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Weekly K-pop Faves: March 1(3)-March 19

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After nearly two years of our KultScene Playlist Sunday, our staff put their heads together and decided it’s time for something now. So this week we are debuting KultScene’s brand new Weekly K-Pop Faves column. Don’t mind us though, because we’re cheating just a tiny bit this week, since we haven’t covered many of the March releases. So, without further adieu, please enjoy our inaugural edition of KultScene’s Weekly K-Pop Faves.

1. Ian Jo’s “The Little Prince Of The Rose” (released March 8)

The release of this ballad is a special one because it does not just mark a singer’s debut, it is also a discovery of a beautiful gem, at least for this K-pop industry. Ian Jo, a new singer-songwriter from a relatively obscure company, Madeleine Music, charmed with his voice, which was certainly not the typical ballad sound. Rather than using techniques like vibrato or showing off his high notes, Ian Jo’s voice was simple and even stark at some points, but it still carried the right amount of emotion and strength. The song is masterfully crafted and the various instruments blended well together to complement the overall feel of the song. It’s a pity that this singer and his company are not more well-recognized; it’s shocking that a song of this quality has only 251 views on Youtube. I’m certainly looking forward to the day that Ian Jo becomes an accomplished musician but until then, “The Little Prince Of The Rose” will sustain me.

— Anna

Also on KultScene: Fiestar’s ‘A Delicate Sense’ Album Review

2. Hyomin’s “Sketch” (released March 16)

“Because I’ll be awakened by the tip of your brush.”

Before Secret’s Hyosung comes back, Hyomin of T-ara has staked a claim for the sexiest girl group solo release of the year. That being said, I don’t think it matters what else comes out because everything about “Sketch” is sexy. The silky smooth R&B that bobs up and down with incredible ease and Hyomin’s high pitched vocals are almost dripping with sensual sweat. Piano twinkles in and out to offer a sweeter touch. The dance break is a bit too heavy around the rest of the song; I can see what they trying to do but it doesn’t really work, especially when the choreography that came before consisted of slow, simple but beautiful movements. It touches on the verge of overly explicit but is reigned in just right.

— Joe

3. KNK’s “Knock” (released March 2)

If there’s a song and group debut that took a few of the KultScene writers by storm is KNK with “Knock.” Seemingly out of nowhere, the guy group debuted with a hard-hitting mid-tempo angsty ballad about not wanting to renounce the girl they like then turns into a sort of intro at the chorus. Inconsistent? Maybe, but it’s simplistic instrumentals emphasizing the percussion at the chorus and the variety of vocals tie it together to be one of the best debut song by a rookie this year. And of course, the fact that they all seem like fashion models just adds fuel to the “omg i can’t stan another group” fire. This writer only hopes KNK survives long enough to give us more stunning releases.

— Alexis

Also on KultScene: Fandom, Not Genre, K-Pop Surpasses The Limitations Of Music

4. Red Velvet’s “One Of these Nights” (Released March 19)

Red Velvet’s done a complete 360 from the upbeat dance concepts of “Ice Cream Cake” and “Dumb Dumb” that made them big last year and come back with their velvety side on “One Of These Nights.” The song is a building mid tempo tune that incorporates a variety of orchestral elements and a tapping bass to transform into a melodic, sultry ballad that highlights Red Velvet’s vocals. The song is a bit funky, in that it’s too all over the place with its ambient sound and transitions to be a true ballad but not upbeat enough to be any sort of dance track. “One Of These Nights” caught many Red Velvet fans off guard after the group’s brighter sounds and even their sexier concepts (“Automatic,” “Be Natural”) but that’s definitely not a bad thing. Red Velvet’s wowed on “One Of These Nights” in a way that was perhaps necessary for their longevity. Previously, Red Velvet’s songs were particularly gimmicky (and this one is too, to some degree thanks to hidden meaning related to the Korean title and a traditional folktale,) but “One Of These Nights” first and foremost puts Red Velvet’s belting and melodies ahead of the ear catching beats that their other songs have thrived on. “One Of These Nights” shows Red Velvet’s cohesiveness as singers as well as a, somewhat necessary, reminder that Red Velvet has come a long way since the juvenile sound of their debut song, 2014’s “Happiness.”

—Tamar

What was your favorite song from this month so far? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter,Instagram, and Tumblrto keep up with all of our posts.

Why Hyomin’s ‘Nice Body’ is Offensive to Women

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For the past few weeks, Core Contents Media hyped up T-ara member Hyomin’s solo debut with Nice Body like it would be the song of the summer. They said the music video would be rated 15+, while the dance version would be 19+, making fans and the general public’s anticipation grow. Articles on different news sites revealed teaser pictures of Hyomin in a fat suit with prosthetics on her face to look the part. With this, and the song’s title, the first red flag glared. However, everything was still pretty hush hush, so criticism couldn’t surface without knowing the music video’s plot and the song’s lyrics.

