Tuesday Reviews: BoA Kiss My Lips, the 8th Album

BoA makes her long-awaited return to the Korean music scene with her 8^th album, Kiss My Lips. The album presents listeners with classic BoA as she seems to have returned to her roots. The majority of the album is good, easy, enjoyable listening sure to delight any BoA fan. For anyone nostalgic for her early 2000s’ material, this is the album for you.

“Kiss My Lips” opens the album. The song perfectly shows BoA’s growth as an artist while successfully reaching a hand to her beginnings. The song itself is flirty and sensual with a “let’s play hard to get vibe” that matches well with the accompanying track. The music’s beat feels like it belongs on her No. 1 album from years ago. BoA’s echoing, deeper vocals on the chorus showcase her more mature vocals indicating that she’s only gotten better with age.

The second track, “Who Are You,” features Gaeko. The song feels like a first love song , adding to the adorable vibe. “Who Are You” is upbeat, a perfect song for warm weather and summer romance. Like “Kiss My Lips,” it recalls earlier BoA eras where joy can be felt in the lyrics. Gaeko’s rap feels a bit too harsh for the song at times, but it fits lyrically. Gaeko’s voice does fit well with BoA’s, but the rap does feel a little off. Toward the end of the song, the rap matches well since it’s softened.

“Smash” picks up the beat more and incorporates more pop-rock elements. The song is overall cheerful and one that could have a fun dance-break if it was ever turned into an MV. The song feels like it could be part of an off-Broadway musical or an opening theme to a US-TV show on the Family Channel or Disney. While it’s upbeat and fun, the tone feels off for BoA as it really does feel more like a show tune than a standout song on an album. There is a 1980s, early 1990s vibe at some points that help make the song sound better than what it is. Overall, it’s more High School Musical or Make It Pop than a potential BoA hit.

One of the standouts is “Shattered.” “Shattered” is a dance track that has hints of melancholy. What’s nice about the song is how it has hints of late-era Michael Jackson, but the feminine spin adds a nice, new layer to the beats Jackson laid down for musicians. BoA’s vocals match the beat well, especially during the chorus to where the vocals and instrumentals match so well, they almost sound like one. So far, “Shattered” earned the most play-time from me.

“Fox” has an old-school vibe and a good vibe. BoA’s high notes sound oh-so-right for the song. The way the song fades in at the beginning makes it feel peaceful even though it’s a mid-tempo track. The song is cute and enjoyable. When the song ended, however, I forgot I listened to it, so memorability is an issue. It’s still a feel-good song, so it’s sad it doesn’t stand out much.

Eddy Kim lends his vocals on “Double Jack.” Eddy Kim was a great choice for the duet because he has the right amount of softness and power to balance BoA’s voice. BoA sounds stronger than Kim, so he is overpowered at times. However, this doesn’t occur enough to flaw the song. Vocals feel just right.

“Home” reveals BoA’s R&B side. Her softness here stirs emotions that make the listener feel the song. “Home” is simple with a certain elegance to it that makes it feel relatable at times. The chorus truly stands out because of how BoA lowers her tone. There is a lot of heart here.

“Clockwork,” the eighth track, has tango elements that feel straight out of Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge. The instrumentals make the song feel off-pace and strange. Some lyrics feel rushed and awkward, especially her pronunciation of “idea.” A song that could have been fast-paced and sensual turned into something that’s more messy than anything. To describe it, it’s like sloppy sex that tried to be steamy and sensual. There was a lot of lost potential here.

Track nine is “Love and Hate.” The song features a sweet and unplugged BoA. The rawness shows her vulnerability and paints a pretty portrait. Part of the song’s charm is its simplicity because BoA just sings. There’s nothing fancy: No dance track, no vocal distortions. It’s just BoA and a guitar. Sometimes simplicity speaks more than anything else, and this is why “Love and Hate” is one of the best songs on the album.

“Green Light” will make fans of her Japanese work happy as it has a J-Pop feel. The instrumentals have an upbeat feel that seem like they belong to an anime OST. BoA’s tone is also higher-pitched which feels more J-Pop than K-Pop, but this is why BoA is who she is since she does promote for both genres. The cheery tune will engage fans who enjoy her J-Pop hits, though it feels a bit generic.

Track eleven is the refreshing “Hello.” BoA allows the lyrics to carry her, making the result soft and dreamlike. The song has the potential to transport listeners to a better place. The piano instrumentals are peaceful and romantic. The overall composition is clear and elegant and shows why BoA is one of the queens of K-Pop still.

Finally, “Blah” recalls the nostalgic feel the beginning of the album introduced. The song is the perfect way to wrap the album as it is light-hearted and positive. She sings about being in a controversy and how words are used as weapons. The lightness sends a message that people shouldn’t care about what’s said. As the saying goes, “haters gonna hate,” but BoA doesn’t care. “Blah” sums up why BoA is a glorious being.

Overall, Kiss My Lips is a nice return to the Korean scene with some great feelings of nostalgia. There are a few songs that aren’t memorable, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t good. BoA is still one of the queens, and she continues to cement her place in this position.

Kiss My Lips receives a B+.

—-Joelle Halon

NU’EST was the next group to visit Texas, the first of many visiting this state this summer. The 5 member boy group performed May 3rd at Gilley’s in Dallas, Texas after a successful concert in Toronto. General admission was free to this show courtesy of the sponsor, MyMusicTaste.

Fans began lining up as early as 8:00 a.m. in the morning the day of the show, excited for the group’s first performance in Texas. Many traveled far for this show including a group from Mexico. Around 1:00 p.m. or so Aron came outside and spoke to fans for a little while bringing out cases of water himself for those waiting.

Doors opened around 5 p.m., with more than 500 people filling up the venue. MyMusicTaste, the sponsor of the event opened the show thanking all of the fans for coming and hyping up the crowd before NU’EST took the stage.

They performed a 16 song set including “Action”, “Face”, and “Good Bye Bye”. NU’EST’s stage presence was incredible, making the small venue feel like full stage, but still having an intimate feel because of the closeness. NU’EST’s live vocals left everyone in awe, especially during ballads.

NU’EST were very grateful towards the fans that attended the show, thanking them every speaking opportunity they had.

After the show, fans who bought tickets had the opportunity to meet the boys during a signing and photo. During the signing each member spoke a little with fans, laughing and smiling during conversations.

NU’EST seemed to enjoy their time in Dallas as much as the fans did, promising to come back soon on another tour.

—Ke’Anna Bullard

Baekho, lead singer of NU’EST, one of South Korea’s famous boy groups, revealed on his Instagram post last April 8 that his father was diagnosed with acute leukemia. The lead vocalist was very straight in asking fans’ assistance for blood donation cards.

Leukemia is cancer of the blood which arises from the development of abnormal white blood cells in the bone marrow and lymphatic system. This can be characterized as acute or chronic depending on how fast the disease gets worse. In the case of Baekho’s father, it was identified to be acute myelocytic leukemia (AML).

AML is characterized by growth and spread of immature white blood cells called as blast cells. Other primary types of leukemia are Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), and Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

White blood cells are body’s natural defense against infection. People with leukemia develop abnormal and fast-growing white blood cells which put patients on high risk of developing infection, bleeding, and anemia.

Leukemia can be diagnosed in different ways. A physical examination may suggest swollen lymph nodes and liver and spleen enlargement. Routine blood examination is one of the common laboratory procedures that can determine abnormal cell growth and chromosomal abnormalities. More complex procedures like biopsy and bone marrow test can confirm presence of leukemia cells.

Common signs and symptoms include frequent and persistent bleeding, bruising, and infections, sudden and unexplained weight loss, fever, chills, sweating, fatigue, bone pain, appearance of petechiae or tiny red spots in the skin, and night sweats.

The cause of leukemia is unknown. However, several factors increase one’s risk of developing the disease. Risk factors include family history of leukemia, genetic and chromosomal abnormalities, smoking, exposure to radiation and chemicals such as benzene, and previous cancer treatment.

The treatment process for leukemia is based on the type of leukemia, patient’s age, extent of disease, and patient’s overall physical condition. Stem cell transplant is one known method of leukemia treatment. Through this procedure, the affected bone marrow is replaced with a good one that will allow reconstruction and repair. This treatment may not be recommended for patients with old age.

Chemotherapy, the most common treatment for cancer including many types of leukemia, uses single or multiple drug combination to kill abnormal white blood cells. Radiation therapy is another method frequently used to kill and prevent spread of leukemia cells in preparation for stem cell transplant. Supportive treatment for maintenance includes antibiotics to fight infections, blood-forming factors, and blood replacement.

According to Leukemia Research Foundation, there are more than 310,000 Americans living with leukemia which causes more deaths than any other cancer among children and young adults under the age of 20; however, leukemia is diagnosed 10 times more often in adults than children. Every day 143 Americans are diagnosed with leukemia and 66 lose the fight. (Leukemia-research.org)

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society reveals surprising statistics of leukemia. In their website, it was stated that leukemia ranked fifth in the most common cause of cancer deaths in men and sixth most common in women in the United States.

“However several important differences should be highlighted in lymphoma and leukemia. In the present study, the most significant improvements in survival were observed in leukemia and lymphoma patients, but the survival rates for leukemia and lymphoma were noticeably lower than in the U.S. and Germany. This reason for this difference in the survival rate by ethnic was that the incidence cases of subgroup of leukemia and lymphoma was different between U.S. AYAs and Korea AYAs. More, ethnic disparities in tumor biology and clinical factors may influence cancer treatment and survival. Compared with the survival of patients aged 1 to 10 years, overall survival and disease-specific survival are clinically significantly poorer among AYA patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The survival rates for leukemia among the Korean AYAs in our study have remained worse than among Korean children based on data from the KCCR.” (Cancer Incidence and Survival among Adolescents and Young Adults in Korea, May 1, 2014 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096088)

More clinical studies are being conducted to discover better diagnostic, treatment, and maintenance systems, improve patients’ quality of life, and decrease mortality rate due to leukemia.

Ibrutinib was found to be a potential leukemia treatment. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers reports significant survival period improvement through the use of the said drug.

