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Into the Minds Behind Crazy Korean Cooking

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When KPOPme attended KCON 2014 last week on August 9th and 10th at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Center, we were able to meet and interview the lovely ladies of Crazy Korean Cooking, a cooking site that shares Korean cuisine in an educational and entertaining manner while providing access to Korean food products through its shopping branch.

KPOPme attended a panel on the first day of KCON where Crazy Korean Cooking’s duo discussed Hallyu culture shock, so we were excited to hear more about cooking and how it was an extension of the Korean Wave. With great senses of humor and a shared passion for cooking, Grace Park and Stephanie Maing prove to be a formidable duo full of energy and dedication to their craft. After two days of hard work, they took some time to talk to us about their KCON experience, websites, and future goals.

Introduction to Crazy Korean Cooking

When you visit CKC’s site, you’re immediately welcomed by an easy-to-follow design and helpful tips on cooking authentic kimbap, buying DIY bibimbap kit, and colorful pictures that lead you to recipes with meat, vegetarian options, seafood, and more. Established as a hobby about five years ago, Grace and Stephanie decided to turn their part-time interest into a full-time career in 2013. And, in the case that you’re new to their work, their “About Us” section describes CKC simply and perfectly:

CKC’s mission is simple. We exist to teach and spread authentic Korean cooking and food culture across the globe. It’s no secret we like to have fun, and laughter is a key CKC ingredient. But don’t be fooled, our aim is to strive for excellence in recipes and expansive knowledge in Korean cuisine. We may not always take ourselves very seriously, but the cooking itself – we’re not playing around.

If that’s not enough to garner your interest, then check out our interview with Grace and Stephanie below.

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Thuc: First things first, since you told me this was your first year at KCON, what’s your experience so far?

Stephanie: Oh, my experience has been wonderful. I mean, it’s great to see all these people from different nationalities and backgrounds gathered together, celebrating my own culture, Korean culture; so it’s wonderful to see that.

CKC 5

CKC 4

Grace: Yeah, it’s been amazing. Like Stephanie, I’ve just been really so surprised that there’s so many – to see so many different types of people from different backgrounds, different locations, different age groups, and a lot of non-Koreans, actually, so that’s been good. People have been so nice when, you know, we’re doing a cooking demo or whatever, and everyone’s just so eager to learn about Korea, Korean food, and Korean drama – Korean everything! Yeah, we’re just really happy to be here, honored to be here.

Courtesy of Crazy Korean Cooking

Stephanie: And for our business, we feel very, very encouraged that, I mean, when we decided to dive in, we didn’t know what to expect, and we didn’t know where it was going to take us. We are very encouraged that people are interested in K-Pop, not only K-Pop, but you know Korean culture and Korean cuisine, so you know it really motivates us to work harder as well.

Courtesy of Crazy Korean Cooking

Thuc: So how do you feel like your site has progressed ever since you started working full-time on Crazy Korean Cooking.com?

Grace: Well first of all, because we’ve been so busy before we did the full-time, first of all we’ve really spent a lot of time on expanding our recipes. So Stephanie takes all the photos, so like we would cook, and take the photos for everything and photo-shop everything, that’s what we worked on. So now we’re proud to say we have over 100 recipes, because before we started, there was like 16 or something, so that’s really good.

Courtesy of Crazy Korean Cooking

Courtesy of Crazy Korean Cooking

Also our shopping site where we sell Korean food and ingredients, it’s been really good. It’s also interesting to see what people are buying, for example we’re selling a lot of dolsot (stone bowl). Most of our customers are non-Koreans, actually. We’re just surprised at how many people are interested in dolsot. So it’s been very good, like, in terms of our traffic for example, we used to, last time this year, we used to have 3,000 a month. This year, we have almost 100,000 a month, and that’s a huge jump.

Thuc: That sounds great. If you had a chance to come to KCON next year, would you?

Stephanie: Oh yes, really!

Grace: Yeah, why not?

Thuc: What are your current goals for your site? I heard you were expanding into your shopping site, to sell more Korean ingredients. Are there any other areas that you want to expand into?

Grace: Well, actually…

Stephanie: First of all, we want to redesign our cooking website, make it more visually pleasing and also more user friendly.

Grace: Yeah, that’s definitely one goal. We are actually going to release new products, like our own. So like, we are collaborating with this artisan, Korean artisan, who lives in the States, but he makes great Korean sauces, like gochujang [red pepper paste], doenjang (soy sauce), like really authentic and in a traditional way. But because he’s so authentic and passionate about his jang, it’s not like he’s gonna spend time on marketing and stuff, so we’re gonna help him bring his stuff to non-Koreans. That’s our next step, and that’s really exciting. So yeah, we’re going to create more of our own products, like ingredient kits, if you want to make bibimbap, you can just buy a bibimbap kit, you have all the ingredients you need are in there. We also partnered up with kimchi artisans in Texas – Austin, Texas, actually.

(Bibimbap Kit) Courtesy of Crazy Korean Shopping

Stephanie: We’re selling kimchi online as well!

(Gluten-free Kimchi) Courtesy of Crazy Korean Shopping

Grace: Gluten free, chemical free, pesticide free. So I think in general, what we’re trying to do is we want to not just sell any ingredients; we want to bring quality ingredients. We don’t want to sell anything we wouldn’t use or we’re not proud of. We’re trying really hard to source artisans or products that are delicious of course, but good for you and healthy. If possible, we want to sell things that have no preservatives. Our goal is to curate products that are delicious but are good for the body and hopefully also good for society.

Stephanie: And providing the right information for Non-Korean people, because it’s very hard to find the any sort of sources or information for Korean food ingredients.

Grace: Also, Stephanie worked really hard on researching Korean ingredients. We haven’t finished yet, but we’re going to finish our ingredient wiki, Korean ingredient wiki, where you can find pretty much all Korean ingredients, like what they look like, what they’re good for, like nutrient information, history, like everything. And how to prepare ingredients, things like that. We spent a lot of time researching, so we just have to upload to the website with photos and everything.

Stephanie: (Laughing) Talking just made me realize that we have a lot to do.

Courtesy of Crazy Korean Cooking

Thuc: I’m pretty sure that you’re going to do well!

Grace: Yeah, and our customers are very happy! With every product that they purchase, even if it’s just one gochugaru [red pepper flakes] or gochujang, we include an info sheet, which has like what this is all about, what gochujang is, where this comes from, who’s the company, how do you use it, and people really appreciate it. Because sometimes, a lot of the time, when you’re trying to cook with an ingredient you’re not familiar with, you have no idea what it is or where to start.

Thuc: To close off this little interview, what would you like to say to your fans?

Both: Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Grace: Thank you so much for your interest, and we’re just really happy to be a part of this whole Korean wave. Well, what do you want to say? Ah, keep cooking! Don’t forget to do something crazy!

Courtesy of Crazy Korean Cooking

Stephanie: Yeah, but you know, the thing is, keep cooking, but don’t forget to have fun with it. I think that’s sort of our idea behind our brand, because even though we teach cooking in a very authentic way and we’re not joking around when it comes to that. But still, we manage to have fun, and I think that’s really essential in life and to have fun and be happy!

Courtesy of Crazy Korean Cooking

And I have to say that CKC’s words are extremely important! Happiness and passion go hand in hand, and it definitely showed in both Grace and Stephanie’s panels and our short interview. If you’re a cooking fanatic, and you’d like to try out some Korean cuisine, be sure to visit Crazy Korean Cooking’s website and watch their videos. Before you start though, I highly recommend checking out this one first, with a special appearance from Halmoni:

Don’t forget to like CKC on Facebook and subscribe to them on YouTube!

Are you also a Crazy Korean Cooking fan like me? If you’d like more articles on Korean cuisine, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Bloglovin’ so you can keep up with all our posts.

Things Learned at KCON 2014

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This past weekend, Los Angeles’ Exposition Park saw the presence of thousands of fans for KCON 2014, looking to delve into different aspects of Korean culture with food, music, and overall entertainment. While most of the panels and workshops gave attendees great insight on several topics, it’s safe to say that everyone who purchased a ticket for KCON did it with the intention of seeing the artists in the incredible two-day lineup for M! Countdown.

