This Week in Kpop: September 6-12, 2015

This Week in Kpop is Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb, Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb, Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb, etc.

Has Red Velvet Arrived?

Okay, we know, we know, Red Velvet has been around for some time now and has some pretty big hits. But with "Dumb Dumb," we're telling you, they have finally arrived. Fulfilling the promise first made with "Happiness," "Dumb Dumb" is a phantasmagoria of fun, a chaotic splash of pop euphoria. It's a mess of a song, but "Dumb Dumb" has been our jam all week and we don't care who knows it. Did you see the live performance?

Red Velvet is scorching the stage with their blistering, manic choreography, showing a confidence often reserved for groups three years their senior. So, yes, Red Velvet has arrived. You probably don't agree. If you're an SM fan, you may have crowned Red Velvet with their debut release of "Happiness," a fun, well meaning (cheesy) debut.

And while we were intrigued by the music video's stylistic touch, we didn't see how Red Velvet really stood apart from other girl groups. The talent was there, but even with "Ice Cream Cake," which everyone seems to love, we weren't ready to laud them for their greatness just yet. But then "Dumb Dumb," but also songs like "Red Dress," "Oh Boy," "Time Slip," "Don't You Wait No More," most of The Red, in fact, but especially "Dumb Dumb," Red Velvet has finally planted themselves firmly in the girl group sphere, with a manic energy, their pop-art style, and a beautiful (often messy) musical cacophony that they can undoubtedly say is all their own.

And can we talk (write) about the music video a little bit? Just a little, since we're not quite sure what to make of it, and that may be the greatest part of this whole release. You look at the music video, and what strikes you? Well, to us, and our western perspective, the assembly-line imagery and sometimes wooden/mechanical expressions of the idols feels like a commentary on the mass-produced (emphasis on) manufactured nature of the music business. Which would be an argument that we'd expect from an indie group or freaking Seo Taiji, but coming from Red Velvet and within, and we mean no offense when we say, the belly of the beast? It feels like a strange message with more self-awareness we give to agency that opened Red Velvet's career with "Sometimes you gotta be bold. Just rock the world. Booyah!"

It's so confounding that we're split here at Critical Kpop, one side thinking that we're seeing a flash of self-awareness, with SM winking at the audience, just a bit - and the other side thinking that this video was put together with no other intention beyond "looking cool." Who can say? Maybe you can.

Clash of the Boy Bands? Seventeen vs. Monsta X

Okay, we're not talking a real life honest-to-God brawl here, as something tells us that Seventeen wouldn't stand much of a chance against anyone this side of GOT7, you know? Monsta X has been to prison and rescued the love of their lives from the grips of a gang of ruffians! What has Seventeen done, except for the falling in love with one girl thing (which in Kpop, is natch)?

But musically, if there's any rivalry to watch, just by their debut and release schedules, it's Monsta X and Seventeen, two of the best rookie groups of 2015. We'll gladly say that, and we'll even say beyond these two groups, the competition is really slim. Pitting them against each other isn't even fair, since they're so different from each other. But as far as listening, the edge may go to Seventeen's "Mansae," which has a stronger hook and strength in numbers. Honestly though, you can love both groups and be just fine. But Rookie of the Year? Which group has the edge?

Seventeen vs. Monsta X: Seventeen...For Now

Siwon Doesn't Support Same-Sex Marriage??

Siwon feels like he needs to spout his support of bigoted views on same-sex marriage on Twitter, the place where celebrity goes to die? To quote a Red Velvet proverb: "Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb, Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb, Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb..."

Who Wins the Song of the Summer?

Summer is over. You know this. We know this. But you know what? That means we can finally decide, without a doubt: Who Wins the Song of the Summer. This is not a scientific calculation. This is not based on sales. This is based on our own unique criteria, and you have every right to disagree. But why don't you read what we've written first?

September 6-12, 2015

And that was This Week in Kpop! Until next week, remember: Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb, Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb, Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb, and be safe!

Who Wins the Song of the Summer?

September is well under way, and those hot summer months are already starting to feel like a thing of the past. But before you pack up your swim trunks and stow away your sunscreen, one formality remains: choosing the Song of the Summer, a time-honored tradition here at Critical Kpop. Every year, starting this year, we review the hottest summer tracks, awarding the best and discounting the rest. So let’s hear it, Summer 2015. What you got?

