YG’s highly anticipated boy band WINNER is finally debuting. Although the group has already a large fan base around the world, there might be a few folks that may not know anything about the members.
WINNER consists of five members: Kang Seung Yoon, Kim Jinwoo, Lee Seung Hoon, Song Minho, and Nam Tae Hyun. They opened for BIGBANG in their Japan tour and starred in various CF prior to their debut. They successfully concluded their ten episode run of WINNER TV , where we all got to meet them without the stress of competing, went on to open senior label mates 2NE1 on their All Or Nothing tour, and appeared on Taeyang’s Ringa Linga video as backup dancers.
The group has already released various photos and teaser videos that demonstrate how their image has changed from their trainee days. They have matured their cool boys style into fashionista men. The launching show will be on August 8, 2014, followed by the online-release on August 12, 2014, and offline-release on the 14th.
[WINNER’s 1st Teaser, The Visitor]
[WINNER’S Debut Album Teaser]
The Name:
They were formerly Team A in the show WIN: Who Is Next? where they competed against Team B. They won the show and got crowned as WINNER, which became the name of their group.
The Members:
The leader Kang Seung Yoon might seem familiar: he was a former contestant of Superstar K2 and appeared on High Kick 3. He debuted as a solo artist on YG Entertainment with three successful singles: Wild & Young, It Rains, and Stealer. He was born in 1994.
Kim Jin Woo is the oldest member of WINNER. He is the main vocal of the band and started training in YG since 2010. Throughout the run of WIN: Who Is Next?, he showed that he was a hard worker. He worries a lot about his members, and, as their hyung, he takes good care of them. He was born in 1991.
Lee Seung Hoon is one of the rappers and main dancer of the band. He was a former KPOP Star 1 contestant when Yang Hyun-suk saw his potential and signed him as a trainee for YG Entertainment. He was born in 1992.
Song Minho started as an underground rapper, who then went to train as an intended member for BLOCK B and later on dropped the project. He debuted as a rapper on the group B.o.M, but the band disbanded after not having popularity. His rapping skills were recognized by his seniors, T.O.P. and Tablo. He got recruited for YG in 2013. He was born in 1993.
Nam Tae Hyun is the maknae of WINNER. His droopy eyebrows gave him recognition throughout WIN: Who Is Next? He is one of the vocals of the band and one of the most popular members. Beside having a beautiful voice, he helps the members with producing and composing the songs. He was born in 1994.
Everything seems to point out to the right direction for WINNER. They will have a very successful debut as the newest boy band from YG, since BIGBANG. They debut has been highly expected by many and the time has come for WINNER to show what they have.
What do you think of WINNER? Do you think they’ll have a successful debut? 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.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Intro-To-WINNER.png600800Alejandro Abarcahttp://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngAlejandro Abarca2014-08-05 17:57:372014-08-05 17:57:37Intro To WINNER
This is a bit of a loaded question – JYP Entertainment has been one of the three most prominent entertainment companies in the K-Pop industry for years, and it’s still treated as such. However, nowadays, the main competition is between YG Entertainment and SM Entertainment, and it’s worth looking at why exactly this is the case.
The Success
Park Jin Young, JYP himself, was one of Korea’s most popular singers in the early and mid-1990’s. In 1997, he founded JYP Entertainment, and ended up producing idol groups like g.o.d, which was one of the K-Pop groups that started the first Hallyu wave in Asia. g.o.d’s popularity is still so immense that the group recently made a comeback, to celebrate its fifteenth anniversary.
JYP produced several other acts, but in 2002, it was Rain who ended up becoming JYP Entertainment’s pride and joy. Other popular JYP acts from the early 2000’s included Noel, Park Ji Yoon, and Byul.
In the mid 2000’s, JYP scored major successes with the debuts of Wonder Girls (2007), 2AM, and 2PM (both 2008). The three groups became some of the most popular acts in K-Pop and immensely popular throughout not only Asia but also the world.
The Wonder Girls gained enough attention to result in Perez Hilton showing off their songs, like Tell Me and Nobody; the group ended up touring with the Jonas Brothers and filming a show for Nickelodeon in the US.
2PM started a trend of “beastly idols,” known for athleticism and masculine concepts, which was different from the flower boy trend of other groups like TVXQ, SS501, and Super Junior.
While it looked bad for 2AM, since ballad groups were losing popularity in favor of K-Pop acts in the past, these guys are actually more popular than their label mates, the Wonder Girls and 2PM. Unlike the average K-Pop group, 2AM attracts all sorts of fans, not only the more typical, young fans who tend to be attracted to pop music.
The Slow Downward Spiral
Wonder Girls, 2PM, and 2AM gained a lot of success and were able to promote competitively against Kara, Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, Big Bang, and other groups that were popular in the late 2000’s. Songs by the three JYP groups were extremely popular, and, for a few years, it seemed that JYP was at the very top of its game.
Miss A debuted in 2010 to much acclaim, but it was another two years before JYP debuted a new group, which was the duo 15&;. While 15&; is very talented, it hasn’t attracted as much attention as other YG groups.
It was around 2009 when JYP started to suffer. Out of JYP’s top three teams, only 2AM has kept its original member line-up. This was due to the leader of 2PM, Park Jay (Park Jaebeom) withdrawing from the group and the Wonder Girls focusing on their American promotions. The Wonder Girls also had a lineup change; Sunmi left the group and Hye Lim joined.
