This Week in Kpop was a quiet affair, as fans had a chance to soak in major releases from SNSD and HyunA. But was this week completely dominated by Queens and Queens alone? Let's stop stalling and get started already!
Get Ready for September Comebacks
Okay, August is ending with a whimper instead of a bang, but September promises to be something special! Starting with Big Bang of course! YG recently announced a slight delay in their full album release, but the upside to this news is that they might be adding new songs. Yes, the Year of Big Bang might continue on a little longer! A big question on our minds is whether the September 15 debut of iKON will coincide with Big Bang's release. For the sake of the nugus, we hope YG gives them a fair chance to shine!
Enough about the guys, already! September should welcome back EXID (sponsored by buttlegs some other body part) and Red Velvet (sponsored by scandalice cream who knows)! Another big name release we'll need to start prepping for is f(x) who will be coming back as a group of four after having finally parted ways with Sulli. We don't like to see anything happen to one of our favorite girl groups, but compared to the losses suffered by Exo and Girls' Generation, we think f(x) fans have gotten off easy. Expect their next release in late September.
Another Jay Park album is on the way, as well as a new single from PSY. We think this release might see PSY return to his roots (i.e. satire rather than stereotype), and we could not be happier. Speaking of happy, it's good to see Ladies' Code returning following the tragic loss of EunB and RiSE. We have our reservations about their comeback, there being plenty of land mines that could be tripped in this kind of situation. Their single, "Smile Even If It Hurts," promises heavy emotion either way. And, last but not least, September should see the return of one of our favorite debut artists from 2014, Purfles! They even have a new Instagram account to back it up!
The Clash of the Girl Groups continues! We were dealing with releases so big that we needed a second opinion! Will opinions clash or will common ground be reached? And here's a tough question: who's dominating and who's coasting? Find out all of the answers you desire, right here!
Zander Stachniack strikes again! His take-down of your favorite music shows has just begun! And here comes part two, where he examines the elusive judgment system! What's so wrong with the judgment systems anyway? Read here to find out!
August 23-29, 2015
And that was This Week in Kpop! This was one for the record books - on, ultimately, how uneventful it was! But we're still here and so should you! We'll be here next week, new news or no! Until then, have fun and be safe!
In part one of the series, I explored how music shows fail to satisfy two of the most fundamental requirements of a meaningful contest: positive reward structure and even competition. Today, I’ll tackle the rules and system of judgment of Kpop music shows. Rules are important to any competition. The methods by which performers will be judged must be performance-based, quantifiable, publicly disclosed, and subject to review. Without these basic conditions, there’s no contest.
Premature Judgment
Let’s start with the conceit that Kpop music shows judge the performance of the idols that appear each week. To my knowledge, none of the shows we’re discussing actually make this claim, but the insinuation is almost overwhelming. Week in and week out, we gather the top artists in Kpop and, after seeing them perform, subject them to a system of ranking whereby a “winner” is chosen. This sounds very performance-based. However, a closer look at the system of judgment will show that the majority of points assigned to the performers in all six shows are awarded prior to the “competition” ever taking place. Passing judgment prior to the performance, as you might be able to guess, does not make for a very strong competition.
But aren’t we forgetting about live voting? Yes, it’s true that several of the music shows incorporate live voting into their results by assigning it a percentage of importance, each in their own arbitrary fashion: Inkigayo (10%), Music Bank (0%), Show! Music Core (15%), M! Countdown (10%), Show Champion (0%), and The Show (30%). Obviously, The Show is a huge outlier at 30%. Consider that in Inkigayo and M! Countdown, 90% of the results are pre-determined. And given that only the top three artists are eligible for live voting, this method can only ever hope to determine the winner in an extremely close contest. For Music Bank and Show Champion, the winner is known before the show even begins. At best, this is premature. At worst, this is the apotheosis of meaningless competition.
Where the Points Don’t Matter!
All but one of these shows uses what is called a majoritarian voting scheme (i.e. voting for your favorite, rather than ranking each choice in order of preference). Majoritarian schemes are weighted heavily in favor of the largest source. For example, since there are so many millions of views on YouTube, this site would be overwhelmingly important in comparison to album purchases, where a strong showing for the entire year might net a group 80,000 purchases. Which leads to the weighting system that every music show uses, a complex scale designed to proportionalize votes, views, and purchases that is absolutely and completely arbitrary. How much more important is a stream than a YouTube view? 5% more important? How about 7.2%? Why not 14%? The truth is that any weighted system is organized under the bias of its creator.
Show! Music Core is the only show using something other than majoritarian voting, with viewers required to vote for two artists at once, not just their bias. It’s a nice idea, that the second vote might actually be an unbiased indication of who deserves to win. But, of course, fans have learned a way around this system: they don’t vote for the better artist for their second vote, they vote for the one less likely to beat their bias. Or, they coordinate and split their votes between the other artists to mitigate this effect. It is, once again, an imperfect system which only serves to make the margin of victory much narrower.
To be fair to music shows, a perfect voting system does not exist, the proof of which fact earned Kenneth Arrow a nobel prize in 1972. But that tidbit is not meant to excuse music shows. There is always an element of error in any contest, whether it be in judgment or application of the rules. But the arbiters of the contest are not expected to throw their hands in the air and give up. The onus is on them to create a meaningful contest that performers want to compete in and fans want to watch.
Music Show or Music Chart?
It would be much more appropriate to label music shows as hosting live performances of the top songs on the Kpop music chart. In other words, no competition involved. After all, each of these shows are, without exception, tracking two things: sales and fan engagement.
Music charts, just like search results on the internet, are a form of rank aggregation, the social welfare function of which is precision and recall. When you search the internet for Chicago Bulls, you’re not likely to be seeking the history of meat-packing in the early industrial midwest. Google and others have reviewed the millions of other searches for this term to determine the most relevant information. Similarly, music charts are not designed as a competition. They are designed to quickly and precisely tell us which song has the most plays, purchases, or hashtag mentions. Competition is irrelevant.