Another study shows significant progress in understanding the pathophysiology of acute myelocytic leukemia (AML). Researchers have found out different forms of AML which might require different clinical treatment methods. These findings can be utilized to help doctors and scientists determine better treatment procedures for leukemia patients.

This mini drama stars Moon Gayoung as Yeonhee, a shy girl treated harshly by her mother (similarly to Sweden Laundry, for those that have watched that) and Exo as themselves.

Episode 5

This episode starts out with what I guess is another of Yeonhee’s bad dreams. This time around she is an older homeless woman being interview and she warns of binoculars, cock roaches and international stars.

Once awake it is shown she has a cold and when her mother starts hounding her, her brother steps in and defends her much to Yeonhee’s surprise.

Next door, D.O. is pacing and Chanyeol is constantly looking out the window towards Yeonhee’s house. They wonder why she hasn’t come over to clean and Sehun offers to get her number from her brother, who he has formed a strange friendship with.

Meanwhile, the delirious Yeonhee is flashing back to her second confrontation with Chanyeol. When he asked if she knew him, Yeonhee responded as a fan which disappoints Chanyeol. I’m guessing he had a thing for her when they were younger or they were close friends, which would explain his expression.

D.O leaves a drink for Yeonhee with her brother, much to Yeonhee’s pleasure. I think this is the beginning of a sort of rivalry between Chanyeol and D.O for Yeonhee’s attention. I’m hoping

The next day Yeonhee is feeling well enough to go to work, however she is confronted by Chanyeol in his room for the third time, where he apologizes to her.

I am still waiting for a full explanation for EXO’s hiatus in this drama but I like all the episodes so far. I really enjoy the weird friendship between Sehun and Yeonhee’s brother.

Episode 6

This episode begins with Chanyeol trying to see if he can get Yeonhee to remember anything by saying her name. She doesn’t and he sets her back to working. When Yeonhee goes home, she receives a text from Chanyeol saying she needs to be ready for their initiation ceremony.

While walking outside Yeonhee’s brother is attacked by girls asking him if EXO were living next door to him. Seeing that he was completely clueless, the girls leave him alone. He later looks up EXO, sees clips from their “Mama” music video(the super powers one) and sets out to warn Yeonhee of the dangerous people next door. I was cracking up during this entire little section, his reactions are hilarious.

He does not let her leave to EXO’s house without giving her a helmet. During the interview, they nickname her Incheon Gal and give her a set of rules to follow.

Later on Chanyeol is working on a song, and is very frustrated, telling Baekhyun it just doesn’t sound right. Baekhyun assures him that everything will work out.

Yeonhee is walking outside when she bumps into someone and once she sees who it is she has a flashback to the person telling her they were leaving. I’m guessing this is someone she had a romantic relationship with because she turns red and doesn’t speak or look directly at him.

The man begins to speak a little harshly to her and EXO come to the rescue.

You finally get a little more behind the story of why EXO are on hiatus(Chanyeol’s inability to write songs after destroying his grandfather’s charm). This episode developed the relationship between Yeonhee and each member a little further. I can see why people who aren’t EXO fans have started paying attention to this show.

Screencaps: KShowOnline.com

— Ke’Anna Bullard.

For those riding the Hallyu Wave, South Korea is a music mecca full of hardworking individuals and companies who strive to make the music happen. The same goes for those who want to produce music or even act in movies and TV shows. However, for many, breaking into the Korean entertainment industry is an unattainable dream, so acting or singing alongside the stars is something fit for fantasies and not reality.

What if someone told you it is possible to attain your dream, especially if you’re a foreigner? What if someone told you it’s possible to become a global star instead of a Hallyu star?

If this sounds like a joke, don’t start laughing yet. A new entertainment company called IT Factor wants to step up and turn idol dreams into a reality and help turn potential stars into global icons. Kcrush America obtained an interview with Jermaine Risby, Co-CEO of IT Factor, and he’s here to tell you a lot about his goals and IT Factor’s mission.

 

Kcrush (KC): To begin, can you tell readers a little bit about yourself and IT Factor Entertainment?

Jermaine Risby (JR): My name is Jermaine Risby, Co-CEO and founder of IT Factor Entertainment and I am a former musical theater actor. I’ve been in musicals all over the US, including Hairspray, Jesus Christ Superstar and The Fantasticks. I studied musical theater at The Hartford Conservatory and The Tisch School at NYU, and have a degree in music education with a focus in voice and cello.

Our mission is to nurture and develop talent, from marketing and branding to thoroughly training them. During the process we would also develop projects around them by producing films, TV shows, and web series featuring developed talent. We will manage every aspect of their career as well as record/produce all their albums and create original content for them to star in once officially signed as an IT Factor Artist.

All artists under IT Factor Entertainment will be role models and leaders in the world of not just entertainment but in their communities and communities around the world. We will use the K-Pop formula to not just bring foreigners to K-Pop, but also bring the beauty and traditions of Korea to an international audience.

 

KC: What led you to want to create It Factor Entertainment, and what is your ultimate goal for the company?

JR: I truly respect the Korean way of developing artists, it reminds me of the Motown way of developing artists as well as the training I received when I did musical theater. I really believe that for an artist to have longevity, they need to be thoroughly trained and able to show their ultimate potential. I wanted to create something similar with international talent as well as spotlight musical artists from Asian countries to the western audience.

The ultimate goal for IFE is to create “global” pop – where all nationalities are represented, and ultimately anyone can enter any entertainment industry around the world regardless of their race.

 

KC: You’re based in Korea. What made you choose Korea over anywhere else in the world?

JR: South Korea is a great metro area that has so much to offer, and their competitive nature makes it a great place to really focus on training. Plus they have great trainers (some of the best in the world), but really don’t get the recognition they deserve.

I also personally love the traditions and cultural aspects of South Korea, and the language is simply beautiful.

 

KC: In your “About Us” statement, you say that IT Factor will “be able to give a voice to those who are talented but aren’t given a fair chance to really shine.” Could you explain what you mean by this statement and how you plan to do that?

JR: We mean that we will be able to showcase those who wouldn’t have the opportunity to do so because of lack of opportunity by marketing them to the masses and really developing their talents for longevity in the industry.

 

KC: In terms of talent, what are you looking for in potential signees when they head into the auditioning process? What would make them have the “It Factor” that could turn them into stars?

JR: We are looking for those who have raw talent that can be molded into amazing artists. For the first round of trainees, their training experience will be very condensed compared to future training classes. Right now, we are looking for those with some existing training as well as potential because we need talent that will be able to handle the tight training schedule. Once the first two groups are established, we will bring in those who may be younger or have less experience for a longer training period.

 

KC: For those who may be interested, what will the audition process be like? What should people expect during the process, and how should they best prepare for an audition?

JR: Well, right now we are doing an online audition process first, and from there we will chose ten guys and ten girls to come to South Korea for a week of auditions and training. We will also have live auditions in South Korea as well.

The audition process is pretty simple, so expect us to be fair and honest. When it comes to preparing for your audition, just don’t try too hard and make sure you put the best “you” out there. So, don’t rush to make your videos because this is your first impression.

 

KC: There are a lot of young people domestically and abroad who dream about entering the K-Pop industry. However, they may not understand what it takes to train properly to become a star. For anyone who is interested in auditioning for your company, could you describe what to expect during the training process so future participants understand what’s involved?

JR: Because of the intense training schedule, talent should honestly be prepared to be training every day. In between training times, they will also be doing interviews, Web series, and cover videos to build their fan base.

There will be opportunities to work on song writing skills as well as community services to show South Korea that we are serious about integrating into the community.

It will be stressful and slightly overwhelming, and since our trainees will debut within a year, they need to be mentally prepared for it all because we will release those who don’t keep up.

 

KC: It seems your focus is on bringing foreigners into the K-Pop industry while also introducing “global stars.” Over the years, K-Pop fans haven’t taken too kindly to foreigners within K-Pop like in the case of Chad Future or even the new project group EXP. How do you plan on changing the public’s negative perception of foreigners in K-Pop, especially since K-Pop is “Korean Pop”? It seems you may be eliminating the Korean aspect.

JR: First of all, our talent will be required to learn Korean as well as totally embrace Korean culture and tradition while also embracing other countries’ traditions and cultures. What makes us different is that we truly respect all things Korean.

Also, we aren’t strictly a K-Pop company. We are a global company, so with that said, we are looking to bridge the gap between Eastern and Western countries.

Ultimately, K-Pop is pop music sung in Korean. So if you can with confidence sing in Korean, then why can’t you do K-Pop? South Korea is known as a homogeneous country, but that is changing very rapidly and with that, Koreans are warming up to the idea of different nationalities appearing in their media world.

 

KC: What do you plan on doing differently from other companies that may help foreigners succeed in the industry?

JR: It’s not a matter of doing things differently; it’s a matter of adapting. Koreans do not want us to come and try to change things, but to adapt and show that we aren’t trying to take over. So what we would do to help foreigners succeed is work the Korean entertainment industry and show that we truly respect their business model and take it serious when it comes to becoming a part of this ever-growing Hallyu Wave.

 

KC: Some may be suspicious of your intentions of entering the Korean market or may feel you’re trying to ride on a trend; therefore, they may see IT Factor as something that will not last when and if the Hallyu trend fades. What can you tell potential participants or any followers of your company to indicate that your intentions are pure and not based on trying to ride a trend?

JR: What we want to say is that firstly, we aren’t strictly a K-Pop company. We are looking to branch into entertainment industries all over the world. We chose to start with South Korea because of reasons stated earlier. We are not interested in riding a trend. If anything, we want to be trend setters ourselves. So our followers do not need to worry that we are here for a moment and then leave. We want to help the Hallyu Wave spread even further then it has already, as well as embrace other industries around the world. Our intentions are pure and will always be. We believe music and other forms of performance art can truly bring the world together, and we want to do our share.

 

KC: What do you think IT Factor can do to improve the K-Pop industry?

JR: I think opening it up for other races is a huge step forward. We want to do much the same as other companies, and improve as we see fit for each and every artist that we sign under our banner to make our artists not just idols and role models in Korea, but for the whole world.

 

KC: There has been a lot of negative attention regarding the treatment of artists by K-Pop agencies. How will yours be different?

JR: Financially, we will be able to offer more right off the bat, because we want to make sure our artists are happy and will continue to grow and improve to then help us bring in the financial gains to keep the circle of life going.

