Page 17 – KultScene

Quick thoughts on K-pop journalism by a K-pop journalist

June 9, 2017/in Features, OPINION /by Tamar Herman

International news reporting, whatever the content, is always more difficult than telling a local story. Sources are harder to reach, there are linguistic and cultural barriers, among other complications. But with K-pop there’s another special breed because of the ardent passion that fans throughout the world have for the content.

Hallyu is a fast-paced field, and often the information easily gets misconstrued. There are a lot of great sites out there releasing properly reported info in timely manners, and there are some that don’t do that.

K-pop news has really been all over the place as of late, so I’d like to address some recent issues in a short and sweet rant that uses no names aside from my own (and some outlet names) because I’m not trying to make this a call-out. I just want to point out, from the perspective of someone who has followed K-pop for over a decade and ended up writing about it (more or less by accident, but that’s another story altogether), that K-pop journalism is a bit of a mess right now, both because of creators and the audience the content is aimed at.

Fake News Thrives Amongst the Larger K-pop Fandom

There were erroneous rumors last month that a certain accomplishment by a certain band overseas wasn’t getting local (South Korean) attention. Somehow, it viral that the act was “blacklisted.” That is despite the feat getting coverage by all of the major English-language Korean outlets that cover K-pop (Yonhap, K-Pop Herald, Mwave Enews, etc., aka my daily reading) and there were news segments in Korea about it. Once the band returned to Korea, after staying in the States a few days and holding a concert in Australia, coverage was more thorough now that the act was back in Korea.

Why did that idea go viral? Because it was believable. K-pop has dealt with blacklists in the past quite publicly. But I personally don’t think that was the case, and I think the “blacklist” idea that recently surfaced was quite a good example of how fake news often looks like real news, and typically is just about what you want to believe.

Speaking of fake news, here’s the thing… Many, but definitely not all, English-language K-pop outlets are all about the clicks. Many media outlets FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD are about the clicks nowadays, because views are what’s important in this day and age. Because of this, there are often extremely exaggerated headlines to grab people’s attention. And because of the fast-paced environment, facts will often be played up without ensuring that the source is legitimate.

Also on KultScene: KultScene’s K-Pop Unmuted: May Recap

My suggestion for all of this? Follow Korean news outlets that publish in English. Read reputable news sites, like Soompi or the Korea Herald, that have translators on staff and source everything from Korean reports. Why? Because you need to be able to know that something isn’t just getting made up, and that whatever you’re reading isn’t an exaggeration.

About Those Headlines…

This isn’t even just about translated material. This is about everything you read. You should know its source so that you can decide what to believe, rather than to jump on the sensationalism train. For example, there is a certain site that has a history of overemphasizing random facts of a larger article for headlines to better grab audience’s eyes…

As a journalist, I’ve had this happen. I’ve literally seen people misrepresent what my articles say. I recently wrote something along the lines of: “A Group was one of the most innovative acts” in K-pop. What they wrote: “X Outlet calls A Group the most innovative K-pop act.” Those are very different. It was small, but enough that I had to click on the site to double check that yes, they were misquoting me. I don’t know it was intentional on the writer’s part, or it merely got lost in the writing process. That’s why you should always go to source material. Not just because a random journo like Tamar Herman wants you to, but because aggregation is like a game of broken telephone. Something undoubtedly gets lost or misconstrued. It happens. I’d like to think that it doesn’t happen on purpose. But sometimes when an outlet sensationalizes something extremely sensitive, like health and legal issues, it ensures that they have lost their sense of journalistic integrity. So do your research. You. Headlines are great. But if you don’t read the article, question the article, and think about the article, you’re likely missing some important information.

This isn’t just about K-pop, but all news material. It sucks, but we’re living in the age where “fake news” is bandied about, and it’s for good reason. So just do some digging, don’t take headlines at their worth, question an article if it’s remotely intriguing, and, if you’re interested in something, click all the links until you can find the source.

Also on KultScene: Goodbye, SISTAR: our thoughts & memories

K-pop Content Isn’t Just for Card -Carrying K-Pop Fans

An article on a website dedicated to K-pop won’t think it has to explain the impact of Girls’ Generation on the industry. An article on another type of outlet will have to do so. There has been, wonderfully, an uptick in non-K-pop outlets covering K-pop. There has also, unfortunately, been a sense of entitlement accompanying them.

K-pop articles are, of course, for the fans. But every single article written is to tell the audience something. If the audience of a website isn’t the K-pop fandom, things will need to be made relatable, and the content will need to be tailored for an audience that cares about different things than the average K-pop fan does. It may be the writer’s decision, it could be an editor’s. But K-pop’s audience is growing and it’s wonderful. But it also means that you, long-term-K-pop-fan who knows which year was the best year for K-pop music in the past decade and which was dubbed the “Kpocalypse,” know a lot of K-pop facts while someone else may not. You’re an expert! The random reader is not, so things that you think are so obvious (clearly Girls’ Generation had a major impact on K-pop) isn’t really and a writer will take that into account. Things you may be interested in, like when a band is having a comeback, may be less important to someone trying to figure out why K-pop is making so much money. And that’s totally fine.

So, yeah, I guess just… think a bit first when reading K-pop news content. Before you read anything, really. Overall, just something to think about before sending cute, red-glasses wearing journos death threats on Twitter because I threw in a “Gangnam Style” reference for the uninitiated who don’t know that I have immense inner turmoil anytime anyone calls Psy a “K-pop act.”

What are your thoughts on the matter? Let us know 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.

