`Texas has been a steadily growing market for KPOP music, with many acts visiting Dallas on tours. That being said, it was only a matter of time before Houston received some of the KPOP love and 12 member boy group Topp Dogg was happy to spread it for the cityâs first showcase, the first in a series of three US shows.
Fans began lining up outside Bayou Music Center in downtown Houston well before the door opened at 6:30. You could definitely feel the excitement in the air, with fans displaying handmade banners and signs to photographers. Several fans also prepared for a flashmob, dancing to some of Topp Doggâs more popular songs. An actual line was formed around 5:45, however the setting sun and dropping temperature did not damper anyoneâs spirits.
Once inside, the seating filled up quickly, with most of the available seats filled. The show started with a short video, followed by Topp Dogg running out to their newest song, Annie. This cute 90âs throwback song was filled with lots of quick movements and energy from the boys. From there, they introduced themselves as a group and then individually, expressing their excitement of being in America for the first time.
The rest of the night was filled with fun and games with some fans getting to go on stage and play with the boys themselves. The members hand-picked fans for the onstage game, charades. The set list included solo songs from members Jenissi and Kidoh, who recently released his first solo ep. The dancers of the group also got to display their talents in a cover of Talk Dirty by Jason Derulo, featuring vocals from leader P-Goon and rapper A-tom.
After the show fans with VIP seating were treated to a poster signing and/or a hi-touch. Each of the boys tried their best to personalize the experience for each fan, despite the language barrier.
Even if you are not a fan of Topp Dogg, this showcase is still important for the future of Kpop in the Houston area. The willingness of an audience to show up for a group in a different city shows promoters that there is a demand to be met. However, after attending  this showcase it would hard to not be a fan of Topp Dogg. Topp Dogg promised they would come back soon and from the response of the crowd, they would be welcomed back with open arms.
Photos: B. Tse Photography
Sponsor: Jazzy Group
— Ke’Anna Bullard
—–Joelle Halon
JJCC â pronounced as J-J-C-C, is the first K-pop group formed under the management of the worldâs superstar, Jackie Chan. For many years, Jackie Chan has been a fan of Korean pop music, so Chan took up the challenge to launch a project for a K-pop band that will become the next big, successful group in Asia and the rest of the world.
As to the name of the group, the âJ. Câ comes from the initials of Jackie Chan and the second part of âJ. Câ refers to âJoint culturesâ “Jackie Chan Joins Cultures” when translated.
Before JJCCâs five members made their debut to the K-pop scene because the group was owned by Jackie Chan, that alone undeniably drew huge interest from the press and Jackie Chanâs fans around the globe.
The five members go by the names, Simba, E. Co, Eddy, San-Cheong and Prince Mak. Prince Mak was the last member added to the group. JJCCâs three members Simba, E. Co and San-Cheong are Korean who grew up in different regions in Korea.
Simba is the leader of JJCC, who is known for his athletic ability. He was featured on the sports variety show, âThe Dream Teamâ for several episodes winning and holding new records for his team. Simba and E. Co were former models prior to joining the group.
E.Co is the oldest member, he is also the most seemingly responsible and calm (?) member of the group whose interest is in fashion design. He has his stage name as E. Co which comes from shortened form of the word, âPsycho (???)âŚâ
The main vocal, Eddy is a Korean-American from California, who has known Jackie Chan for the longest, training under him for about 8 years; learning stunts and various martial arts and acting. He is also an able chef, he has been featured on the reality TV culinary contest, MasterChef Korea before JJCC hit their debut.
Prince Mak is a Chinese-Australian who was born and raised in Sydney. He formerly worked as a dance trainer and came to Korea when he was selected as the last JJCC member.
San-Cheong is the youngest member, a.k.a the âMaknaeâ of JJCC. His major is in acting and he is also trained to compose and produce songs.
JJCC members all received individual training on singing, dancing, rapping, composing and stunts for several years. Their dance skills include B-boying and ballet.
JJCC made their debut on March 14th, 2014, on M! Countdown with their debut single, âAt Firstâ, which was released ten days later on March 24th 2014 along with its music video.
The second single â(One Way) Bing Bing Bingâ with its catchy electronic tune is very different to their debut single and was released soon after.
Most of JJCCâs songs are composed and produced by Dubleside Kick, the song-writing team is known for being responsible for producing countless hits in the K-pop industry.
Last yearâs Christmas, our photographer Ryu and I headed for the Coex Convention and Exhibition Center in Gangnam to watch JJCC and other performances from various acts, a Christmas event held by the SBS Awards Festival. JJCC were to be on stage around noon, to perform their first two singles, âAt Firstâ and âBing Bing Bingâ and one of their tracks from their 1st mini album entitled, âBe Goodâ – JJCC also sang a cover version of Tamiaâs âOfficially Missing Youâ which the members made it unique by rapping their own lyrics for the verses in Korean.
JJCC is definitely the group to look out for this year, as a group they have the potential to make it very big. JJCCâs performances are near to perfect and even with intricate choreography that requires a lot of technique; they can pull off a very high standard and praiseworthy live performances for their fans. Their latest single, âFireâ gained a lot of interest when the music video was released on Youtube and the JJCCâs international fan base is growing at a vast speed.
We were able to get an interview from JJCC and this was actually one of the first interviews we at Kcrush were seeking to attain, since the time we launched our magazine.
Hope our Kcrush readers would enjoy reading this interview and we would like to thank JJCC for offering their time and wish them the best for 2015.
Simba
E. Co
Eddy
Prince Mak
San Cheong
Interview with the Asiaâs next big K-pop group: JJCC
*Would you kindly introduce yourselves to our Kcrush readers, let us know about your hobbies, hidden talents and position/role in the group.
Simba: Hello, K-Crush readers! I am Simba, the leader of JJCC. Iâm interested in Djing and I drive around a lot too as if I am the road manager for JJCC, lol.
E. Co: Hello, Iâm JJCCâs rapper E. Co and Iâm interested in fashion design. I am practically the mother and grandmother for the rest of the JJCC members.
Prince Mak: Hello K-Crushians! Iâm Prince Mak and I am in charge of dancing and vocals for JJCC. My talents are dancing, playing the guitar, piano, bass, drums and beat-boxing. I think I now have an ultimate hobby, which is eating. (It used to be dancing, yes…)
Eddy: Hey Kcrush readers! My name is Eddy and I am the lead vocalist of JJCC.
My talents are stunts, action, scuba diving, cooking, repelling, horse-back riding, swimming and singing – all sports except for soccer.
My hobbies are fishing, writing rap lyrics, watching movies, listening to music, cooking and finding good places/restaurants to eat.
San-Cheong: Hello, Iâm San Cheong and Iâm the Maknae (??: The youngest member) of the group and its sub vocalist. My major is acting so Iâm very interested in acting as well.
*What do you most like about being in the group, JJCC? Tell us about your group and the assets JJCC has as a group.
Simba: The fact that we are always trying hard to be bright towards our fans is our asset.
E. Co: Each JJCC member has different character so we are able to show a lot of variety.
Prince Mak: We like to have fun and we all share the same dream. But the best thing has to be the staff here, seriously we wonât find better people than these. <3
Eddy: The JJCC members are practically like brothers, I feel that we are not just band members but like a real family, so our connection I feel is the best.
Also, we are from LA, Australia, Busan, Daegu, Suwon…Worldwide!!!
San-Cheong: First, we are a global team and our members all have really good personalities.
*Does Jackie Chan give out a lot of advice and direction for the group?
Simba: He teaches us ways to preserve the nature, save water and how to classify the rubbish before disposing them.
E. Co: Yeah, he gives us a lot of advice. He always tells us that in order to be the best we have to try our best.
Prince Mak: Because I was the only Non-Korean member in the group, Jackie Chan told me I had to work extra hard in order to survive in this industry. I will always remember the words he told me.
Eddy: Yes, Jackie gives us advice and tells us to sing with our hearts and not fake it.
He always tells us if we really sing from the heart we will be loved by everyone all around the world. He also told us to live today like itâs your last day and that hard work never betray you.
San-Cheong: He gives a lot of advice, but most of all we can learn more from his actions when he is present with us.
*Your live performances are outstanding, are you currently getting used to hearing all the chants and screaming from your fans?
Simba: Even now, itâs funny when our fans chant our names… Simba, Eco, Eddy, San-Cheong, Prince Mak before the start of our song, âBing Bing Bing.â
E. Co: Itâs still quite awkward and we are really grateful that there are people who like and support us.
Prince Mak: I don’t know if I will ever get used to it. However, every time I hear the fans scream it just gives me more and more energy. If fans are happy then we are happy. We will keep working hard to make our live performances even better!
Eddy: I still think I need to work on my live performances but thank you. I still canât get used to the screams and cheering, at times because of the screams and chants I almost get my notes or dancing wrong.
San-Cheong: In the beginning, I was trying to focus on the performance and didnât really hear the cheers from the fans but the performances get more enjoyable now that I can listen to the chanting from the fans.
*What kind of person is your ideal? Can you briefly describe your ideal person?
Simba: I like girls who are petite.
E. Co: I just know when I like someone.
Prince Mak: Mature but can pull off being cute too. Someone who is able to take care of other people, she needs to be smart but not smarter than myself perhaps. Thank you.
Eddy: My ideal type of girl is a very healthy and athletic girl. Someone who is tall who has a very outgoing and cute personality.
San-Cheong: I like long-haired girls who are pretty when they smile.
*Do you guys get into a fight or an argument often? Which member is the peacemaker of the group?
Simba: We often have arguments but we always make up right afterwards then later laugh about it.
E. Co: There are times when we get into arguments but since we just make up right on the spot we donât leave any bad or negative feelings for one another.
Prince Mak: Sometimes. But we all love each other.
Eddy: Of course we get into fights about dancing, singing, chores but it never goes on for long. I think every member is the peacemaker in our group.
San Cheong: We have different opinions but since we all have cool personalities, so we donât ever hold back any hard feelings or anything like that.
*What kind of music do you enjoy listening to? Could you name some songs or artists you like?
Simba: I like to listen to Chris Brownâs songs.
E. Co: I like to listen to Hyoshin Parkâs song âWildflowerâ and Jinseob Byunâs records.
Prince Mak: All kinds of music. I can listen to anything and enjoy anything that is good. Michael Jacksonâs every single song.
Eddy: Iâm more into Hip Hop, R&B and Ballad. My Favorite songs are âTalking To The Moonâ and âWhen I Was Your Manâ by Bruno Mars and also âUnconditional Loveâ and âTo Live and Die in L. A.â by 2pac. I also love the song, âThings I Want To Say by Taewoo Kim âI Love Youâ by Johan Kim.
San-Cheong: I like all kinds of genres of music. Will.i.am, Drake, Lil Wayne are some of the artists that I like.
*What do you guys like to do in your spare time? Do you have favorite movies or books you would recommend to your fans?
Simba: I would like to recommend âBegin Againâ
E. Co: Since we tour around a lot, I donât get to read much or watch any movies, so I would like to be the one to get recommendation actually.
Prince Mak: I like all superhero movies. I can re-watch them countless times. The last time I read a book was when I was still in school. Now I read scripts. I prefer to read the current news and know whatâs happening in the world.
Eddy: I like to watch movies and drink coffee at cafes. My favorite movies are all the Fast and the Furious movies and the Patriot. Books, my favorites are Twilight and Harry Potter books.
San-Cheong: I usually like to enjoy watching films, listen to music and read novels. I would recommend you to watch the movie, âThe Great Gatsby.â
*You keep a lot of pets, which member do you think is the most âlikedâ by the pets you have and could you introduce your favorite pet?
Simba: The dogs love me the most and the cats like brother E. Co. I love all kind of dogs.
E. Co: Simba seems to be the most popular member for the dogs, while the cats are my fans. The favorite cat I like the most is named, âAssi.â
Prince Mak– Nari is the greatest and the cutest cat ever. I love you Nari!
Eddy: I think that each member has a favorite pet and each of our pets has a favorite member. For me it is my daughter, Odi!!
San-Cheong: I prefer to look on rather than to take care and keep pets. Sanny (??) is my one and only favorite pet.
*What is your favorite kind of food? Which JJCC member is the one that likes to eat the most? Are there any members who are great chefs?
Simba: I like to eat chocolates and the food god in the band I should have to say is brother E. Co.
E. Co: I normally tend to eat any kind of food and I think I eat the most in the band.
Prince Mak: Korean fried chicken, Japanese ramen, Vietnamese pho, cooked vegetables, eggs, cooked seafood – pretty much anything when Iâm hungry. E. Co eats the most and doesn’t get fat. Eddy is the best cook.
Eddy: My favorite foods are Mexican, Japanese, and Italian. The person who eats the most is E. co and the best cook in the group is myself and Simba.
San-Cheong: I am really into meat. Extremely.
*If you could spend a whole day with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
Simba: My older sister.
E. Co: I miss my parents.
Prince Mak: My family.
Eddy: If I can I want to spend the whole day with 2pac because itâs because of him I started to listen to music and he has been a big influence in my life.
San-Cheong: With my family members.
*Do you contact your family often? Who do you miss the most during your activities?
Simba: I contact my parents frequently. I miss my mother.
E. Co: We donât use mobiles during our activities; which is right now so I was not able to contact my parents as often as Iâd like to but I would love to meet them soon.
Prince Mak: Only with my mum, I wish my dad will contact me more and also my sister. She is too busy with her BOYFRIEND!
Eddy: Yes, I keep in contact with my family a lot and donât miss them that much because they live five minutes away from our dormitory so I run into them every few days. But of course, I do miss spending quality time with my family and also my dad, mom and sisterâs cooking- and just being with them.