Training will be tough, that’s a given, but we will make sure our talent is treated with respect by never using negative reinforcement to get what we want out of them – instead encouraging and supporting our artists to be the best artist they can be. Also we have other plans such as proper insurance, health screening/nutrition planning, etc. to show that their health matters, as that’s been a key factor in the issues before. Also, schedule management, since some artists are booked so tightly they have to speed outrageously to manage it and/or aren‘t given much time off or to rest properly, causing injuries, collapse from exhaustion, and traffic incidents.

We also will give our artists options to attend college, as well (all expenses paid).

 

KC: Many K-Pop companies have long contracts. Are you going to take a similar approach or will you be giving your artists more flexibility? Please explain.

JR: Our artist will have five-year contracts. If they are successful, they will have the option to renew their contracts or discuss other options as we want our artists to stay within the company even if they decide to take on different roles (i.e.: actor, model, solo singer, producer, writer or choreographer or work on the business side of things).

 

KC: You’re looking for people to fill spots for a five-member male group and a three-to-four member female group. Do you have any concepts in the works for these groups that potential trainees may be interested in, or will you be creating a concept based on the people you select? Furthermore, will you be following the typical formula many K-Pop groups have with members where you have a visual, rapper, vocalist, dance, and sub-rappers and vocals, or will you try to break the mold here?

JR: For concept, we will build the specifics based on talent, but we will work hard to make sure that we stay true to our mission and make sure that an actual effort is made to create something new and exciting.

As far as the type of groups we will be making, they all have to know how to sing (solo and in a group) and everyone will have to be strong dancers. Everyone will have their strengths; we won’t necessarily build the group based on the typical K-Pop formula. We aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel, but we do want to make it more efficient with a larger demographic.

 

KC: Finally, for those who may be opposed to the ideas IT Factor wants to bring forth, what would you like to say or prove to them now? With this in mind, where do you expect to be in five, ten, or even 15 years from now?

JR: Don’t jump to conclusions about what we will and won’t do. Just watch and enjoy/support the ride.

In five years, we expect to have several artists under our banner that are internationally acclaimed, as well as several charities. Also, we want to represent models, actors, and other forms of entertainers.

In ten years, we want to have offices all over the world – especially in Europe and India, with fully functional training facilities where we could train the future of the entertainment world not just in performing, but also in writing, producing, and directing, as well. Also in mind is a production company where we develop projects for our talent, and hopefully an online channel devoted to everything related to #IFE.

By year 15, we want to be one of the biggest international entertainment conglomerates in the world with a fully operational production company, technology company, and several other companies under our belt making us one of the companies leading the way for the future of entertainment.

 

KC: Thank you so much for your time, Jermaine! We look forward to seeing what IT Factor has planned in the future, and we look forward to seeing your artists somewhere down the road!

If you’re interested in IT Factor and what they’re trying to accomplish in the industry, you check them out on Facebook and on their website! If you ever wanted to make it in the music industry, perhaps this is your chance. Good luck!

 

On the Web: http://www.itfactor4eva.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itfactor4eva?fref=ts

 

—- Joelle Halon 

Episode 3
This mini drama stars Moon Gayoung as Yeonhee, a shy girl treated harshly by her mother (similarly to Sweden Laundry, for those that have watched that) and Exo as themselves.

Picking back up from the last episode with Yeonhee is having a nightmare, ending with Chanyeol sitting on her bed asking if she had fun sneaking a peak into their house. Later, Yeonhee being instructed by her mother, who I guess is the person renting out the house to Exo, to clean and do the laundry for Exo while they are staying. Naturally, she throws a fit and her mother almost reveals who is staying in the house (she doesn’t know Yeonhee already figured it out).
Gaeun, who also appeared in the last episode to spy on EXO, brings the distressed Yeonhee EXO fan club goods to clean with, telling her if she feels bad for spying she needs to do a good job cleaning.
This cuts to a side story of Sehun looking for drip coffee and approaching Kwangsoo, Yeonhee’s brother, who prepares him coffee by hand much to Sehun’s delight.

Yeonhee begins clean but like any super fangirl in her position might do, she gets a little distracted; at one point smelling what she believed to be Baekhyun’s worn clothing. While hanging clothes to dry, she realizes Exo were the mysterious figures she ran from and in her curiosity goes into one of their rooms. After she accidentally knocks over several musical instruments in the room while attempting to kill a roach, Chanyeol enters and scolds her. Yeonhee runs out and is comforted by D.O, which makes her face turn extremely red. The episode ends with Chanyeol watching the two of them.

This episode was funny. There still hasn’t been a real explanation for why EXO are staying in the house but I’m hoping that would be coming up in the next 2 or 3 episodes. While the short episodes are nice, it makes it harder to move the story along without making it seem awkward.

Episode 4

This episode starts with clips of EXO live concerts, and a voice over of Chanyeol saying it all happened a year ago. After the concert, Chanyeol accidentally breaks his necklace and receives the news that his grandfather has passed away.

There is a cute flashback where it shown his grandfather gave it to him when he was younger. From that point on Chanyeol had bad luck including causing Suho to injure himself.
In her house, Yeonhee realizes she lost her phone and is calling it. Chanyeol sees it in his room and after browsing her phone tells her friend to tell Yeonhee to come pick it up.

Yeonhee sneaks into the house to get it but is caught, again, by Chanyeol. Chanyeol ends the episode, asking her if she knows who he is. (I think it’s also a little strange Chanyeol sleeps with a picture of himself above his bed.)

This episode seems to pass by much quicker than the others but was more informative than the others about why EXO are on hiatus. This one leaves you anticipating the next one. The opening part of the EXO concert took up a little bit too much of this short episode but was clipped together nicely.
Screencaps: KShowOnline.com

—Ke’Anna Bullard

Episode 1
This mini drama stars Moon Gayoung as Yeonhee, a shy girl treated harshly by her mother (similarly to Sweden Laundry, for those that have watched that) and Exo as themselves.

Yeonhee is out late at night purchasing feminine products much to her embarassment. On her return home she is followed by four mysterious figures. Of course, she panics and when confronted by them she takes off in an anime-like burst of energy.

As Exo settled in to the house they’re staying, Yeonhee’s mother requests she takes something by to the new neighbors next door. As you can probably guess, Exo are the next door neighbors.

When Yeonhee goes over, and into the house, Exo are startled by the sounds of Yeonhee eating and then coughing on a rice cake in their kitchen. When Chanyeol goes to confront her, Yeonhee is shocked and upon recognizing him, spits water into his face.

This episode was pretty funny. I like that these episodes are only around 12 minutes including credits. Only 4 members, Chanyeol, Sehun, D.O, and Baekhyun appear in this episode so if you’re waiting for your favorite to make an appearance it might take a while.

 Episode 2
This episode Yeonhee spends a majority of her time freaking out over the fact that she is living next door to EXO. She excitedly relays this information to one of her friends who shows up with binoculars.

Meanwhile the four boys spend time settling into the house and video chat with Kai, who is in another place. After this they notice Yeonhee looking into the window and decide to tease her a bit. This ends with D.O. waving at her.

Yeonhee freaks out momentarily before watching them again. EXO close the blinds and question Chanyeol when he joins them in the room.

This episode ends with Chanyeol pulling open the curtains and staring at Yeonhee, saying he lost something precious and that’s the reason he returned to this house.

Ooo, dramatic.
I’m still a little clueless as to why EXO are all in hiding but I’m guessing that will be revealed in later episodes. These two episodes are a nice introduction to the series. The episodes air bi-weekly, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Screencap Credit: Line Corp.

—- Ke’Anna Bullard

This week, I asked a couple of my friends and some strangers who their favorite kpop artist is and whom they would want to perform in the U.S. I got a variety of answers from different people, and, to my surprise, almost all of them had different answers! I was very surprised, because that doesn’t normally happen, as most people are into the popular groups.

Anyways, the first person I asked was my best friend at my school named Grace. She said her favorite group was EXO and that she would love to see them perform in the U.S. and meet them. She has been a fan of EXO for about a year now, and their recent comeback made her fall more in love. Grace has never been to an actual concert, so she said it would be awesome if she could watch them perform live and in person. She said, “Why haven’t EXO come to the U.S. already? They have tons of fans here!” and what she said is completely true. EXO has a lot of fans in the U.S., especially those who are into dancing, because EXO has one of the best choreographies in the realm of kpop.

The second person I interviewed was my friend named Andrew, and he said his favorite girl group was EXID. He talked about how EXID has been in the music industry for many years and have amazing talent, and yet they never got the spotlight they deserved until Hani’s fancam became a huge hit. With their recent song ‘Ah Yeah,’ many people said the group can be a one-time-hit, but they proved them wrong. Their comeback song has been on the top ten charts since it was released. Andrew said he would probably faint if he saw them in person because they are all so beautiful: “I would love to see Hani dance to ‘Up and Down’ in person. I’ve seen the fancam many times, and she just has that sexy sass that brings everyone’s attention to her.”

The next interview was with a girl I met at school named Karly. I had no idea she was into kpop. There are only a few people at my school who are into kpop, and most of them are fans because of me, but I wasn’t even friends with her, so it was cool to see someone who is not friends with an Asian to be so into kpop. I asked her my questions, and she answered “BOA.” I was a bit surprised, for one, because BOA is a single female artist, and two, I surely thought she was going to mention a boy group. I asked her to explain why she chose BOA, and she said it was because watching BOA sing and dance incredibly well had inspired her to do what she truly loved, which was also singing and dancing: “I’ve been a fan of her for 5 years now. She’s truly inspiring. It’s rare to see a solo artist to be good at both singing and dancing because it’s usually one or another, but she is perfect in every way. I have all of her songs on my phone, and I play through them everyday.”

Okay, I couldn’t find any more people at my school who were into kpop, and in fact most of them didn’t even know what I was talking about. So I went to the mall and asked a few nice looking strangers. I was able to find two people who actually knew what I was asking.

