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Juyeon’s Top 5 Favorite Boy and Girl Groups

January 5, 2015 | 4704 Visits

It’s been almost 6 years of listening to kpop. I didn’t 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, Café, and Fantastic Baby.  Even though the songs besides Fantastic Baby aren’t as known, I suggest you listen to them if you haven’t already.

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2)     Second favorite group is EXO.  What got me interested in this group was their dance choreography to one of their older songs called ‘History.’  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 Don’t Cry, Thunder, Christmas Day, and 3.6.5. , you should get on that because you will not regret it.

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3)     Third favorite is Beast.  I’ve actually been a fan of Best since their debut.  They weren’t 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 ‘Shadow’, ‘Good Luck’ and ‘12:30’, 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.

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4)     My fourth favorite is Shinee. This is one of the most skilled/talented kpop groups.  It’s 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. I’ve 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.

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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 haven’t 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, Don’t Flirt, Different, Tonight, and Smile Again.

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My Top Girl Groups

 

1)     My number 1 is BOA.  She’s a solo artist so she doesn’t really fit into this category, but it’s 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 can’t sing, but that’s 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.

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2)     Second favorite group is 2NE1.  I don’t care what anyone else thinks about Park Bom’s 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 she’s on stage and it just drags you in and soon you’ll be one of the supporting fans. Minzy has some awesome dance skills; it’s 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 weren’t familiar with and I think that’s why so many people were into this group until recently when Par Bom’s 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 she’s so funny and cute.  My favorite songs are: You and I, Lonely, I Don’t Care, Go Away, Come Back Home, and more.

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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!  It’s crazy because they’re 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 I’m 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 couldn’t even notice there were only 8 members.  My favorite songs are: Tell Me Your Wish, Mr. Mr., Hoot, Oh, and more.

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4)     My fourth favorite group is Apink.  This group has released a lot of songs in the past two years and I think that’s why they became so popular.  All their songs are catchy and they’re not promoting a sexy concept so anyone can listen to and watch their music videos.  Every song they release has become a hit and they’re gaining more and more fans each day.  All their songs have cute dance choreography to them and it’s very easy to dance along. My favorite songs are: My My, I Don’t Know, Mr. Chu, LUV, and more.

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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 hasn’t even had their own concert.  They have so much talent, but the company doesn’t seem to be supporting them as much.  After their hit release ‘Electric Shock’ 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 ‘Red Light’ after couple of stage performances.  Despite what people think, I personally liked their comeback song.  Many people were saying the song was bad, but it’s 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.

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–— 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

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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 “The Lone Duckling” caught many listeners’ attentions when it was first released, but “Sky Blue Promise” and “Saturday Night” 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

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B.A.P’s first full album had something for everyone starting with its impressive title track “Angel (1004)” to the sensual “Body & Soul.” Yongguk once said the group wanted to try different styles; First Sensibility fulfilled that wish. Fans still experienced B.A.P’s hip-hop styling, but they also got to experience Rock through “Bangx2” and the members’ sweetness with “With You.” First Sensibility displays why B.A.P earned a large international following.

 

8. Roy Kim Home

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Roy Kim’s folksy, artsy album is one of the feel-good albums of the year. Home packs an emotional wallop with “Home” and “Nothing Lasts Forever,” but provides some upbeat sound with “Now I Know.” Kim manages to provide music for any mood and can easily lift sadness with Home. On an international scale, Home is truly underrated.

 

7. Nell Newton’s Apple

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Kim Jong-Wan provided one of Nell’s best albums with Newton’s 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 group’s Indie Rock sound. Listeners can experience a wide range of emotions from angst via “Night of Rebirth” to desperation in “Escape from Extinction.” Newton’s Apple is a perfect example of why Nell quietly dominates the Indie scene.

 

6. CNBLUE Can’t Stop

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Can’t Stop earns a star for not having a bad song on the album. The album’s title track showcased Yong-Hwa at his finest, songs like “Cold Love” with its bitter undertones and the soft “Like a Child” 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 Can’t 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?

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Wonder Girl’s 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. “Ain’t Nobody,” the album’s single, perfectly introduces audiences to her vocal styling, while “Peter Pan” 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

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Since its release, Crush has been one of the most talked albums in 2014. Why not? Songs like“Come Back Home” and “Gotta Be You” have been discussed for awards, the latter picking up an MTV Iggy. The album even debuted at #61 on Billboard’s top 200 list. The lyrics presented on many of Crush’s 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

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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 “Christmalo.Win” 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 “Fighter of the Forest” and “The Christmas Miracle” 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

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Taeyang embraced both R&B and hip-hop with Rise with his tracks “Let Go” and “Ringa Linga” to help show growth and range, but “Eyes, Nose, Lips” was the runaway hit this year. Rise also caught the attention of the American audience by debuting at 112 on Billboard’s hot 200 chart, making Taeyang the highest charting Korean male soloist. The album did boast other great songs besides “ENL” like “1am” and “Stay With Me,” so it’s 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

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Produced by Epik High, Shoebox is one of the group’s most personal albums that covers many highs and lows. From the raw, edgy, and swear-riddled “Born Hater” to the pretty “Happen Ending,” Shoebox does well in showing the many facets of Epik High. “Amor Fati” and “Spoiler” also impress with their content value and lyrical styling to the point of taking one’s breath away at the brilliance behind the music. Then again, it’s rare to expect anything else outside of excellence from Epik High.

—- 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 it’s 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 you’re first introduced to kpop, you might be confused and overwhelmed especially if you’re watching the music video because there are so many things going on all at once.  It’s very hard to figure out what the music video is about because it doesn’t really go with the lyrics of the song.  It’s almost always random things to gain more attention.  Not everyone is into kpop for that reason, but it’s also the biggest reason why people like it.  And to those who don’t like kpop are the ones who listened to it for the first time and first time only.  They watch one music video and think it’s stupid, so they don’t watch another one to see if they will like it or not.

To the people who are into kpop, probably didn’t 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 it’ll keep you entertained.  Some kpop videos are very long and it’s 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 IU’s music videos and also T ARA’s music videos.  It will feel like you’re watching a short musical/film or even drama if the story gets intense.

Here’s a fun fact: average kpop group spends anywhere from a month to 3 months on one choreographed routine.   It’s not because the choreography is hard to learn, it’s because there are other members besides yourself so just because you have it down perfect, doesn’t 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 you’re an amazing dancer, you can’t 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 it’s the country the foreign member is from, that person will be in charge of talking and promoting the group.  It’s 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. Let’s close out 2014 with some songs that made the year worthwhile!

10. Younha “Umbrella”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTVvtlfU-Ts

Ten years after the original release, Younha released “Umbrella” 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 “forever in the rain” echoes and trails off packs such a heart-wrenching punch, even the coldest of people may feel some tears. “Umbrella” truly stands the test of time.

9. Ailee “Don’t Touch Me”    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a5zTTYaNl8

Ailee’s music has an empowering quality that just makes a listener want to burst into a room and strut like she’s an unstoppable being. “Don’t Touch Me” 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 “Manyo Maash”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2sMLUyoNfY

Released in February, it’s pretty safe to say “Manyo Maash” has been forgotten by many because of the rush of idol group releases and rookie debuts. If that’s the case, it’s a shame since Puer Kim’s unusual vocals are memorable. Her dark, gothic styling for the song turned her into a modern-day Morticia Addams with jazzy, bluesy sound. She’s different and that matters!

7. Akdong Musician “Melted”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUCIzn0mRHc

The AKMU siblings have wisdom well beyond their years as shown in “Melted.” “Melted” 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, it’s safe to say people can learn a lot from them in terms of musical styling.

6. Roy Kim “Home”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czdxV99r89Y

Roy Kim is not just a singer: He’s a storyteller. His vocals in “Home” paint a picture of the meaning of family eloquently. Kim’s talent should not be denied.

5. Girl’s Day “Something”

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

“Something” surprised everyone with how much of a hit it was, propelling Girl’s Day into a position of being one of the next “it” groups. The sexy yet classy dance added to the song’s appeal for many also. Since “Something,” Girl’s Day has made many TV appearances, held fan meetings, and released two other successful singles. There’s “something” about them these days.

4. Beast “Good Luck”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs8QGv2VqJA

Billboard named “Good Luck” as the top K-Pop song of the year for 2014. From the word “go,” 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 MV’s 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 “Miss Me or Diss Me”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6OxVfem0WM

MC Mong made his return much to Korea’s chagrin, but that shouldn’t undermine how amazing his return was. “Miss Me or Diss Me” covers his time away and how he felt in a beautifully poetic way. Jinsil’s chorus is what will keep listeners’ attentions because she plays a powerful role in the song’s bold message.

2. EPIK HIGH “Happen Ending”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8GUlNNXBVg

Whenever EPIK HIGH releases a song, fans can count on it being popular. “Happen Ending” just had all the right moves in all the right places. 조원선’s voice added depth to Tablo and Mithra’s rap to make the song haunting and amazing. But, it’s EPIK HIGH, can we expect anything less?

1. Taeyang “Eyes, Nose, Lips”

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

When it was released, “Eyes Nose, Lips” 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 there’s no denying it is 2014’s Song of the Year!

There you have it: 2014’s best songs! Of course, our list may be different than yours. What was in your top 10?

Now it’s 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 didn’t go the way it was planned.  After a week or two the music video was released and the group started promoting ‘Overdose’ 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 couldn’t take time off to rest, money wasn’t 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 didn’t 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 don’t. I mean, why would you go through all the tough training years just to quit?  It just shows they didn’t 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 wasn’t 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 won’t 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 hadn’t happened, but there is nothing we can do now.  Maybe it’s 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 couldn’t 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 EXO’s comeback in January 2015 on their YouTube page.  Hopefully nothing will go wrong this time and I wish them the best of luck.

 exo 2

—-Juyeon Oh

This week has been a competitive week for the artists. There are so many singers/groups making comebacks and the rankings on the chart have been on and off.

1)     Number one on the charts would have to be EXID- Up and Down. This song was released in the summer and wasn’t very known, but when a fan uploaded a fan cam of the member Hani dancing to the song, it started gaining more and more attention. This video instantly went viral and it almost has 5 million views on YouTube, which has higher viewers than the music video. Their song has been on the top 10 charts for weeks now and it recently reached number 1. It’s crazy to see how many fans this group has gained by just one fan cam.

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2)     Super Junior’s member Kyuhyun released his first single as a solo artist and the song became a huge hit. Not to offend anyone, but it was very surprising to see how much success he had with the solo because it’s rare to see solo artists who have become successful in SM. The groups are popular in this company, but a soloist has never been a hit until Kyuhyun-At Gwanghwamun. This song is pleasing to listen to because he has a soft tone in his voice so it’s very relaxing and smooth.

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3)     Apink-LUV. It seems like every song they release is a hit. Apink has never gained so many trophies from music shows until this song and they sure deserve it. This song is so catchy and it will be stuck in your head after listening to it even if it’s your first time hearing it. I love how this group doesn’t have to change their concept to sexy to gain interest from people. Apink is probably the only group to debut as a cute concept and still have the same concept years after their debut.