Tim: To me, the Song of the Summer doesn’t necessarily mean the song that tries the hardest to encapsulate that summer feeling. In fact, the harder idols try to get that summer feel, the less authentic it feels. So sorry, Guhara, Girls’ Generation, Sistar, Apink, NS Yoon-G, try as you might, you may have tried too hard here, and you ended up, ultimately, being pretenders to the throne. They are “Summer Songs,” but “Song of the Summer?” Come on. Maybe this is an unfair criteria, but often the Song of the Summer captures the summer season by both happenstance and with a twist of fate. And unexpectedly, wonderfully, we are enthralled.

So, with that in mind, I should first throw T-ara’s “So Crazy” into the fray. Why? Because I love T-ara. But also because they switched it up a bit here, taking a step back from their EDM, and brought us a super-catchy Brave Brothers classic that had the summer upbeat feel without the summer pandering. Well, besides the sailor outfits? I’m not way off base here, am I, Zander?

Zander: Who? T-ara? Couldn’t be. And here’s why - “So Crazy,” though a whole lot of fun, and maybe the best thing T-ara’s produced in years, doesn’t have staying power. And that’s what song of the summer is all about: staying in your head. To qualify as song of the summer, the music has to be so fresh, so catchy that you can’t hear anything else. It’s the first song you hear on your Kpop playlist, and it’s the last song to leave your head. It’s the song you can’t escape. Sorry, Hello Venus, Sonamoo, Wonder Girls, and sorry, T-ara, you’re all too easy to escape.

Here’s one that I couldn’t get rid of. INFINITE’s “Bad.” This song hooked me from the very beginning. Long before I discovered the joy of 360 degree VR technology, I was obsessed with the obscenely catchy music. It’s simple enough to get lodged deep within my brain, but complex enough that it’s also endlessly repeatable!

Tim: Zander, you’re breaking my heart here. You really are. Because INFINITE’s “Bad” is one of my favorite songs (and releases) of the year. But, for me, it just doesn’t encapsulate the light, airy feeling of “summer.” Same goes for GOT7, SHINee, and BTS - who also had three releases that could rank up with my favorite releases of the year. These are timeless releases that will make most people’s end of the year lists, but as the Song of the Summer? I’m sorry, Zander (sorry/not sorry), but these classics don’t capture the summer as the Song of the Summer should.

You know what song does and what you’ve conveniently forgotten? 9 Muses’ “Hurt Locker.” It’s epic, it’s hopeful, it’s bright - it was on the top of my playlist, and may not have captured the airwaves, but certainly captured...my ears? I don’t know. All I know is that if you’re going to talk about the Song of the Summer, 9 Muses has to be in that conversation.

Zander: Okay, point taken about Song of the Summer needing to capture that special summer vibe. But now I feel like you’re just trying to push girl groups. No way does 9 Muses chart as an unforgettable song. “Hurt Locker” was enjoyable, but it just didn’t have that special something. I’d take Mamamoo or Super Junior over 9 Muses any day. But no, both of those are lacking in terms of sheer music-ear-worminess. Yes, I made that up.

Here’s one. How about Big Bang’s “Bang Bang Bang” or “We Like to Party” or “Sober”? They all have a carefree, summer edge, and true to any Big Bang song, all of them get stuck in your head on an endless loop. What about one of these monster hits for Song of the Summer? Eh?

Tim: Damn you, Zander. You know how awful I’ll look if I don’t declare this the Summer of Big Bang? Well, I won’t submit. I won’t. Yes, it’s true, the minute I listened to “Bang Bang Bang” I was one of the first to say, THIS IS THE SONG OF THE SUMMER, IT’S OVER. In all caps even! But, as the summer progressed, my feelings slowly changed. As it did with “We Like to Party,” which feels just like a summer anthem, but isn’t anywhere as good as “Bang Bang Bang” (sorry/not sorry) or “Sober,” which felt too heavy, thematically, to be even a song of summer, let alone the Song of the Summer.

I know that this isn’t shedding my girl group bias, but I have to go there. AOA’s “Heart Attack” has the lightness of 9 Muses and T-ara’s summer songs but also holds a hook that that stays with you and grows and grows and grows until it’s the only thing that’s in your head. It wasn’t even my favorite girl group releases, but by the end of the summer it was really the first song that came to my head. Sometimes, the only.

