T1Entertainment & Sports debut their League of Legends theme song titled “Runner” today, which is a collaborative record by DJ/producer Raiden, K-Pop vocalist BAEKHYUN, and rapper/producer CHANGMO. The song incorporates a sophisticated mix of rock, trap and EDM, and consists of magnificent ambience, eerie string sounds, and dreamy vocals, perfectly deliveringT1’s resolution to start the new chapter of their dynasty in the year 2021.
RAIDEN – DJ/Producer
T1’s CEO Joe Marsh said, “We’re thrilled that we had the opportunity to start this season’s journey by collaborating with some of the best artists in the music industry. I hope fans enjoy T1’s theme song as much as our players do, and we can’t wait to hear ‘Runner’ blast throughout stadiums with every T1 win.
”The song “Runner” is now available globally on all major music streaming service platforms and can also be heard as the theme song for T1’s LoL team during LCK matches and throughout digital content produced by T1. The official music video of “Runner” accompanies the song release and is available on T1’s official YouTube channel. The video stars both artists of the song and T1 LoL players, capturing the essence, charm and synergy of the T1 athletes and artists. BAEKHYUN debuted as a member of EXO in 2012, and is now a popular Korean solo artist, listed as the “Million Seller” years with the 2020 release of his second mini album “Delight.”
BAEKHYUN – EXO
BAEKHYUN’s first online concert “Beyond LIVE” gathered nearly 110,000 viewers from 120 different countries. CHANGMO, as a rapper and a producer for Ambition Musik, leads the popularization of the Korean hip-hop scene with his unparalleled music style. Performing at world-renowned festivals such as “Ultra Music Festival” and “Tomorrowland, ”Raiden is a leading South Korean artist with a wide range of music styles and diverse portfolio of collaborative production work. Raiden closed the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics alongside Martin Garrix and released the hit collaboration “Yours” in 2020.
CHANGMO – RAPPER/Producer Ambition Musik
The T1 League of Legends team is the most decorated in history, winning the League of Legends World Championship three times, becoming the only team to earn the title more than once. T1 has their sights set on a fourth trophy, recently securing Yang “Daeny” Dae-in and Lee “Zefa” Jae-min, previous coaches of the current World Champion title holders. T1’s unprecedented success in League of Legends has seen the organization expand with top performing rosters of the biggest esports titles in the world, and a network of global content creators.
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About T1Entertainment & Sports
T1 Entertainment & Sports is a global esports joint venture that owns and operates the ultra-successful T1 League of Legends (LoL) Champions Korea (LCK) team, along with teams and players in competitive gaming segments that include Valorant, Fortnite, Dota 2, PUBG, Super Smash Bros., Hearthstone, Apex Legends. The T1 LoL LCK team, previously known as SK Telecom T1, has won three LoL World Championships (2013, 2015, 2016). T1 unites esports enthusiasts around the world through its gaming culture and lifestyle, content creation, entertainment and merchandise. SK Telecom and Comcast Spectacor launched T1 in October 2019 and have global operations based in Seoul, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. For more information on T1, please visit T1.gg.
The South Korean government has just announced its schedule for vaccination provision for Korean citizens and foreign residents in South Korea.
The first round of vaccination – set to begin next month in February – will go towards the health care workers based in Seoul who are working to fight the pandemic. Starting from March, the elderly citizens and employees at care homes will receive their shots. The government is in plans to have 1.3 million of the population vaccinated by March.
Citizens aged over 65, residents residing in homes, and health care employees will be vaccinated in May. By July, police officers, firefighters, people in education, and those suffering from health issues like diabetes and other severe diseases will be vaccinated. Citizens under the age of 50 would also likely receive their vaccination within the last few months of this year.
The government’s plan is to have 75 percent of the vaccines available to the public by the latter half of 2021, in order to achieve immunity from the deadly virus by November. Those receiving the vaccines will be advised to rest for 15 or so minutes, in case of any health complications or reactions.
