This Week in Kpop is One Big Tease. We're talking 4Minute, Winner, and Taeyeon, all waiting in the wings. But we're not just waiting around for the big releases, folks. Yezi had her solo debut, GFriend had their comeback, and SM had a bunch of big news (and not so big news). There's a lot to go over, so let's get started already!
The Big Tease
4Minute brings the Love/Hate
4Minute starts us off this week because 4Minute is Crazy and full of Hate, friends. As excited we are for Winner, we might be even more excited to see what 4Minute will be doing next. "Crazy" was a revelation and really cemented 4Minute, once again, as the coolest girl group in all of Kpop. With no knowing how long 2NE1 will be before they come back, 4Minute may be holding onto that crown for quite some time.
But what about "Hate?" When we first heard the teaser audio tracks, it seemed like it was going to be a slower, more nuanced jam. Even the music video teasers seemed more darkly understated - like we were getting something closer to "Volume Up." Which would be fine, because "Volume Up" is a masterpiece, friends.
Now we're seeing in teaser two that we may be getting another "Crazy," or maybe a mix of the two? We've been fooled before. HyunA's teasers for her last album were quirky, weird, and salacious, while "Roll Deep" itself was murky and a bit bland. But we still hold faith: "Hate" will be the fist slayer of 2016.
Winner Gets Dramatic
Winner's been teasing us for weeks now (weeks? or is it years??) and you may have heard us, during these long cold weeks, scream at the top of our lungs, "Just release your album already!!" And they're finally listening to us. February will be all about Winner, folks. And 4Minute. And, maybe, Taeyeon too?
Jinwoo stars in this teaser film and boy, is he sad. Maybe he's sick of waiting for their new album too! The music is creepy-religious-gothic and we have no idea if it has anything to do with Winner's album, but color us intrigued. Intrigued? Color us excited.
Taeyeon Goes Mellow
For our last teaser, we had to take a look at Taeyeon's unexpected "Rain." Taeyeon doesn't do much in this teaser, except for dropping a magic book in the floodwater, but Taeyeon has so much charisma and presence that she can brighten a room while fully asleep.
We don't know quite what to expect with this release, although it does seem to be more on the emotional ballad side of things, which we think is just fine, although we'd love to be surprised here. Taeyeon with another solo release this soon is so unexpected that we'll be happy with anything we get. While Winner makes us wait forever, SM makes sure to squelch our tears.
Yezi's Cider
Now onto some actual releases now! Yezi had her long-anticipated solo debut this week with "Cider." And yes, some of it does in fact slay. But there's a reason that it's not the cover story for This Week in Kpop, friends. As cool and as rich of a flow Yezi has in "Cider," and how much this song wants to just jam, it never really takes off. It feels a bit flat, and it may be because we've watched the music video first, where Yezi's lack of affect makes every act of wanton destruction feel muted. That affect is intentional to show how much Yezi doesn't give a f*ckkkkk - but when there's movement all around her, when the music video itself is following her every movement, the effect is like crawling underwater.
Perhaps that's the reason we find the special clip more enjoyable?
Are we off-base here? Do tell.
GFriend's Rough
We've made no secret that we don't quite get GFriend and the appeal of this corner of Kpop. But we can't deny that this is a fun, poppy song that really rides on full power to the end. We're not quite getting this music video either, but if anyone wants to write about this group, and why people should love them, we'd love to hear a pitch.
That title says it all, doesn't it? Hafsa and Gayathri are back to break down another crazy music video! This week they're taking on the plot of Leo's "Blossom Tears." Check out the conversation right here!
This week's podcast we're introducing a new series we're calling "Deep Cuts," where we delve deep into an underrated classic. Up first is T-ara's Absolute First Album. Tim and Zander also discuss the news from SM Entertainment, and get a bit drunk in the process, which you can listen to right here.
January 24-30, 2016
And that was This Week in Kpop! This was truly jam-packed this week but next week may be even bigger! We're so excited that we wish next week had started already! But before we know it, it'll be here! Until then, have fun and be safe!
There are certain Kpop albums that are so good, so beautiful, that every fan should know them by heart. For whatever reason, though, too many of these albums are nearly forgotten. Deep Cuts, a new series on the Critical Kpop Podcast, will seek to restore those albums to their appropriate place in the pantheon of Kpop. T-ara's first studio album, appropriately called: Absolute First Album, will be the first. Join Tim and Zander as they take a tour through the 14 classic songs on Absolute First Album, with a slight detour into SM Entertainment's recent news.
You can subscribe to the Critical Kpop Podcast or check out this and future episodes on iTunes, Stitcher, or Mixcloud. You can expect a healthy serving of news, reviews, and critical analysis in every episode. The Critical Kpop Podcast is the only podcast that invites you to LISTEN HARDER.
