Two management company executives in South Korea have been awarded penalty for rigging votes in favor of their trainees on Produce 101. (Produce 101 is a K-pop talent competition franchise created by CJ E&M, a South Korean entertainment conglomerate.)
The Seoul Central District Court charged Kim Kwang-soo, the founder of MBK Entertainment, a fine of 10 million KRW ($9,090) for business obstruction. Park Gyu-hyun, who is the CEO of Pocketdol Studio (a subsidiary of MBK) and former director of MBK, was also given an equal charge and fine.
MBK Entertainment is a South Korean entertainment agency established in 2007. It was formerly called Core Contents Media, a subsidiary label of CJ E&M Music.
Kim and Park were indicted for manipulating votes in the first season of Produce 101 by purchasing around 10,000 accounts and ordering their staff to vote for contenders under borrowed names to ensure that their company’s trainees scored high on the talent program. 89,228 false votes were produced by MBK employees and its staff members – although its result failed to affect the overall show’s voting results.
The ruling concluded, “Instead of ensuring a transparent and fair culture, Kim and others participated in increasing distrust by implementing a negative means as unfair voting. Yet the votes were limited to changing the rankings of the contestants by a certain amount and did not affect the overall outcome. We took into account that the two men had not been legally punished for any criminal acts within the past five years.”
From 2016 to 2019, the infamous “Produce” series managed to produce popular K-pop groups like I.O.I, Wanna One, IZ*ONE and X1.
In early 2020, Boy band X1 disbanded, due to charges of rigged votes and bribery filed against Mnet’s producers Kim Yong-beom and Ahn Jun-young. (Mnet is a South Korean TV music channel owned by CJ E&M.) Kim was given a year and eight months of jail time and Ahn two years in November of 2020. Ahn ended up admitting manipulating the voting results on all four seasons of the Produce 101.
In December of 2019, Ahn, Kim, and six other entertainment agency representatives were charged for obstruction of business, fraud, and bribery. Last year, it was ruled by the court that all four seasons of Produce 101 were vote-rigged.
–J.Chung.
Fans of Eurobeat music, look out for HI-BPM STUDIO 24/7 Live Radio! This new YouTube channel launching January 21 will feature non-stop mixes of Eurobeat classics, broadcasting 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
HI-BPM STUDIO 24/7 Live Radio:
The Eurobeat genre has fans all around the world, generating 700 million views on YouTube via livestreams and videos. With its roots in the hi-NRG dance music genre, Eurobeat exploded into life on mainland Europe in the 1980s. Hi-NRG was initially based on disco music, but evolved as artists made use of the electronic instruments and synthesizers of the time, and as the BPM became faster and the melodies grew catchier, Eurobeat was born.
The genre was hugely popular around the world in the ’80s, with many hitmaker producers and major artists. But by the ’90s it had become something of a niche genre, thriving mainly among producers in northern Italy and gaining a strong following in Japan.
In Japan in 1990, Avex, which was a small independent label at the time, released the compilation album ‘SUPER EUROBEAT VOL.1’; 30 years later, the series has now grown to 250 volumes, with 500 related CD releases and more than 4,000 songs – making Eurobeat a genre with impressive longevity. What was once a solely European genre has been embraced by musicians in Japan, thanks to its fast tempo and melodic tunes, leading to many covers and interpretations by local artists.
The genre is also associated with the “Para Para” dance style, a uniquely Japanese style of choreography that is known to just about anybody in Japan. Even today, this piece of youth culture draws hardcore fans within Japan, across Asia and even in North America and South America.
HI-BPM STUDIO 24/7 Live Radio will broadcast popular Eurobeat tracks such as megahit ‘DEJA VU’ by Dave Rodgers as it livestreams 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. And since it will be streaming live on YouTube, viewers will be able to chat with other fans in real-time while listening to the same tunes together.
Since this is a video channel, the broadcast will also feature cool visuals, coming accompanied by Japanese animation that conveys a sense of speed and power, fitting perfectly with the high-tempo Eurobeat sound to raise the tension to the max. The channel name will include the subtitle ‘ENERGY, SPEED, POWER, EUROBEAT, UPLIFTING DANCE SOUND’, so users will know exactly what they’re getting.
Recently the chillout genre has been booming, but the music on HI-BPM STUDIO 24/7 Live Radio offers the polar opposite experience – the channel’s message is less “chill out” and more “cheer up”. Let’s face it, that’s an outlook we could all use in this day and age. For music fans who are stuck at home, this channel will be perfect for a workout or for dancing indoors – or simply to make doing the housework more bearable. Tune in for high-tempo dance music bursting with energy.
◆Official website:
◆Official YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/sebofficial
◆Official Twitter account:
https://twitter.com/avexsebofficial
◆Official Instagram account:
https://www.instagram.com/seb_official_avex/
◆Official Facebook account:
https://www.facebook.com/avexseb
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Images:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7s2a4lldfjov6y4/AACZUuaDpu4MI2VqV2JX3kDVa?dl=0
South Korea’s largest company – Samsung’s vice chairman Lee Jae-yong (a.k.a Jay Y Lee in the West) is currently serving time in prison. This is the second time that he has been imprisoned since around 4 years ago.
This Monday, the 52-year-old conglomerate was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months imprisonment for bribery, embezzlement, hiding assets overseas and perjury – all of which he has denied. This recent ruling is from a retrial by the Seoul High Court.
Lee was involved in a political scandal that resulted in the downfall of the government of former South Korean President Park Geun-hye. Park is currently in prison, and has recently been sentenced 20 years. According to the court’s verdict, Lee “bribed and asked the president to use her power to help his smooth succession.”
Back in 2017, Lee was accused of bribery and additional illegal charges and was sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment. But he was freed after serving less than one year of jail time, due to an appeals court suspending his sentence. According to reliable sources, it is said that Lee seemed to adjust fairly well whilst behind bars.
Mr. In-jae Lee, who is Lee’s attorney, commented regarding Lee’s sentence.
“This case is, by nature, a violation of the corporation’s rights to freedom and property by the former president abusing her power. Given that nature, the court’s decision is regrettable.”
Lee still has the right to make an appeal if he so chooses, but his intentions cannot be determined at this point in time. He also has to face an additional trial over a 2015 merger that helped him gain more control over Samsung.
— J.Chung.
Seungri, a former member of the popular Korean pop act Big Bang has now been additionally charged with a new special assault, the general military court of South Korea’s Ground Operations Command announced. Seungri, whose real name is Lee Seung-hyun, was one of seven in-house directors of the problematic nightclub “Burning Sun” which was based at the Le Méridien Seoul hotel in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam, from 2018 until 2019.
The 30-year-old has so far been charged with eight offences including prosititution med, embezzling and gambling. The prosecutors state that Seungri conspired with his business partner Yoo In-seok, the former chief executive of Yuri Holdings Co., to call gangsters in order to assault a customer who had a scuffle with Seungri at a club back in late December 2015.
Yoo was sentenced to 20 months in jail last month, and suspended for three years on charges of prostitution mediation, embezzlement, among other criminal offences. Prior to this, the police had also unearthed evidence that indicated that Seungri and Yoo were embezzling funds from his business Yuri Holdings. Now his case has been reopened after reports resurfaced about his involvement with gang members.
Seungri has denied nearly all allegations thrown at him but revealed that he will submit an opinion for the press soon.
–J.Chung.
When Japanese dance and vocal group Da-iCE release their new album ‘SiX’ on January 20, it will include three huge hits that are currently burning up YouTube and Japanese music streaming sites.
‘DREAMIN’ ON’ is the main theme song for the popular anime ‘ONE PIECE’, and it was this song that brought Da-iCE to the attention of the world. ‘DREAMIN’ ON’ was released in August 2020 and was quickly playlisted on streaming sites by fans of ‘ONE PIECE’ in Japan and throughout the world. Furthermore, the music video that was released on YouTube five months ago has racked up over 6 million views – and is still going strong.
‘DREAMIN’ ON’ music video:
‘CITRUS’ was released in October and reached No.1 in the real-time chart for the Japanese music streaming service LINE MUSIC. It also remained at No.1 for three weeks in a row on the Japanese lyrics site Kashi-Net, a record that ties only with the popular Japanese band Official HIGE DANdism.