San-Cheong: I really miss my family especially my mother.
*What was the most memorable thing or incident about 2014 for JJCC?
Simba: Itâs a pity that the year of our debut, the year of 2014 has already gone by so quickly.
E. Co: The fact that we as members of JJCC debuted as a band in 2014, our debut stays in my memory the most.
Prince Mak: Jackie Chanâs birthday charity concert. Seeing Jackie Chanâs love for the world and the people around him.
Eddy: I would have to say the most memorable moment was when we got the âRookie of the Yearâ award. The reason for this is because we can only receive this award once, so that award was a huge thing for us.
San-Cheong: Well, it has to be our debut that stays in my memory the most which we were dreaming and working for a long time.
*What are your personal plans or hopes for the group for 2015? Do you have any new yearâs resolution?
Simba: To become No.1 on the top music charts.
E. Co: We want our JJCC single to become hit the top of the music charts and we also want to perform at the Awards shows at the end of the year.
Prince Mak: To win the âBest artist of the yearâ award. To become healthier, grow taller. To spend more time with family and able to do what I like to do.
Eddy: For 2015, we hope that JJCC can win the best Album/Best Song/Best Performance Awards and do concerts all around the world. Hopefully for myself, I wish I can release a solo song and also come out in TV dramas, commercials and movies. My new yearâs resolution is never to change, remain and humble continue to do my best!
San-Cheong: We want to hit the top of the music charts and make JJCC gain more audiences, we will work extremely harder than last year.
*Can you wrap this interview by saying something nice to all the JJCC fans around in the world?
Simba: Although we are miles apart our thoughts and hearts are with our fans, the Keys!
E. Co: Hello, thank you for our fan base, the Keys for their love and support. Even though we were not able to meet you all yet, we will do our best to showcase our single to our fans as soon as possible.
Prince Mak: I really miss my family a lot, I always think about them and want to be with them but it is the fans who give me the strength to keep fighting on.
Now, I actually feel that I will always have another family by my side; called the Keys.
Eddy: 2015 I hope everyone a healthy and good year and hope you enjoy our comeback! ~Love you guys!~
San-Cheong: Hello, Keys!! The presents and letters you send us are a great encouragement to us. Thereâs still so much to show to our fans, so please stay with us. We hope everything good is filled for 2015 for you all. We love you!
Thank very much for taking the time out for this interview, we wish only the best for all the activities you do and overall, we hope that you get all the success that you deserve for 2015.
—-J. Chung
Ye Ryu photo credits
1. Sekai no Owari
Image: http://girlschannel.net/topics/227411/
They are a Japanese rock band coming into fashion in 2015, which consists of 4 members: Satoshi Fukase, Saori Fujisaki, Shinichi Nakajima, and DJ Love.
Sekai no Owari (End of the World) was named by Satoshi Fukase, vocalist right after he experienced a hard time. “Once you’ve experienced the bottom, you have to find a way to go up. So I named my band End of the World to create the strength through the music.”
In October 2014, they collaborated with Owl City on a new song, ‘Tokyo’.
2. Miwa
Image: http://ticketcamp.net/live-blog/miwa-guitar/
She started writing songs at 15 and playing the guitar after she entered high school. After buying a Gibson J-45 guitar with the savings from her part-time jobs, she began to play live concerts mostly in Tokyo. She debuted as a singer in 2010, while attending Keio University.
One of her best songs is âDonât cry anymoreâ. In this song, she expresses her mixed feelings. âIâm not that strong and, there are times when I just seem to breakâ. âI donât cry anymore. I donât cry anymoreâ.
3. Sakanaction
Image: http://www.jpopasia.com/group/sakanakushon/
Sakanaktion is a band consisting of five members: Ichir? Yamaguchi, Ami Kusakari, Keiichi Ejima, Motoharu Iwadera, and Emi Okazaki. They created their name Sakanaction linking two words, sakana(fish) + action hoping to act swiftly like a fish in the ocean without fearing changes in the music scene. Their hard-to-categorize songs are mixture of electronic pop and alternative rock.
Sakanaction first attracted attention at the 2006 Rising Sun Rock Festival. Since then theyâve been releasing a bunch of brilliant songs including Bach no Senritsu o Yoru ni Kiita Sei Desu (Because of Listening to Bach’s Melodies at Night) whose music video caught a great deal of attention by the innovative idea that features four life-sized replica dolls of the main singer Ichir? Yamaguchi.
4. JUJU
Image: http://ameblo.jp/jujunyc/
She is a Japanese jazz singer from Hiroshima Prefecture. At the age of 18, she left Japan for the US alone hoping to be a great jazz singer. While residing in New York, she was under a spell of the “New York sound,” including jazz, R&B, soul, Latin music and so on. In 2004, she finally debuted with her first single Hikaro no Naka e.
Though a jazz singer, she also releases lots of songs rather categorized as Japanese pop music. Her most popular songs include Ashita Ga Kurunara feat. JAYâED(2009), Mata Ashita…(2011), Kono Yoru o Tomete yo(2010).
5. Mr. Children
Image: http://ticketcamp.net/live-blog/mrchildren-live-movie-ranking/
Mr.Children, commonly referred to by their nickname Misu-Chiru, is a pop rock band formed in 1988 by Kazutoshi Sakurai , Kenichi Tahara, Keisuke Nakagawa, and Hideya Suzuki. As a group, they are, without a doubt one of the most successful Japanese artists. They held the record for the highest first week sales of a single in Japan for 15 years.
Their best songs include Namonaki Uta(1996), Sign(2004), Dakishimetai(1992), and Innocent World(1994), and their latest masterpiece, Ashioto ~ Be Strong, was released in November 2014.
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Shunya OhiraÂ
He is an open-minded travel enthusiast who has traveled more than 50 countries mainly in Africa and Europe. He runs his website in cool places around the world. http://www.yoso-walk.net/
Music trends shift often from decade-to-decade, and thatâs what makes the music world fun. For example, twenty years ago, who would have predicted that J-Pop and K-Pop would have gained worldwide popularity?
J-Popâs popularity stood alone for about a decade before K-Pop rose to the top. K-Popâs hold on audiences is now coming close to the decade markâsince many consider 2008 and beyond Hallyuâs Golden Eraâwhich could indicate another genre may be waiting in the wings. Many think C-Pop could be waiting to take the throne, but China is still somewhat closed off to Western audiences.
Enter the surprise front-runner for a music revolution: Kazakhstan!
Predominately Muslim and Christian and home to nearly 18 million people and over 100 different ethnic groups, Kazakhstan is rich in history and considered a secular nation. With so many people from different backgrounds, Kazakhstanâs music scene has a unique flavor that makes it appealing without losing the pop sound that could make it the next music wave. Their artists already have the vocal chops and style to gain popularity outside Kazakhstan. Besides this reason, here are nine others to consider for why Kazakh pop should be on the radar for a new wave!
1) Nectar/ Courtesy of PLG Music
- One group already signed with an American label. Nectar, formerly known as LeLOO, signed with PLG Music in September 2014. PLG signed them because of their high music quality, indicating the impact Kazakh Pop can have. The company plans for Nectar to release two albums for the American and European markets in 2015. If they do so, they will be among the first from Kazakhstan to break into the Western market, opening the doors for others to do the same while audiences get acquainted with Kazakh sound.
8. For those who love visuals, Kazakh artists have a lot to offer. Face it, appearance plays a large role in determining if a group or singer earns a large audience. The artists that make up many of Kazakhstanâs music groups have natural beauty to go along with their amazing vocals. If beauty is important to you, then you wonât be disappointed. Also, if youâre looking for beauty of a different sort, MVs have amazing visuals of Kazakhstanâs countryside that shouldnât be missed!
7. There is a large variety of artists and genres at your disposal. A lot of people stereotype Asian Wave artists as young, cute, and oozing with Bubblegum Pop charm. This isnât the case in all instances, and thatâs true of Kazakh pop too. Besides younger groups, older artists and even the folk scene have a chance to make waves. Throw in a strong rap scene, beautiful ballads, and smooth R&B, you have a world of possibility to please even the pickiest music connoisseur.
6. Gakku TV focuses solely on Kazakh music and their artists. From the more internationally known groups down to the smaller local artists, Kazakhstan believes in their music artists, thus the creation of Gakku TV. The idea behind the station is to get youths into Kazahk music and âlevel the playing field with foreign [artists]â according to Babur Dombay, reporter with the Astana Times. This belief in their artists will go a long way if Kazakh Pop reaches international shores
5. Some techniques K-Pop and J-Pop use to gain international audiences are used in Kazakh Pop to some degree. For example, some artists like RinâGo will incorporate English into their music to add appeal for English-speaking audiences. If audiences hear something familiar, theyâre more likely to give music a shot, sing along, and possibly listen to other artists.
Additionally, the formula of singing-rapping-singing is used for some groups. If youâre used to this formula in K-Pop, youâll easily find your footing in the land of Kazakh pop.
4. Different ethnic groups represent the ever-growing music scene. Unlike K-Pop, J-Pop, or C-Pop where audiences expect to see only Koreans, Japanese, or Chinese artists dominate, Kazakhstan has so many different ethnic groups, itâs not surprising to see people from different races or religious backgrounds in a group together. Kazakhstan is leading the way in showing how different backgrounds can come together for a common interest. Itâs inspiring to see.
2) Kesh You
3. Parts of Asia and Europe already spread and share the music. Kazakh Pop has already gained popularity in Russia, Japan, China, and parts of Europe. Music stations both on the radio and online focus on Kazakhstanâs thriving music scene. With this, artists from Asia, Europe, and U.S. have fan bases in Kazakhstan, so the stage is set for collaborations in the future to help home-grown artists spread their wings
2. Kazakh Pop has a familiar sound. While it has traditional flair, many may enjoy familiar elements since the music has some 1980s and 1990s Western pop sound. For example, Kesh Youâs â????? ???????â contains some of Michael Jacksonâs soul while staying unique and memorable. Other artists, too, recall different time periods, making old new again.
3) Indigo “????? ?????” MV (2011)
1. Tradition and modern sound make Kazakh Pop âpop.â MVs from artists like Kesh You, Indigo, and FM fuse images from different ethnic traditions to give viewers a look into Kazakhstanâs unique culture. All the while, instrumentals have some Western influence while remaining true to traditional instruments like the Dombra and Russia and the Middle Eastern beats. This is the main reason Kazakh Pop stands to be the new wave: It doesnât shy away from its roots! The heart of Kazakhstanâs people can be felt in the music, and thatâs something that seems to be lost in many different genres today.
The biggest worry is if too much Western influence will negatively impact the musicâs integrity to where it loses its unique aspects. Hopefully, this wonât be the case if the music comes to our shores. If Kazakh Pop becomes the new wave, itâll be fun to see where it goes!
—- Joelle Halon
In late January, will.i.am and CL hinted at a collaboration via Twitter. This led 2NE1 and Black-Eyed Peas (BEP) fans to speculate that CL will be filling in for Fergie on BEPâs 20th anniversary album. If true, this is another step Asia will take toward further international recognition. In honor of the potential collaboration, letâs look back at other East-meets-West collaborations over the years to celebrate (Snoop Dogg and PSY need not apply this time)!
Pixie Lott ft. T.O.P and G-Dragon âDancing on My Ownâ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DDpo7qQQDI
YG artists tend to lead the charge with collaborations with Western artists. The 24-year-old British singer collaborated with Big Bangâs T.O.P and G-Dragon on âDancing on My Ownâ in 2011. T.O.P and GD sing and rap in English, and they sound amazing! Sadly, this song is fairly obscure and few fans actually know about it. âDancing on My Ownâ is a gem that shows off T.O.P and GDâs versatility.
Wonder Girls featuring Akon âLike Moneyâ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quE6Cq4Q2bs
During their peak, Wonder Girls showed the most potential to crossover into the Western market by opening for the Jonas Brothers and subsequent ventures in the U.S. with a Nickelodeon movie and various TV appearances. In 2012, the girls had the futuristic song âLike Moneyâ with R&B and hip-hop artist Akon. The song had a perfect pairing of Wonder Girlsâ awesome vocals and Akonâs rapping abilities even though it sounded too over-processed at times. However, it had the beat Western audiences loved complete with K-Pop charm.
CL, G-Dragon, Diplo and Skrillex âDirty Vibeâ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq-aVCUs2Q0
2014âs âDirty Vibeâ is half swear-fest, half nervous breakdown, but it caught enough attention from fans to consider it a decent collaboration, though itâs not the best introduction to K-Pop artists. However, Skrillex did choose Western-friendly K-Pop rap artists to participate in the track.
CL, apl.de.ap, and will.i.am âWhere is the Love?â
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwhrIos4o6o
During MAMA 2011, CL performed with apl.de.ap and will.i.am on âWhere is the Love?â and gained a lot of love from the Singaporean fans and even earned praised on U.S entertainment websites, starting the United Statesâ love affair with CL. This performance shows why CL is a fitting choice to fill in for Fergie for BEPâs new album.
G-Dragon and Missy Elliot âNiliriaâ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VjE4RHZAaI
Missy Elliot worked with GD on his Coup dâEtat album in 2013. For âNiliria,â the pairing felt natural and necessary since Missy Elliot is a 1990sâ rap icon and GD is one of Koreaâs most-known rappers outside of Korea. The only question remaining is why the pairing didnât happen sooner.