The government also stated that a total of 22 medical employees – which consists of a minimum of four doctors and eight nurses – would be assigned for vaccinating 600 people.
So far, it is estimated that the coronavirus has brought infection on approximately 76,926 people in the territory of South Korea, and is reported to have resulted in over 1,300 deaths.
The government said that the vaccinations will be available free of charge for all Koreans and foreigners residing in South Korea. The funding for the vaccinations will be financed by the Korean National Health Insurance Service and the South Korean government.
–J.Chung.
Vietnamese Street Food Vendors
Street food is the heart and soul to many of the Southeast Asian countries and Vietnam is certainly one of them. Have you ever visited Asia and experienced the street food adventure where you are literally enjoying your food right on the street with those famous tiny plastic chairs and table? If you did than you would agree with me that Vietnamese street food is nothing like the others. So, what makes Vietnamese street food so unique and special?
Simple and uncomplicated food, these Vietnamese street foods will beckon your tastebuds and sneak their way into your heart.
It’s true that Vietnamese street food cuisine is an integral part of Vietnamese culture. Out of 10 million+ people living in Saigon, over one million of them sell street food for a living. Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain said that he would rather eat at one of Vietnam’s delicious and authentic street food stalls than most 5-star restaurants any day. It has even been said that Vietnam’s street culture is a microcosm of the country’s culture in general. For visitors, exploring the scene is one of the most popular things to try in Vietnam. For locals, it is a way of life.
Tell me if your tummy is not growling for some food when you see these pictures of the noodles’ bowls!
Pho Bo
Bun cha
Along with the fresh, tasty food, common drinks like fresh juice, mixed fruits smoothies, especially Ca phe sua da (Iced coffee) are to be found on every street corner in cities in Vietnam. Being fortunate enough to have tropical weather, Vietnam offers a massive variety of fresh fruits. They are hand- picked and transported to big cities where most of their customers are. It’s one of the best things that this country has to offer.
It is common knowledge that street food is cheap and convenient. But the fact that it is so popular in cities throughout Vietnam is due to more than just accessibility. In fact, street cuisine provides a tastier and ultimately more satisfying dining experience than a restaurant can most of the time.
Why is this?
Firstly, street food cuisine tastes better because it is fresher and uses more hearty flavors. It makes excellent use of fats, acids, and crunchy vegetables to achieve its desired flavors and textures. More so than restaurants, street food vendors focus on using only fresh ingredients just bought from the local market that very morning. Successful stands do not have a choice, in fact, because they have massive turnover and sell everything they stock. It is not uncommon for a particularly popular street food location to close up shop a bit early because they run out of ingredients due to demand.
The smell of a Vietnamese street food experience is another thing that helps it get the leg up on restaurant eating. The olfactory aspect of the dining experience is often overlooked, but the truth is that the smells hanging around you while you are eating will drastically alter the perceived taste. Street food establishments do not have a separate kitchen to keep the cooking smells away from the diners, and customers can have a more immersive dining experience because of that fact. Vietnamese street food locations tend to be clustered together, too, so customers can take in the aromas of multiple foods being prepared while eating.
Possibly the biggest reason most people love Vietnamese street food, though, is because of the atmosphere. Street food stalls offer a more “authentic” feel, and they are simply more vibrant than indoor dining. You get to see your food made, the cooks are usually “real people” rather than restaurant workers, the storefronts are more often than not local residences… tourists agree that eating on the street is the best way to experience the real Vietnam through food.
Although nowadays many Vietnamese street food vendors could afford to move into a more permanent establishment if they wanted to, mobile street eats are now such a big part of urban Vietnamese culture that they choose not to. Vietnam’s street food culture may have been born out of necessity, but locals have grown to love it. The most successful of these “new wave” street food sellers are able to make a fantastic living, in fact. Not only do they bypass a lot of red tape by selling on the street, but they are also able to charge just as much as an indoor restaurant if their food is of especially high quality. Multiply the cost by the huge amount of in-and-out customers that street food can attract, and you’re looking at a pretty impressive nightly income.