NCT? STATION? ScreaM? If you’ve been following Kpop news, you’ve likely come to the realization that something major is going on over at SM Entertainment. With so many press releases, stories, and rumors coming down the wire, it’s necessary that we take a step back and try to sort through this. There’s got to be some good news in here, right?
NCT, or NEO Culture Technology (neo from the Greek, “neos,” meaning “new”), should debut in Spring of 2016. Putting aside the awkwardness of NCT’s name, the real awkwardness comes from calling NCT a “group” at all. NCT is not so much a group as a way of doing business. It’s a (potential) model for the future of Kpop that would change the way we think about individual membership in groups. The best description for NCT is that the group “will have no limits on the number of members, nor limits in nationality, and they will take the stage all around the globe” (source). There’s three pieces of information there, and if it helps, imagine Lee Soo Man giving a PowerPoint presentation on stage going through each bullet point, because that’s basically what happened.
First bullet point: no limit on members. This is where the traditional Kpop model starts to bend. And there’s more to this comment than meets the eye. Even though there were 40 masked members on stage during Lee Soo Man’s presentation, SM Entertainment isn’t trying to create just another mega-group; they are trying to introduce the concept of fluid group membership. We’re used to our groups having set lineups. Disaster seems imminent any time membership changes are made. But SM obviously believes this is the old way. Just like many of us were dragged into the streaming era of music kicking, screaming, and clutching our compact discs, SM here is asking us to let go of this obsession with static group membership. There will be many NCT groups, and SM seems to be asking us not to think about them as subgroups either. With many opportunities for collaboration between the groups, SM will allow for “movement of members” (source). Those potentially exciting collaborations and member changes seem to be the big selling point here, but will something be lost in all the changes? If we had to guess, we’d expect this new model will focus fan attention much more closely on individual performers. After all, if there’s no set NCT group, then fans will need to find their favorite members to latch onto.
Second bullet point: no limit on nationality. This is where the traditional Kpop model starts to break. Even though we’ve gone to great pains to suggest that Kpop is a genre of music above all else, there is no escaping the fact that Kpop has a racial element. Up until now, there has been an unwritten rule that Kpop artists must be Korean, and if not Korean, then Southeast Asian (Rania’s Alex may have been the first indication that this rule was on the way out). The majority of artists being of Korean descent makes a certain sort of sense so long as the market for Kpop rests in Korea and Southeast Asia. It makes much less sense if the market is global. Which brings us to the third bullet point. Third bullet point: members will take the stage all around the globe. Let’s get one thing straight here: Lee Soo Man is not talking about a random, once-off tour organized by fan votes. SM Entertainment is suggesting that members of NCT will perform across the globe as a matter of course. The first NCT group will focus on Korea and Japan, with the second group in China. But Latin America was called out as a future target as well. The market for NCT will not be Korea, but the entire planet. A lofty goal, to be sure, and one that could easily be emblazoned on the masthead of any Kpop entertainment company. But there’s an actual plan here, and to get into it, we need to move to slide two of Lee Soo Man’s presentation (transition: dissolve).
In slide two, Lee Soo Man gives us his three-step system to “truly localize Hallyu.” Put a pin in that word localize for now so we can focus on the program more generally.
Step 1: advance Korean stars into the international market
Step 2: collaborate with local companies to bring international stars into the domestic Kpop market
Step 3: collaborate with local companies to enable Korean groups to debut in the local market (source)
This, if you’re an accountant, is the most interesting part of SM’s plan, because here we see the framework of a business model for the whole NCT venture. TL;DR: SM plans on making money, accountants rejoice! But the details might not be transparent to you yet, so let’s try and break this down further. SM Entertainment is creating NCT as a loose collection of individual artists. Those artists can then be grouped and portioned out to various markets across the globe based on their talents and, presumably, language skills. Much like Exo before them, NCT will sing one song in many different languages (source). But this goes much further than Exo ever did, because Exo was based on the old model: identify a market and try to corner it. NCT will have the flexibility to target any market their sponsor wishes. Wait, what?
Exo, and every other Kpop group out there, exists mainly to sell music under the direction of SM Entertainment. Everything else (advertising deals, product placement, etc.) is cream off the top. NCT will create great music as well (and I plan on buying the hell out of their best stuff), but NCT, and how do I put this kindly, will exist to earn sponsorship deals. As an example, if a Brazilian company wants to sell their new sports drink, a NCT group may pop up in Brazil. Make no mistake, this scenario is only possible with the creation of a new kind of Kpop group with fluid, international membership. NCT will perform their music, sure, but they’ll also be there to sell. And it might not be so insidious as it sounds. Maybe they’ll produce a few episodes of a reality show where they play a lot of shirtless volleyball on the beach (OMG, abs.), and who wouldn’t appreciate that? There will just happen to be a lot of a certain brand of sports drink in the episode.