Goodbye, SISTAR: our thoughts & memories

June 8, 2017/in Fans /by KultScene

By Ana Clara Ribeiro and Kushal Dev

The Queens of Summer are officially gone. SISTAR had their last comeback on May 31^th with the song “Lonely,” which we’ve mentioned before on our Weekly Faves. While it’s sad to see one more iconic girl group disband, especially one that didn’t give any signs it would, the best way to say goodbye to Hyolyn, Bora, Soyou, and Dasom is to celebrate and remember the good things, just like they did in their last music video. KultScene’s writers Ana Clara Ribeiro and Kushal Dev talk about their favourite memories of the group, what they liked about them, and their feelings about the disbandment.

Their Mark

Ana Clara: If K-pop were high school, in my opinion, SISTAR would definitely be that group of hot popular girls that all the boys want to date and all the girls want to be like or hang out with. Even the name of the group alludes to the idea of sorority and female friendship. I’ve always been amazed at their dance skills (that leg lift on “How Dare You,” oh my God), Soyou and Hyolyn’s vocal abilities, and how they dance and sing so well while always looking flawless and smiling non-stop in the highest heels! I mean, is there anything they can’t do?

But more than that, I think what made them unique was the union of all these traits plus the “summer feels” in their music and videos. There are lot of groups who do sexy concepts, but SISTAR distinguished from the others because they weren’t just sexy; they were unapologetically “Queen Bees” and they had fun with it. It’s not like they were shaking their awesome bodies and being all gorgeous only for the pleasure of their viewers; they were actually enjoying themselves and bringing the party with them, wherever they are.

Actually, the fact that SISTAR is disbanding even in spite of no signs of decadence basically reinforces the metaphor of the Queen Bees of high school. It’s like they’re graduating. We may not know what are they gonna do now, but at least they’re saying goodbye with honors, leaving an untouched impression to their seniors, and having a blast in their last vacations together in Macau.

Kushal Dev: K-pop groups will come and go, and new fans will, at least at the current rate, pile into the genre in higher and higher numbers. Just like 2NE1, Wonder Girls, and KARA, SISTAR is another group that cannot be forgotten, even after their disbandment. As a girl group, they really are nothing short of legends — who else can have nine straight title tracks go number one? No one in recent memory, that’s for sure. SISTAR is, as a friend of mine told me in her despondence after reading the disbandment news, the icon of the Korean summer. To represent an entire season, to push out of the genre of K-pop in any context and be able to contribute to the larger culture, that is what makes a group not only a K-pop group, but also a force of nature in itself.

There are very few groups whose charisma, prowess, sex appeal, and talent flow so naturally — onstage, in music videos, or even live, as many fans have claimed. It’s not just their music that has launched them so far upwards; they make their beauty and glamour look effortless. Not every Brave Brothers song is a hit, not even Black Eyed Pilseung hits the Melon roof — the hits don’t make SISTAR, SISTAR makes the hits.

And it’s important to keep in mind that the group, often compared against the generation’s most formidable competitors Girls Generation and 2NE1, came from nowhere near the Big 3. Starship Entertainment might be a notable name in the K-pop industry now, but it was SISTAR that put them on the map. Compared to the Wonder Girls or KARA or anyone of the like, SISTAR came from relatively nothing, and to be able to stand next to them as comparable equals is legendary and forever impressive.

Even in their disbandment, they continue to redefine standards for girl groups around them. As we all know, girl groups are falling left and right these days, often without any sort of warning, last release, or promotion. 2NE1 and Wonder Girls received some praise for doing a last song release, but neither promoted, and only 2NE1’s “Goodbye” even received a music video.

SISTAR, on the other hand, never fails to outdo the rest (and, if you don’t know me as a writer, I say this as a diehard Blackjack and a casual Wonderful). Of all of these groups, SISTAR maintained all four members to the end and released a last song, with a music video, and a full week of promotion. They not only sang their title track “Lonely,” but performed multiple medleys of their hits across broadcast stations last week. The entire K-pop community should applaud SISTAR for setting the bar so high, as we can only hope that on the fateful day that our faves fall apart, they do something as special as SISTAR did for their fans in their last days together.

Also on KultScene: Artist Spotlight: Sistar

Personal Memories

by Alejandro Abarca

AC: “So Cool” was one of the first K-pop songs I heard, and the first song from SISTAR I came across. I have so many good memories about it, it’s hard to chose only one. As a Brazilian person, I can’t help thinking of the funny jokes people make about this song, due to the fact that “so cool” sounds like a pejorative way to describe a specific part of the human body in Portuguese, and joking about the fact that this is a polyglot song since we can hear Korean, English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

However, as someone who joined the K-pop fandom years after “So Cool” was released, I remember my impressions when I heard this song for this time and I was so elated by the contagious rhythm and those amazing girls that seemed “so cool” — actually, a little more cool than my ignorant mindset would expect from an Asian group. This song and music video were among the things that opened the doors for me to explore, research, and understand K-pop better.

“Shake It” is another song that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to listen without reminiscing important moments of my life. When I had my first contact with it, I was a little more advanced in my “K-pop journey” and I remember paying attention to the melody and production, taking notes about how the song calls down on some old Motown songs and about the number of hooks. I’m not saying “Shake It” is the greatest song in the world (especially because I later discovered that they had released something extremely similar before, “Touch My Body”), but for some reason it came to me in a moment where I was beginning to see K-pop as a real movement that involves the work of so many people (writers, producers, choreographers, directors, singers), and not only a bunch of loud electronic beats with random people jumping with colorful clothes. It’s one of the songs I’ve listened the most during that moment, and it’s a personal memory that I will always cherish.