But whether it was the concert or the convention itself, KCON was a great learning experience filled with eye-opening facts. Here’s a short list of that:

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1. BTS is the new/next EXO
Before inciting EXO-L (exotics?), let’s look at the facts: If you attended KCON last year, you’ll remember the sea of fans wearing EXO apparel at the event and the frenzy the boys created at the concert. They were so arduous that it was even easier to hear the fans singing along to Wolf rather than the group itself.

bts kcon

Courtesy of CJ E&M

This happened again this year, but with BTS. Throughout the day, ARMY could be easily spotted from their fan apparel and cosplay. And who could forget the wails heard throughout the arena once the boys levitated from the platform, or even the fan chants (which don’t necessarily always happen at U.S. events)? This made Rap Monster’s reiteration of their group’s name sound funny when it was clear that half of the audience was there to see them.

2. Eric Nam is the friendliest idol ever
Viki brought Eric Nam to KCON as their special guest, where he held meet-and-greets with fans on each day of the convention. Furthermore, he also served as the host for the two red carpet events (one for each day), where fans and press met the artists for quick questions and pictures.

During the fan meetings, the line at the Viki tent extended well into other areas of the Marketplace. Many fans lined for their chance to get a selfie with Eric, since this was open to everyone and didn’t require a card like the other fan meetings with the performing artists. Eric received every fan with a great smile, seemed genuinely thankful when hearing compliments, and was as chatty as ever.

Furthermore, during the red carpet events, Eric interacted with the fans more so than the featured artists themselves. He responded to their screams, sang bits of Ooh, Ooh, and even stayed behind after the event ended to take many pictures with fans.

RED CARPET ERIC NAM

3. Taeyeon seemed fazed about her first performance post-scandal
KCON marked Girls’ Generation member Taeyeon’s first concert appearance since hell broke loose with her dating scandal involving EXO’s Baekhyun. Right from the start, the leader had a somber look and didn’t appear as her fierce self, seeming a bit disengaged when she opened up their set with Mr. Mr. Was she reluctant about the audience’s response? Did she fear another black ocean? We might never know, but what we do know is that, by the end of their performance, Taeyeon had warmed up to the audience. Maybe this was due to fans’ holding up messages commemorating Girls’ Generation seventh anniversary, saying they would always support the group. Or maybe the fans’ reception of them and their songs gave her confidence. But, again, this is only speculation.

Girlst generation kcon

Courtesy of CJ E&M

4. What you see is what you get with Jung Joon Young
Throughout Jung Joon Young’s multiple KCON appearances, the rocker made it a point to separate himself from the idols joining him on stage. How he did this? Well, by being real — or realer, for that matter. During the Danny from L.A. taping and the red carpet event on August 9th, Joon Young repeatedly said he felt sleepy and showed no signs of fake amusement. Even at the red carpet, when Eric tried to get some kind of emotion out of him, Joon Young stuck to his guns and only proclaimed that he was tired, and smiling for fans and photographers briefly. While this kind of behaviour would be seen as rude from idols, it serves the rocker’s bad boy image that we see in similar artists.

Jung Joon young 3

5. IU’s English is very good
Despite IU being pretty well-established in Korea, KCON was the singer’s first U.S. performance. In order to introduce herself to American fans for the first time, IU spoke exclusively in English, apologizing for what she thought was sub-par English. This, of course, wasn’t true. Compared to other acts, IU was a native speaker. While she was hesitant upon every uttered word, her deliverance was spot on and intelligible.

iu kcon

Courtesy of CJ E&M

6. Asian American acts featured were very talented and popular
The Asian American Artists panel at the convention featured rappers Shin-B and DANakaDan, producer Jeff Bernat, and singer Jhammel, highlighting the acts’ popularity among con-goers. They all even held fan meets and performances on the outdoor and main stage throughout the weekend with great turnouts, which showcased not only their innate talent, but their ability to hold their own in an event with foreign language-speaking headliners.

ASIAN AMERICANS PANEL kcon

7. Video games are Korea’s number one cultural export, not K-Pop
When you hear “Hallyu,” the first thing that generally comes to mind is K-Pop, right? I mean, the Korean Wave’s poster child has to be Korea’s number one cultural export. Wrong. As Euny Hong points out in her book, The Birth of Korean Cool, and at the Hallyu Culture Shock panel, in which she participated, Korea’s main cultural exports are video games, not K-Pop. This came as a surprise for an audience who was used to the association of “Hallyu” and “K-Pop” together. Truly eye-opening, indeed.

Did you attend KCON this year? Share with us your experience! And be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Bloglovin’ so you can keep up with all our posts.

KCON 2014 Day 2: Convention Highlights

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After a pretty good experience on Saturday, the first day of KCON 2014 at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, expectations were high for the following day on August 10th. Needless to say, fans definitely enjoyed themselves throughout this two-part convention and concert event. Here’s our review on the highlights during the day!

Overview

The line wasn’t as bad in terms of aesthetic appeal on Sunday (it didn’t stretch across a block or so around the venue), but it was still a force to be reckoned with. Luckily, it was an easier process as most of the con-goers bought tickets for both days.

As mentioned before, the Marketplace was quite the popular spot for fans waiting for the convention gates to open at 10 a.m., as everyone checked out the booths, food trucks, and outdoor stage. In contrast to Saturday, which had many G-Dragon fans, Sunday brought forth a large population of the Girls’ Generation and BTS fandom, which made up a majority of the attendees.

In the beginning, day two appeared to be more organized with less crowds than day one, but, upon the time of the concert, three ambulances showed up by the entrance to the venue. It was certainly a shocking sight, but it seemed like everything was under control by the time the concert began.

Much like the previous day, the second day of the convention offered more workshops, panels, performances on the outdoor stage, Danny from L.A tapings, a red carpet event, fan meetings with artists, and much more.

Danny from L.A. taping

Due to our busy schedule, KPOPme unfortunately missed BTS’ Danny From L.A. taping. But thankfully we were right on time to see Korean rocker Jung Joon Young‘s appearance. Different from idol groups, Jung Joon Young’s presence was very laid back. He kept his really cool I don’t care appearance. His English was very  fluent and natural that he even forgot that it was being taped and constantly used curse words, which kept everyone in the audience laughing.

He played a game with Danny and Parker in which they had to drink lime juice and soy sauce and see who would last longer without making a bitter face.  Ultimately, Jung Joon Young won and the audience cheered for him.

Here are some pictures from the taping:

Red Carpet

Similar to the fan engagements, access to this event required attendees winning a pass on their scratch off cards given in their goodie bags. And the despite the events with artists being closed off to press, the red carpet was not. Photographers lined the first row of barriers separating the public from the artists, while the fans were situated behind press and another barrier.

Eric Nam hosted the event, introducing each act, adding his funny commentary, and just being his adorkable self. The red carpet featured the acts that would perform at M! Countdown that night, including BTS, CNBLUE, SPICA, and Girls’ Generation, as well as actors Lee Seung Gi and Lee Seo Jin.

As each artist came out, Eric would interview them for a little bit, and then the first would pose for pictures. Some of the acts, when coming out, would pause to greet fans who stood closer to the door. Stay tuned for we will later post a video from this event so you can see for yourself all that happened!

By the end of the event, Eric stayed behind and took many, many pictures with fans, despite this not being part of the show and him having a fan meeting at the Viki tent earlier on the day and the previous day.

Check out some of our pictures from the red carpet event:

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Panels

Discussion: The Best and Brightest Rookies

One of the first panels of the day took place at 11 a.m., called the Best & Brightest Rookie Groups, with Johnny Au (The Au Review), White Boy KPOP, Nadia Leong (TGM Events), Lyra Jazmine (Hallyu LA), Colleen Lee (Japako Music), and June Saladino (Hallyu Magazine) taking charge of discussing rookies in the industry.

Statistically speaking, Johnny brought up the issue of how, generally, only five percent of rookies make it in the industry; he took the time to ask the panelists to each give their opinion on the low number. White Boy KPOP talked about how rookies often took on concepts that didn’t work, while Lyra and Nadia both decided that it was dependent on the companies. June referred to White Boy KPOP when saying that appealing to the global music style was important in order to succeed, and Nadia added, “Korean agencies don’t listen” to our recommendations and advice, looking back on 100%’s unfortunately named 2nd mini album, BANG the BUSH. Colleen also emphasized on a working concept and built upon that idea by saying how music stages also need to work with the group as well.

