because they are user-friendly, even for beginners. The refreshing qualities they have do wake up tired skin and make for glowing skin. The mask is an excellent beauty item that was included.
Finally, the “K-Pop is Life” t-shirt is made from a 100% cotton, it’s lightweight and breathable. The bright white is crisp and makes the black slogan pop and it definitely speaks out to many Kpop fans!
Overall
The Inspire Me Korea box is a box of fun! It has a nice introductory mix of products that will give subscribers a taste of the different products Korea offers. The price is an attractive point – such a wide variety for a reasonable price, so subscribing won’t break the bank. Besides the products, the overall presentation is attractive and will make the goodies feel even more special. For this reason, the Inspire Me Korea box would make an excellent gift! With the offerings, presentation, and overall value considered, the box earns a 4/5 with the deduction being the shirt size as it isn’t inclusive to different body types. However, this is a small issue as the overall value and product lineup makes up for any flaws.
Buy the March KPOP Box here while supplies last!
And if you enjoy Korean cuisine, grab their April COOKING Box today!
Subscribe and get more boxes delivered to your door monthly, such as May’s MOTIVATION Box and more. You can find Inspire Me Korea subscriptions on their website. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
—-Joelle Halon