BoA and Westlife âFlying Without Wingsâ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T1W8fWzfMk
In 2003, BoA collaborated with British boyband Westlife on âFlying Without Wingsâ for the groupâs Asian release of Unbreakable-The Greatest Hits Vol. 1. A 15-year-old BoA showed her youthful exuberance in the studio, giving the song a hint of innocence. In 2003, Hallyu was just starting to spread westward, so this collaboration was a nice beginning for the Westâs introduction to K-Pop artists.
Ne-Yo featuring Utada Hikaru âDo Youâ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfQ3RFkd9so
American R&B artist Ne-Yo and Japanese-American songstress Utada Hikaru got together in 2007 for Ne-Yoâs The Collection Japanese compilation album. Ne-Yo has more power to his voice compared to Utadaâs unusually subdued tone, but they both pair well to tell a tale of heartache.
Se7en featuring Lil Kim âGirlsâ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lgLcMAfHdg
Se7en displays his R&B smoothness in 2009 with âGirls.â His collaboration with Lil Kim earned him some US radio-play (at least where I live). Since he sang in English, many didnât know it was a K-Pop artist. âGirlsâ is forgotten these days, but itâs still a worthwhile song.
Koda Kumi and Omarion âSlowâ
http://www.jpopsuki.tv/video/Koda-Kumi—Slow-feat-Omarion/f702abbffaaa28cda6794eb6616a665f
Omarion has a steady fanbase in Japan, so pairing with Koda Kumi made sense. Their collaboration blurs the line between pop and R&B, creating an interesting dynamic.
AI and The Jacksons âCan You Feel It?â
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYvLRLatAfA
You read that correctly: The Jacksons, as in the Jackson Five. The Jacksons and AI paired for AIâs tenth anniversary. While the collaboration seems random, AI was once a backup singer for Michael Jackson and even attended his funeral, so the Jacksons coming in to celebrate her tenth anniversary was a nice âthank youâ for her service.
JYJ, Kanye West, Malik Yusef âAyy Girlâ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH-pgwvaIuY
JYJ teamed up with Kanye West and Malik Yusef on the lead single on their English album. While Yusef and West didnât appear in the MV, their vocals are still felt throughout the song. The rapping and vocals made the song successful and worth listening to, and according to Dazed, demand was so high for the album that production had to temporarily cease.
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What are some of your favorite East-meets-West collaborations? Name them in the comments below!
—- Joelle Halon
Food is one of the most significant parts in each culture. It is just amazing to try different kinds of food from different countries around the world. Just like how people always think of sushi when they think of Japan, hamburger when they think of America, kimchi when they think of Korea, and so onâŚ. They think of Pho when they talk about Vietnamese food. Pho is the famous Vietnamese beef broth noodle soup. But no, Vietnamese cuisine is not all about Pho. There are still many other delicious dishes.
Even though the people from the North, the Central and the South may eat different kinds of food, they all cook and enjoy the same Vietnamese traditional meal. The main dish of the meal is Caramelized Braised Pork and Boiled Eggs, thit heo kho trung.
To prepare for this dish, you can buy ingredients at any Asian market. The ingredients include, 2lbs pork belly or shoulder, 8 eggs, 4 gloves of garlic, 3 tbsp sugar, 4tbsp oil, 3 cups coconut juice, 2 tbsp salt and 1 tbsp pepper. Of course, one ingredient that can’t be missed in Vietnamese dishes is fish cause, about 3tbsp.
Cut the pork into 1â cubes. Peel the cloves of garlic and crush them. Boil the eggs and peel them. Letâs marinate the pork first! Put the pork cubes into a big bowl, add half of the crushed garlic, salt, pepper, and fish sauce. In a small pan, caramelize sugar and water in medium heat until the mixture turns golden brown color. Add that caramel in to the marinated pork bowl. Mix them all together and wait about 15- 30 minutes.
Next, let’s cook it! In a large pan, turn on high heat, when the pan is hot, add oil and wait about 10 seconds, add the rest of the fresh crushed garlic and stir for 5 seconds. You can smell the garlic now and see that they are about to turn a little brown in color. Add all the marinated pork in and stir until you see the color of meat change, add coconut juice. When the juice is boiling, turn the heat back to low, add boiled eggs in and cook for about 2 hours. Done!
This caramelized braised pork and egg is served with rice, of course. It can also be served with some vegetables, such as lettuce, mint leaves, cucumber or preserved cabbage. Sometimes, people can also make rolls with the pork and eggs. They wrap the vegetable, pork, and egg inside a rice paper and eat like spring rolls.
Even though there are a lot of different types of food in Vietnamese cuisine, this caramelized braised pork and egg is the traditional dish. It is the most popular dish that people around the country, in every household, from the North to the South, make every year for Tet holiday. Tet is the biggest traditional holiday in Vietnam. It’s the time that people celebrate Lunar New Year. They have Tet holiday because it’s the chance for everyone to take a break from the entire year of working, look back on what they have done and get ready to move on to the next year.
Caramelized braised pork and egg is also the dish to serve on ancestorsâ altar on their death anniversary. If you want to know more about Vietnamese food, other than Pho, you should try this dish.
—- Titi Chan
Radio DJs often stand at the forefront of music culture. They get to experience music audiences firsthand to see who reacts to the music and what could possibly be the ânext big thingâ on the scene.
We continue our interview with Big B Radio. In Part One of the interview, DJs Emergency, Typo, And, Rexie, Ben, Kagome, and Lizzie introduced themselves, their interests, and their radio audience. In Part Two, they share their thoughts and observations of how Asian music impacts the world and different cultures.
In your country, how big is the Korean Wave, and how much of an influence do you think itâs had on people if any?
And: I canât speak of the entire United States, but as far as North Carolina is concerned, the Korean Wave is barely a blip on the radar. Yes, everyone has heard of PSY, but other than that, you see no signs of people even being aware of Korean entertainment. Most of us have consumed it unaware: âI Am the Bestâ playing in the Microsoft commercial or being used during So You Think You Can Dance and the instrumental once during a football game broadcast, or a Korean actor being in a Hollywood film. I only met one person (meaning not met online) that has any experience with K-Pop, and they introduced it to me. Due to this, I donât think the Korean Wave has even been felt at all.
Ben: Canât really determine how big the Korean Wave in Canada is right now, but unfortunately we get the short end of the stick compared to the US when it comes to concerts and events from K-Pop artists. âGangnam Styleâ might have triggered and exposed many Canadians to K-Pop because it was quite popular that it even played on our own local radio stations. From what I have read and heard from an online source, Toronto might get a KCON in May 2015 if their Kickstarters funding goal becomes a success. This will definitely play a major role in spreading K-Pop to Canada and creates a platform for future K-Pop artists to hold more concerts, events, or tours in Canada. Hopefully this Kickstarter becomes successful.
Typo: For Estonia, K-Pop has a small influence since we are already a small country. But PSYâs âGangnam Styleâ was a huge hit here! I know only two people in my country who like K-Pop; the rest who I have told about it don’t think much about it.
Kagome: Korean music is not really that big in the USA. It`s a shame. It has a lot of great groups and artists. Maybe in the bigger cities K-Pop is bigger. Very few artists and groups tour the whole USA, only in LA and NY and maybe some college towns.
Rexie: Here in Puerto Rico, I thought the Korean Wave wasn’t big at all. Boy, I was wrong. I was so surprised to find out there are many fan groups here and that a lot has been done to spread the K-Pop-love on the island to the point that the Korean group Boyfriend held a concert here last year. Just found out theyâre opening a small K-Pop store on the island. It’s fun to find out that people of all ages are hooked on K-dramas. I think people are more open to accepting things that are not the norm here.
What are some of the biggest influences Asian music has had on your culture if any? Have there been any negative influences?
Ben: Canât say it has any major influence on me due to the fact I am Asian (Chinese) myself except for the taste of music. I grew up listening to the 90s and a bit older C-Pop due to my dad karaoking almost every night. *Laughs*Now I canât get used to the new C-Pop artists out there due to the fact that they are certainly influenced by the styles of Western artists such as rapping, electronic music, dubstep, etc.
Emergency: Iâm actually glad you asked this question because I do see a lot of change in people that went from listening to American music to Asian music. Some people donât want to believe that music influences your everyday lives when it actually does. More people are becoming faithful and respectful to their loved ones which also influences the people around them to change. It may seem like entertainment to you, but deep under all of this is that good message you needed to hear to change your perspective on life completely.
The only negative that comes from it is that a lot of older people donât understand it and think itâs [dumb] or too happy for them. What they donât realize is they need to have the happy feeling in their life rather than drown themselves in depressed music. What I say is⌠If your life is miserable you should first look at what is surrounding you, because what you see with your eyes and hear with your ears effects your mind and soul.
Rexie: In my opinion, I don’t think it’s had a big influence in the culture. Here, people are open to other things but are very protective of what’s our own. Wouldn’t say there’s been negative influence. There’s always going to be those who don’t like K-Pop because it’s different, but what they think doesn’t make a huge impact.
Lizzie: Hmm, I would say that the biggest influences are our communication and interaction with one another. Taking my friends and I for example, we tend to talk about schoolwork only before we got to know about K-Pop. Now, with these Asian music, it brings us more topics to start on and somehow it makes our friendship deepened.
Negative influences may lie on those around us who are not into K-Pop/J-Pop. When a group of friends are talking about K-Pop/J-Pop, the one who is not into these Asian music will be left out. Therefore, when there is a friend of mine like that around me, I will tend to not talk about K-Pop/J-Pop stuffs.
Typo: Most music comes from the USA. Since English is more understandable than any Asian language, then I think it would take lot of time when K-Pop or any other will have any good future here. My hopes for good Asian music here goes out for our local fan!
Influence? I’d say again PSY âGangnam Style”: Groovy song until fans started to not like since as usually songs get overplayed here. Even schools here made their video of âGangnam Styleâ dance.
Kagome: The Lolita and Japanese Street fashion and the music artists like Moon Kana. There have not been any negative influences.
When it comes to acceptance, do you find your country to be more accepting of Hallyu, or is there any type of resistance toward K-Popâor even J or C-Popâfrom anyone in your country? What is this like if you could explain?
And: The US loves a caricature, right? People are fine with PSY entertaining them, but eventually the novelty wears off. I think people, in general, simply donât care because nothing is happening on a big scale. The most resistance youâll get is people saying things like âBut, the songs arenât in English.â Nobody probably cares that a small segment of the population is consuming Hallyu, so thereâs no acceptance or resistance. Itâs more like apathy.
Lizzie:Â I’m sure Singapore is to be more of the accepting part. We even have K-Pop concerts set in Singapore. And just recently during New Year Eve, Big Bang came for countdown to a new year! Woohoo!
Emergency: Mainly, the older generation doesnât understand it [J-Pop] and those that are stuck in the rap scene think itâs corny. If only they can see what we see it can change their life completely. Iâm actually glad that itâs getting big because we need that influence in our lives to change us to become a better person than what we are. The morals and the lyrics really make you think outside of the box, you know?
Kagome: A lot of people around here don`t care for Asian music, itâs sad they do. They prefer acts like Taylor Swift or the Black Eyed Peas, or Snoop Dogg, etc.
Typo: I do think Hallyu can be accepted here, but since USA music is played everywhere, and Estonian and Russian, then I think it would take some time to be accepted here fully. Unless there will be K-Pop Radio or any other Asian genre radio, then I think [time] will tell.
Rexie: I think Hallyu will be well accepted. I don’t think there will be much resistance. People here love their island and anything that can get our island noticed by other countries is very welcomed. I’ve heard of concerts held from different types of genres and from groups from different parts of the world. They’ve been well accepted as long as they’ve not been disrespectful to our culture.
Ben: Some of the main problems I see in Western countries when analyzing (facing) K-Pop/J-Pop/C-Pop is the language barriers, the âneedâ for numerous members, bizarre (unique) wardrobe the idols wear, and the âweirdâ(Not really weird) story plot concepts in music videos. Not being able to understand the song (language) is a major factor in the Western communities since they feel like they need to âunderstandâ what they are saying in order to like the artists. This kind of intertwines with trying to understand the MVâs of certain songs. I realize to a certain extent that people always question the need for large amount members in groups. This may be due to the fact that the Western music industry never really had a large amount of members in a group before and thatâs why they aren’t used to it. In conclusion, I suppose people who donât understand (through lyrics) what the singer is trying to convey through the song makes it harder for them to accept it.
Depending on how long youâve been listening to J-Pop, do you think itâs changed much since the J-Wave of the early 2000s? What are some of the biggest changes youâve seen?
Kagome: Yes, it has changed a lot from the days of Keiko Fuji and Pink Lady. You have acts like Ayumi Hamasaki and Koda Kumi and AKB 48 and Seamo and An Cafe and YUKI and Moon Kana, Diggy Mo⌠They have taken the music and the videos to the next level and changed the face of J-Pop music.
Emergency: I wasnât really around for it in the early 2000s because I was still into the hip hop/rap scene listening to 50 Cent, Young Buck, etc⌠The group that first got me into the Asian scene was 2NE1 with their song âCanât Nobodyâ and it was before the English version was released. From there I discovered 4Minute, E.via, Wonder Girls, After School, and more. It just grew on me completely and since then I never turned back.
As for changes hmmm⌠In my opinion I believe that some of K-Pop has become a bit Americanized than before and the message they put out has changed compared to what it used to be, but that doesnât go for all groups. As for J-Pop Iâm seeing a change as well. Lyrics-wise, itâs pretty much the same J-Pop you hear, but I think some Korean influences are coming about like E-Girls for example. Music is always evolving so who knows whatâs going to be in the future.
Typo: Everything changes with time. Their way of singing⌠Style has lot of changes. Stakes are getting higher and higher which makes it harder to debut for new groups.