Her name is Tina and she told me she is a big fan of BEAST. She fell in love ever since their song ‘Soom’ aka ‘Breath’ came out. She immediately fell in love when she heard the main vocalist Yoseob’s powerful voice. I asked her if she would like to meet him in person and watch them perform live and she said “Oh my gosh, that is my dream goal! Too bad they don’t come to America. I would love to see them but the plane ticket is way too expensive. But it will happen one day. One day!”

The last person I interviewed was named Daniel. This guy talked really fast, and I was not able to get half of the things he said, so what I’m writing is shorter than what he actually said. He said he was really into Sistar and would love to see them perform live, but, unfortunately, they don’t have any concerts here in the U.S. He told me that one time he actually thought about purchasing a plane ticket to fly to Korea and go to their fan meetings to get Sistar’s autographs and take pictures with them. “I love the fact that they have members who are very tan with nice healthy looking bodies because that is very rare for kpop girl groups. I think their curvy bodies really shows better dance movements and for once I’m not worried about them getting sick or hurt from being way too skinny,” he said.

– Juyeon Oh

Miss A released their seventh project, Colors, March 29, 2015. The six-song mini album provides a look at the different sides of Miss A while staying true to who they are. Sadly, the album seems lost among many of the stories about them from Suzy’s announcement that she’s dating Lee Minho, and Say A and other K-Pop fans tossing around accusations that the rest of Miss A are bullying Suzy. However, if people actually focus on the music, they may find Colors is worthwhile and more interesting than the supposed scandals surrounding the group.

The album opens with the R&B track “한걸음.” The song provides a more mature sound for Miss A. The beauty of “한걸음” is how it utilizes their huskier vocals well. Jia, Fei, and Min, especially, stand out as star performers. R&B is a style that doesn’t seem to fit Miss A because of their poppy, dance-tracks they’ve had in the past, but the style leaves a listener hungry for more because the vocals are sensual without being overtly sexy. “한걸음” is a great opening track.

“Only You” is the lead single for the Colors, and while it’s a good song, Miss A plays it safe. It has all the elements to make it a hit song with a nice dance beat and easy-to-recall lyrics. It has hints of early 1980s sound, which adds to the appeal. However, it sounds more like a potential debut or second single than a single from an established group. Suzy, too, at times, sounds thin vocally, which throws the dynamic off a bit. Throw in the random male screaming in the instrumentals, and there’s a lot going on in “Only You” that feels strange even though it’s an overall decent track.

Track three, “Love Song,” is fairly simple and one of the best songs on Colors. Fei and Jia drip sensuality, while Min’s vocals add a different layer of richness. The instrumentals also add interest to the track along with hints of mystery. It was a great choice to promote “Love Song” along with “Only You” during the first week of promotions because the two together show Miss A’s depths as a group. However, “Love Song” is much better than “Only You.”

Another addictive track is “녹아.” If anyone remembers late ‘90s music in the US, this song will speak to you as there are twinges of Monica, Brandy, and Aliyah in the beat. Throw in Miss A’s sweet vocals, and hints of traditional Asian sound in the instrumentals, and you have a song that truly has global flair! At times, the high notes feel wrong for Miss A because lower tones are more fitting, but the overall beat and simplicity make the song fulfilling.

“I Caught Ya” brings in some Motown vibes with some 70s sound. The old-school vibe provides a nostalgic feel to this otherwise upbeat song. The catchy beat and hook with “I Caught Ya” makes the song worth listening to over and over again. What’s interesting about “I Caught Ya” is how the girls’ vocals blend well while the listener is able to determine who is who. The song has a strong amount of soul that helps with the enjoyable nature of the song which makes it another top track.

The album wraps up with “Stuck,” which is the perfect ending since the album started with a slower track. “Stuck” has a strong sense of femininity associated with it, almost to the point where the listener can feel Miss A’s vulnerability. There’s almost a childlike innocence with the song that makes it so memorable and sweet, putting an exclamation point on the album’s end.

Colors was a nice return to the music scene for Miss A. Colors easily has many hits on it, making it one of the standouts in K-Pop’s first quarter. Colors earns an A-.

— Joelle Halon

EXID returns with a new mini-album, Ah Yeah! There’s a lot of hype surrounding EXID and the new album considering the immense popularity they earned with “Up & Down” and it’s amazing climb up the charts. With K-Pop fans watching them as a potential new darling group, did Ah Yeah live up to the hype?

Their new track, “Ah Yeah,” kicks off the album. It was initially billed as the follow up to “Up & Down,” and it definitely has a similar feel, but with a slightly less addictive, although vocally better, chorus. “Ah Yeah” utilizes EXID’s vocal abilities well and shows their potential to become a second-tier group. Hani, Solji, Hyelin, and Junghwa can harmonize well to make the vocals standout, and LE kills it with her awesome rapping. The echoing vocals partway through the song create an interesting dynamic that could have failed if not executed well, but everything came together well. “Ah Yeah” helps capture everything fans knew EXID were capable of since their debut, and this is carried out throughout the entire album.

Fans of “Every Night” may enjoy “Thrilling” as it carries similar instrumentals, rapping, and singing to the point where it sounds like “Every Night” part two. “Thrilling” is different from “Every Night” in that the girls sound more mature. The chorus stands out the most because of the rich, deep vocals. Toward the end of the song, some of the lines feel like they’re screamed over sung, which detract a little from an otherwise excellent song. If this part is overlooked, “Thrilling” shows a nice amount of growth from earlier years.

“Patpat” has some R&B beats paired with LE’s rapping. From the opening chords, it feels like the beat wouldn’t work for LE’s rap, and at times, the pairing felt a bit forced. However, the vocals are magical and fit the music well.

“Patpat” is worth a listen for the singing alone because the high notes and harmonies turn an otherwise so-so song into something above average.

“With Out U” stands out because where other girl groups use flowery language to say they’ll be okay in a relationship, EXID doesn’t. They’re confident and sure they’re okay! The vocals and rap also radiate confidence while the instrumentals sound cheery. “With Out U” could have been a decent single on its own.

Track five, “1m,” is a ballad that has layers of sweetness and gentleness. “1m” strips the girls of their strong backtracks and just presents their vocals. The stripped down EXID feels so right, and it’s a side of them fans should pay attention to since they’re more than just fun songs and potential viral hits. LE is even toned down from her usual fierceness to show a more vulnerable side. Everything about “1m” has an enchanting quality.

Of course, “Up & Down” makes an appearance on the track. Although it’s a song we’re all familiar with by now, it’s nice to see its inclusion as homage to the attention they’ve received the past few months. Even though we’ve all heard it, it’s still as addictive as ever.

EXID’s other hit “Every Night” also makes an appearance on Oh Yeah. The girls give us another version of “Every Night” with rain sounds in the background. It’s not much different from the original version other than long-gone members are now no longer included and the bridge is much better than the original. Again, it’s great EXID isn’t forgetting the songs that put them on the map, so they earn praise for not neglecting their roots.

Fans of EXID didn’t have to worry if they could duplicate and improve upon the viral sensation that was “Up & Down” because they definitely improved and showed their growth with Ah Yeah. This album should help give them the attention they deserve. It earns a solid A.

–Joelle Halon

 

‘Blue Paprika’ is a Korean Indie band that consists of three musicians whose names are Won-young Lee, Kihoon Sung and Min-gyu Kang.

They are an Indie band, currently at its peak; they have a solid fan base who have enjoyed their music since Blue Paprika debuted in 2013.

Blue Paprika members say they strive to produce and perform the kind of music that people find soothing and fun to listen to. The band definitely has a unique sound; their songs could be at times played repeatedly since they can be quite addictive. The songs like ‘Longest Night,’ ‘Love Confession’ and the most recent single called; ‘Come To Me Like The Spring’ are very suitable songs to enjoy at this season of the year.

Blue Paprika’s music could be described as somewhat simplistic, yet their lyrics and the tunes have so much depth and warmth.

The members are currently busy touring in cities like Daegu and Busan, they recently finished their encore concert in Seoul as well.

We managed to attain an interview from the members of Blue Paprika.

A special ‘Thanks’ goes out to the Blue Paprika members for their interview. We hope our readers enjoy reading about this talented Korean Indie group.

 

*Hello! Thank you very much for taking the time out for a Kcrush interview. Could we get introduced to the members of Blue Paprika?

Won-young Lee: I am the main vocalist and guitarist of our band, Blue Paprika.

Kihoon Sung: I’m in charge of the drums and the percussion.

Min-gyu Kang: I play the bass guitar and sing back up for the chorus.

 

*How did you come up with such a unique name as Blue Paprika?

We liked the sound of ‘Paprika’ so we combined the wording with ‘Blue’ since blues music is the basic genre of the music we play.

It didn’t take us long time to decide on the name of our band, unlike many other bands and musicians.

 

*When did you start doing music and playing instruments?

We all started playing musical instruments since we were sixteen years old. We felt that playing music was incredibly fun, more than anything else.

That is the ultimate reason we’re still making music to this day.

We believe that having chosen the path to do music for life was definitely the best decision we’ve ever made.

 

*Since you’ve had your single placed at the top in the Indie charts, have you members gotten used to the fame and attention you’ve received from the fans?

We really thank and appreciate everyone for their love and support towards the band.

Being number one of the Indie chart was possible only because of those people who helped to spread and share our music. Thank you!

 

*How would you describe Blue Paprika’s music in a few words?

‘Restrained,’ ‘blank space’ and ‘warmth’ would be quite appropriate expressions to describe our music and sound.

 

*Could you let us know what your favorite songs are?

Because we have so many songs that we love, it’s very difficult for us to mention them all.

If we were to choose one song that inspired us the most, it would be, ‘People Get Ready’ by Curtis Mayfield. We were incredibly touched by the song because we could feel the real truthfulness within the simplicity of the song.

 

*Which artists do you enjoy listening to the most?

We have great admiration for bands like U2, who have been around for many years and they give out such positive energy through their music. We would also like to do the same thing for our band.

 

*What would you say are your hobbies; do you have a unique talent?

Wonyoung Lee: I enjoy learning new musical instruments. Currently, I am teaching myself how to play the blues harp.

Minkyu Kang: I love all kinds of sports. I go see a baseball match once a week and these days, I am taking training in boxing.

Kihoon Sung: I really like playing computer games a lot; I upgraded my graphic card recently.

 

*Where do you most like to hold a concert in the future?

