I’m going to start this review off with saying that I have watched none of Unpretty Rapstar, so I may not be in the best position to really speculate on the outcome of the show. But after watching a couple of the raps, I felt compelled to listen to them all. What followed were four blistering tracks showing a great range in emotion and tone but all were personal for better or worse. I’m trying to look at these in a purely musical way ignoring the troubling mechanics of the show in order to get a better grasp of these girls as rappers. If we do that, then the show can turn out to be a force for good in giving some of these smaller female rappers a stage to shine on.
The semi final was split up into two rap battles, one between Cheetah and Jimin, the other between Jessi and Jolly V. These were less rap battles and more match ups, as they just performed one after the other.
Singers usually promote one or two songs from their mini or full-length album. And in many cases some of the songs are left without a music video or the love they deserve. Every artist has at least one song that fans think should have a music video. People’s choices will most definitely differ, but here are a few we think would make great music videos if not just for the extra promotion of the song, as long as the videos don’t look like they could feature on fulltube.xxx because music isn’t just about being sexualized, we have to grow out of that still after years.
Jay Park I Love You
Jay Park music videos can be extremely sexy and steamy, cute and sweet, or fun and having a good time. I Love You could be one of his sexy ones, or a video that goes the really sexy route, or one that plays with the chance of romance and steaminess. Jay actually did do a video that shows off a killer dance routine for the R&B-inspired song. And based on the dance, the whole music video can just focus on the dance in different settings with different outfits; keep it crisp and simple. The beat and music make I Love You the perfect song to showcase a sensual yet hard hitting dance routine. Sometimes all we need is a great dance music video to give us life.
Any f(x) song would have an equally awesome music video. They somehow manage to make most, if not all, of their songs stick with fans. Spit It Out is a fun, upbeat song that offers many different directions for a music video. An avant garde concept might work best based on the beat, use of ‘80s synths, and the video game sounds that are prevalent throughout. The heavily processed sounds would match a quirky styled music video and the ladies of f(x) can pull off any concept. Out-of-the-box hairstyles, clothing, accessories, and almost cartoon-like settings would create an unrealistic world that corresponds to the lyrics and the reaction of the narrator of the song.
SHINee One Minute Back
In all honesty, SHINee could make a video for any of their songs and it would be well received (in most cases). But One Minute Back has a different sound and musical pattern compared to their other singles. The guys’ vocals sound wonderful together and the chorus is inviting and somehow manages to make everyone sound like a great singer when they sing along. A One Minute Back music video would benefit with close-ups of each member as they’re singing and looking into the camera. A dance routine that utilizes a prop, possibly a chair, would have to be a stop-and-go type dance to match the music and the beat, but the perfect prop can create a memorable dance (similar to Dream Girl with the mic stands) and showcase different performers than what we may be used to.
VIXX B.O.D.Y
VIXX have intense concepts for their songs. They’re mainly dark, futuristic, and creepy in an artsy way. But B.O.D.Y is an upbeat song that’s not too cutesy or sugary. The video would definitely have a lighter theme than some of their most recent ones, but it would showcase the boys’ fun sides without being over-the-top bubble gum pop. For B.O.D.Y, a dance that has one or two moves as basically the whole dance might work best. The song itself isn’t groundbreaking in any way and an intricate dance wouldn’t fit the tone and neither would a super cute one. The guys don’t even have to dance in the video, just having a fun and upbeat VIXX song with a video would be a nice addition to their other singles.
Seungri did end up performing Let’s Talk About Love, but he never released a music video. In this music video, a concept that uses black, white, and red as the main colors for wardrobe and setting would create a classy atmosphere. Some silhouettes when Seungri sings the chorus and when G-Dragon and Taeyang appear in the song would create a sense of mystery and take the focus away from their facial features. Also close ups of GD and Taeyang as they’re singing/rapping with minimal lighting would emphasize their facial features and play with the shadows and angles on their faces; a sexy yet classy concept for Let’s Talk About Love.