The True Nature of Hallyu Economics
If you’re living in Korea right now, you’re probably not reading this. If you’re anywhere else in the world, there’s a portion of some music shows that you simply cannot participate in (e.g. voting in Inkigayo or Music Bank), and an even bigger portion that is extremely cumbersome.
All music shows use the Hanteo and Gaon charts to measure album and single purchases and streams. And the only vendors which report their sales to the Hanteo and Gaon charts? You guessed it, Korean vendors (along with some various Asian vendors). While many of these sites are not accessible to foreigners, some are, albeit in Korean. Signing up for an account on Melon, for example, requires the help of a step-by-step tutorial and a whole lot of patience. I’ve tried.
It might surprise you that even with the huge popularity of Kpop in the international community, none of these music shows have made any movement to get the global community involved. They are surprisingly unwelcoming to non-Koreans. That’s not necessarily a reason not to watch, but it does raise an interesting question. Given the popularity of Kpop abroad, why do these music shows not want to reach out to the international audience?
The answer is economics. First, international viewers are unlikely to be able to watch the live broadcast inside of Korea. If you’re not watching live, then the broadcasting company isn’t making money off of advertisements. And if they’re not making money off of you, they really don’t care. There’s no incentive for KBS and MBC and the rest to encourage international participation in the show. And second, this is all part of former President Kim Dae-Jung’s initiative to make Korean culture a major export. That initiative laid the foundation for today’s Kpop, and it’s hard to imagine that President Kim Dae-Jung did not have economics in mind. In terms of export, selling a single on Melon is a lot different than selling it on iTunes (and, no surprise here, iTunes does not count in the Hanteo or Gaon charts). Whatever influence the government holds over major entertainment and broadcast companies in Korea, that influence is likely wielded to ensure that as much foreign money as possible is brought into the country in exchange for the Hallyu export. Apple’s notorious 30% cut isn’t what President Kim had in mind.
Opacity and Lack of Oversight
Oh, there’s plenty of other issues with the voting system of Kpop music shows. They are notoriously opaque when it comes to disclosing how the votes, views, purchases, etc. are counted and weighted. Many shows do release a weekly count of the points at the end of the night. However, they do not release anything close to raw data.
Instead of showing how many SMS votes they received, how many YouTube views, etc., these shows release adjusted numbers with no explanation as to their relationship with raw data. Proprietary information, maybe. But for viewers of the show, it means that there is no check against corruption. There is no openness. And that ruins any chance at positive competition. When the performers and fans cannot be assured of a fair contest, there is no reason to compete.
This opacity also lowers the importance of these shows as music charts. If we can’t understand what these charts are measuring, then they lose their usefulness as barometers of success. If I can’t understand how Big Bang’s Inkigayo win on August 23 (11,000 points) compares to INFINITE’s July 24 win on Music Bank (6,770 points) or to Exo’s June 18 win on M! Countdown (9,238 points), then of what use are these shows?
Inkigayo, Music Bank, Show! Music Core, M! Countdown, Show Champion, and The Show are all desperately trying to create drama to entice us to turn on the TV. They all deliberately obscure the results of what should be a fairly straightforward music chart. In attempting to turn these music charts into a faux competition they’ve created an unwieldy beast that, if we’re not careful, might just gobble Kpop whole. Please, I beg you, let’s not feed the beast.
Join me next week as I take a look at the format of music shows. That can’t be too bad, right?
Zander Stachniak is a southern-born, Chicago-based writer who first discovered Kpop through ShoutCast Radio. His biases are f(x) and Block B.
There have been some major releases from the biggest Kpop Queens that are just itching to clash. The fight is so intense that one Kpopper can’t handle this alone. I’ve employed Critical Kpop’s very own Zander Stachniak to offer a second opinion on two of the biggest releases of the year. We're going to be playing Queens or Coasting, and everyone can play along! We should start now, since the Clash of the Girl Groups keeps continuing!
Girl’s Generation: Queens or Coasting?
Tim: Since it’s my column, I get to start! Ha! Let’s get one thing clear, friends. I’m easily the biggest girl group fan at Critical Kpop, but one group constantly confounds me. Girls’ Generation - the Queens of Girl Groups. As an idol group that has been around as long as SNSD has, and has had as many major releases as they have, and who are sitting, pretty comfortably, at the top of the mountain of girl groups, do they even have to try anymore?
And the scary thing is, maybe they don’t. “Party” was boring, cheesy, and generic, even on the scale of summer songs. Yes, it was a “pre-release,” but fans didn’t treat it this way, and SNSD dominated the charts, garnered over thirty million views, and won all of the music shows. With an industry so dominated by name recognition and popularity, does the most popular idol group in the world really have to be innovative, or can they just coast until retirement?
After “Party,” it seemed like SNSD would be content with just that, but “Lion Heart” and “You Think,” while not exactly breaking the internet, have certainly brought a pulse of personality back to the table. “Lion Heart” does continue the boy-crazy, never-been-kissed persona(s) that is pretty much natch in Kpop, but, unlike “Party,” this is actually an enjoyable song. Catchy, smooth, jazzy even. And “You Think” has some attitude, an edge even, that Kpop girl groups have seemed to have lost this year. Again, neither of these songs are shockingly innovative, but even the biggest Kpop skeptic can’t deny that this is a return to form. Or can they? Speaking of Kpop skeptics, what does Zander Stachniak have to say here?
Zander: You’ll find no skeptic here! Okay, maybe a little bit of a skeptic, but only about the unimportant parts. Because you’re absolutely right, Tim!, both “Lion Heart” and “You Think” are full of life. “Lion Heart” starts with all the cheese (pizza) that Girls’ Generation is often synonymous with, but as soon as the beat starts, I’m hooked. This would absolutely work as a TTS song with the fun, jazzy sound. Even the dances, once you get past the incredible sense of deja vu, start to be really fun. Wait was that the twist mixed with a healthy dose of kitten? Was that the dance from Grease? Disco? Tango? They’re all there, which adds color to an already great song. What can be said about the concept? A lesson for players everywhere - don’t invite all your dates to the exact same meetup.