When moving onto what made rookies succeed, Nadia took no time in simply saying that they have to be “really pretty or talented,” with the other panelists agreeing and adding that having both attributes ups the ante for success. She referred to EXO as an example; although they had some recent issues, she said that they had “no visual flaws” and thus gained a lot of popularity. In regards to newer, highly popular rookies, White Boy KPOP couldn’t help mentioning BTS due to their overwhelming “charisma, confidence, and stage presence,” to which the panel and the crowd unanimously agreed.

Of course, failed trainees and their outcomes were the next topic at hand; the panelists lightheartedly talked about how these specific trainees end up as stylists, back-up dancers, or just move on to other groups. This led to different tangents of conversation, as questions were raised about companies targeting specific areas or countries and reaching out to publications about upcoming rookies. SM Entertainment was brought up in terms of dominating the Chinese market, as Nadia talked about how they actually created Chinese headquarters to ensure that EXO would have no problems with performing in the country. She pointed out that, due to SM’s control of China, YG focused on Japan while JYP looked towards Thailand for popularity.

The panel then went over shock tactics for rookies and the increase of shocking debuts as time passes, bringing up WASSUP’s “twerking” and A.KOR member Kemy’s diss rap towards Park Bom. To close off the panel, everyone talked about their favorite rookies, with GOT7, WINNER, Kiss & Cry, Red Velvet, Megan Lee, Bob Girls, Mamamoo, and Royal Pirates being some of the honorable mentions.

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Cooking with Crazy Korean Cooking

Grace and Stephanie

Right after this was Crazy Korean Cooking’s interactive cooking panel at 11:30 a.m., in which they made kimchi fried rice and hotteok (sweet Korean pancake) for the crowd to sample. Volunteers were asked to come and help Grace Park and Stephanie Maing as they put their multitasking skills to the test, talking about ingredients, Korea’s food culture and history, and cooking the very delicious food, all at the same time. Much like in their videos, the ladies were a comedy duo that retained all their seriousness in food while making everyone laugh with timely jokes.

CKC 4

In addition to showing the panel attendees how to cook the featured dishes, Grace and Stephanie went over the health benefits of foods like kim (seaweed), giving out some sheets to hesitant newcomers to try out the ingredient that would be going into their kimchi fried rice. KPOPme had a hands on experience with the panel and helped out with making hotteok as Grace cooked the kimchi fried rice while Stephanie fed hungry fans. By the end of the panel, the food on the plates was wiped clean, and the crowd happily applauded the ladies for their hard work.

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Stay tuned for an upcoming interview with Crazy Korean Cooking, as KPOPme asked these ladies about their KCON experience, current missions, and future goals.

Asian American Artists

As the Danny from L.A. taping featuring Jung Joon Young took place over at the Mnet Square at 1 p.m., panel tent one garnished a sizable amount of attendees looking to hear and see rappers Shin-B and DANakaDAN, singer Jhameel, producer Jeff Bernat, and moderator Christian Oh. More than focusing on K-Pop, the panelists addressed being of Asian descent and making it in the U.S., including the support of their families, the fans, and the industry as a whole.

ASIAN AMERICANS PANEL

In regards to promoting yourself, the panelists talked about how Soundcloud was the platform for emerging artists since corporate America hasn’t figured it out, as opposed to Youtube (even though there’s money there, but competition is high). Jeff proclaimed that “Asian Americans are going to be the new face of the music industry… you’ll be seeing a lot of us in the future.” As for already established Asian American acts they look up to, the consensus among the panelists were Dumbfounded and Far East Movement, and Jeff brought up Blue Scholars.

When it comes to art and Asian Americans, the issue of family support often comes up. Shin-B shared her experiences being a female rapper in a world where parents think rap is all about sex, drugs, and misogyny, and that only, and how she has had to work hard to make them change their minds. But Jeff broke it down perfectly by saying, “at the end of the day… don’t listen to your parents about your career… your life, your choices.”

During the audience questions portion of the panel, the topic of the downsides of being associated with K-Pop came up. And while none of the panelists said anything negative about the genre and industry, Jhameel shared some insight by saying, “K-Pop has really good production, like, crazy good… that’s just hard to compete with, but it pushes you [as an artist] as well.” He also talked about K-Pop excelling at branding their idols, and how its hard when fans want to see you under the same standards –especially when you’re pushing for a different image yourself. Shin-B brought into the discussion the matter of because South Korea has the fastest internet connection in the world, trends come and go just as fast, with fans following you one day and gone the next:

It’s very hard to compete in that market because its production value is super up there. [And] for someone that’s not already working with those people that are behind that, it’s very, very hard [to compete], because [the audience] are going to compare you [with them]… It’s very hard to keep [the fans’] interest going.

Because of an audience question, the panel came back to the topic of promoting yourself as an artist. While Dan encouraged people to put yourself and your work out there, Shin-B said, “It’s all about the collaborations. The more we all come together and collaborate on each others’ tracks –there’s power in numbers… it will get more attention.” Jeff agreed with Shin-B and added, “in the art scene, it’s who you know.” He also recommended to meet other artists –even if they’re not big– and make “good music.”

K-Pop’s LGBT Fandom: WE LOVE IT!

This panel gathered a lot of support from the crowd. Special guests AJ O’Day, Andy La, Desmond Kwok, Miles Jai, and Nicola Foti where moderated by Derek Graves. The panel touched bases on how K-Pop idols influence the gay community, and how it has even elevated the way that heterosexual men dress and enables them to wear makeup without being judged.

Continuing on the topic of fashion, Nicola Foti applauded everyone by saying, “[KCON] is the most stylish convention I’ve ever been to!” This got the crowd giving him cheers and screams of support.

After wrapping up the fashion conversation, they went on to a more serious topic. Derek asked the panelist how they felt about Korea not being very accepting of the gay community.  Everyone in the panel stated how it was time for a gay idol. Even though the gay community already aspires on K-Pop artists, they really needed an openly gay idol to connect to.  They also said they loved how K-Pop brings not only the gay community together, but everyone as a whole.

LGBTQ PANEL

Workshop

Fan Art Workshop & Battle!

everyone picture

Shannon Rudder, a fabulous 17-year-old who caught attention at last year’s KCON with a beautiful rendition of the EXO members, headed this workshop at 4 p.m., teaching the crowd about her experience in art and having a draw-along session that featured Girls’ Generation member, Taeyeon.

Due to the time restraints, Shannon explained to the attendees that she would focus only on establishing a good outline for her portrait, which was blown up on a large easel to help those in the back. She gave everyone paper and pencils, along with other options for drawing: B1A4’s Jinyoung and VIXX’s N.

From beginning to end, Shannon went over basics of drawing, like how to establish proportions and having an eased hand to maintain control. She also brought up her own experiences in art: “I’ve always liked drawing.” It was only when she “was a freshman in highschool that [she] learned how to draw,” and it was very obvious to see that Shannon truly has a knack for art.

In regards to the K-Pop fandom, Shannon expressed happiness that “fan art” was “alive in the community,” adding how she really enjoyed looking at other pieces of fanwork and having this connection with so many other people.

For the battle portion of this workshop, the participants were reminded that Shannon would be picking three top pieces to win signed albums (complimentary of KCON). Many fans were new to artwork while others were very experienced, but Shannon’s teaching helped everyone create great works of art in the end. With difficulty in choosing the winners, Shannon finally picked three wonderful artists: Elizabeth Medina, Carina Li, and Ronni Seth. Here’s their happy faces when they found out they had won:

Here’s some of the entries:

Artwork

Did you attend KCON 2014? What was your favorite part of the convention? Don’t forget to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Bloglovin’ so you can keep up with all our posts.

KCON 2014 Day 2: M! Countdown 2 Nights in L.A.

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The second filming of M! Countdown 2 Nights in LA at KCON on August 10th began similarly to the first night, with a pre-show hosted by Parker (formerly Dumbfoundead). The rapper introduced two performers: contestants from Dancing 9, who performed two solos and a duet, and Asian American artist Jhameel. Jhameel performed an indie-pop mashup of Fiesty, T-Pain, and Frank Ocean.

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After the pre-show, the M! Countdown show began in earnest, and it was clear from the very first seconds of the concert that BTS was the big winner of the night. While the audience was excited about later acts in the evening, like Girls’ Generation and CNBLUE, BTS was greeted with such fervor and applause that the reaction seemed almost disproportionate for a group that debuted barely a year ago.

With deafening cheers, the audience fully appreciated BTS’ performances of Boy In Luv, No More Dream, We Are Bulletproof pt. 2, I Like It (Pretty Woman ),and Rise of Bangtan. The members of the group had a great stage presence, controlling the attention in the room and setting the tone for the entire night.