That’s where this whole idea of localizing Hallyu comes back into play. When Kpop companies talk about being international, they’re talking about convincing people across the globe to buy a product that is designed for someone else (Koreans). To localize Hallyu means to develop a product specifically for those various regions. NCT will “produce content especially tailored for their particular markets,” and they are expected to engage in “joint ventures” with local companies (source). According to Lee Soo Man, "this is the last stage of the Korean wave.” Indeed.
With so much focus on the economics of NCT, it’s important to take a step back and recognize that all pop music is designed to sell something. If you’re a proponent of capitalism, there’s nothing wrong with that. And if you’re still drooling over the thought of NCT members playing volleyball in swim trunks, you’re probably just wondering how to get an oppa based in your city, ASAP. But if NCT works, and if it takes the world by storm, we could be witnessing the start of a truly globalized music with a completely centralized command structure. For a fatalist, this might suggest a possible future in which all culture is determined by a handful of “taste-makers.” Do I sense the plot of the next great dystopian novel?
All doom and gloom aside, the first NCT group with debut in Spring of 2016 with a team centered in Korea and Japan. A Chinese group will debut in late 2016 with more locations and groups to come. NCT is about to burst onto the scene, ladies and gentlemen, so hold onto your butts!
STATION Project
In that very same presentation on January 27, Lee Soo Man also released information about STATION, a digital music channel where SM will release a new single once per week, for 52 weeks. Next to NCT, this announcement is not nearly so groundbreaking. There’s plenty to get excited about, yes, but Lee Soo Man’s description of STATION as “overcoming the existing system of singles…[to] create a new ecosystem of digital songs” is a bit of an overstatement. (source)
One aspect of STATION that a lot of fans are making a big deal about is the information that each of the 52 singles will be released on a specific day of the week (so far there are only rumors about which day). This isn’t new or surprising, though. To be eligible for weekly music shows, Kpop music release dates were already constrained. Worldwide, there have always been recommendations for which day of the week new music should be released (in America, music Tuesday recently changed to Friday to increase sales). Releasing music on the same day each week is...very normal. In fact, it’s the only way to ensure an accurate system to chart the most popular music (something Korea has long struggled with). Likewise, the promise of 52 weeks of new music is...surprisingly specific, but also not that exciting. Will STATION disappear exactly one year after it starts? Probably not. 52 is just a number.
Taeyeon - “Rain” Teaser
What should get you excited about STATION is the focus on solo releases and collaborations. SM Entertainment is overflowing with talented artists, and more music is definitely something to get excited about! The first to release new music on STATION will be, duh!, Taeyeon, with her new single, “Rain.” It’s hard to imagine a better ambassador for a new product or one with such seemingly assured success. Based on previous reports, we can guess at some other STATION releases. SM previously reported new solo releases by Super Junior’s Ryeowook (source) and f(x)’s Amber (source), so those seem like easy bets. Hints of solo activities from SHINee and EXO have also made the rounds. I’m sure we’ll hear more from SM in the near future about which artists and collaborations we can expect on STATION.
ScreaM Records
Finally, and almost as an afterthought to the major news above, SM is creating an EDM record label that will house DJs and producers. As a news item from an entertainment company, this isn’t big news. It’s a way to organize company assets to ensure focus on a specific division. Yes, expect more EDM from SM in the future! End of press release?
As a way to make this very pedestrian announcement sexy, Lee Soo Man let it slip that they would be working with Skrillex to create some collaborations with SM artists. If that gets you going, cool. If not, no big deal. Nothing life-changing here.
Hafsa Tameez is a Pakistani-born, nowhere-based interior designer/ professional procrastinator/ self-entertainer. Stumbling onto Kpop as a socially-awkward shy recluse, she was immediately hooked. After making the irrevocable mistake of taking a philosophy course in college, she now loves analyzing the world of Kpop with Gayathri. While she adores far too many Kpop groups, her favorites have always been SHINee, Vixx, Exo, Mamamoo and Spica (though BTS is swiftly reeling her in).
Gayathri Ravindran is an Indian-born, Dubai-based Multimedia Design student currently 4 months away from graduation. She discovered Kpop through the irresistible charms of the one who calls himself Nichkhun, after seeing him on Running Man one too many times. Last year something possessed her to take a philosophy class, then two more and now she spends her free time analyzing Kpop culture with Hafsa. Currently following way more groups than she has time for including 2PM, SHINee, Vixx, BTS and Exo. Not a big fan of girl groups, although she is very excited about Mamamoo and The Ark.
Lyn and LEO - "Blossom Tears"
Hafsa: oh it’s been a while. I think I have forgotten half the lyrics
Gayathri: lol same. “Heart limping to the end of the road”. Wait. That was error right?
H: hahaha yeah
G: that’s literally the only lyric I remember. Hold on, I’ll look for a subbed video. Aha! Found it!
Ok, been a while since I last saw this so Imma watch the entire video before we start talking kay?