KD: I really didn’t know about SISTAR until their explosive hit “Alone,” only a few months after I got into K-pop, but I was definitely interested after watching the music video and hearing the song. Just like the experience that many other fans had, SISTAR totally crept up on me — as I was falling head over heels for 2NE1 and Girls’ Generation, SISTAR kept hitting me with good songs, starting with “Alone” and then with “Loving U” months later, when I started to realize that, with consistent jams, the group is worth my full and undivided attention. Most of the K-pop world realized that around then, which is why a K-pop summer couldn’t really be a K-pop summer without SISTAR from then on.

I don’t remember why, but I remember the day that “Touch My Body” came out as a horrible one for me, and I was so stressed about God knows what (probably school or some petty high school BS), sitting in front of the computer screen when the video came out at 11 p.m. EST. I clicked on it excitedly, only to be completely uplifted by the song’s immediate and explosive catchiness. In the days of “rookie rookie” and “knock knock knock knock on my door” (I am saying this also as a fan of both Red Velvet and TWICE), it’s hard to come by songs you absolutely love on first listen. And SISTAR, on that difficult day, gave me exactly that — a song that, in precisely one listen, made me excited about K-pop and music in general.

I also remember spending the rest of the summer trying to sing the song’s acoustic version, which they put out later on and had me hooked for awhile. Anything SISTAR did was outright iconic — the best memory as a STAR1 is being able to watch them become icons and come into that role within the industry.

Also on KultScene: Disproving the 7-Year Curse: The Slow, Painful Death of 2nd Generation K-Pop Girl Groups

What Could Have Been

AC: It’s a shame that SISTAR is disbanding right now, because musically speaking, I think there are still a lot of things they could explore. When SISTAR released “I Like That,” I was surprised because I thought it sounded different from their previous stuff, and now I just wish they could have continued from there. I would have loved to see how they matured artistically as a group. SISTAR had some of the best vocals in K-pop and tons of charisma and stage presence; they still had a lot to offer.

Also, since they have always stuck cohesively to their concept, it wouldn’t be that difficult to plan their next moves because there would be no drastic changes to be made in their trajectory. They’re not young enough to do an “aegyo” concept for the first time (neither did they need it), so they wouldn’t have any option but to release more sophisticated music. That probably wouldn’t be profitable (and it explains the disbandment), but as a fan, that’s something I really wanted to see.

KD: While fans (including myself) typically associate SISTAR with the sun kissed, summer beach girls they have been these past few years, people forget that their initial concepts were nothing like that, and the hit that rocketed to top tier status, “Alone,” was very far from that kind of thing (after all, “Alone” was released in April, and was one of SISTAR’s few non-summer comebacks). A lot of international STAR1’s and Knetz (Korean netizens) alike were wondering what a return to non-summer SISTAR would be like, as fears that the group would eventually wear out the summer concept moved through the fandom once in a blue moon.

I would even go so far as to postulate that maybe “I Like That” was a response to that discussion — while it was still a summer comeback, the concept and its aesthetics were relatively closer to “Alone” than anything else. While I am so, so happy to see them as the summer icons they are, SISTAR could have possibly done more outside of one comeback (or a comeback with a follow-up remix mini album) a year between the months of June and August. For an industry-dominating girl group, summer simply might not have been enough time for them to leave as much impact as they could have. In my opinion, sky was the limit for them at their peak, and I wonder what else they could have done.

But I am happy they stuck to what made them great and didn’t try to do so much that they turned their usually positive reviews into mixed ones, or alienated/tired fans out with too many promotions. A summer SISTAR was, perhaps, the optimal SISTAR, and I am more than willing to accept that and be proud of it as their dedicated fan.

The goodbye

AC: Now that I think about it, the music video for “Lonely” is perfect to end a story like SISTAR’s. Their music and videos were always supposed to be fun, and it’s very honest and touching that their last focuses on the ephemerality of life, as if they recognize that fun times and summer always come to an end.

The scene in which Hyolyn and Soyou take a picture together made me feel very emotional, it was a beautiful metaphor for capturing a memory of something that will never come back, be it youth or just a nice moment in time. For me, the music video conveys honesty, vulnerability, lucidity, and is a harmonic and heartwarming end to a story told in the totality of their music videos, as if Hyolyn, Bora, Soyou, and Dasom waved goodbye to us saying that no matter how great their journey was, it will as well be forgotten.

KD: It was nice to see “Lonely” be an actual music video, with closeup shots and everything — videos that are entirely random-clip-compilation tend to leave a lot to be desired, and leaving more to be desired in a disbandment video is never a good thing. All I could think of as I watched the music video for the first time was, “this is the last time I’ll ever watch a new SISTAR MV. Ever,” and it made me infinitely frustrated and sad.

I saw many comments and tweets about the ending of the video, the beach group photo scene in which the members’ smiles quickly became frowns, causing fans to cry and get the feels. But for me, it wasn’t that part that twisted up my insides, but the part right after, where the video cut to a black/white picture of them, overlayed with the text “SISTAR” right above it, staying stationary for a few seconds before the video ended completely. That last picture felt final, the ending page of a book, a “thank you” bow of some sort concluding their past seven years of hard work and success together.

SISTAR — you four are incredible, and you truly are one of K-pop’s most successful and respectable groups. With a clean disbandment, you will likely (hopefully) have everyone’s respect as you go your separate ways. A group like SISTAR will probably not come around for a very long time (if ever again), so I can only bow my head in sadness (bittersweet, but still sad), as I say a final goodbye. No matter what Dasom says at the end of “Lonely,” SISTAR is truly special, and fans will remember them year-round, throughout all four seasons.

by Alejandro Abarca

What are your thoughts on SISTAR’s break up? Let us know 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.