The energy that they showed as they danced and interacted with the fans was infectious, and it didn’t feel at all like this was a rookie group. BTS may be a normal rookie group in Korea, but the concert in L.A. that night made it seem like BTS was a leader of Hallyu.

Then, Girls’ Generation member Tiffany took to the stage and proclaimed her awe about the fact KCON was being held in her hometown, L.A. and to introduce the upcoming act. With her appearance, the noise level in the venue dramatically increased; she definitely pushed up the enthusiasm and excitement from the fans.

But following BTS and Tiffany would be hard for any other idol group, so it was perhaps wise planning that the rock singer Jung Joon Young was next in the lineup. If he felt anxious about following such a crowd-inciting act, the rocker didn’t show it. In fact, the general feeling through Jung Joon Young’s performance was that he didn’t care about anything other than his music. Even though he speaks perfect English, the singer slurred his words every time he paused to introduce a new song and seemed eager to get back to performing.

It was clear throughout the set that Jung Joon Young was a musician, first and foremost, and a performer second; it was a completely different feeling than the idol groups that took the stage before and after him. He performed The Sense of An Ending, Hold On, From Me To Me, Teenager, and a Michael Jackson tribute of Black and White with BTS’ leader, Rap Monster.

The girl group SPICA followed Jung Joon Young, made up of five powerhouse vocalists. They may not be the most popular of idol groups, but you wouldn’t have known that based on their performance. SPICA released their first English song, I Did It, last week, and their M! Countdown stage was their debut music show performance in America.

And while SPICA’s dance performances didn’t have as much energy as BTS’ or Jung Joon Young’s, the members’ powerful vocals and sexy bodies had the crowd rioting.

SPICA also sang You Don’t Love Me, Tonight, a melody mash-up of No Diggity, and an absolutely perfect performance of Painkiller. The members were able to alternate between serious and playful moods, while playing up to the crowd’s emotions with each song, earning a lot of applause. Between SPICA and BTS, these two relatively new groups showed KCON that they could keep up with larger and more widely known acts.

During a brief break from the concert, MCs Parker and Jung Joon Young brought out famous Korean actor Lee Seo Jin. Lee Seo Jin expressed his happiness about Korean acts becoming accepted all over the world thanks to Hallyu, to which the MCs agreed and thanked the fans for their support.

Four member idol band CNBLUE then rose to the stage to riotous cheers, as adoring fans clung to the barriers and sung along to the group’s most popular songs. While lead vocalist Yonghwa moved around the stage throughout the performances, switching between two sides of the stadium, the other members remained relatively sedentary. And even though the songs were well known and people were singing along, CNBLUE’s performance was less visually exciting than the other acts.

Even if the members weren’t as active as the idol groups that danced along the stage’s length, CNBLUE’s performance was excellent. Throughout the set, people singing along to Can’t Stop, Intuition, I’m A Loner, Love, and I’m Sorry filled the arena… All eyes were on the four handsome, talented idols.

Jung Joon Young and Danny Im then came out and introduced the night’s headliners: Girls’ Generation. With the entire arena cheering adoration, Girls’ Generation took the stage. Arguably the queens of K-Pop today, eight members of the girl group launched into their most recent hit, Mr.Mr.

The members then introduced themselves, several of them speaking in English. They also addressed Sooyoung’s schedule conflict due to her current drama filming leading to her inability to attend. Nostalgia was on the mind when the ladies surprisingly launched into their older hits, Hoot and Genie.

Tiffany then thanked fans for their support, noticing quite the number of supportive signs commemorating the group’s seventh anniversary, and the idols sang a shot acapella version of their debut song, Into The New World. The evening ended with the entire arena singing and dancing along to Mr. Taxi and, as the most pleasantly astounding ending to a magnificent night, Gee.

While Girls’ Generation’s performance was near flawless, there were two things that caused some concern: Jessica had to rush off stage at one point, causing a bit of confusion. Taeyeon was also visibly tense at the beginning of the performance, although she loosened up throughout the set. Even though there was this slight awkwardness, the eight members of Girls’ Generation finished up their stage to a crowd that couldn’t get enough of them.

No news on who will be performing at the next KCON, but it’s a no brainer that more big names will show up as the convention grows in presence and popularity.

What do you think of the second night of M! Countdown at KCON? Be sure to share your thoughts and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Bloglovin’ so you can keep up with all our posts.

KCON 2014 Day 1: M! Countdown 2 Nights In L.A.

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Following the day-long convention, the Los Angeles Sports Arena opened its doors to let the throngs of anticipating fans through for the concert portion of KCON 2014 on August 9th. At 7 p.m., Danny Im (formerly of 1TYM), Parker (Dumbfoundead), and rocker Jung Joon Young (who performed at the second night of KCON) began the pre-show, introducing the M! Countdown 2 Nights in L.A. special.

After an introduction, the audience was greeted with original songs by songwriter-performer Jeremy Thurber and a cover of Taeyang’s Eyes, Nose Lips with a dance performance to BEAST’s Good Luck by talented violinist-dancer Jun Sung Ahn.

Lee Seung Gi then took the stage, transitioning to the concert from the pre-show. The singer-turned-actor spoke to the crowd in English, expressing his delight that Korean culture has grown to this point as well as his hopes that Korean culture will continue to spread throughout the world. After Lee Seung Gi’s introduction, the concert began in earnest.

The first act to perform was idol group VIXX, which began its stage with a powerful rendition of Voodoo Doll, props and all. Even though VIXX isn’t one of Hallyu’s top idol groups, the screams that filled the stadium revealed the group’s popularity in the U.S. VIXX, along with the rest of the evening’s acts, performed a total of five songs, and kept the crowd cheering and singing along to hits like On and On, Only U, Light Up The Darkness, and Eternity while the members exuded manly sexiness on stage through their powerful dances.

Korea’s darling IU took the stage next, opening up her performance with a rendition of her hit, Red Shoes. Fittingly, she wore a completely white outfit with bright red shoes that helped her dance across the stage. Like Lee Seung Gi, IU spoke to the audience in a relatively high level of English. As she apologized to the fans for her so-called “poor” language skills that were anything but poor, it was apparent that IU had prepared to meet her US fans for the first time.

While idol groups are the trend in Korea, IU’s performances of You and I and Good Day were extremely well-received. She also performed the rock version of one of her early songs, Hey. Teen Top’s Niel joined IU on stage to sing Friday, which IU originally recorded with History’s Jang Yi Jeong. Not every fan in the room may have known the song, but the upbeat sound of the song combined with IU’s powerful vocals and charming attitude won over the crowd.

B1A4 were the big winners of the night. Fans who already loved the group threw themselves passionately into the performance, singing and dancing along to What’s Happening, Lonely, Solo Day, One Glass of Water, and Baby Goodnight. But even the audience members who didn’t know B1A4 very well got into the enthusiastic songs; it seemed like the entire venue cheered on B1A4’s youthful members. The five members also appeared to be having a lot of fun as the performed, running around the stage and using props, including water guns which they aimed at the audience. It seemed as if not a single person in the stadium was able to remain unaffected by B1A4’s cheerful performance.

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While Teen Top had a tough act to follow, the energy in the room was still high as the idol group performed Rocking, Ms. Right, and then calmed down as the members performed a sexy rendition of To You. Teen Top brought the momentum up once again with Crazy, and then surprised the audience by ending its stage with a fan favorite, Rock Star. While the performance was stellar, audience members appeared confused by the choice of a song that isn’t really well known outside of the Teen Top fandom. It was a good attempt to introduce a lesser known song to international fans, but by the end of the performance, there was apparent tension in the room as fans wanted to hear songs that they were more used to.

There was a momentary lull as Danny and Parker came out once more, and introduced the final act of the evening — BIGBANG’s leader, G-Dragon.

Based on the crowd’s excitement even before G-Dragon took the stage, it would have been very difficult for GD to disappoint his audience. Even had he stood on stage just walking around without making a peep, fans would have been cheering and screaming in adoration. G-Dragon did anything but merely stand on stage; he turned the huge arena into his personal playground. As he performed One of A Kind, Michigo, Who You?, Crooked, and Crayon, G-Dragon took control of the crowd and hardly stood still for a moment, except for a couple periods when he lay down on stage, playing up to the crowd in that corner of the stadium.