In the US, do you feel J-Pop is still just as relevant as it was in the past decade? Furthermore, how much of an influence do you think itâs had on people if any?
Emergency: I will tell you that both J-Pop and K-Pop have become more popular in the states and it will continue to grow daily. This year, we had many J-Pop artists come over from overseas and their tickets sold out almost every show. The same is going on with K-Pop and a matter of fact, if you think about it, they are out selling the local artists here which I believe is a good thing. American music needs to change completely before it can make a com back, but for now itâs a sinking ship that keeps drowning. I know some American artists are taking cues from Asian fashion, but itâs not changing the music itself. AMERICA WE NEED CHANGE! BRING US CHANGE PLEEEAAASSEEE!! LOL!
 [Emergency], your bio hints at you being a J-Pop enthusiast. With K-Pop taking over, interest in J-Pop seems to have gone down since the early 2000s. What makes you like J-Pop, and what do you think music fans are missing by not giving it a chance?
Emergency: Well, I was originally into K-Pop and kinda still am, but for the past year or two Iâve been getting into J-Pop with artists like Perfume, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, LiSA, and more.
As for K-Pop taking over I think in some aspects it is and it isnât. There is always room to listen to both as they each progress and change as time goes on. I for sure think American music is pretty much dying. People are getting tired of listening to music that encourages them to cheat on their loved ones or go to the club for a fling which is barely ever found in Asian music. Thereâs more of a positive influence and I believe people should really tune in and see whatâs going on rather than push it away, because itâs in a different language. The whole argument of which is better (J-Pop vs K-Pop) is really irrelevant because both have their own unique style to it.
When you look at Korean music culture, do you see any similarities between it and your music culture? What about with J-Pop and C-Pop? What similarities and differences do you see, and how do you think this impacts music consumption in your country?
And: There are some definite similarities with fans. Western music has a long history of roadies, stalkers, and rabid fans. K-Pop is no different.
However, I think the importance of social media is greater for K-Pop. We live on the Internet as K-Pop fans, because thatâs the only way to continuingly consume the genre. For Western music, we can simply go to the store to pick up an album, or turn on the radio. We donât have that option with K-pop â at least not to a great, commonplace extent. Therefore, K-pop is more about streaming, tweeting, commenting, and blogging, than about attending concerts and buying posters at the local mall.
Kagome: I think that itâs way better than the Western music. I see differences. Western music is the same; with every artist, itâs all the same. Cookie cutter formula.  K-Pop, C-Pop, and J-Pop artists always reinvent themselves with every release, and it is always fresh and new.
Rexie: To be honest, I don’t see much similarity between the Korean music culture and the Puerto Rican music culture. I think because Asian music, in general, is different. It makes it appealing– the culture– but the impact is slowly growing.
Lizzie: Singapore is a multiracial country which makes us have different kinds of music like Chinese, Malay, and Indian. To point out a similarities in it is kind of hard for me. Haha! Since I’m a Chinese, I’ll talk about the similarities about C-Pop and K-Pop then. The answer is, English. K-Pop and C-Pop music, 9 out of 10 will have at least some English words inside it. Can this count as a similarity?
Yes! *Laughs*
Typo: I think there are very less similarities in our music and their music. Just that music comes from their soul, when they sing. Overall, I think I see huge gap since Estonian music is different and has low standards. I could compare Estonian music to C-Pop.
Ben: I can say about 50 percent of the Korean Music Industry have some sort of western influence involved because they aim to be global and in order to become global, they first need to be able to sell âmusicâ that is acceptable on a Westernized standard. If the public likes the âmusic,â then K-Pop can break the borders and thrive globally and not only in the Asia. An example would be Wonder Girls [who were] sent by JYP to try and break into the American industry, but they simply could not gain enough popularity to rival domestic artists (such Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry) even when releasing Westernized songs like âLike Moneyâ and âThe DJ is Mineâ (Did like both songs though).
C-Pop is similar to K-Pop, but they donât strive to go global as much I believe. J-Pop (Japanese music in general) doesnât seem to be influenced too much by Western styles, but rather seclude themselves in their own format. Maybe I worded that wrongly, but what I am trying to say is that they are more focused domestically rather than globally or internationally. By adjusting to the standards of Western countries, consumption will probably go up, but that also lowers the quality (uniqueness) they previously had before the adjustments. Although, I hope these artists would not change too much to accommodate to westerners tastes and stick to their original flavor too.
In your opinion, what should the Chinese music market do to expand into the global market?
Rexie: In my opinion, I think they should start bringing their artists to other parts of the world. They should try appealing to radio station outside of Asia. I think that can be a start.
For the Asian music scene to attract more of an audience, what do you think the companies and artists need to do to improve their reach?
Ben: Apart from trying to copy or imitate the Western format, I believe that companies and artists should stick to being original (being themselves) and steadily break that global barrier instead of rushing in. As the saying goes, âRome was not built in a dayâ so continue to progress until you have gained the experience and skill that will not go unnoticed by others.
Rexie: Companies need to reach out to other countries, especially to the radio stations. They should do more shows/concerts out of Asia. People all around the world love Asian music especially K-Pop and J-Pop.
Emergency: Create a mainstream radio station based on J-Pop and K-Pop or even better just get the music played on the radio AS IS. What makes their American albums fail is they try to do it in English and try to please the American industry. They should just release the music and get it on the radio no matter what language it is. People will catch on to it in no time. Look at some of the music that became popular in the past that was in a language other than English. It caught on so why canât they do the same with J-Pop and K-Pop?
Kagome: I think that the record/music labels need to support their Asian artists here in America. There is a big market for Asian music, but the major labels don`t want to cut into the market of their Western artists here. They do push and promote their Western artists in Asia.
And: Letâs face it; the music industry in the US is incredibly superficial (not to mention inherently racist), just as in Korea. So, companies canât do much to improve. They already have the pretty and hot part down pat. Companies being able to break the racial barrier or sexual barrier will be almost impossible. People will fetishize and stereotype. I have no doubt, also, that people will revolt against some cultural aspects, especially male skinship, due to them seeing the acts as fitting in Western ideas of homoerotism. Right now, all they can hope for is word-of-mouth and massive social media presence continues â and that popular Western artists do some marketing for them. Itâs sad, but a reality.
Lizzie: Basically, people always look at their style. How they are dressed and how their hairs are styled. Oh! And most importantly, their makeup. That plays a big part in music scene, from my opinion.
Typo: With time, everything changes, so yes, every company needs to finds ways to reach even bigger audiences. Some less, some more. And companies need to respect their singers!
Looking at C-Pop, J-Pop, K-Pop and even Thai-Pop and Viet-Pop, if Hallyu bubble ever bursts, what do you think will be the next music sensation out of Asia and why?
Lizzie: In my opinion, K-Pop will still be my bias if its bubble bursts. It is a really difficult question for me to answer as I wish that Hallyu will continue standing strong for generations. But if I have to choose, maybe C-Pop? As for the reason… mainly because C-Pop has a lot of similarity to K-Pop: The clothing, dance moves, etc.
Typo: I would be between on J-Pop and K-Pop. I think both of them have lot of worldwide fans and growing with time. Just a matter of timeâŚ
Kagome: That will be hard to say. Music taste changes faster than the wind. I would say C-Pop will be the next big thing. I doubt that Viet or Thai pop will be the big. There is a lot of big and new up and coming C-Pop artists and groups coming out of China right now.
Rexie: To be honest, I haven’t given any thought to that. I probably think this Hallyu Wave will be around for a long time.
Emergency: Iâm not too sure about the next big thing, but I do know that Asian music will continue to grow as long as they keep doing what theyâre doing and not try to please the American industry. If they could look at it in a way that the American industry is failing and is no longer the top dog they should have nothing to worry about. Cater to your people and it will cater to us just like donât change for us, but change for your own people. Thatâs how I see it.
Ben: I havenât even thought that far into the future yet, but that does really get me thinking. Even when I keep thinking, nothing seems to pop up. I guess that is the fun part to not knowing the future because the future is full of interesting possibilities. If the Hallyu bubble does pop during my lifetime, I wonder what would come next.
And: I think one of K-Popâs biggest beneficial factors is that itâs similar to Western music â same goes for C-Pop. Iâm not sure about other Asian countries, so if anybody is going to take over, itâll be a country that has music that also matches up well with Western trends.
Thank you so much for your time! Do you have anything else you would like to add?
Emergency: Yes! Tune into Big B Radio for the hottest Asian music out there! Shout out to all the DJs at Big B Radio, DJ Amaya, ApieceofOnion, K-BitCRUSH, Xulikken, i5cream, DJ SE7EN, Areia, Pianosalmon, DJ Shenny, Kelly Hilltone, and many more. If I forgot to mention your name, I apologize!
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Big B Radio is always looking for a broader audience. Take the time to check out the crew and their music any time at www.bigbradio.com. Also, if you want to keep the music going and you like what you hear, the station runs on donations, so check out their YouCaring page at âKeep Big B Radio Alive 2014/2015.â
DJ Emergency has a SoundCloud dedicated to his remixes. You can check them out at https://soundcloud.com/djemergency!
Thank you, Big B DJs, for your time and patience!
Plastic surgery used to be a very unusual thing, when you tell people you had something done; they would be in complete shock. It seems like that has died down a lot over the last few years. Plastic surgery is now popular more than ever and itâs so common that 1 out of 5 people have gone under the knife. Koreans are known for being beautiful but a lot of times, it doesnât come naturally. I personally like those who didnât get something done because I think that natural beauties are the best. I dislike how negative our society has become, because people get judged by their looks all the time, which is why the number of people getting plastic surgery done is increasing rapidly. Nowadays, if you go to big cities in Korea, such as Gangnam, Hongdae, etc., you will notice that many people look alike. And this doesnât just go towards normal people; itâs the same for the celebrities.
Most foreigners donât know this, not even the ones who are into Korean entertainment industry. I hate to break it to you but most celebrities have gone through some kind of plastic surgery before their debut and a lot of them slowly fix their looks as the years go by so that people wonât notice the changes. There are those who have natural beauty and there are others who go under the knife to create better looks. It bothers me so much that these people have to go through the pain in order to debut because in reality, or at least in Korea, you have to be attractive to become famous. I mean sure, there are other celebrities who became famous without going through this process, but itâs very uncommon. Your looks have to be outstanding to receive attention. Honestly, itâs more about the looks than talent. Iâm not trying to criticize through the entire article, but really. Take a look at idol groups for example, theyâre all attractive. No one is ugly. In an idol group, the members are divided into these categories: visual, main vocal, main dancer, rapper, and just vocals in general. A lot of times the member who is in charge of visual is the most popular among the other members despite from their talent.
 
Now letâs talk about actors and actresses. Let me tell you, there are some really talented actors/actresses out there, but that doesnât mean all deserve the attention they receive. To start this off, you might now know that native Koreans and people who arenât Korean have very different opinions. Native Koreans are very strict when it comes to judging celebrities. Even if they have gone through the same surgery process as the celebrities, they will still bash on them if they donât have enough talent. This is a complete different perspective from idol groups because actors/actresses tend to have higher standards when it comes to talent, so if they donât have the skill, people think they donât deserve the spotlight they get because if you really think about it, anyone can become a celebrity if theyâre attractive no matter how untalented you are. Foreigners however, have different opinions than Koreans. They are more open towards the celebrityâs feelings and are gentler and tend to stick up for them if others are bashing. Iâm not saying all Koreans are critical and all foreigners are nice towards everything, Iâm just saying this is the majority of what I see in media.
 
I honestly think plastic surgery is taking over the entertainment industry in Korea.
Even the comedians look good when their job is to be funny. I have no hate towards people getting surgery because itâs their choice to get it done, but itâs just saddening to see what the country has become. What makes it even worse, is that Korea is the number 1 country with the most population of people getting plastic surgery and the numbers increase every year. Everyone has their own beauty and people should not be judged by looks and they definitely donât need to have operations done just to impress others.
—- Juyeon Oh
In the early 2000s, Asian entertainment culture began its spread to Western audiences. Anime, manga, dramas, film, and music migrated toward the computers of Westerners by way of illegal file sharing and YouTube, creating the boom of which many are familiar. Currently, Internet radio plays a large role in the spread of Asian music culture.
Big B Radio is one of the stations leading the charge in the spread of Asian music. Big B got their start in December 2004 through SHOUTcast Radio. The station caters to C-Pop, J-Pop, and K-Pop fans with their different station choices, so any Asian music lover can find something they love. With thousands of listeners, the commercial-free station was even named the most followed K-Pop and J-Pop station by TuneIn! After 10 years, the station shows no signs of stopping as fans continue to join in to listen to their favorite groups.
Recently, K-Crush got in touch with Big-B and had a chance to catch up with personable DJs Typo, Emergency, Rexie, Lizzie, And, Kagome, and Ben to find out their thoughts about the rise of Asian pop, the genreâs acceptance in the West, and any plans they have if the West loses interest in the music.
Thank you so much for your time! To get started, do you mind introducing yourselves, where youâre from, and how long youâve been a part of Big-B Radio?
Kagome: My name is Kagome Dirksmeyer. I am from Alton, IL USA. Iâve been a part of Big B Radio for over 2 years now.
Lizzie: Hi! Lizzie from Singapore here! I have been tuning in to Big-B Radio (BBR) since 2012 using an online-streaming radio. I only happen to know that BBR has a main webpage for us to tune in and request songs at around February/March last year (2014). *Laughs*
 In May, I was then chosen to be a Request DJ. And I am really grateful that DJ Rip, the Boss, decided to let me be a part of BBR Family to help him.