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4)     GD, Taeyang- Good Boy. It was nice to see GD work with Taeyang. They’ve been training together for years before their debut and they never got the chance to work together, separately from Big Bang. It was nice to see their teamwork that built since the training years. This song is really upbeat with cool choreography. Although the choreography is hard to dance along to, it’s one of those songs you can easily free style to.

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5)     Epik High-Happen Ending. It’s been more than a year since their last comeback , so many people were looking forward to this song. With the sad melody, this song will remind you of the person you’ve been missing, but the lyrics will help you push through the tough times.

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6)     Toy-Three People. Toy has finally made a comeback and the song is featured by Sung Si Kyung. The melody is so touching and sad, but the song is so addicting that you will find yourself replaying it.

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7)     Beast-12:30. This song is produced and written by one of the members Yong Jun Hyung, and the song really shows the strength in their vocals. The chorus part is so high pitched that most male singers are not able to reach, but the main vocalist seems to pull it off without any problems. You can see how much talent his group has by just listening to this song and they sing amazing live.

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8)     Park Hyo Shin-Snow Flower. If you want to listen to a guy with a sweet voice, this song is for you. His voice is so unique and it’s not something you’ve heard before. This song is perfect for this kind of weather and it’s good to listen to while relaxing.

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9)     AOA-Like A Cat. This group made another hit comeback with this song. Just like the title, it’s basically about the members acting like cats to win the guy they like. The choreography is also fun to dance along to and the song is overall just fun and catchy.

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10) Hi, Suhyun ft. Bobby-I’m Different. This is a new unit from YG. No one was expecting this kind of collaboration and it sure met and exceeded the expectations people had. The song has a fun/catchy beat that you’ll be able to sing along after only listening to half of the song.

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—-Juyeon Oh

The end is in sight with our countdown of 2014’s top songs. At this point, it’s clear some really great songs were left off, but then the list would be hundreds of songs in, and really, “ain’t nobody got time for that” to quote the Internet meme. With that said, let’s get into numbers 20 through 11!

20. Block B “Her”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0WCva5Stk4

Block B’s signature quirkiness and wacky antics provide one of the most feel-good songs of the year. It is impossible to not dance along to “Her.” The song’s addictive hook and beat are enough to propel to top-20 status.

19. J.Min “Shine”

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

J.Min’s music seems to have gotten lost in the idol group melee this year, which is shame considering she made her Korean debut with two amazing songs in “Hoo” and “Shine.” “Shine’s” subtle rock sound and J.Min’s amazing vocals make up for the lackluster lyrics. The chorus feels empowering and sends a message about reaching the stars, and that’s a message we all need.

18. Wings “Blossom”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVOB29KelYc

Sony’s rookie duo Wings has the vocal prowess to become the next Davichi if utilized well. Wings has heart and soul in their voices along with raw talent. Their debut song, “Hair Short,” showed their personality, but “Blossom” gave them a chance to show off their vocals in a beautiful way.

17. Raina & San E “A Midsummer Night’s Sweetness”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkfMN-jaycA

Raina made her solo debut, which was one of the highlights of 2014. Her voice definitely feels like a midsummer night sweetness because it’s heavenly and soft. The song performed well on the music charts and caused many fans to “ship” Raina and San E because they had great chemistry together.

16. TVXQ “Something”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9HBT6sRSZ8

Big band and 1940s charm dominate “Something,” and it turned out to be one of TVXQ’s best moves of late. The song is enjoyable, but the MV and live performances are what make it great. TVXQ’s backup dancers stole the show and help make the song way more amazing than it already was.

15. CNBlue “Can’t Stop”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75KBwVtd_W0

“Can’t Stop” couldn’t be stopped earlier in 2014. The song shifts from mid- tempo to a quicker paced song to eliminate dullness. For those who hate ballads, this is the perfect song for you. For anyone who wants to introduce CNBLUE to a non-fan or non-K-Pop lover, “Can’t Stop” is perfect. The echoing vocals and Yong-Hwa’s high notes are beyond delightful.

14. Dia “Paradise”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D0_mglcEAw

How can a song that came out a few days ago make it to the top 20? Simple: Sing a great song that provides a hopeful message about a personal journey. Dia’s voice has hope and makes a listener feel that hope. The message Dia flawless delivers makes the song great.

13. Roy Kim “Nothing Lasts Forever”                   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JRS28BaQjs

Roy Kim’s Home album should have been a contender for album of the year, and “Nothing Lasts Forever” needed more recognition. The song itself is one of the best on the album because of the chorus and the power that erupts toward the end.

12. Ha:tfelt “Ain’t Nobody”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQT82EOXX7c

Wonder Girls’ Yenny released one of the absolute best songs of the year this summer, yet it’s seldom discussed. Her vocal range was on-point in “Ain’t Nobody,” and the emotional performance in the MV—which utilized interpretative dancing well—made the tune even more glorious.

11. MBLAQ “Be a Man”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jcsjuK6j-k

MBLAQ does ballads well as heard in “Be a Man.” From high note to low note, the members harmonized well. When paired with the MV, the song becomes even more impressive and worthwhile. Sadly, two members have now left MBLAQ. Hopefully the three who remain can recapture the magic.

 

Tomorrow brings us to the finish line! Have you seen your favorites yet? Who do you hope will be in the top ten?

 

—-Joelle Halon

We’re at the middle of the road with the music; the end is in sight! Numbers 50 through 31 brought some surprises and shocks, I’m sure, and that’s not going to stop. So what other songs made it? Let’s find out!

30. Stellar “Mask”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnROp2RyanM

Stellar was another group mired in controversy this year due to their initial comeback single “Marionette.” When they returned with “Mask,” a sexier concept remained, but this time it was toned down and people took more notice to the music. “Mask” has a mid-2000s K-Pop feel backed by pretty singing. The parts where they sing “I’m afraid I’ll get caught” (English trans.) provide coy femininity as the lines are considerably quieter than the rest of the lyrics. Despite the controversies, this style of music suits Stellar well.

29. Kyuhyun “At Gwanghwamun”

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

Kyuhyun’s voice is perfectly suited for ballads, so it is fitting he made his solo debut with one. “At Gwanghwamun” radiates warmth and tenderness even though the MV and song reaches out to singles. There is emotion in his voice although the MV is pretty much emotionless, but that’s okay. The song will make a listener have all the feels anyway.

28. Wheesung “Night and Day”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdep8srF-w8

Wheesung’s voice is absolutely necessary in the industry, period. He is distinct and recognizable which adds an amazing layer to his music. “Night and Day” provides strength and emotion with every waver of his voice. Listening to Wheesung here provides an opportunity to escape to a whole other world.

27. Lucky J “Can You Hear Me?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDPvocJ3Mq0

Co-ed groups add an interesting dynamic, so it’s a shame they’re so few currently. Lucky J’s “Can You Hear Me?” is rich and smooth in a unique way with feminine soul and ear-catching rap. The R&B elements that peek out here and there just give the song something that makes a listener pause to truly listen to words.

26. Kiss&Cry “Domino Game”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCC4XQj4aUc

With conflicting reports over whether they completely disbanded or “on pause,” anything negative happening to Kiss&Cry is inconceivable considering how they caught everyone’s attention when they debuted. “Domino Game” is abnormally good because of Kiss&Cry’s amazing vocals. The song is crazy-addictive and deserved way more recognition than it received in Korea. Hopefully 2015 will bring the girls back as a whole group because the world is theirs for the taking!

25. Purfles “1, 2, 3”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzB41vHI9Vw

Another rookie group to watch in 2015, Purfles, came out with guns blazing. “1, 2, 3” boasts amazing bass, but Purfles just brings the house down! Their voices contain so much power that they are extremely hard to ignore.

24. Mamamoo “Mr. Ambitious”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D15-XYRubsc

“Mr. Ambitious” marked Mamamoo’s official debut though they had two songs prior to it. What makes Mamamoo awesome is how they incorporate 1940s swag and swing to make a modern hit to create a song that has an old soul and lots of fun. Mamamoo is an exciting group to watch. Plus, they’ve yet to have a bad song.

23. Mad Clown ft. Hyorin “Without You”

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

Mad Clown’s rapping sounds more like talk-rapping than actual musical-rapping. In his case, it actually works to generate an interesting dynamic with whomever he pairs with for a title track. Mad Clown and Hyorin create something magical with the sadness she conveys in her parts and the anger he has in his. Together, the two create magic.

22. B.A.P “1004 (Angel)”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGolQ9LzbkY

It’s been quite a year for B.A.P: Another world tour, a nomination for an MTV EMA, and a lawsuit, the latter finishing their year. However, “1004” was one of the many highlights. The song won them a few music show trophies and gave them further international recognition. The emotional song still carries B.A.P’s signature style which makes it unique and powerful.

21. Winner “Empty”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEqlF5N8UMs

New YG groups tend to not feel like rookies when they debut, and that’s the case with Winner. “Empty” features smooth rapping and vocals that capture the ears and mind. Seungyoon and Mino’s back and forth starting at 3:13 is especially pleasing and soothing. “Empty” has something for everyone.

 

We’re heading toward the end. Have you seen your favorites yet? Who do you predict will be in the top 10 coming soon? Stay tuned tomorrow for 20 through 11!

—-Joelle Halon

Welcome back!

The countdown continues with 2014’s top 50 K-Pop songs. Numbers 50 through 41 rang in yesterday, so who will shine today? Here are numbers 40-31. Where did your favorites rank and who is yet to come?

40. Lip Service “Yum Yum Yum”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnCAj6ssJj8

Lip Serviced earned attention for their food anthem for good reason. The then duo (now trio) showed they can be cute, fierce, and relatable with a kitschy song that quickly earned them a fan base. But in all honestly, how can anyone turn down a song with hamburgers and Americanos?

39. Berry Good “Love Letter”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pYziw7QGOI

Their name suggests they’re an aegyo group and Berry Good members are quite aegyo. However, if you’re not a fan of cute groups, don’t let those feelings deter you! “Love Letter” is a sweet song with an amazing chorus and great harmonies. The instrumentals have an early-2000s K-Pop feel, so nostalgia may ride high for those who’ve been around K-Pop since that period. If anyone remembers and liked BP Pop from 2013, Berry Good echoes their style but with stronger vocals and music.

38. EXO “Overdose”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI0DGvqKZTI

2014 gave EXO better songs with both arrangement and lyrics, and before EXO-M began falling apart, EXO released “Overdose,” a song that marked a nice comeback. The chorus really hooks a listener, and the melodies are much better. In typical EXO style, “Overdose” won plenty of music shows and year-end awards. Sadly, “Overdose” tended to be overplayed on the radio, so it was possible to OD on it.

37. Ladies’ Code “Kiss Kiss”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3egSFB8hVY8

With each comeback, Ladies’ Code showed moxie and continuously improved. “Kiss Kiss,” although similar in style to 2013’s “Pretty Pretty,” should have helped the ladies gain more recognition for their vocal talent, quirky nature, and personalities. “Kiss Kiss” is a relatable song since it covers fears of the first kiss. The chorus captures Ladies’ Code’s strengths with blending their vocals while each girl remained distinct enough to pick out. Months after their accident, it’s still difficult to grasp Kwon Risae and Go Eun-Bi are no longer with us, making “Kiss Kiss” difficult to listen to for the most part. However, its strengths can’t be overlooked.

