Media
20111023_seoulbeats_chatbox

SB Chat Box #8: The great, big American crossovers

31
Written by On December 8, 2011

This week, we had way too much fun chatting about American crossovers — past and potential futures. We discussed…

  • Young-ji’s newfound love for Beast (2:43)

  • BoA & Se7en‘s American attempts (5:25)

  • Rain‘s transformation as a pop star (9:37)

  • DBSK…crossing over?! (13:28)

  • We speculate on 2NE1 crossing over (27:74)

  • Our hypothetical killer group, fit for American consumption (30:05)

  • The little, small (but important) things in becoming a real artist (38:38)

  • The hippie way vs. the hard, cold capitalist way, and the nature of capitalism breaking the K-pop system (41:50)

  • Fixing problems only in the short term (52:10)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Download the podcast here.

Good job to Terry who got all the songs in the last episode — didn’t think anyone would be able to get all of them! Give us your best guesses for the music used this week.

As always, be sure to check out our past episodes of Chat Box and let us know what you think of this one.

Until next time…!

Related Posts

TAGS: , , , , , , ,
  • http://twitter.com/PhanTheHotness Jenny

    it’s like you guys speak my mind sometimes :D
    i hope you guys can do a video of this chatbox
    i think it would be AMAZING!

  • Anonymous

    Great job! I agree about the factors needed to possibly make it in the States. DBSK5 might’ve been able to make it. It’s sad that they’re broken up :( .SNSD has somewhat new factor in that they’re nine cute Asian girls but they don’t have the talent or the stage presence to back it up.

    I can see one or two Kpop groups crossing over in the future, possibly (POSSIBLY) 2ne1 or Big Bang, but not all of Kpop. But I doubt it’d ever become mainstream or even reach the popularity of, like, anime.

    I agree about 2ne1…

    Amy, at the end, it was like you were describing a trainie concentration camp 0.0.

  • Kasi

    What is the title of the opening song?

  • http://www.twitter.com/hipployta Hipployta

    DB5K is a dream we must let go…so I’m going to stick with Big Bang and 2NE1 because when I want to introduce people to kpop I play their songs like Big Bang’s Cafe (Daesung’s part always surprises people), GD’s remix of This Love in English and Korean, Taeyang’s English and Korean version of Wedding Dress, 2NE1′s English and Korean Can’t Nobody, Big Bang’s Lie because For the World (and forward) has that excessive English version, Japanese and Korean version of Tonight and so on.

    I’m kind of disappointed at YG jumping into the idol factory business with his two new groups but what can you do *shrug* At least they’re working as backup dancers and so on like Beast did.

    Surprisingly I have to admit Jay Park could probably do alright in America…but he’s already going the Rain path with the two movies so that’ll help.

    I don’t know about SNSD…they signed with Interscope but The Boys was TERRIBLE and I can’t really see them bringing it in America. I keep visualizing that MAMA performance.

    The Wonder Girls went on a National Tour the Jonas Brothers and are targeting the teen audience so I think they still have a chance. I don’t know one Jonas Brothers song but they are still amazingly popular right.

    Super Junior wouldn’t make it. I love Heechul but that group is already falling apart.  Thank goodness he has outside activities.

    Han Geng came here for a film festival and folks went nuts in NY…hmm. (SisterFan here)

    You know Amber could probably make it here if she learned to rap…she could do a duo with someone.  For some reason I want to say Victoria but while she can sing she’s not a strong singer but more of a dancer.

    Hyuna would fit right in with all these other pop starts

    Hyorin’s could possibly make it…that voice is just wow. Her verses on Halo at the Kpop Festival were amazing…not that she wasn’t amazing on IS2.

    Okay what I took from this is that only certain people could make it but most groups have an issue holding them back. For instance all groups with the visual guy that’s “beautiful” can forget it.  For instance Sunjong in Infinite…I love Key but his sassiness could go either way here. Considering his always chooses to rap Biggie Smalls or that type of rap song he could possible spin it right…but then there’s Kesha.

    Okay…everyone has problems. LOL
     

    • http://twitter.com/ErikinaDaisy Erika Ward

      I like your views they make a lot of sense – though one thing I’m confused about – What do you mean Super Junior is “already falling a part”??? Just because some members are going to the army – they are still going to be doing albums etc – and they are like at the top of the charts right now! How are they falling a part? Please explain,…

      • http://www.twitter.com/hipployta Hipployta

        Hangeng is off in China. Kibum’s contract expired years ago and the excuse that he is “acting” is lame since he’s done one musical and TWDR which is now airing. Kangin went into the army because he got into a brawl and THEN a car accident. Heechul is just starting the normal Army service wave. 
        Starting with 13 we’re down to 9 and soon to be 8 with Leeteuk serving. Then it’ll be Yesung the next year and so on. Actually I could see Super Junior-M being the only SuJu active for the next few years and Super Junior KRY. However that Only 13 section is still spewing their poison AND the Hangeng leaving backlash is still ongoing in China so I’m not sure how long Henry and Mimi will want to continue dealing with that. 