Locals also have more money, so a sidewalk meal is not just for celebratory occasions anymore. In fact, most Vietnamese people (and most visitors to the country) enjoy street food at least once per day. It is a part of the country’s cultural fabric and a necessary inclusion on any list of things to try in Vietnam.
—-Lucy Le
Korean TikTok and social media sensation, CHANGHA has appeared on a TikTok advertising billboard in central Tokyo- sending his fans into a frenzy. The famed content creator, who is most widely known for his entertaining short-form videos, is reportedly “honored and touched” by the support of the TikTok community for featuring him on a famous billboard.
In addition to being one of TikToks most-followed creators, CHANGHA also has a huge following on Instagram and YouTube that cater to an audience comprised predominantly of Gen Z and Kpop fans.
With a wide reach and a charming personality, CHANGHA makes content that resonates with his generation.
After launching his TikTok account in December 2018, He had a fan meeting in Thailand and became the official mascot of Hallyu Com-on Swiss 2020.
He has built his career by performing and recording song covers on his social media of popular Korean pop songs.
He recently collaborated with some of Koreas biggest and rising stars including BAE173, DKB, Cherry Bullet, and JESSI, one of the most famous K-Pop stars in South Korea.
ChangHa looks forward to creating even more entertaining content that connects with his fans and is looking forward to producing even more enjoyable, entertaining content that connects with his followers around the world.
KREAON:
A Global Multi-Channel Network Management Company that specializes in the spread of Korean Content.
Kreaon consists of an international team working across content & music production, artists collaboration, event management. We are based in Seoul and Busan but our network spans across Southeast Asia, Europe, South America, and more. We work with your business to provide the most creative and commercial opportunities that align with your company’s goals. Our services include assisting our clients with content creation, planning e-commerce solutions for expanding their brand and strategizing about client branding to maximize global audience reach.
Big Hit Entertainment just announced plans for a stock exchange with Naver Corporation. Naver is South Korea’s main internet platform – launched in 1999. Naver is the world’s first operator to feature a search engine that compiles search results from on a single page.
Naver has decided to invest around $371 million dollars into beNX (Big Hit Entertainment’s subsidiary) that operates Weverse. In result, Naver will own a 49 percent stake in beNX, and Naver’s V LIVE business will be transferred to beNX.
Big Hit Entertainment has revealed that it will invest $63 million dollars in YG Entertainment. Big Hit Entertainment and beNX will specifically invest their funds into YG Plus. YG Plus, which is an affiliate of YG Entertainment, is a lifestyle company which distributes music, merchandise, and promotes fashion models and actors signed under YG Kplus.
beNX is an affiliate of Big Hit entertainment that operates the community platform Weverse and Weverse Shop. YG Plus will rely on Weverse to pull in a wider audience domestically and internationally to support Big Hit’s music distribution and related businesses.
Big Hit and YG are both said to be very much looking forward to their business endeavors with one another. It was also announced that beNX will be switching its company name to Weverse Company Inc from onwards.
Big Hit commented, “We look forward to the synergy that YG Plus, which is a powerful network in many fields like distribution and merchandising production, and Big Hit and beNX, which are strong in artist intellectual property and platforms.”
Big Hit and Weverse would respectively be gaining 7.7 and 10.2 percent stakes of YG Plus, from this investment.
Big Hit Entertainment was founded in 2005 as a comparatively small entertainment company, but has since evolved into one of Korea’s top entertainment companies. Since the success of BTS, the company has acquired various Korean entertainment labels.
YG Entertainment was established in 1996, and currently operates as one of Korea’s most successful entertainment labels, talent agency, event management, music publishing house and homeground to many thriving artists.
–J.Chung.
The music video for ‘One Hundred degrees’, the latest track by Chinese-Japanese boy group WARPs UP, was released on YouTube, January 22.