And “You Think.” You know what I think? I think Girls’ Generation, for the first time in 2015, is pretty damn cool. I’m not talking popularity here. They’re always popular. I’m talking that inexplicable thing that makes everyone else want to be them. So do I think that Girls’ Generation is coasting? Not at all. “Party” was unfortunate, best forgotten and never spoken of again. But what group doesn’t have a few duds in their catalog?
Queens vs. Coating: Queens!
HyunA: Coasting Queen?
Zander: When you boldly claim that you’re “the best” in front of millions of viewers, you’d better bring your A game. 2NE1 sure did. But HyunA? She seems to have lost it somewhere between last year’s “Red” and now. Because no matter how much I see her name, HyunA, next to “Because I’m the Best” or the mini-album title, A+, when I watch the music video I don’t believe it.
“Red” was a thing of genius, a well-deserving music video of the year for 2014. And that was all due to HyunA’s bold confidence in creating her own aesthetic. Monkeys, lipstick, glitter, Egypt! No one’s ever done this before? Exactly. There’s a beautiful moment in “Red” where for a split second we believe HyunA is locked in a cage with paparazzi mercilessly photographing her, only to learn that it is not HyunA in the cage but the flash-happy cameramen. It’s indicative of her whole project with “Red,” where she flipped the traditional model of fan-service to give the fans exactly what they didn’t know they’d always needed.
These days, HyunA is clinging to the bright colors and easy tank-tops of youth culture, the lowest common denominators (money! guns! sex!), and the dregs of whatever enjoyment there is still left in twerking. She’s gone too Western with her style (is that you, Brittany?!), and is (gasp!) even relying on the most tired of all Kpop tropes, the sports car in the background. It seems that the cage she avoided in “Red” has finally fallen in “Because I’m the Best.” Which gives me a great idea for her next single: escape artist!
Tim: Great analysis, Zander! But since this installment is called “Second Opinion,” let me offer a slightly different take here. Let me just agree, firstly, that this video goes after the lowest common denominator and ends up falling flat, unfortunately. Even the energy seems slightly off here, as if HyunA is running on fumes, which, considering her hectic schedule, she may very well be.
I don’t think HyunA’s “lost it” as much as Cube has gotten a bit lazy here. It’s like I was writing earlier about SNSD (HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN ALREADY?), when a group (or in this case, an idol) gets so popular, sometimes it can be easier and more fruitful to coast. HyunA’s coming off of “Red” and 4Minute’s amazing “Crazy,” which is really just a continuation of the energy and mayhem of her solo work. “Because I’m the Best” feels cobbled together, haphazard, and, ultimately, dull. Like Cube felt they had to capitalize on HyunA’s success and made a western stew, hoping that imitation would suffice for innovation.
And they could be right, but it doesn’t mean we have to like it, do we?
This Week in Kpop brought in all the heavy hitters: HyunA, a VIXX subgroup, and, of course, SNSD. We think they may have just redeemed themselves with their latest releases, but since everyone else in the world seemed to love "Party," maybe we're the only ones who thought they needed a stronger followup. In any case, this week won't Kpop itself, so let's get started already!
The SNSD Redemption
We're calling it The SNSD Redemption, with not one, but two strong releases in "Lion Heart" and "You Think." Maybe we're the real guilty ones here, since we didn't find "Party" to be captivating, summer song or no. Still, we've been defending Girls' Generation for months, as "Party" was a pre-release, so expectations should have been muted (though it won like every music show and currently sits at 30,000,000+ views on YouTube), and "Catch Me if You Can" was not a "comeback single." So when should our high expectations be met? Enter "Lion Heart" and "You Think."
Of course we were going to like "You Think" more than "Lion Heart," as our preferences have always been for Girls' Generation to be more adult and edgy. "You Think" has something that the ultimately generic "Party" was lacking for us: personality. Even the choreography seems to have been infused with life, buoyed with a darkly lush music video and some killer vocals (Seohyun and Sunny seem to stand out especially, but we're always captivated by Tiffany). Even the chorus, "You're not cooler than me," gives an caustic energy to the song that really puts it over the top for us.
But we're not saying that "Lion Heart" is, in comparison, the lesser song of the two. "Lion Heart" does have that syrupy sweetness, that, at this point, we wish SNSD would move beyond. Even the costumes, props, and tonal lighting hearkens back to a wholesome, mostly imagined age of innocence. This is SM trying to make you believe that pure SNSD, some of the most beautiful women in the world, still are plagued by boy problems, still quivering at the slightest touch from their crushes, still imagining their first kiss, etc. Especially with the revelation that most, if not all, of SNSD are in relationships, there something that feels inauthentic here, even for a Kpop video.
But what saves "Lion Heart" is that it actually is a strong, fun song, with a memorable hook, the chorus as silky smooth as the video's syrupy sweetness. The choreography, especially that awkward open legs thrusting, doesn't really seem to fit the song as well as the choreography of "You Think," and the lion pawing reminds us of early T-ara, but at least the song has personality here, even if it's not exactly the personality we wish Girls' Generation would embrace. But what do you think, dear reader? "You Think" or "Lion Heart?" Or are you a fan of "Party?" We'd like to know where you're coming from here.
HyunA's "Because I'm the Best"
HyunA came back this week, declaring herself as the best, and with hits like "Red" and "Crazy" to back her up, we're tending to agree. But does "Because I'm the Best" really show HyunA at her best? We've listened to this quite a few times now, and while we're still going to give this song time to make a real call here, we're gonna go with No.
This song, energy-wise, is definitely on a different register than "Red," which, as a pop masterpiece, would have been hard to top. As a song and a music video, we couldn't help but feel that "Because I'm the Best," falls a bit flat, and, dare we say, a bit boring? While the sexy choreography and flash remain, a lot of the audacity is toned down here. Where's HyunA posing as an Egyptian Queen? The toy guns and monetary iconography feel more like western pop staples than bringing anything new to the scene. And the butt dancing and semi-twerking? By now, that barely will illicit a yawn.