Both groups were still considered leaders of Hallyu, but, since then, the Wonder Girls have disbanded, and 2PM, despite promoting continuously to much success, isn’t as active as groups like Big Bang and Super Junior. Furthermore, the influx of rookie groups also endangers 2PM.
Miss A is popular in its own right, but Suzy has become one of Korea’s darlings; the rest of Miss A’s members are well-known, yet not half as popular as Suzy. Miss A last promoted Hush in 2013, and it is almost the end of 2014. It is now JYP’s oldest girl group, but Miss A is hardly active as a whole.
JYP’s other three current acts are two former Wonder Girls, SunMi and Yeeun (who made her solo debut recently as HA:TFELT). Both solo artists are extremely popular and hint to JYP regaining its stride, but that will still wait to be seen.
This year, JYP also debuted GOT7, which achieved a lot of success abroad but has met less acclaim than YG Entertainment’s yet-to-debut group WINNER.
While this could all just mean that JYP is in third place, after the other two largest entertainment companies, that doesn’t really seem to be the case. JYP is still popular and considered one of the best primarily because of its past — the current idols are good, but in an over flooded marketplace, they don’t particularly stand out.
JYP is also rumored to release another boy group and girl group this year, which seems like it would simply overstretch the company’s capabilities.
Other than the fact that few of its artists have as large fanclubs or as many hits as artists at SM and YG, there are a some other reasons JYP is no longer really the top.
The most important factor is the fact that JYP is not one of the biggest three earners in Korea’s entertainment industry.
In March 2014, SM Entertainment had over 30% of the market, and YG had over 14%, while JYP wasn’t even ranking in the top ten. This was a continued trend that further revealed itself in 2013, when JYP Entertainment was relegated to the “Other” category, rather than gaining its own ranking on Gaon’s market share chart.
[Credit: ALLKPOP]
JYP is also facing an investigation into being illegally funded by JYP’s in-laws, who have a relations to the company that is currently being tried for homicide in the Sewol Ferry tragedy. The Korea Herald reported that JYP tried to avoid an investigation by selling JYP Entertainment to YG Entertainment’s CEO, Yang Hyun-Suk. This has resulted in JYP’s stock price plummeting.
Between the financial scandal and the lack of aggressive, constant promotions (unlike SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment), and the fact that the CEO tried to sell the company, JYP is in serious trouble.
Could the company be saved? Maybe.If JYP has successful comebacks from 2PM, 2AM, and Miss A within a span of a few months, and the company’s solo and rookie artists do extremely well, JYP may be able to return to a competitive standpoint. But at the moment, it seems that it is barely managing to hold onto its fading glory.[This inadvertently became part of a series, pointing out issues with each of the big three entertainment companies. The one about YG Entertainment HERE. Look forward to my discussion of SM Entertainment’s practices in an upcoming “Let’s Discuss.”] 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.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/JYP.jpg467700Tamar Hermanhttp://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngTamar Herman2014-08-04 16:32:492014-08-04 16:32:49Let’s Discuss: Is JYP Still One Of The Big 3?
K-Pop is a genre mostly dominated by the male idol groups or soloists. It’s hard to find girl group fandoms as dedicated and loyal as ELF or VIP –unless you’re Blackjack or SONE. But K-Pop girl groups are so much more than just Girls’ Generation and 2NE1, even though we also love them. So for this week’s playlist, we’ll focus on girl groups that need a little more love and attention.
This week I cannot get enough of f(x)’s Milk, their lead-off track on their Red Light album. The songs starts out kind of quirky with the sounds of a cat meowing and a dog barking, as the cat swats at the dog and it whimpers. We also hear glass break and then we hear a gun being cocked. From there we go right into the vocals. The song has a chill, laid-back vibe in the beginning. The girls’ vocals compliment each other extremely well, especially during the harmony parts.
I honestly can’t pick a favorite part of this song. The whole thing is so different and interesting from the other K-Pop songs out there that I haven’t tired of listening to it yet. And I don’t foresee that I will tire of it anytime soon. At first listen, it may seem a bit strange, but trust me when I say that by the end of the song, you’ll most likely hit the replay button.
Right when Miss Korea began with the smooth guitar riff, I knew I was in love with Lee Hyori‘s comeback last year. It’s a perfect blend of classy and sexy, along with an interesting style in clothing. The music video is grayscale and brings up a retro feeling, especially with some of the outfits and dance sequences that she uses. The chorus is addicting, and the entire song is absolutely mesmerizing. I definitely love and prefer her sultry tone! What makes this even more marvelous are the lovely drag queens she performs with in one of the scenes.
–Thuc
If Girls’ Generation and f(x) where to have a child, the result will be SM’s newest girl band Red Velvet. They just debuted this week, and I can’t get enough of the group’s song! The title is Happiness, and it suits the track very well. I find myself feeling very happy and bubbly when I listen to this song.
I really love Happiness because it’s very easy to listen. Seulgi’s rap is very good and doesn’t show up in the song randomly. I also really like the whole seapunk feel of the track. The tropical sounds and drums give it a very unique feel. From the bridge and into the chorus there is a perfect transition, and that chorus is so catchy.They barely debuted and I feel like I already fell in love with these girls.