-.- TFW wifi is so bad you need to switch to 480p and wait for it to load
H: LOL. Mate, I need to switch it to 144p n wait for it to load
G: ugh. Tough yo.
U f f. Oppa looked so damn fine in this XD
H: hahaha IKR! The struggle is real
G: Haha, look at you and your hip lingo! :P
Ahem might've had to watch it twice cuz I forgot to read the subs first time around. Le-shin-set you know :P
H: Oh my God I get you! But seriously, as a music video I quite like how it plays out a storyline.
G: ok so I just realised this is the same girl as the Boy in Luv MV...you know the one they kept manhandling and then tried to woo with flowers
H: …there was a chick in Boy in Luv?... :/
G: LOL. Yea I wouldn't blame you for being overwhelmed by the abundance of pretty and the general swaginess, but yes...just the one. I remember cuz there was this scene where Jin literally slammed her against the lockers and then just grabbed her and dragged her along. I was pretty pissed at that point.
H: Huh. Interesting.
H: in terms of the music video, it’s pretty straightforward in terms of storyline. Boy likes girl. Girl likes boy. Boy had his heart broken before. Boy is now scarred and has commitment issues.
G: So boy pushes girl away, both emotionally and physically, but for some reason girl stays. You know, when I first saw this MV it took me a while to catch on that the black and white bits are Leo’s flashbacks.
H: I didn’t have trouble with that bit, but it did take me a couple of views to realise that the chick in the flashbacks is different.
G: Wait, what? It’s not the same girl? :0
H: LOL, no. Her face is different. That’s how I came to the conclusion that this must be the girl who broke Leo’s heart in the past.
G: Ah, and essentially led to him becoming a psychopathic serial killer. Like at many points we see pills, meaning he was a bit unstable. Whether he was unstable from the start or whether he became unstable after the first girl left him is not really clear tho.
H: Not sure it matters really. Point is he isn’t the best boyfriend out there. Leo makes no physical contact with her and rejects her love and denies even loving her anymore because he can't deal with the idea of her leaving. To the point that the mere possibility of her leaving and breaking his heart becomes more like inevitability. But the status quo changes when he thinks she's actually left him.
G: Then he has that breakdown and destroys perfectly good upholstery. Without even bothering to check the bathroom smh. Chincha...it’s not that big of an apartment and it was literally 2 steps away. Who does that?
H: IKR! And she ends up popping out of some adjacent room. But instead of being a smart person here and running off screaming for the hills, this one decides to stay.
G: ‘this one’ obviously has no sense of self-preservation. Such a Bella. But still a better love story than twilight xD
Anyway, this is the moment Leo has to face the fact that he does indeed love her. But he also has to own up to his fear.
H: right. And I think his solution is to kill her.
G: Ah, and that’s why he was standing there making intense eye contact with the pills while she was hugging him.
H: In death she becomes perfect to him because she no longer has the power to leave him, and ergo hurt him. Like if he knows she is not going to leave then he has nothing to fear and nothing to lose. That’s why he was comfortable enough to look at his own reflection and initiate physical contact with a corpse. And here I thought Snow White was creepy *shudders*
But there was also this theme of the dress that kept coming up.
G: True. I think the dress represents perfection to Leo. Perfection to him means the ability to not hurt him. Like in the flashbacks we see him making a dress for his ex, and he refuses to let this new girl look at the old dress in the box. But at the same time, she only appears in the dress when she is dead. So building on your idea, she only fits Leo’s idea of perfection in death.
H: Oh, clever. So in the end her identity merged with the idea behind the dress so that to Leo it’s one and the same.
G: Yeah, so he killed her, and took the heart to add to his collection of creepy serial killer memorabilia. And embalmed her and put her in the dress. Wah. Oppa is the bae, but he be cray.
H: I don’t think he embalmed her body and put her in the dress. I think that’s a metaphorical representation of what she comes to mean to him. And the fact that she looks like a corpse symbolically represents that even though he got the peace of mind he wanted, in the end the relationship is dead anyway. Because, well…the girl is dead…don’t see that relationship going anywhere.
But I don’t think Leo killing her is all there is to the story. I think she let herself be killed.
G: huh, intriguing. I’m curious tho, what makes you think she allowed him to kill her? That she had the ability to make that choice? He's pushing her around so he's obviously able to overpower her physically, and we know it was his own pills that killed her.
H: well for one thing, her behaviour so far. She has stayed with him through all his violent outbursts and general weirdness where any sane person would have booked it ASAP. Essentially saying, I don’t think she’s quite right in the head either. But, I got that idea from the lyrics actually. Cuz the chick sings that she will stay bcuz she has so much to do for him. I think she knew this was coming and accepted it. Thereby allowing Leo to kill her.
G: ok, I feel you. That’s a pretty messed up MV.