KultScene’s K-Pop Unmuted: May Recap

June 7, 2017/in Features, K-Pop Unmuted /by KultScene

KultScene is happy to announce that, in celebration of our third anniversary, we are beginning a collaboration with K-Pop Unmuted, a podcast dedicated to delving deep into K-pop.

In the 18^th episode of K-Pop Unmuted, Stephen and Joe discussed releases in May 2017 from Solbi, Kim Lip, TWICE, B1A4, Triple H, and April.

You can listen to this episode, and previous ones, of KultScene’s K-Pop Unmuted on Soundcloud, iTunes, Google Play Music, and Stitcher.

Let us know what your favorite songs of May were 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.

Weekly K-pop faves: May 29 – June 4

June 4, 2017/in Fans, Playlist Sunday /by KultScene

Some weeks in K-pop are busier than others, and the beginning of June was definitely full of some interesting releases. Whether it was Sistar’s farwell or the first original releases from the boys of Produce 101 Season 2 or Baek A Yeon’s return with a new EP, KultScene’s team took note. Here are some thoughts on our favorite songs of the week.

“Never” by Produce 101 Season 2 (Uploaded June 2)

By now, a lot of people are over the deep house and dem bow hybrids plaguing the global music scene — but not me. So when the concept evaluations on Produce 101 Season 2 came up and “Never” was one of the songs up for grabs, I knew it would be one of my faves. But, of course, the trainees making up the team is what made this song. “Never” probably had the best popular to talented members ratio among all the groups. Plus, the fact that they had the most talented singer in the whole competition surely helped. I haven’t watched this ep of Produce 101 yet over lack of English subtitles, but I can make out that Jonghyun was once again the leader. It’s pretty endearing to see how time and time again, he takes on the leadership role and steps away from the limelight in order to let the other members shine. This is probably the first time that Guanlin gives us an idol-worthy performance in the competition, and Woojin held his own and stepped out of the shadows of the other Brand New Music trainees (his company). Even with its upbeat breakdown, “Never” is sultry yet powerful at the same time, and the members perfectly captured and conveyed this duality. Every single member in this group is a contender for the final 11, and with “Never,” they definitely made their case strong.

— Alexis

Also on KultScene: Aeon Dream Studios talks ‘To The Edge of the Sky,’ BTS, & dreams [interview]

“Magic Girl” by Baek A Yeon (Released May 29)

At first glance Baek A Yeon’s Bittersweet EP could be ballady banality. But it’s most definitely not, with each track exploring the dichotomy of a young girl’s heart, perfectly suitable for a 24-year-old who has won over South Korea with her mellow love songs. While all of the tracks are intriguing in their own way, “Magic Girl” is so compositionally fantastical that it quickly became my favorite. With it’s ethereal synths and lilting electronic beat, “Magic Girl” feels like it’s straight off of an ‘80s film soundtrack, perfect for a lighter moment of a film like Labyrinth or Neverending Story. Although there’s no translation of the song currently available, the track appears to be, well, about the otherworldly essence of Baek, and it’s perfect. Until that one moment when the imagination meets reality and turns into a choppy piano melody reminiscent of basic keyboard exercises much like a young child would learn–just as their imagination is freewheeling and innocent enough to create an magical song like “Magic Girl.” It’s just my interpretation, but I’m in love with it.

— Tamar

Also on KultScene: Text to Text: DIA and Terrence Malick’s modern romance

“Lonely” by SISTAR (Released May 31)

SISTAR ends their legendary seven-year career with a single unlike the rest of their releases — an evocative, slow pop song, with no choreography or visual hook for listeners and viewers. Despite the more low-key nature of SISTAR’s final single, the song is conspicuously in tune with the group’s characteristic sound — loud, vocal, and powerful. As a dedicated fan of the group for five years, I am sad to see the group come apart, but thankful for the last stages and still finding myself getting hooked on this song, repeating it for hours on end and still enjoying it every time. SISTAR’s music has always had that quality, the ability to stick to your ears and invigorate no matter how many times you’ve already heard the song. Their performance and music have a valuable, long-lasting impact that will be missing from K-Pop from now on. For STAR1’s, it’s been a reflective and painful week, with fans talking about everything from the group’s long reign of success to the minute details of their music show stages this week. Thank you SISTAR, for everything. From your debut to your final stage on Inkigayo, you have officially failed to release a flop, and K-Pop will forever admire its queens of summer for that reason.

–Kushal

What was your favorite K-pop release of the week? Tell us what you think 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.

Weekly K-pop faves: May 22-28

May 29, 2017/in Playlist Sunday /by KultScene

The final week of May 2017 saw a lot of musical releases in South Korea, ranging from rap to pop to ballads. We picked some of our favorite new songs, including music from Tarin, San E, Bolbbalgan4, and LOOΠΔ’s Kim Lip.

“Mohae” by San E featuring Bolbbalgan4 (Released May 23)

After a “Season of suffering” (title of his last album), summer brings us a softer San E. “Mohae” is a light hip hop song with R&B and trap traits, featuring indie pop group Bolbbagan4. It was a matter of time until Bolbbagan4 became a feature in a rap song, a field in which female vocals and indie groups often are featured and bring balance to the rappers’ strong vibes. In “Mohae”, however, both San E and Bolbaggan4 seem to vibe in the same wavelength, while they rap/sing about a boy messaging a girl.