We would really love to perform at the ‘Kokua Festival’ in Hawaii!!

 

*Can you say something nice to the fans of Blue Paprika?

Thank you all so much for the love and support you’ve shown us for the past couple of years. We want to ask our fans to keep with us for our activities in the future!

 

 

– J. Chung

If you enjoy melodramas with a sprinkle of romantic comedy, then 49 Days is the drama for you. Produced with a cast showing good chemistry, aired in 2011. This 20 episode drama is one of my favorites. I first found this great Kdrama on Netflix last year (2014) and could not stop watching it until the very last episode.

49 Days is about a girl that is about to marry someone she believes is the person she loves, but has a car accident and is killed. Her ghost has 49 days to receive three heartfelt tear drops from a non-family member to show that she was really loved in order for her to go to the other side happily. She discovers this only when a “reaper”, very well played by actor, Jung Il Woo, tells her. That is where the story becomes even more interesting. Her up and down struggles to find just three tears is sometimes very heartbreaking and hilarious. The main character, Shin Ji Hyun, played by actress, Nam Gye Ri, had a sister, played by actress, Lee Yo Won, that was taken when they both were smaller. Within the storyline an amazing thing happens regarding her sister. Han Kang, played by actor, Jo Hyun Jae, the “to be” husband is someone you try not to hate because of his actions, but I’ll let you decide!

There’s so much more to say about this wonderful drama, well I’ll say one more thing. The OST is amazing. The meanings and softness of most of the songs follows you even after finishing the story. But, again, you decide!

If you cannot find 49 Days on Netflix, Drama Fever has it now.

We at Kcrush hope to offer “Turn Back Drama Tuesday” every few weeks. We hope you will support us by letting us know that either you have watched the reviewed drama, i.e., liked it disliked it or provide us with one to review.

It seems as though every few weeks there is another group debuting under some unheard of company. I, a self-professed ‘nugu lover, even have a hard time trying to remember so many new names and faces. So, here is my list of the top 10 nugu groups, male and female, to watch in 2015.

1. Bigflo

(Left to right: Ron, Z-uk, Hightop, Yuseong, Jungkyun)

Bigflo is a 5 member male group under HO entertainment. Bigflo debuted June 6, 2014, with the title track ‘Delilah’ from their mini album First Flow. With 3 rappers, you can definitely guess Bigflo is a rap inclined group. Member Z-uk first caused a rise in interest in the group because of his resemblance to Rain. Outside of music, member Hightop made his acting debut in alongside Vixx’s Ken in Boarding House No. 24.

Bigflo are a very funny group. You learn more about them from their show BigfloTV. They are also active on Twitter and respond to fans often. (Once I asked Ron what his favorite song was…..his response “????(Delilah)”. Hilarious.) Recently, they have been doing Japanese promotions and are releasing a Japanese version of “Delilah”

2. Mamamoo

(From Left to Right: Moonbyul, Solar, Wheein, and Whasa)

Mamamoo is a 4 member girl group under WA Entertainment. They quickly gathered interest after their strong debut on June 18, 2014, earning the nickname ‘super rookies’. This group is extremely talent vocally and impress more and more with each release.

They recently announced their comeback, with eSNa confirmed to feature in Mamamoo’s upcoming release ‘Ahh Oop!’

3. Hotshot

(From left to right: Sungwoon, Hojeong, Junhyuk, Timoteo, Yoonsan, Kid Monster)

This 6 member boy group debuted October 29, 2014 under KO Sound. Their debut song, “Take a Shot” is very catchy and displays the vocal talents of each member. Junhyuk and Timoteo are former SM trainees so I expected them to impress and they did. Before their debut they released a show on YouTube called “Hotshot Volumes” and also have a webtoon.

4. G Friend

(From left to right: Sowon, Eunha, ShinB, Umji, Yerin, Yuju)

This 6 member girl group debuted on January 16, 2015 under Source Music Entertainment. Their debut song, “Glass Bead”, is a cute upbeat song. One thing that I really like about this group is how well they pull off the song’s complicated dance. Their entire album, Season of Glass, is very nice and I suggest you check it out.

5. Legend

(From left to right: Changsung, Roi, Listen, Lito, Jaehyuk)

Legend is a 5 member boy group under JK Space entertainment. The main reason I checked out Legend’s debut song “Left Out” was because of their heights: all the members are above 180cm. Member Jaehyuk is also fluent in English and is a frequent guest on Arirang Radio’s Kpoppin’. This group is very talented vocally as well.

6. Lovelyz

(From left to right: Miju, Baby Soul, Jiae, Jin, Yein, Kei, and Soojung)

Lovelyz are a 7 member girl group under Woolim Entertainment. Their debut track “Candy Jelly Love” was released November 17, 2014. A majority of the members have had exposure predebut, including Baby Soul’s solo debut and being featured in various ways with their label mates Infinite. These girls are definitely talented and have a similar image to that of G Friend.

Member Jisoo was involved in a scandal soon after their debut and was not included in promotions and hospitalized because of the shock, according to Woolim. Last official updates state that the accuser is being prosecuted.

7. High4

(From left to right: Myunghan, Alex, Sunggu, Youngjun)

High4 is a 4 member boy group under N.A.P Entertainment. Singer IU accompanied them on their debut track “Not Spring, Love, or Cherry Blossoms”, released April 7, 2014. High4 are called a hip-hop group but are amazing vocally. Alex is Korean-American, and has appeared on Arirang’s After School Club several times.

You can learn a little bit more about them from their mini show “Who Am I?” on YouTube.

 

8. Sonamoo

(From left to right: NewSun, Sumin, Nahyun, Euijin, High D, D.ana, Minjae)

Sonamoo made their impressive debut amidst the announcement of their label-mates’, B.A.P, lawsuit against their company, TS Entertainment. Despite this Sonamoo presented a powerful, warrior type image in their debut song “Déjà Vu”. I really like the contrast in the rappers, NewSun and D.ana, voices.

Sonamoo have also recently made a comeback with their new song “Just Go”.You can see more of Sonamoo in their show “Sonamoo’s Pet House”.

9. JJCC

(From right to left: E.co, Prince Mak, Sancheong,Edd, Simba)

Jackie Chan’s first venture into Kpop is found in JJCC (Double JC). The 5 member boy group made their debut on March 30, 2014 with “At First”. I was particularly impressed with their music video for “Bing Bing Bing” because of the challenging looking dance. Members Eddy and Prince Mak both are both English speakers and have made many guest appearances on After School Club as well.

I also took the time to watch Eddy’s predebut appearance on Master Chief: Korea. You can also check out an interview with them here on KCrush.

10. HALO

(From right to left: Inhaeng, Heecheon, Oon, Dino, Yoondong, Jaeyong)

 

HALO is a 6 member boy group under AYIN Holdings. They made their debut June 6, 2014 with the title track “Fever”. I really like their entire mini album 38?. They also appeared on an episode of Idol School, which you can check out on Dailymotion.

HALO are also active on social media having both a group twitter and vine account.

I definitely suggest you check out these groups. There is real talent to be found in all of them and they deserve some extra recognition.

— Ke’Anna Bullard

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8WP9wFBGBg712YMNCdBdnIy6sYdgQ7ot

1

• MC Mong “Love Mash” Chancellor fr. The Channels
• Joonha Park “Love Actually” (Daybreak Cover)
• MC Sniper “Shakespeare in Love”
• Skolor “Ggang-pan”
• Jung Seung Hwan “Those Days”
• Grace Shin “10 Minutes”
• Lily M “It Hurts”
• Katie Kim “Where You Need to Be”
• Jung Seung Hwan “You In My Arms”
• Hee Young “Whiskey to Tea”
• 이한철 (Lee Hanchul) – 넌 나의 넘버원 (Number One)
• 느루 (Neuru) – Stay With Me (Feat. Woosung Choi)

2

• Lovelyz “Hi”
• Heyne “My Heart”
• Crush ft. Gray “Whatever You Do”
• Xia (Junsu) ft. Tablo “Flower”
• Kuma “Rhyd Yo”
• In the Party “She’s Always Cracking Jokes”
• Lowkey “Timberland”
• Koyote “Stop Love”
• cian “Somebody to Love” (Thai Version)

3

• Fiestar “You’re Pitiful”
• Acoustic Collabo “A Girl and Streetlamp”
• Lim Kim “Are You a Grown Up?”
• LOA “Only You”
• Geppetto “Hangover”
• KoYujin (플라워 Flower) – 굳은살 Callus
• Miii “Shoestring”
• SamSam – Elephant

4

• Rap Monster, Warren G “P.D.D”
• Eric Nam “I’m Ok”
• 호소 “그 시절, 우리” – 그 시절, 우리
• 소란(SORAN) – 자꾸 생각나 with Sam Ock, 김이지(꽃잠프로젝트)
• Shannon Williams “Why Why”
• Yang Da Il (양다일) & Jung Key (정키) – 우린 알아
• Hip Hop for the World “#HIPHOPISHIPHOP”
• Earthbound (얼스바운드) – Hangover

5

• Lee Young Hyun “Empty Hand”
• I.G “Between Night and Music”
• Song Ji Eun “Person Who I Miss”
• San E, Kisum, Tae Wan “Superstar”
• 이지형 with 권진아 – Duet(손글씨 이벤트 영상)
• Mayson the Soul “Somebody”
• Letter Flow “Winter, And Winter”
• Kim Bo Kyung “Confession”
• Geeks ft. Lena Park “Is You”
• K-Much “Fish in a Bowl”
• SEOEL – KKOK KKOK
• Big Small “Hustle Play”
• 손승연 – 너무 늦은건가요 (THE MESSAGE PART 1)
• 희상 (Hee Sang) – 바람, 지나다 (The Wind, Passes By)
• 희상 (Hee Sang) – 기다리다 (Waiting For)
• 희상 (Hee Sang) – 봄이 오는 길목에서 (On The Corner Spring Coming)
• 희상 (Hee Sang) – 바람 (Wind)
• Super Junior D&E “Growing Pains”

6

• 양다일(Yang Da Il) & 정키(Junkey) – 우린 알아 (We Know)
• U Sung Eun, ULALA SESSION “Maybe”
• Team Never Stop “Aloha”
• SR15B “Bassbot”