H: Also I just noticed a detail that I think works with that. The creepy closet he puts the heart in that we thought had various body parts from his previous victims? They aren’t parts from his previous victims. They are mementos. Letters and feathers and a clock and knick knacks.
G: Oh my God do you know what this means?? Oppa’s not a serial killer! Killer sure, but at least not a serial killer. #NextLevelFangirl XD
H: wow…LOL
G: Wait, I see it now. 1080p ftw! They’re mementos of their time together. Her pictures are there and everything.
H: so the cupboard is his mind basically. It represents the things he holds dear.
G: wow, the rest of us can barely keep a scrapbook and here is this guy blowing competition out of the water. Wait, so is the heart a symbol too?
H: Yeah, not sure about that one. There’s like a good five minutes of him making out with the jar. XD
G: Wut?... But it can still be right? Like the heart can still represent the girl’s love and feelings for Leo.
H: I don’t see why not. Makes sense too. Her body was pretty clean so it’s possible he didn’t actually cut out her heart. But then creepy guy just killed his girlfriend so not much hope there.
G: #whodoyouthinkyouare, #collectingyourjarofhearts XD. Ahem, I apologies for that somewhat irrelevant song reference.
What’s interesting really is that the lyrics themselves seem pretty straightforward. Well not straightforward but less layered than the MV anyway. I know it’s a duet but the Korean language doesn't actually use gender pronouns.
H: oh really? I didn’t even think of that. I always just approached the song as a duet. Hang on, I need to see the lyrics without the voices
G: #FactoftheDay
It could very well be possible that the whole song is the thought process of one person. Like what if Leo’s extra cray and ends up talking for her as well. As in makes up her side of the conversation.
H: Oh my God! What have you done!? :o Puts the whole song in another light.
G: Right?!
H: Like it works if it's an argument with yourself. Kinda. But they do use ‘you’ and ‘me’ pronouns. Which is why that interpretation is a bit sketchy. But it is still a cool approach to it
G: hmm true. I noticed in the English translation there are times where it goes ‘HE loves me HE loves me not’
H: And that too.
G: But I know that’s not accurate and in the song both Leo and Lyn sing that line
H: Plot twist: Leo is not real. Lyn is the crazy one and she used the idea of Leo to validate her suicide.
G: :0
D u d e
Wait…
How dare she blame my poor sweet oppa like this?? :''''' #NotCoolBruh
H: LOL. Oppa not real. This oppa is in her head. But I do think it’s really cool that the MV can be interpreted from the POV of either one, depending on if you are following the lyrics or the MV itself.
G: hmm...always did say he was too good to be true :""
But I like where you're going with this
H: Ok. So from Leo’s perspective the mv helps out a lot. We can get his backstory. Hence our conclusion that he kills her or rather she allows him to kill her.
G: yeah, so that’s the traditional interpretation. But let's try from Lyn’s perspective. Reading the lyrics it kinda feels like she might on the outside looking in on her own situation.
H: ok, go on. How so?
G: like going with the idea that despite it being a duet it’s all just her
“The goodbye trickles down your cheeks like blood Your lips asking why is so sad No, don’t come, don’t make that face Just pass me by
The countless words of love that we’re whispered Our promises that are breaking instantly No, this is a dream, your eyes are telling me Just hug me again
I loved you, I cared for you, that’s it I loved you but now I hate you, that’s the one reason
You think I don’t know you? You’re lying right now You still love me, you’re still the same”
Like she knows how this is going to end up but she can’t really stop it. She knows she's depressed and emotionally unbalanced that she might do something like that.
H: Exactly! That’s the idea I got too!
G: #twinning, #UltimateEdition
So the song is her processing her own emotions? Like she knows how she feels and what she'll do but she feels helpless to stop it
H: I think so. It's almost like she desperately wants affection but doesn't really believe she will get it anywhere. Like when life feels so utterly meaningless it's empowering to feel needed. And so we get the idea of Leo, who is essentially the personification of her own unbalanced emotions and nature
G: ah, so she's created someone who needs her so desperately. Like is that her idea of what she will be to him? Like “he loves me so much that he'll need me even after I'm gone”??
She even went through the trouble of creating this tragic (not really but kinda sorta) backstory for him.
H: curious, how would the dress thing fit in with this theory?
G: I think the dress is the same idea of perfection as it was for Leo. Like if for Leo the dress is the perfect version of the girl then it's the same for her. It’s a symbol of the girl she wants to be. Perfect and wanted and loved
H: So essentially. Whether it's from Leos view or the girl’s, the whole MV is about emotional insecurity and mental instability? And the idea that we feel unworthy of love and are drowning in the sorrows of our own sense of meaninglessness that we tend to latch onto anything that gives us the slightest bit of purpose?
This Week in Kpop is all about the sting. The sting of rejection, the sting or scandal, the sting of Stellar's "Sting" even. So why not just get started already? Let's go!