Zander: Come on, Tim. Another girl group? Just kidding. AOA’s “Heart Attack” was my idea! I’m the one who started this whole idea of awarding a song of the summer just so I could give it to AOA! Because seriously, of all the great Kpop that came out these past few months, there’s one song that stands out to me as the one that constantly pops into my head, that relentlessly pursues me until I give in and listen to it again, and again, and again, and I never stop because I never get tired of it because it’s just that good. Ah! AOA. Yes, Tim, GREAT IDEA! Song of the Summer. Boom. Done.

Tim: Done? Maybe. But what do you think, dear reader?

Zander: Whatever.

Tim: No! Not whatever! WE NEED THEM. We gave our opinions, now it's your turn! Who wins the song of the summer? Let us know in the comments!

This Week in Kpop: August 30-September 5, 2015

This Week in Kpop is brought to you by the newbies! Not quite rookies, these returning groups are trying to find their way in the confusing Kpop sphere. Will they succeed? We're not sure if we can answer that yet, but we can certainly get started, so let's get on with it!

Purfles' "A Bad Thing" 

"A Bad Thing" may not be the hit comeback we wanted from Purfles, but maybe it's the comeback we deserve. It's true that we've been anticipating their return since their debut last year with "1, 2, 3," a rookie debut that was so impressive that it rivaled Mamamoo's stellar entry into the Kpop world. A debut so impressive that we're just gonna place it here for you to enjoy all over again:

Bad ass charisma, a killer song (with a memorable hook), and those vocals tho. What more could you ask for in a rookie group?

And then Purlfes up and disappeared. For nearly a year. It was terrible. Many Kpop fans missed them, questioned if they disbanded, bemoaned their small, inefficient agency. But did we storm their offices? Protested on the streets? No, we mostly got over their absence, and for our lack of sincerity we've been awarded "A Bad Thing," which is in no way a bad thing, but a song that is more downbeat and has not capitalized on the hereafter lost momentum. Which is to say, "A Bad Thing" is hurt by our expectations, unfair expectations wrought with the passage of time.

If "A Bad Thing" came out soon after "1, 2, 3," or accompanied the single in a mini-album, we'd find the song a sexy, stylish companion piece that shows another side of Purfles while still showcasing their powerful vocals. But as a standalone song that we feel like we've been waiting forever for? We can't help but feel a bit disappointed.

2Eyes and GI

2Eyes and GI came back this week...or did they?

Look, we get it. Newer groups in smaller agencies have to sometimes dramatically alter their concepts to get attention and see what sticks. And 2Eyes' "Don't Mess With Me" was so random that their next song was destined to be a departure. The Pipi Longstocking look may cement them as one of the most random group ever.

"Pippi" actually takes an interesting turn about a minute and twenty seconds in, giving the song, and the video, some much-appreciated attitude and personality.

But GI's "DoliGo DoliGo" is just heartbreaking. The group has shed their tomboy image, one that led to the criminally underrated, "Beatles."

Instead we get something far more generic, and rather unseemly (the mouse cursor waving around BUTT and the excessive lollipop licking is not as charming as the producers may have thought). We're not ones to decry the decline of Kpop's morals or reminisce for simpler, more wholesome days, but this release feels cynical and leaves a bad taste in our mouths. It makes us sad.

Ladies' Code

Speaking of sad...we're going to just leave this here for you. No commentary. It still feels too raw.

MV of the Month: SHINee's "Married to the Music" 

We were a bit late in announcing our MV of the Month for August, but better late than never, right? SHINee takes the crown for "Married to the Music," but don't take our word for it, check out why they deserve the recognition right here!

Why I Hate Music Shows, Part Three: The Format

Zander continues his analysis on just why he hates Kpop music shows. This week he takes apart the format. Want to see what his problem is? Check out his latest piece here!

August 30-September 5, 2015

And that was This Week in Kpop! We took a look at some of the smaller releases this week and how these newer groups are trying to find a place in Kpop. But next week? Red Velvet may just dominate. And we'll be there. Until then, have fun and be safe!

Why I Hate Music Shows, Part 3: The Format

In parts one and two of the series, I took a critical look at whether or not we could consider music shows to be actual competitions. Today, I’m turning my attention to the format of the shows to discuss how they use (and abuse) spectacle, illusion, and co-presence to create a show that is anything but live. And while that might be fine for certain kinds of television, it’s antithetical and harmful to one based on “live performance.”

It’s a grand illusion.

What is a live broadcast? Most people would define it as a direct broadcast from the source with little or no time-delay. A live broadcast maintains a high degree of authenticity. If this is happening live, the thinking goes, then there is no chance for the performance or the results to be doctored. And that concept of authenticity is incredibly important for things like sporting events and live performances.