WARPs UP ‘One Hundred degrees’ music video:
Following ‘Hali Gali’ in November 2020 and ‘Cloud 9’ in December, ‘One Hundred degrees’ is the group’s third single in three consecutive months. An instrumental version of the song was used briefly in a YouTube teaser video released over a year ago, and now for the first time it is available as a full song. This was the very first track the group worked on when they formed, and it holds a special place in the members’ hearts.
‘WARPs UP DANCE BREAK #110 -FULL Ver. -’ teaser video:
The song is WARPs UP’s unique take on trap, and its lyrics mix three languages – Japanese, Chinese and English. The lyrics have been rewritten since their original incarnation, as WARPs UP have grown over time from their experiences and successes. They sing of how even the biggest flame starts from a mere candlelight, a reflection on how starting small means you have plenty of room to grow.
The choreography that accompanies the song has also been reworked, so fans can enjoy comparing the new dance moves with the original steps featured in the teaser video.
WARPs is an abbreviation of Wave Assemble Radical People-syndicate, based on the concept of creating waves of innovation. It is a project that produces a variety of unique artistic works and transcends national borders. WARPs UP are one of the groups within the WARPs project.
The group includes two members from Japan and two from China. The Japan side features RIKIMARU, a dancer and choreographer for many famous artists, and SANTA, a top-level dancer who has earned the title of World Champion at a world-renowned dance battle. Meanwhile, Chinese members MINGJUN and LANBYI gained performing experience as trained idols in China.
RIKIMARU and SANTA are also soon set to appear on the popular audition program ‘CHUANG 2021’ in China.
As their star continues to rise, WARPs UP are forging their own path. Check out ‘One Hundred degrees’ for a unique approach to music and dance.
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WARPs UP official website:
WARPs UP YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/WARPsFACTORYTV/
Weibo:
＠WARPs_UP
https://www.weibo.com/7028502927
Instagram:
＠warpsup_official
https://www.instagram.com/warpsup_official/
Twitter:
＠WARPsUP
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Images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/nq1aw59yewdihl3/AADjocRK5uncrpXCsELVrC-Ja?dl=0
According to the news, South Korean model and actress Song Yoo-jung has been reported to have passed away on January 23rd, at the age of 26. The cause of her death has been revealed as a result of suicide.
Song began her career as a model for cosmetics brand Estee Lauder, then later got into acting. She is perhaps best known for her acting role in Make Your Wish in 2014.
Song’s management agency Sublime Artist Agency commented the following regarding her unexpected death.
“Actress Song Yoo-jung departed this life January 23, 2021. Following the wishes of her family, the funeral was held quietly on January 25th. Song Yoo-jung was a friend who always gave us joy with her bright smile, and she was a wonderful actress who acted with much passion. Please pray for her so that she may rest in peace in a warm place.”
Rapper Iron has also passed away, as reported on January 25th. He was aged 28.
Iron (whose real name is Jung Hun-cheol) was found unconscious on an apartment’s flower bed in the district of Jung-gu, Seoul at 10:25 a.m. It is yet to be revealed why he was found there, since he does not reside in that neighborhood.
The police stated, “We were called in by an apartment security who discovered Iron. He was taken to the hospital right away, but he ended up passing away. It is still unclear whether he died by commiting suicide or otherwise. We are currently investigating the cause of his death.”
Iron first made a name for himself when he became a semifinalist in season 3 of Mnet’s hip-hop audition program “Show Me the Money” in 2014.
Before the fame, he was a trainee at Bighit Entertainment and could have been put into a BTS member. He revealed that the group’s concept was heading towards being an idol group, so he decided to pull out.
In 2016, he began making a notorious reputation for himself when he was found guilty of smoking marijuana and was sentenced to eight months of imprisonment, and was suspended for two years.
In December of 2020, Iron made the headlines when he was arrested for assaulting his mentee, a minor who was also his roommate. Two years prior, he had received a suspended prison sentence for physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend.
We would like to express our condolences to the family and friends of Song Yoo-jung and Iron.
–J.Chung.