While the other acts were enjoyable, G-Dragon’s was a different type of performance entirely; he was an entertainer rather than an idol, who was able to make everyone in the room pay attention to him. His stage included the most special effects, but it was G-Dragon’s large personality and provocative songs and style that had fans jumping in their seats. He not only had the crowd screaming his name, but also responding to his prompt of “Get your…” with “Cray-on!” It was clear that, no matter who the audience was there to see, G-Dragon had captivated everyone’s attention.

The concert ended with the B1A4, VIXX, Teen Top, and IU joining G-Dragon on the stage, where the idols waved to fans and threw shirts into the audience. While the idols walked back onto stage, it was noted that G-Dragon bowed respectfully to each idol, despite the fact that he is largely their seniors.

Courtesy of CJ E&M

Courtesy of CJ E&M

What do you think of the first night of M! Countdown at KCON? Be sure to share your thoughts and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Bloglovin’ so you can keep up with all our posts.

KCON 2014 Day 1: Convention Highlights

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KCON 2014 recently hit its third year mark on August 9th and 10th at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Center, proving that it has definitely grown in both presence and the number of attendees. With an estimated count of between 40,000 to 42,000 con-goers, the K-Pop and K-culture oriented, two-day convention (with an included two nights of concerts) definitely met our expectations of a great experience.

The list of activities ranged from numerous panels, giveaways, and special guests, to fun workshops, Danny from L.A. tapings, exciting performances, and surprise idol appearances throughout the day. If you weren’t able to attend this event, then you should check out our highlights from Saturday below.

Overview

As is commonplace with a large following, the line for checking in was intense and very formidable. By 10 a.m. (when the venue was supposed to be open), fans lined up for more than a block’s worth of distance. Some con-goers reported to having to wait for more than two hours.

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However, after everyone slowly trickled in, they were greeted with quite a number of activities, from panels to KCON’s very first public Marketplace, which was even open to those who didn’t possess a ticket. The Marketplace was definitely quite the successful introduction, as hordes of fans bought food, drinks, and merchandise while meeting new friends and enjoying performances from the outdoor stage.

Inside the event, multiple tents of panels and workshops, and Danny from L.A.’s stage dominated the landscape, along with the waiting area for the fan engagement events with artists and red carpet.

Overall, the panels that KPOPme attended were very interesting and great learning experiences, and the fan interactions witnessed were fun and enjoyable. Day one was pretty wonderful!

Danny from L.A. Taping

VIXX at Danny from LA

K-Pop fans once again were lucky enough to be part of a Danny from L.A.‘s live taping at KCON 2014. These tapings are becoming a tradition at KCON and are sought out by fans, as Danny and Dumbfounded have celebrity guests! They get you closer to your favorite idol, and Saturday’s guests were none other than VIXX and B1A4.

The tapings are very fun because the hosts interview the idols and have them play games. They even invite fans from the audience to join on stage and participate. One lucky girl was able to gain a hug from VIXX’s Leo after winning an aegyo competition against a male fan. However, the fanboy was just as lucky, for he also received a hug from Ravi.  But the members weren’t exempt; Danny had them do aegyo for the audience as well. Furthermore, VIXX had an English asking game, which they completely bombed, but the fans found utterly adorable.

VIXX Leo Hugs FAn

VIXX KEN Doing Aegyo

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Moreover, B1A4’s appearance was also really fun. After they introduced themselves to the audience, they immediately did the sprout dance. They were tested in their English knowledge and pick up lines. Even Baro got everyone excited and laughing when he did his aegyo. Sandeul was definitely the funniest member, since he wasn’t even trying to be funny, and yet, his clumsiness and charisma gained everyone’s heart. At the end, a lucky girl had the chance to be drawn by B1A4, and she thanked them with a gift of her own.

b1a4 1

b1a4 7

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Panels

Despite wanting to, KPOPme’s staff was unable to attend every panel presented at the convention, but here’s a summary of the ones we did attend and found most interesting.

All About Hallyu Media

All About Hallyu Media Panel

Starting right from 11 a.m. was this panel, headed by representatives of different media outlets: Adrienne Stanley (KpopStarz), Jeff Benjamin (Billboard), June Saladino (Hallyu Magazine), Kim Lee (247 Asian Media), and Ranier Ramirez (Soompi), with Morgan Lynzi as the hostess for the occasion. Everyone discussed the spread of K-Pop into mainstream and traditional media, as well as its growth, and went over how putting a unique twist on K-Pop content was important for Hallyu media outlets to gain momentum. Jeff added that it was important to create a network, but also listen to fans and pay attention to the content that they share.

When asked about difficulties in Hallyu, Kim talked about how people would be surprised about her involvement with what seems to be a different culture. Adrienne commented on her difficulties as a film critic, as the Korean distribution network posed a challenge towards America, especially when she reviewed a film that “75 percent of America has no access to.” Jeff moved onto to business relations, as media infrastructure in Korea differs greatly from American media, and he brought up the issue of trying to create a “happy medium” between two different cultures.

When a question was raised about changing media content due to changing times, Adrienne expressed that she had noticed a shift amongst artist representation “moving away from written to video interviews” to reach wider audiences. Jeff mentioned an additional shift in articles, talking about quality content, and offered some meaningful advice:

Have something to say. If you don’t have something to say, don’t write about it.

All About Hallyu Media Jeff Benjamin

To close things off, Jeff, being the most talkative of the panelists, concluded his comments with him being “inspired by the power of words” and wanting to “break people’s minds” with his writing and content. Adrienne finished up the panel with recommending that media and potential media look to and utilize social media in order to break out in the Hallyu industry, emphasizing the importance of social websites in this time period.

Cosplay 101

C101 header

SSIN (Creator Group), Candiie Wish, and Brianna Newman (KPop Aholic) were in charge of this panel, providing information and helpful tips on getting the best cosplay look with makeup, accessories, and more, as well as advice on where to purchase products and their favorite makeup and contacts brands. Cosplay 101 took place right after All About Hallyu Media ended, at 11:30 a.m.

SSIN gave a lucky fan a GD makeover, with emphasis on the eyes and a little cross on the cheek. Here’s some pictures of the process:

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Hallyu Culture Shock

When it comes to Hallyu’s growth into international proportions, there’s always going to be a culture shock. Euny Hong (The Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation Is Conquering the World Through Pop Culture), Grace Park and Stephanie Maing (Crazy Korean Cooking), Amos Yi (YouTuber), and Christian Oh (KOMO Enterprises, LLC) took on this topic at 1 p.m. and extensively covered all the aspects related to the Hallyu wave and its experiences through movies, dramas, actors, and idols.

They all agreed that the reason for the popularity of Hallyu was due to its enjoyable facets; Euny talked about how the Korean cinema export was “tiny but innovative,” and Christian built upon that comment by bringing up the issue of “Hollywood directors taking ideas from Korean cinema” and oftentimes failing. Stephanie expressed her joy at how Hallyu brought “people together from all different backgrounds to celebrate cultures” and added that geography definitely helped with integration, especially with a large K-Pop fandom outside of Korea.

In addition to just K-Pop, Christian brought back the origin of Hallyu with the Chinese market opening up Korean entertainment exports leading to acceptance in the U.S. However, according to the panelists, the issue with Americans not being fully accepting of Korean entertainment or foreign entertainment in general was due to the fact that Americans don’t like subtitles and are “used to export, not import.”

When asked what they though were some negative parts in Hallyu, Amos decided to go with the plastic surgery trend, saying how it didn’t and shouldn’t represent Korea. Stephanie jumped in with her disappointment in the lack of popularity outside of K-Pop, bringing to attention underground bands that “needed exposure,” like Galaxy Express, who would attend SXSW (South by Southwest) but not KCON. In addition to underground bands, Christian expressed his wish for the rise in popularity of hip hop and talked about the import and export of popularity is due to how the fans advocate. Euny took a different turn and shared her dislike of the high usage of BB cream, of which she said was “basically concealer” and used “too much.”

When the topic of sexy comebacks and why they exist popped up, the panelists all looked at one another as if they had the same thoughts. Christian was the first to speak, simply by saying “sex sells,” to which the panel and the rest of the seated fans agreed. Euny, while not disagreeing with Christian, brought up another interesting aspect of how “lack of sex sells” more to international fans, who usually want to get away from some of the crude pop culture in America. Stephanie added that she felt as if the idols had “manufactured sexiness” that didn’t seem natural or fit them.