— Ana Clara

Also on KultScene: Introducing KultScene’s K-Pop Unmuted: ‘Produce 101’

“Coffee Ending” by Tarin (Released May 22)

Say what you want about melancholic ballad drivel, but I’m a huge fan of Korea’s coffee house music and Tarin’s “Coffee Ending” was the perfect fix when I heard it midway through the week. Tarin’s mellow vocals and the song’s gentle, jazzy melody aren’t probably for everyone, but they were the perfect mix of sweet and bitter, just like the perfect cup o’ joe.

— Tamar

Also on KultScene: Text to Text: DIA and Terrence Malick’s modern romance

“Eclipse” by Kim Lip/LOOΠΔ (Released May 22)

The Loona girls are paving a curious path since we can’t yet really sense homogeneity between the songs they’ve been releasing, but “Eclipse” is the most intriguing step of the journey so far – and also the best. Both the song and MV are more sensual than we’d expect from a young artist who will debut in a girl group, but whatever is the company’s intention, I can only congratulate them for this track. “Eclipse” is a smooth jam with a mature vibe that at first made me think Monotree Music (Sohee’s “Spotlight”; Ladies Code’s “The rain”) wrote and produced it. My guess wasn’t completely wrong: the song is produced by Daniel Obi Klein and Charli Taft (same duo that did Red Velvet’s “Automatic”, just as sexy as “Eclipse”), but Monotree’s lyricists Park Jiyeon and Hyun Hwang wrote the fancy lyrics, which works even more perfectly with Kim Lip’s soft and sultry vocals.

— Ana Clara

Aeon Dream Studios talks ‘To The Edge of the Sky,’ BTS, & dreams [interview]

May 28, 2017/in Features, Interviews /by Anna Cheang

It’s only been about a month since their visual novel demo To The Edge of the Sky was released, but Aeon Dream Studios has already achieved great success with a 4.9/5 user rating on Google Play and over a hundred thousand installs. With beautiful graphics and an intriguing storyline set in 2077 featuring BTS members as characters in an enigmatic government organisation, the demo has definitely whetted the appetites of fans who cannot wait for more. We spoke to the game’s creators at Aeon Dream Studios about their new game as well as their future plans and dreams.

Kultscene: Thank you for taking the time to talk to Kultscene. To begin with, could you all introduce yourselves and your roles in the company?
Ajané Celestin: Hello! I’m Ajané Celestin. I’m the CEO, Creative Director, and I also write and act as the Editor.
Chieu Nguyen: I’m Chieu Nguyen. I’m the Art Director and Lead Artist responsible for most of the visuals in our games, mainly character art and user interface.
Eglė Dilytė: I’m Eglė Dilytė. I’m the Lead Creative Writer, main scriptwriter, and I also work as our Social Media Coordinator.

How and why did you decide to found this company?
AC: Chieu, Egle and I met up on Tumblr as fans of visual novel games. We became friendly with each other and since Egle and I were writers and Chieu was an artist, I asked them if they wanted to make a game. We decided to see what would happen and go as far as we could go. We didn’t imagine things would get this far, but we’re very happy it has.

Also on Kultscene: The Sonic Identity of K-pop girl groups: Implied Meanings and What The Future Holds

What first inspired you to create To the Edge of the Sky, and more specifically, to model your main characters after the BTS members?
AC: We’re fans of BTS’ music and their concepts and aesthetics constantly inspired us last year. As creators, we began to see more ways we could flesh out some of their story concepts in a visual novel game format and also thought that ARMYs would probably be interested in such a game.

Characters of the game modeled after BTS members (image via To the Edge of the Sky)

What were the challenges you faced in your creation of To the Edge of the Sky?
CN: Definitely time pressure. We had about two weeks for this demo while still planning on our previous game, so it was rough trying to get the assets done while still maintaining our usual quality. Fortunately, the first part of the demo was finished like how we envisioned it.
AC: As Chieu said, it was mainly time. Chieu had already done promotional artwork because we were gearing up to create the demo, but I suddenly came up with the idea to do it before I headed to their Newark concerts in March so we could hand out the promotional artwork. We challenged ourselves to create a concept from scratch as well as artwork within roughly a 10 day period. However we were able to achieve it and are grateful to receive the positive responses.

You’ve posted online about your plans to present the idea for To the Edge of the Sky to BTS’ label, BigHit Entertainment, how do you intend to achieve that?
AC: As anyone who has been paying attention to BTS knows, they are reaching their peak right about now, so it is very difficult to contact them. Right now we are in contact with someone local to Seoul who may be able to assist us with that further.

To the Edge of the Sky has become very popular on the Internet, especially among ARMYs (BTS’ fandom). What would you like to say to the new fans of your game?
ED: Well, first of all, hello and welcome! Thank you for playing our demo and thank you so much for your kind words and support. This might sound a little cheesy, but we feel energized by all the love and we’ll continue to work hard for everyone.
AC: I’d like to say that we’re really, truly grateful for all the kind and positive comments we’ve received. We had no idea To the Edge of the Sky would be so well received. We put everything we had into it during the short time we had and are so grateful for the ARMYs that gave us positive responses at the Newark concerts and through social media and emails. We can hardly believe it but To the Edge of the Sky is nearing 400,000 downloads within two months of its release and we’re really grateful for the thousands of positive reviews so far. Thank you for also becoming fans of the game and we promise we will do our best to develop this game for you.
CN: Thank you so much for your generous support thus far, it means a lot to us. We will continue to work hard and hope that you could see this game come to fruition with us.