Are these fair assessments to make in a genre of music where originality has never been essential? Maybe not. But we're talking the best here. We'll have to think about this more, but our gut is telling us that this release isn't going to set the world on fire. While this release is clearly not the best, maybe it can settle for good enough.
VIXX LR's "Beautiful Liar"
A VIXX subgroup debuted this week, with Ravi and Leo forming VIXX LR. "Beautiful Liar" can be a beautiful song at times, and we were a bit worried that this would somehow just be a ballad, but Ravi provides this song with a complimentary edge, making this a perfect duo to plunge into heartbreak. We especially love when Ravi freaks out while Leo is playing his piano, just trying to be chill. This song hits some epic highs and there's a surprising amount of aggressive "skinship" between the pair that should breed pages and pages of fan fiction.
All in all, a strong release, one that, unfortunately, may be overshadowed by the HyunAs and SNSDs and Big Bangs as this summer season comes to a close.
Juniel's "Sorry"
Juniel came back this week! How long has it been? Why does it feel like ages? Wait, what'd you say? It's a melodramatic ballad?
Oh. Well, she still jams at some points, so we're going to leave this song here, just for you.
You watch them. We watch them. Kpop Music Shows are as much a part of Kpop as crazy is to T.O.P. But we have a bone to pick with this fundamental part of the Kpop experience. In particular, Zander Stachniak does, and he begins his close examination right here, friends.
T-ara has have been having a crazy, manic few weeks of incredibly highs and silly lows. So, natch, Timothy Moore took a closer look at T-ara's many battles with his latest installment of Clash of the Girl Groups! Which you can read right here.
August 16-22, 2015
And that was This Week in Kpop! We'll take a closer look, surely, at HyunA's mini-album later this week. Is there anything else we may have missed? Feel free to post, leave a comment, suggest a review. We'll be waiting. Until then, have fun and be safe!
During the promotion cycle, Kpop idols perform almost every day as part of a series of music shows. Inkigayo, Music Bank, Show! Music Core, M! Countdown, Show Champion, and The Show all purport to be a barometer of success in the Korean music industry. The idols perform as much as six times a week to screaming fans, hundreds of them live and millions over broadcast TV. The fans go wild. They vote. Idols win. They thank us. They cry. The only problem? All of it is meaningless.
Look, I’m no grouch. I’m no anti-fan and I can’t stand netizens. But I’ve got a major bone to pick with Kpop music shows, and I’m going to spell out my gripes in a multi-part series. Why? Because someone’s got to do it. More seriously, though, music shows have earned their importance in the sphere of Kpop through our rabid and unthinking attention. If there’s even the smallest, tiniest chance that turning a critical lens on these music shows could force them to change for the better, then I believe we’ve got to try.
In parts one and two of the series, I’ll explore how music shows fail to satisfy the three basic requirements of a meaningful contest: positive reward structure, even competition, and publicly disclosed and quantifiable methods of judgment.
No Positive Reward Structure
One of the first tenets of a meaningful contest is that there be the promise of a real reward for the winner. Even among friends, the first question after a challenge is suggested will inevitably be, “what will I win?” The promise of a reward ensures that there is ample motivation among all competitors. This reward can take many forms, the most common of which is either a monetary prize or some kind of exclusive recognition. Often it is both. For example, the winner of the Pacquiao / Mayweather, Jr. fight won the title of welterweight champion, a snazzy emerald-studded belt, and a percentage of revenue estimated to rise to a cool $700 million. That kind of money is an extreme case, yes, but even the winner of the Dota 2 Championships in Seattle this past month was competing for a prize of about $18 million. Money, as most of us can attest, is a real motivator.
Monetary prizes from Kpop music shows, on the other hand, are organized under the category of “talent fees.” In other words, a group or artist might get paid to appear on the show, but that fee has nothing to do with winning or losing. More problematically, the fee is low enough that smaller entertainment agencies have repeatedly complained that the fees do not even cover the cost of preparations for appearing.
But money isn’t everything, right? Increasingly, in the modern era, the monetary prize has become secondary as part of the reward structure. Yes, there is a monetary prize for winning the Champions League in European soccer (about $60 million goes to the club), but for the majority of players, the money they earn through advertising deals or expanded contracts is worth far more than victory in that particular competition. These tangential earnings make monetary rewards much less important in many modern competitions. But tangential earnings, not being directly tied to the competition itself, cannot be treated as a factor in meaningful competition. Lebron James and Steph Curry did not face off in the NBA finals for the chance to represent Nike in TV ads. Instead, for many contests, recognition is the main reward.
Consider the Olympics, a competition which offers an amusingly small amount of cash to victors (Americans earn $25,000 for gold). However, the recognition which these athletes receive is great enough that a significant reward structure is still in place. Positive recognition in competition is based on earning the exclusive right of some superlative moniker (e.g. “gold medalist,” “champion,” “world’s greatest,” etc.) for a specific period of time. And that period of time must be sufficiently long that the victor is able to benefit from such a title, typically at least one year (this is where those tangential earnings come into play).
Compare that to the recognition earned by winners of Kpop music shows. Champion for one week is not a sufficiently powerful motivator. And when you consider the number of music shows every week, and how the cast of competitors hardly changes from day to day, for many groups, it’s more likely they will be considered champions for a day. A single day. To put this in perspective, every fan of American football could tell you who the most recent Super Bowl champions are. I doubt any Kpop fan could reliably tell you the winner of Show! Music Core for any specific week in the last year.
Furthermore, it is unclear whether a single victory in a music show would have any bearing on potential earnings through advertisement or sponsorship deals. While a victory does represent some measure of success, it is hardly a recognition that offers any kind of exclusivity when there will be upwards of three-hundred victors in a single year. There are much better measures of success in the music industry, including album sales, streaming numbers, concert tickets, and size of fandom. Even tangential rewards are an unlikely result from music shows.
Unfortunately, the only real reward structure for Kpop music shows is a brief validation and fleeting “good feelings” for the victor. Those are not un-powerful things. We’ve all seen the videos of idols breaking down into tears after their first victory. But those feelings must be extremely short-lived when the idols are expected to perform in an almost identical competition the very next day. Is it any wonder that we talk about burnout and the need for idols to rest after the promotion cycle? The only reward seems to be that they were allowed to compete in the first place, a dubious reward to be sure.