–Alejandro
When it comes to speaking about the girls, I can’t help but think of Girl’s Day’s Female President. One of the most empowering songs out of K-Pop in recent years, Female President reminds women that there’s a female president in South Korea, so why shouldn’t every girl do whatever she wants? There’s no reason to be coy, or play hard to get; just take what you want.
The video breaks all of the stereotypes of most K-Pop songs, with the members stripping in silhouette in the beginning, and then two of the members dressing up as a couple questioning its relationship. The whole thing was extremely shocking at the time of its release, portraying Girl’s Day as both sexy and powerful women. And if that wasn’t enough, Yura’s dress gave the misconception that she was actually naked.
Female President’s catchy sound and message led to the song being a major success. Take a listen, and try to resist standing up and thinking (male or female) that you can do every and anything that you want.
–Tamar
I’ve never been a big fan of miss A, despite them having better messages in their lyrics than most girl groups. But once they released Hush, I began paying them more attention. That’s how one day while listening to Seoul FM, I spotted a miss A song that I now play regularly on my own playlist, Lips.
I like how their voices sound very sultry throughout the song as they fantasize about kissing the boy they like; it makes for a very sexy song to sway your shoulders to while singing. Moreover, the chorus and bridge are very easy to follow. My favorite part is the boom boom la la li lala negero, but the whole song is great, really.
–Alexis
What’s your favorite girl group song? 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.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/PS3.png372672KultScenehttp://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngKultScene2014-08-03 16:57:322014-08-04 08:37:34Playlist Sunday: All Girls
Once a week, KPOPme will post a list with all the latest music videos and singles released. We will aim to recompile every single song each week, but between the multitude of K-Pop groups and OSTs released weekly, sometimes we’ll miss something. Please let us know if we do! We aim to please.
Here are the release from the end of July and the first few days of August. Some of the biggest names (JYJ, HyunA) made comebacks, and some interesting debut songs (HA:TFELT, Red Velvet) were also released this week. Check them all out!
[Music Video]
JYJ Back Seat
Red Velvet Happiness
HA:TFELT (Yeeun) Ain’t Nobody
Clazziquai Project Madly
Sunny Hill Once In Summer
Tae Wan Good Morning feat. Vebal Jint
BESTie Hot Baby
4L Move
LC9 East Of Eden
HyunA Red
High4 A Little Close feat. Lim Kim
Sonnet Son Love Again
[Song]
Davichi It’s Okay, That’s Love [OST It’s Okay, That’s Love]
Bob Girls Oh My Boy (Summer Edit)
Sunny Days Half Of The World Are Men
What was your favorite song released this week? 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.
This Let’s Discover is a true one in that I will focus on rookie group Mamamoo. I’m not sure how many people have heard of this girl group, but I want to give them the spotlight. Personally, I didn’t discover them until a few weeks after their debut, and I decided to see what their music video was like. I am so happy that I stumbled upon this group. These four ladies have an immense amount of talent and I look forward to watching their career blossom.
Mamamoo consists of four girls: Solar, Moon Byul, Whee In, and Hwa Sa. They debuted in June with Mr. Ambiguous. The song has strong jazz and swing elements to it, which is the perfect style for their sultry vocals. I did not hear anything about Mamamoo leading up to their debut, or even after their debut. Nevertheless, Mr. Ambiguous is a great debut song.
(Top, L-R) Whee In, Hwa Sa (Bottom, L-R) Solar, Moon Byul
As I mentioned above, the jazz and swing elements in the song make it stand out among other K-Pop songs. The song sticks to traditional instruments and does not heavily rely on machine-made sounds. It is not overly produced and, to me, it gives off a crisp feeling, because of the different sound from the mainstream K-Pop songs out now.
Aside from the refreshing sound, the music video for Mr. Ambiguous boasts appearances by well-known celebrities. Wheesung, K.Will, Lee Jonghyun (CNBLUE), Bumkey, and Baek Ji Young, among others, all make appearances in the music video. Even if these girls do not have a strong commercial following (yet), they are certainly given love by some of the big names in the business.
From the music video, it’s clear to see that these four ladies are talented individuals who shine as a unit as well. The style theme they chose for their debut sticks to the older sound of their song. They wear fitted, yet modest dresses, sensible heels and just the right amount of makeup to act as an accessory rather than a separate character. Their hairstyles and colors are also simple and do not take away from their vocals, which was the right decision for this debut. With voices like these, the outfits, hair, makeup, and accessories should accent their vocals, not overpower or overshadow.
Mr. Ambiguous was a perfect debut song for Mamamoo. And the fact that part of Mamamoo’s choreography incorporates fake mustaches was enough for me to like them. Their mini album Hello contains six songs all of which stick to the older, jazz, and swing sounds.
As I listen to the mini I picture myself in a lounge enjoying a cocktail while Mamamoo perform their songs flawlessly on stage. Their songs transport me to an era before I was born, but one that I long to experience.
Aside from a kick-ass mini album, I literally just found out today that Mamamoo sings a song from the OST of my favorite drama at the moment. Love Lane appears in the drama Marriage, Not Dating, and when I fist heard it played in an episode, I immediately paused the episode to look up the song. I was excited to see that it was Mamamoo, and not in the least surprised based on the vocals in the song.
I hope Mamamoo gains the love and support they deserve. I’m interested to see if their future comeback will stick to the jazz and swing-themed music or branch out into other genres. Quite frankly, with the vocal ability of these four ladies, they could probably pull off any genre. Only time will tell.