‘CITRUS’ is the main theme song for the Nippon Television drama series ‘Gokushufudo’ (‘The Way of the Househusband’), which ended recently. ‘Gokushufudo’ is a live-action adaptation of a popular comedy manga, and the drama was so popular that it reached No.1 in the global trending ranking on Twitter during its run.
Even after the TV show’s finale, ‘CITRUS’ has maintained its high chart ranking. The song’s lyric video exceeded 3 million views on YouTube within its first two months. The melody features some extremely high-pitched vocal notes, and many fans have posted their own YouTube videos where they do their best to sing along, contributing to the song’s continued popularity. The instrumental version of ‘CITRUS’ is available to download for free from the official Da-iCE site for anyone who wishes to rise to the challenge.
‘CITRUS’ lyric video (supports auto-translated subtitles):
‘CITRUS’ instrumental free download:
https://da-ice.jp/en/news/detail.php?id=1088460
Meanwhile, Da-iCE’s most recent single, ‘Love Song,’ was released on December 18, and also reached No.1 on LINE MUSIC’s real-time ranking. The song was written by Takahito Uchisawa of the Japanese rock band androp; it is a heartwarming and memorable ballad, with its chorus featuring a beautiful phrase that translates as “The world will be full of love songs”.
The lyric video for ‘Love Song’ follows a paper airplane that bears the inscription “World with Love!” as it flies through locations around the globe, aiming to connect the world with love. In the current situation where most people are unable to travel overseas, the video has received warm comments from viewers who appreciate the feeling of taking a virtual voyage from the safety of their homes. If your heart is pining to explore picturesque vistas from around the world, it’s worth checking out the video. And again, the instrumental version of ‘Love Song’ is available as a free download from Da-iCE’s official website, so why not combine it with a video of the beautiful scenery in your part of the world and share it on YouTube?
‘Love Song’ lyric video (supports auto-translated subtitles):
‘Love Song’ instrumental free download:
https://da-ice.jp/en/news/detail.php?id=1088460
Look out for the release of Da-iCE’s new album ‘SiX’ on January 20, including all three of these popular songs – ‘DREAMIN’ ON’, ‘CITRUS’ and ‘Love song’.
Da-iCE profile
Da-iCE are a five-member dance and vocal group. They made their debut in 2014, drawing attention with the remarkable four-octave vocal range of singers Sota Hanamura and Yudai Ohno, and the tight performance skills of Taiki Kudo, Toru Iwaoka and Hayate Wada. Since their early independent period, they have performed more than 100 live shows a year, making them a fiercely experienced and talented group. Their genre-hopping musicality has resulted in tie-ups with numerous TV and anime shows, and they remain a highly acclaimed group in Japan’s music scene.
▽Da-iCE Official Website: https://da-ice.jp/en/
▽Da-iCE Official Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DaiCECH
▽Da-iCE STAFF Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/Da_iCE_STAFF
▽Da-iCE STAFF Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/da_ice_staff/
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Images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8swpn9aqelrxuxi/AADlTmc8yRaPW7xJx7EMEBKma?dl=0
Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn
The Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn region is a magnificent area with high mountain ranges, glaciers and is actually the most glaciated part of the European Alps.
Visiting this area can be done relatively easy by car and if you want to go up, by train up to 3,400 metres above sea level, the highest train ride in Europe, the Jungfrau Railway is very impressive (and expensive!).
The area is on the UNESCO World Heritage list because of its unique and wide range of flora and fauna and geological importance regarding the creating of the High Alps.
We call the new editor Gutenberg. The entire editing experience has been rebuilt for media rich pages and posts. Experience the flexibility that blocks will bring, whether you are building your first site, or write code for a living.
It seems that Gutenberg has been a term of controversy in the world of WordPress lately. Hailed as the most significant change to WordPress 5 this year, the Gutenberg editor has received a positive response from web developers and regular folk alike. All of this power is making it awesome.
(more…)
The 35th GOLDEN DISC AWARDS 2021 has just wrapped up over the weekend.
On the first day of the award ceremony, Lee Seung-gi and Park So-dam were the hosts on the first day, while Lee Da-hee and Sung Si-kyung were hosts on the second day of the awards.
Please check out all the winners below!
Next Generation: LOONA, THE BOYZ
Golden Choice: NU’EST
Best R&B/Hip-Hop: ChangMo
Trend of the year: ZICO
Best Trot: Lim YoungWoong
Best Group: MONSTA X
Best Solo: Jessi
Best Ballad: Lee Seung-gi
Best Digital Song (Bonsang): BLACKPINK, HwaSa, MAMAMOO, ITZY, Red Velvet, OH MY GIRL, ZICO, Noel, IU, BTS
Best Digital Song (Daesang): IU
Check out the Day 2 winners’ list below:
Album of the Year (Daesang): BTS
Album Division Bonsang (Best Album): NCT, EXO, Baekhyun, TXT, GOT7, BLACKPINK, TWICE, SEVENTEEN, NCT 127, BTS
Best OST: Jo Jung-seok
Best Performance: (G)I-DLE, Stray Kids
Curaprox Golden Disc Most Popular Artist: BTS
Cosmopolitan Artist Award: NCT 127
QQ Music Fan’s Choice K-pop Artist: EXO
Best Rookie Artist: ENHYPEN, TREASURE, Kim Ho-joong
Heavy snow has recently fallen in Seoul and its accumulation recorded 13.7 centimeters as of January 7th. The temperature soon fell to minus 16.5 degrees Celsius. Since many of the roads turned very icy and dangerous, the traffic slowed down to an average of 19 kilometers per hour by Thursday.
Excessive snow also resulted in rescheduling for many subway and train stations in Seoul – causing much chaos and inconvenience for commuters. One Korail official stated that the train is being delayed as the cold weather freezes some train doors and track converters.
Airlines have also had to cancel their latest flights due to strong wind and snow on the runways of airports.
A cold wave warning was released in the metropolitan area of Seoul on Wednesday, for the first time since January 23 of 2018. This warning is issued when the morning low hits below minus 15 degrees Celsius for more than two days, or when the temperature drops suddenly and some kind of damage is predicted.
Mountainous areas of Jeju Island also came under a weather warning for the first time since the nation introduced the alert systems back in 1964.
All across the country, the extreme cold weather is expected to peak Friday and continue until the end of the month or longer. Temperatures in Seoul are predicted to fall to minus 17 degrees Celsius from Friday.
– J.Chung.
A K-Pop lightstick is a handheld device that lights up during a concert to show the fans’ support for the artists. The designs of these lightsticks vary and they can get creative, from hammers to baseball bats and crowns. Without further ado, here are a few of the most popular and unique K-pop lightstick designs!
The Bang Bong (BIGBANG)
Invented by G-Dragon, a member of the successful K-Pop group BIGBANG in 2006, the Bang Bong was the first-ever K-pop lightstick to be made. You might think of Bang Bong as a rather eccentric name for a lightstick, but it makes sense as “Bong” means stick in Korean and “Bang” is the latter part of their group’s name (BIGBANG).
Source : http://www.koreapop.com/detail.php?num=16315
The Army Bomb (BTS)
Reputed to be the most sold K-pop lightstick ever, the Army Bomb is used to cheer on BTS. It features a round, transparent ball attached to a black stick, and can light up in synchronization with other Army Bombs when Bluetooth is on.
Source : https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/674765956649682272/
The Carat Bong (SEVENTEEN)
The Carat Bong, named after the fanbase name of SEVENTEEN, is said to be one of the prettiest K-pop lightsticks. It features a detachable transparent cover that resembles a globe attached to a white handle, so fans can put anything they like in the lightstick to jazz things up!
Source : https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-prettiest-K-pop-light-stick
The Bi-ping-pong (BLACKPINK)
Designed by BLACKPINK themselves, the Bi-ping-pong resembles a hammer, only with hearts on each end. The hearts can light up in a beautiful shade of pink and have the BLACKPINK logo written on each end. There is now a version 2 that comes with its own resting stand.
Source : https://www.pinterest.es/pin/694469205022424714/
The Meumwonbong (NCT)
Though this lightstick isn’t the most unique in terms of design, it represents NCT well; it’s modern, neon-color, and is the perfect size and shape to grip in your hand. It’s composed of a white plastic handle and topped with a shape like NCT’s logo.