What songs would you love to see have their own music video? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/seungri.png7681024Tarahttp://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngTara2015-03-20 19:25:112015-12-07 15:44:15K-Pop Songs That Should Have Music Videos
MADTOWN debuted in October of 2014 with YOLO and it was an unexpected direction taken by J. Tune Camp, which took a lot of people by surprise. However, it was a risk worth taking because the music video and song itself ended up being well-received by the audiences. Now these guys are back and they’re telling you to deuru wa (which means ‘come in’ in Korean) with another dance track New World off their 2nd mini album Welcome To Madtown.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/278.jpeg382675Tam Huynhhttp://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngTam Huynh2015-03-18 17:47:122015-03-18 17:59:25MADTOWN ‘New World’ Music Video & Song Review
Take every genre of music that you love, a few that you can’t stand, over-the-top theater productions, and half of what you’ll find in every post-modern art exhibit, and you may stumble upon South Korean performance-musician duo EE. EE, comprised of married couple Lee Hyun Joon (Big E) and Lee Yun Joung (Little E,) recently featured on MFBTY’s comeback song Buckubucku alongside BTS’s Rap Monster, and are getting ready for their shows at 2015 SXSW.
Little E took a few moments to tell KultScene about the duo’s plans for the future.
Can you please introduce yourselves to KultScene’s readers?
“We’re EE from Korea! We call ourselves a “total art performance group.” It sounds really big and fancy, but it just means that we like to mix many different things together like art, music, visuals, and fashion to make really cool and unique performances.
What does “EE” mean?
Lee is our family name, the letter “E” is easy to say, and it can also be used in lots of different words. That’s why we chose the name EE.
What’s your creative process like?
Big E and I are married. So we have many conversations every day about our lives and contemporary issues. We talk about these things, scribble and draw about them, and write about them. Then we take our ideas and make them into sounds, videos, art exhibitions, and performances.
What music, style, artists, etc. influences your performances?
We’re mainly influenced by older artists like Joy Division, David Bowie, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and others. Sometimes I’m influenced by art exhibitions and sometimes by my baby too.
The two of you are married. Does that ever make it difficult to work together?
Sometimes it makes things extremely difficult! But we’ve learned how to separate things. At home, we’re family. At work, we’re co-workers. That mindset helps us keep things a bit more balanced.
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What was your reaction when you found out you’ll be performing at SXSW?
We jumped in the air and chest bumped each other! We were obviously very happy about the news.
EE previously performed in the US at Coachella in 2011, becoming the only Korean band to ever play at the festival. What was it like performing for an overseas crowd that maybe wasn’t so familiar with your style?
Coachella was a really cool experience. We played early in the day, and as you said not many people were familiar with our music. But when we began our set, people started literally running over to watch us. I saw them from the stage and I was thrilled by their actions.
What do you expect from the audience at SXSW?
We always do whatever we want and never think about how people will react to things. But we’re hoping the crowd at SXSW will come in with an open mind and will want to play and have fun with us. We want to get crazy together with everyone!
You just released “Wiggy Dawn.” Can you tell us a little bit about the song?
“Wiggy Dawn” is about Korean working moms’ escape into the dawn of the modern world. Korean moms often feel “locked up” by Confucian ideology, their duties as mothers, and stress from work. A mom has to be Superwoman. This is my story too. “Wiggy Dawn” is from our new EP, “Dear Door.” I think doors always represent the ability to go to another place or to escape.
“Dear Door” came out on March 13 and we released the music video for “Wiggy Dawn” that same day. Please check the EP and music video out!
Can you suggest a few songs for new fans of EE to listen to?
“Curiosity Kills,” “Gaweebaweevo,” “Banging Till I Die,” and “High Collar.”
What are EE’s plans for 2015 and the future?
Big E is going to have an exhibition at the Venice Biennale. I’m working with my first band, Pippi Band, again to make something for our 20th anniversary. Also we have plans for more overseas gigs for EE. And since we have a new EP out, we’re thinking about maybe doing some performances in a museum in Korea.
Is there anything else you’d like to let fans know about EE?
Many things in the world fit nicely inside in a box. But EE exists outside of that box. If you want to experience something that’s different, weird, and fun come find us! You’ll be happy you did.”
EE will be playing two shows at 2015 SXSW. If you’re in the area, make sure to stop by and see what this couple’s performances are like! : March 18 Austin, Texas (11 pm) @ 405 Club March 19 Austin, Texas (10:30 pm) @ Elysium (K-Pop Night Out)
Check out the music video for “Wiggy Dawn,” and then watch it again while you try to figure out what is going on.
What do you think of EE? Do you like this performance style art? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/EE-12.jpg6801020Tamar Hermanhttp://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngTamar Herman2015-03-17 15:39:302015-04-23 07:13:37EE Are South Korean Performance Artists Fitting Outside The Box [Interview]
As far as guidebooks go, Daniel Tudor’s A Geek In Korea: Discovering Asian’s New Kingdom of Cool is probably one of the most interesting, insightful books a Korean-phile, or random tourist, could read, filled with information about South Korea’s culture, history, food, music, and more.