36. Sunmi “Full Moon”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BBF3vRY85M

Sunmi and JYP trainee Lena pair up to create a song that has a haunting quality. Lena doesn’t sound much like a trainee which adds to the tune’s appeal. Sunmi’s voice, though thin-sounding at times, impresses with each verse. The story tied into “Full Moon”  is also pretty sweet for those still  into vampire romances, although the video can be laughable since who knew vampires like to dance awkwardly on rooftops.

35. Soyou & JunggiGo “Some”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-FhDScM_2w

As an international fan, it was humorous to see how people fought over this song this year. I-Fans couldn’t quite understand why it was popular and while K-Fans helped keep the song on top of the charts for several weeks. The song is cute, upbeat, and Soyou and JungGiGo knocked it out of the ballpark. The beat of the song just induces happiness, so why hate?

34. Orange Caramel “Catallena”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Med2XipHJJM

Orange Caramel wouldn’t be Orange Caramel without a weird, quirky concept? “Catallena” serves up seafood with a story and pairs it with disco and Pakistani-Panjabi influences. The fusion makes “Catallena” unique and enjoyable.

33. AOA “Miniskirt”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6f-LLM1H6U

AOA made a comeback with a sexier comeback, but this one was classy compared to many comebacks—from both males and females—this year. “Miniskirt” earned them plenty of recognition that propelled them to becoming a contender for a top-tier group position. The only downfall for “Miniskirt” is that it is a departure from how AOA started: A girl group with a band concept. Hopefully, 2015 will bring that concept back around because fans need to hear how multi-faceted AOA truly is.

32. 2NE1 “Gotta Be You”

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

“Gotta Be You” is one of several 2NE1 releases this year. While “Come Back Home” held the emotional appeal, “Gotta Be You” is the song picking up year-end awards. The song’s dance track is impressive paired with 2NE1’s voices. The lyrics are interesting and fit CL’s rapping. Minzy, Dara, and Bom shine well, especially since Bom doesn’t sound out of place. The MV, however, sends a message that it’s okay to go back to a cheater if he apologizes. Has no one heard the saying “once a player, always a player”?

31. SPICA “You Don’t Love Me”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc1RwpRfbT0

Why SPICA doesn’t get more recognition will always remain a mystery, but they should considering how they are a chameleon in the K-Pop industry. They can cover just about any style with ease. “You Don’t Love Me” recalls the Motown era; SPICA owns the sound and the feel. Plus, Lee Hyori helped with the MV and track.

Stay tuned tomorrow for numbers 30 through 21! Who do you expect to see?

 

—  Joelle Halon

2014 brought K-Pop lovers some awesome songs from Taeyang’s “Eyes, Nose, Lips” to Girl’s Day’s surprise hit “Something.”  But the music scene can’t always be perfect, and artists in the industry can release some stinkers here and there. So what were some of 2014’s worst?[i]

Hyomin “Nice Body”

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

While Hyomin may have wanted to empower women to be proud of their bodies through good health and exercise, the overbearing message many received was that women should be thin in order to be considered beautiful. In fact, many comments on the video’s YouTube page thank Hyomin for encouraging eating disorders through the MV and song and consider the opening and closing sequences to be an act of “fat shaming.” The song itself sends the same mixed messages. This was a song that could have been positive, but it remained shallow and clueless instead.

Crayon Pop “Uh ee”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyDG3BQRdDY

The Trot vibe of the song is the best part of the song, but the part that makes the song weak is how pigeon-holed Crayon Pop is since the viral success of “Bar Bar Bar.” Prior to “Bar Bar Bar,” Crayon Pop had a range of songs like “Saturday Night” and “I Am Beautiful” that showed their potential.  Since “Bar Bar Bar,” their music has remained the same gimmick that has gotten old and tired. “Uh ee” follows the same formula as “Bar Bar Bar” with a repetitive chorus and goofy fashion. Chrome needs to move on from milking the silly, quirky act and give Crayon Pop something to show their true abilities.

ToHeart “Delicious”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdrz_e2mbtE

A pairing that consisted of SHINee’s Key and Infinite’s Woohyun sounds like a dream-come-true. The song, sadly, is generic and preteen-friendly. The chorus is decent but contains a high cheese factor. Their subsequent song, “Tell Me Why,” showed their vocal talents better.

PSY and Snoop Dogg “Hangover”

 

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

 

Kudos to PSY and Snoop Dogg for creating a song that sounds exactly what I expect a hangover to feel like. Of course, this was the purpose of “Hangover” because it does seem to be poking fun at Korea’s soju culture.

While billed as PSY’s song, Snoop Dogg was front and center, so it is really his song with PSY as background. The main gripe is how it feels wrong to glorify drinking so much that people don’t remember what happened. The song just doesn’t work, but it seems like something that would be featured in the film Hangover. “Hangover”  is just flat-out obnoxious!

 

Hitchhiker “Eleven”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZa4yre0uEk

For 3 minutes and 51 seconds, a girl makes noise and beats her mouth. This is called music.

Let’s absorb that a minute.

Sure, club-type and experimental music is different and people have different tastes, but is it really a song? Why not? It has a good beat, but it gets annoying real fast. A few people I know who are into the club scene thought it was awesome, but it’s just not fit for a lot of everyday listeners.

M.o.A “I’ll Call Ya” and “Run for Your Dream”

Rookie group M.o.A has had a rocky start to their career, and it’s a shame since they could have potential if they had better songs.

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

“I’ll Call Ya” had a catchy chorus, but the song as a whole was short cohesiveness with instrumentals that drowned the girls out. Sadly, the M.o.A ladies lacked good vocal technique too since poor control made the song sound like a call for help over a call to a potential love interest.

Three members left and joined the new group 4L after this song’s release.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkLXx4D983w

“Run for Your Dream” gets credit for not using autotune, but the vocals are weak, shaky, and often fade out. The rap portion lacked flow, so it felt more like amateur hour than a professionally produced song. The tempo change made it sound like the song was two different pieces sewn together. After this release, two more members got the boot. Here’s to hoping Professional Entertainment gets in gear to help these girls succeed.

GOT7 “Girls, Girls, Girls” and “A”

GOT7 had a lot of hype leading up to their debut, and there’s no doubt these guys are talented. Luckily, they have a strong fan base because their debut and follow-up singles were average at best.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sAoKmg7qPI

“Girls, Girls, Girls’” old-school track made the song worth listening to the first few times, but after a while the instrumentals get annoying because they remain in the same key throughout. The overall lyrics and chorus aren’t memorable and too self-serving. “Girlsx3’s” is confident, yes, but since it was a debut song, why emote the feeling that girls will love the group already? The song comes across as cocky because of it, but since GOT7 comes from a “Big Three,” it seems they knew it was safe to choose this song for a debut. However, it would have been better as a non-title track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eISomx-VMow

With “A,” the intro immediately draws a listener into the song with its summerly vibe. “A,” however, feels like it’s yelled more than sang making it less enjoyable.

However, GOT7 will do well despite these average starts. With over 24 million views combined for both MVs, fans will support them no matter what, but stronger songs will help cement their place as a top rookie.

Aila “Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Girl”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6v0GdN-W2Q

Aila had, perhaps, one of the saddest debut stages in recent K-Pop history. The Aila ladies look older than the typical female idol group, and their voices suggest this is the case too. This song is too young-sounding for them! Their harmonies in the chorus are messy since they sound like they’re all singing a different song. The pitchiness makes the girls sound obnoxious, which is a shame because there are hints of potential. If they are allowed out of K-Pop obscurity, hopefully their company will give them a more mature song to fit their vocal range because it would be nice to hear what they can do.

A.I.N “Candy Girl”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgNhTmKBTW4

Nothing against Nurse in Angel because they do seem genuinely talented (though I’m not buying the sexy nurse concept) with the potential to become a known group, but the song just isn’t for them. The song is in too high of a key to complement their voices leading the song to sound shrill at times. The song isn’t bad per se, but it would have worked for a different group who can reach a higher pitch better. The song is solely on this list due to the miss-match of artist and music.

CL “MTBD”

Earlier this year, “MTBD” caught the ire of many when people thought they heard elements from the Quran in the song. YG neither confirmed nor denied this, and it’s really unclear if the Quran was used. There are clear Middle Eastern and South Asian influences though.

Controversy aside, “MTBD” had too many elements pieced together that made it sound like a breakdown. The “boom” portions sounded a bit like Madonna’s “Vogue,” and the “how beautiful is this life” at the end is just whiny and grating. While it’s great K-Pop is working toward embracing other cultural sounds via instrumentals, sometimes it just doesn’t work. “MTBD” is one of those songs where very few elements came together to make a likeable song.

Pritz “Too Difficult Oh Eh Oh Eh”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b9TWbkN0K8

Pritz feels more J-Pop than K-Pop, not that there’s anything wrong with that. “Too Difficult…” fits well in an anime as an intro or closing credits song, but it’s definitely not a standalone song. The random cheers and yelling are unbearable since there is very little singing going on. With “Go Girls,” Pritz seemed like a group with a cool concept and sound.  Since then, they’ve gone downhill and even got embroiled in some controversy.

Scarlet “Hip Song”

http://youtu.be/95LWTeda-qk

 

The song is catchy for summer, butthe message suggests women should only be about impressing men through body language and brainless actions. The nonsensical, repetitive lyrics create a song that’s cute the first few times it’s heard, but why be dumbed down? Scarlet, you are so much more than this, I know it!

HyunA “Red”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTXCgR93zC8

The bridge leading up to the chorus and the way the instrumentals make the body sway are the best part of “Red”; everything else got old quickly. The lyrics are some of the worst ones this year although they seem to be based on a Korean nursery rhyme, but the arrangement seems off. HyunA’s high-pitched sound wears thin quickly also, and it would be nice to hear her sing in her lower, natural voice.

 

What songs did you loathe this year? Share with us in the comments below!

 

[i] Opinions are solely the author’s and do not reflect K-Crush America’s stance as a whole.

 

— Joelle Halon

So long, farewell!

We’re now saying goodnight to 2014, and what a year it’s been! 2014 brought us a lot of thrills and chills in the music industry. Despite the highs and lows, the music never stopped. The year brought us some amazing albums like Taeyang’s Rise, Roy Kim’s Home, Good Luck from B2st, and 2NE1’s Crush, and with these albums, we had some memorable songs.

Ranking the 50 best songs from 2014 is a tough task because there were so many good ones this year. Rookies came out strong while some veterans faltered a little although they provided some strong contenders. So where did this year’s songs fall on the top 50 scale? Let’s find out!

Here are numbers 50-41!

50. IU “My Old Story”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npttud7NkL0

Part of IU’s appeal is her ability to tell a story through her music. She’s an old soul who can appeal to many, proving that in “My Old Story.” The imagery, instrumentals, and vocals bring feelings of old Hollywood glamour, while the heartbreaking lyrics resonate to those who lost love. IU’s grace through music leaves a nice impact especially here.