7

• Ulala Session “Heard it Through the Grapevine” (Immortal Song)
• Sonnet Son “A Boarding Student” (Immortal Song)
• A:gasings Beautiful Life
• Front It Was All a Dream
• Dahi “You Don’t Know”
• Eileen Finger
• Epitone Project ft. Lucia “Maybe”
• Go Yoo Jin “Flower”
• Pis “Goodbye”
• Junho, Lee Yubi “20”
• Kim Ji Min “Miss”
• Kim Sung Myun (K2) – 태양의 도시 (MBC 드라마넷 금토 드라마) OST – Part.2 – 넌 어느별에서 왔니
• Seulong “eSNa”
• The Black – 니 생각이 나

8

• Boyfriend “Bounce”
• Simon; e “연애”
• Melody Bread “Unforgettable Part.1”
• Double K ft. Koonta “To Dream”
• Seo Ye Ahn “Closer”
• Esther Kim “Come Back Home”
• Ji John “Alone”
• Lee Jin Ah 겨울부자
• Sparkling Girls “When You Believe”
• Aoora “You.Will.Romantic”
• Aoora “Heartfreak” (69 Mix)
• i11evn “Siwi”

9

• Planet Shiver ft. Crush “Rainbow”
• Lee Ji Young (Big Mama) “Goodbye Tomorrow”
• Kyuhyun “Till I Reach Your Star”
• Phoenix Kang – 사랑…그 한복판..in the Heart of it
• Floating Island “Stick and Hole”
• Chas “What Are You Doing?” (ft. Song Rapper)
• SaltnPaper “Good Night”
• Yoo Se Yoon with Dahye (BESTie), Haeyong (Almeng) “We Fought”
• SEOEL (서엘) – A LOOK BACK AT THE WINTER
• Lucia “다시, 봄’ 엔딩 크레딧”
• 윤딴딴 (Yun Ddan-Ddan) – 사랑의 시작은 이사에서부터 (Nextdoor love)
• 바스코(Vasco) – 로열로더 (Royal Roader)
• V-HAWK – R(x)PLAY Feat. ZELO of B.A.P

10

• Jace “My Serenade”
• DnD Project “Just Wanna Say”
• P-Type “Gwanghwamun”
• Junhyung (2Bic) “Bye Bye Bye”
• Beenzino “So What”
• Stellar “Fool”
• 감성팔이밴드 “보고싶었어요” – 보고싶었어요
• 최혜연 “선물” – Amazing Grace
• 오준성 드라마 연주음악 #1 (Oh Joon Sung Score Collection Part 1)
• 오준성 드라마 연주음악 #2 (Oh Joon Sung Score Collection Part 2)
• 오준성 드라마 연주음악 #3 (Oh Joon Sung Score Collection Part 3)
• O.S “Someday”
• Flowsik “The Calling”
• Miiii “Say No More”
• A-Ble “Bbangya”
• A-Ble “Marry Me”
• 파울로시티 (FauloCity) – 안드로이드는 전기기타를 꿈꾸는가? (Do Androids Dream of Electric Guitar
• 쿼드러프 (Quadrough) – Go Hard
• 디어 클라우드(Dear Cloud) – U
• SHINee “Your Number” (Japanese)

11

• Gain “Paradise Lost”
• Madtown “New World”
• 아웃사이더 – 레드카펫 (J.Star Ver.)
• Raun “The Moment”
• 라이프 플랜비 (Life Plan B) – 희망고문 (Feat. 김정) (Hope Torture (feat. Kim jung))

12

• Gain “Apple”
• Yoon Hyun Sang “Time Forgets”
• EE “Wiggly Dawn”
• Ji Min, MC META, Nuck “T4SA”
• Park Ho Yong “Drinking”
• 츈리 (이준화) ” Grazie” – Grazie
• 오준성 드라마 OST 모음 (Korean Drama OST Collection by Oh Joon Sung)
• SKULL&HAHA – Beautiful Girl (feat. 권정열 of 10cm)
• Chaldok 오늘 밤엔 (Feat. 박연)
• Brave Brothers “Morning Noon Evening”
• Lunafly “A ti”
• Moss – Flash Life
• Rap Monster ‘각성 (覺醒)’

13

• Giriboy “Take Care of You”
• SugarBowl “Soulights”
• 유성은, 진영 (B1A4), 민효린, 울랄라세션 – 그녀가 웃잖아
• Henry “Road#Lie”
• Team Never Stop “Bounce”
• 윤현상을 듣다 ::: Special Present for Fans

14

• Red Velvet “Automatic”

15

• Minah “I Am a Woman Too”
• Song Haye “Be Alright”
• HYUZY “내가더” – 내가더 (Feat. 권태원)
• Flash Flood Darlings – 별 (Byeol)
• Red Velvet “Ice Cream Cake”

16

• MFBTY (ft. Rap Monster, EE, Dino-J) “Buckubucku”
• Huh Gak “Snow of April”
• D “어쩌다가”
• Giriboy “Back and Forth 30min”
• 빨간의자 “봄냄새” – 봄냄새

17

• Byul “No More Us”
• Untouchable “Crayon”
• Davichi ft. Mad Clown “Two Lovers”
• Lee Hae Na “Not So Pretty Ending”
• SUS4 “Shake It”
• ZoPD ft. Bada “Candy”
• ZoPD ft. Sonnet Son “My Friend”
• Fame Us “The Only Fool”

18

• Jeon Woo Sung (NOEL) “Because I”
• Yoonmirae, Tiger, Bizzy “Bang Diggy Bang Bang”
• Kio 나의 탓 (Feat. 김광민)
• 하늘해 “DREAM CATCHER”
• Neezu 이 길 위에
• Flow 그댈 만난 날
• Fan ft. The Barberettes “Decalcomanie”
• 센티멘탈 시너리(Sentimental Scenery) – 지금 여기, 이곳에서(Duet with 루시아) (영화 ‘청춘의 증언’ 중에서)

19

• DnD Project “You&Me”
• NS Yoon-G ft. MC Mong “Wifey”
• P-Type “Don Quixote 2”
• Stella Jang ft. Verbal Jint “It’s Raining”
• Jessi “Unpretty Dreams”
• Jolly V “It’s All Good”
• Jimin ft. Iron “Puss”
• Cheetah “Coma 07”
• Kim Tae Woo, Kim Dong Kyun – 하고 싶은 말
• 버블엑스 – 그땐 왜 몰랐을까
• BewhY “The Time Goes On”
• Sweden Laundry “dew”
• Sweden Laundry “Forest”
• Sweden Laundry “Flower”
• Verry “Black Cherry”
• Vinyl House “Negative Love”
• 아이삭스쿼브 Issac Squab – Still Standing
• 제8극장 (Theatre8) – 왜 돼지는 안 나오고 (Let It Pig)
• Rap Monster “Do You”

20

• T “Zero Gravity”
• Team Never Stop “One Candle”
• U Sung Eun, Henry “Love+”
• Crucial Star “The Youngest Son”
• 로만티코 (Romantico) – Knock Part 1 – 심쿵 (심장이 쿵) (Feat. 보라)
• 메리앤드 (Merry&) – Subway
• 비오 (B.O.) – 키스 (KISS)
• 루피나 (Ruppina) – 내가 아는 사랑이란
• Sweet’ICH – Day&Day – 헤어진 그 하루
• Sweet’ICH – Day&Day – Loving Day
• A Trialogue -그 날 이후로
• A Trialogue 그에게 쓴 왈츠
• Lee Soo Hun 이수훈 – 나쁜 숨 Bad Breathing – 타이틀 나쁜 숨
• 베이그블러썸 (vagueblossom) – 간격 (distance)

21

• Ladies – City Of The Sun OST Part.4 – 끝까지 갈게
• Jung Dong Ha – Super Daddy Yeol OST Part.1 – Yolo Man

22

• Ha Hyeon Woo “I Can’t Stop Loving You”
• 버블시스터즈 “벚꽃비행”
• FlinN “Mass”
• Vimutti “Mr. Bang”
• 덤덤라디오 – 가끔 미치도록 먹고 싶을 때가 있어
• Woody 나쁜여자
• Gok “Song”
• HILOW – SONG FOR YOU – 어울려
• 사랑은 풍경 – 차은주
• 타이틀 Bokura – Miina
• 소리소 (서정아) – 오! 나의 대한민국 – 타이틀 오! 나의 대한민국
• 어쿠 제이 (Acou J) – 선물
• 로빈 (Robbin) – 있잖아요 (Feat. 지애) (You know what? (Feat. jeeae))
• FROMM – Do You Mind If I Look At You
• JAZZOTHEQUE (재즈오텍) – DON’T YOU KNOW THAT (Full Album)

23

• JiHwan (2Bic) “Hug Me”
• Primary, Ohhyu “Bawling”
• Lee Ga Eun “If You Come to Me”
• Primary, Ohhyu ft. Lim Kim “Gondry”
• Baek Z Young “새벽 가로수길” (With 송유빈)
• Lee Myung Hoon “Healing”
• Shin Ki Nam “Propose Song”
• Mayson the Soul ft. Verbal Jint “Good Night”
• 로맨틱, 성공적 (The Romantic) (Feat. G.Tiger) – 제이큐
• SENCHIHAN BUS – 19.9 -다만 조금 느릴뿐
• Say I Love You – 써니힐 (SunnyHill)
• 벚꽃비행 – Bubble Sisters – 벚꽃비행
• MIDNIGHT MONSTERS – Beautiful Stranger (Feat. Myung Mi, Take’M) – Johnny kim Mix
• T9 – 나성에 가면 2015 (If You’re Going to LA)

24

• Primary, Ohhyu “Island”
• Will “Growing”
• HOTSHOT “Midnight Sun”
• 빨간의자 “설레여라”
• Lemar 솜이불
• Ta’en “잎”
• RE_ 너의 별에 닿을 때까지 – Jun So Hyun 전소현 – 호구의 사랑

