evacuatewithstyle » Korean pop

SM Entertainment in China

Amy — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 17:02:17 +0000

This post is a long time coming, and probably has been in the making since Super Junior first started promoting in China.

Hallyuism at this stage in the game is all about the money. Korea is a place where trends catch on in a millisecond, and people have caught onto the fact that K-pop can make money, and a lot of money at that. So I get it: it’s a cultural product worthy of pride, and it’s an important national export.

The thing that drives me nuts is the extent to which the people exporting their pop and their business in pop have so little consideration for the cultures and countries that they want to export to. I’m not going to call the kettle black, because I understand that I, as an American, come from a country that is notorious for disregarding the cultures and sensibilities of other countries when it comes to forcing our media and culture onto others.

But I obviously have a horse in this particular race, which is why I feel the need to call K-pop out on this. I work and deal with K-pop, and as a non-Korean observer of K-pop, seeing things happen in K-pop that affect me on some level trigger certain reflexes and emotions. At a moment when K-pop is being so highly self-lauded and whose output is being so aggressively marketed outside of Korea, it disgusts me that it will on the one hand pay so much lip service to the markets and countries it’s trying to pursue, and then on the other hand exploit the shit out of it while maintaining fake deference.

And this rant will be primarily about inklings of things I hated when I watched Super Junior M promote, and now stirring me once again with Exo.

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Post tags: D.O., EXO, Korean pop, SM Entertainment

Mama Mia

Amy — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:13:57 +0000

I’m glad I spoke too soon in my previous review of “History,” because I think K and M are equally talented, and what’s even better is I think SM’s releasing some of the best material they’ve released in years for this debut. Yay concentrated efforts funneled all into ONE group! That’s not a bad idea at all for a company with a roster of 11 active groups/artists! Bad for them, good for me who hasn’t cared about anything any SM group/artist has done since f(x)’s “NU ABO.”

Onwards!

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Current K-pop #6: Exo M vs. Exo K

Amy — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 19:25:07 +0000

There’s finally enough material to warrant a “M vs. K” debate. What is Love was nice and all, but K-pop is moot without seeing idols in action, aka DANCE.

Now there’s a more holistic picture of the groups with History since the music video is a little more linear and less like a random sci-fi montage of clips. There’s still some grey area ambiguity with who’s doing what, and whether or not that translates live, which I don’t think we’ll be able to judge with Exo-M since China/Taiwan/HK are going to be their stomping grounds and good luck finding live anythings, but I digress.

I also have to get this off my chest: That desert storm set is SO ugly. The color palette, the way the clothes blend in with the ugly rocks in the back. Everything is SO ugly.

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Post tags: Current K-pop, EXO, Korean pop

End of year Gayo performances

Amy — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 02:44:12 +0000

AKA, things that are awesome in theory, but in theory only.

Like how awesome is an SM Town Orchestra performance…in theory?

How awesome is a hip hop stage…in theory?

And a female idol cover of Run the World…in theory?

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Post tags: G-Dragon, G-Top, Korean pop, SM Entertainment, Tasha, YG Entertainment

MAMA Awards after-party photos from 1st Look

Amy — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 21:37:20 +0000

These photos were taken by First Look and so fun. The MAMA Awards, while completely worthless and always a shitshow to watch, is always the biggest gathering of both the idols and the actors and actresses, and officially the best K-pop orgy event all year.

Ugh Song Joong-ki, you’re killing me.

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Post tags: Korean actors/actresses, Korean pop, Song Joong-ki

Best of K-pop 2011

Amy — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 03:27:09 +0000

Oh K-pop. Oh K-poppy K-pop. Let’s start this off, shall we?

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Post tags: end of year review, Korean actors/actresses, Korean dramas, Korean pop

Go Ryeowook! Go Ryeowook! Dance like it’s yo birfday!

Amy — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 03:16:08 +0000

We’re gonna party like it’s yo birfday!

I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS PERFORMANCE.
That dancer planted her crotch on his face!
He did a strip tease!
HE’S MOVING LIKE JAGGER.

To be completely frank, I watched 90% of the performance like this:

But in all seriousness, this is one of the reasons why I really like Ryeowook, who probably doesn’t get enough love from fans and non-fans alike.

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These dance room practices are my favorite

Amy — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 04:19:43 +0000

Someone’s getting fucking fired tomorrow, but lo and behold, Changmin and Yunho practicing to a 5-membered version of Maximum.

I love it when someone leaks new practice videos of SM’s army practicing in their famed sky-blue wallpapered dance room. These videos show works-in-progress and there are too many over-polished and over-gleamed appearances in K-pop — works-in-progress are much desired.

This version of the song proves one important thing to me.

I think Junsu, Yoochun, and Jaejoong’s singing is better when they sing SM produced songs. There is no hard and fast rule on this and it’s mostly my preference, but I just never really liked JYJ’s stuff post-split. Their JYJ song style is different: the dance tracks were a little too hip-hop-y for them, the ballads were a little too tragic and reeked too much of the an-idol-composed-this syndrome. (I still haven’t listened to “In Heaven” in full.)

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Post tags: Dong Bang Shin Ki, Korean pop

Song of the day

Amy — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 02:24:18 +0000

Kanjani8 – Tsubasa ni koi
[See post to listen to audio]

So I have a love/hate relationship with this song.

I love it because the instrumental melody is amazing and I get chills listening to the first few notes.

But I hate it so much because omgwtf-my-LORD-who-let-these-people-sing.

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Post tags: Japanese pop, Korean pop, Song of the day

I love lists #1

Amy — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:00:13 +0000

Of the Kpop variety this week.

Five singers whose voices I love, but whose music is so boring that I just can’t listen to them
1. Shin Hye-sung
2. Park Hyo-shin
3. Lyn
4. Gummy
5. Kim Tae-woo

An assortment of annoying rap lines from T-ara’s songs
1. “Welcome to your wonderland, everyday I knock knock knock knock”
2. “I like it like it dis, I like it like it dat / I like this, I like that, yeah!” (what. the. fuck.)
3. “Limousine, champagne, bling bling jewelry chain”

Songs I’d like Kpop stars to stop covering:
1. Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”
2. Justin Timberlake’s “Sexyback”
3. Anything from Chris Brown
4. Black Eyed Peas’ “Boom Boom Pow”

Any other lists you’d like to see? Lemme know!

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