What do you guys think about rookie group Mamamoo? Do they have what it takes to thrive in the constantly-changing K-Pop genre, or will they thrive in other ways? Leave your thoughts 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.
You may remember our past article on BEAST‘s music video fashion in Good Luck, but I think it’s imperative to go back in time and take a look at their overall comeback. Once you really look into the music video, you’ll get caught off-guard at how symbolic it is!
Music Video
This may not be the most amazing video in the world, but it’s near the top of my favorites list. You see, it combines intense choreography with a meaningful plot that really ties into the song; watching this music video was quite the pleasant experience.
The video wastes no time on dropping the mood on you; right from the beginning, the dark, cool colors and scenes of cheating and dischord. At some parts, the coloring is almost completely unsaturated, which does partners well with the atmosphere. Other scenes focus on a blue and orange color scheme, with pops of green and red now and then. Implementing complementary shades definitely works well for the conflicted feeling you get from the idols, acting as the foundation for this well-executed video.
The introduction, with an orchestra playing a Gothic sequence, also serves as the warning seriousness and reflects the dark emotions experienced by the members. Add the repetition of the “make you mine” and “good luck to you” wording during their street sequence to the camerawork that ebbs and weaves through their expressions, and you realize how hard it is for them to accept this reality of a break-up.
Plotline
I generally see the same story in these break-up videos with male groups: there’s a girl whom everyone loves, but she’s cheating on all of them. So yeah, the plot is a tad typical. However, that doesn’t mean that this is a typical video. There’s a complex mix of emotions that are heartbreaking when you figure out what’s going on, especially with Jonghyun’s scene at the dinner table.
But first, let’s observe the numbers, 2046 and 2047. They’re most likely used as time markers, but I like to do a little research just in case there’s a hidden meaning. I managed to find some interesting tidbits: 2046 was a Hong Kong-Chinese film that dealt with an affair, while, in 2013, researchers predicted that a climate departure would occur in the year 2047, in which the average temperatures around the globe will be significantly higher than those in the past.
At 2046, Doojoon puts back the woman’s heel as she lies motionless on a bed; this appears to indicate the aftermath of an affair. At 2047, Kikwang finds out about the promiscuity of his beloved, and that’s when the heat begins to rise, and the action picks up.
If you go by American time, 2046 translates to 8:46, which was the approximate time that 9/11 occurred and the first airplane crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Even extending from time alone is 8:47, corresponding to John 8:47, which states, Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.
When you look at the music video through those perspectives, the amount of shock and horror resonates as the BEAST members find out the truth. After catching onto the affair, Kikwang most likely doesn’t see his sweetheart in the same light, as she is no longer with him.
Of course, these is merely me being extremely analytical and pulling out a tad too much meaning. However, I’m not going to ignore the obvious Biblical allusion that comes at the 3:30 mark of the video:
At first, you think it’s just representing the feeling of betrayal that Jonghyun feels from the girl. However, it’s not a shallow feeling; the dinner table alludes to the Last Supper, after Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty silver coins, and before Jesus was ultimately arrested in Gethsemane.
That’s a pretty awful sense of betrayal, and the video makes it worse by showing you how the girl stabs Jonghyun in the heart, with no fighting back from him. This resonates with Jesus accepting his fate and still forgiving Judas while awaiting his demise at the cross: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
That pretty much ties everything together with this song; the members know what their love has done to them, and, while they hate the act, they still love the girl and wish her good luck.
It’s been a while since I’ve watched such a heavy-laden video!
Makeup
As uber fashionista and fellow writer Alejandro already went into detail about the fashion, I’ll just talk about their makeup. This darker concept made good use of the pale skin, black eyeliner, slightly smoky eyes, and finely groomed, straight brows that reflect the emotions of each member. A matte, light BB cream was most likely used for their faces, although the color editing probably affected our perception of their looks. Nude and light pink lips showcase the rawness of the video, and that’s basically their makeup for the video. Simple but effective!
Choreography
This video was roughly about 60 percent plot and 40 percent dancing sequence, which means that we got a pretty good glimpse at the choreography. I definitely liked what I saw, from the high energy to the sharp movements. There were moments of restraint, especially at the chorus when they say good luck:
They pause when they give the victory sign, as if they’re still unsure about letting go. The focus on the legs and arms represent their chase of of this love and the eventual release of such love:
I think watching their live performance is a better example of the choreography (plus they’re great at singing live):
Song
I really like this song, from its flow to the way it picks up the tempo to the fluid transition to and from the raps. You don’t just feel sad from listening; you feel regretful, betrayed, and angry, and that amount of depth is always wonderful.
Instrumental
Although I was pulled into the video because of the orchestra, the instrumental is still beautiful. They may rely on electronic sounds, but the moments when they use the piano and guitar are played very well. I’m also adoring the tempo, especially when there’s the pause right at the chorus. It’s addicting, and, even though that moment doesn’t have instrumentals, you still get pumped up because it’s a build-up factor.