Technology has definitely affected Hallyu in a positive way, and the panelists agreed whole-heartedly. Amos described the change from watching TV to watching things online and on YouTube, with the increase in mobility of technology, and Grace talked about how K-dramas help spread Korean culture and especially food, as people gain more interest. Euny, who’s already done her research of Korea, talked about how the country puts in “Jurassic level research in entertainment” alone, because they actually understand where their profit comes from.

To wrap things up, the panel went over other elements besides K-Pop that should rise in popularity as the Hallyu wave grows. Euny couldn’t avoid talking about games, which make up a large percentage of sports in Korea and are “11 times more popular than K-Pop,” just to put it in perspective. Grace added that the fashion and cosmetics industry, which are already popular in Korea, have been spreading internationally and should see an increase in the next couple of years as well, while Stephanie talked about technology in Korea, who is already quite the powerhouse in both efficient and high quality products, like having one of the fastest internet connections in the world.

To finalize the panel, Christian expressed his confidence in the growing presence of Korean sports stars, who get drafted into other countries’ baseball, soccer, and basketball teams. All in all, this panel was perhaps the most educating for a fan new to the Hallyu wave!

Beyond “Almost Paradise”: Into the K-Drama OST

Singer Hee Young, Leah Westbrook (Zombie Mamma), Lindsay Roberts (SEOULBEATS), Rachel Rosenstock, Stephanie Kurze (Crazy for KDrama), and moderator Tanya Rodriguez (Hallyuknow) met at the 2 p.m. mark to discuss the power of OST’s and idol actors at panel tent three.

The panelists discussed the matter of idol actors and idol OST singers in depth. They mentioned how OSTss were important for singers’ careers as a means to widen their options and continue their jobs beyond their idols days. Despite indie artist Hee Young not being an idol herself, she talked about her song, Are You Still Waiting?, being picked up by the drama Lie to Me as its OST, and the doors it had opened for her in said market.

When talking about idol actors, the public consensus among the favorites were B1A4’s Baro and JYJ’s Yoochun. As for idols who they think would make great actors, Leo from VIXX came up and was well received by both the other panelists and the audience.

K-Pop Fandoms of Future Past

K-Pop Fandom Of Future Past

How could we forget about the fandoms? 4 p.m. was the time of calling, as Adrienne, Brianna, and Lindsay made a comeback to talk about the maturation of K-Pop fandoms and the decline of certain trends like fan cafes. Adrienne reasoned that this decline was the result of “gaining fans outside of Korea,” and Lindsay explained that those in cafes generally had to “go with rules to be a fan” and liked that this exclusivity has decreased. Adding to the exclusivity of fan cafes was Brianna, who said that “fan cafes lock themselves through not opening to international fans.” Due to this, “people lose interest and don’t feel the need to stay in fan cafes.” Adrienne brought up international fans who “create their own fan sites” and thus bring the fandom to the U.S.

K-Pop Fandom Of Future Past

When moving onto the subject of concerts in the U.S., Lindsay talked about how “spending money to support artists and going to events make the companies want to go back” and that it was “expensive and not profitable if not enough fans are going.” True? Definitely. The current lack of Korean artists approaching the U.S., according to Brianna, is because they are “skeptical of American fans” and don’t have the established “trust level” that they have with Korean fans. Of course, as Brianna said, it “also depends on the company.” Adrienne commented on how big of a “challenge” it was “to get things done because it takes time” in regards to concerts and meet-ups, but, “when fans come together, companies recognize the effort,” such as the Paris’ flashmobs that ultimately resulted in Super Junior concerts.

The different treatment between I-fans and K-fans was also brought up, as Lindsay expressed her sadness in how the global fandom feels isolated when the domestic fans get to go to fansigns and meet-and-greets more often and have longer periods of interaction with the idols. However, Adrienne optimistically reminded everyone that “media perspective” changes “what’s expected” of international fans and bring more awareness and better images of global fans in general.

K-Pop Fandom Of Future Past Adrienne Stanley

BTS came up in the panel’s discussion as they went over the huge international fanbase of the male group. Adrienne provided simple reasoning for this phenomenon: “K-Pop combined with hip hop appeals to international fans.” As for international fans in general, with SM’s latest development of opening EXO’s fanbase (EXO-L) globally, Lindsay agreed that it was very good marketing. Adrienne happily enthused about the meeting of different cultures through K-Pop as a result, and everyone concluded that it would be very profitable for companies to cater to international fans more in these coming years.

Did you attend KCON 2014? What was your favorite part of the convention? Don’t forget to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Bloglovin’ so you can keep up with all our posts.

Review: SPICA’s GAMeBOi Show in Los Angeles

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South Korean girl group SPICA gave an intimate performance at gay club RAGE’s Friday event, GAMeBOi, on August 8th in West Hollywood, CA. With their recent American debut, I Did It, SPICA had a pre-KCON party with fans and non-fans in a new, atypical to K-Pop setting.

Set in a regular gay club in WeHo, the audience SPICA geared up to perform for consisted of 18+ gay men and women — something different from the teenage crowd K-Pop is normally targeted to. GAMeBoi is a weekly Friday event at RAGE, popular amongst the Asian community. And since the brand is venturing into the K-Pop scene, it’s a great platform for SPICA to promote their American debut to what, I imagine, is the audience they want as fans to the likes of Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Rihanna.

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Organizers recommended hopeful attendees to arrive early, as the event had a cover and would operate on a first-come, first-served basis. SPICA was scheduled to perform until 12:30 AM, so the DJ and two dance crews warmed up the audience for Boa, Juhyun, Narae, Jiwon, and Bohyung. The DJ played a mix of top 40 songs alongside a few K-Pop songs like I Am the Best, Fantastic Baby, and Sorry Sorry, which garnered an excited reaction from the crowd. The K-Pop songs played were so well intermixed with, let’s say, Beyonce and Trey Songz, that it didn’t feel like they were forced fed to non-fans; it was more of a mere suggestion.

The first dance crew to perform was NorCal twin duo Henry and Miles, who were featured guests at KCON 2014. The boys performed a medley of BTS’ Boy in Luv, Beast’s Good Luck, and a girl group song complete with its original choreographies. The next crew was UC Davis’ SoNe1 (also special guests at KCON), who performed the original choreographies of a T-ara’s Number 9, Teen Top’s Rocking, CL’s Baddest Female, and 2NE1’s I Am the Best medley.

As the main performance grew closer, the crowd in the dance floor increased, and SPICA’s label mate, Eric Nam, was even spotted hanging out in the second floor balcony with the ladies as they chilled before hitting the stage. Eric, Boa, and Juhyun all waved and danced along with the audience to f(x)’s Electric Shock, while the rest of the members sat back in their lounge table.

SPICA balcony 2

At 12:30 AM, organizers cleared the stage and warned the crowd not to touch the idols. When the group finally hit the stage, the five of them looked hot and fierce, with Juhyun and Boa decked out in DIMEPIECE LA (where they had hung out earlier on the day for interviews). With smiles and a friendly, “Hi, we’re SPICA,” they greeted the audience. Jiwon even tried her hardest to speak as much English as she could, and with Juhyun’s “Let’s go!” cheer, the show finally began.

SPICA performed only two songs: Tonight and I Did It. Throughout the first song, Bohyung engaged with the crowd, and they all sang into the multiple fan cameras they spotted. For their second song, the girls threw most of their choreography out the window and focused on enjoying the moment. They walked all over the stage, dancing and singing with the audience. Boa noticed a male fan jamming to I Did It, walked over, and sang with him while holding his hand.

SPICA 5

While the event originally said that SPICA would host a meet-and-greet, they were unfortunately unable to do so. Once the performance ended, everyone was rushed out of the venue with Eric Nam and the rest of their entourage. Lots of fans went after them, but their management ushered the ladies into the vans and departed quickly.

After the show, the DJ resumed playing his top 40 repertoire. Some people left once SPICA’s showcase had ended, but others stayed and enjoyed the rest of their night.

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Here’s a video of SPICA’s performances and from the overall night:

What do you think of SPICA’s show at GAMeBoi? Be sure to share your thoughts and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Bloglovin’ so you can keep up with all our posts.