Lack of Even competition
Okay, so the motivation to win might be lacking in music shows, but at least we still get to witness our idols duking it out in a fair competition. Right? Um, sure, if your idea of a fair fight is to pit Exo against a nugu in a popularity contest. Anyone familiar with Kpop music shows will be aware of one very simple fact: the biggest groups almost always win.
Let’s get one thing perfectly straight here. There is no judgment of music, talent, or performance on any of the Kpop music shows. The victor is determined purely based on purchases, views, and votes, none of which is an inherent indicator of the quality of the release. These three factors are, however, indicators of popularity and of fan engagement.
The Kpop groups with larger fandoms have an obvious advantage in music shows. And if you don’t think about it too hard, that makes sense. If you have more fans, you must have earned them through your music, so it’s an earned advantage, right? Completely fair.
Yes and no. In an even contest, there must be rules and mitigating factors in place that level the playing field. Just because the New York Yankees have more money and more fans, it doesn’t mean they start the game with more runs. It doesn’t mean that if their fans buy enough commemorative bobble-head dolls and ice-creams in plastic replica caps that their team stands a greater chance of winning on that day. But in music shows, purchases, views, and votes are all easily manipulated by fandoms, and the group with the most fans will almost always win.
Engagement matters too. As we’ll see in part two, many of the factors that influence outcomes are spammable. Five million YouTube views does not mean five million unique views, and twenty thousand album sales does not mean twenty thousand unique sales. A well-organized fandom can challenge a larger fandom and win. The only problem here is that the largest fandoms in Kpop (e.g. SONEs, EXO-L, ELFs, VIP, Shawols, etc.) are also the most organized.
What I’m really getting at here is that the performance of the idols on these music shows is in no way related to the results of the contests. A popular group could give the worst performance of their lives and still come out on top. That’s because almost all of the “points” awarded in music shows are based on factors that happen outside of the competition. The music shows are a facade, a veil. They masquerade as competition, but are nothing of the sort.
But what, then, are music shows? Are they a weekly tally of the most popular group? Well, no, because the popular groups tend to avoid one another to ensure no embarrassment is meted out. The music show, to give one definition, is a weekly affirmation of the established groups over their subordinates. It is a repeated reinforcement of the status quo and the current power structure that exists in Kpop. It is a constant reminder of the Kpop hierarchy and of our place within that system (very, very low - we are the mob, granted only the right to be entertained). But expecting even competition? Not a chance.
Stay tuned for next week’s post, in which we’ll tackle the system of judgment!
Zander Stachniak is a southern-born, Chicago-based writer who first discovered Kpop through ShoutCast Radio. His biases are f(x) and Block B.
For this very special edition of Clash of the Girl Groups, I've decided to take a moment to honor one of the most historically volatile groups in all of Kpop, Of course, I'm referring to T-ara. And last week was one for the history books, friends, as T-ara battled just about everyone. And guess what? They won. Let's take a closer look here. The Clash of the Girl Groups continues!
T-ara vs. One Direction
This had to be one of the funniest meltdowns Kpop fans have witnessed in ages, and for the first time, it wasn't coming from them! How wonderful it felt to see an entirely different fandom embarrass themselves in a meaningless contest, as One Direction decried the impossibility of T-ara besting them in the costly war of fandoms run by Billboard. I couldn't possibly document this better than Asian Junkie has here, but understand that Directioners accusing Queens of somehow cheating, causing more controversy in an endless T-ara controversy loop, is just one part of this story.
For one, these Directioners vastly underestimate T-ara's dominance in China and China's dominance, with just their population, around the world. T-ara has really struck gold here by making a claim for China's heart early. Now every other group is playing catch up. So many Kpop artists have been eyeing America as a future market, but, perhaps, they should have looked next door. Everyone should be keeping an eye on this emerging market, friends.
The second part of this that you really should be keeping an eye on is that so many Kpop fans banded together and voted for T-ara, mostly to spite the arrogant One Direction fans, some of whom were badmouthing Kpop as a whole. This is significant because T-ara as an ambassador for Kpop would be abhorrent to many Kpop fans just a year ago. A year ago, many of these Kpop fans would probably be on the frontlines championing against T-ara, complaining about how SNSD didn't make it to the final four of these fan wars. Speaking of SNSD, have you seen "Lion Heart" yet? Good stuff, good stuff.
So, anyway, what's changed? Maybe time has healed many of the wounds T-ara's scandals have caused. But also the tumultuous 2014 happened, and Jessica left Girls' Generation in a very controversial fashion, proving that no group is exempt from trauma. There will always be those that associate T-ara as bullies or dismiss them as scandalous, but there's also a palpable shift here, which certainly makes sense. Because after all of this time, aren't you ready to forgive T-ara already?
It's not over yet, friends. T-ara fans are facing off against Beyonce fans in the finals, and it looks like T-ara is going to beat this fandom handedly. And when the Queens beat the Beyhive, will Kpop fans feel proud? Will all finally be forgiven?
T-ara vs. One Direction: THE QUEENS
T-ara vs. Their Fans???
This story is all full of ughhh. Right when T-ara is in the midst of winning the week and embarrassing One Direction, this story comes out. A few T-ara fan sites shut down after T-ara didn't visit them after filming the Idol Star Athletics Championship. These groups shut down in a huff, feeling outraged that T-ara had insulted them. You can read more about it on Reddit, where a lot of news can be sifted through and, just as often, ignored. This is a story that could very well be ignored, as it turns out that T-ara couldn't visit the fans because MBC held them late.
So, egg meet face.
These very same fan sites have since apologized for their rash behavior, but the damage is done, the news spread that T-ara didn't treat their fans well, were arrogant, etc, until it turns out not to be true. Here's the question. WHAT ON EARTH WERE THESE FANS THINKING? As Cesar cried out, "Et tu, Brute?" Or, more significantly, as T-ara N4 famously asked, "Why You Hating?"