Emergency: Well, first I would like to say hello to all the readers of K-Crush, your #1 place for good news in the K-Pop scene! Iâm DJ Emergency, upcoming producer out of the woodwork! Some of you may know me by my remix releases thatâve been going out on SoundCloud and a lot is yet to come! Iâve been DJing for Big B since October, so not really long and will stay as long as I can.
Ben: Hello, DJ Ben here. I am DJ for all of the Stations (Asian Pop, K-Pop, C-Pop, K-Pop) on Big B Radio and enjoy all types/genres of music (C-Pop, J-Pop/J-Rock and K-Pop/K-Rock). I am currently living in Canada, but used to live in the small city of Montego Bay, Jamaica. I am fully Chinese, but I was born and raised for about 13-14 years in Jamaica due to my parentsâ occupation.
 I started around March 2014 (I think), so almost a year soon since I have been with Big B Radio. Time sure flies by when you’re spreading the love of music. My hobbies entail listening to music, gaming with friends, reading manga/manhwa and fictional novels. Oh almost forgot to add that I do enjoy long walks on the beach and laying under the moonlight watching the stars, so if anyoneâs interested, feel free to contact me. (Donât take that last sentence too seriously, haha.)
Big-B plays J-Pop, C-Pop, and K-Pop, so you cover a lot of interest areas. What genre(s) attracted you to Big-B, and what inspired you to want to become a DJ for the station?
Emergency: Well, I got a love for Asian music for sure and it pretty much beats American music any day, but how I knew about Big B Radio was that I needed to hear some new music and, for one, I had no place to go. So I did a Google search to find a station to listen to and Big B was the first to show up. Later on I hit up DJ R.I.P. to see if he was interested to have a live DJ mixing on the decks and then everything hit off from there. At the current moment, Iâm the only one that does live mixing and I hope soon more people get inspired to work for Big B. The people at the station are great, respectful, and show a lot of love to their audience. They do this for the love which you donât get much of anywhere when it comes to the industry. Other places just want to make money and a profit which Big B radio is the opposite of that. They work off of donations which pay for the website and everything under the hood, but they cater to you, the listeners.
Lizzie: Exactly! BBR plays all 3 different genres, and this is why I’m attracted to it. When I feel like listening to K-Pop, I’ll open the K-pop page. If I feel like tuning in to J-Pop, I’ll open up the J-Pop’s [page], and vice versa for the C-Pop.
I’m a K-Pop fan since 2012. I’m not sure when I started to like K-Pop so much, but I’m positive it’s due to K-Dramas and friends influence. As for J-Pop, you can blame Inuyasha (an anime) for getting me addicted to it. *Laughs* I think I was into J-Pop first before K-Pop took over. Last but not least, C-Pop. I’m a Chinese nationality, so I tend to listen to Chinese songs since I was young.
What inspired me to be a DJ are the DJs that helped out in BBR. Before I became a DJ myself, I would always request for songs. And it feels great when my requested songs are played. Most of the DJs do not have the same time-zone as mine when I started tuning in to BBR. During my afternoon, there will be quite a number of requests weren’t answered. That’s when I decided to give it a try being a DJ as well. I wish to help out those listeners who wished to have their requested songs played on air. Moreover, some of the listeners will leave a “Thank You” whenever their songs are played. It seems like your help is appreciated by someone, and that’s what makes me feel warm in heart.
Rexie: The genre that attracted me was K-Pop. Thatâs what I listened to the majority of the time. I always thought it be cool to be a DJ, being able to play the music for those listening, and being part of such an awesome family. I didn’t think I would have the time to do it, but when I was personally asked by the Boss [DJ Rip], I thought to give it a try and it’s been an amazing experience.
Typo: Well, to start, I found K-Pop on our local electronics store. On TV, they had playing a 2NE1 video. After that, I YouTubed it and found SNSD, a little J-Pop and C-Pop later. Overall, I like Pop, Dance, upbeat songs, R&B.
It was a long way [for] me to become a Request DJ because every other [DJ] I knew in Big-B got to be a DJ faster because they knew way too much about K-Pop then I did at that time and I did not pass our Head DJ “Eyeball” test in chat. I was very lucky to be a DJ since other DJs were not so active.
Ben: I cannot say that one certain genre captured me on Big B Radio because I am always so open to listening to so many different types of music out there. Whether the genres are trot, ballad, pop, electric, rap or rock; I would explore these genres as well as the artists that catches my eye. Even within my time at Big B Radio, I am still not able to fully grasp all the great music that each of these countries have to offer. Every day I come across songs that get me hooked which are either requested by listeners (you guys are awesome) or being played on the stations during rotations. Nothing inspirational happened that lead me to become a DJ for Big B Radio, but I did want to give a helping hand to the station and introduce some artists from C-Pop, K-Pop, J-Pop/J-Rock to listeners.
Kagome: I was looking for a station that played J-Pop. I found Big B Radio. I hung around the website and the owner DJ RIP asked me if I wanted to be a DJ. I enjoy and love music and I enjoy sharing music and I have a great knowledge of music (J-Pop, C-Pop, and K-Pop). I used to DJ at parties for my friends and I was in radio for a short time in college.
DJ Rexie, your bio says you love both K-Pop and C-Pop. With K-Pop being a big thing now, C-Pop gets lost in terms of interest. What makes you like C-Pop, and what do you think music fans are missing by not giving it a chance?
Rexie: At first I had no interest in C-Pop because the Chinese songs I had listened to before were not of my interest; but one day while on chat, one of the C-Pop DJs was online and I decided to join her on the C-Pop station and tune in to the music she was playing. I was surprised and enjoyed it very much. I like C-Pop because I think it’s very relaxing. Even though I like upbeat songs, C-Pop can really help when you need to kick back and relax. Fans are missing out on some amazing artists and great music. I say they should give it a try. There is plenty of variety in C-Pop.
Emergency, you also remix J-Pop music on your SoundCloud, Josh. What made you want to do this, and how has the response been toward your remixes?
Emergency: Iâve been making remixes for so many years. At first I was remixing music by 50 Cent and other rap artists, but with that scene I got so many haters and people disrespected me for what I enjoyed doing. When I switched over to Asian music I got nothing but love and the haters vanished. The person that influenced me the most to get into it with J-Pop and K-Pop was DJ Amaya. This guy is a legend, a friend of mine, and one of the best electronic producers out there in the Asian scene. If you never heard of him you are missing out on some good stuff. I also got some influences from ApieceofOnion, K-BitCRUSH, Xulikken, i5cream, DJ SE7EN, Areia and of course Camelia. All these producers are great for what they do and if you havenât heard them yet you need to check them out for sure.
Looking at your radio audience, which country do you estimate has the largest audience currently and why?
Ben: Our statistics shows that the USA has the largest amount of listeners. This is not surprising since the US hosts many events such as K-Con that exposes K-Pop to the unknown community, thus increasing in the numbers of K-Pop fans.
Lizzie: I would like to say Singapore, but we’re placed in #3 at this hour (took a peek at the Country Raking tuning in to BBR before answering this question). *Laughs* But according to the requesters from Chatwing and the people on Chatango, I will say that most audiences are from United States. Up to now, the majority of audience that I had conversation with are from US. Still, I [was] able to make 2 friends from Chatango who are Singaporean like me and a Malaysian who is from a neighboring country.
And: The country with the largest audience is most likely the United States due to the population size and Internet access. Most people have the internet and spends hours on it doing things. Streaming is one of those big things. Even local radio stations have internet streams; so naturally, people will stream Asian music when most places lack a radio station that actually plays such music.
Emergency: People from all over the world listen to Big B Radio and their listeners are growing daily. As for what country listens to it the most itâs hard to tell because it changes from day to day. The best person to ask that question to would be DJ R.I.P. Heâs the man of the show, hehe.
Rexie: We have listeners from all around the world, but usually Japan and United States hold first and second place in the listeners list. I’ve gotta be honest, Iâve always been curious as to what station those listening Japan are tuned in to. With those who listen from United States I would say they listen to more of K-Pop and J-Pop.
Typo: Japan has the biggest audience, and after that, Taiwan usually. Japan listeners may be looking for something “fresh” and “young” and since some K-Pop groups do Japanese versions of their songs it attracts more people to listen to K-Pop.
Many feel the Korean wave impacts young people the most. Where you live, do you find this to the case? From your perspective, what audience absorbs K, C, or J music most in your country and why?
Ben: The younger Asian community is definitely more open to K-Pop, C-Pop, and J-Pop because we tend to enjoy the cultures of each of these three nations. I also see that others from different racial backgrounds do enjoy these types of music as well.
I live in Markham, Ontario where it is a relatively quiet city, so I canât see any here. Although I can definitely see why it appeals to the younger generation more than the older generation due to the music tastes. The older generations tend to not be so open to foreign music while the younger generation has a more open view of music. The only time I have ever heard K-Pop play in a store or restaurant is when I am eating in a Korean restaurant with my friends and they play the songs or at a karaoke.
Kagome: Not very many people around here listen to K-Pop and other Asian music. The Asian music is a very small market [in the] USA. A lot of the K-Pop artists donât make it in the American music market, only a handful do but don`t because the labels here support their American artists than their Asian artist they have on their rosters.
Lizzie: Not only youngsters get hit by the Korean wave here. Some 30-40-year olds also listen to K-Pop. I remember that there is a mini-drama showing parents can be into K-Pop as well. And also, I happen to see a fancam filming a granny and her grandson attending a K-pop band concert, so I’m sure that Korean Wave does not only impact on young people the most but also the more aged ones.
Instead of audience, I would likely to say gender. From my perspective, girls are more into the K-Zone. According to my surroundings, I can only find girls to talk to about K-Pop. As for the guys, I would say “Off they go to the J-Zone.” I’m guessing mainly because of the anime(s) that they are watching, which makes them more on the J-Zone instead of the K. As for C-Zone, it’s neutral.
And: This is actually quite funny. Of the people Iâve met online, most are in their 20s, so I donât see it as a youth-centered movement. Most kids are more interested in One Direction or Disney, in my perspective. Consuming Asian music takes a large time commitment and money. To watch all the MVs (and dramas, as an extension) means spending a lot of time in front of a computer or other devices, and most parents wouldnât approve of their 14-year old child being up at 2am to wait for the newest video to be released. Also, if youâre going to support your favorite artist through physical albums, you need a lot of money for shipping. Therefore, itâs easier for adults to be active and truly absorb the music.
Additionally, all these groups are more aligned with Backstreet Boys than One Direction, so older people are more likely to find a connection with that type of music and format, than younger people. At least, thatâs how I think â I could be entirely wrong.
Typo: I think it only impacts young K-pop lovers trying look like their Idols. But Estonians are not that “brave” since in here would get judged easily by looking like any of the K-Pop idols. I would be happy to look like any K-Pop male star if I had “looks” for it. J-Pop and C-Pop would go more to older people I think.
Rexie: Yes, the Korean Wave does impact young ones the majority of the time. But it depends on what is considered young. *Laughs* Here, yes many young ones from ages 12 and up show an interest in K-Pop, I’ve met older ones in their 50s who enjoy watching K-dramas. I do feel that K-Pop and J-Pop appeals a lot to teenagers and young adults because the majority of the music is upbeat and miss like-music that makes them happy and that makes them move. I feel C-Pop appeals more to older ones just because it’s more relaxing and calm.
As DJs, I assume you listen to a lot of music every day. Overall, do you think the music quality has gotten better or worse? Why?
And: Itâs not so much better or worse, just different. Production quality is of course higher, but you still have ridiculous lyrics and compositions. Then you have amazingly composed music and deep lyrics. Yes, there are artists who will release a song I find worse than their previous works, but sometimes itâs infinitely better. Itâs a mixed bag, and saying it is better or worse is shortsighted and narrow.
Typo: I’m very easy going with music unless it has noticeable “autotune,” but I have not noticed such songs yet. Overall, I think it has been a good year since I am easy to satisfy. Older music gives that old good vibe in me, nowadays it is more, like, young and how to be hip.
Ben: In all honesty, I believe that K-Pop and J-Pop/J-Rock are the top contenders in the Asian music industry because the quality music they produce is truly awesome. While I believe the quality of C-Pop has gone down quite far unlike during the golden age where artists such as Leslie Cheung, Andy Lau, Teresa Teng, I could be mistaken and be biased since I truly adored the 90s era for C-Pop.
Kagome: Yes, I do listen to a lot of music every day on a regular job, and I listen to it at home. I work for one of the major music labels when I am not DJing. I have advance notice what is coming out and it will hit the airwaves. Music has gotten a lot better and you can do more with the music [because of] the technology we have today since the old days of 2-track analog channels from 50-years ago.
Rexie: I do listen to a lot music, did so before becoming a DJ, now I do it even more. I think it [music] has improved, but that’s my opinion. There’s always that song that is a huge âNo,â but I think music quality is different to everyone. What I think is a great song, it may have all the great elements in it, but to others it may be not be so good. Not their taste.
Many see DJs as advocates for the music they play. Have you done anything to help generate interest in the Asian music scene? What have you done, and how did people perceive or accept these actions?
Rexie: I definitely share my love for K-Pop and C-Pop with all my friends and those who I meet that love music in general. Also, I play my music wherever I go so people are exposed to the music I listen to. Some accept it, some don’t. On the Big B Radio, I’ve been doing C-Pop marathons. It not only helps me expand my knowledge on C-Pop artists, but I think marathons make people curious and they might tune in and hear something they like.