49. BIGFLO “Delilah”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKKJ5N0soRk

BIGFLO’s debut was one of the better male group debuts in 2014. “Delilah” is a massive earworm track, and the members have the swag to pull it off. Their debut album is equally impressive! BIGFLO’s unfortunate downfall right now is how similar they sound to Block B. However, as time goes by and they settle into an identity, they can become a group worth talking about more.

48. Girls’ Generation “Mr. Mr.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8j_XEn9b_8

SNSD are still relevant and a top-tier female group, though it seems they are losing steam and falling into a trap with songs that sound too similar year-to-year. “Mr. Mr.” has a fun video to analyze and decent lyrics, and it is also great to see the ladies mature, but it’s not a breakout hit like previous Girls’ Generation songs. Of course, fan support will remain strong so they will continue to dominate the music shows for that reason, but “Mr. Mr.” was good but not great.

47. f(x) “Red Light”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv-8-EgPEY0

“Red Light,” like other f(x) songs, is simplistic lyrically allowing the dance track to carry the song. Like SNSD this year, f(x) find themselves falling into the cookie-cutter-song-type trap with a bangin’ beat and some repetition. However, the simplistic lyrics have a message as they pin f(x) against haters and those who want to stop them from creating their own sound and identity; the MV is filled with images supporting the idea also. The imagery and content are what put the song on the list, but overall, it’s a typical f(x) dance track.

46. Super Junior “Mamacita”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYiIpocQxL8

This SuJu comeback is, by far, one of their most fun. Siwon’s creeper ‘stache, Heechul’s bartender act, Shindong as the heel… what’s not to love? The drama version of the MV show that Super Junior are more than just dancing-machine-idols locked in an oddly lit room. The chorus will—and does—get stuck in a listener’s head, but in this case, it’s okay. The fun element makes “Mamacita” a winner.

45. Megan Lee “8dayz”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC4kLPBZdGU

Megan Lee is adorable and charming in “8Dayz,” her official K-Pop debut song. The song’s bubbly beat and lyrics bring about feelings of summer and happiness. Lee simultaneously released Korean and English versions to reach out to her supporters internationally; the Korean version (shown) has B2st’s Junhyung rapping to fulfill the typical K-Pop song formula of singing-rapping-singing. “8dayz” provided a glimpse of Lee’s talents; sadly, she, like many others in the industry in 2014, is locked in a lawsuit with her company. We hope to hear from her again soon!

44. History “Psycho”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJDc5vYw_UE

The beauty of “Psycho” is how it incorporates some 1970s’ sound with some cult-classic musical charm. The distortion at the end of the chorus is enough to draw a listener in since it’s part of the song’s fun. The lyrics, at times, feel weak, but they don’t impact the overall vibe of the song.

43. Fiestar “One More”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9sEjiBew18

“One More” hosts a great dance track and addictive chorus that solidifies Fiestar as one of the groups to keep an eye on in the future. Sadly, this song faded into obscurity since it wasn’t allowed to be performed on music shows due to the song’s controversial subject involving sex and a hinted at threesome. Despite its supposed controversy, “One More” is one of Fiestar’s best comebacks to date.

42. U-Kiss “Don’t Flirt”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0pJ-mBHiV0

Like Fiestar’s “One More,” “Don’t Flirt” is rich in sexual tension. U-Kiss’s more mature concept did raise a few eyebrows as members even apologized for the overt sexual overtones. However, the harmonies and chorus are strong and impressive and show U-Kiss members are more than dance tracks like in “Neverland,” “Believe,” and “Dora Dora.”

41. Rosemary “That’s What They Say”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5AA8kNPSx0

It’s astounding how these amazing ladies sneaked into the industry under the radar because they deserve to be recognized. Rich vocals dominate “That’s What They Say” and help soothe the soul. Their Indie vibe remains intact as they head into the mainstream which helps them stand out as a superior group with true, raw talent. Their self-titled mini album boasts a nice range of styles including Jazz and pop.

 

Of course, this list is just the opinion of one person. Where do your favorites fall? What’s yet to come? Stay tuned tomorrow for 40-31!

 

— Joelle Halon

Most K-drama fans would agree that once you start watching K-drama that suits your taste, it’s difficult to drop watching halfway through when the storyline unfolds.  Some writers would even go as far is re-writing the storyline at the last minute just before the show airs- making it mega difficult for the viewers to predict the ending.

 The Korean drama production is undertaken as quickly as possible under very tight schedules. The filming crew, writers and actors spend months shooting into the night, lacking sleep, overworking to produce something good for the viewers.

 Hallyu, a.k.a the Korean Wave is a term which refers to the rise of the popularity of the Korean culture which began in the late 90’s.  The word ‘Hallyu’ is said to be first used by the Beijing journalists who were awed by the China’s growing mania for Korean media for K-dramas, K-movies, K-pop music videos and so on. During the era when social network services were not very oriented, K-drama in particular accumulated solid fan base from all over the globe.

 For this article, I want to introduce four TV dramas that were aired over a decade ago, around the era when the term, ‘Hallyu’ was formed. TV dramas that made huge hits in many countries of the world and these shows played a huge role in paving the way of Hallyu.

 Jewel In The Palace

The popular K-drama, ‘Jewel In The Palace’ which aired in 2000, is based on a historical scene and the story about an orphan who is trained in a King’s palace to pursue her dreams as the king’s top chef. The main character is named ‘Jang-geum’ and according to the old documents, her name is actually mentioned once for being rewarded for her services in the palace. The storyline for the drama is all fiction but the scenes displaying traditional food, recipes, health tips from the ancient times really adds a very special element to its production.

 In Korea, ‘Jewel In The Palace’ ranked tenth as the most viewed drama of all time. The episode which aired March 23rd in 2000 had the ratings of 57.8% who tuned in. Considering the fact that the last episode of the hit drama, the ratings for ‘The Heirs’ (2013) received the 25.6%, the record of the ratings of “Jewel In The Palace” is solid proof how massive this drama was in the year of 2000.

 When ‘Jewel In The Palace’ was aired for 54 episodes, it received huge support from numerous countries across Asia, Europe and Africa; getting repeatedly aired on many National TV channels with extremely high ratings.

jewel in the palace

“Truth”

A popular K-drama that aired in the year of 2000 was called ‘Truth’ or ‘Honesty’ which attracted many viewers and is one of my favourites despite its dramatic storyline and suspense. This was one of the shows that the writer had to change the ending for fear of getting complaints from the netizens. Unlike the drama’s title, the show is mostly about the lies, cover-ups, cheating, blackmailing and most of all, enough drama to draw viewers and keep them entertained.

 Ja Young (Played by Choi Ji-woo) is from a poor family who lives in the basement of her affluent classmate, Shinhee’s house since Ja Young’s dad is a chauffeur of Shinee’s (Park Sunyoung) family. While Ja Young is a top student in the school, Shinhee does not show any ability academically. Things start to get more complicated when Shinhee’s family bribes Ja Young to take the college entrance exam for Shinee. For months before, Shinhee was  tormenting her to help her cheat in exams. Real trouble emerges when Shinee’s crush, Hyun-woo (Ryu Siwon) starts going after Ja Young and they eventually start to date; this is when Shinee starts scheming for bigger and nastier plans.

 One of the main characters was actually supposed to die in the original story, but instead of wrapping up the show with a sad ending with a character dying with a loss of memory, it was overturned and the story was re-written so justice was served. The majority of the viewers are said to actually sympathize with the villains at their last scene. If you’re interested to know how the show came to an end, maybe you should check this drama out sometime.

Truth

Miss Mermaid

 In 2002, a TV drama with the title, ‘Miss Mermaid’ was aired. The title drew a lot of attention since the viewers could not fathom the meaning and the intention of its title. The main character, Ahri-young (Seohi Jang) was not on any TV production for many years and she seemed to be a fresh face for the viewers.

 Ahri-young is a successful drama writer who is from a very dysfunctional family background. Her father left the family for another woman who is a well-known actress, consequently her mother was left blinded from the shock and her autistic brother was kidnapped and later died.

 Ahri-young plans on avenging her father since her childhood and after she becomes a popular script writer and starts writing a story for a TV drama; she casts her father’s new wife for the leading role. Ahri-young also plans to steal her stepsister’s husband-to-be for herself and things become complicated when her feelings get in the way of her plans. She hurts many people along the way, initially her plans seem to work out as she had planned, but not for long the plans start to take different turns.

 The ending for this TV drama series was quite ambiguous and not quite what people would normally expect; the series seemed to drag on and the story was overall quite outrageous nearer to its ending after 256 episodes. Overall, this drama really did stand out due to its very unique script and top class acting. Even the names of the characters were surreal, making this production quite memorable.

miss mermaid

Stairway to Heaven

Stairway to Heaven was a drama that was aired from the end of 2003 until February of 2004 for 20 episodes, accumulating very high ratings; an average rating of 38.8%, and 45.3% for its finale.

 Jungsuh (Played by Park Shin-hye) and Song-joo (Baek Sung-hyun) grow up together and they share a special bond. Song-joo is the heir of a Jaebol company and they make plans to go abroad to study together. Jungsuh’s mother had died years ago and her dad remarries. The step-mother brings her own two children, Yoori (Kim Tae-hee) and Taehwa (Shin Hyun-joon) to live with the family – those two siblings, especially the step-sister causes a lot of misery and needless trouble for Jungsuh during the whole show. The step-mother is an actress who is a spiteful and jealous type and she starts manipulating her husband to keep Jungsuh from going abroad. Years later, Song-joo returns to Korea to take over the company. Yoori who gets eager to stop Jungsuh from meeting Song-joo, drives after her and runs her over then taking Jungsuh’s nearly dead body to her real father to hide it away.

 Most people, including Song-joo are deceived Jungsuh really died in a car accident by an unidentified driver. Yoori blatantly takes Jungsuh’s place as his fiancé. Jungsuh has a memory loss and lives her life not knowing her true identity. Of course, the story doesn’t end there and goes on. The ending I was not able to foresee, since it wasn’t that predictable until the end.

 In 2004, the broadcast rights were sold to Japan for around ? 1.2 billion which was at the time a record price for a Korean drama export. According to a survey by SMAP Station in May 2007, Stairway to Heaven ranked as the third most popular Korean drama in Japan. This drama also aired in the Philippines in 2004, as one of the highest rated programs ever in the country. In 2005, the broadcasting rights to ‘Stairway To Heaven’ were sold to eight countries across Latin America.

stairway to heaven

—- J Chung

B.A.P’s Schedule Since 2012

By Vocal & Visual & TIVOLI

April 01 2014 – Oct 30 2014

Members flew directly from US to Europe and finished one music video making without rest.

Planned Schedule: (Though schedule has been officially canceled by TS, the refunding of both tours has not finished till today.)

 

January 01 2014 – March 30 2014

 

Jan 01 2013 – Dec 31 2013

Jan 01 2012 – Dec 31 2012

— Joelle Halon.

On December 5, 2014, TS Entertainment finally released an official response regarding the lawsuit B.A.P filed against them for “slave contracts.” The statement released by TS states how they tried to contact B.A.P members and their families and discussed money issues, but completely ignored the main element of B.A.P’s lawsuit regarding their human rights.

 

TS Entertainment’s Statement

Hello, this is TS Entertainment.