Stellar's Sting
Stellar came back this week to a surprising amount of fanfare, at the least with netizens, who seem to have latched onto Stellar's underdog charms. Which is great, but does is it equal commercial success?
Well, the verdict is still out on the actual sale numbers, we think it's a good thing that Stellar is getting the attention that they are, even if that attention rests at the corners of the Kpop world. "Vibrato," after all, was a stunning release, and even if you think "Marionette" was too provocative, you can't deny that it's a killer song. With "Sting," we're seeing a more measured, quiet release in comparison to a slaying jam - but it takes a turn around the 2.30 mark that gives the song a distinct edge, one that hopefully won't be cut out of live performances when more popular groups once again take the stage.
We were a bit surprised that we didn't see choreography in the music video before the turn, especially with how strong it is after it does.
Good thing for the Dance Version!
We're also a bit surprised with the abandon fans have when lauding Steallar's achievements. Many have been itching to praise Stellar's comeback even before they heard the song. Yes, this is a good song, and a solid release - but is it a game changer? No, and that's fine. In our efforts to prop up a group that we feel should get more attention, we should also be realistic, not just of a group's chances, but of the quality of what they've laid before us. Shouldn't we?
Crush is Crushing It
Crush came back this week with "Don't Forget," and how could we ever forget this smooth R&B jam, especially when you have Taeyeon providing some vocals? Taeyeon is certainly Money, capital "M," but that shouldn't take away from the fact that Crush has been crushing it for quite some time, and that "Don't Forget" is a continuation of his success.
Although not much happens, the video is rather beautiful too, understated and almost dreamlike in some of its winter colors. Makes you almost forget about the winter storms that are crippling much of the eastern region of the good old US of A. This song makes one want to curl up in a blanket around a fire, with a loved one, or a pet of some kind.
You've heard about Tzuyu's scandal, you've read the articles - now we take a crack at this issue, and maybe most importantly, try to provide some context to this controversy. The Critical Kpop Podcast brings you our most serious podcast yet, which you can listen to here!
There's no denying that Teen Top are producers of some great music, but with "Warning Sign," they've made a definite shift in their music. Give Zander Stachniak just two minutes to blow your mind, with his quick review right here!
January 17-23, 2016
And that was This Week in Kpop! We still feel like we're in a holding pattern waiting for the first big releases of the year. Winner and 4Minute are just around the corner, friends! And when they're here, we will be too. Until then, have fun and be safe!
In 2015, rookie girl group, Twice, enjoyed a successful debut that garnered them millions of fans. Three weeks into 2016, however, it would be difficult to imagine even a casual fan of Kpop for whom Chou Tzuyu, sixteen-year-old member of Twice, was not a household name. Through a baffling series of events, Tzuyu would become a beacon of independence for millions, a symbol of hatred and betrayal for millions more, and a misunderstood focal point for much of the rest of the world. Without trying, this sixteen-year-old girl would affect the outcome of the Taiwanese presidential election, and in the process, change the business of Kpop forever. On today's episode, Tim and Zander tell the story of Chou Tzuyu in their most serious podcast yet.
You can subscribe to the Critical Kpop Podcast or check out this and future episodes on iTunes, Stitcher, or Mixcloud. You can expect a healthy serving of news, reviews, and critical analysis in every episode. The Critical Kpop Podcast is the only podcast that invites you to LISTEN HARDER.
FIESTAR's Yezi will make her solo debut this month.
On January 21st, FIESTAR official Facebook released an alluring teaser image announcing Yezi's solo debut with maxi single titled 'Foresight Dream', which is set to released on January 28th.
Yezi rised to fame after competing in Mnet's 'Unpretty Rapstar', which resulted in her pre-released 'Crazy Dog' featuring San E to attract much attention.
Don't miss the release of 'Foresight Dream' at midnight on January 28th.
f(x)'s Luna will take her first big screen challenge in 'Bungaeman' upcoming film.
The singer has been casted for the role Hanna, whose dream is to 'fly like Bungaeman'. In the still cut, Luna is seen wearing a rocket backpack and having a heart-shapre bangs, completing Hanna's character trademark.
'Bungaeman' is the film version of popular EBS's popular children TV series, about a man who uses his strong lighting power to defeat the evil force. The film version will be premiered next month.
According to an music industry insider on January 21st, Lee Hi is wrapping up her new album preparations and is awaiting for a comeback.
Regarding this, an official from YG Entertainment said,"The album is in the final stages of production but the release day hasn't been confirmed yet. For now I can only say that it will probably a full album. We will officially announce the news soon".
Many people have been anticipating for Lee Hi's new album since it is being produced under HIGHGRND, Tablo's agency.
Lee Seung Gi will be enlisting in the military next month
According to Hook Entertainment, Lee Seung Gi received his draft notice on January 21st and will make his military enlistment on February 1st. He stated through his agency,"I deeply thank everyone for always giving me undeserved love. I will be back as a real man".