Source : https://kpop.fandom.com/f/p/3107602028298575203
The Candy Bong (TWICE)
“Extra, but in a good way” is the first thing that comes to mind when one looks at the Candy Bong. Although the Candy Bong was originally designed like a colorful lollipop, TWICE has recently changed their lightstick to resemble a round, pink top with heart-shaped ears and their logo in the middle.
Source : https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b6/3e/59/b63e59f17b8d98e85ed04a80bfd7bd0f.jpg
The Pharynx (EXO)
Like NCT, EXO also boasts a simple but effective design when it comes to their lightsticks. Coming in colors of white and black, EXO’s lightsticks are minimalistic yet elegant, which is reflective of their concepts and songs. If “The Eve” was a lightstick, it’d likely look like The Pharynx.
Source : https://www.quora.com/Which-K-pop-group-has-the-best-lightsticks
The Light Ring (ITZY)
This image below might remind you of a robot vacuum cleaner. It’s ITZY’s “Light Ring” – it doesn’t have an official name as of the time of release. With a light in the dark component and a sleek white design, though, it’s definitely something new!
Source : https://www.reddit.com/r/ITZY/comments/i9dai4/200813_itzy_light_ring_color_features/
The Lullet (Cherry Bullet)
It seems as though K-pop companies are coming up with more and more interesting lightsticks as this article progresses. The Lullet, the lightstick of K-pop girl group Cherry Bullet, is a good example. As a real gun might cause panic and/or trigger some people, Cherry Bullet has decided to have a lightstick that looks like a water gun.
Source : https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/453526624979399912/
The Kim Man Bong (Kimchi Dumpling) (Red Velvet)
Red Velvet’s lightstick has a clear case over the top with “RV” in cursive, and is affectionately named after a kimchi dumpling as the dome of the lightstick is said to look like one. Isn’t that cute?
Source : https://www.facebook.com/kpop.kdrama.lifechinggu/photos/pcb.1622697817865877/1622697454532580
Hopefully you enjoyed this article about ten of the most unique and prettiest K-pop lightstick designs. Which one was your favorite?
—-Emily Lee
Twenty-one categories and 23 days to vote: The winners of Kcrush America’s K-Pop Music Awards 2020 have been decided!
For the fourth year, Kcrush America has allowed our readers to vote for their favorites in each of the available awards categories. For 2020, we included additional categories (Best Online Concert, for example) as well some changes to some categories (Best OST now addresses a drama’s full discography instead of individual songs).
While a bot attack took down voting for a short span, once the issue was fixed, close to 2000 votes rolled in to decide this year’s winners! While these numbers are not MAMA-level voting, it’s exciting all the same.
With so many votes cast, we expected each category to have runaway wins. While there were clear runaway winners in a few categories, namely Best Rock or Band and Male Group of the Year, many categories came down to the wire due to close votes and even ties! Best Vocal Performance, for example, was tied during the entire voting period before ending up with one vote a piece separating first from second and second from third!
We at Kcrush are thankful for our voters from across the globe. In addition to the United States and South Korea, votes from Switzerland, Nigeria, Canada, Australia, Chile, Argentina, the Netherlands, Japan, Singapore, Russia, India, and Brazil also voted en masse. We appreciate the support!
Without further ado, here are your winners!
Best OST
- Crash Landing on You (WINNER) – 27%
- It’s Okay to Not Be Okay – 21%
- Tale of the Nine-Tailed – 15%
- Do You Like Brahms? – 13%
- Hospital Playlist – 12%
- Forest – 5%
- Record of Youth – 3%
- Itaewon Class – 2%
- Mystic Pop-up Bar – 2%
Best Online Concert
- Dreamcatcher Dystopia: Seven Spirits (WINNER) – 58%
- BTS Map of the Soul ON:E – 14%
- Oh My Girl The Lost Memory – 13%
- GFRIEND C:ON – 5%
- Super Junior 15th Anniversary Special Event – 5%
- Stray Kids Unlock: GO LIVE IN LIFE – 3%
- Pentagon #We_Live – 2%
- KAMP x Momoland – 0%
Best Crossover Song
- Chungha with R3HAB: “Dream of You” (WINNER) – 24%
- Jackson Wang: “100 Ways” – 17%
- DAY6: “Zombie (English Version)” – 11%
- Chungha, Christopher: “Bad Boy” – 10%
- Dua Lipa ft. Hwasa: “Physical” – 8%
- Young K (duet with Song Heejin): “Alone in the World” – 6%
- Lady Gaga, BLACKPINK: “Sour Candy” – 6%
- James Lee x Amber Liu: “Alright” – 5%
- BLACKPINK & Selena Gomez: “Ice Cream” – 5%
- Ha:tfelt: “Life Sucks” – 3%
- Max ft. Suga: “Blueberry Eyes” – 2%
- SuperM: “One (Monster & Infinity)” – 1%
- DeVita: “All About You” – 1%
- Kyla Massie: “Watch Me Glow” – 1%
Best Collaboration
- IU ft. Suga: “Eight” (WINNER) – 33%
- J.Y Park (Duet with Sunmi): “When We Disco” – 22%
- Younha ft. RM: “Winter Flower” – 15%
- Zico ft. Rain: “Summer Hate” – 11%
- Chungha ft. Changmo: “Play” – 10%
- Jamie ft. Jay Park: “Apollo 11” – 5%
- Hyo ft. Loopy, Soyeon: “Dessert” – 3%
- X Lovers ft. Young K: “Love” – 1%
Best Hip-Hop, Rap, R&B, Electronic & Urban
- Jessi: “Nunu Nana” (WINNER) – 30%
- Lim Kim: “Mong” – 21%
- Agust D: “Daechwita” – 10%
- CL: “+H₩A+” – 9%
- Crush ft. Lee Hi: “Tip Toe” – 9%
- Changmo: “Swoosh Flow” – 9%
- BIBI: “Kazino” – 5%
- “BewhY x Son Simba: “Hymn” – 4%
- MiSo: “Blessed” – 2%
- Joohoney: “Smoky” – 1%
- Truedy ft. Arii: “Lonely” – 1%
- DeVita: “Evita” – 0%
Best Rock or Band
- DAY6 (WINNER) – 35%
- LUCY – 29%
- South Club – 12%
- N.Flying – 10%
- Dreamcatcher – 6%
- Lacuna – 3%
- Onewe – 2%
- 2Z – 2%
- High Tension – 1%
- LØREN – 0%
Best Vocal Performance
- Younha: “Dark Cloud” (WINNER) – 23%
- AKMU: “Happening” – 22%
- Hedy: “You Were Really Not Good” – 21%
- Ailee: “When We Were in Love” – 8%
- Stella Jang: “Villain” – 8%
- KEEMBO: “Thank You Anyway” – 8%
- Noel: “Still Around You” – 6%
- Gavy NJ: “X-Girlfriend” – 2%
- So Hee Song: “Moon Halo” – 2%
- GB9: “Milky Way” – 0%
Best Dance Performance – Solo