The book mixes glossy photos with paragraphs upon paragraphs of information. Tudor, who has lived in South Korea for several years, gives his own personal opinion about the best points of Korea and veers into commentary about Korean society from a foreigner’s perspective.
Some things are worth taking with a grain of salt as it is the author’s opinion, but Tudor has real insight on Korean culture. He doesn’t only highlight what is popular, but includes additional information, even an entire section, about what he personally would suggest seeing in Korea. As someone who has spent an extended period of time in Korea, he definitely offers a unique perspective.
There are a lot of tidbits for anybody interested in Korean culture, ranging from information about dating culture to the history of Korea and how it ended up the way it is. By breaking the culture and country down into several informative chapters, A Geek In Korea touches on many different facets of society, including K-pop, the gaming industry, business, and daily life in general.
Tudor’s personal stories are entertaining and give a really good taste of what it is like living in South Korea as a foreigner. He calls a spade a spade, and includes some odd, slightly negative aspects of South Korea, but A Geek In Korea definitely balances out the bad with the overwhelmingly good aspects of Korea.
Quasi-information guide, quasi-tour book, Tudor also provides shopping advice and information about Seoul and the rest of South Korea without coming across as didactic as the average guide book tends to do. Tudor’s writing style comes across as both entertaining and informative, and is a pleasure to read. In fact, A Geek In Korea doesn’t even really read like a guidebook; as I was reading it, I had a hard time putting it down.
There were a few things that seemed a little bit extraneous, and some factual information was wrong (some photos were mislabeled, including one particular one naming a K-pop idol by the wrong name,) but overall A Geek In Korea provides exactly what it promises, a self-proclaimed geek’s guide to South Korea.
Interested in buying it? You can purchase it on Tuttle’s website where it is currently the cheapest, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other book retailers.
Are you interested in reading the book? Have you read it? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Untitled-design-3.png7681024Tamar Hermanhttp://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngTamar Herman2015-03-12 20:38:202015-03-12 20:38:20‘A Geek in Korea’ Provides A Glossy Overlook Of Modern South Korea [Review]
NU’EST are bad guys and they know it. They’re back with their first solo digital singleI’m Bad in celebratory of their third anniversary. Unfortunately, one of the members, Baekho, wasn’t able to partake in this production due to recovering from having his vocal cord nodules removed. Nonetheless, this is NU’EST’s tribute to the fans, and they’re here to showcase their glistening masculinity and mature side.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/NUEST1.jpg479700Tam Huynhhttp://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngTam Huynh2015-03-11 19:10:242015-03-16 02:10:13NU’EST ‘I’m Bad’ Music Video & Song Review
After riding high on the success of The Heirs, Kim Woo Bin is back with the action-packed heist movie The Technicians… Or more like came back in December of last year when it was originally released in Korea, but only made its way to DramaFever (they have the exclusive rights to it) on March 7th, giving us all Hallyu enthusiasts even more reasons to stay in on a weekend.
The Technicians, also referred to as The Con Artists on some websites, is a suspense-lite film about the revenge seeking hustler Ji Hyeok (Woo Bin) and his partners-in-crime Koo In (Ko Chang Seok) and the superb hacker Jong Bae (Lee Hyun Woo, the second male lead on To the Beautiful You) collaborating on a major heist with President Jo (Kim Young Chul), an even greater crook, and his gang.
This film comes out of director Kim Hong Seon’s mind, who also brought us the drama Liar Game and the film The Traffickers, for which he won the Rookie Director Award at the Cheong-ryong Movie Awards in 2012.
With this in mind, we know that the man does suspense well. But as mentioned before, suspense wasn’t really what drove The Technicians’s plot. Sure, watching Ji Hyeok try to open the safe at the diamond store while the cops lurked outside or as the cop car circled in on them while emptying the safe at Incheon Customs was tense, but we have all seen these scenes done time and time again before.
And that’s how the whole movie turned out; I felt as if I had watched it before, I knew what was coming. It was basically Ocean’s Eleven adorned with combat scenes here and there we’ve seen in other action thrillers. More than it’s own unique movie, The Technicians felt like the Korean version remake of a well-known film. It had it’s own flavor, since Hollywood and Korean films are different, yet nevertheless underwhelming.