It shouldn’t really come as any surprise that Kpop music shows are not live. There are fairly obvious signals if you pay attention to the broadcast. And yet, each of these shows assumes the posture of a live broadcast. They pretend. And this isn’t really that weird. There are hundreds of shows that adopt the rhetoric of live TV while still being pre-recorded. It’s all to create an illusion called co-presence, where the viewer is able to believe that he or she is connected to those on television through time if not space. A perfect example in Western culture is the late night show, typically filmed in the afternoon and then broadcast later against backdrops of the city skyline at night.

Creating the illusion of live TV is not necessarily a problem. Kpop music shows, however, aren’t any good at maintaining the illusion.

The format ruins the spectacle.

Television is based around spectacle. A spectacle, from the Latin “spectaculum,” is a public show, especially one that is large-scale and designed for entertainment. Before the advent of TV and internet, these public shows required physical presence. Nowadays, the spectacle includes both the live audience and the viewers at home, joining them together in co-presence. For that joining of audiences to work, the illusion of live broadcast must be maintained.

Kpop music shows struggle with this part, and that has everything to do with the format they employ. For a typical broadcast, a music show will first begin with the pre-recordings, which start early in the morning. Many groups will pre-record their entire performance, and the producers work hard to fill the seats with screaming fans throughout the day. They hustle fans in and out to ensure that the right fandom is screaming their fanchant for the right group. Even the MCs pre-record much of their script.

The idea here is that the producers will splice all these pre-recordings together along with the small portions of the show that are done live. The problem is that this splicing is clumsy and ruins any chance at co-presence. Every week, the viewer at home will watch a group perform one song, then, without even a commercial break, magically be on stage once more in a different outfit, in front of a different background, performing a different song. Obviously, one (or maybe both) of these has been pre-recorded, but the Kpop music shows make no effort to hide this fact. For the viewers at home, this ceases to be a spectacle in which they can believe they are a part.

And it’s even worse for the fans in the audience. While these pre-recorded segments are airing live, the various groups will come out on stage, wave their little hats, and blow a few kisses. “Look,” they seem to say to the audience, “Look what we did while you weren’t here.” Sometimes those recordings were made as much as a week ahead of time, following the recording of the prior week’s show. For all their production value, Kpop music shows ruin their potential as spectacles by failing to maintain the illusion of live broadcast and co-presence for both the live audience and the viewers at home.

The music is painfully, dreadfully, not live.

Aside from the issues of format and illusion, the Kpop music shows produce very little that can be considered “live music.” And for a show that is based around showcasing musical performance, this is wholly unsuitable.

The most frequent discussion around live performance typically centers around the issue of lip-syncing. The argument goes something like this. Those who believe that lip-syncing is an acceptable part of live performance typically cite the high degree of difficulty of Kpop dances, claiming that the required movement and heavy-breathing naturally affects vocal performance. To give fans the best performance possible, groups should be allow to lip-sync. Those on the other side of spectrum, however, see no reason to alter vocals. For what reason, they might ask, would we watch our idols perform live if not to hear their live vocals?

The co-Producer of Show! Music Core, Park Hyun Suk, famously weighed in on this issue by claiming that his show would be taking steps to eliminate lip-syncing. In an interview he claimed that, "Ultimately, one needs to sing at least 50% [of the song] live...K-pop is now influencing the world. As much as it is receiving a lot of interest, the standards of the international fans will also get higher.”

And he is right about one thing. Kpop is receiving much more scrutiny these days, and an inability to sing live is sure to draw negative criticism. But this viewer cannot help but note the hypocrisy in Park Hyun Suk’s statement. Not only is he ignoring the fact that the majority of all music shows are pre-recorded and, therefore, no different from lip-syncing; not only is he promoting a definition of live music that sets the bar at a dangerously low threshold of 50%; not only is he unaware that his own show films live performances in the same style as music videos, thereby creating a desire in the audience for the same level of vocal enhancement heard on the album; but he is also ignoring the fact that it is impossible, as in literally not allowed, for a Kpop artist to play an instrument live on stage.

Toy instruments make for pretend performance.

None of the Kpop music shows make it possible for artists to play live music on their shows. That might sound like an issue that only applies to rock bands. The big name group import their synthesized tunes from a factory somewhere in the Nordic peninsula, after all. But the very reason why idols are allowed to lip-sync at all is because there is no opportunity for live instrumentation. No live instrumentation means that a MR (music recorded) track must be piped into the sound system, and from that point it is all too easy to start adding pre-recorded vocals. Just a section here and there quickly becomes the majority of the song.