- Taemin: “Criminal” (WINNER) – 21%
- Chungha: “Stay Tonight” – 20%
- Zico: “Any Song” – 16%
- Jessi: “Nunu Nana” – 13%
- Kai: “Mmmh” – 9%
- Lee Suhyun: “Alien” – 9%
- Kang Daniel: “Who U Are” – 5%
- Nada: “My Body” – 4%
- Soyou: “Gotta Go” – 2%
- BiPa: “I Don’t Care” – 1%
Best Dance Performance – Female Group
- Gfriend: “Mago” (WINNER) – 16%
- 3YE: “On Air” – 14%
- (G)I-dle: “DumDi DumDi” – 13%
- APINK: “Dumhdurum” – 12%
- Oh My Girl: “Nonstop” – 10%
- TWICE: “I Can’t Stop Me” – 8%
- Pink Fantasy Shadow: “Shadow Play” – 6%
- XUM: “Ddalala” – 5%
- Weki Meki: “Cool” – 4%
- Everglow: “La Di Da” – 3%
- NiziU: “Make You Happy” – 3%
- Nature: “Girls” – 2%
- Favorite: “Lie” – 2%
- BLACKPINK: “How You Like That” – 1%
- BVNDIT: “Jungle” – 1%
Best Dance Performance – Male Group
- Ab6ix: “Salute” (WINNER) – 17%
- Monsta X: “Love Killa” – 16%
- BTS: “Dynamite” – 13%
- Pentagon: “Daisy” – 5%
- Stray Kids: “God’s Menu” – 4%
- ATEEZ: “Inception” – 4%
- Nu’est: “I’m in Trouble” – 4%
- GOT7: “Not By the Moon” – 4%
- N.O.M: “I’m Not But” – 3%
- The Boyz: “The Stealer” – 3%
- Oneus: “To Be or Not to Be” – 2%
- Up10tion: “Light” – 2%
- Treasure: “I Love You” – 2%
- Golden Child: “Pump It Up” – 2%
- UNVS: “Give You Up” – 0%
Best New Male Artist
- Wonho (WINNER) – 43%
- Moon Jongup – 19%
- Kim Woo-seok – 15%
- Han Seung-woo – 11%
- LØREN – 9%
- Yook Sung-jae – 2%
- Yoon Du-jun – 1%
Best New Female Artist
- YooA (WINNER) – 34%
- Huh Chanmi – 24%
- Natty – 13%
- Ryu Su-jeong – 11%
- Jeon Yeol – 9%
- Serri – 5%
- Solar – 4%
Best New Male Group
- LUCY (WINNER) – 53%
- Treasure – 11%
- Enhypen – 7%
- Cravity – 6%
- WEi – 5%
- B.O.Y – 3%
- TOO – 3%
- Drippin’ – 3%
- 2Z – 2%
- DKB – 2%
- UNVS – 2%
- MCND – 1%
- Ghost9 – 1%
- E’Last – 1%
Best Male Solo
- Eric Nam: “Paradise” (WINNER) – 28%
- Zico: “Any Song” – 27%
- Taemin: “Criminal” – 15%
- Zelo: “Mi Amor” – 7%
- Kang Daniel: “Who U Are” – 6%
- Roy Kim: “Linger On”- 3%
- Kai: “Mmmh” – 3%
- Baekhyun: “Candy” – 2%
- 20 Years of Age: “7942” – 2%
- Wonho: “Open Mind” – 2%
- Xia: “Pit a Pat” – 2%
- Suho: “Let’s Love” – 1%
- Ji Jin-seok: “Here” – 1%
- Paul Kim: “Hangover” – 1%
Best New Female Group
- Secret Number (WINNER) – 25%
- XUM – 17%
- Weeekly – 15%
- Woo!Ah! – 11%
- AESPA – 7%
- Purple Kiss – 6%
- Cignature – 5%
- STAYC – 4%
- Lunarsolar – 3%
- Maka Maka – 3%
- Botopass – 2%
- BLACKSWAN – 1%
- BLING BLING – 1%
Best Female Solo
- Yezi: “Home” (WINNER) – 23%
- Chungha: “Stay Tonight” – 22%
- Lee Suhyun: “Alien” – 13%
- Hwasa: “Maria” – 10%
- Lee Hi: “Holo” – 5%
- Stella Jang: “Villain” – 5%
- AleXa: “Villain” – 4%
- YooA: “Bon Voyage” – 4%
- Ben: “Bad” – 3%
- Somi: “What You Waiting For” – 3%
- Solar: “Spit It Out” – 2%
- Sunmi: “Pporappippam” – 2%
- Siyeon: “Paradise” – 2%
- Kim Namjoo: “Bird” – 1%
- Yukika: “Soul Lady” – 1%
Female Group of the Year
- Dreamcatcher (WINNER) – 20%
- Mamamoo – 18%
- ITZY – 9%
- TWICE – 8%
- Oh My Girl – 8%
- Everglow – 8%
- Refund Sisters – 5%
- APINK – 4%
- IZ*ONE – 3%
- (G)I-dle – 3%
- Weki Meki – 3%
- GFRIEND – 3%
- LOONA – 2%
- Red Velvet – 1%
- BLACKPINK – 1%
- GWSN – 1%
- Momoland – 1%
- NATURE – 1%
- BVNDIT – 1%
Male Group of the Year
- BTS (WINNER) – 51%
- DAY6 – 16%
- NCT – 7%
- Seventeen – 6%
- Super Junior – 4%
- BtoB 4U – 3%
- SuperM – 3%
- B1A4 – 3%
- Stray Kids – 2%
- ATEEZ – 2%
- GOT7 – 2%
- ASTRO – 1%
- EXO-SC – 0%
- Pentagon – 0%
Music Video of the Year
- “Eight” IU ft. Suga (WINNER) – 23%
- “Alien” Lee Suhyun – 13%
- “On” BTS – 12%
- “Any Song” Zico – 7%
- “Happening” AKMU – 5%
- “Like a Movie” B1A4 – 5%
- “Bon Voyage” YooA – 5%
- “Zombie” DAY6 – 4%
- “I Can’t Stop Me” TWICE – 4%
- “When We Disco” J.Y, Park (duet with Sunmi) – 4%
- “Mago” GFRIEND – 4%
- “Holo” Lee Hi – 3%
- “Play” Chungha ft. Changmo – 3%
- “Villain” Stella Jang – 3%
- “Winter Flower” Younha ft. RM – 2%
- “Girls” Nature – 2%
- “Mong” Lim Kim – 1%
- “Monster” Irene & Seulgi – 0%
Album of the Year
- Unstable Mindset: Younha (WINNER) – 16%
- Dystopia: The Tree of Language: Dreamcatcher – 14%
- BE: BTS – 8%
- Nonstop: Oh My Girl – 6%
- Zero: Fever Part 1: ATEEZ – 5%
- Map the Soul 7: BTS – 4%
- #: LOONA – 4%
- Never Gonna Dance Again: Act 1: Taemin – 4%
- BLOOM*IZ: IZ*ONE – 4%
- The Album: BLACKPINK – 4%
- Cyan: Kang Daniel – 3%
- IT’Z ME: ITZY – 3%
- The Nocturne: NU’EST – 3%
- MORE & MORE: TWICE – 3%
- LABYRINTH: GFRIEND – 3%
- Bon Voyage: YooA – 3%
- Delight: Baekhyun – 3%
- DYE: GOT7 – 2%
- 1 Billion Views: EXO-SC – 2%
- Origine: B1A4 – 2%
- Timeless: Super Junior -1%
- Heng:garae: Seventeen – 1%
- The Dream Chapter: Eternity: TXT – 1%
- NEOZONE: NCT-127 – 1%
- Fantasia X: Monsta X – 1%
- Monster: Irene & Seulgi – 1%
- Light Up: Up10tion – 1%
- Go Live: Stray Kids – 0%
- Self-Portrait: Suho – 0%
- Oneiric Diary: IZ*ONE – 0%
- Reload: NCT-Dream – 0%
- Super One: SuperM – 0%
Song of the Year
- Everglow: “La Di Da” (WINNER) – 16%
- Zico: “Any Song” – 12%
- BTS: “Dynamite” – 9%
- (G)I-dle: “Oh My God” – 8%
- Lee Hi: “Holo” – 6%
- Refund Sisters: “Don’t Touch Me” – 5%
- IU ft. Suga: “Eight” – 5%
- YooA: “Bon Voyage” – 5%
- Younha ft. RM: “Winter Flower” – 4%
- TWICE: “I Can’t Stop Me” – 3%
- Taemin: “Criminal” – 3%
- BTS: “Black Swan” – 3%
- Dreamcatcher: “Scream” – 3%
- SuperM: “100” – 3%
- (G)I-dle: “DumDi DumDi” – 2%
- Fromis_9: “Feel Good” – 2%
- J.Y. Park (duet with Sunmi): “When We Disco” – 2%
- Sunmi: “Pporappippam”- 2%
- GFRIEND: “Mago” – 2%
- Chungha: “Stay Tonight” – 2%
- BLACKPINK: “Lovesick Girls” – 1%
- Stray Kids: “God’s Menu” – 1%
- LOONA: “Why Not?” – 1%
- GOT7: “Not By the Moon” – 1%
- Dreamcatcher: “Boca” – 0%
- Irene & Seulgi: “Monster” – 0%
- Hwasa: “Maria” – 0%
—-Olivia Murray
Faky is a Japanese girl group which debuted in 2013, under Avex’s Rhythm Zone record label. The group’s unique name stands for “Five Ass Kicking Youngsters” and was also made by combining the words “fantastic” and “Tokyo.” The group consists of five members, Lil’ Fang, Mikako, Akina, Taki and Hina. We had a chance to interview Faky and hope that our readers will enjoy reading and learning more about the members.