I did, however, enjoy the backstory. Or more like the idea of the backstory, since the writers glossed over it to make the action portions the main attractions. I get how blockbusters work, I really do, but how am I supposed to believe that Ji Hyeok’s affection for his mentor is what drives his vengeful agenda if we get one scene out of the story and the random fact that he’s an orphan? And what about the rest of the gang, were they only greddy hustlers out for the money or did they also have a story? We never learn anything about anyone with the exception of Ji Hyeok, making everyone else accessories to Ji Hyeok’s story. Most of the characters in The Technicians are one dimensional; vague and without depth — the same as the plot.
However, one thing that I did appreciate about the film and another reason it made it similar to Ocean’s Eleven was the whole heist-within-a-heist factor. Even if viewers have seen the technique in other movies, the elaborateness of the actual heist and how it’s all explained at the end, realizing you were fooled together with the bad guys is appreciated. I mean, am I alone when I say my heart stopped for a second when Ji Hyeok jumps into the ocean? But that may have been due to my bias towards Kim Woo Bin, which leads me to…
via bobolun @ Tumblr
… A much appreciated little gem. Thank you Mr. Kim Hong Seon for thinking of us fangirls.
At the end of the day, The Technicians is an entertaining movie you would watch on tv as you’re flipping through the channels, or in this case while waiting for your drama’s next episode to be released, but not the type to go to a theatre and spend $12 on. Kim Woo Bin is the utter star of the film: he’s the protagonist, the story is about and revolves around his character, who is the mastermind of it all, and he actually delivered the least over-the-top performance. So if you’re a Kim Woo Bin fan, I recommend The Technicians, if not, it’s better to have it as backup.
via irrational-obsessions @ Tumblr
DramaFever is currently streaming The Technicians for premium members. Check out the trailer here:
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Untitled-design-2.png7681024Alexis Hodoyan-Gastelumhttp://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngAlexis Hodoyan-Gastelum2015-03-10 16:12:192015-03-10 16:25:42‘The Technicians’ Is Korea’s Answer To Hollywood Heist Films
During the last week of February and the first week of March, Amoeba Culture released the choreographed versions to some of their artists’ hit songs. Dynamic Duo’s AEAO and Crush’s Whatever You Do were the two songs chosen. Both videos use the original recording of the song but with choreography performed by professional dancers. Both videos add a new element to the songs and show the appreciation for the art of dance.
Dynamic Duo released their digital single A Giant Step with DJ Premier in 2014 with the singles Animal and AEAO. Both tracks produced their own music videos, but it wasn’t until February 2015 that Dynamic Duo released a new music video that featured freestyle dance by Monster Woo Fam (Bucky, Youngster, Monster Woo, and Boram) and J-Black.
This music video is a beautiful way to showcase the expressive art of freestyle dance. The backlighting and minimal flashing lights help provide a bit of anonymity for the dancers so only their moves are the main attraction. For a song like AEAO, you don’t necessarily have to use facial expressions to help convey emotions. Instead, the mid-tempo beat, scratching, and contrast between the pace of the music and of the rapping create a freestyle landscape full of possibilities for the dancers.
All of these dancers express how the song makes them feel through their powerful and sometimes elegant movements. It adds an extra element to the song and music and creates a story of its own that could be interpreted differently by every person who watches it. For instance the rough, abrupt, and aggressive moves may show anger, frustration or even dominance. Whereas the more elegant, fluid, and subtle motions show confidence while not flaunting all one has.
Whatever You Do
One of the songs off of Crush’s first full-length album, Crush On You, features Gray, and now has a dance-focused music video. The song is choreographed by Bucky, a member of the Monster Woo Fam. Bucky starts the song off solo in a barren warehouse parking lot. He is then joined by Trix as the two completely crush the synchronized moves throughout the first part of the song.
Unlike the first part of the song where Bucky begins solo, Monika takes the solo reigns for the second part of the dance inside one of the warehouse buildings. She is then joined by fellow dancer Youngster. Like Bucky and Trix, Monika and Youngster are always in sync. Bucky and Trix appear again, inside the warehouse, and soon join Monika and Youngster (after their second duet) as the four dance together through the end of the song.
Their movements and interactions with each other create a storyline that is compatible with the lyrics of the song. Their light movements correlate to the strings in the song and the happy, warm vibe they give throughout the song. The use of a male-female partnership for Whatever You Do emphasizes Crush’s lyrics about pulling the girl into his arms, and being next to each other. The lyrics that are clearly portrayed throughout the choreography is
Whatever you do Whatever you feel Whatever you see Just stay like that Whatever you do Whatever you feel Whatever you see Just stay by my side
The partners are always by each other’s sides (aside from the brief solos). They move with each other, breathe with each other, and feel with each other. They relay Crush’s words into movement.