In particular, Lee Seung Gi released new song 'I'm Going To The Army' at noon today as a farewell gift for his fans.
Ryu Joon Yeol will be starring alongside Jo In Sung in upcoming film 'The King'.
According to C-Jes Entertainment on January 21st, Ryu Joon Yeol has been casted in the blockbuster film 'The King' and will play as Jo In Sung's friend.
'The King' will be a biography of a man who becomes a prosecutor in order to grab power. The film is attracting much attention thanks to the A+ list cast including Jo In Sung, Jung Woo Sung, Bae Sung Woo, Lee Joo Yeon. It will also mark Jo In Sung's first return to the big screen in 7 years since 'A Frozen Flower'.
Ryu Joon Yeol is currently one of the hottest stars after starring in tvN's 'Reply 1988'.
More and more teaser images for Ryeowook's upcoming mimi album have been released.
Following the same aesthetic concept, Ryeowook continues delivering that mysterious and dreamy atmosphere in the two new teaser images, and of course, a new illustration also came along.
The title track for his debut album will be 'The Little Prince', which is the same name as the album title. It will be a unique ballad about a man conversing with the little prince as he was going through a hard time because of love.
Teen Top are perennial producers of quality Kpop, frequently breaking into the top ten charts on Gaon with recent hits like “Ah-Ah,” “Missing,” and “Rocking.” But something has shifted in the musical structure of their latest single, “Warning Sign,” from the new EP, Red Point. If you’re not listening on a quality sound system, you’ve likely already written this release off as not worth your time. But why is that? Let’s break it down in 120 seconds.
First of all, let’s describe the sound that we’re hearing in “Warning Sign.” The song is driven by a very old-school, double bass sound that operates at a lower frequency (way down to the 41 Hz range) than the standard drum kits heard in most pop music, and it comes with a much richer tonal quality to boot. That means a double bass can create a very interesting sound, but it’s also nearly useless on cheap speakers and earbuds. That’s a real risk that Teen Top is taking, because if you’re anything like me, a good 95% of your music listens are on buds. No judgment. But for “Warning Sign” to sound anything like it was intended, you’re going to need to plug Teen Top into your sound system to get access to the right range of frequencies.
If you don’t have a chance to listen in the right audio environment, you’ll likely notice what many fans have already pointed out: that “Warning Sign” sounds muted and altogether unspectacular. On sub-par speakers, the double bass blends into white noise so easily that within a few seconds only the vocals will be registering. All of which makes it seem as though “Warning Sign” is severely lacking in power. Everything feels soft, timid. There’s no danger. It’s not until you listen on decent speakers that “Warning Sign” begins to suggest a darkness that threatens to envelope you if you stand too close. Surely, the fans who have applauded Teen Top’s new direction with this release are plugging into their A/V systems.
But it's a big risk! Pop music succeeds by becoming ubiquitous, and rule number one is to create a low barrier of entry. Forget being the boldest and the brightest, a large number of casual listeners to this single will hear only a muffled bass line with soft vocals over the top. It’s a more mature release, and a change from their previous Brave Sound music, but it’s almost as if Teen Top didn’t want to be noticed.
Zander Stachniak is a southern-born, Chicago-based writer who first discovered Kpop through ShoutCast Radio. His biases are f(x) and Block B.
EXID will be spending Valentine's Day with their fans.
Yedang Entertainment announced on January 19th that EXID will be holding mini concert 'EXID's LEGGO SHOW' on February 14th at the Muv Hall in Hongdae, Seoul. This will be their first concert since debut.
In particular, there will be special events in which the fans will upload photos from the concert on their personal SNS along with hashtag in order to received signed albums.
The ticket sale will be opened via Yes24 on January 25th at 8PM KST.
Jungin will make her first comeback in 3 years with the 5th mini album.
Leessang Company released the first two jacket images today which emphasize on snowy concept and Jungin's upgrade beauty.
The album is titled 'Rare' and will be Jungin's first release in 3 years since mini album 'Autumn Man' in October 2013. It was revealed that Yoon Gun participated as a producer for the album, raising everone's expectation.
On January 20th, Cube Entertainment announced 4minute's 7th mini album 'Act.7' through the first teaser image. According to the teaser, the album will be released on February 1st at noon.
This is their first comeback after 1 year since 'Crazy' in February 2015, so many fans are looking forward to what kind of concept the group will pull off this time.
Stay tuned for more updates on 4minute's comeback!
Taeyeon will be the featuring singer for Crush's upcoming new track 'Don't Forget'.
Just the thought og Crush, who is known to have a 'honey voice', will collaborate with Taeyeon, who has been highly acknownledged for her clear and emotional vocal, is enough to make many fans' hearts flutter and excited. With the two's chemistry, the song is expected to receive hot responses on all th charts.