We wish Faky a lot of success in their careers and a Happy New Year!
Would you introduce yourselves to our readers please?
Lil’ Fang: I’m Lil’ Fang. I was born and raised in Tokyo.
Mikako: I’m Mikako, born and raised in Fukuoka. I like fashion about as much as I like music. Nice to meet you!
Hina: I’m Hina. I’m from Kyoto prefecture, besides FAKY, and I’m doing my best as a model and an actress!
Akina: I’m Akina! I am 21 years old. I’m half Japanese half American, born in California and raised in both Japan and America.
Taki: To all the readers, I‘m Taki, a new member from the Japanese girl group faky. I was born in Japan and raised in Paris and in the Philippines. That is the reason why I speak English, French, Tagalog, and Japanese. I am Brazilian, Spanish, Filipino, Japanese. I used to work in the Philippines as an actress/host.
Photo: Lil’ Fang
Tell us about your latest single, “Little More.” What do you most like about it?
Lil’ Fang: I like it best when each member’s voice stands out.
Mikako: The song is about “conflict with oneself,” and the music video expresses it. I love the scene where she is dancing facing herself, as if to challenge herself through the mirror.
Hina: The intro and outro sound. I really love the feeling of time stopping.
Akina: Our single “Little More” has a much deeper meaning that you might initially think. The sound is very up-tempo and pop but the lyrics are very deep, with the message of trying to solve the blurry question of where it is, you’re able to go from where you are now.
Taki: Our most recent song, “Little More” is very important to us, because we really wanted this song to reflect our feelings during this situation we were given. The song is very up-tempo but the lyrics are quite heavy. We wanted people to relate to it the same way we did.
Photo: Mikako
What differentiates Faky from other artists in your opinion?
Lil’ Fang: The thing is that all five of us agree and are not afraid to continue to say what we think, and it’s the coolest thing.
Mikako: We value the individuality of each member, and even though we were born in different places, grew up in different environments, like and feel different things, we are united when we stand on stage, and we try different genres of music each time. However, most of all, we love the artist FAKY!
Hina: It’s a place that respects each person’s ideas very much. It is a place where we can all be united with different ideas because of our individuality.
Akina: I think Faky is different from other groups in that we don’t shy away from expressing our individual personalities. We think that the most authentic way to create music and memories that last with our fans is to be 100% ourselves. We all have completely different backgrounds and cultures so our characters are different from each other making us a breath of fresh air, in my opinion.
Taki: To be honest, Faky is very much like every other group you would know. But the thing that differentiates us is the fact that we go as ourselves. We don’t have things to hide since we all have different personalities and different opinions. We project ourselves as we want, not as told or should be.
Photo: Hina
What do you like to do in your spare time? Do you have hobbies or interests other than music-related?
Lil’ Fang: I love anime and watch them all the time, even on the move. I’ve been addicted to watching My Hero Academia.
Mikako: I like the time when I can have a leisurely cup of coffee in the morning on the balcony of my house.
Hina: I like to sleep, so I sleep a lot. I also like nature, so I like to go to the beach or riverside by myself.
Akina: I really enjoy home decorating. Every time I am aesthetically inspired by a certain theme, I like to redecorate my house to match that mood.
Taki: In my spare time, I do a lot of different things, recently I started painting again. I love reading and walking, finding new places. I like to take time to breathe. But because its winter I’ll be going skiing soon so I’m very excited for it.
How would you each describe your fashion style? Where do you attain your fashion influences from?
Lil’ Fang: I believe that insecurities are also a way to change where you want to be. I often reference the cool people I see on the street.
Mikako: I especially like modesty! I always keep an eye out for trends, of course, but the most important thing is to wear what I want to wear at the time, and in my own way.
Hina: I try to use both my insecurities and the things I like about myself to look my best in fashion. I look at fashion a lot on Instagram and an app called Pinterest.
Akina: I can’t say that I do have a set fashion style. My outfits really depend on my mood on that certain day but I do make sure that I am comfortable with whatever I choose to wear. I like to keep up with whatever is in fashion but won’t wear anything that I don’t feel comfortable in, no matter how popular the trend is!
Taki: Unlike other members, I don’t really have a style of my own. I have a go to outfit its jeans and any kind of top. But my style is always to pick where I am comfortable – outfits that I feel matches my mood.
Which artist/musician is your role model?
Lil’ Fang: Ms. Kumi Koda. I’ve admired her since I was little. I was taught that it’s okay for women to be strong too.
Mikako: I really admire each one of you and you’re all amazing, but I honestly don’t have one. I want to live my own life because I was born into it!
Hina: I don’t have a role model. I’m always thinking of new appearances, and that I should be a role model for someone else.
Akina: I have many artists that I look up to, however, Jhene Aiko is one of my top inspirations. I love clever lyricists and not only do her melodies and songs touch me, but her lyrics are my main motivation to better my artistry.
Taki: The person that I have always looked up as a kid is Selena Gomez. My generation grew up during the Disney channel time. Selena Gomez was always the kind of person I wanted to be when I grew up.
Photo: Akina
What kind of person is your ideal type to date?
Lil’ Fang: I like the type of person who can be immersed in one thing.
Mikako: Serious and kind people. Also, someone with the same taste as me.
Hina: Someone with a sense of adventure and humor. Someone who listens well and shares their thoughts as well.
Akina: My ideal type to date is someone who can keep up with my energy. Shy guys are cute but I personally like someone who will hype me up and who I can have fun outgoing adventures with!
Taki: When I go on a date, I like the person to not feel pressured, to be honest and I don’t really care what they wear. I‘m not the type of girl you bring in a fancy restaurant on the first date. I’m the type of girl who would actually order chicken wings and eat with my hands.
Which artist would you want to do a collaboration with in the future?
Lil’ Fang: There are too many to say, but I would like to collaborate with artists that have a completely different style from FAKY, like band sound.
Mikako: Kumi Koda, who wrote the lyrics for FAKY’s song NEW AGE and if I can perform NEW AGE with Kumi Koda, I will be very happy.
Hina: ONE OK ROCK.
Akina: There are so many artists that I dream of collaborating with! As a mixed American/Japanese person I strongly look up to 88rising and the talent they share to the world from artists with Asian backgrounds. I would be honored if I ever got the chance to be a part of that movement.
Taki: My dream artist would of course be Justin Bieber, but the Japanese artist I would really like to have a collaboration with is Miura Daichi. The reason is he’s a very good singer and one of the best dancers/performers I have seen.
Photo: Taki
Where do you wish to perform the most? Are there any particular venues that you want to perform at in the future?
Lil’ Fang: I would like to perform at the Budokan, a very historic venue in Japan. I would like to do more gigs abroad, like I did last year. I want to meet my fans in person, who are always sending me messages.
Mikako: There are many stages I want to stand on, both in Japan and abroad, in arenas and domes. I want to feel the music directly with you all, and there is no end in sight. But the thing I’m most looking forward to now is the solo live performance I have planned in January, which I will finally be able to perform. I’m looking forward to finally being able to thank you all in person!
Hina: The Budokan. As a Japanese person, this is the stage that I long for.
Akina: I’ve always said this but it would be a dream come true to perform at Coachella! Faky hasn’t performed in America yet so I would be so excited to be able to have a live in where I consider my home country and state! (California)
Taki: I would like us to perform in any kind of arena / dome in any many countries. I would also like to bring Faky to places they haven’t been yet performing at music festivals. to be exact Coachella would be such an honor.
OFFICIAL LINKS:
▼「Little More」Music Video
▼Stream/Download “Little More”
https://avex.lnk.to/littlemorePR
▼FAKY Official Homepage
▼FAKY Official YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/c/FAKYjp
▼FAKY Official TikTok
https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSPhusaP/
—-J.Chung
When K-Pop idols debut, there are a wide range of variables that can affect the future of their careers. Some K-Pop groups might last a decade or more, while others seem to fizzle within a year or two of their debut. And, with that being said, we are going to take a look at some of the leading Male K-Pop groups that have disbanded and see where they are now.
Where Are They Now- Male K-Pop Groups Edition
INFINITE- INFINITE debuted in 2010 as a 7-member group with their first mini album First Invasion. Individualized by their unique concept, suits and vintage punk, INFINITE quickly became popular as album sales increased. They didn’t last long as a 7-member group when Hoya decided to go solo in 2018. The remaining six INFINITE members released a new album, Top Seed, the same year, and it debuted at number four on Billboard’s World Albums Chart.