Also on Kultscene: Introducing KultScene’s K-Pop Unmuted: Produce 101

So far only a demo for To the Edge of the Sky has been released, what will come next following this release?
AC: After we finish our current project, we are planning to work on developing the next part of To the Edge of the Sky. We want to give ARMYs more while we continue to work on making this a full game.

Where do you see your company in the next five years?
ED: With a much larger games library and still creating more, it’s been my wish and I think all of ours really to be able to work together and create together until we die of old age. And I hope we’ll be able to produce more content than just visual novels.
CN: We would have more games out with higher quality, and it would also be nice to have a larger fanbase. We are never satisfied with the status quo and are always seeking to improve the quality of our work. Therefore, it is my hope that in 5 years time, we will create even better games and be able to reach out to a wider range of audience.
AC: In five years…It’d be really nice if we had a few different series. It’d be really nice if we could produce more games like To the Edge of the Sky, where genres are crossed over, as well as our own, completely original work. I want us to continue to become better developers, writers and artists and make a variety of different games for all kinds of people. It would be interesting to do work outside of games as well, under our brand name.

Check out Aeon Dream Studios and their current works here!

Have you tried out To The Edge of the Sky? Are you a fan? Tell us what you think 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.

The sonic identity of K-pop girl groups: implied meanings & what the future holds

May 26, 2017/in Features /by Ana Clara Ribeiro

This is the third and last part of a series in which we discuss the changes in the music of K-pop girl groups throughout the last decade and what these changes say about the environment within which they thrive.

Remember how in the first article I described T-ara’s music as the sonic portrait of an era? Well, now the music of Twice and the newer girl groups can be seen as the portrait of our present one. It is noticeable how the increase of beats per minute, the shortening of intros, and the diversity of changes in melody and arrangements during the songs reflect the haste of today’s society for new things and their little patience for anything that takes too much time. Think of 2NE1’s songs for example. The concept and lyrics for “I Am the Best,” released in 2011, are still super cool, even for 2017. But doesn’t it sound a bit “slow” today?

Of course, this is not a phenomena exclusively seen in K-pop. All over the world, and especially in American pop music, it has been observed how hit pop songs have been seeing shorter intros (try even finding an intro in Calvin Harris feat. Rihanna’s “This is What You Came For,” for example) and taking less time to get to the chorus. Max Martin, the god of modern pop songwriting who wrote several number one hit songs from Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time” to The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face,” said it himself: “Pop music follows the evolution of society in general. Everything moves faster. Intros have gotten shorter.” Though 2NE1’s songs from just a few years ago made good fits for the Facebook generation, K-pop songs of today are more appropriate for the Snapchat generation. It’s not particularly different in Korea, where the obsession for progress and technology is a way of life.

A sign of the modern times in K-pop is the profusion of musical styles that are blended within the songs. Striving for progress has led South Korea to open up their markets in the past few years, which has had major effects on K-pop also, beginning with the growing presence of more and more foreign composers and producers in the K-pop market. As a result of this, K-pop has become more open to other music genres and arrangements have been much more diversified than they used to.

While the need for speed and the uptick of music styles bring a contemporary appeal to K-pop, the increase of cute concepts and aegyo (cute) elements in the songs — so different from the empowerment that we saw dominate the last generation of girl groups– counterbalances the modern vibe in a curious way, suggesting that even though the girls are living in 2017, they still reverberate traditional (patriarchal) values from Confucianism and its standards of femininity. Although this philosophy is no longer dominant in Korea, its influence is still strong.

Also on KultScene: Kevin Kim talks ZE:A disbandment & new beginnings with radio show ‘SBS PopAsia Live’ [interview]

The intersection between progress (modern sound, embracement of foreign and innovative music genres) and traditionalism (cute, fragile, submissive, and non-proactive female behaviour) can be heard in songs like WJSN’s “Would You Kiss Me,” a surprising mix of sweetness and edginess, with futuristic elements and trap beats blended into a fluttering pop instrumental, innocent melody, and aegyo speech.

The Role of Music Creators As Curators

The way creators design the sonic identity of a song or group of songs in order to give the audience a specific feeling, which in turn subconsciously tells a story about the society we live in, is quite interesting. Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan made an impact in the 1960’s when he stated in his book Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man that “the medium is the message,” believing that the form of a medium carries just as much meaning as the content. Based on that, the way music is shaped to sound might say a lot about the one who’s creating it or performing it.

In this matter, blending both modern and traditional elements, like explained above and also in the previous articles in the series, might be K-pop’s way to tell society about its values: to achieve progress and prosperity without losing their traditions.

We can’t incisively say that this is the agenda of the K-pop industry, but it surely means something. This idea might take different forms depending on the context, and that’s what is more interesting. There are infinite ways of giving a certain vibe to a certain song. When you think of it that way, creators (composers, lyric writers, producers) and music executives (yes, them too, since they get to decide which songs will be recorded and which won’t) play the role of curators, deciding which elements would be present in order to convey a concept.

These statements make even more sense in the field of K-pop, where music is not only a sonic instrument but a whole experience that defines visuals, dancing, fashion, and even the personality traits of the group members. In the book Globalization and Popular Music in South Korea: Sounding Out K-Pop by Michael Fuhr, this is described as “performance-centered music.” Therefore, it’s not difficult to imagine the amount of creativity and work that is demanded from music creators.

But what would these teams have in store for K-pop?