Lizzie: I don’t remember whether I have or have not done anything to help generate interest. But I do know that whenever there are new listeners appearing in BBR Chatango, I will warmly welcome them and have some chit-chat as well. By doing so, I can see that some of the anons have become our permanent listeners.Â
Typo: I do very little to be honest. I have shared lot of Asian music-related videos; very little interest unless song titles hint about love, then it gets more attention. I have done a few remix marathons, one football themed marathon, few birthday marathons. Thatâs what I have done for Big B.
Kagome: I have a lot of people ask me who I would recommend to them to listen to or try. I tell who the best and that the little known artists or groups are really the best than the big well-known artists or groups and share songs and have them listen to. I have influenced a few to listen to K-Pop and J-Pop.
Ben: Many DJs at Big B Radio will schedule marathons for artists on specific stations (Asian Pop, K-Pop, C-Pop or J-Pop). Marathons will be carried out either by themes, special dates (birthdays or anniversary dates of either the artists or group), or just specific artists. We try to spread the marathons on each station evenly. I have taken it upon myself to hold marathons on the J-Pop Station by introducing different artists every week and even take requests from listeners who want to have a marathon for a specific artist. By doing so, I will be able to allow others to hear a variety of different genres and artists. Most listeners enjoy the marathons and give feedback when possible.
And: I admit my lack of social skills limits my ability to really spread the music â amusing since Iâm a DJ and a writer, right? I have been in situations where someone would ask what Iâm looking at or listening to, and I tell them âKorean musicâ or a âKorean drama.â They simply say âoh okâ and move on.
I honestly find more joy in exposing other K-Pop listeners to different artists. This is why I host Throwback Thursday. There are a lot of great older artists that Korean music consumers simply donât know about. So, I like introducing them to the originators of the genre. I also tweet and blog about underrated or non-Big 3 artists, so others can learn about them, as well. Most appreciate it and enjoy the music.
Emergency: Sure! As a DJ, my job is to bring fresh music to the audience and I bring Asian music to the table that not many American DJs do. So to get people to hear it I feed it to them not caring if they like it or not, LOL, but at the end of the day they enjoy what I bring which brings more people to the scene. I basically shove it down their throats.
Finally, if Hallyu does burst and interest wanes, what are your plans? Will you continue DJing?
Lizzie: Of course I will still continue to DJ because I am sure that there will still be listeners getting immerse into K-Pop. Also, my main reason to become a DJ is to fulfill a listener’s song request.
Emergency: I doubt it will ever come to that point, but if it does Iâll continue what I do best for my audience.
And: As long as I have the time, and someone still cares, Iâll continue DJing. Good music is good music regardless of the market size.
Ben: Even if the Hallyu bubble does burst and interest wanes, I will probably still continue to listen to Asian music because I enjoy it and not because people stop having interest in it. I will most definitely continue DJing because interacting with those of similar interest is what makes it interesting and enjoyable.
Rexie: I will forever continue to listen to K-Pop and C-Pop and the occasional J-Pop. I will be a DJ at Big B Radio while my circumstances allow it or Big B Radio doesn’t want me, *Laughs*
Typo: I have not honestly [thought] that far yet. Since life is one unexpected thing and I might not DJ at that time anymore? If Big B still exists and accepts me, then for sure I will DJ. But I do continue it for now and always root for K-Pop no matter what.
Stay tuned for Part Two of our conversation with Big B Radio! In Part Two, the DJs discuss their thoughts on Asian musicâs impact cultural and societal impact!
In recent years, the music industry in Vietnam has been greatly developed and has become an attractive area to step into. Therefore, nowadays, there are a lot of new solo singers and groups. Some of them are very talented; they make high quality music products with unique voices and performances. They greatly contribute fame to the music industry of Vietnam.
My first favorite female pop singer is My Tam. She is one of the most successful and famous singers. Even though, more than ten years have passed in her music career, she still maintains a strong and passionate voice. Everyone still shouts out her name and claps whenever she steps on the stage. She is now the âQueen of V-popâ. I love her style of music, which is mostly a combination of softly R&B and ballad. Some of my favorite songs are: Singing With The River, I Wish, Pretend We Had No Start, Like A Dream, My Everlasting Love. I could feel her feelings through every single word in the lyrics. She has received so many prizes and honorable awards, both domestic and international. What I like the most about My Tam is that, she is not only an amazing singer, she is also a kind and warm-hearted person. She regularly makes a lot of charity trips. She established a charity foundation under her name to build houses for the poor, give scholarships to students, provide medical needs for the elderly and orphans, and more. Many people love My Tam because of her friendliness and kindness.
The second female pop singer that I like is Thuy Tien. She is just a talented and sexy lady. She always carefully invests her creativity, effort, energy and time into every single minute of her music videos. Therefore, her albums are very good quality and highly invested music products. I always enjoy watching her video clips regarding her albums. She is good at both soft music and dance music. She is also the writer for some of her songs. The lyrics are always warm and touching in her soft songs. Her expressions, her sad voice and her beauty make a wonderful combination and very inspirational. Thuy Tien takes audiences into every word she sings. On the other hand, her performance of dance music is also amazing. Her sexy body combines greatly with her skillful dance moves. She usually makes everyone just want to join her and dance the night away. Some of her highlighted songs are Snowy Dream, Full House, Iâm So Over You, Diary, My Secret, Happy Wedding, Kiss Me.
I also like a few groups, but they usually break up after a few years. I remember one of my favorite girl groups when I was young was Mat Ngoc. I think the reasons I like them is because their songs are very lovely. They sing about childhood, friendship memories in school, teenagerâs first love, and appreciation to teachers and our country. Those songs are always cherished and meaningful. No matter how many years passed by, people still listen and sing their songs, especially high school students. The original members were 4 energetic and cute young ladies, Thanh Ngoc, Thuy Nga, Quynh Anh and Duy Uyen. Later on, some of them separated from the group and moved on to a solo career. The group now has 3 girls. Some of the highlighted songs of Mat Ngoc are: Fly To The Dream, Girlsâ Love, Innocent Love, When Am I Sad, Young City.
One of my favorite male singers is Duy Manh, the man of sad songs. That is also the reason why I like him. He is a very talented songwriter. Because he writes his own songs, they always sound so real. Most of them are pretty sad. He sings to express his own true feelings in real life. Every word in the lyrics comes deeply from his heart. Each and every song is a story. Duy Manh has a very unique and deep voice. Everyone can recognize him by his voice. I bet if anyone is sad and listens to his singing, that person would break down and cry. Even most of his songs are sad, but his music is very romantic. He also plays saxophone in his music video. I really enjoy all the stories behind his songs and videos. My favorite songs of him are: Your Love Is The Big Ocean, Come Back By My Side, Iâm Not Drunk, Love You Forever, I Really Miss You, Gambling Life.
The last singer I want to talk about is also the most famous male singer in the country. He is called âThe King of V-popâ. His name is Dam Vinh Hung. People also call him Mr. Dam. Just like My Tam, he is one of the most successful pop singers in the country. He has received a lot of honorable and big music awards in his music career. Mr. Dam has a great knowledge and techniques of music. He is one of the judges for many reality shows, such as âThe Voice Vietnamâ, âX-Factor Vietnamâ and others. Through those shows, as being a coach, people could see in him a dedicated and devoted teacher. He carefully teaches his students a lot of performance skills and techniques. He has a very strong voice. Whenever he sings, we feel his emotions and all the energy he puts in his performances. He always gives audiences strong impression with his highly trendy fashionable outfit whenever he shows up. Some of his famous songs are: The Morning Will Bring You Away, Peaceful Sky, Sorry Love, Late, How Do I Know and others.
—-Titi Chan
By Chuck Taylor for Kcrush.
South Korean pop/rock band FTIsland (a.k.a. Five Treasure Island) has long been a phenomenon at home, since their 2006 debut album ââCheerful Sensibility,â was deemed the No. 6 best-selling album of the yearâwhile their launch single âLovesickâ was lodged at the top of the K-Pop charts for 8 consecutive weeks.
In 2014, FTIsland upped the ante with the release of their latest full-length album âAll About.â Writing all of their own songs, the quintet comprises members Choi Jong-hoon (guitar & keyboard), Lee Hongki (lead vocals) Lee Jae jin (bass & vocals), Song Seung-hyun (guitar & vocals) and Choi Min-hwan (percussion).
With nearly a decade of ongoing success, FTIsland is now ready to conquer the world. In January 2015, they will be performing live in Paris, Santiago, Mexico City and Los Angeles. And on Wednesday, January 28, they will take on the holy grail of entertainment cities: with a concert in New York City, at the Best Buy Theater⌠in the heart of Times Square. In all, the venue seats 2,100 fans. Talk about world domination!
Chuck Taylor is an award-winning Arts & Entertainment journalist, whose worked for 14 years at Billboard magazine in New York City as a Senior Writer, Editor & Single Reviews Editor.
In recent years, Korean pop music and Korean movies have become really popular in Vietnam. Therefore, Vietnamese fashion is influenced by a lot of Korean pop stars and movie stars, especially young people.  Here are a few fashion trends in Vietnam nowadays.
1. Simple youthful Street styles
Young people like to wear simple color outfits, but they create interesting and youthful styles. They want to look energetic and cheerful, and also fashionable. For girls, sweaters or t-shirt, tank tops with cardigans, are mixed with high-rise shorts, skirts or skinny destroyed jeans.  Boots or sneakers usually look well with those tops and bottoms.  For guys, they usually wear jogger pants, jeans with flat shirts, hoodies, T-shirt and sneakers.
2. Simple and elegance
Vietnamese woman would like to look elegant.  They also learn from the worldâs trend, which is simple color.  They usually choose to wear long and straight one color dresses.  Because the dresses are simple, therefore, they mix them with a little fancy accessory, like necklaces, earrings, and purses.
3. Young and sweet style
A-line skirts, flowery dresses are the popular items for young and sweet style today. Women, who prefer this style, usually want to show their feminineness. Sometimes, they wear midi skirt with button-down shirts or blouses. The material of their clothes is usually soft, bright colors. A lacy dress is also one common item for this style.
4. Menâs body fit dress shirts
Not only women care about fashion, men do also.  Vietnamese men are trying to catch up with the worldâs trends.  They care about their body and fitness.  They have started going to the gym to work out and built muscles.  They want to look manly, strong and sporty.  Therefore, their fashion has changed as well.  Nowadays, even in business casual, they prefer to wear body fit clothing with simple colors. They also often choose a smaller/narrow tie.
5. Business casual for women
Business casual is no longer just black and white. Vietnamese women choose to wear a variety of classy and fashionable clothes in the office. Still with the traditional black skirts or dress pants, but they mix those with blouses. That combination makes businesswomen look very classy and fashionable.
—-Titi Chan
2014âs undisputable hit, Taeyangâs âEyes, Nose, Lipsâ (ENL), seems to be embroiled in some controversy lately as amateur artist Derrick Bullock accuses him and YG Entertainment of plagiarism.
Bullock claims the instrumentals for âENLâ came from his song âChange Me.â Bullock claims he has ownership of the instrumentals and says he has paperwork to prove it. On the now nonexistent MV for âChange Me,â Bullock wrote, “âŚIt [the song] DOES NOT belong to a Korean band â it was stolen from me and used in music in Korea 4 years ago. Before you start telling Derrick he stole this music, get your facts straight. Video and paper documentation are available for proof that all rights belong to Derrick Bullock.”
Both K and I Netizens have called Bullockâs word into doubt given the release timeline for both Taeyang and Bullockâs songs since the timeline shows– in terms of availability and release– Taeyang came first. And Bullockâs own words posted earlier than the amended text (image, above left) on the âChange Meâ MV seem to contradict his claim (image, Right).
Timeline:
June 3, 2014: Taeyangâs âEyes, Nose, Lipsâ released digitally
June 10, 2014: âENLâ released on RISEâs physical album
July 11, 2014:YG releases the official instrumental version for âENLâ
July 31, 2014: Bullock uploads âChange Meâ to YouTube
August 12, 2014: Bullock uploads âChange Meâ to iTunes
Bullock also seems to contradict his own timeline, first by saying the song was used in Korea 4 years ago (2010-2011), then stated he began composing it in 2008 (7 years ago), then told someone on Koreaboo that he wrote it in school 5 years ago.
Bullock could just have a fuzzy memory. He allegedly has paperwork to prove he composed the song years earlier, but he has yet to produce such documentation. By producing legitimate documentation, the whole issue could be laid to rest, and YG and Taeyang may face consequences.
Upon Bullockâs accusations, YG released a statement that said, âWe are aware of the issue at hand and we are internally preparing to deal with the matter.â
As of January 6, Bullockâs heavily synthed and autotuned âChange Meâ was blocked on YouTube on YG-filed copyright grounds; Bullock later removed the entire video.
With YG looking into the matter, fans anticipate that some legal action will be taken. In response to the individual who contacted Bullock about the copyright issue, he stated âI composed this music back in school 5 years ago with all the documentations to prove it. If anyone is getting sued, itâs your boyband guy that stole my music, not me. Thanks tho.â
There are a few different angles to this story:
1)Â Â Â Â Â Taeyang did plagiarize the song. Given the timeline and contradictions, this seems unlikely for now until Bullock produces the alleged paperwork.
2)Â Â Â Â Â Bullock plagiarized and is now trying to cover his tracks after getting caught.
3)Â Â Â Â Â This is all a publicity stunt on Bullockâs end to raise awareness toward his music and artistry.