[Update on 8/12/14: Video from the event was added]

Playlist Sunday: All Guys

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We already went over our favorite girl group songs, so why not move on over to the guys for this week’s Playlist? The ladies definitely hold their power in the K-Pop industry, but let’s not forget about the guys who also demonstrate powerful vocals and release addicting songs! Here’s our picks for what we’re currently listening to for male idols:

VIC‘s 굴 (Oyster) is not only emotional, but it shows off his amazing vocal skills and accompanies quite a depressing music video. It’s such a shame that he’s not an extremely popular artist, because I can’t seem to find the translation of these lyrics! This doesn’t take away from the powerful feelings of anger and anguish you get from VIC, though. I remember when I first watched this; I didn’t know why, but it hit something inside, and I ended up with moist eyes afterwards. I have a special place in my heart for this song, even if I can’t really understand it, and I think that’s one of its best attributes.

–Thuc

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    Last week, I finally downloaded Crush‘s Crush on You album, and I have been listening to one song on repeat since then. Hey Baby featuring Zion.T is (so far) my favorite song off of the album. The song begins with Crush beat boxing and his beautiful falsetto. Then the beat comes in and suddenly I feel like I’m listening to an 80s Michael Jackson track. As you listen to the song it is clear that Crush was influenced by MJ for this track. At one point Zion.T even says “MJ baby”.

    Crush’s vocals are amazing in anything he sings. Zion.T adds his flair throughout the song as well. I love this pairing of Crush and Zion.T. This song is super upbeat and a fun song to listen to and sing along to. I’m never disappointed with anything Zion.T does and Crush has already proved to me that he’s an extremely talented artist and producer.

    — Tara

    A lot of people know Seo In Guk as an actor, but I’ve liked him ever since I heard My Baby U. I’ve lately found myself listening to his romantic song Tease Me, for no apparent reason other than the fact that it’s playful, yet the melodious sound is exactly what I think a good song should sound like. Seo In Guk’s smooth vocals asking to fall in love slowly is absolutely beautiful.

    The music video depicts Seo In Guk as a stuntman who falls in love with the lead actress, who ignores him. He thinks they’re a perfect fit, but she teases him because they’re so far apart in the film industry. However, when he performs a stunt where his car overturns, the audience, and singer, sees that she actually likes him also. The nervousness in the confessor’s voice as he sings repeated lyrics makes it clear that this isn’t a song just about a stuntman and an actress; Tease Me is a song for anyone who’s ever felt that they’ve been teased by someone they’ve had a crush on.

    –Tamar

    One day, while binge watching all of 2PM’s Youtube videos, I stumbled upon Jang Woo Young’s solo Sexy Lady, and instantly fell in love with it. The song might not be much vocally, but the beat, catchy chorus, and dance moves lured me in on the first listen (or watch, for that matter). Moreover, there’s just something about a guy singing about lusting over a sexy woman over a demure one that just gets to me! And strangely, I completely dig that blonde look on Woo Young; he looks like a sexy man himself.

    –Alexis

    After watching B1A4 at KCON 2014, I fell more in love with them. Each members’ personalities really stand out and they are very funny. That’s why I love their comeback song Solo Day. If you tie in the video, the choreography, and the song, it’s a perfect combination. The video is very funny and has a quirky ending. Their vocals in the song are very soothing and make the upbeat ballad lift you up and lets you know it’s ok to be solo. Beware, after you listen to this song you will end up doing the whistle and singing along to the addicting chorus.

    –Alejandro

    Who are some of your favorite male idols and artists? Share them with us in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Bloglovin’ so you can keep up with all our posts.

    What’s Wrong With A.KOR’s Kemy Dissing Park Bom?

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    One of the most recent scandals involves A.KOR member Kemy and her controversial “diss rap” on 2NE1‘s Park Bom, and wow, has it brought up a lot of conflict. For the most part, fans and friends alike have stood up for Bom, whose drug scandal prompted a personal letter from YG regarding her need for the medicine. However, is that all to the story? Is Kemy truly the bad guy in this issue, or does she have some truth in her rap?

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    First of all, let’s get everything straight: I am in no way saying that Kemy’s actions were right. To be honest, this was an extremely rude composition and an extremely bad decision in summary to even bring up a senior idol in such a bad light. Logically speaking, I don’t understand why she would record such a rap, given the fact that they’ve barely debuted and have yet to establish a reputation in the industry; was she intending to ruin their chances before they even had a chance?

    In short, I don’t think so. Recent rookies have been aiming for more unique, interesting ways to gain fame, whether it’s eccentric fashion or music style. In my opinion, it seems like Kemy attempted to catch attention with this track, and she succeeded. Unfortunately, I’m just not so sure if she expected the backlash, although it would be ridiculously foolish if she didn’t. Speaking from a marketing perspective, this was a wild card that played out less in her favor, and that’s just one of the things that happen when you go down the dissing route.

    But what if this wasn’t an attempt to bring attention to herself? What if it was to bring attention to the suspicious drug scandal fiasco that YG managed to cover up? Am I saying that I don’t trust YG’s explanation? Of course not. I’m just trying to speak from Kemy’s perspective.

    When you think about it, South Korea has quite a large stigma attached to mental illness and drugs, so I did understand this negativity in regards to Bom being let go in a simple manner. Also, let’s not forget that celebrities seem to always be treated differently when it comes to crimes, no matter the country, so why wouldn’t someone be angry with this?

    Kemy definitely wasn’t wrong for stating her opinion on this scandal, but it was not a smart move in rapping about it and directly addressing Bom in the piece. The fault in this diss is purely a matter of respect and professionalism for me, personally. And before anyone says that Kemy should suffer or be boycotted, let’s keep a rational mindset and understand that A.KOR has already stopped their promotions prematurely as a response to this controversy. Isn’t that enough?

    Yes, Bom was wrong in bringing illegal drugs in such a shady manner, but that case is settled, like it or not. Does it seem like she got special treatment? I’m not going to lie; it does seem like it. But just because it seems like she had the case handled in her favor doesn’t mean that releasing a public rap about telling her to do the right thing will help, right?

    To put it shortly, I’m not really sure why Kemy thought it was a good idea to go through with this, but I’m not going to hate on the girl. The meaning behind the rap is rude and uncalled for, and it only managed to damage A.KOR’s image more than hurting Bom’s. There are things that don’t make sense with how quickly the case was solved, and she definitely did dish out some truth, albeit in a slightly distasteful manner.

    On the other hand, just because the lyrics are negative doesn’t mean that Kemy has no talent nor potential. I have to admit that it bothers me when fans try to come to Bom’s aid by dissing Kemy in return; there’s no use in getting an eye for an eye, because all you end up with is a bunch of blind followers going in a variety of directions for no reason. In a musical sense, I really do feel like Kemy is a great rapper:

    I just wish she would have thought this decision through.

    What was your reaction to Do The Right Rap? Do you agree with what Kemy’s trying to say? Share your thoughts below and remember to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Bloglovin’ so you can keep up with all our posts.

    Best of the B Tracks

    /in , /by

    During an artist’s debut or comeback, they promote one or sometimes two songs from their recent release. I find more often than not that there are songs on the album that I enjoy much more than the title song, or songs that I think warrant the same amount of popularity as the promoted track(s). I will highlight a few of my favorite B tracks found in my K-Pop collection. This is by no means a definitive list; it is solely based upon my opinion and the styles of music I tend to gravitate towards.

    There is no rhyme or reason as to how I chose these songs. If I enjoy the beat, vocals, instrumentation, etc. then the song is most likely on the list. I also looked at how many plays these songs have on my iTunes. That’s a pretty good indication of if I really like the song.

    Artist: SHINee
    Album: Dream Girl: Misconceptions of You
    Song: Spoiler

    When I first heard Spoiler I thought my iTunes somehow messed up the first song. I thought it re-downloaded Sherlock (Clue + Note). I rewinded the song a few times before I decided to keep listening to see if it really was Sherlock. SHINee got me good with that one. I realized after the first 10 seconds that it was indeed a different song. When I first listen to a song, I tend to listen to the beat and the music of the songs as opposed to the lyrics. For K-Pop, that’s really all I listen to since I don’t understand 98% of the lyrics. Anyway, Spoiler has a sick beat. There’s no way around it. There are so many different elements in the song, but they all fit together and don’t take away from the song or overpower the vocals.