What’s Next For K-pop?

by Yasamine Entesari

K-pop has always aroused love and interest for being creative and unapologetically fun. It catches you when you merely watch a video or listen to a song, maybe not realizing why it’s so enticing. Analyzing it might explain why it’s so catchy and so representative of what Korea is or aspires to be, but don’t think we’ve deciphered it yet. Just when you think K-pop is going on a certain direction… It changes.

When Twice released “Knock Knock” in February, fans were quick to describe it as something similar to everything the group has been doing since its debut. In fact, the first verse sung by Nayeon, the easy choreography, and the repetitions of “kung kung” and “knock knock” (just like “shy shy shy” in “Cheer Up,” as well as the mnemonic “ne” syllable sound and “I’m like TT” in “TT”) might have given you an impression that it’s the Twice you’re used to listen. But don’t let yourself be fooled; it was the most daring move the group has made since their debut, simply because it was very, well, simple.

Also on KultScene: 12 visually appealing K-pop music videos

Against their previous singles, “Knock Knock” has little surprises in terms of song structure and production, sticking to one genre only and having a very simple verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus structure (no pre-chorus, for the first time). The melody is also very linear and presents rare moments of high notes. The harmony consisted solely of a E – Abm – C#m – A chord progression, making it the least complex harmony from the group so far.

Analyzing those factors, you could think Twice was going the opposite way and becoming simpler. You wouldn’t be wrong: their latest release “Signal” delivers a less noisy instrumental, with less sonic turnarounds, slighter drums, lower bpm, and a more homogeneous melody.

Like we said in our last article, many thought of 2014 as an apocalyptic year for K-pop, and coincidently, that was the birth year for these groups who brought a new concept of what it sounds to be a young girl in Korea. 2017 is also being pointed as a decisive one for the future of K-pop. May we expect the birth of something new again? Or has K-pop’s heyday peaked and we’re watching it plateau?

There is more interesting data to be added to the guessing game: a recent and curious apparent trend, American pop music seems to be slowing a down a bit. Right now, in the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart you can hear songs that present either slower tempos or less polluted production, like a smooth jam that reminisces the old days of Michael Jackson and Motown and an easy listen, dembow riddim oriented song yet still cleanly produced by the current king of love songs, for example. K-pop is known for occasionally gathering inspiration from what is trending in America. If the slow-down of music is truly coming, how will K-pop respond to that?

The year 2017 might be another turning point for K-pop, and it’s already heading to its second quarter. Being the most relevant girl group at the moment, Twice just might be in the front row of the beginning of a trend of calmer songs, although the elements of cuteness will hardly die. After all, K-pop constantly has to reinvent itself, but some things will always be there.

What are your thoughts on the future of K-pop girl groups? Let us know 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.

Introducing KultScene’s K-Pop Unmuted: ‘Produce 101’

May 25, 2017/in K-Pop Unmuted /by KultScene

KultScene is happy to announce that, in celebration of our third anniversary, we are beginning a collaboration with K-Pop Unmuted, a podcast dedicated to delving deep into K-pop.

We’ve wanted to host a podcast for a long time as another aspect to KultScene’s approach exploring all things Korean pop culture from a foreign perspective. So when the opportunity to collaborate with K-Pop Unmuted arose, we knew that it would be a perfect fit. We hope you enjoy, and we would love to hear feedback on our first episode. (And all future ones too!)

In episode 17, the first collaborative episode of KultScene’s K-Pop Unmuted, Stephen Knight, Alexis, and Tamar discussed Produce 101 and what we thought of Season 1 and Season 2’s editing, favorite moments, and how it’s having a larger effect on the Korean entertainment industry. We also discussed Lovelyz’s “Aya,” EXO-CBX’s “Ka-CHING,” and VIXX’s “Shangri-La” as our favorite songs recently released.

You can listen to this episode, and previous ones, of KultScene’s K-Pop Unmuted on Soundcloud, iTunes, Google Play Music, and Stitcher.

Let us know what you think of Produce 101 and KultScene’s K-pop Unmuted in the comment section below. Be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.

Text to Text: DIA and Terrence Malick’s modern romance

May 25, 2017/in Features /by Joe Palmer

I have a certain affinity for DIA that few other people seem to have. There’s an oddness to them that feels organic. With most K-pop groups, weirdness usually manifests every now and then in their music, their videos, or their personalities on variety shows. With DIA, it’s a mixture of all of them and more. Although not too different at first sight, their latest video for single “Will you go out with me?” is possibly the strangest direction they have taken to date.

I was dumbstruck to see a video by a Korean girl group that was inspired by Terrence Malick. For those of you who don’t know, Malick, once the revered king of American independent cinema, is now a divisive critical figure. His films are bracingly humanistic, finding minute details in broad locations like the Pacific Theatre of World War II or the creation of earth itself. After a hiatus of 20 years following his first two films, Malick’s style began to change. His work became more dense and abstract, alienating much of his early fans. It is those who have fallen out of love with him who were quick to criticise his latest film Song to Song for its copious use of his now favourite motifs. Whispered voice-over, characters walking backwards, sparse use of dialogue. These are the things that make a Terrence Malick film, and these are the things that DIA used.

Song to Song is a film about relationships, Austin, Texas, and relationships taking place there. Rooney Mara, Ryan Gosling, and Michael Fassbender are all musicians stuck in a confused love triangle in one of America’s foremost music scene cities. Their relationships do not play out as usual, though very little time is given to the character’s stories and how they connect. More important are the small moments when they are together. Very little is spoken, but so much is revealed through their body language. Anyone can understand this intimacy; it’s at once distant thanks to how little we know about them but utterly romantic because each gesture is clearly filled with history. Rooney Mara’s eyes are her tell. Her gaze can dart around, looking everywhere except in the eyes of her lover or gaze with force and love as if she can’t look anywhere but at him. Malick’s current style is boiled down into those eyes.