For one, why would fans be so quick to go against their favorite idols? Without so much of the facts, Jack? And for two, with T-ara's recent tumultuous years, wouldn't you make sure your slight was legitimate before making it public? You'd think the fans themselves (even these small subgroups of fans) would understand the ramifications of their actions here. And now, they're just playing the apology game.
Which is to say, it's refreshing to see that the T-ara members aren't the ones doing the apologizing for once. There won't be any tears shed on variety shows over this incident. It seems that this is already being forgotten, but one wonders, with fans like these, who needs anti-fans?
T-ara vs. Their Fans: NOT ALL QUEENS
But enough fighting. T-ara is the winner here. So let's close this off with a live performance, shall we?
Timothy Moore writes from Chicago. He blogs at Read My Blog Please, and edits at Ghost Ocean Magazine. His biases are T-ara, Block B, Nine Muses, Brown Eyed Girls, and Girl's Day.
This Week in Kpop is brought to you by the Queens. Yes, there are many groups and idols that are referred to as the Queens of Kpop, at one point or another, but the stars are about to align, friends, and the Queeniest Queens of Kpop are gearing to comeback at just about the same time. But this week was about the tease. Why don't we get started already?
HyunA Teases, Offends? SLAYS.
HyunA may just be the current Queen of Kpop. Because let's be honest here. HyunA's "Red" was one of the best major releases in all of 2014. It even won our Music Video of the Year! This preview of the upcoming album looks like a continuation of this offbeat, audaciousness that seems to have been perfected in 4Minute's "Crazy" earlier this year. So how is HyunA going to top...herself? Maybe Doctor Seuss can help us out here?
Will HyunA top herself by not wearing a top?
Will she top herself by not topping her vehicle off?
or...Will she top herself by...heavily implied drug use ahhhhhhh??! *world ends*
The strangest part about all of this is how the internet seems strangely calm when HyunA is trying to destroy their world here. Is the somewhat conservative Kpop culture shifting ever further into decadence? Or has HyunA transcended the haters and shamers? Whatever has altered in our reality, we're glad for this sea change, however slight, as HyunA's really not doing much different from Big Bang's major releases. Come on, have you seen "Zutter?!" (Dr. Seuss: "Will HyunA top herself by topping T.O.P?")
We lied about the strangest part being the internet's *relatively* calm reaction. The strangest part is that this is a mini-album trailer and we're not getting teased with any of the music! HyunA has transcended music, apparently. And at three million views and counting, her teaser has transcended teasing too. (ALL HAIL THE QUEEN)
SNSD's "Lion Heart" Redemption
You hold your tongue, because HyunA isn't the only queen here in This Week in Kpop. Girl's Generation teased us this week with their upcoming "Lion Heart," in their trilogy of releases. And we have to say, this second release may just be their redemption after the boring, forgettable "Party." In all fairness, this was just a pre-release, but the problem is that this wholly unremarkable song was treated, by many, as the song of the summer, and they have the music show wins to prove it. Except that it wasn't the song of the summer, not by a long shot. We know that SNSD holds a place in so many hearts, but we repeat. "Party" was not the song of the summer.
But "Lion Heart?" This song seems to have the energy, that quintessential hook, and naturally enigmatic energy that was missing in the Disney-inspired Kidz Bop-approved "Party." Yes, the video has the standard SM cheese, and, by their reactions in the video, these grown women still never have even talked to a guy before, but this song actually sounds memorable and fun. We're rooting for SNSD here, as we root for all of the queens of Kpop. "Lion Heart" may be just the redemption we need from SNSD right now.
Diplo x CL x RiFF RAFF x OG Maco's "Doctor Pepper"
An entirely different queen had a release this week, or should we say, pre-release? You've probably heard "Doctor Pepper" already months ago, and we weren't really jazzed about the song then either. But this music video is interesting in how CL is bridging the gap, slowly but surely, from Kpop to western music. Not sure how to feel about that? You may be forced to make a difficult choice here, friend.
And that was This Week in Kpop! Yes, we've been slowly returning from our summer vacations just as Kpop seems to be gearing up for one last summer score. Are you ready? We'll try to be. Until then, have fun and be safe!
Haven’t you heard? The Wonder Girls are back with a brand new album and a new band concept! There’s Hyerim on guitar, Sunmi on bass, Yeeun on keyboard, and Yubin on drums. To hear them tell it, their producer overhead them playing around in jam sessions, and the album was born. But there’s obviously much more to it than that. Because Reboot is an all or nothing album for a group that many thought would never return after a 2013 hiatus and rumored disbandment.
And now the Wonder Girls are back with a brand new album and instruments in tow. Not only are their hopes and dreams all riding on this album, but it’s also probably the most ambitious Kpop comeback in years. No pressure, right? But will Reboot kickstart the Wonder Girls’ flailing careers, or will this be another forgotten release in a busy summer? Let’s find out.
The Music
First things first. Reboot is a full-length album with a surprisingly old school feel. From the first note, the listener is taken back to late ‘80s nostalgia when women were black widows and synth pop ruled the airwaves. And, well, Wonder Girls stays surprisingly true to that concept. The easiest way to describe Reboot would be to say that it could easily slot into Paula Abdul’s discography without anyone being the wiser.
While this creates an album that feels cohesive, it also might be to the Wonder Girls’ detriment. The ‘80s music style is not geared towards the production of club bangers, and this album very noticeably contains none. “I Feel You” is the lead single for the album, though you wouldn’t guess it. It’s a functional song, but would hardly stand out on a B-side. There’s little in the way of a hook and nothing memorable about the music. In fact, the best part of the song might be YeEun’s elongation of some of her notes, reminiscent of Prince’s vocal play in “Little Red Corvette.” That’s hardly enough for a lead single. In a comeback showcase interview, the Wonder Girls noted that they chose “I Feel You” as their lead single because “it sounded really fresh.” Of course the fact that JYP produced it had nothing to do with their choice whatsoever.