Lyrics
The lyrics may have more of a bitter aftertaste, but you can still understand how much they loved and how much they lost. Here’s the English translation from pop!gasa:
Why why you leave me alone baby I’m still still loving you You’re leaving me right now but I hope you’ll be happy You always had a habit of telling me our looming farewell (the last) I always had a habit of telling you I’ll do anything to protect you
(I wanna) Hold you tight Make you mine Never leave me alone I only want you, that’s all I need Eventually everything fell apart Why are you leaving me like this
Good luck baby Good luck to you You better be happy if you’re leaving me, the one who only knew and looked at you. Good luck baby Good luck to you No matter who you meet you better be as happy as the amount of pain you’ve left me with.
I hate you love you Several times a day Up and down Feels like an elevator Heal me I’m heartsick There ain’t no cure for my disease I’m worn, because of you I can’t uphold the immense pain you’ve left me with In this situation I find myself putting my hands together for you. I pray for ya, Good luck to ya
(I wanna) Hold you tight Make you mine Never leave me alone I only want you, that’s all I need Eventually everything fell apart Why are you leaving me like this
Good luck baby Good luck to you You better be happy if you’re leaving me, the one who only knew and looked at you. Good luck baby Good luck to you No matter who you meet you better be as happy as the amount of pain you’ve left me with.
You have to be happier, just remember this no one will love you more than I did I might be just one of your many farewells but you will be my first and last.
Good luck baby Good luck to you You better be happy if you’re leaving me, the one who only knew and looked at you. Good luck baby Good luck to you No matter who you meet you better be as happy as the amount of pain you’ve left me with.
Ouch! Even if this ex doesn’t know the amount of pain, you can feel it from the lyrics alone. What’s even more heartbreaking is that they wish her happiness; a lot of people want their exes to suffer for their betrayal and break-up, but it’s so depressing when you see how they’re the ones accepting the pain.
Style & Vocals
Yoseob is known for being a great vocal, but the wonderful part about this comeback is that everyone gets to shine! Each member gets a decent amount of lines, and they’re not the easiest notes to hit when you’re dancing as hard as they are. This style is something that BEAST has done before, with Fiction, but there’s more energy this time around, with more layers to the song. It combines ballad, pop, and rap well; this ranks just as high as Fiction on my favorites list.
Overall Ratings
Do you really need me to explain my ratings?
MV: 9/10 Song: 9/10 Both: 10/10
Did you notice all the allusions in this video? How did you feel about BEAST’s release? 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.
If you’ve ever been to KCON, or any concert event with many different artists, you’ll know that groups generally only sing a couple of songs from their extent and loved repertoire. The ones performed are generally the most famous, or the most recent, leaving behind lots and lots of fan favorites.
With this year’s KCON 2014 right around the corner, we thought we’d play a little game of fantasy versus reality. What do I mean by this? Well, let’s list a few songs we can expect the artists at KCON will perform as opposed to those they probably won’t, but we would absolutely love if they did. And, while the artist roster for the concert is bigger, we’ll only be focusing on six acts.
1. G-Dragon Reality: Who You? G-Dragon performed at KCON last year at the eve of his then upcoming album, Coup d’Etat. Since it hadn’t been released yet, he only played Niliria (with Missy Elliot joining him on stage) and tracks from his One Of a Kind EP. This means that G-Dragon will focus on his latest album, and, since Who You? was the last song he promoted, we can expect to see him jumping around the stage while jamming to this.
Fantasy: Heartbreaker. Ah, one can dream, right? G-Dragon has said in interviews how the music video for Coup d’Etat shows how much he’s grown as an artist since his Heartbreaker days. Taking this and the fact that the song has been scrapped from the tracklist in BIGBANG shows, it’s safe to assume KCON 2014 attendees will miss out on GD dancing more intrinsic choreographies.
2. Girls’ Generation Reality: I Got a Boy. The last time Girls’ Generation had a show in the U.S., The Boys was already an old song. Since then, they’ve had two comebacks in Korea, which means they will perform I Got a Boy without a doubt. However, despite I Got a Boy’s concept being so different from Mr. Mr.’s, I think they’ll perform in something more similar to the latter’s style. It’ll be interesting to see the contrast in the choreographies in their signature very feminine glam outfits.
Fantasy: Hoot. Girls’ Generation is one of those groups with an extent repertoire of loved songs that make it impossible to cater to the fans’ wishes. Their older songs will definitely take the hit, especially the ones that weren’t so big, such as Hoot. This song would be awesome to see live, because its sound is so different to everything else that Girls’ Generation has done.
3. CNBLUE Reality: Can’t Stop. CNBLUE recently played in Los Angeles at the L.A. Korea Festival back in April, where they performed their latest song, Can’t Stop. This will most likely happen again, as they haven’t released any new songs in Korea lately. So those of us that went to that event (and are planning on attending KCON as well) already know that this song will be performed in the main stage with a huge piano. Nevertheless, a great sight to see again, indeed.
Fantasy: I’m a Loner. Festival types of concerts have shown time and time again that the older a group is, the probability for them to perform their debut song decreases. This is CNBLUE’s case. The band has released many hits since I’m a Loner that typically get chosen over it. Taking the absence of this particular performance at the L.A. Korea Festival, it’s predictable that it will happen again at KCON. It’s a shame attendees will miss the chance to sing that incredibly catchy chorus. Sigh…
4. BTS Reality: Boy In Luv. Following the trend of the most recent releases, BTS’ Boy In Luv will surely be performed at the concert. The song had great response at BTS’ Show and Prove show in Los Angeles a few weeks ago, so the guys will probably deliver a stronger stage due to the larger audience.