'Don't Forget' will tell a love story that can hold a variery of meanings, depending on the listener's emotions. Many music industry officials are also paying their attention to this collaboration.
The song will be released on January 22nd at noon.
Big Bang will conclude their 'MADE' world tour with an encore concert in Seoul.
The concert titled 'BIG BANG WORLD TOUR 'MADE' FINAL IN SEOUL' will take place for three days stright on March 4th, 5th and 6th at Olympic Gymnastic Arena. Seoul is also the place where the 'MADE' world tour started in April last year.
To commemorate their final concert stages, it was revealed that Big Bang will prepare meaningful gifts for domestic fans.
Singer-songwriter Juniel will be leaving FNC Entertainment.
An official from FNC Entertainment said on January 20th,"Juniel's exclusive contract will be expired at the end of this month. After a discussion regarding contract renewal, we decided to not renew her contract in regard of Juniel's wish".
FNC Entertainment also stated that they will keep cheering for Juniel on her future path. Juniel is currently in search for another agency.
Juniel made her debut in 2012 with mini album 'My First June'. Her latest release was digital single 'Sorry' in August 2015.
BoA and Lee Yeon Hee featured as the cover model for 'Sure' magazine February issue.
The photo show the two stars' closeness as they hold each other waist while doing the pinky swear, decorated by the silver necklace from Louis Vuitton for 'Make a Promise' campaign.
The picturial is also a part of SM Entertainment and Jcontentree' collaboration for a charity campaign by UNICEF and Louis Vuitton. EXO's Sehun, Kai, Suho Red Velvet's Irene, Girls' Generation's Yoona, SHINee' Key and Taemin previously participated through different photoshoots.
More teaser images and infor regarding Ryeowook's upcoming solo debut have been released.
In particular, we get a new illustration that come along with the two new teaser images. If the first illustration is a drawing of a man standing beside a giant fox and a sandglass, then the second one portraits a man alone on a boat while looking through a binoculars into the outer space.
In addition, Ryeowook will be holding 'The Little Prince' showcase on January 25th at the Hyundai Card Understage, where he will perform the songs from his album for the first time as well as sharing stories from the album production.
'The Little Prince' will be released on January 28th.
Song Ji Hyo and Bolin Chen will be starring in Jiangsu TV's 'We Are In Love' program.
According to the official broadcasters, Song Ji Hyo and Bolin Chen will start filming for 'We Are In Love' second season next week in Seoul. The first broadcast is scheduled for this April.
'We Are In Love' considered as the Chinese version of 'We Got Married'. The first season starred Super Junior's Siwon and model Liu Wen.
Bolin Chen signed with Ha Ji Won's agency BM Plus Entertainment last year in order to pursue more activities in Korea. Song Ji Hyo ended her contract with C-Jes Entertainment and is currently working as a free agent.
GFRIEND has released the MV teaser for their title track 'Rough'.
The MV unveils the girls in school uniforms and each of them is seen in a different place. According to some sources, the MV was inspired by Japanese film 'The Girl Who Leapt Through Time', so we can expect that it will have an interesting plot.
Meanwhile, GFRIEND's 3rd mini album 'Snowflake' will be released on January 25th.
Brand New Music said on January 18th,"His wife is currently three month pregnant. Please give them a lot of your blessing. Also please look forward to Bumkey's upcoming album".
Bumkey released 'Better Man' as a pre-released track for his first full-length album 'U-Turn'. The album will drop on January 27th.
Girl's Day's Yura and actress Kim Min Jung become the new MCs for cable channel program 'Tasty Road'.
On January 19th, both Dream Tea Entertainment and Great Company confirmed the news of the two becoming the new MCs, following actress Park Soo Jin and After School's Lizzy' departure from the show.
Yura and Kim Min Jung will have their first recording together in early February and the first episode will be broadcasted in February 21st.
WINNER has announced the official tracklist for upcoming mini album 'Exit Movement: E'.
The album will feature double title tracks 'Baby Baby' and 'Sentimental'. Both of them are composed by member Nam Tae Hyun while Song Mino and Seunghoon participated in the lyrics writing.
There will be a total of 5 tracks and we can see that the members all contributed to the production, showing their talents as singer-songwriters. There will be three music videos in which two of them are for the title tracks and the remaining one is for 'I'm Young'.
'Exit Movement:E' will be released online and offline respectively on February 1st and 2nd.
According to the music industry insiders on January 18th, AOA's new sub-unit will make their debut between late of January or early February. Three members will be included in the sub-unit and they are said to be in the final stages of preparations.
The group's first unit AOA Black consisted of Jimin, Choa, Yuna, Youkyung, Mina made their debut in 2013. They also have AOA White as a non-promotional unit with Seolhyun, Hyejung and Chanmi.
Which member do you think will be in the new sub-unit?