Weâre only a few days into 2015, and already it looks like scandal-filled 2014 isnât ready to let go. Now itâs time to sit back, relax, and watch how this whole scandal unfolds!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwuAPyOImoI
—–Joelle Halon
The Big Threeâs artists dominated as expected in 2014, and other non-big-three artists like A Pink, Girlâs Day, BTS, VIXX, Orange Caramel, and B1A4 among others produced many fan-favorite hits that dominated the scene. Of course, there are some hidden gems that barely earned attention. Hopefully, you will give them a chance!
Amor Fati âSay the Wordâ
Since AOA has seemingly ditched their band concept in favor of sexy, cookie-cutter K-Pop themes, there are very few (read practically non-existent) girl groups who fulfill the girl-band concept. Enter Amor Fatiâs âSay the Wordâ that easily fills the girl-band void. The girls sing beautifully and play instruments well. They have hints of Sikkimâs Genesis of Pink, so fans of them may enjoy Amor Fati.
The Barberettes âLittle Girlsâ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djUtkx9DjBY
The Barberettes: Young ladies with old souls. Brilliant! The ladies channel the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s with ease and class, and they make old songs sound brand new again. Their concept is singing. Thereâs no glitz, glamour, hardcore dancing, and screaming fangirls and boys. Nope, theyâre all about purely singing and itâs wonderful.
Bay.B âQue Sera Seraâ (listed as âQuecera Ceraâ)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F85tDzHAug8
The Bay.B girls did a lot of covers on YouTube, so itâs great to see them release fresh music thatâs all their own. Bay.B sports powerful vocals and an old-school feel. Theyâre all about vocals over visuals, a refreshing change of pace from todayâs K-Pop. If you enjoy pure singing, then Bay.B is for you.
Chaness âSeSeSeâ
Chaness, subunit of LPG, debuted this summer with âSeSeSe.â While itâs not the strongest song vocally at points, it does show Chanessâ improvements as artists and as storytellers. âSeSeSeâ is sensual without being overtly sexy. Its ballroom music soundtrack helps its sensual feel, and its beat may make you want to dance along.
Dia âParadiseâ
Diaâs vocals have a special type of emotion wrapped in them that itâs hard to tell to pinpoint what exactly one hears when listening to her sing. There is joy in her melancholy, sadness in her happiness, but everything comes together to create a woman who knows how to make a listener feel her words. âParadiseâ has simple instrumentals that fade into the background to allow Dia to shine. If she decided to stay solo over returning to Kiss&Cry, it would be 100 percent okay if she keeps releasing music like this.
J.Min âShineâ and âHooâ
J.Min (To the Beautiful You) made her long-awaited Korean appearance with âHooâ and followed it up with the equally impressive âShine.â She plays guitar and sings, showing her talent. Sheâs different from other SM artists in that sheâs not the stereotype of a dancing machine, and thatâs why she should have fan attention.
Lucky J âCan You Hear Me?â
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDPvocJ3Mq0
JâKyun, Jessi, and JâHyo come together to form Lucky J, a co-ed trio with great voices that created a pretty epic song. Jessiâs voice has rawness and scratchiness that makes it unique and memorable while fitting the tone of the song well. JâKyun and JâHyo add a surprising sense of softness to Jessiâs hard edges. Together, beauty exists.
Mario ft. Kim Boa (SPICA) âDamagesâ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KiihLqqfog
Marioâs speedy rap and Kim Boaâs singing and soft rapping pair nicely. Kim provides the emotional response to Marioâs seemingly angry verses to create a multi-layer song that could please any type of listener whether that person is a rap-lover or has an appreciation for a pretty voice.
Michelle Lee âWithout Youâ
Michelle Lee was our first cover girl when K-Crush was established, and rightfully so! She provided the world with a beautiful song that paired with an equally beautiful and moving MV starring Yunji Collier as young Michelle. The song may be a power-anthem for the broken-hearted, but with the video, itâs a song about self-acceptance and gaining strength in a closed-minded, racially charged society where people seek tolerance. The song struck a chord with K-Pop bloggers and those who create reaction videos because of its message.
Ouigee âSpeedingâ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_skD8aZO4Wo
When anyone thinks of Trot music, many foreigners think of older audiences enjoying the music. 2014 rookies, Ouigee, dabbled in the Trot genre and created a fun, youth-oriented track about a short relationship gone wrong that can help Trot gain younger audiences. The Ouigee members have great charisma and a nice sense of fun about them, which makes themâand this songânot to be missed.
Puer Kim âManyo Maashâ
Puer Kim generated a lot of buzz on K-Pop forums with âManyo Maash.â First, the mannequins with the SM and YG references made it seem like she was hinting at both companies mass-producing similar-sounding artists (no comment), but she denied this, but it still had fans buzzing. However, the song is perfectly retro and simple, making it a great jam for those with old souls.
Purfles â1, 2, 3â
Purfles had one of the best K-Pop girl group debuts for 2014⌠but few knew about it. The MV they debuted with was on the weak side, but it gave them the opportunity to focus on their vocals which are, to date myself, âall that and a bag of chips.â Theyâre loud, theyâre proud, and their vocals just kick a whole lot of butt.
WINGS âBlossomâ
If listeners are fans of Davichi, WINGS are right up their alley. Sonyâs rookie duo was strong out of the gate with âHair Short,â but âBlossomâ is where they bloomed with heart and emotion. WINGS effortlessly flow from slow-to-mid-tempo ballad to create an interesting dynamic.
Yery Band âRomeo Mannequinâ
Koreaâs rock side often gets forgotten since pretty boy and girl groups dominate for young audiences. However, the rock scene shouldnât be forgotten. 2014 gifted us with Yery Band, a hard-edged rock band who wasnât afraid to push the envelope with their bloody, truly 19+ rated-MV. Yery Band channels Japanâs Visual Kei trend with the group appearing in Gothic clothing, tattoos, and harder-edged than the traditional candy feel of K-Pop. While the song is angsty and the video flips the âdamsel in distressâ themes, the MV does get old quickly because of all the death and destruction and constant geysers of unrealistic blood splatter. However, the song should have gotten more attention, MV aside.
Who were your favorite under-the-radar groups and singers for 2014? Share below and let us know!
—–Joelle Halon
As we all know that learning a foreign language, regardless of the language, requires keen interest and focus, as well as rapt concentration. It also requires more exposure to the language as much as possible. But still each language has its own uniqueness in terms of pronunciation, vocabulary as well as its grammar. So here are some very usable tips on the best way of learning Chinese:
Tip 1: Chinese is a tonic language. Its four tones are distinctive in meanings. So the learner must have this basic awareness in order to learn Chinese properly.
Tip 2: The tones are important and essential, but that doesnât mean you need to think about the tones when you are actually speaking the words. Most people find it really hard to remember the tones as it seems there are no rules for them to refer to. This really drives them crazy. The truth is this : when you first meet the new words, pronounce them slowly and exactly with the right tones and then turn the tones in your mind. When you start talking, just focus on the meaning you are trying to make instead of focusing on what tone each word has.
Tip 3: A Chinese word is mono-syllabic, but compound wordsâcombination of words, are more common. So always treat the compound words as one word in English.
Tip 4: The most common way to create a Chinese word is to use a base word, and then add a modifier to this base word to form a new vocabulary.
Tip5: Chinese grammar is very simple, basically following the same pattern of Subject +Predicate + object (just like in English), but we put time expression before the predicate instead of after it.
So, â I go to work at 8:00AM â in Chinese will be â I at 8:00AM go to workâ
Tip 6: I think everyone will love Chinese verbs because they are always the same regardless of its gender, tense, forms-singular or plural.
Tip 7: Chinese characters, some call it symbols are made up of lines. They are pictographic. Knowledge about the symbolic meaning of the patterns is helpful and essential in understanding the structures and meanings of the characters.
www.tianchinesehome.com      E-mail:tianchinesehome@yahoo.com  Skype: tianchinesehome
Itâs been almost 6 years of listening to kpop. I didnât like it at first because it was so different than what I was used to. My friend was the one who convinced me to listen to it because she used to be obsessed with kpop back then.
My Top 5 Favorite Boy Groups
1)    My number 1 favorite boy group would have to be Big Bang. This group really gained my interest and without this group, I probably would have stopped listening to kpop as soon as I first heard it. My favorite songs from Big Bang are: Haru Haru, Tonight, Lies, CafĂŠ, and Fantastic Baby. Even though the songs besides Fantastic Baby arenât as known, I suggest you listen to them if you havenât already.
2)    Second favorite group is EXO. What got me interested in this group was their dance choreography to one of their older songs called âHistory.â It was amazing how they can pull off a 3-4 minute song with such difficult choreography. Many people are only interested in their title songs because it has cool dance moves, but other songs in the albums are actually better. If you have not listened to: Moonlight, Peter Pan, Run, Baby Donât Cry, Thunder, Christmas Day, and 3.6.5. , you should get on that because you will not regret it.
3)    Third favorite is Beast. Iâve actually been a fan of Best since their debut. They werenât as popular back then, but fans started to recognize them as they released more songs. One of the members, Yong Joon Hyung, he writes and produces songs for the group. He wrote and produced the songs âShadowâ, âGood Luckâ and â12:30â, which were title songs. He also participated in previous albums, but not as much as these three songs. This group has many great songs and in fact, all their songs are good. My favorite ones are: On Rainy Days, The Fact, Back To You, Virus, You, and more.
4)    My fourth favorite is Shinee. This is one of the most skilled/talented kpop groups. Itâs very rare for all the members to be good at singing, but this group beats the stereotypes of being just famous for looks and with no talent. Iâve actually been to one of their concerts two years ago and it was amazing. They have the most difficult choreography among kpop groups and they manage to pull it off every time they get on stage. My favorite songs from Shinee are: Hello, Replay, Lucifer, Dream Girl, and more.
5)    Lastly my fifth favorite boy group is WINNER. This group debuted in 2014 and became an instant hit when the album was released. They were supposed to debut last year after the show WIN was over, but in order to debut with better quality music, the date kept getting pushed back. This is the first boy group by YG in 8 years. They havenât produced a new boy group since Big Bang, so they were already gaining a lot of attention before the debut. Their songs became a huge hit and were on the top 10 charts for weeks. My favorite songs are: Color Ring, Empty, Donât Flirt, Different, Tonight, and Smile Again.
My Top Girl Groups
1)    My number 1 is BOA. Sheâs a solo artist so she doesnât really fit into this category, but itâs still kpop. She is one of my biggest inspirations and listening to her music made me think I wanted to become a kpop singer just like her. Of course I got over that because I canât sing, but thatâs how much I was into her music. She debuted at the age of 13, which is very young to debut as a singer. Despite all the struggles she went through at such a young age, she became an inspirational artist. She spent half of her life in the music industry and is still going strong. My favorite songs are: Number 1, Girls On Top, Atlantis Princess, Only One, The Shadow, and more.
2)    Second favorite group is 2NE1. I donât care what anyone else thinks about Park Bomâs issue with drugs, 2NE1 is still one of the most powerful girl groups in kpop.  I honestly think this group has the best songs because the beat is always strong and very catchy. CL has strong charisma when sheâs on stage and it just drags you in and soon youâll be one of the supporting fans. Minzy has some awesome dance skills; itâs amazing how she learned the techniques at such a young age before she even debuted. Park Bom is one of the best vocalists among kpop groups. She has a very unique voice that most of us werenât familiar with and I think thatâs why so many people were into this group until recently when Par Bomâs issue became public. But there are many fans that remained to support the group, including myself. And the member Sandra is the visual for this group and sheâs so funny and cute. My favorite songs are: You and I, Lonely, I Donât Care, Go Away, Come Back Home, and more.
3)    Third group is Girls Generation aka SNSD. This is probably the most popular girl group and two of their music videos have reached over 100 million views on YouTube! Itâs crazy because theyâre the first female group to ever reach that many views, in fact, not even that many boy groups can get that many views. The only artist/group that has gone over 100 million are Psy and Big Bang so for Girls Generation to go over the limit was very special. A few months ago, one of the members Jessica left the group to focus on her career as a fashion designer. Many fans were shocked and Iâm sure the other members were too, but the group still remains strong. They did a performance a few days ago without Jessica and everything went so smooth and you couldnât even notice there were only 8 members. My favorite songs are: Tell Me Your Wish, Mr. Mr., Hoot, Oh, and more.
4)    My fourth favorite group is Apink. This group has released a lot of songs in the past two years and I think thatâs why they became so popular. All their songs are catchy and theyâre not promoting a sexy concept so anyone can listen to and watch their music videos. Every song they release has become a hit and theyâre gaining more and more fans each day. All their songs have cute dance choreography to them and itâs very easy to dance along. My favorite songs are: My My, I Donât Know, Mr. Chu, LUV, and more.
5)    And lastly, my last favorite group is F(x). It saddens me because this group deserves a lot more fandom than they have right now. They debuted in 2009 and the group hasnât even had their own concert. They have so much talent, but the company doesnât seem to be supporting them as much. After their hit release âElectric Shockâ the attention has gone down a lot and when they made a comeback a couple of months ago, one of the members Sulli temporary left the group and they kind of just stopped promoting their comeback song âRed Lightâ after couple of stage performances. Despite what people think, I personally liked their comeback song. Many people were saying the song was bad, but itâs very catchy and after listening to it a couple of times I began to really like it. My favorite songs are: Nu Abo, Electric Shock, Red Light, and more.
–— Juyeon Oh
Top Ten Albums of 2014
Besides individual songs, there are many great albums that dominated 2014. In fact, there were so many good albums, it is difficult to choose the most impressive ones without careful consideration. After some diligent thought, here are the top ten albums of 2014!