Fantasy: N.O. BTS’ debut concept dealt with a lot of defiance and nonconformism. This changed with their latest comeback, which is more conventional to K-Pop. N.O is a great anthem for youth to stand up for themselves, and the performance conveyed the same energy. But since this song wasn’t as popular as, let’s say, We Are Bulletproof, fans won’t get to see the performance.
5. Teen Top Reality: Rocking. At last year’s KCON, Teen Top debuted Rocking. However, this is their latest release. It’s weird to picture them performing the same stage, but since they have no new songs, it’s expected to see them perform this piece again. Although it would be the greatest surprise to have them debut a new track at this year’s concert, or switch things up with completely different songs.
Fantasy: Supa Luv. Yet another example of the debut song being pushed aside. It would be very interesting if they changed the concept of Supa Luv to make it something new — especially since this song was scoffed last year too.
6. Eric Nam Reality: Ooh Ooh. Eric Nam recently made his comeback with Ooh Ooh, so this is definitely happening. Too bad INFINITE is not part of the KCON 2014 artist roster for Hoya to join him onstage, kind of like Henry and f(x)’s Amber’s last year performance of 1-4-3.
Fantasy: Eyes, Nose, Lips cover. Eric hasn’t had a long career, so he doesn’t have many releases. Despite this, the probability of him singing a cover is slim, even though that’s how he was first discovered and what he continues to do on his Youtube account. But, to take this fantasy scenario up another notch, let’s picture Eric and BTS’ Jimin singing it as a duet.
Honorable Mention Fantasy: Jung Yong Hwa and Seohyun’s Banmal Song. Yes, I’m one of those people; I can’t get over shipping Yongseo, I just can’t! This song is so cute, and it melts everyone’s heart every time they sang it on the show. But this idea is not so far fetched. Oh no. When We Got Married was on air, the fictional couple performed the song at a festival they both attended — so it’s not completely off the table, right? Right? Well, once again, one can dream.
What’s your take on the reality vs. fantasy performances for KCON? Let us know! 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.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Untitled-design-9.png7681024Alexis Hodoyan-Gastelumhttp://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngAlexis Hodoyan-Gastelum2014-08-01 18:51:182014-08-01 22:17:35Fantasy Vs. Reality: Performances at KCON 2014
The end of July is here, a month that all K-Pop lovers will sadly say goodbye to. This month brought great K-Pop releases, where many artists showed a new side. Whether it was a sexier or a goofier side, the fashion that they showcased in their music videos was amazing. This time we will focus on the best music video fashion from the July releases.
6. Let’s Love– C-CLOWN
When I first saw C-CLOWN’s video for Let’s Love, I fell in love with the styling. The hip-hop and varsity inspired outfits throughout the video go very well with the urban feel of the song. Their mixture of textiles and patterns was very on point. Their styling is very on trend and appeals to many fans out there. You can even look at the extras in the video and their outfits are coordinated very well.
Nu’EST came back successfully with Good Bye Bye this month. They truly showed us a new side; the boys became men and the styling was a perfect reflection of that. The video contains very dark undertones, and the predominant color palette in their clothing is black and white.
This group made it on our list because of the dancing sequence outfits. The all black ensembles makes the members look mature and very manly. If you pay attention to each members shirts, they all have stripes, but what I love about them is that they are see-through, which makes it very sexy.
4. Red– HyunA
This girl knows what she’s got and she’s not afraid to show it. HyunA’s new solo song Red was one of the last tracks released in July, and her sexy outfits fitted perfectly with her personality. If you want to be sexy and look really good while doing so, take some notes on her outfits on this video.
Yes, there are a few costumes here and there, like the gold Playboy bunny inspired (which you should pause to take a look at all the style lines in the design; they are amazing!), but there are some that you could use on a night out with your friends. My favorite look from the video is the one with ripped boyfriend jeans, the faux fur coat with a smiley face on the back, black cropped top, and leopard print pumps. With this look you would surely turn heads anywhere you go given that it emphasizes how confident you are in yourself and how you are not afraid to express how sexy you are.
3. Red Light– f(x)
Despite f(x)’s Red Light comeback being cut short due to Sulli’s leave of absence, the video delivered great fashion. The girls were decked out in cool military outfits, but my favorite looks are the big hats and menswear inspired clothes à la Saint Laurent. I like this look because it’s very different from the bubbly and colorful styling that we are used to see Amber, Krystal, Luna, Victoria, and Sulli in. I just love how they look like very powerful women who are not afraid to take a stand on what they believe in. I really wish Krystal keeps her blonde hair, it looks amazing on her!
2. Solo Day– B1A4
From the second that B1A4’s video for Solo Day started, it caught my attention. My eyes went straight to the purse and hat that Sandeul wears; two of the most coveted pieces in fashion this summer from Moschino’s by Jeremy Scott Fall 2014 collection.
I love how this video has a different character for each member and the styling fits perfectly with each one of their roles. The rest of the video, we see the boys in very boy-next-door clothes, but if you look closely, there are some creative quirky elements in each members styling The video is one of the most interesting, funny, and unexpected videos I’ve seen in a while.
1. HER– Block B
Block B showed us a completely new side. They left their bad boy image and became goofy boys on their newest release, HER. This video is one of the best styled videos, not only this month but, –I could dare say– ever in the K-Pop industry.