25

• A “Cinderella Time”
• Kim Na Young “Never”
• Laboum “Sugar Sugar”
• 모조앤리소 “3월 28일 (New world)”
• ILAC “The Ants Dream”
• 서엘(SEOEL) with 딘(Dean) ‘JUST LIKE HEAVEN’
• REDCHAIR – 설레여라
• Shin Zisu(신지수) – LISTEN (feat. Loco(로꼬))
• 잘지내 – 아인 (AIN) – Taurus
• Ailee – SAKURA
• 봄이 와 – 어쿠루브 (Acourve) – 봄이 와
• I’m Soulja Boy – (Futuristic Swaver) – Soulja Boy Is My Father
• #BBD (Beautiful Bad Day) (Feat. 버벌진트) – 장혜진 (Jang Hye Jin)
• 왜 돌아서나요 (Feat. 제이유) – 페퍼민트 (Peppermint)
• 오래된 사진 (아름다운 날들 2) (Feat. 딥플로우) – 장혜진 (Jang Hye Jin)
• Long Awaited (Feat. ILL Percent) – 지에이 (Ziei)
• Lyn(린) – Baby Baby
• Rain – J E S S – Rain – The Millions Of Heroes
• 비월밴드 – 너에게
• 삼비 (Anglee) – LOVER
• Sonamoo “Just Go”

26

• Crazy Melody “Rain Down”
• Cheetah, Ailee “아무도 모르게”
• Norazo “니 팔자야”
• Taeil “Inspiring”
• Young Jun “Think of You”
• DJ GUNDAM “Möebius Strip (뫼비우스의 띠)”
• 에스프레소 – 가슴이 아파와 (Feat. 하연)
• Swagger “Wolfpack”
• 더하얀 – 고백할게요
• 아티스트 에이비츠 (ABeatz) & 부찌 (Buzzi) – 마법소녀 (Feat. Line)
• YoungJun(Brown eyed soul) – 니 생각뿐 (feat. 개리)
• 서서우재 (Seo Seo Woo Jae) – Beer (Feat. 김원주) (Beer (Feat. Kim Won Joo))
• 서서우재 (Seo Seo Woo Jae) – 따뜻한 커피 (Feat. 김원주) (Hot Coffee (Feat. Kim Won Joo))
• Crayon Pop “FM”

27

• Team Never Stop “To You, My Gift”
• Team Never Stop “For Suffering Lovers”
• 나는 밤이다. (feat. MC Sniper) – W&JAS – But We Have To Go
• 동창생 – W&JAS
• 돌아가는 길 – 우연수
• 김나영 – 그럴 리가
• 아우디 (Audi) – 자메즈 (Ja Mezz) – 나의 하루 3 : Hangover
• 신소희 (Shin So Hee) – 있는데 외롭다
• 수빈 (Ubin) – 떨려
• 데일리비 (Daily B) – 만날 운명
• 베이비부 (Babyboo) – Boo Boo Boo
• 이디 (Heidy) – 봄바람
• 에이지아 (A.Zia) – 못생겨서
• 에이썹 (A$$UP) – Do It Bitch (Feat. G.O.S.)

28

• PSY “Father”

29

• Pretty Brown “Breaking Up with Breaking Up”
• Hyun Sang “Too Hot”
• STANDING EGG – 햇살이 아파 (Feat. 마마무 ‘휘인’, 오브로젝트’윤닭’)
• 한영 “기억속에서…” – 나를잊지말아요 (Duet With 전영록)
• Miss A “Only You”
• K-Trance “Who Are You”
• 도끼 (Dok2) – Multillionaire
• 제이세라 (J-Cera) – 전화해줘요
• 육선생 (Yuksunsaing) – 놀부가 귀가 뚫려 (Nolbu Song)

30

• Iron ft. Babylon “Blu”
• 착한아들 – 견우야 (Feat. 유현)
• cian “Magic Girl” (Thai Version)
• Nils Frahm “Re”
• Nils Frahm “Says”
• 임재용(YOYO) – 너와 나 우리(You & Me)
• 아펠리아(ApheLiA) – Workin
• Short Film Sold Out EP
• Lydia Mini Album
• Cheezstereo – 왜 그래 (Why)
• 스타쿠킹버그 (Star Cooking Berg) – 나를 불러 (feat.스윗마리)
• 모노반 (Monoban) – 청산별곡 (Blue Mountain Breakup)
• 잿마루아미 (Zatmaruami) – Human Beings Are Going to Head For A Matrix By Themselves
• EXO “Call Me Baby” (K and M versions)

31

• Yuk Jidam, YERIN “On & On”
• Kisum “To.Mom”
• L “Mr. Lonely”
• 전통시장 – 강남(Kangnam), 태진아(Tae Jin Ah)
• 파울로시티 (FauloCity) – Big Crunch
• The Fake Place – The Place You’ve Never Reached
• 이한호&임하영Duo (Hanho Lee & Hayoung Lim Duo) – 위로(feat.이한결) (Comfort(feat.Hangyeol Lee))

 

 — Joelle Halon

Rookie girl group CLC (Crystal Clear) had a lot of buzz surrounding them, but not as much as Lovelyz, Sonamoo, Laboum, or GFriend. Their album, First Love, in exception of a few songs, hardly feels like a rookie album. The CLC ladies have a different level of maturity combined with the youthful hopes of a brand-new group. As each song unfurls, it’s crystal clear that CLC has potential to make an impact on the industry even though there are areas that need work.

First Love has a good mix of ballads, dance tracks, and pop music to effectively show off CLC’s flavors starting with the disco-esque “Café Mocha Please.” The rappy introduction does a nice job welcoming listeners to the song. It’s not annoying even though the voices aren’t typically ones I enjoy. The song quickly became an addiction because it has a good beat and the chorus is just a straight shot of enjoyable singing. The instrumentals at the beginning sound like a cross between Celtic Thunder’s version of “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and CNBlue’s “Coffee Shop” before going in its own direction. I also caught some Prince vibes as the song moved forward, creating a pleasant experience.

“Pepe” was a good track for CLC to use as their debut and promoted track. While it’s not a daring track, it has a good amount of singing, rap, edginess, and cuteness to show CLC’s distinct facets. The piano backing the vocals along with the rest the instrumentals have a mix of 1950s Doo Wop with 1970s Motown and modern pop to make it an interesting, pleasing track. The rap breakdown in the middle of the song sounds only slightly grating because of the pitch, but after a few listens, it sounds fitting for the song. My favorite part is the “la la las” toward the end because it was cute and wrapped the song well.

“Sharala” shows another side of CLC to where they turn into more of a cute concept group. “Sharala” sounds like a song that was written for APINK or even one of CLC’s fellow rookie groups like Lovelyz or GFriend. The song is adorable and bright and feels like spring and all things pink and full of ruffles. However, the cute concept fits CLC well more than the slightly edgier turn in “Pepe.” With “Sharala,” the youthful exuberance in CLC’s voices shine through and through. The song is just sweet, and like “Café Mocha Please,” it’s one of the best songs on the mini-album.

While “Sharala” sounds like APINK, “First Love” feels a little like SNSD when it starts. The ballad does well featuring CLC’s softer side, but at the same time, it also calls out their weaknesses. At times, the solo moments feel too nasally and more like talk-singing than actual singing. Ballads are an area that needs improvement for CLC because their rookie-ness really shows.

The same issue presents itself in “Opening the Window.” Despite the decent lyrics, the song feels more like talk-singing than actual singing, and voices sound thin. In order to improve with ballads–which tend to really showcase if a group is strong vocally or not these days—their company needs to work on the actual singing elements such as breath control, melodies, and harmonies. Otherwise, CLC will continue to have a rookie-feel.
Overall, First Love is a strong debut album for CLC. While there are areas that need some work, CLC secured attention that will help them survive awhile. The album earns a score of 3/5.

— Joelle Halon

Nowadays, we can’t neglect the truth that the Asian music industry has been rapidly growing not only in Asia alone but also on an international stage. And clearly, K-Pop from South Korea and J-Pop from Japan has become so powerful and popular in the past years. There are loads of new girl/boy bands happening every single day! Even for the Thai teenagers, they crazily become loyal fans. However, did you know that Thai pop music has also been transformed to respond to this fast growing trend? Some might think Thai pop music or T-Pop has become less popular and been slowly fading away. This is wrong. The Thai Pop music industry has been working hard to adjust its image and style to be more interesting and to fit not only Thai fans but also the global fans and to be able to grow in the world market. One of the biggest markets that gave T-Pop a significant response is China and Thailand’s neighbor countries such as Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam etc. Today we proudly introduce you to the top 5 T-Pop groups. And if you are interested, you can also search for them and check out their music.

1. Girly Berry:One of the very first and famous girl groups in the 21 century. This band has been active since 2002. With their sexy looks, seductive dance moves and many hit songs make this T-Pop group a very popular girl band even now.

2. GaiA: This girl group band consists of 5 stunning body girls named Janji-Janjira, Pleng-Thanissa, Pam-Sirapassara and Noon-Phanisa. It is the first band managed by Duet Dot production. The well-known songs includeAudition feat. Jay Park and? Love Potion.

3. Faye Fang Keaw(FFK): This trio Thai Pop girl group consists of 3 teenagers: Faye, Fang and Keaw. The band was formed in 2007. It is the first band affiliated with Kamikaze music, Sublabel of RS music company. The band has released many songs that have topped on the Thai radio charts. It is not only famous in Thailand but also in the neighbor countries and in China.

4. August Band:August Band is one of the T-Pop groups that introduced Thai pop music to China and became internationally famous. The band consists of 13 male members. It was formed in 2008 and still active today.

5. Candy Mafia: The newly formed girl band which is becoming very famous rapidly. The members of this band range in age from 13-14 years old. The group is comprised of 4 Thai teenagers: Nett, Gam, Nune and BamBam. The first song introduced to the public was “Mafia” in 2009 and then many other songs also became very famous such as Alzheimer, Blink Blink, Low Sugar, Honey Honeyand the latest released “My Boy” which has transformed them from an innocent girl group to a very sexy one.

– Tania Tan

DJ Espio: Bringing K-Pop to London

Here at Kcrush, not only do we like talking to the idols and singers who make the Asian music industry “pop,” but we love talking to the people who help share and spread Asian music to the rest of the world.

Andrew Lawrence, also known as DJ Espio, is one the musical pioneers helping to spread K-Pop in the Western world with remixes and show that are guaranteed to make you move! He took time for an interview with us and discussed haters, his shows, and plans for 2015. As a special treat, he also created a remix for your listening pleasure.