First we would like to apologize for worrying those who have been watching us with care. We bow to you in apology.

TS Entertainment, since its launch in 2008, has produced groups such as Untouchable, Secret, and B.A.P and is nearing the launch of a new group as well. As K-Pop became an international phenomenon and proudly set in its foundations, we have made it our goal to introduce our artists to the world and grow alongside the rapidly growing [Hallyu] culture.

B.A.P was the first boy band we produced and our cherished project. We invested so much into the group that, investment-wise, we would not be lacking when compared to other companies. Thankfully, all six members were all hard working and talented. Also, because they worked so hard, B.A.P became a notable K-Pop group that has twice successfully gone on world tours.

In October, while we were working hard hand-in-hand, the members notified us through their chief manager that they wanted to take a break. We decided to respect their request and canceled their South American and Japanese tours to give them a long period of break. The members went back and forth from their dorm to their families and sometimes even outside of the country to regain their strength. While doing so, they kept in contact with the company. Recently, we had confirmed that they would agree to restart their activities starting with awards in January and began planning schedules for next year. This was in progress when we ran into a report on November 27th about the lawsuit filed against us.

Even on the day that the lawsuit was passed, we talked to the members like any other ordinary day, so it was even a huge shock to us on the 27th. We tried to contact the members through their chief manager but could not reach them. We then tried to contact their parents and then from those we were able to contact, we were able to confirm that the lawsuit was indeed real and the parents requested for us to them “talk through the lawyers.” We have been waiting for the official accusation statement to arrive in order to truly be able to grasp the situation.

Meanwhile, through a number of media sources, we witnessed many accusations grow against us. This caused us to be suspicious because B.A.P had passed their BEP (Break Even Point) and was on the verge of making steep profits, the gravity of the situation increased. Finally, we were able to gain credible news from certain sources that there is a party behind this who is trying to create an air of hostility between B.A.P and us in order to recruit them easily.

We plan to find this party and as soon as we are able. We will make sure they pay for not only playing against the rules of this business but defacing the K-Pop industry as a whole.

In truth, we still not have received an official statement of accusation because there was a mix-up in the stamping of the document, so the court has ordered it to be fixed. Although we have not yet received the official document, the company has requested to view the contents and wants to answer the topics of controversy at the moment.

Controversy 1) $10 million USD ->$ 17,800 USD

B.A.P reached their BEP at their two year mark. The payout for the second half of 2014 is expected to be $285,000 USD. But, if things had gone according to schedule, the expected payout would be approximately $600,000 USD.

The investment in B.A.P started when they were trainees and bigger investments started in late 2011 when Bang Yong Guk debuted with “I Remember” and when the unit BANG&ZELO, with the song “Never Give Up,” was created. As you can see from the chart above, up until 2013, the investment costs were bigger than the profit. This is because we prioritized “the invasion of the globe through music,” that is, the dream of B.A.P and the goal of TS Entertainment. Thus, we continued to invest, risking losses, and in the end, we were able to turn B.A.P into a solid next generation K-Pop artist. Additionally, it is a very impressive feat to pass their BEP in just 2 years in this industry.

As can be seen in the charts above, after the BEP was reached, the profit grew at a phenomenal rate. Even looking at late 2014 (July to December), if we had stayed on schedule with the South American and Japanese tours, we were expecting a total of $600,000 USD for the group. However, due to cancellation of the schedules, we expect the payout to be around $285,000 USD.

We had estimated, depending on the amount of activities in 2015, that the payout for early 2015 would have reached $1.8 million USD.

Controversy 2) 1:9 Profit Ratio

BAP 2

The expected average profit share through the contract was a ratio of 4(B.A.P):6(TS).

Before we discuss this, we would like to reveal how we calculate the settlements. We process the turnout every six months through this method. First we deduct the cost from the total sales from B.A.P and then we take the profit and categorize it into channels and venues through which the sales were made, before distributing the profits.

The reason we deduct costs from total sales is because there are things that are hard to classify, such as specific types of cost like as dorms, transportation, food, lessons, exercise, massages, hospital bills, T-Money, etc.

The reason the distribution for events and performance is a ratio of 5:5 and the distribution for album/audio files/merchandise is a ratio of 1:9 is because the former costs less in production than the latter. Also, the latter requires us to pay our employees after distribution, as well as pay for the venues of concerts and events, and we usually include the cost of labor in the production cost itself.

In early 2014, we focused more on albums, concerts, and music files because we wanted to increase B.AP’s prominence. Through everyone’s hard work, we successfully finished two world tours and we were shifting our focus onto activities that would turn the average distribution of profits to a ratio of 4(B.A.P):6(TS).

Controversy 3) Slave Contract?

Our contract is standard with the FTC (Fair Trade Commission) and has additional, simple elaborations in some parts of the contract.

All the facts mentioned through one media source are based on the “standard contract” according to the Fair Trade Commission and elaborates on certain parts.

On the issue of the length of the contract, according to the “standard contract,” it says if there are instances where “long overseas activities or contracts with overseas agencies” or other reasons that require contracts to be longer, one can extend the length of the contract through a written agreement.

When they signed their contracts, we set the length as “7 years from the release of an album (single, group, digital or official)” and the members each signed in March, June, or September of 2011. Since some members, such as Zelo and Yong Guk began activities earlier, the members all have different termination dates.

Controversy 4) Issue of Trust

Issue of communication [with family members]

Last July, even after the payout was completed, the B.A.P members had no problems and continued their schedules. But after mid-September they started acting odd. They disappeared and showed emotional fits to where their scheduled activities suffered. However, we apologized to the broadcasting people countless times in order to protect the members.

Since the B.A.P members showed no outward signs of dissatisfaction and continued to live in their dorm, visit the hospital and share meals together, we believed that they were preparing for their comeback and waited until they were ready. As we stated before, we were planning on a comeback in January when we heard this surprising news.

Then, we gained information from their management team and executive members of the company and tried to think of a solution for the emotional stress they were receiving. When they requested that they “wanted to rest,” we respected that and since October 13th, we agreed to “minimize official schedules” and canceled the South American and Japanese tours so that they could get enough rest until the end of the year.

These are our official responses to the controversy that is prevalent at the moment and we plan to reveal everything and prove the truth in front of the court, one by one. We can say with confidence that TS Entertainment did not break any laws and that we have never treated B.A.P wrongly or forced them into anything.

Our company policy is “Honesty, Hard work and Humility.” Perhaps our wish to create a better, more comfortable environment where their talents to be improved was communicated incorrectly. If we failed to recognize that we were hurting the members’ hearts, it is also our fault and the result of our inexperience.

Finally, TS Entertainment would like to talk to the members of B.A.P and discuss the goals we had talked about when they debuted and wish they would harden their resolves again. However, if they continue to disregard our attempts at communication, we will do as they wish and find the best way to solve this problem in court.

We would like to once again apologize to everyone we have worried with this incident and promise we will do our best to reach an amicable settlement on the issue. (Trans. Cr.: Koreaboo and Mae L., Purdue University)

B.A.P’s Side Responds, Dispatch Reveals More into B.A.P’s Situation

Soon after the release of TS Entertainment’s statement, people on B.A.P’s side fired back, including HAK Ssem, Daehyun’s former vocal coach, and Zelo’s brother[1].

[1] Zelo’s brother remains mostly anonymous, so out of respect for him, he is not named in the article.

BAP 3

On December 5, 2014, HAK Ssem took to Twitter like he did after TS’ initial statement to refute TS’ claims. In his tweets, HAK Ssem said:

You guys are seriously trying to hide the sky with your palms. After looking at your graphs, I have no words. Your expenses keep increasing? Did you raise the song prices, did you raise the ticket prices, did you raise the CD prices? Why are your expenses increasing? If you set a standard amount, would there be that much of a differences in expenses from their debut days? I guess the rest was your paycheck *patooie.*

I’m working right now so I don’t have time but I’ll make a post to organize everything! I don’t believe in the account books you guys made. I’ll believe in your tax invoices, your transaction deals, and the account books from the companies you had contracts with. And you wish you were the force. The fans who believe and cheer for them are the true force.

I’m angry so I may not be making much sense but please understand. Anyways, everyone don’t be scared and be strong! (Trans. Cr.: Nicole @baptrans)

[1] Zelo’s brother remains mostly anonymous, so out of respect for him, he is not named in the article.

 

Following TS Entertainment’s statement, Dispatch provided a further breakdown of TS’ claims against B.A.P members, and even pointed out some discrepancies.  The article included information regarding their grueling schedules (sidebar, right), concerns regarding their health, and how B.A.P does not care about the money per se, but more about accurate paperwork and fair treatment in regards to their human rights. Within the article, B.A.P’s representation hinted the members may look into a defamation case as well because of TS’ claims that a “force” is behind their decision to file suit.

BAP 4

Even Zelo’s notoriously anonymous brother came out of hiding to create a Facebook page and weigh in on the situation, revealing further some of the treatment B.A.P experienced. He wrote:

Spread the word please. I would like to speak about TS’s official statement on B.A.P’s lawsuit as an older brother of one of the members. We gave the artists a break in order to protect them? They threatened 3 of the members when they were barely conscious from exhaustion and forced them to carry on with their schedules by giving them IV lines. Only when the parents begged did they give them a break using the word indefinite hiatus. If anything you say is true, show us proof TS and don’t block out Naver real time search rankings.

Zelo’s brother suggests that TS has been working on blocking searches regarding B.A.P and the lawsuit on Korean fan sites. In the days following B.A.P’s lawsuit announcement, several fans and fan clubs came together to overwhelm Twitter, Daum, and Naver with #JusticeforBAP and other search terms related to B.A.P as a sign of support for B.A.P, but many noticed that ranking numbers quickly dwindled during the designated search hours indicating someone may have been resetting search ranks. If this is true, it did not stop fans from trying.

“Where are You? What are You Doing?”

Since the lawsuit announcement, B.A.P members have remained scarce which many feel may be due to orders from attorneys. Crucial Star, however, has posted pictures and video featuring him and Yongguk  in Prague, while friends of Zelo and Daehyun have shared selcas of both boys appearing looser and more relaxed. While a lawsuit is stressful, fans are taking comfort in knowing B.A.P members are engaging in normal, everyday activities.

On the fan side, many fan clubs have opted to go on semi-hiatus but remain vigilant in keeping up with the news. Whenever news breaks, Babyz will be on it and keeping the rest of the K-Pop world abreast.

 

— Joelle Halon.

Top 5 Korean Hobbies

Koreans enjoy a lot of things Americans are into. There is not much of a difference besides maybe one or two things. Koreans love to exercise, eat, and watch TV, just like anyone else in other countries. Out of these five lists, you probably aren’t familiar with the last two. Especially number four, because I don’t think there are any countries with a place called ‘PC Room’ where you can just go in and play a bunch of games with people around your age and order food and drinks while you’re there.

#1 Addicted to Smartphones. This is one of the main hobbies of a typical Korean person. They’re on their smart phones 24/7. I’m pretty sure people in other countries are like this too, but maybe not as much. Koreans seem to be a little too addicted to their cell phones. They can’t go a day without them and if you see people walking on the streets, the majority of the young people will be on their phones while walking. Nowadays everyone carries smartphones. You can literally do anything you want from such a small device. When you go to places like shopping malls, restaurants, or even ride the subway or a bus, you will notice that everyone’s head is down, including the older adults.