They wear Juun J, Versus by Versace, Huf, and Golf Wang. Even Taeil sports the infamous Vivienne Westwood mountain hat made famous by Pharell! Their quirky antics combined with the styling and makeup make very beautiful visuals. We were used to see Block B wearing ghetto-glam looks by KTZ, and suits with crazy hair. This time, they left the dark side and entered a new colored world.
Did you like our picks for the best music video fashion of the July releases? Let’s us know in the comments if you have any favorites. 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.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/best-kpop-music-video-fashion.png526800Alejandro Abarcahttp://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngAlejandro Abarca2014-07-31 16:08:562014-08-01 13:50:39Best K-Pop Music Video Fashion: July Releases
I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t a fan of HyunA; her charisma and variety show personality are just too interesting to ignore, and her songs are quite catchy. While I wasn’t a huge fan of Ice Cream, Red is a completely different matter. When I saw the first teaser, I was a little bit weirded out –what exactly was her theme? Needless to say, my question was pretty much answered when the music video came out.
Music Video
Let’s just get this over with: yes, the big props and white backgrounds do remind me of Miley Cyrus‘s We Can’t Stop. However, that doesn’t mean that HyunA is copying Miley’s “style.” If you haven’t already noticed, We Can’t Stop is basically an upgraded version of Lady Gaga‘s Just Dance, so let’s stop the copycat-name-calling and actually pay attention to HyunA’s style development.
At first glance, all I got from watching this video was the following: HyunA is a queen who’s holding a pretty rad party that involves a little booty. Actually, a lot of booty. But when you look past the bums, you can really tell that this is just a really fun music video. In addition to the light-hearted feel, you also get to appreciate HyunA’s cool side as she raps. I prefer this side to her rather than an overly cutesy, cringe-inducing baby voice and aegyo overload.
The setting switches around, from a jungle to a room to what appears to be an Egyptian-style arrangement. All in all, it brings together the whole “HyunA is back, she rules” feeling.
Plotline
So… Plot… Yeah, I can’t say too much about whatever storyline this video has, but I can guess. There’s obviously a lot of emphasis on red (duh) and monkeys; the song takes inspiration from a popular children’s song involving monkey butts, although I’m a little wary of how this song will affect the children.
It opens up with a baboon butt and someone stabbing a poor apple with a sharp heel (I’m assuming HyunA), and the obliterated apple imagery continues throughout the video.
The apple, in my opinion, could very well reflect HyunA moving on to a new style; it could also be her response to any anti-fans who don’t approve of her sexy image. She does take a bite of the fruit later on, so that might just be her way of saying “I don’t care.” The lady knows she’s sexy, and she’s killing it, so why not a sexy comeback?
The majority of this video is just the idol showing off both her sexy and cute side, with some really funny scenes involving butt-slapping and an intense party with big props.
Even in all this seemingly nonsense silliness, there are moments of seriousness in the bridge. She pauses the fun to contemplate something, but, unless you understand the lyrics, you’re not really sure what she’s thinking about.
Fashion & Makeup
I’ve always loved HyunA’s makeup, and this was no exception. She went with the big, dolly eyes route with colored lenses and an extended eye crease makeup look. Add that with a combination of nude and bright red lips, and you’ve got a winning number!
Let’s also not forget about this beauty mark that brings out an extra umph factor:
Her eyes really draw you in with some spaced out, natural looking lashes (I’m pretty sure they’re falsies, but she could be using fiber mascara), and pulling out her natural eye shape with some dark eyeshadow and tightlining with black eyeliner. Her smoky eyes and contacts compliment each other; I really commend her makeup artists!
As for her hair, she’s keeping with a more natural, dark brown-black, layered cut and side bangs. This really fits her face shape very well, and I envy her hairstylist as well.
For her fashion, there’s a lot of things that she wears, from fur coats, turtlenecks, and animal (and banana) print to a leather outfit, a sheer nude maxi dress, and, my personal favorite, a Playboy bunny-esque gold minidress with a matching mask that includes bunny ears:
She also uses long earrings that slim down her face and brings attention to her lips.
Choreography
If anyone has ever told you that dancing in a sexy manner is easy, then you should point them to the choreography for this song. Believe me, you might think it’s just a bunch of wiggling your butt around, but it’s WAY much more than that.
In fact, I’m so mesmerized by how intense this choreo is that I’m gonna share the live performance:
You notice anything? It’s a dance that puts fluid body rolls together of hard-hitting pops and drops; throw in some six inch heels and you might just end up in a hospital if you’re not conditioned like HyunA.
There’s a lot of leg power going into this, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she has rocking quads and a firm butt because of this dance.
Song
I love the song, but not all of its parts. As a whole, the vocals and the instrumentals work well together, but when you break it down to three parts, including the lyrics, there are some issues.
Instrumental
The instrumental is a fault, albeit not a big one, for me. It’s very upbeat at some points, but it honestly feels cluttered at other points. I could do without every single electronic effect put into the song; when you put in the vocals, then it works well. However, when the instrumental is by itself, then it’s a little too busy for me.
Lyrics
With complete honesty, I have to say that I did not understand the lyrics when I first read them. Do I understand them now?