10. g.o.d Chapter 8
2014 gifted us with returns from a few first generation groups; the returns just made missing the worse feel worse. Chapter 8 gave K-Pop fans a taste of an era gone by and proved age is just a number for g.o.d. They still have the magic. Songs like âThe Lone Ducklingâ caught many listenersâ attentions when it was first released, but âSky Blue Promiseâ and âSaturday Nightâ provided an opportunity to earn a whole new fan base. The album was a perfect mix of nostalgia and freshness that made it a feel-good album this year.
9. B.A.P First Sensibility
B.A.Pâs first full album had something for everyone starting with its impressive title track âAngel (1004)â to the sensual âBody & Soul.â Yongguk once said the group wanted to try different styles; First Sensibility fulfilled that wish. Fans still experienced B.A.Pâs hip-hop styling, but they also got to experience Rock through âBangx2â and the membersâ sweetness with âWith You.â First Sensibility displays why B.A.P earned a large international following.
8. Roy Kim Home
Roy Kimâs folksy, artsy album is one of the feel-good albums of the year. Home packs an emotional wallop with âHomeâ and âNothing Lasts Forever,â but provides some upbeat sound with âNow I Know.â Kim manages to provide music for any mood and can easily lift sadness with Home. On an international scale, Home is truly underrated.
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7. Nell Newtonâs Apple
Kim Jong-Wan provided one of Nellâs best albums with Newtonâs Apple. Lush storytelling, instrumentals, and vocals come together to create a seamlessly harmonious musical triumph. The album connects to the broken-hearted while pairing the groupâs Indie Rock sound. Listeners can experience a wide range of emotions from angst via âNight of Rebirthâ to desperation in âEscape from Extinction.â Newtonâs Apple is a perfect example of why Nell quietly dominates the Indie scene.
6. CNBLUE Canât Stop
Canât Stop earns a star for not having a bad song on the album. The albumâs title track showcased Yong-Hwa at his finest, songs like âCold Loveâ with its bitter undertones and the soft âLike a Childâ bring out the best in the group as a whole. The rock scene is sadly under-represented in the Asian music scene these days, but CNBLUE perfectly fuses their rock roots with contemporary K-Pop. The best element of Canât Stop is how accessible it is to a K-Pop audience and even those outside of K-Pop since it has a certain maturity and great songwriting to make a statement without being potentially obnoxious.
5. Ha:felt Me?
Wonder Girlâs Yenny makes her debut with a beautifully touching album that engages the senses. The album dabbles in Indie music, emotional ballads, and sweet rawness that suggests Yenny is baring her soul for all to see. âAinât Nobody,â the albumâs single, perfectly introduces audiences to her vocal styling, while âPeter Panâ goes right to the heart of things by leaving a mark on the heart. The album should have been discussed more as a possible award contender, but sadly, it was not.
4. 2NE1 Crush
Since its release, Crush has been one of the most talked albums in 2014. Why not? Songs likeâCome Back Homeâ and âGotta Be Youâ have been discussed for awards, the latter picking up an MTV Iggy. The album even debuted at #61 on Billboardâs top 200 list. The lyrics presented on many of Crushâs songs are raw and personal with instrumentals pulling from Middle Eastern sounds and hip-hop influences. The ladies of 2NE1 stay true to who they are as well by showing unwavering resolve and power.
3. Seo Taiji Quiet Night
Electropop, synth, and the artist-with-an-inability-to-age, Seo Taiji, come back after a five-year hiatus, and the results are delicious! The album feels like something out of a Tim Burton film, especially the song âChristmalo.Winâ which combines themes of Halloween and Christmas to make for an interesting song. The live stages also combine both themes to add to the imagery. Songs like âFighter of the Forestâ and âThe Christmas Miracleâ sample from the sounds of the 1980s and 1990s to reach older audiences. The thing about Seo Taiji is he is quite the smart man and made music that can reach an audience both young and old.
2. Taeyang Rise
Taeyang embraced both R&B and hip-hop with Rise with his tracks âLet Goâ and âRinga Lingaâ to help show growth and range, but âEyes, Nose, Lipsâ was the runaway hit this year. Rise also caught the attention of the American audience by debuting at 112 on Billboardâs hot 200 chart, making Taeyang the highest charting Korean male soloist. The album did boast other great songs besides âENLâ like â1amâ and âStay With Me,â so itâs easy to say that if every song was a single, chances are they would all chart. Taeyang impressed with his skill and any accolades he received was well-deserved.
1. Epik High Shoebox
Produced by Epik High, Shoebox is one of the groupâs most personal albums that covers many highs and lows. From the raw, edgy, and swear-riddled âBorn Haterâ to the pretty âHappen Ending,â Shoebox does well in showing the many facets of Epik High. âAmor Fatiâ and âSpoilerâ also impress with their content value and lyrical styling to the point of taking oneâs breath away at the brilliance behind the music. Then again, itâs rare to expect anything else outside of excellence from Epik High.
—-Â Joelle Halon
What I found unique about kpop is that there are always a large amount of group members and they each represent something in the group such as lead vocal, lead dancer, visual, etc. I think itâs really cool how all the groups have choreography to their songs. Having different dance moves that go along with the song are one of the biggest reasons why so many people are into kpop.
When youâre first introduced to kpop, you might be confused and overwhelmed especially if youâre watching the music video because there are so many things going on all at once. Itâs very hard to figure out what the music video is about because it doesnât really go with the lyrics of the song. Itâs almost always random things to gain more attention. Not everyone is into kpop for that reason, but itâs also the biggest reason why people like it. And to those who donât like kpop are the ones who listened to it for the first time and first time only. They watch one music video and think itâs stupid, so they donât watch another one to see if they will like it or not.
To the people who are into kpop, probably didnât like it at first either, but they had the patience to watch/listen to other songs and maybe one of them gained interest and kept looking for more to see if there were more they liked.
Music videos are always interesting to watch. If you ever get bored and have nothing to do, you might as well watch the music videos because itâll keep you entertained. Some kpop videos are very long and itâs almost like a short drama. Most songs are between 3 to 4 minutes, but the ones with short stories in them will last from 8 to 20 minutes. An example of this would be IUâs music videos and also T ARAâs music videos. It will feel like youâre watching a short musical/film or even drama if the story gets intense.
Hereâs a fun fact: average kpop group spends anywhere from a month to 3 months on one choreographed routine.  Itâs not because the choreography is hard to learn, itâs because there are other members besides yourself so just because you have it down perfect, doesnât mean everyone else does. All the members have to be on point and they keep on practicing until no mistakes are made. This is a lot harder than it sounds because every dance move has to be sharp and formations have to be correct every time. If one of this fails, the entire choreography will look messy no matter how great they were doing in the beginning. As a dancer myself, I know how hard it is to cooperate with many people while doing the same thing. Even if youâre an amazing dancer, you canât leave practice until all the members have caught up to your speed.
Another fun fact: most groups have at least 1 foreigner in the group. This is to help the group gain interest from different countries. For example, if the member is from the United States, people who are into kpop in the U.S. will be interested in that member and if he/she meets their expectations, they will become a fan of him/her. Also, if the group goes to a foreign country and if itâs the country the foreign member is from, that person will be in charge of talking and promoting the group. Itâs a win-win for the foreign member and also other members/company. The member who is not Korean will be able to live their dream of becoming a kpop idol and the other members will gain more popularity.
—-Juyeon Oh
The end is year, so now we face the final curtain as we reveal the top ten best songs for 2014. As with the rest of the list, there are quite a few surprises on top. Letâs close out 2014 with some songs that made the year worthwhile!
10. Younha âUmbrellaâ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTVvtlfU-Ts
Ten years after the original release, Younha released âUmbrellaâ sans Tablo. Younha still provides strong emotion and beauty which makes the updated version just as gorgeous and memorable as the original. The ending notes where âforever in the rainâ echoes and trails off packs such a heart-wrenching punch, even the coldest of people may feel some tears. âUmbrellaâ truly stands the test of time.
9. Ailee âDonât Touch Meâ   Â
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a5zTTYaNl8
Aileeâs music has an empowering quality that just makes a listener want to burst into a room and strut like sheâs an unstoppable being. âDonât Touch Meâ embraces power and womanhood in its beat and instrumentals, making the song feel less about ending a relationship because personal empowerment reigns supreme more. You go, Ailee!
8. Puer Kim âManyo Maashâ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2sMLUyoNfY
Released in February, itâs pretty safe to say âManyo Maashâ has been forgotten by many because of the rush of idol group releases and rookie debuts. If thatâs the case, itâs a shame since Puer Kimâs unusual vocals are memorable. Her dark, gothic styling for the song turned her into a modern-day Morticia Addams with jazzy, bluesy sound. Sheâs different and that matters!
7. Akdong Musician âMeltedâ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUCIzn0mRHc
The AKMU siblings have wisdom well beyond their years as shown in âMelted.â âMeltedâ gets right to the bottom of human existence these days by covering how people generally seem colder and less kind, yet it leaves the door open for hope. While these two are still in their early teens, itâs safe to say people can learn a lot from them in terms of musical styling.
6. Roy Kim âHomeâ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czdxV99r89Y
Roy Kim is not just a singer: Heâs a storyteller. His vocals in âHomeâ paint a picture of the meaning of family eloquently. Kimâs talent should not be denied.
5. Girlâs Day âSomethingâ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akPDKYwIoVk
âSomethingâ surprised everyone with how much of a hit it was, propelling Girlâs Day into a position of being one of the next âitâ groups. The sexy yet classy dance added to the songâs appeal for many also. Since âSomething,â Girlâs Day has made many TV appearances, held fan meetings, and released two other successful singles. Thereâs âsomethingâ about them these days.
4. Beast âGood Luckâ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs8QGv2VqJA
Billboard named âGood Luckâ as the top K-Pop song of the year for 2014. From the word âgo,â the song captivates while providing an awesome dance track. Yoseob and Junhyung feed off each other greatly, and the other members stepped up to shine in each of their respective parts. The MVâs themes pull from the films 2046 and In the Mood for Love and does so effortlessly and flawlessly to show how well Beast thinks about their concepts.
3. MC Mong âMiss Me or Diss Meâ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6OxVfem0WM
MC Mong made his return much to Koreaâs chagrin, but that shouldnât undermine how amazing his return was. âMiss Me or Diss Meâ covers his time away and how he felt in a beautifully poetic way. Jinsilâs chorus is what will keep listenersâ attentions because she plays a powerful role in the songâs bold message.
2. EPIK HIGH âHappen Endingâ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8GUlNNXBVg
Whenever EPIK HIGH releases a song, fans can count on it being popular. âHappen Endingâ just had all the right moves in all the right places. 쥰ěě âs voice added depth to Tablo and Mithraâs rap to make the song haunting and amazing. But, itâs EPIK HIGH, can we expect anything less?
1. Taeyang âEyes, Nose, Lipsâ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwuAPyOImoI
When it was released, âEyes Nose, Lipsâ set the bar high for music this year to the point where it was pretty much clear it was the song of the year. Other artists covered it; fans covered it. The song was everywhere, yet, it never got annoying. Taeyang had a bonafide, timeless hit on his hands, so thereâs no denying it is 2014âs Song of the Year!
There you have it: 2014âs best songs! Of course, our list may be different than yours. What was in your top 10?
Now itâs time to look ahead to 2015. Who will be on top then?
—- Joelle Halon
The beginning of 2014 was a huge shock for the EXO fans. As much as they were excited for the comeback, things didnât go the way it was planned. After a week or two the music video was released and the group started promoting âOverdoseâ it all went down hill when it was all over the news that Kris had filed a lawsuit against SM for not giving him fair choices and taking advantage of him. His reasons were that when he was sick, he couldnât take time off to rest, money wasnât given fairly, etc.
I understand his point of view, but he was very selfish to file the lawsuit at the last minute when he knew they were having a comeback. The members kept performing without Kris and some members even cried when they went on a variety show to discuss about Kris leaving. Just when the fans thought everything was going back to normal, another member filed a lawsuit against SM. Luhan, had similar reasons as Kris and this was a bigger shock for the fans because Luhan had always had an innocent image, so for him to turn back on the team members was just too much. In my opinion, their biggest reason for leaving the group was because of money. They grew up in China in wealthy homes, so I guess they didnât realize how hard it was to make money from being an idol in a different country. I do understand their decision, but at the same time I donât. I mean, why would you go through all the tough training years just to quit? It just shows they didnât care about the team members because they would not have backstabbed them if they cared about the group. Since they gained enough fans through EXO, they thought they would be able to gain success in China as well.
The rumors say that Kris and Luhan have met with some big companies in China but no one really wants to sign a contract with them because they know what they did was wrong and many people look at them negatively. It wasnât hard to notice the struggles the remaining members were going through because they hardly participated in variety shows during their promotion. Since EXO is divided into EXO M for promoting in China and EXO K for promoting in Korea, I wonder if they will be promoting their next comeback song in China after losing two Chinese members. They still have two more Chinese members remaining in EXO M but it wonât be the same. Maybe SM will combine the two groups and have the 10 members promote together instead of dividing them equally to balance out the team.
I feel like their comeback would have been a lot more successful if these incidents hadnât happened, but there is nothing we can do now. Maybe itâs for the better because it seems like the members have a stronger bond between them. You know what they say, the more difficulties you go through in life it will push you to become more successful. After all the struggles the other members have gone through, they are stronger than ever. The 10 members performed at 2014 SBS Gayo Daejun and you couldnât even tell someone was missing. Their performance looked amazing and they are way better off without the two members. With all the past pushed to the side, SM released a teaser for EXOâs comeback in January 2015 on their YouTube page. Hopefully nothing will go wrong this time and I wish them the best of luck.
 
—-Juyeon Oh