Teen Top- similar to INFINITE’s success story, Teen Top debuted with 6 members yet with a much catchier pop sound. In 2010, they were nominated for the “Best New Group” and “Best New Male Artist” awards at MAMA and, in 2013, won the “Single Album of the Year” award at the Golden Disk Awards for It’s. then, Teen Top became a 5-member group in 2017 after L. Joe ended his contract. Today, the remaining 5 members of Teen Top are creating new music and promoting as a group even during the pandemic.
EXO- one of the largest male K-Pop groups, EXO debuted with a 12-member line-up made up of Chinese and Korean members. The members were divided into two sub-units, EXO-K (Korean) and EXO-M (Mandarin Chinese). This enabled them to promote their debut album separately in both countries. EXO was nominated for and claimed several awards, including “Best New Asian Artist Group” at MAMA. However, the group lost several of its original members. Luhan, Kris, and Tao all left the group and filed lawsuits against their agency. Today, they have achieved solo success, while the remaining members of EXO released their first full-length Japanese album, Countdown, in 2018.
B.A.P- just like EXO, B.A.P.’s debut was strong. Their tough, bad boy image set them apart from many of the “pretty boy” K-Pop groups at the time. Their debut EP, Warrior, sold more than 10,000 copies within two days of release. In 2014, not much was heard of from B.A.P and fans thought that they had disbanded. In reality, they were taking a break while trying to nullify their contract. Even though B.A.P has undergone many concept changes, their tough look and sound remained the same.
Contact KCrush America
To learn more about some of K-Pop’s leading male groups, contact KCrush America today and become a part of one of the largest online K-Pop communities.
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—-Julia Luong
Japanese singer Beverly, who is highly acclaimed for her world-class singing technique and powerful high-tone voice, released her latest track ‘Signal’ today. ‘Signal’ has been used as the image song for ‘Operation Siren’, which is the latest content release for the successful game ‘Azur Lane’. The lyrics to this mid-tempo ballad are sung from the viewpoint of a hero adventuring through the fierce waves, with references to the “broken and torn emotions” of embattled heroes confronting a “dark and bitter destiny” and “falling deep into the sea” – but overcoming adversity together when you “trust what’s in your heart” and “never doubt yourself and what you feel”.
A promotional video featuring ‘Signal’ is also currently available on the official ‘Azur Lane’ YouTube channel, accompanied by an animated clip of characters from the game.
‘Azure Lane: Operation Siren’ promotional video:
Check out Beverly’s new song ‘Signal’ for a timeless ballad with a spirit of adventure!
Release information:
Artist: Beverly
Title: Signal
Release date: Wednesday, December 30, 2020
Tracklist:
1. ‘Signal’
2. ‘Signal English Ver.’
Download/streaming: https://avex.lnk.to/beverly_signal
Tie-up information:
‘Azure Lane: Operation Siren’ promotional video:
Beverly links:
■YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9LjkOBI3iRqHtjGOvvEscQ
■Beverly download and streaming links:
https://avex.lnk.to/beverlyselection
■Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Beverly_avex
■Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Beverly.avex/
https://www.instagram.com/beverly_official_
■TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@beverly_avex_official
■Official website:
—
Images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0alsp36h7fuet83/AABSyR6rrqhmDkFRHTvxDqR4a?dl=0
When we talk about Korea, we can’t leave out Kdrama, K-fashion, and Kpop. From a simple and chick style to a glamorous style that you can find in Paris Fashion Week, these are the 10 best Korean Dramas that you can binge-watch to spend your free time at home as well as nourish your fashion sense. Check it out!
A story about three strong women who are trying to achieve their dreams through the competitive world. Each character has a different style, but the point is how their style alludes to their personalities. If you are curious about how to look stylish, yet professional, some of these characters from Search: WWW can be your source of inspiration.
Bae Ta Mi (Im Soo Jung) has a tough personality. On the most occasion, her favorite style is a stripes pattern shirt, either formal or a laid-back one. This style emphasizes her confident nature and leadership skill.
On the other hand, there is also the fashionable Cha Hyun. Different from Bae Ta Mi who prefers subtle and simple style, Cha Hyun has a bolder choice of fashion and make up.
Elegant and classy, she can beautifully combine a black long dress from ZADIG & VOLTAIRE and the jeans underneath.
Set aside from the intriguing story between a psychiatric ward and a popular writer with an antisocial personality disorder, Ko Moon-Young’s fashion style is indeed stunningly beautiful.
In the first episode, she shows her great fashion sense by putting on a dark double-breasted dress while carrying a small Givenchy GV3 bag. A pair of Jimmy Choo heels also give an extra feel of the feminine.
While the romantic story between Yoon Se-Ri, an heiress to a conglomerate and Ri Jeong-Hyeok, a North Korean army officer is incredibly sweet, we can’t forget about the fabulous style of Yoon Se-ri. Well, she has successfully created her fashion brand, Seri’s Choice, so her wardrobe collections have been a talk on social media.
Compared to others on the list, her fashion style is kind of distinctive. In one frame, we can see an elegant gold dress from DOLCE & GABBANA, combined with a Dior handbag.
On another occasion, she showed her casual style with a set of attire from Celine like a Shirt, Sweater, Black mini skirt, and sling bag.
Besides the love story of an alien and famous artist from Seoul, we can’t leave out Cheon Song-Yi’s great fashion sense. Well, as one of the top artists (both in real-life and drama), it makes sense that she becomes an inspiration for all women when it’s about clothes selection.
With her bold choice of fashion, she shows that women can look both badass and feminine. Do you notice how she can look extremely stunning with either structure leather jacket style or Elle Woods’s signature looks? Talk about versatility.
Living for thousands of years doesn’t make Jang Man-Wol lose her awesome fashion style. As an owner of Hotel Del Luna, a special hotel for ghosts, her meeting with Koo Chan-Sung significantly changed her life.
When this drama aired, many people talked about the outfit collection of IU (Jang Man-Wol) which is quite experimental but somehow fits her well.
For example, meet IU with this old-fashioned flair. Who can rock this outfit like her, right?
Now, it’s time for the hottest drama on Netflix right now. Let’s set aside team Do-San and Ji-Pyeong, and focus on the fashion style of our three main leads who dream to become the CEO of their own startup.
Start from Dal-Mi, looking marvelous with the combination of navy single jacket from A.T. Corner and tweed mini skirt. Well, expected no less from Bae Suzy, the Kcrush and Korean’s national first love.
Let’s move on to the main lead.
Both Do-San and Jin-Pyeong show their greatest charm with masculine fashion style.
Do-San prefers casual and playful style with his favorite hoodie plain army while Jin-Pyeong looks neat and professional with a navy shirt from Corduroy and a white T-shirt underneath.
A story about an underdog that wants to take revenge by becoming successful is never boring. On the other hand, the edgy and cool style of Jo Yi Seo is also really inspiring.
Her main signature is a checked coat which emits a dashing aura and perfect for a formal event. Well, you can also try this look with a smart blazer or long coat.
Korean fashion is all about mix and match styles with the complementary color combination.
Moving on to the historical drama. Dong-Yi tells the story about Choi Suk-bin, a lowly water maid in the royal palace which later on becomes someone important in the palace.
In fact, there are many lovely Korean Traditional Clothes (Hanbok) which may pique your interest. Like this hanbok with pink color and white flower pattern of Jegori (tops) and dark gray Chima (long skirt).
Bonus:
As a bonus, there are also othergood Asian dramas about fashion that may suit your taste. Survival Wedding is a Japanese drama about the challenges that are faced by young people in one of the most popular magazine companies in Korea.
Talking about magazine companies, there will for sure be many fashion references that can turn into your outfit inspiration.
Moving to China, this drama has just been released in 2020. Imagine how the encounter between Lu Xing Cheng (Jerry Yan), a legend in the fashion world, and Xiao You (Shen Yue), an unknown fashion designer will affect both their life paths and future.
From the poster alone, you can even see how each character has a splendid wardrobe collection. As it is a drama that focuses on fashion, for sure you can find a lot of outfit inspiration.