For groups that actually do play instruments, they have zero ability to translate that into live performance. This was painfully obvious with Wonder Girls’ recent comeback in which the women took up instruments that looked very much like the toys they were. The instruments were not connected to the sound board, and Wonder Girls did not waste much effort on acting. No matter that Wonder Girls actually can play their instruments; on a show like Show! Music Core, they are not allowed to plug them in. And the same is true for more established bands like Nell and CNBLUE.

Wonder Girls performing "I Feel You" on Show! Music Core

Maybe what is so disturbing about this inability to accommodate live instrumentation is that there is no reason for it. The producers will, of course, cite the difficulties involved in set-up and breakdown for multiple bands. But this is misdirection, pure and simple. The average comeback stage is every bit as time-intensive in terms of production value.

Furthermore, if we are willing to accept the format of Kpop music shows as being pre-recorded, then where’s the problem? Set them up early, record them early, and break them down early. If that’s not good enough, a two-stage system is an easy fix. Ultimately this lack of live instrumentation is limiting for Kpop artists. Their only option right now, though Park Hyun Suk and his peers won’t want to admit it, is to rely on pre-recorded music.

The joy of watching our favorite idols perform on stage should be the ability to watch them, live, in real-time (or at least the illusion of real-time), using their own vocals and (if desired) playing their own instruments. The problem is that the Kpop music shows make this impossible with their draconian format.

Join me next week for the final part of the series in which I take on...fandoms!


Zander Stachniak is a southern-born, Chicago-based writer who first discovered Kpop through ShoutCast Radio. His biases are f(x) and Block B.

MV of the Month: SHINee's 'Married to the Music'

The month of August was filled with potential contenders for the title, Music Video of the Month. Girls' Generation, Big Bang, maybe even HyunA? All of them were good. But nothing stood out for us quite like SHINee's "Married to the Music." Released one month ago yesterday, let's ask Timothy Moore and Zander Stachniak to give us a rundown of just why SHINee takes the prize!

Tim: When I heard that SHINee released a "horror video" for "Married to the Music," my expectations were definitely not high. And, really, this isn't a "horror" video per se, as the video is essentially very silly as opposed to horrifying. And that's really where I was blown away, how far these guys go in looking ridiculous or awful...or decapitated.

Yes, there's moments where they can flex their idol-charisma, but there's also time for Taemin to lose his eyes, Key to lose his head, Jonghyun to throw up confetti (and lose his mouth), Onew to lose his nose, and Minho to get his head all burnt! It's all rather refreshing to see your favorite idols in the midst of unflattering, gruesome imagery and it shows the confidence SHINee has that they can go all out. The whole time I'm watching this video, I couldn't help but think, is this really an SM video? And that's awesome to have my expectations checked.

Zander: That's a really good point, Tim. Not only is this unexpected for an SM video, but it's unexpected for any idol to purposefully allow himself to look anything less than perfect. What I love about this video is that SHINee took a risk in going the zany route. Instead of horror, I'd describe this video as akin to walking through a Halloween funhouse. There's gruesome bits, like eyeballs rolling on the floor. But it's also obviously fake, like Key's glowing green entrails, which makes it fun more than anything. This might be the first music video that has made me laugh out loud. When the sink sprouted a hand and grabbed Onew's nose, that was it for me! 

And even though the lyrics are clearly about a love interest, I can't help but want to read something else into it. I see SHINee here as celebrating their (often crazy) lifestyle as Kpop idols, as being "married to the music" you might say. When we hear and read about so many idol groups disbanding, struggling with depression and burnout, or complaining about slave contracts, it's hard not to look at SHINee as an exception, as at least one group that is in love with what they are doing. Or maybe this is just really great marketing by SM.

Tim: I think they definitely love what they're doing - and it shows in the video! This marriage has definitely stood the test of time! And if you're loving the official video, why not check out the performance version?

Then tell me they don't love the music, with all their hearts!

This Week in Kpop: August 23-29, 2015

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 butt legs some other body part) and Red Velvet (sponsored by scandal ice 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!

Clash of the Girl Groups: Second Opinion 

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!

Why I Hate Music Shows, Part 2: Judgment System

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!

Why I Hate Music Shows, Part 2: System of Judgment

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.