To the Vietnamese people, Vietnam New Year or Tet holiday is the most important festival around the year. The Tet festival often takes place from late January to early February depending on the cycle of the Lunar Calendar. The three days of January of the Lunar Calendar are the most significant days but people in Vietnam often spend nearly half of a month to celebrate the festival. This year Tet festival 2021 falls on February 12th, 2021. The Zodiac Sign of 2021 is the Buffalo.
Traditionally, the purpose of the Tet holiday is that Vietnamese people would like to thank Gods for bringing the Spring full of blossoming flowers and trees and say goodbye to the cold winter.
Tet holiday is a spiritual opportunity for living people to invite deceased ancestors to join family gatherings. This is also an occasion for members of the family to reunite after a long year of working far from home. Whatever they do and wherever people are, they quickly find ways to return their hometowns and meet their loved ones.
Before Tet holiday, people clean their houses and decorate them beautifully with kumquat trees, peach blossoms, or apricot blossoms.
The streets are also festooned with lightening lanterns and red banner “Chuc Mung Nam Moi” or “Happy Vietnam New Year”.
They try to clean and dust-wash everything because the cleaning is believed to erase and sweep away all the dust and bad things that accumulate in the old year.
Additionally, everyone has their hair cut, buy new clothes, and bring gifts to their relatives, friends, and supervisors. They spend lots of money to buy all the best things to ensure that they will have a prosperous year. Another vital thing is that all the debts should be paid off or else they will bring bad lucks to the whole new year.
Tat Nien – or the meal in New Year’s Eve is the meal to finish the entire year. There are lots of well-prepared dishes and everyone happily enjoys the meal while talking about good memories and nice things. They have many traditional foods such as Chung Cake (Sticky rice cake), Day cake, pickled onion, pork, beef, sweets, dried fruits, and seeds.
Mứt tết or Jam is the common snack to welcome guests on Tet holiday. It’s mainly made from dried fruits like carrots, coconuts, apples, ginger, lotus roots. They would sever that along with some kinds of seeds such as roasted watermelon seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and some candies.
After that, people may go out to watch fireworks displayed in the public area or simply stay at home and watch Tao Quan (a very famous TV show in Vietnam that is only broadcasted on the 30th of Lunar December).
During Vietnam New Year, the first guest coming to the house plays an important role because they are believed to hold in their hand all the lucks of the family. Then people visit their grandparents and relatives. The second day is for friends and colleagues and the third day is especially for teachers. In those days, children are given lucky money inside the red envelopes as the red and lucky money are considered good things and may keep children away from the evils.
People also go to the pagodas and pray so that they could have a year of prosperity, happiness, and health for you and your family.
Tet holiday nowadays is still being well preserved. Vietnamese New Year is not only for relaxation and family gatherings but also a chance for Vietnamese people developing their cultural and national identity. It is absolutely mistaken to say that the Vietnamese are celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year. Although both countries use the lunar calendar, Vietnamese people have different lunar new year customs, celebrations, and traditions from China. So, this year if you are planning to have a winter break, you might want to consider going to Vietnam to celebrate and experience this special holiday!
—-Lucy Le
MCND (Music Creates New Dream) is a South Korean boy group formed by the company TOP Media in 2020. The group made their debut on February 27, 2020 with “ICE AGE”.
We would like to thank the five members of MCND – Castle J, BIC, Minjae, Huijun, and WIN for the great interview they’ve provided for us. We also wish them all the best in the new year!
Would you like to briefly introduce yourselves to our readers please.
Castle J: Hello, everyone! I am the leader and eldest member, producer, main rapper and super ultra best Castle J!
BIC: Hello – I am the mood maker of the group, BIC!
Minjae: Hi, I am Minjae of MCND. I am the main vocalist and I can display different types of charm through expressions, songs or dance depending on the music’s genre.
Huijun: Hello, I am Huijun, the attractive vocalist ~
Win: Hello. I’m Win, the youngest member of the group. Nice to meet you all!
Please introduce us to your latest album and single.