 Addicted to Smartphones

#2 Eating. They don’t just eat anything that pops into their head, but Koreans like to research for places to eat. Food is a very important part of their culture, so they spend their time on eating food at famous restaurants. If a celebrity on variety shows eats something, most people will want to try it. Instead of forgetting about what they saw on TV, they do a search about the place immediately and if it seems good, you can expect them to go to that restaurant within a month.

 Eating

#3 Health. Spending time on your healthy body is also important. Instead of going on a run in the neighborhood, people go to the gym to work out. The gym is a big center where it’s not only for workouts. It has swimming lessons, dance lessons, yoga, and can have many more things to participate in such as a sauna, hot tub, and a bike spinning.  If you become a member with one of these, you have the permission to use all the systems.

 Health

#4 PC Room. This is mainly for the guys. There’s a place called PC Room and at this place, it has hundreds of computers that you can use to play games, study, or whatever you want for a small amount of money. The place even serves food and drinks and a lot of young teens hang-out there. Most of them go to play games and to have fun from outside of school. Parents don’t let their kids play games on the computer, because they think it’s wasting time. Young adults go to PC Rooms so that their parents won’t find out about them playing games.  Therefore, PC Rooms are pretty much the only place they can rely on.

 PC Room

#5 TV.  TV plays a huge role in an average Korean home. Every night, the family likes to watch drama or variety shows together after having dinner. The shows usually start at night, so it’s a great bonding time with the family. If the family has children who are in middle school, up to high school, they usually don’t have the time to watch it together as a family, because the students are always busy with schoolwork and studying. It’s very common for Koreans to interact with neighbors in their apartments.  And, they like to invite each other to watch TV together while eating some snacks.

 TV

— Juyeon Oh

December is here, and that means the holidays are just days away! Throughout the year, the Asian music scene brings listeners’ bubbly sounds and memorable pop and rock hits, but what about during the holidays and winter months? Asian artists do provide fans with plenty of winter cheer and have had plenty of songs to create an entire winter playlist. As you prepare for the holidays, here are some essentials to add to your holiday playlist!

Ailee “My Grown Up Christmas List”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha3RwFjOg7Q

Ailee’s usually powerful vocals soften considerably for a song wishing for hope and peace. The tune provides a lot of calm and may cause a listener to reflect a bit on what he or she desires in life. While it is a Christmas song, it has a message in it for all people, not just those who celebrate Christmas.

AlphaBAT “Surprise Party”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky6c0EPi0ig

AlphaBAT showcase their sweet side in this upbeat, cute song. Listeners may find themselves bobbing along to the beat, and they may also be soothed by AlphaBAT’s harmonies. “Surprise Party” shows a different side of AlphaBAT because the vocals show their potential. Plus, the song is outside the traditional Christmas music many may be used to hearing by now.

Ariel Rivera “Sana Ngayong Pasko” (“I Hope This Christmas”)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLl7BtV0FJ4

The Philippines also have amazing artists, and they have many meaningful Christmas songs to boot! “Sana Ngayong Pasko” is a sad Christmas tune about wishing for someone who is no longer around. While it is sad, Ariel Rivera provides a lot of heart to make the song memorable.

BoA “Meri Kuri”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JLL2kwP6go

In BoA’s heyday, she had a mix of songs that listeners can dance to, and she had many that could touch the soul. “Meri Kuri” has BoA’s signature sweetness, and when a listener closes her eyes, the song can transport her to a lively snow globe of glitter and childlike wonder.

EXO “Miracles in December”

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

If any song shows off EXO’s abilities as a group, it’s “Miracles in December.” The live stages on the music shows last winter provided chills due to the beautifully haunting lyrics and sound. The song has melancholy tones, so be prepared to tear up at certain points.

EXO-M “The First Snow”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dByRcitne6Q

As a friend from China once said, it’s hard to come by Christmas songs in China, let alone full Christmas albums. EXO-M released their Christmas album in 2013 which made fans happy. “The First Snow” captivated many with its upbeat sound, making it a great tune to hear with a loved one.

Foxxi MisQ “Last Christmas”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1zArY7in1A

This version of last Christmas is a fun update to the Wham! version. It incorporates elements of the classic song with a mashup that makes Foxxi MisQ’s an interesting addition to any Christmas list.

Gackt “December Love”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9-3PAZlGhI

Gackt is known amongst many Otaku fans for his unusual voice. His take on Christmas music involves a sad song about longing for lost love. In many Asian countries, Christmas is a time for couples, so if you’re alone at Christmas, “December Love” may speak to you.

J-Rabbit “O Holy Night”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FzAajvx6l8

J-Rabbit’s “O Holy Night” lacks the power many other versions have, but her softness makes the song more peaceful: It’s like fresh Christmas snow glittering across an open field! Her English pronunciation is clear, but it also makes her version the cutest version of “O Holy Night.” Her Merry Christmas from J-Rabbit album also comes highly recommended!

Karashima Midori “Silent Eve”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Edv3pdlO5wg

Released in 1990, “Silent Eve” stands the test of the time. Midori’s voice has a haunting quality that sticks with a listener. “Silent Eve” just proves that a lot of older Asian pop music ages like fine wine.

Lea Lin “Silent Night”

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

This isn’t a Chinese remake of the original “Silent Night.” Christmas is a holiday for lovers in China, and Lea dedicates this song to all the singles out there. Here’s to finding love on Christmas!

Masaharu Fukuyama “Heart of Xmas” and “Kissin’ in the Holy Night”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aITKBfyCk2c

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

Both songs came out in the mid-1990s, but they still maintain their relevancy today since many young people recommend them for the holiday season. Masaharu Fukuyama’s peaceful instrumentals to both songs help create the mood for these songs. Slow dance with a lover or decorate your tree to these classics!

Michael Wong “Christmas in the Year 2999”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AylzBycr5WQ

Continuing with “Christmas is for lovers,” Michael Wong’s song covers how love can stand the test of time if it’s meant to be. The upbeat song with sweet lyrics will be played over-and-over again.

Mika Nakashima “Yuki No Hana”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C9jGsbcGqg

“Snow Flower” is one of Mika Nakashima’s most memorable songs and one that often comes up as one of her greatest performances. Her emotion helps paint a warm picture of winter even in the coldest of months.

Mỹ Huyền “Hang Belem”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=degtctxzDM4

Vietnamese singer Mỹ Huyền’s “Manger in Bethlehem” may bring tears to a listener’s eyes, especially around the 55 second mark and at 1:55 where the choir joins in and Huyền works her way up the musical scale. No matter the language, the beauty of Christmas shines.

Park Ji Yoon “Snow Flower”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3jsM4N7xHY

Park Ji Yoon’s take on the Japanese classic has a nice husky sound, and her voice adds another layer to this well-known Japanese song.

Sarah Geronimo “Pasko Na Sinta Ko”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0DEmbxMjCY

Sarah’s voice always sounds angelic no matter what language she sings. “Pasko Na Sinta Ko” possesses her signature grace and beauty, making it a memorable song that touches the heart.

Tatsuro Yamashita “Christmas Eve”

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

It’s hard to believe this song is 30 years old and 2014 is the first time it’s seen an MV! From 1988 to 1992, “Christmas Eve” appeared in Japanese railway commercials to celebrate couples on Christmas. Yamashita’s voice adds to the adorable appeal of the song.

Verni Gonzales “Pasko Anong Saya”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt9lRu76Jbo

Verni Gonzales’ “Pasko Anong Saya” just brims with happiness. Although it’s from the Philippines, the song pairs well with Jose Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” to create a truly joyful affair!

Of course, this list contains only a handful of holiday songs from Asian artists. What are some of your favorites? Share with us on the comments, and be sure to check out our growing playlist of Christmas songs here!

—- Joelle Halon

Korea’s coffee industry is growing rapidly each day. The market has been incredibly high for the past few years. It’s no longer about business people drinking coffee in the morning from lack of sleep; now everyone, including students enjoy coffee. Now that there are varieties of flavors, more young people are gaining interest and so are the older people. The age varies from about 15 to 60 and coffee is one of the most purchased drink people buy besides water. Now that it’s winter, the number of people who buy coffee is increasing even more. Nothing is better than a nice warm cup of coffee in this kind of weather right? The following brands are the highest rated in South Korea and most of them are known around the world.

 

Caffebene is the largest coffee brand in Korea. It first opened in 2008, and the chain has grown to more than 800 locations and is widely shared throughout South Korea, the United States, China, and more. This place has the highest rating for coffee in Korea. Being such a big chain in different countries, this is the brand most people have heard about. It might not be as popular as Starbucks and other famous coffee shops, but many coffee enthusiasts sure know it.

 

Cafeebene

 

Hollys Coffee is also a big coffee brand. They plan to open 22 shops overseas in Asia and Middle East. After signing an agreement with a Saudi Arabia based company, they opened shops in Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait. They also opened in Shenzhen, China and will be opening in Beijing. Hollys Coffee does have a few U.S. locations.

 

Hollys Coffee 1024x768

 

Angel-In-Us is one of the expanding brands in Asia. It is very popular especially among Koreans and Chinese. It first opened in China in 2008 and it currently has shops in China, Vietnam and Indonesia.

 

Angel In Us

 

Ediya opened just outside of Seoul and plans to expand more in the local cities. Because of much success, the company plans to launch around end of this month or next year. This company is focusing more towards expanding in Korea before anywhere else. They want to gain enough local support before they expand, so they’ll receive more attention later on.

 

Ediya 1024x769

 

Tom N Toms also focuses more on expanding the company in Korea. They are focusing on major cities and the chain plans to get bigger throughout the nation. Before moving on to other countries, their current focus is in Daejeon, Daegu, and Gangwon.

 

Tom N Toms

 

Starbucks is not only popular here in the United States, but it’s also popular in Korea. A lot of people purchase it for the famous name of the company but others buy it for the great taste. Because it’s such a widespread company, it is popular in every other country as well.

 

Starbucks Korea

 

Some years back when coffee wasn’t so popular, drinking tea or soda used to be one of the favorite drinks in Korea but now, more than half of the population would rather drink coffee over any other drinks. Right now, many students and young adults work in coffee shops, because they love coffee so much that they want to learn how to make the best coffee in the world and because it’s fun to make cool designs with cream. Coffee shops are one of the top places young people want to work.

Today, almost all buildings in Seoul, Korea have a coffee shop filled with people and the place is full throughout the entire day, even at night. This really shows how much the coffee industry has expanded in the last couple of years and it just continues to grow.

What would we do without all our beloved coffee?

 

— Juyeon Oh

He Jie (also known as Angel He) is a chinese mandopop singer, who became famous after the singing competition Super Girl, in 2005, placing in the 4th place. He Jie is signed under the record label, Huayei Media.  As of right now, the singer has a total of five studio-albuns, one EP and a few singles.