We hope you enjoy listening, and we thank Andrew for his time.

Espio Presents: K-Pop Remixed Video DJ Set Vol.1

 

Ali, the singer known for her ‘voice’ and musical ability

Ali is a Korean singer-songwriter famous for her rich and soulful voice. Her stage name, ‘Ali’ was inspired from the world’s greatest boxer, Muhammad Ali.

Ali made her debut in 2003, by featuring in songs from Leessang’s third album, ‘I’m Not Laughing’ and ‘Never Never Say Goodbye’ and she collaborated in various other songs for other artists for several years.

During those years, Ali was praised by her senior artists for her unique voice and talent but she did not get much recognition from the public until she released her own debut album, ‘After the Love has Gone’ in 2009.

In 2009, Ali made an appearance as a contestant on the KBS program Immortal Songs 2. Because she could belt out extremely strong and high notes, she stood out from the other contestants, quickly gaining recognition and fame from just one episode of the show.

Two years after her debut in December of 2011, her first album SOULri was released. Following the release of her album, she held her first independent concert.

As well as being a great singer and entertainer, Ali also works as a professor in applied musical arts at the Seoul Technical Arts College.

She has had her share of ups and downs in her singing career, but she has held out strong like her trademark: Her voice and talent in performing.

One of my favorite performances by Ali is when she sang, “A Kilimanjaro’s Panther” – originally a song by the Korean legend, ‘Yong-pil Cho’ in the Immortal Song 2 and that performance garnered her a large fan base of all age groups.

We were honored to be able to attain an interview with Ali. I hope our readers enjoy reading about Ali from our interview. Plus, a special thank you goes to Ali for her precious time.

 

A Kcrush Interview with Ali

*Could you briefly introduce yourself to our Kcrush readers?

Hello, it’s nice to meet you all. This is Ali, I am a singer who sings all genres of music.

 

*How old were you when you started singing?

I learned Pansori (which is a traditional Korean music) when I was in third year in elementary school.

I began to prepare myself to become a vocalist for popular music when I was in my last year of high school, at the age of 19. My major at University was related to Jazz music.

 

*Have you always dreamt of becoming a singer from an early age?

Since I was very young, I enjoyed singing in front of family members. There is a photo of me singing holding a red microphone when I was about three or four years old.

Growing up, I was very much interested in opera and musicals. Because I enrolled into the Jazz vocal department for my university major, I worked as a contributing Hip-Hop vocalist locally. I believe that I was destined to become a singer.

 

*Which artists/musicians do you admire the most?

There are so many artists who inspire me, so it’s hard to even count them all. All the artists who are older than myself inspire me. But if I had to choose, I would say Chet Baker for Jazz music. Stevie Wonder for R & B. James Brown, Alicia Keys for Soul, and Tupac for Hip Hop. Every one of them are such great artists.

 

*How do you cope with the busy schedule and how do you release stress and fatigue?

I usually like to nap and eat delicious foods. I also watch movies at home with two of my pet dogs.

 

*What do you do as a hobby?

I play Tennis. I play cookie jam game and collect bear bricks. I enjoy reading comic books and watching historical dramas.

 

*Which artists or songs do you listen to most these days?

I’m currently listening to “The Last Time” by Eric Benet and practicing on singing that song because I want to sound sweet.

 

*Do you do a lot of vocal practice and dance/choreography?

I don’t do much vocal practice in case I injure my vocal cords. So, I only do vocal training when I feel that I have to. Depending on how the song is produced, I do dance practice for about two days before I go on stage for Immortal Songs.

 

*Do you have any novels or films that you watched recently that you were inspired by?

‘Imitation Game’ because I want to make my own music that no one else has figured out, even if it gets forgotten after I die. The book that inspired me is ‘The Problem of Pain’ by C. S Lewis.

I am anticipating for the release of Avengers!

 

*What would you say are your favorite food or drink?

I drink a cup of Espresso double shot and cream from Starbucks every morning. I have low blood pressure, so I need the caffeine in order to get myself to wake up. But since it’s not particularly good for my throat, I can only drink 200ml of it per day. I enjoy eating all kinds of food as long as it’s not salty. I really like to eat all kinds of meat and fruit. I can’t eat raw onions since I have an allergy for them.

 

*Could you describe what kind of person is your ideal?

Someone who is very sociable with people, who is a hardworking person. A person who has a sexy voice. It would also be nice if he could play a good game of tennis.

 

*Can you play any other instruments other than the piano?

Other than the piano, I am able to play the violin.

 

*Could you let us know about your goals or wishes for this year?

I want to make exciting music. The kind of songs that everyone and anyone can sing along to.

I’d like to travel all over Europe with that music. In particularly, I wish to travel to England.

(Of course, I’d love to visit the States as well ^^).

 

 

— J. Chung

SXSW was home to the 3rd annual Kpop Night Out featuring a variety of Korean performing artists. This year’s line up included the mysterious Hitchiker, Crayon Pop and legends Epik High.

People began lining up for the show as early as 9:00 a.m. that morning. Before the show started at 8:00 p.m., the line had wrapped itself around the building and down the street. There was some excitement for those in line during the day; Crayon Pop, in full uniform, came out of the venue to film.

The first act to perform that was Asian Chairshot. I was only able to see one song from this group but they rocked the stage and the crowd loved it, despite that a majority of them were there for the pop performing later on. The lead vocalist hopped into the crowd and ended up back on stage wearing a cowboy hat to finish their final song.

Next was Eastern Sidekick, another group that many people would not have expected have attended Kpop Night. With their long hair, many anticipated a more hair metal sound, instead of the more melodic sound they have. This was also when the venue filled to nearly capacity, a first for Kpop Night Out.

After Eastern Sidekick, the Barberettes took the stage. I had personally been anticipating seeing them and they did not disappoint. Dressed in flapper girl styled dresses, it seemed like they had stepped straight out of the 50’s. Vocally, I was blown away with how talented all three members were, along with their live band. They performed two of their newest songs for us, including their first fully English track, and finished with their cover of “Be My Baby”, their most popular upload to date.

Self proclaimed ‘total art’ and electronic group, EE, were next to perform. I could understand where the idea of ‘total art’ comes from; two dancers, their faces completely covered with glitter paint, began twisting and contorting before either of the vocalists came on stage. EE has two vocalist, Big E and Little E, both of which are rappers. This group was also very interactive in with the audience, jumping into the crowd and dancing with people. Little E was also very animated on stage, swearing at the dancers and talking back and forth with the crowd.

Next up was the mysterious Hitchiker, who came out in full body costume. He started out with his most popular song, Eleven, and the crowd went crazy. The bass was so unbelievable strong you could see the hair on your arms vibrating. Hitchiker, despite his large suit, was animated the entirety of his set.

Crayon Pop was next, and once the preview music videos began playing the crowd went crazy, jumping and screaming fan chants. When they actually came on stage the screams were deafening and the girls looked surprised at the number of people that were excited to see them. They played a short 4 song set, including the first live performance of their next comeback song, FM. Crayon Pop also promised they would be back soon on a tour before performing “Bar, Bar, Bar”, with the entire crowd jumping along.

Finally, Epik High’s set began, marking their first US performance in 6 years. They performed an extended set that included “Born Hater”, “Burj Khalifa”, “Happen Ending”, and Tablo’s version of “Eyes, Nose, Lips”. All the members expressed their excitement and how thankful they were for their American fans, promising to come back this summer with a multiple city tour. Despite the 1 AM start time, the crowd was as energetic as possible, screaming along to every song performed.

Despite being called Kpop Night Out a majority of the acts that performed were not pop. This diversity is good for expanding these group’s audiences and showing those who wandered in that the Korean music scene contains much more than just Kpop. I am highly anticipating next year’s event and cannot wait to see what KOCCA, the sponsor behind KPNO, has in store for attendees.

 

-Ke’Anna Bullard

Every year thousands of people flock to the live music capital of the world, Austin, Texas, to experience what is arguably the best festival in the world, SXSW. This year’s festival had more variety than ever with hundreds of international acts taking the stage at various venues. Japan and Korea were particularly represented with several different showcases, all showing different genres of music.

Japan Nite’s preview show showcase many alternative Japanese artists. First act to perform was The fin., an alternative/indie band from Kobe. The fin. have a very soothing sound, and put on a very entertaining act.

Next up was Chihiro Yamazaki and the Route 14 band. Chihiro is a very talented trumpet player, contributing to the jazzy sounds of the Route 14 band. Chihiro expressed her excitement of being in Austin, getting the growing crowd much more excited as their set progressed. Their performance finished with a song called “Japan”. An interesting feature of this group is that one of the songs performed had any spoken lyrics.

Check out Chihiro Yamazaki and the Route 14 band’s “Japan”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWXMHhJGtTw

After that act, a group called Mothercoat took the stage. This group had a very synth driven sound, accompanied by unique vocals from the male and female vocalists. I have never heard anything quite like this group.

The last group I was able to see was a female duo called Zarigani$. This hard hitting rock group sounded like something you would hear as the intro song to an action filled anime. If you enjoy punk-rock groups with loud vocals, you will enjoy this group. Both of these ladies had a lot of energy on stage, despite the humid weather.

I really enjoyed the part of the Japan Nite preview I was able to attend. The crowds were not huge, but each artist seemed thankful people attended. You could really tell how much these performers enjoyed being on stage playing. Part of the appeal of SXSW is the eclectic mix of genres you can find in one line up and this show was an example of one of those.

Japan Nite is an annual US Tour that kicks off in Austin and tours all across the United States. You can head over to their website, japan-night.com, and see if the tour is coming to a city near you. I definitely suggest you check these groups out; you might just discover your new favorite band.

 

 – Ke’Anna Bullard

The weather is starting to warm up, cherry blossoms are blooming, and hope and romance seems to be popping up wherever you turn. This can only mean one thing: Spring is here!

As the winter chill begins to disappear, you may need something to warm you up. Kcrush created a playlist of cheerful songs to help you welcome warmer weather. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8WP9wFBGBg5Jwok2oHUVBfpt9WWShiXH

 

–Joelle Halon