MCND: Our newly released second mini album <MCND AGE> is another extension to out first mini album [EARTH AGE] and the follow-up of our debut album <into the ICE AGE> and ‘SCHOOL AGE’ and a conclusion that arranges our outlook on the world.
[EARTH AGE] was about five boys from another planet Kepler-1649c that visited planet earth that they yearned for, <MCND AGE> is about us arriving on earth and announcing our ambitions to launch our very own generation. Through <MCND AGE>, you will be able to hear Hip Hop! Since this is an album that arranged our outlook on the world, our choreography and performance skills have vastly improved, so we’ll be able to enjoy being on stage with more ease.
Like its title, the single Crush is of Hip Hop elements and luxurious mood added to it. The single will introduce you to MCND who have transformed into Hip Hop villains. Please show a lot of love and support!
Tell us any stories or memorable incidents that occurred during recording or filming.
Castle J: We really pondered about which member would be singing the main for the hook of the title single. Then it was decided that me and Win would be the most appropriate. I also think if Huijun’s high note is added as the adlib, it would make a really cool song.
BIC: The most memorable part for me while filming was, when we were filming for the music video. There is a scene where I rip off a silver foil, which I felt really great about.
Minjae: The lyrics kept changing quite frequently, so it was both pitiful and cute of Castle J to seem so nervous.
Huijun: The tracks of this new album require a lot of high registers so it was really hard work. I am relieved that the results are so great.
Win: The vocalization of the actual recording and the live version were different, so it required a lot of practice to sing live, but we all worked really hard!
What kind of music do you normally enjoy listening to?
Castle J: Ariana Grande – 34+35, Juice WRLD, Marshmello – Come & Go
BIC: Victon – What I said.
Minjae: offonoff – gold (Feat. Dean)
Huijun: Ruel – courage
Win: Ruel – Face To Face
Which artist/musician do you have the most respect for and why?
MCND: Our role models our Shinhwa’s Andy and Eric, TEEN TOP, 100%, UP10TION and all the sunbaenims in the K-pop industry! We believe that there is always something to learn from people who perform on stage.
Who would you want to collaborate with the most?
MCND: If possible, we would like to work with all the K-pop artists that exist! We can’t just pick one artist to collaborate with.
What are your hobbies and interests outside of music?
Castle J: I enjoy playing games with the rest of the members and like to shop online!
BIC: I play a lot of video games and like to take a rest on the bed and chill.
Minjae: We all like to play games and watch videos on YouTube.
Huijun: We watch films and dramas a lot, and also play games.
Win: I’m watching a lot of documentaries these days.
Please add a nice comment for your fanbase, GEM.
Castle J: We really want to meet you all! Hope that we get to meet soon in great health! Please show a lot of love for our new album as well! We love you always!
BIC: Thank you so much for your continued support. We are cheering you on as well, GEM. Hope the coronavirus ends soon, so we can meet in person!
Minjae: We always miss you a lot! We’ll do our best to work hard to show you a great performance when we meet. Please show much love for our new single too!
Huijun: We can’t wait to meet you. We really want to perform for you guys. Please be patient.
Win: Our biggest hope is to showcase our performance to GEM. It’s a pity that we can only connect like this, in writing. We really wish we can meet you all very soon. I hope all this is possible in 2021. Thank you all so much.
Please let us know your plans and wishes for 2021. And thank you for your precious time. Have a blessed New Year!
Castle J: This year, we want to meet GEM and hold a concert and work hard to achieve all that. Happy New Year!
BIC: I will do my best to work to improve on my dancing skills and overall growth in 2021! I also want to top the music charts but most all, I want to perform on stage with GEM. Please keep fit and have a happy new year ~
Minjae: We want to be on the Top 100 chart! I want to write lyrics and compose too. Everyone, have a happy new year!
Huijun: We want to do a concert in front of GEM and promote MCND more. Please show us more love and support! Happy New Year!
Win: Happy New Year! I hope more people will get to be energized from MCND. I also want to perform on stage with an audience and I will try harder to improve on my rapping skills.
–J.Chung.
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/
——-
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