Also on KultScene: Kevin Kim talks ZE:A disbandment & new beginnings with radio show ‘SBS PopAsia Live’ [interview]

It’s hard to believe that DIA could replicate something this intricate, and the truth is they don’t really. What they do, however, is use his motifs to frame their story into something that is in some ways a continuation of Song to Song; a continuation of how Malick sees relationships.

“Will you go out with me?” opens with a short scene that is 100 percent Malick. The camera slowly glides behind Chaeyeon as she walks through Tokyo, looking at her phone. She does the backwards walk to face the camera and the hushed poetic voice-over. While I see this mostly as a set up for the main body of the video, it has its own particular similarities with Song to Song that are not quite as evident as these motifs.

The voice-over sees Chaeyeon thinking of a boy she knows. It’s somewhat unclear as to how she relates to this boy except that she has feelings for him. She says she shouldn’t call and that she misses him today more than ever. It sounds like he could be her boyfriend or an ex. This lack of definition turns out to be story of the song and video, though, as we see that Chaeyeon is trying to pluck up the courage to ask him out. The blurred boundaries of her relationship are like that of Mara, Gosling, and Fassbender’s in Song to Song. We see each of them meet and interact as a trio, but Mara is simultaneously sleeping with both of them. She sees Fassbender, who is a top music executive, because he can further her career ,and seemingly is genuinely in love with Gosling. But due to the lack of concrete details, both of these explanations could not be called completely true. The difference between Mara and Chaeyeon is maybe that Mara wanted to keep the hazy lines of her relationships so as to maintain a distance from potential heartbreak.

The specificity of the location is also key. Malick always presents his characters not just in terms of how they react with one another, but also in how they interact with their environment. In Song to Song, the ever present sunlight keeps characters from hiding themselves as they walk through music festivals or in the rocky Texan deserts. Where Malick likes to reveal his characters in more natural settings, “Will you go out with me?” drops Chaeyeon under the neon skyline of Tokyo. The absolute lack of nature tells us she will not be finding an intimate spot for her and the boy. She is swaddled by artificial light yet does not stray away from it. In fact her interaction with this space is the most interesting part of the whole video.

Also on KultScene: IU’s Red Shoes: A Torment or Saviour?

The main story of the video shows Chaeyeon texting the boy, sending him pictures of where she is with her groupmates. The video distills Malick’s hands off approach to relationships even further, making the bond purely digital rather than gestural. It makes perfect sense to me that if Rooney Mara’s character went on a trip like this she would most certainly send pictures to Ryan Gosling’s character and many texts lamenting how much she misses him. Chaeyeon doesn’t even have to be in the same room as the boy she is pining after to create a relationship. If small details truly reveal how a relationship works in today’s world, how someone texts is probably the biggest indicator of this.

The unlikely pairing of nine young Korean girls and an elusive film director is certainly a new one. DIA continue to craft peculiar perspectives on K-pop, previously making fun of ridiculous aegyo (cuteness) with the satirical “My Friend’s Boyfriend” and using Harry Potter in a way that makes you think, “what has this got to do with Harry Potter?” in “Mr. Potter.” “Will you go out with me?” has proven to be surprisingly profound. Through their own unique style and that of Terrence Malick, they have shed light on what it is to be in a relationship, which when distilled further (as they both would be compelled to do) illuminates what is to be a human.

What do you think of these comparisons? What’s your favourite DIA song and Terrence Malick film? Let us know your picks and thoughts in the comment section below. Be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.

Weekly K-pop faves: May 15-21

May 21, 2017/in Fans, Playlist Sunday /by KultScene

As summer looms closer, K-pop has started to pick up the pace. This week saw lots of different releases, from soloists to idols to rappers; the game is on. And like every week, we took on the task of selecting our absolute faves, so here they are.

Also on KultScene: 12 visually appealing K-pop music videos

“Spotlight” by Sohee (Released May 18)

In all honesty, I clicked on “Spotlight” once it showed up on YouTube because I assumed that it was the former Wonder Girl member Sohee. I was wrong, but definitely not disappointed. K-Pop Star 6 finalist Kim Sohee’s single is a trendy R&B-tinged dance track that immediately made me think the queen of solo K-pop dance, BoA. And from other reviews I’ve seen, I’m not the only one thinking this. Sohee’s performance in the video is no joke, and her light pop vocals hooked me immediately. For a debut song, “Spotlight” is pretty impressive and I’m really excited to see what Sohee does next.

— Tamar

Also on KultScene: Kevin Kim talks ZE:A disbandment & new beginnings with radio show ‘SBS PopAsia Live’ [interview]

“Hyung (feat. Dok2, Simon Dominic, Tiger JK)” by Dumbfounded (Released May 16)

Korean-American rapper Dumbfounded dropped his first official Korean release and enlisted a roster of K-rap A-listers to feature on it. Dok2 and Simon Dominica bounce verses off of Dumbfounded, while Tiger JK addresses them shortly at the beginning (and maybe the chorus? Not sure). Essentially, the track can be summarized by the line: “Show me respect, I’ll show it back, that’s the code of conduct.” It talks about earning respect rather than being given to automatically on the basis of being a hyung, an older male. The music video stays true to Dumbfoundead’s funny aesthetic and uses lots of Korean culture references to emphasize that this is a Korean single. In short, “Hyung” is a bop.

— Alexis

What do you think of these songs? Let us know what your favorite song of the week was 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.