    Speaking of vocals, all five guys have a dark tone to their voices throughout the song, and especially leading up the chorus. This was the first SHINee album where everyone’s vocals really shined and impressed me. Obviously, Jonghyun and Onew always had great voices, but Key, Taemin, and Minho have all improved tremendously and Spoiler gave fans a hint of what to expect, vocally, on the rest of the album. I already loved the song, but after I found out that Jonghyun wrote it, and that it was a song that introduced the songs on their Misconceptions albums, I fell more in love with Spoiler, which is aptly named.

    Artist: SHINee
    Album: Dream Girl: Misconceptions of You
    Song: Punch Drunk Love

    I want to highlight another song from this album. Initially when I started to compile this list, I wanted to stay away from repeating an artist and definitely stay away from choosing more than one song on the same album. But as I went through my K-Pop collection I had to choose Spoiler as well as Punch Drunk Love. They are two songs that I will never skip over in my K-Pop collection. Alright, Punch Drunk Love. Listen to it with headphones. That bass is brilliant. The entire musicality of the song is a blast from the 60s, 70s, and a few elements from every era afterwards.

    The instruments used and sound of the song was one reason I was initially drawn to Punch Drunk Love. The whole thing was different from the K-Pop songs out at the time (and even now a year and a half later). But the main element that made me fall in love with this song, aside from the super upbeat and funky vibe, was the harmonies of these amazing men. You can hear their wonderfulharmonies throughout the song, but it isn’t until the last 5 or seconds that the music cuts out and all we’re left with are the angelic voices of SHINee. Definitely the best 5 seconds of that song.

    Artist: f(x)
    Album: Red Light
    Song: Dracula

    Keeping it in the SM Town family, my next B track favorite is f(x)’s Dracula. Before I ordered their Red Light album, I listened to all of the songs online to make sure I enjoyed the majority of the album. I’m one of those people who tends to only like a small amount of songs on an album. But Red Light’s songs were all different and enticing in their own way. Dracula was one that stood out to me for a few reasons.

    The first reason is the amount of English lyrics in the song. Obviously there are two native English speakers in the group, but I couldn’t help noticing and appreciating how good Luna’s, Victoria’s, and Sulli’s English pronunciation is.

    The different tempo changes throughout the song all work really well together. The song starts off with a deep, dark voice and then goes into an uptempo beat. The transitions connect each tempo change perfectly. The leadup to the chorus brilliantly showcases Luna’s and Kyrstal’s voices. And that chorus, so simple, yet so so memorable. The song overall has a catchy beat throughout and an easy chorus to sing along to, and that stays stuck in your head (in a good way). Honestly, how can you go wrong with a song titled Dracula? Well, I’m sure you could, but f(x) certainly did not.

    Artist: Zion. T
    Album: Red Light
    Song: 지구온난화 (Feat. 양동근)

    Zion.T. I could leave my explanation for this choice at that. But I will elaborate. Zion.T has a unique voice that I absolutely love. It’s so smooth and has a tone I haven’t heard before. Every song he sings and features on is amazing. I love hearing his voice and 지구온난화 gives fans a different side on Zion.T. The song is heavily influenced by reggae, which is one musical genre that I love. Pair a reggae track with Zion.T’s voice and you win. Hands down win. The song has a chill vibe that will have you swaying and falling into Zion.T’s vocals.

    Artist: 2PM
    Album: Grown [Vol. 3]
    Song: 오늘부터 1일 (First Date)

    This song is in the top 5 of my Top 25 Most Played Songs playlist on iTunes. And that is saying something. 오늘부터 1일 (First Date) starts with a piano and Nichkhun’s attractive vocals. The piano is prevalent throughout the song and keeps an upbeat tone as the guys sing of their love. We’re able to hear everyone’s vocals throughout song, along with Taecyeon’s rap. The piano is paired with horns as the song gets to the chorus, which adds another layer and more texture to the sound of the song. It’s a fun and cute song that fits with any season and always makes me happy when I listen to it.

    Artist: Beast
    Album: Good Luck
    Song: We Up

    Alright, alright. I’m breaking my own rules with this one. Beast did promote We Up with Good Luck, but I couldn’t overlook this song. For starters, the beat. I mentioned it before and I’m sure you have noticed, but if a song has a solid and catchy beat, I’m already into it. And if Junhyung’s “Give it to me now” in the very beginning doesn’t pull you into the song then his singing definitely will. Whenever I listen to We Up I find myself moving my head and shoulders to the beat.

    The chorus, which Dongwoon begins, draws you in with the opening word “tonight” then Yoseob finishes it off with his beautiful vocals. I really can’t explain why I like this song so much. All of the elements are there. The music, the vocals, the beat, the tempo, the overall feeling. I’m not sure what We Up really means, but this song always puts me in a good mood. It’s perfect for blasting in your car with the windows down, not a care in the world.

    Artist: Yong Junhyung
    Album: Flower EP
    Song: Slow

    My next choice I’m going to Slow it down (pun intended unfortunately). This song is off of Beast’s rapper Yong Junhyung’s debut EP. Slow showcases Junhyung’s delicate singing as well as his attractive rapping. I usually do not enjoy slower songs, but Junhyung’s producing skills clearly pull at my heartstrings. Somehow, he manages to make me listen to the entire song without a thought of skipping over it. And that, my friends, is a great feat. I love the song. The beat, I love the beat and the fact that Junhyung is singing as well as rapping (I love his rapping). It’s a good listen.

    Artist: G-Dragon
    Album: Coup D’etat
    Song: 너무 좋아 (I Love It) Feat. Zion.T, Boys Noize

    Zion. T makes another appearance on my list, this time with Big Bang leader G-Dragon and Boys Noize. 너무 좋아 (I Love It) is off of GD’s most recent album Coup D’etat. The first time I heard this song, I was in awe. I think I replayed it at least 5 times afterwards. The beat, piano, vocals, rapping, production, overall mood, everything are all amazing. All of these elements fit effortlessly into this song to come together and create one of my favorite songs. It’s not only my favorite song on this album, but from out of all of G-Dragon’s solo collections.

    And, can we just take a moment to admire the gritty vocal tone of Mr. GD himself? I LOVE IT (the pun is obviously there but not intended, because I’m being sincere). The singing and rapping fit together like missing puzzle pieces and they create a beautiful end product. Zion.T’s vocal quality and tone added to GD’s gritty, raspy vocals creates a beautiful pairing that should be utilized many, many times in the future.

    Artist: History
    Album: Desire EP
    Song: I Got U

    If you read my previous article about History, you’ll know that one thing I love and admire about these boys is how well their voices go together. Their harmonies are impressive, and they sound like they have been together for years! I Got U is the leadoff track of their latest EP, Desire. History promoted Psycho, which honestly took more than a few listens to grow on me. But as soon as I heard I Got U, I was hooked. I don’t know if it would have been a better promotional song, but I’m glad I came across it. I Got U is one of the reasons I bought Desire.

    History’s always-present harmonies are sprinkled throughout I Got U and, again, that beat. It always draws me in… Always! However, the bass is definitely what holds this all together; it’s strong and prevalent throughout the song. But, I can’t just write about I Got U without mentioning History’s vocal abilities. It seems like this song excels at it all: harmonies, falsettos, strong vocals, soft vocals, sexy vocals, deep vocals, and pretty much EVERYTHING. These guys deserve more recognition!

    Artist: CNBLUE
    Album: Can’t Stop EP
    Song: Like a Child

    To close out this article I leave you with CNBLUE and Like a Child. From the title alone, you know this song is about innocence and the beauty found in the simplest of things. CNBLUE melts my heart with the melody of this song and Yonghwa’s vocals. I actually also put this song on my “Easy Listening K-Pop Edition” playlist. The piano and strings blend perfectly with the drums and guitar and bass. Everything fits so well and the song makes me feel weightless and happy.

    I picture CNBLUE performing this song in a lush, green field with a light breeze and the sun shining upon them. The English translated lyrics say:

    Like a child, just like heaven, a melody to spread all over the world
    Like a child, just like heaven, a melody to make you smile

    How can one go wrong with the feeling of being a child again and the glorious elements associated with the belief of Heaven? Like a Child is a song that fits any season and any mood. This song can be played all day every day. If you’re feeling a little down, play Like a Child. If you’re in a great mood, play Like a Child. If you’re getting ready for a job interview, play Like a Child. It’s a mood changer and a mood maker; a beautiful song.

    There are so many amazing B tracks out there and this is only a very (very) small portion of them. If you have suggestions of B tracks that I should check out, leave your choices in the comments below! I’m always looking to broaden my K-Pop horizons.

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