It’s nice to have these types of videos for a few reasons. One, it allows the choreography and dancers to have the spotlight as opposed to being in the background. Dance is a beautiful art form and where some idols do dance their choreographed dances very well, there’s always that extra something special when the choreographer and trained dancers perform it.
These videos shed light on the masterminds behind the scenes and help express a different art form other than singing and rapping. The dancing and choreography videos help connect listeners and audiences in different ways than if only the music video was available. Focusing on only the dancing performed by the choreographer allows them to put their story to the song and express it for fans.
Dynamic Duo and Crush, along with Zion.T, will perform in NYC and Atlanta at the end of March as part of the Amoeba Culture Tour 2015 hosted by Music Enkor. Our previous article has more details.
Do you like the idea of these types of music videos where the choreographer and professional dancers are the only ones dancing? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Amoeba-Culture.png7681024Tarahttp://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngTara2015-03-06 17:10:362015-03-12 01:59:52Amoeba Culture’s Ode to Dancers [Updated]
As we established on the first installment of misheard K-pop lyrics, international fans often struggle with understanding songs. Not only are they in an entirely different language, but most often than not, they are also adorned with a few English words here and there. And while this lets us English speakers sing along to some parts of a song, it also opens the door for misinterpretation. I mean really, who hasn’t sung something thinking it’s in English only to realize it’s actually Korean, and, yes, in some cases, the other way around? Here are a few of our misconceptions:
1. EXO-KHistory
What we heard: “Break it, you’re my Givenchy” What it says: “Break it! Yongmangui banchik”
via xlinahx @ Tumblr
2. f(x)Zig Zag
What we heard: “Tik tok, tik tok” What it says: “Zig zag, zig zag”
What we heard: “Yeah, I’m the female mimosa, you got that?” What it says: “Yeah, I’m the female monster. You know that”
by bbspaz
4. Super JuniorSuperman
What we heard: “Super horny” What it says: “Superholic”
via kenh14 @ Tumblr
5. CNBLUEHey You
What we heard: “Da-ring, da-ring, da-ring, da-ring. I’ve had a Monday, Tuesday, better day” What it says: “Darling, darling, darling, darling. Haru haru Monday, Tuesday, better day”
via a-kpop-gif-per-day @ Tumblr
6. Girls’ GenerationBeep
What we heard: “Everywhere I eat a beep beep beep beep” What it says: “Everywhere, a iga beep beep beep beep”
by kpop gif central
7. After SchoolShh
What we heard: “She, she, she, she, she, she, she” What it says: “Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh”
What we heard: “Dirty sexy, dirty, dirty, dirty sexy, dirty dirty… Cause I’m dirty, baby” What it says: “Thirty sexy, thirty, thirty, thirty sexy, thirty, thirty… Cause I’m 30 baby”
by kpopcorngifs
What are some misheard K-pop lyrics you’ve noticed? Share them with us in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.
After nearly two years and a scandal, Shinhwa is back and these legends are ready to rock your world all over again! WE is the group’s 12th full-length album and it was released on February 26th, 2015. Minwoo wrote the lyrics for Alright, Give It 2 Me, and I’m In Love, whilst Eric arranged and wrote the rap lyrics for all 10 songs on the album along with David Kim. The general theme of this album shows their maturity and sophistication but still delivers an urban pop feel.
For most artists, inspiration for lyrics usually stems from good and bad experiences. Since being in the industry for almost 20 years, I don’t doubt that a lot of Shinhwa’s lyrics come from their own personal experiences, whether individually or as a whole. With most members in their mid thirties this year, this album displayed a side to them in which they haven’t fully exposed in their previous albums. Each and every member was able to display a sexy and mature side of them, a side in which was already expected since they’re older “idols”; it is simply just another reminder to the listeners that although they’re in a “boy band”, they’re fully grown men who mean business! Long live the kings!
1. Alright
The lyrics of this song has the members of Shinhwa questioning about whether or not if this fairy like goodness whose in front of them is real or just a figment of their imagination; she’s perfect in everyway, from the “twinkling” in her eyes, to her sweet scent. This track has a feel-good vibe, one in which you’ll continuously find yourself twiddling your fingers and nodding your head back and forth. ChaCha Malone and GRAY from AOMG took part in composing and arranging this song, which lightly sprayed a swag element to the track. Hands down this is my favorite track off this album!