How about our list of Korean dramas (+ 2 Asian dramas) with marvelous kfashion to inspire your daily outfit? If you want to keep updated with the latest Korean entertainment news, subscribe to KCrush America Magazine.
—- Cornelia
AKINA ‘Gravity’ download and streaming links:
https://avex.lnk.to/Gravity_AKINAPR
AKINA stands out in the J-pop world. With her Japanese-American roots and childhood spent moving between countries around the world, this rising solo artist and FAKY member has a rich multicultural outlook that informs her music. Now AKINA celebrates the release of her second solo single, ‘Gravity’, released on Dec 18th accompanied by a music video.
With production by Yaffle, who has worked with artists such as Fujii Kaze and iri, AKINA’s previous single ‘Touch’ caused a stir among music fans when it was released on November 27. A cover of a song by British singer-songwriter Shura, AKINA’s ‘Touch’ was a simple yet beautiful rendition that she truly made her own, and the track was added to many playlists on Spotify and Apple Music. As her first solo release, the track inspired a strong reaction from fans.
AKINA’s second single, ‘Gravity’, is once again produced in collaboration with Yaffle – and it is also AKINA’s first self-written song to be publicly released.
In her career so far, as a member of girl group FAKY and as a fresh new solo artist, the focus has been on AKINA’s powerful singing voice and expressive dance routines that have been praised by world-class choreographers. But AKINA has been writing songs since the age of 15, and now, her excellent songwriting skills and musical originality have been proven for all to see.
AKINA’s multicultural music sense and Yaffle’s highly skilled production work make for a special combination. The multi-layered sound created by the two collaborators embodies the title concept of “gravity”, resulting in a sumptuous song that recalls the comforting pull of the ocean as you sink willingly beneath the waves.
‘Gravity’ music video Premiere
The music video for ‘Gravity’ was also released today on FAKY’s YouTube channel. The video was directed by Yosuke Torii, who has shot photos for world-renowned overseas artists such as Rihanna as well as domestic acts such as UVERworld, Never young beach and Kayoko Yoshizawa. The video is shot in classic black and white, with visual motifs based on the concept of gravity, as AKINA, symbolically caressing an apple, is led toward the ocean by unseen guiding forces.
AKINA was styled for the video by her FAKY bandmate Mikako, who has been singled out as an up-and-coming fashion icon by Droptokyo as part of its FOREVER HEROES series.
The high quality of AKINA’s solo songs makes her budding solo career and bright future a delight to watch unfold, and it’s exciting to see these FAKY members reveal new sides to their individual talents. Check out ‘Gravity’ for a musical experience with genuine weight.
AKINA comment
“The ‘Gravity’ MV is so different from what you’re used to from me. I wanted to show a more real side of me to fit with the lyrics I wrote. I hope anyone who is in a difficult place can relate to my words” – AKINA
Yaffle comment
“Making music with the talented singer AKINA was a creative, fun and exciting experience. My role was to make her wonderful singing voice and the song’s groove connect with the listener as directly as possible. It was a deceptively complex order for AKINA to fulfil, so I was impressed at how skillfully and easily she was able to handle it.” – Yaffle
Mikako comment
“I did the styling for AKINA’s 2nd single “Gravity” music video. I originally liked the music made by AKINA, so I’m very happy to be able to do that. I didn’t want to destroy the image of AKINA so I made it pretty simple overall but I put an effort to focus on the fine details! Her various facial expressions in the monochrome world were so beautiful that I was fascinated by the sensibility of the music made by AKINA. I hope many people will get to know AKINA’s music.” – Mikako
AKINA information:
Official website: https://avex.jp/akina/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB0bl5q4gqVxwiygBwi-HKQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akina_faky/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AKINA_faky
Korean singer BoA has been investigated by the prosecutors for violating import drug regulations.
On December 16, BoA was questioned by prosecutors for violating import drug regulations due to careless customs clearance by an employee at SM Entertainment’s overseas branch. The employee had sent shipped sleeping pills from Japan to Korea, not following the set clearance procedures. This resulted in BoA and the employee being questioned by prosecutors. Apparently, neither BoA nor the employee were aware of formal import procedures.
SM Entertainment stated, “BoA recently took a prescribed sleeping pills after receiving a doctor’s opinion that she needed sufficient sleep due to a decrease in growth hormones – but the side effects were severe. The drugs prescribed for sleep disorders had no issues during Japan’s activities, an employee of our overseas branch received the drugs through standard procedures after being checked at a local hospital, but he was not aware even the drugs prescribed overseas could cause a problem in Korea. We plan to strengthen multi-faceted education for all employees to prevent this from happening again in the future. We’re sorry to have troubled you.”
BoA made her debut at the tender age of 14, and is dubbed the “Star of Asia” by the Korean media for contributing to popularize hallyu and the Korean pop culture. She recently released an album titled “Better” which commemorated her 20th anniversary since debut.
J.Chung.
Far East Monster Records, a new label within avex entertainment formed around alternative rock band BRATS and dedicated to taking awesome rock bands from Asia to the West, has announced Ambitious Girls Rock, an exciting series of online live events featuring female-vocal rock bands from across East Asia.
The first event in the series will be held on Sunday, January 10, 2021. The four-band lineup will include Rolling Quartz and VINCIT from South Korea, and Velvet Sighs and BRATS from Japan. The show will be broadcast online for free on Rolling Quartz’s official YouTube channel, as well as on South Korean music channel Rolling Star TV.
The broadcast will alternate between performances at live music venues in each respective country; in Tokyo, the show will be performed at TSUTAYA O-Crest in Shibuya.
The second Ambitious Girls Rock event is scheduled to take place in March 2021, featuring female bands from yet another East Asian country, Thailand. After that it will be held on a regular basis, featuring bands from countries across East Asia and aiming for the world.
Event details
Title: Ambitious Girls Rock 1 (Korea-Japan ONLINE)
Date: Sunday, January 10, 2021
Livestream start time: 13:00 JST
Featured bands:
<From South Korea>
Rolling Quartz: https://www.facebook.com/bandrollingquartz
VINCIT: https://www.facebook.com/VINCITOFFICIAL
<From Japan>
BRATS: http://brats-official.com/
Velvet Sighs: https://www.youtube.com/c/VelvetSighs
Livestream links:
Rolling Quartz official YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/ROLLINGQUARTZofficial
Rolling Star TV official YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo_CS0TknDlW2_yJDOv1lgA
* Super Chat (voluntary donations) system available
BRATS live concert albums available as digital releases!
First release out now: ‘Karma THE LIVE (Live at TSUTAYA O-EAST 2020.09.13)’
Trailer: https://youtu.be/WU5P8gIAR-M
Second release available January 1, 2021, 00:00 JST: ‘Ambitious Girls (Live at #Chord 2020.11.08)’
* Look out for more live concert audio releases coming soon!
BRATS download and streaming links
https://avex.lnk.to/BRATS_PLAYLIST
Upcoming live schedule
Ambitious Girls Rock 1 – TSUTAYA O-Crest, Shibuya, Tokyo
January 10, 2021 (13:00 open/13:30 start)
Artists: BRATS, Velvet Sighs
Tickets: 3,800 yen plus drink ticket, available from eplus, Lawson Ticket
New album ‘Karma’ out now! (September 30, 2020 release)
The first eight tracks on the album are newly remastered versions of BRATS songs that were released each month for eight consecutive months since January 2020. The album also features live versions of several songs.