Due to her interest in music, she auditioned for the Super Girl show, which is one of the most viewed music shows in China.  After the TV show, He Jie released the cover album, ”Hands”, in September 2005, which contained mainly her own redenditions of old famous chinese hits.   In the spring of 2006, the singer released her first single, ”You Must Be Happy”.   She then released her first major label studio-album, ”Luminary”, in August of the same year, which was launched under the record label, EE Media. The CD included 11 original tracks except ”You Must Be Happy”.

After a label change, He Jie dropped, one year later, her second single, ”Flower’s Blossom”, in January 2007, through Avex Tawain.  A sophomore album followed after, ”Cleary Not An ANGEL” was out in November of the same year.  Just like her debut studio-album, her second one also featured 11 songs, including her duet cover with Wei Chen of the hit, ”Boys”, from the Italian singer/songwriter Sabrina Salerno. The album sold considerable well.

After three long years without activities in her country, He Jie made a comeback with her brand new CD, ”Want To Go Back He Jie”, in September 2010.  The album was promoted by the single, ”KO ME”, which was released in the summer of that year.  For this album, the singer changed her record label again, she was now signed under Huayei Media, which is still releasing her work still today.  One year after, she dropped her first EP, ”Lack of Love”, in October.  The EP was introduced by the single, ”How I Miss You”, which was out in July of that year.

Her lastest album was called ”Brave Love” and could be bought in stores from November of 2012. The album contained 10 new tracks for fans to enjoy.  Unfortunatly, there are no proper confirmations of a comeback by the singer right now.

He Jie2

On November 26, 2014, X-Sports News reported all six members of B.A.P filed a lawsuit against TS Entertainment. Many fans and the media were surprised, but the news was not shocking. Since May 2014, there were rumors B.A.P were working on a lawsuit after Segye Ilbo leaked clues in a vague post circulated among K-Netz and I-Netz on various social media platforms like Naver and Tumblr. These rumors were quickly dismissed as many fans felt TS Entertainment treated the group well.

Or so they thought.

Daehyun explains Himchan’s absence during a concert on Twitter/BAPTrans on Tumblr

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As months went by and nothing came from the rumors, fans forgot it, but many noticed how the members’ health seemed to deteriorate: Daehyun grew increasingly more depressed; Yongguk’s weight fluctuated; and Himchan appeared more exhausted in August and September, even missing a performance for “personal reasons.”
Fans shared their concern with the boys on social media asking if they were okay. When Daehyun was down, fans even came together to create a day of positive messages just for him to show their love and support. No one knew what was wrong until the suit was filed at the Seoul Western District Court.

What We Know

B.A.P filed the suit against TS Entertainment to have what they deem as “slave contracts” nullified. They signed the contracts in March 2011 for seven years, but the contracts did not kick in until they debuted with “Warrior.” Contract length then became seven years and ten months. With this, B.A.P states their contracts go against what the Fair Trade Commission considers fair.

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Dispatch shared information regarding contract terms a day after the lawsuit announcement. Some contract issues include:

Daehyun’s former vocal coach, HAK ssem, tweeted his support for B.A.P’s lawsuit November 27 and 29, further outlining B.A.P’s living conditions and some of what B.A.P went through since their debut. He tweeted:
I am tweeting in a really long time. Although this is coming from a third-party perspective, I think that what the 6 members probably need most right now is the fans’ strength. They must have gone through a really tough time and I hope that you stick with them until the end. Gain strength!

All of this content is what I certainly heard from keeping in touch with the members and their parents. I was also patient up until now and because I couldn’t just sit back and watch, I am posting this. To the fans that care about BAP like me, please trust and support them until the end.

First, Dispatch reports most of the information correctly, and throughout their promotions, I didn’t say a word to not cause damage to the team, but now I have to speak up. They [B.A.P] didn’t even request a financial statement last year, but only asked that the details of the financial statement be shown to them. Even then, it was not properly shown to them. The company only handed out the sum table and told them to only read it then so how can the parents look at that and accept it? They saw that the financial statement came out in the red without any proper explanation. So, of course from the parents’ perspective, it is a situation which cannot be understood.

They received an official break for the first time this year. Before that, all they did was get 1 or 2 days about 2 times when they were let out of the agency by the head of department and manager. What is really a shame about that official break itself is that when it was all about to fall apart with a clash with the parents this year, the agency stopped taking proper care of them to the point that one can only think that the company was trying to get them to slip up so that it would be advantageous to them if a lawsuit were to occur and waiting for them to get involved in a mishap that would be a violation of the kids’ contract by canceling their schedules and quickly grabbing [schedules] again… The same people who kept a close eye on them even when they were going to the convenience store in front of the agency headquarters sure have gotten nicer [sarcasm implied].

Even if they contact people through KakaoTalk or FaceTime on their iPads, just in case they might get caught during a device inspection, they would always delete their entries. They are kids who’ve memorized their friends, teachers, and parents’ numbers.

The company didn’t allow them to meet up with their parents at first, but later when they were in a meeting with the CEO, the CEO cursed out and yelled. But isn’t it only natural that the parents, who trusted the CEO and put their kids under his care, would be worried if the CEO is acting like that to their kids who they can’t see often?
For 3 years, the agency took away their cellphones to sever ties with the outside world. Even when they came to their hometowns for a fan meeting, they weren’t allowed to see their parents for more than 10 minutes even when it was obvious that they didn’t have any other schedules. But still, they wouldn’t allow them to see their parents who came from far away. And without not even one official break, they lived under the manager’s control.

The agency pressured the kid, who went to a hospital to receive treatment due to physical and mental exhaustion, to carry out his schedule. He [Daehyun] told me and his parents that the manager would coerce him, saying that if he runs away to his parents, they’ll file a damage suit. I read that the parents covered the hospital fees in an article. Not only did the parents cover the hospital fees, but since they don’t have an income, all of the expenses involving their personal things from their trainee period up until now were covered by the parents’ cards. Even when the parents said let’s talk to the agency multiple times, the members said to trust them and that they only need to work hard in doing music and stopped their parents, never complaining once and consistently carrying out their activities.

I don’t care if this post that I wrote gets moved to somewhere else. I actually wish that this spreads so that many people may know. I am determined to fight for and alongside Daehyun.

I can’t get in contact with the members currently, but I showed this to their parents first and posted it after receiving their permission,” and “Also, I did not post this lightheartedly. (Trans. Cr. Nicole at BAPTrans and Mae L., Purdue University)

Many in the media have reported the lawsuit has been in the works since May 2014 when B.A.P asked to see more information regarding their finances. Some outlets suggest they have evidence that the suit was in the works since 2013 when they initially asked to see reports of their finances. These reports also suggest TS Entertainment knew B.A.P planned on filing a lawsuit, which is what led to some compensation in July. However, in an official statement released to Newsen by TS November 27, 2014, the company suggests they were none the wiser and heard about the suit through the media:

Hello, this is TS Entertainment.
We are here to deliver our official position regarding B.A.P’s contract nullification lawsuit that has been reported this afternoon.

All this while, TS Entertainment has tried our best to support the various activities of our artist B.A.P and strived to meet our mutual goals. And like we revealed back on October 28, all their schedules had been cancelled to give them rest as we had made the protection of our artist our priority out of mutual consideration and trust.

And while in the midst of in talks about their future activities, we learned of the sudden lawsuit through news articles.

Currently TS Entertainment is in the process of trying to figure out the details and the truth of the matter. However, we wanted to make clear that there is no such thing as a ‘slave contract’ or ‘unfair contract conditions’ in our contracts, and we have never given them unfair, one-sided treatment.

We will take steps to confirm the matter regarding this lawsuit, and respond in an official manner.

We once again convey our sorry hearts for causing concern to all who love TS Entertainment and its artists.

Thank you. (Trans. Cr. AKP)

At the time of this writing, TS Entertainment reps have not been able to make contact with B.A.P members. On social media, B.A.P unfollowed everyone but the other members, signaling that they are cutting themselves off from TS Entertainment.

Social Media Hints

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While B.A.P toured for Live on Earth 2014 and for various music shows and festivals, they, for the most part, managed to remain professional and cheerful for the fans. Many fans hadn’t a clue of what was happening. However, B.A.P did leave hints along the way on their various social media accounts from cryptic, now-deleted tweets from Daehyun wishing he could return home, to Yongguk using art to speak for him.

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Since news came out about the lawsuit, K-Babyz and I-Babyz have been scouring social media to see how they missed the now seemingly obvious clues indicating trouble.

Yongguk’s Instagram not only shows off his love for art, but fans now realize it may be a source of cryptic messages as indicated but some of the images over the past few months./via Bangstergram

Yongguk’s Twitter and Instagram pages seem to provide the biggest clues to issues. Starting in April 2014, seemingly darker art pieces appeared on his accounts starting with an emaciated child sitting in front of a faucet with someone clamping a hose, to an image of a boss yelling at his workers while a leader is below helping in a September post. Looking back, many felt it was Yongguk expressing his love for art, but now many fans have stated the depressing tone of many of the images now “make sense.”

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Daehyun’s Twitter had some quickly deleted posts in September around the time fans noticed how depressed he looked. One post that caught fans’ attention quickly went viral within the fandom as Babyz sent well wishes his direction, prompting him to repost a fan’s drawing depicting him leaning on a girl representing the fandom.

So What Does the Lawsuit Mean?

According to Dispatch, B.A.P wants fair compensation for three years of work. Nullifying their contract would mean they would be free to go to another company. Since the initial lawsuit announcement, little else has been released in terms of how that will be approached, and TS Entertainment has yet to release an official statement after they notified the media they found out about the suit through media reports. TS said they would have a response in about a week.

Sadly, fans can expect another drawn out case much like prior contract disputes and issues with other artists; this means B.A.P will float in limbo awhile.

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Is B.A.P Breaking Up?

No, the lawsuit does not mean B.A.P will break up. The members, especially Yongguk, have left clues along the way that they’re in this suit together. Not too long ago, Yongguk posted two images featuring all six members with a caption that said “6,” so fans can rest easy for now.

Another reassuring tidbit is the group waited to file the suit until Zelo was of age and finished his exams, so it seems they did not want to stress him out or leave him behind.

The only issue now is the waiting game and what will develop as the coming months unfold.

— Joelle Halon 

When trying Asian foods, some may gravitate toward sweets over the actual foods in order to work up some bravery before trying real meals. That’s okay; people have their quirks. If you’re a person who can relate, then Japan is the place to go if you want to experience something different when pleasing your sweet tooth.

If you like candy and pop (because here in the Midwest, it’s “pop,” not “soda”), the Lotte Mixed Soda candy may catch your fancy. Not only do you get hard candy, but you can also taste some of Japan’s pops. It’s a two-for-one deal!

Packaging

The candy bag is kawaii with the happy little pop bottles and bright colors. What’s shown on the package should be in the bag. A lot of people complained that what was shown wasn’t what they received. I received four of the five flavors shown. Instead of Bikkle, I received honey lemon water. Lotte needs to work on this in order to not misrepresent their candy.

The bag I received featured the following flavors:

While I received all the flavors to sample, there was a larger volume of Dakara water, so distribution does seem to be uneven. However, the clear window on the package will allow you to see what candy you have. If the candy is available in-store, you can see if you have a good mix before you buy.

