Earlier today, T-ara's Hyomin and Pittsburgh Pirates player Kang Jung Ho reportedly dating each other.
According to the exclusive report by Ilgan Sports, Hyomin and Kang Jung Ho have been dating for three months. The two knew each other through an acquaintance, and got close to each other after Kang Jung Ho asked her to throw the ceremony pitch at a game in the U.S in September last year.
During her stay in the U.S after the pitch, the two were said to start developing feelings towards each other, spending time touring and eating together. When Kang Jung Ho injured his knee and had to leave for the season, Hyomin showed her support by constantly texting and calling him through phones. They officially started dating in January this year.
However, both agencies denied the claims and said that their relationship is nothing more than oppa-dongsaeng.
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.
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.
They've finally gone and did it. Wonder Girls is back, Jack, and they're not an iconic group that's simply going to coast on brand recognition, no. They've entered the Girl Group fray and they're taking no prisoners. They're here to ROCK. Or...synthesize. They're here to ROCK that SYNTHESIZER. But they're not the only major group making a comeback. The Clash of the Girl Groups is a never-ending battle, so let's get going already!
Wonder Girls vs. THE 80's
The most talked-about girl group comeback in years is finally here, friends, and I couldn't be happier. Make no mistake, this is a killer comeback with an amazingly ridiculous video. Beginning with Sunmi sitting on a toilet in short shorts, and then unzipping said shorts to reveal the music video, is one of the more strange quasi-erotic moves I've seen in Kpop, and I've watched Stellar's "Vibrato."
But what's truly amazing here is that Wonder Girls has created an 80's style comeback without becoming a parody of an 80's release. It transcends even the homage, as Wonder Girls takes the 80's music and makes it their own. It's like they've created an alternate timeline where Kpop came to existence a decade earlier. Now we know that if this timeline happened, the Wonder Girls would rule all.
What can sometimes be an afterthought at this point is that Wonder Girls is coming back with a band concept, which, no matter how much they actually play their instruments live (yes, yes, I know they've said they'll play live - but how much will be live?), is still impressive to throw in with everything else they have to do as, you know, pop idols. What I find more impressive is the fact that they've written and produced all the songs, except for "I Feel You" (written and produced by JYP), in Reboot. Even if they didn't play music live, this would be a feat, friends. At Critical Kpop, we've just about always encouraged the healthy listening of an entire album. With Reboot, this is essential.
Speaking of the album, it's time to play...
PICK A BETTER PROMOTIONAL SINGLE!
"I Feel You" is a nice, mellow introduction to the rest of the retro masterpiece of Reboot, but would a different song serve better as the promotional single? Put on your Monday Quarterbacking helmet and your JYP shoulder pads, friends, as I pick three songs that are like ten times better than "I Feel You" and what were they even thinking when they picked this song ohmygodahhhhh (slight exaggeration here).
"Baby Don't Play" has the synth-rock play of "I Feel You" but with a touch more attitude, an edge, friends, along with a killer hook: "Baby don't play ah ah ah ah..." that is far more memorable than "I Feel You." This song just jams.
"Candle" (featuring Paloalto) is maybe the best song on the album. Remember when I wrote that Wonder Girls makes the 80's music their own? This is the song that solidified this for me, and having more modern touches like Paloalto and Yubin's raps really meshes the modern and the retro.
"Loved" has all the retro love but is musically complex as well, taking it a step beyond the rest of the album's synthesized charms. Perhaps it would have been too taxing to perform live? I have no idea. I'm just Monday Quarterbacking and second guessing here. Get off my back.
Goodness, "John Doe" is a stellar song too. But "One Black Night" completely slays as a darker release (probably doesn't work as a promotional single though). But there are different directions they could have went here. "Back" sounds like a perfect Beastie Boys throwback, "OPPA" is a bratty club hit, "Faded Love" is just beautiful, a gift for your ears, "Gone" is epic, "Remember" is the prerequisite ballad, but if you're not feeling something by the end of song, reconsider your humanity already!
Which is to say, if an album has twelve songs that can serve as the promotional single, that's an amazing album, and you can quote me on that, Jack. I'm sticking with my top three choices, but what would your picks be? Everyone can play, because with Reboot everyone wins.
Wonder Girls vs. The 80's: Wonder Girls OWNS the 80's
T-ara vs. T-haters
T-ara, the undisputed Guilty Pleasure of Kpop, does not disappoint with their latest foray into mayhem with "So Crazy." First, let's look at how many guilty pleasure points T-ara has raked in with this latest release.
*Guilty Pleasure Points*
+1 for skimpy sailor outfits. +2 for using said skimpy sailor outfits and sexy dancing to manipulate young men (who didn't give them the time of day before) to do their bidding and gain their...respect?, broadcasting confusing mixed messages yet again about gender empowerment in modern 21st century Korea. +2 BUTT +4 for having an older, perhaps less (as they say) "idol-esque" (admittedly mean) woman who has the respect of said young men because of either stately position or reputation, but is then thrown into this strange beauty contest to compete with mother f*cking T-ara of all peoples, only to be shamed and humiliated and essentially shunned by these same fickle men.
But anyway, while I would have preferred something more like last year's EDM Masterpiece, "Sugar Free," T-ara knows a thing or two about producing songs all across the Kpop spectrum. The moments when they don't deviate from their norm are notable, friends.
For one, we see, again, who I would like to call NERD JIYEON.
She just loves this look, as we've seen this Jiyeon in "Little Apple."
And, of course, while she was living all Jeon Won Diary with sup-group T-ara N4.
Yes, other T-ara members have done the nerd look (in these very videos in fact), but none of them seem to embody and revel in that role more than Jiyeon does, returning to this affectation time and time again. It's like she does a Reverse Urkel, using her transformation chamber to rid herself of her meddlesome Stefan persona. What I'm saying is, Nerd Jiyeon is Best Jiyeon. You can quote me on that.
That's not the only theme that "So Crazy" repeats from the T-ara videography. Once again, T-ara finds themselves in competition to win either male admiration or the community's respect. We saw this in N-4's "Jeon Won Diary," where they practice tirelessly to win the town's talent show. We saw this more recently in "Little Apple," where they tried to win...an apple(?) from the sleazy male producers(?), only to lose out at the very last minute. In "So Crazy," they win the beauty contest they compete in, but here's the thing, the look and feel of the presentation feels remarkably like that of certain weekly music programs that certain Kpop groups perform and essentially compete in. The very same music programs/competitions that T-ara, despite being the most consistent girl group for the last three years, hasn't won once in that same time.
Even their winning seems like an imitation of wining on these music programs, with shocked faces accompanied with hugs and tears. Is it too much to hope that T-ara is making some meta-commentary with their lack of music show victories since their fabled bullying scandal? Or even that competitions are being subconsciously skewered because of T-ara's recent history with them? Probably. But you have to admit, it's fun to see T-ara win for once.
You may have noticed that I haven't written much about the song here, and that's because, for the most part, it's standard Brave Brothers/AOA sounding fare. No major surprises or wow factor here. But maybe this more generic song is just what is needed to silence the rabid T-haters? The song has a great turn at about the two minute, sixteen second mark, where Hyomin ratchets up the intensity, and it's a solid release all together, but can it compete with the like of a rebooted Wonder Girls? Maybe more importantly, with their attention shifted to China, does T-ara even care about dominating Korean charts anymore?
T-ara vs. T-haters: T-haters are gonna hate, but T-ara has 1.3 billion new fans waiting, so.
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.