“Baby Don’t Play” or “Candle” would have been much better choices for a lead single, both having excellent hooks. But again, neither song could have gone toe to toe with a current Kpop banger, not in terms of sheer bombastic enjoyment. So why return to the ‘80s? If Kpop has progressed so far beyond the synth bliss of thirty years ago, then why build an album around that theme?
JYP had a group to reinvent, that much is clear. The idea to sell Wonder Girls as musicians was an inspired one, and sure to generate a lot of press. But what kind of music would they play? Kpop is entirely synthesized, which isn’t a bad thing for a group that just began serious musical training. But JYP needed a bold new comeback that would set Wonder Girls apart from current Kpop music. So he put two and two together and searched for an era of pop music in which live instrumentation was equally as unimportant as the current era. JYP wisely skipped the instrument-heavy mid and late nineties, which saw the rise of modern rock, grunge, garage, punk, post, and alternative. And on the other side, he found the ‘80s, a perfect blend of pop, powerful women, and synthesizers. Thus, Reboot was born.
Following a very strong and cohesive opening to the album (notwithstanding the lack of a great lead single), the mid section of Reboot is full of highs and lows. “Rewind” slows things down a bit, mainly through a very tired sounding refrain. While the upbeat music drives “Rewind” forward, the monotony of the hook drags it right back. The women sound positively pained to be singing the lyrics at times. Their decision to perform “Rewind” at Music Bank was, frankly, shocking. Even chair choreography couldn’t save it.
“Loved” and “One Black Night” are the highlights of the mid-section, and maybe even the album. Both songs feel so much more weighty and expansive than the songs around them. While “Loved” maintains the strong synth roots of the album, “One Black Night” edges closer to the current Kpop sound. It feels more like a blending of the two, and aside from some egregious rapping, is a great song that shows growth rather than mimicry.
“John Doe,” stuck in the middle of “Loved” and “One Black Night” is the kind of song that could have been sung by literally any girl group in Kpop. In a blind taste test, I would be absolutely unable to identify Wonder Girls as the performers. It’s an obvious mid-section filler song. Which brings us to “Back,” a song whose lyrics are difficult to listen to, and even worse to read.
We Back Back Back I’m Back Back Back Back on back, Back on back We have our backups behind us and we are back We Back Back Back I’m Back Back Back B-A-C-K back we back We’re back now so go back go pack
I appreciate the attempt to connect the synth pop of the ‘80s with the nascent rap scene that was developing at that same time. But, unfortunately, the playful nature of “Back” is completely overshadowed by the immaturity of the production. And it doesn’t help to be followed up by “Oppa.” I actually really dig the buildup in this one, but the hook loses me. With lyrics like “I wanna go out / I wanna have fun / I wanna dance, dance, dance all night,” it’s difficult not to assume that they have a much younger target audience in mind, an audience which has not yet come to terms with an adult lifestyle.
Which is weird. Wonder Girls are, of course, not very old themselves. But they’re not green either. They debuted over eight years ago, and have toured the world promoting their music. This album is very much a comeback, and even the title, Reboot, is intended to show a much different side of Wonder Girls. A more mature side. They are veterans now, returning with all the accumulated knowledge of their years in show business (this is another reason they are channeling the ‘80s, no, to show their mature years?). Instead, all of the illusion of childhood is still there.
“Faded Love,” only the second slow song of the album, is a much needed break. Which is good, because after “Back” and “Oppa,” I was about ready to stuff the album in my trapper keeper and never unzip it. “Faded Love” has a much more mature feel. It retains some of the synth feel, but finally seems to have transformed that style into something new. Ignoring the last two songs of the album, “Gone” and “Remember,” which seem to be true filler, “Faded Love” is where I would like to have left the album.
Overall, Reboot contains a mix of the inspired and the disappointing. The standout songs are “Baby Don’t Play,” “Candle,” “Loved,” “One Black Night,” and “Faded Love.” An astute observer will note that only two of these songs have been promoted yet by the Wonder Girls, suggesting that they might not be putting their best foot forward in performances.
The Live Performance
At the time of writing, Wonder Girls have so far performed in Music Bank (8/7/15), Show! Music Core (8/8/15), and Inkigayo (8/9/15). Of those performances, Inkigayo was the most fun and the most assured. Some of that has to do with becoming comfortable on stage, so the third performance in as many days will feel more practiced than the first. But another major part of it has to do with song selection. See above for why “Rewind” and “Back” failed to impress. Without a doubt, “Candle” made a bigger impression at Inkigayo.
But honestly, reviewing Wonder Girls’ performances on the major music shows isn’t very helpful, as none of them are set up for live instrumentation. Given that a hefty portion of the Wonder Girls’ comeback campaign has been reliant on promoting as musicians (they’re in a band now, did you hear?), to adequately review their comeback we need to see them performing live. And seeing as how they already admitted to not recording any of the instrumentation on their album, our only option is Yoo Hee Yeul’s Sketchbook.
During the segment, Wonder Girls performed “Nobody,” “Tell Me,” a mashup of their teasers, and “I Feel You.” It should be immediately apparent from the song selection that Reboot was in no way ever envisioned as an album to be performed live. This should have been an opportunity for Wonder Girls to perform three or four of their best new songs. Instead, they brought out old material and had to rework their teaser segments to fill the time.
I can’t complain too much, however. The reworked version of the 2012 song “Nobody,” though a little toned down, a little slow, was actually a killer rendition. The Wonder Girls sounded great, and their instrumentation was spot on. The only thing missing from their performance was a little showmanship. They looked completely frozen on stage, maybe by nerves.
But “Tell Me” fixed that. The Wonder Girls used their 2007 hit song as a clever way to work a few instrumental solos into their performance. And rather than fumbling over their instruments, the Wonder Girls absolutely nailed it. After Sunmi finished her solo, a smile broke across her face. Then Hyerim hit her notes, and another smile and a nod to the rest of the group. Finally, they started to have some fun on stage! It wasn’t long after that Sunmi started strutting around the stage. It wasn’t much, just a few walk backs, but it made a huge difference. Finally, they started looking like a band instead of robots. Even the typically badass Yubin cracked a smile! And that confidence and joy was obvious as they began their interview segment.