For health conscious individuals, the package is written in Japanese, so you may not be able to tell what is in the candy. A former student of mine pointed out that the lemon and honey flavors have some vitamin content, but that doesn’t mean this is a healthy snack. If you want the ingredient list, you can find it on Amazon.com since many of the sellers include this information.

Review: The Flavors

Each of the five flavors provides different experiences although each candy, for the most part, tastes mostly citrusy. If they were piled—unwrapped—together, there’s really no way to tell the difference between each flavor since they all smell like cough drops and have similar coloring. With a few, you can only tell the difference through taste alone.
Dakavita C- The candy is a bright yellow, so it looks more like a lemon cough drop than candy. After popping it in my mouth, I definitely realize it’s not a cough drop! The candy, once it hits the tongue, begins to pop and fizz. It burns a little bit creating an interesting experience.

The flavor is very refreshing, like summer. If you’re a fan of Sprite, 50/50, Squirt, or Sierra Mist, Dakavita C is the perfect candy for you. This one was my favorite.

Honey Lemon- My first impression of the honey lemon flavor was that it tasted like a cough drop. Initially, it wasn’t a pleasant experience. As the candy began to melt down, the flavor got better and started to taste like watered-down lemonade. There wasn’t any effervescence which was disappointing. While the flavor improved, it was overall flat and needed something.

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C.C. Lemon- This flavor is light and mild and not overwhelmingly lemon. Even the scent wasn’t lemony, but it did smell like one of those Lysol wipes after it’s been left on the counter for an hour. I didn’t care because it was tasty.

Upon biting into the candy, there was a strong burst of lemon and hints of grapefruit. I noticed there was also a return of the carbonation that Dakavita had, although it is slightly less potent. The fizz and flavor combine to make C.C.

Lemon taste better than it smells, but it is still on the bland side even though it was good.

Natchan- Natchan is a nice, iridescent orange color. The flavor is extremely light, but it is delightful even though it lacks carbonation. It has a hint of Orange Crush, but not enough to truly call this a “pop-flavored” candy. To me, it didn’t taste any different than any other orange candy available, but it’s sweetness made it a go-to flavor.
I have to admit the smiley bottle made me feel bad for feeling disappointed in the candy. The package actually guilted me into liking the flavor more.

Dakara- Popping this one into my mouth was a terrible shock, like I was getting punished for some sin I committed. The flavor is so overwhelming, it was something other-worldly. The flavor even filled my nose to where it felt like I shoved one of those pine tree air-fresheners up it.

Dakara tastes strongly of grapefruit, but there’s a woody, piney taste as well. It’s just too overwhelmingly unpleasant for my taste buds. Looking up the ingredients, one of the candies does have pine as an ingredient, and I have a feeling it’s this one. There’s just something so off-putting about this flavor that it is shocking. At first I thought it was just that one piece, but a second piece yielded the same result.

However, another family member loved it and finished the bag.

Dakara is definitely an acquired taste.

Overall

Three out of five flavors tasted too similar. The Dakavita was the best of the bunch because it truly tasted like pop, but Dakara tasted like hard-candy punishment. Dakara aside, it’s a good candy to keep around, and the price isn’t bad either. Overall, I would recommend it.

—- Joelle Halon

Following a nearly five-year hiatus, MC Mong made his return November 3 with his full-length album Miss Me or Diss Me. Since its release, the title song earned wins on Music Core and Inkigayo, the latter win causing a weird silence to befall the hosts and fans. Even though time passed, his scandal is still a sore spot for many in Korea, and his reemergence isn’t necessarily viewed as a good thing despite how well “Miss Me or Diss Me” is doing or how good the album actually is.

The Scandal

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In Korea, men are required to fulfill two years mandatory military service since the country is still technically at war with North Korea. The Ministry of Defense has strict omissions that citizens need to meet in order to avoid service, but even then, some choose to still serve in some capacity like in the case of rapper Swings who has battled depression but will begin serving November 25, 2014.

Military service is a source of pride in Korea, so to not serve or to dodge service brings shame, especially if that person is a celebrity.

MC Mong announced as the winner on November 16’s edition of Inkigayo./SBS
Rewind to 2010. MC Mong has two teeth extracted instead of having them repaired, leading to an investigation.  The media has claims from a dentist that he received money from Mong to extract the teeth; Mong denied these claims.

The Seoul Central District Court filed charges against Mong on October 10, 2010 stating he was in violation of Korea’s military service laws, leading to four trials.

During the second trial in November 2010, his dentists provided evidence that his teeth were damaged and needed to be removed. The dentist who made the claims against Mong retracted his original statement and said the teeth were damaged due to poor care. This dentist also stated he did not receive money from Mong and the removal was not an evasion tactic.

Mong received a suspended six-month jail term, a year’s probation, and 120 hours of community service but was cleared of intentionally removing teeth on April 11, 2011. Courts found he deliberately delayed enlistment on false terms, though.

Because he was viewed as an evader, KBS and MBC banned him. In addition, military laws became stricter in a move known as the “MC Mong Effect.” Mong disappeared from the public eye for years before reappearing with Miss Me or Diss Me.

Miss Me or Diss Me Album

Despite KNet protests, MC Mong’s album is performing well on domestic charts. While the success may be angering for many, the album is a win with the controversies aside. What helps the album are the featuring artists including Jinsil (Mad Soul Child), Hyorin (Sistar), Ailee, Minah (Girl’s Day), Lyn, Bumkey, and Gary among others. The 13-track album is an emotional rollercoaster that provides a journey through happiness, anger, regret, and even ballsy-shamelessness to provide a song for any mood.

The opening song “The Happiest Time of My Life” enlists the help of Huh Gak. The song has a 1990s throwback feel and a layer of bright sweetness that only Huh Gak can provide. “The Happiest Time” has a certain charm to it. The piano has a wistful feel since it is slower than the rest of the song’s beat.

The one qualm I have with “The Happiest Time” is the similar chords to “I’ll Be Missing You,” Puff Daddy/P. Diddy’s 1997-hit “I’ll Be Missing You.” This is present in the first verse before shifting, but it is noticeable.

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“Miss Me or Diss Me” gets help from Mad Soul Child’s Jinsil. The song is gutsy and potentially angering since it does directly reference his time away (the MV does moreso in an abstract way). The beat suggests the song is a dance track, but the lyrics turn it into something heavier and provides one of K-Pop’s better, most meaningful songs of 2014.

Jinsil from Mad Soul Child./KBeat.net

Adding Jinsil to the chorus was genius, plain and simple. Her voice is one of the most unique in the industry which helps the song become a memorable hit. Her haunting melodies layer well the track and Mong’s emotional rap. If not for the controversies, this song had potential for heavy airplay. It’s a shame a great song will become lost because of the court of public opinion.

The third track, “Be Strong,” has Ailee providing her powerhouse vocals. Ailee’s power softens here to aid in the song’s mellow sound. The lyrics are, by far, some of the best on the album as they describe being strong in the face of adversity. The lyrics read more like an inspirational greeting card with lines like “The hidden sunlight will shine on you again.” Mong’s rap and Ailee’s vocals complement each other well to strengthen the hopeful message. While listening, I was reminded of Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” because the instrumentals for both assist in the aspiring message.

“New York” feels like it should be included on a drama OST. Baek Ji Young’s vocals feel very OST-ish. The 1970s US-TV-inspired instrumentals paint images of cheesy graphics, cool police cars, and the cast of Miami Vice coming forth for some action. Okay, that’s going a bit far, but that’s the image that comes to mind. Baek Ji-Young’s vocals add a sweet and savory sensation despite the song’s cheese-factor.

“Runaway” features Lyn, and like Jinsil, her voice provides a haunting quality. The song is one of many on the album that has a double meaning: It could reference running away from personal struggles or running away with a lover. Either way, the song can touch a listener’s heart.

The instrumentals stand out the most due to Lyn’s vocals. The subtle violins provide emotion and beauty. When combined, Mong seems to disappear because the rest of the song’s composition can carry a listener away.

Hyorin and LeesSang’s Gary help in “Faulty Fan.” The song is another inspiration-laced number of which Hyorin’s voice is well-suited. Gary’s rap carries the song well also. He has the right amount of magic to make the song stand out, and Hyorin’s high notes give “Faulty Fan” extra oomph. Mong is relegated to background, so he’s useless in his own song. If the song was just a Gary-Hyorin collaboration, it has hit-potential and is a perfect addition the K-Pop’s winter season.

“What Could I Do’s” R&B vibe is smooth and rich thanks to Bumkey. It has a smoky club-feel to it that adds some chill to the chorus and catchy beat. While Bumkey is a plus, “What Can I Do” is almost too simplistic. The song is nice to listen to, but it’s far from memorable.

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Featuring The Channels, “Scandal” continues the smooth, retro theme introduced in “What Can I Do” and “New York.” The 1970s are alive and well as Mong covers his lack of privacy. The disco-esque sound provides some fun, but The Channels (who I am convinced should collaborate with Phantom due to similar vocals) shines bright. The Channels makes Mong fade into the background. Given how people feel about him, this might not be a bad thing.

The doll girl from Sound Horizon’s “?????”: What I think the “0904” girls sounds like./YouTube
“0904” is just a weird inclusion. The song features a child singer which makes the song unnerving. The strange chatter, music box instrumentals, and soft percussion just add to the creepy factor. I was reminded of when Aramary was still with Sound Horizon and the song “?????” which features a creepy child doll. Some find children adorable, and this little girl might be a darling soul, but with the instrumentals, the song felt more suited for a horror film OST.

In any case, “0904” serves as a transition in “Sick to Death Pt. 2” featuring Sweden Laundry. Sweden Laundry’s vocals continue the chilly feel from “0904” since it’s clear she is supposed to be the adult version of the child. Mong’s presence returns; his rap sounds great with the track. The upbeat instrumentals help carry the song also, and it’s hard not to move the music.

Girl’s Day’s Minah lends her voice to the upbeat love song “Whatever.” Minah’s bright, bubbly personality sparkles as she and Mong shrug off haters. The song also has a summery vibe, so it’s perfect for being on the beach. It’s just a cute and enjoyable tune.

The joy shifts to a darker tone with “My Love.” An ode to an ex-lover, Mong and Sung Yoo Jin sing about moving on even if love still exists. The classical undertones in the instrumentals add twinges of regret and sadness. Mong’s rap carries a biting tone while Sung’s voice feels more hopeful. The differences help create a story full of desperation. Everything just falls into place nicely.

Finally, “E.R.” brings The Channels back to close the album. While listening, the song felt like One Republic let Mong sample part of “Apologize.” Mong’s rap is strong, but The Channels steals the show. The vocals just wash over and consume the listener like an emotional tidal wave. This song along with “Miss Me or Diss Me” earned the most playtime during this review. “E.R.” is just perfection and one of the top songs on the album.

Overall

Love him or hate him, MC Mong delivered one of 2014’s better albums. Miss Me or Diss Me provides many tracks that suit any mood or listener. There is a reason why the album is performing well on the charts: It’s a legit, solid album. It may not get the love the music deserves  because of the hate the artist receives. If a listener can separate the two, Miss Me or Diss Me is a hit.

Grade: A-

—- Joelle Halon

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