But then the video for Nice Body came out last Sunday, raising more red flags than anything else seen in K-Pop in a while. Realistically speaking, the only reason why Nice Body should be rated for people over 19, with its distasteful plot line to its objectifying costume and its absurd lyrics, is because no impressionable youngster should be sold such an offensive message towards women.

I know what you, as a fan, are thinking: You’re wrong, Hyomin unnie is singing about her nice body and not trying to impose hers as ideal. There’s nothing wrong with loving your body and being comfortable in it, as many can be seen doing so on adult content sites such as youngsexer.com. If it were a man singing about his body, this wouldn’t be a problem… No, Hyomin singing about her body being ideal nor being comfortable in her skin nor with her sexuality are not the issues in question.

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The problem starts with the lyrics. While I may not know Korean, I know how to use Google, and Google found for me this English translation of Hyomin’s Nice Body. But where do I even start? The beginning seems to be the best choice:

All girls want to show some skin
All girls go on a diet at least once
All girls want to be loved
A prince of my dreams will appear for sure

Ok, ok. This is true. It’s because of the beauty standards and gender roles set by the patriarchal society we live in, but ok, it’s reality.

(Not eating what I want to)
I will be strong
(I will endure through the pain)
I will become pretty
I will fall in love, I will show everyone
I will change
You do deserve it
My body is a nice nice body
Long legs, sexy waist
(Give me love, give me love, give me love)

Obesity is a real problem — I get that. There’s nothing wrong with wanting and trying to be healthy. What’s wrong is when you bring beauty into the equation and say that if you’re skinny, you’ll be pretty and thus, deserving of love. Yes, because gender roles have long established that women’s sole purpose in life is to appeal to men, get married, and have babies. To make matters worse, people glorify these notions by making it news out of what Hyomin ate or didn’t in order to have that nice body.

While I may be getting ahead of myself with this one, it’s important to spot even the littlest references to these sexist gender roles to understand the larger picture. It’s never just about saying skinny is pretty or just about whichever example is the ideal body type, it’s about reinforcing destructive ideas that “put women in their place.”

All guys want a girl like this
All guys like pretty girls
All guys think dirty thoughts at least once
I want that to be me, I want that…
It was so hard for me
You have no idea how much I worked for you
Good style, feel good, smile
I am confident now

As previously stated, women’s purpose in life is not to serve men. It’s 2014, people! We work, and not just as teachers or secretaries; we go to school, where we pursue different sciences. We raise children, sometimes on our own. We lead countries like Argentina, Germany, and, yes, South Korea, for crying out loud! Women should not conform to be a certain way based on what men want.

And while women and men alike are shallow; again, that is only the surface of the problem. The deeper, more embedded issue is when you put it into context, which, up until now, is: “I need to be skinny so guys like me and that way I’ll be worth something.” Do I really need to go into detail about how a woman’s worth is measured? It’s certainly not over how many men fancy you or how small your waistline is.

Speaking of waistlines, let’s address Hyomin’s leotard with different numbers on it. These numbers (34 at the bust, 24 at the waist, and 36 at the hips) are actually inches representing her measurements. Furthermore, at the chorus, she uses a measuring tape as a prop for her little dance. Again, look at the bigger picture; this does not represent Hyomin being comfortable in her body and being proud about it. As if packaging women and selling them in the name of pop wasn’t enough, Hyomin is now reduced to three numbers –to an object — perpetuating the notion that women are sub-human and thus not equal to men.

Hyomin Nice Body MV

But things get worse with the music video. Hyomin has a nice body, we know that; she makes it very clear. What’s not so clear is her fat suit costume whose sole purpose is to body-shame. Girl, you can have the best, hottest body, have all the guys at your feet telling you you’re beautiful, but how will body-shaming and ridiculing someone who doesn’t look like you serve you?

The scenes were packaged as a joke, something cute and funny, imagine if Hyomin, who has a great body because her only job is to look hot all the time, were to look fat? Omo! That would be funny because she’s not really fat, and fat is funny… I feel like I’m reiterating myself over and over again, but here goes: Look at the bigger picture. A girl whose body meets the beauty standards set by society in a fat-suit singing about a woman’s worth depending on how good she looks like is offensive, to women and men alike.

Hyomin Nice Body MV Fat

And then we have this little gem. Does the girl in the top picture seem familiar to you? That’s because she starred in the music video for the rape culture appreciation anthem known as Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke. I would say this little tribute is the cherry on top of the sundae, one blatantly offensive music video and song to another.

Hyomin Nice Body Blurred Lines MV

In a world where idols are ostracized over who they date, how sexy their concept is, or if they left their company and bandmates hanging, it’s really fascinating how a song, music video, and concept that offends women and their struggle against sexism goes unnoticed. If netizens have proved something time and time again, it’s that they have the power of taking an idol down; even though I am not calling for this fate for Hyomin, I do wonder where the outcry is for something that actually matters.

Lastly, to take that sour taste out of your mouth, here’s a song by Sunny Hill with a message completely opposite to Hyomin’s. Please enjoy and pick better K-Pop songs.

What did you think about Hyomin’s Nice Body? Share your opinion with us! Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Bloglovin’ so you can keep up with all our posts.