The Wonder Girls were still riding high off their earlier success when they performed the teaser mashup, and they nailed that one too. Hyerim stole the show, but there’s a reason why the guitar player is so often the frontman of a group - their instrument is the loudest and most noticeable!
And then, the Wonder Girls performed their lead single from Reboot, “I Feel You.” Suddenly, it was very apparent that these rocker chicks were all wearing heels. Yeeun’s keyboard was replaced with a keytar, and Yubin was forced to play a drum set that belonged in a video game (so they could both dance along of course). The band concept gave way to a choreographed line dance involving instruments as props and plenty of hip thrusting. It felt ugly. It felt like an unfair reversion to women being treated like objects, women who had just spent the last fifteen minutes proving that they could rock.
But they were never supposed to rock too hard. They were never supposed to return and wow us with their transformation into mature, independent, adult women; they were supposed to return to exactly where they left off. Reboot is an album with a fun, ‘80s feel, but rather than a mature take on an old genre, JYP would have them return to childhood. They’re still the Wonder Girls, just not wonder women yet.
Zander Stachniak is a southern-born, Chicago-based writer who first discovered Kpop through ShoutCast Radio. His biases are f(x) and Block B.
This Week in Kpop was one gifted with some spectacular, iconic releases, friends. When you have a week brought to you by SHINee, Big Bang, Wonder Girls, and T-ara, you know you're in for a treat. With that in mind, let's get started already!
SHINee's "Married to the Music"
SHINee came back this week and brought the world the surprising, inspiring, "Married to the Music," for all of us who are just not worthy. We're glad (and again, surprised) that SHINee and SM really took this video to the limit, as we were downright bored and confused with this year's earlier "View" (even more confused with the girls taking them hostage story than this music video's plot, which is saying something). We're always down for some horror elements and mysterious mind-altering florescent drinks, but we weren't expecting decapitations, eyes being smashed out of sockets, noses being stolen, people getting set ablaze!, and, of course, our favorite, Taemin, vomiting a plume of confetti! And most of all, we never expected to enjoy it as much as we did (we're not sadists, we swear),
It also helps that the song, like the video, is a lot of fun, energetic and upbeat, accompanied with that perfect retro vibe that has just enough smatterings of soul. Apparently, they're only going to be promoting for two weeks, and we're wondering why SM is smashing all of their major releases together, truncating many of them - we're talking SNSD, Super Junior, Shinee, SNSD again, possibly Red Velvet, and then f(x) one after the other, in a mad flurry of activity, perhaps in an attempt to redeem themselves for a controversial and mishandled 2014. SM is going all out here, everything must go, which we're fine with, as long as their releases are as inventive and fun as "Married to the Music" has been.
Big Bang Finishes MADE
MADE has finally been made, friends, and, as expected, Big Bang does not disappoint. "Let's Not Fall in Love" feels almost like a love song to the fans - don't get too attached, life is fleeing, we must return to the ether. We're already missing them, and we can't help but wonder if MADE serves as a recharge or that one last hurrah. We can't help it, this song is just too sublime to not generate these types of thoughts and a nostalgia before the fact.
But then there's "Zutter." Have there ever been two releases (by the same group/members of the group) that serve as the anti-thesis to the other more than these two songs? True, all of the releases from Big Bang showcase their wide range of musical interests, but if "Let's Not Fall in Love" is matter, "Zutter" serves as antimatter (don't let them in the same room). "Zutter" is a madcap masterpiece, T.O.P. and GD unleashed. Lock up your pigs, lock up your urinals. Turn up that beat. In many ways, it's a perfect release to end their comeback event. Even if they're not releasing songs all together for a while, the feeling is that the best is yet to come. Goodbye, Big Bang. (For now)
Cheetah's "My Number"
We hate to say this, especially since Cheetah's music video for "My Number" does some interesting things with gender and sexuality and not giving a solitary f*ck at defining them, but. This song just isn't really wowing us, and the chorus, the hook, if you will, is a bit flat. We're almost wondering if Cheetah would have been better off accompanied by a singer, perhaps a well-known diva, to really lift the vocals, while she focused on slaying. We're sure she'll have many opportunities to do just that, but, for now, this song feels like a missed opportunity here.
Sulli Leaves f (x), Jessica Leaves SM
After being rumored for, oh, we do not know - MORE THAN A YEAR - it was finally confirmed, just this week, that Sulli has withdrawn from f(x), focusing on her acting instead. We've been ready for this for quite some time, so aren't surprised with the outcome. Many fans do not seem so surprised either, and it's been a relief to not see Sulli getting bashed online as much as we expected (though maybe netizens have already gotten this out of their system).
While Sulli will be staying with SM, Jessica has officially terminated her contract. Besides focusing on her fashion brand, Jessica will someday, maybe, return as a solo artist. Somehow, we don't see that happening anytime soon either. So what does all this mean and how should we feel? Well, firstly, no one can tell you how to feel, okay? But, at this point, both of these stories have been dragged out for so long that we're no longer emoting anything except resignation, which, when you think about it, is the genius of SM. Drag things out, for unbearably long, until the public just doesn't care anymore or assumed that the old rumors were just facts. That's how you control a situation. Jessica's gone? Maybe forced out by the rest of SNSD? Old news. Did you hear that Red Velvet's having another comeback? Genius, SM.
You may be wondering: Where the heck are the two biggest comebacks of the week??? Well, don't you worry! Wonder Girls and T-ara have not been forgotten, we've just already written about them in Timothy Moore's continuing Clash of the Girl Groups! This week he takes a look at Wonder Girl's killer comeback (and spectacular album), as well as T-ara's latest comeback and the haters that may prevail. You can read all about it, right here.
August 2-8, 2015
And that was This Week in Kpop! We've been a bit quiet this week, with various editors on vacation, but at least nothing major happened this week, right? Just the biggest releases of the year, is all. We'll be taking a look at these big releases throughout this next week, friends. Redemption is at hand. Until then, have fun and be safe!