Not really. I do know that they’re inspired by a children’s rhyme, but, other than that, it mainly feels like an anthem for HyunA’s return. Like a “Hey, I’m back!” sort of deal, with an addicting chorus. Here’s the translation from pop!gasa:
Make it so cool, make it more hot Red lipstick, make it more red (red) Make it so cool, make it more hot Red lipstick, make it more red (red) I put on red lipstick, I’m red (red) My cuteness that makes you wanna bite me is like art Every night, you think of me like spicy ramen Come in first if you like me
Hyuna’s back A better body than anyone else is a full option for me I’m gonna warm up and run Because that red thing, that’s me Now I’m gonna go up on stage
Don’t leave me, I’m so lonely right now At least you don’t leave me, I’m the only one here I might change right now
A monkey’s butt is red, what Red is Hyuna, Hyuna is yeah A monkey’s butt is red, what Red is Hyuna, Hyuna is ah
(Oh~ Eh Oh Eh Oh) Uh, uh red is Hyuna (Oh~ Eh Oh Eh Oh) Uh, uh red is Hyuna
Make it so cool, make it more hot Red lipstick, make it more red (red) Make it so cool, make it more hot Red lipstick, make it more red (red)
Everyone stop, I’ll punish you so stick out your butt You won’t be able to handle me every night Say H Y U N and A A killer dance, I’ll kill on stage, My confidence reaches the sky I won’t say much more
Don’t leave me, I’m so lonely right now At least you don’t leave me, I’m the only one here I might change right now
A monkey’s butt is red, what Red is Hyuna, Hyuna is yeah A monkey’s butt is red, what Red is Hyuna, Hyuna is ah
(Oh~ Eh Oh Eh Oh) Uh, uh red is Hyuna (Oh~ Eh Oh Eh Oh) Uh, uh red is Hyuna
Red is Hyuna
Hyuna is red, Hyuna is red Hyuna is red, red is Hyuna
Hyuna is red
Don’t leave me, I’m so lonely right now At least you don’t leave me, I’m the only one here I might change right now
A monkey’s butt is red, what Red is Hyuna, Hyuna is yeah A monkey’s butt is red, what Red is Hyuna, Hyuna is ah
(Oh~ Eh Oh Eh Oh) Uh, uh red is Hyuna (Oh~ Eh Oh Eh Oh) Uh, uh red is Hyuna
However, I’m not going to overlook the spicy ramen, nor the “I’ll punish you so stick out your butt,” because those are just golden. I laughed more than anything!
Is this a piece of compositional genius? No, not even close. It’s just really fun. And funny.
Style & Vocals
Red brought me back to HyunA’s Change era, with improved rapping and charisma. Her style is definitely moving along with what’s popular with a Western feel. She retains her own personality, with more development, and I’m pretty proud of her improvement!
For her vocals, I think they’ve remained stable from her past comebacks and collaborations, and that’s still good. While there are a lack of power vocals, it’s understandable, given the intensity of the choreography.
Overall Ratings
I did honestly like this comeback. It’s something that isn’t really common in K-Pop, and I think that’s interesting. I did have difficulties understanding the lyrics and video, but that didn’t prevent me from enjoying Red. Here’s my rating:
MV: 6/10 Song: 8/10 Both: 7/10
How do you feel about HyunA’s new sexy video? Was it funny, cute, or strange? 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.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/HyunA-Red.jpg720960Thucydideshttp://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngThucydides2014-07-30 21:45:162014-07-30 22:03:25HyunA’s “Red” Music Video & Song Review
SM Entertainment’s upcoming girl group is raising a lot of expectations, but most people don’t really know anything about the four members of Red Velvet. After doing a little bit of digging, here’s what is known about Red Velvet.
The four members, Seulgi, Irene, Wendy, and Joy, have all been part of SM Entertainment for sometime- the first three were introduced to the public several months ago as part of the pre-debut unit SM Rookies, while Joy was trained in the formal SM system.
So far, the group has released a teaser for its debut song, Happiness. Happiness will be released on August 4, according to Korean sources.
The Name:
Red Velvet, according to SM Entertainment, “brings together red, a fiery and seductive color, and velvet, which evokes feminine and soft images.”
Fans may recognize Seulgi, as she recently appeared in Henry’s music video for Fantastic. She also featured on Henry’s song Butterfly. Seulgi was the first member of Red Velvet to be cast by SM Entertainment, when she joined the entertainment company in 2007. She is known to speak Japanese. Naver says that Seulgi was born in 1994.
Irene followed Seulgi, and joined SM in 2009. She is said to be skilled at rapping and modern dance. Fans may recognize her from Henry’s 1-4-3 music video. Irene and Seulgi appeared in a SR14G (SM Rookies pre-debut group) video for Be Natural. Irene is rumored to have been born in 1991.
Red Velvet’s international member, Wendy, was born in 1994 and is from Canada. She was cast in a 2012 SM global audition, and plays several instruments. Prior to Red Velvet, Wendy released some solo songs, and was featured on the OST of the drama Mimi with the song Because I Love You.
Joy is a bit of a wildcard, since she wasn’t publicized as a member of SM Rookies. Other than the fact that she was also cast in 2012, there seems to be very little information about Joy floating around.
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What do you think of Red Velvet so far? Will this group be SM Entertainment’s next hit? 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.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Red-Velvet.jpg9401598Tamar Hermanhttp://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngTamar Herman2014-07-29 15:55:462014-08-03 15:23:30Intro To Red Velvet
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