【Type A】 CD+DVD / Type A (AVCD-43031/B)
1. Forget me not
2. Toge
3. No more No more
4. Excuser
5. Fate
6. Ms. Downer
7. Jigyakusei Loop
8. Kimarigoto (-Version 2020-)
9. Lost Place (-Version 2020-)
10. Doudatte Yokatta (Live)
11. Kimarigoto (Live)
<Bonus DVD>
1. Forget me not (MV)
2. No more No more (Live)
3. Ms. Downer (Live)
4. Excuser (Live)
【Type B】 CD+DVD / Type B (AVCD-43032/B)
1. Forget me not
2. Toge
3. No more No more
4. Excuser
5. Fate
6. Ms. Downer
7. Jigyakusei Loop
8. Kimarigoto (-Version 2020-)
9. No more No more (Live)
10. Ms Downer (Live)
11. Excuser (Live)
<Bonus DVD>
1. No more No more (Music video)
2. Jigyakusei Loop (Music video)
3. Ms. Downer (Music video)
4. Toge (Music video)
【Type C】 CD+Band music score / Type C – Limited Edition (AVCD-43033)
(including guitar tab and bass tab)
1. Forget me not
2. Toge
3. No more No more
4. Excuser
5. Fate
6. Ms. Downer
7. Jigyakusei Loop
8. Kimarigoto (-Version 2020-)
* Includes specially made A4 sheet music booklet and CD
* The booklet includes sheet music for all eight songs on the album
【Type D】 CD+Band music score download URL /
Type D – Limited Edition
(including guitar tab and bass tab) (AVCD-43034)
1. Forget me not
2. Toge
3. No more No more
4. Excuser
5. Fate
6. Ms. Downer
7. Jigyakusei Loop
8. Kimarigoto (-Version 2020-)
* Includes alternate jacket
* Includes URL to digitally download sheet music for all eight songs on the album
【BRATS Profile】
BRATS website: http://brats-official.com/
Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/brats_official
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BratsJP/
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brats__official/
BRATS Official FanClub: Search for BRATS on the website ‘fanicon’ (https://fanicon.net)
Left: Aya Kuromiya (bass) DOB: November 28, 1998
Right: Rei Kuromiya (vocals) DOB: December 29, 2000
BRATS are an alternative rock band formed by charismatic guitar-thrashing teenager Rei Kuromiya, who began singing in 2011 at the age of 10 and launched the band with her sister Aya Kuromiya on bass. In 2017, six years after they formed, they refocused as a neo-grunge girls’ rock band, featuring heavy guitar riffs and deep vocals, and released their first single, ‘Aini Koiyo’ / ‘Nounai Shoukyo Game’.
The following year, in July 2018, they released their highly anticipated first album, ‘BRATS’. This was followed by an ever-growing number of live performances, with a particularly notable show at Daikanyama Unit in Tokyo in October 2018. In January 2019, BRATS played their first overseas performances, with two successful concerts in Seoul.
They performed headline shows in Tokyo each month from February to April 2019, all of which sold out. After appearing at two overseas festivals in Taiwan and South Korea that summer, in fall they undertook a headline tour in Japan’s Kansai region.
In January 2020, BRATS performed their first Western concert, with a successful show in Los Angeles. Taking a tireless approach to getting their music out to the world, they have released digital singles every month since January, and made each of them available globally. These songs were collected in remastered form on their major debut album ‘Karma’, released by avex imprint Far East Monster Records on September 30, 2020.
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Images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/l43eh5myz858pi7/AACH3AGgMO7WHKUSPMWkbXava?dl=0
Photo from her instagram @honey_lee32
The raising of a star
Being as her mother is a Doctor of Korean Music History at a prestigious university and her father a senior officer in the National Intelligence Service, Lee Ha Nui, also known as Honey Lee was destined to be a star.
Lee Ha Nui was born on March 2, 1983 in Seoul, South Korea. She has 2 sisters and a brother. She has a third degree black belt in Taekwondo. She was Miss Korea in 2006 and came in third place at Miss Universe 2007 in Mexico City. After her debut as Miss Korea, Lee Ha Nui began appearing on Tv shows such as Live TV Entertainment in 2007.
Music Prodigy
She is a classical music performer and plays the Kayagum along with her mother and sister. She was once named a Kayagum prodigy by the Kumho Art Center. Lee has made 4 albums and has played in more than 25 countries around the world. One of the many concerts was held at Carnegie Hall in New York.
Miss Universe
Miss Universe Photoshoot
In 2006, at the age of 23, she participated in the Miss Korea pageant of which she was the winner. After winning the contest for the most beautiful woman in South Korea, she participated in Miss Universe 2007 that took place in Mexico City, where she got third place.
´´I have two goals. One is to become a cultural ambassador for Korea as a gayageum player and professor of traditional Korean music. The other goal is to become a volunteer missionary in developing or undeveloped countries including North Korea,” she said, in a pre-competition interview posted on the Miss Universe Website.
From Pageants to Entertainment
This beautiful and talented young woman was about to be the fifth member of the YG Entertainment group 2NE1, however she preferred acting, debuting in the KBS drama ‘Partner’ in 2009.
She was a model for Tommy Hilfiger Korea, DAKS and Vogue and the face of two of the most famous brands in the world. With a largely lucrative contract, Lee’s hair now equals L’Oréal products and she also works with Neutrogena Deep Clean.
In April 2009, she and actor Lee Min Ho were chosen to be the models for the Pepsi soda, “Pepsi Nex”, which has no calories.
On August 3, 2008, Honey made her musical debut in the musical Polaroid. She also participated in the drama Partner, which aired on KBS 2TV.
She joined the main cast in “Legally Blonde: The Musical” (the Korean production), where she played Elle Wood.
In January 2010, she starred in the MBC TV drama Pasta as celebrity chef Oh Sae-Young.
So far, Honey Lee has participated in 11 dramas and 13 films, the most recent Alien, which will be released in 2020. She has also participated in theater musicals and appeared in the Dynamic Duo MV, Jam.
Giving Back
She has volunteered for UNICEF, Compassion, World Vision and is the Goodwill Ambassador for Beautiful Mind Charity and Korea Green Foundation.
‘’Beautiful Mind Charity (BMC) is a philanthropic organization that pursues cultural diplomacy and aims to give and share love with the less privileged around the world through diverse cultural activities.‘’
´´The Environmental Foundation is Asia’s green hub leading the solution to environmental and climate problems in partnership with civil society, government and corporations to protect the Asian environment.´´
Honey Lee Today
After her break up with Yoo Kye Sang, Ha Nee has been focusing on herself: Making art, reading, filming new projects and shooting for magazines. She stated that this year has been hard but that she appreciates the opportunity to restart. She’s currently filming two movies: ‘Alien’ and ‘The Clement Course’
Former K-pop idol Seungri is currently indicted on numerous charges including violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, violation of the Food Sanitation Act, embezzlement, habitual gambling, prostitution mediation, violation of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, and etc.
Along with Seungri – Jung Joon-young, former Yuri Holdings CEO Yoo In-suk, Choi Jong-hoon, and Mr. Park appeared at the hearing on December 9th. Former Burning Sun’s promoter Kim testified denying Seungri’s prostitution mediation.
Park also stated that the instructions to send prostitutes to “A” came from Yoo In-suk – not Seungri – and that he had never talked about prostitutes with Seungri before. Park went on to add that Seungri only asked him to do in December 2015 was bring flowers and gifts to the room where “A” is staying.
Seungri was given a chance to ask Park questions – he stated: “We’ve been friends for almost ten years, so it is a shame that we are meeting at a place like this. It was your dream to become an actor, so as someone in the industry entertainment, I assisted you. Your parents are also fond of me. I cooperated in more than 40 investigations in this year, and I answered “yes” or “I think so,” but there were many details in the reports besides my answers. I requested to revise them because it was my charge. Why didn’t you request for revisions when the police filed reports that contradicted your statements?”
Park answered, “I apologize, I could not pay attention to your case in detail due to the psychological pressure from other charges.”
–J.Chung.
At the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) this past Sunday, BTS won Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Worldwide Icon of the Year. The group also picked up awards for Best Male Group, Best Music Video and Best Dance Performance.
Fans could not attend the ceremony, instead, screens showing the audience watching from all around the world were televised.
Bang Si-hyuk, the founder and CEO of Big Hit Entertainment, won Best Executive Producer of the Year.
“Eight,” performed by IU and BTS member Suga won Best Collaboration.
BLACKPINK won Best Female Group and Best Dance Performance, while IU took home Best Female Artist and Best Vocal Performance – Solo.
Mamamoo won Best Vocal Performance – Group, Hwasa was awrded Best Dance Performance – Solo, Baekhyun won Best Male Artist.
Treasure and Weekly got selected the best new male artist and female artist.
The Worldwide Fans’ Awards were given to the 10 most popular acts via voting and music video views. TWICE, Treasure, BTS, Tomorrow X Together, GOT7, ATEEZ, Seventeen, Mamamoo, NCT, and BLACKPINK all took home the prize.
BoA received a 20-year contribution to the K-pop industry prize, and performed her old hits like “No. 1” and “Only One” at the show.
At this year’s MAMA ceremony, most artists who made acceptance speeches wore masks, and staffs disinfected the stage after each performance.
–J.Chung.