        SuJu went out of their way to build themselves as all around entertainers for a reason. 

  • RedOcean

    Trax – Oh! My Goddess

    SuJu – Andante

    Kahi – Rollercoaster

    Not sure about the last one

  • Anonymous

    Oh! My Goddess – Trax
    Andante – Super Junior
    Rollercoaster – Kahi
    You Are The Best Of My Life – Lee Hyun (8eight)

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_LL4QDJLVFDT2RDIZYBALSE75JE angel29

    One or two artists may be able to do a successful cross-over, not as representatives of kpop but as stand-alone legits.

    I think kpop is for people who have a lot of time on their hands and those who have a lot of time to spend on the internet.  Unless one spares time to watch subbed documentaries, reality shows and variety shows, all those boys and girls, no matter how beautiful or handsome they appear, no matter how talented they are, will all look and sound the same to a foreigner.  Will Americans take the time to watch?

    *Where’s Subi? Hope to hear her in the next Chat Box.

  • http://www.twitter.com/veiledheart VeiledHeart

    As far as crossing over into the US, I’d go with anything YG before SM or whatnot. The wannabe or fake label is irrelevant to me; most people on my tv these days seem to be portraying something that they are not. People just want catchy music. That’s pretty much Katy Perry’s popularity in a nutshell. I find her personality grating, at best. She’s not the greatest live singer ever, but she wears colorful outfits and makes catchy music that people can sing along to. See also, Rihanna and Gaga (I do like them though). I feel like YG artists just fit the current sound of American music. It’s pop, with a slight edge. Some random synth, guitar, or rap thrown into the normal flow of things.

    SM’s artists to me fit more into the European pop scene. I wanna say that I read that they work with Swedish writing teams, which really fits perfectly with what they put out.  Swedish artists like Agnes, Mans Zelmerlow, or Danny would fit in quite nicely on a stage next to SNSD or SJ. It’s pop with the occasional electronic tinge, but other than that it’s pure pop sung by nice pretty people. Watch a Melodifestivalen round or the Eurovision Song Contest as a whole. All the pop goodness you can handle and not too far off from some of the stuff you see on Inkigayo or other music shows.

     Europe has always been more welcoming of the pure cheesy goodness that sometimes shows up in pop music, while America likes to constantly pretend that it’s the cool kid on the block. That’s why BSB and *NYSNC went to Europe before they ever tried to break into the US. They only came back because they had the numbers on their side, there were a ton of boybands/pop acts coming out of the US and UK at that period of time.

  • Fresh Lemons

    With each day passing, my belief in kpop crossing over in the states fades. There are too many factors within America that will always get in the way of it. I do look forward to at least one group or artist into making it over but I believe that once that artist crosses over, it will only be them and thats it. The reason why I believe in this is because of a few thingss. One reason right now would be the formula of kpop groups presently. The methods of how a group is; from the songs they are singing to the dancing, etc, it will not work here. One example how there is always some type of “rapper” and this will not fly in America if they cant even write their own lines. Another reason is the hard work an artist has to put into in the states. In most of Asian music as a whole (from kpop to jpop), it seems they release a single/mini album/album with a pv, perform on tv and do some local appearances for a few weeks and then they move on. I don’t believe right now if any kpop artist is ready to grind and promote their single/mini album/album not just for a few weeks but for months. Not only would they have to constantly just promote the same material but also they would need to not go back overseas. This statement is refereed to game plan kpop artists do while in Japan. They promote a song over there and continue going back forth between Korea and Japan while promoting their single in order to host shows, be on a variety show, etc. That method of promotion will not work here either. You can use the Wonder Girls as an example of this. There are many other issues I have but I do not feel like writing anymore. Although it seems like I am being negative about the whole idea, I do have a little bit of hope since I do want to see it work out however it does look grim.

  • Nabeela

    good chatbox ladies :D i love the discussion on capitalism vs real legit music industry 
    it would be really cool if there was a chatbox dedicated to discussion on kpop is a business 
    not a music industry 

  • Guest

    As a past DBSK fan I am sorry to say this but I don’t think DBSK would have made it.  I agree that KPop has MANY hidden fans that I find randomly (And I live in Calgary, Canada) but the problem is these fans are not willing to invest.  I think if they were still together, and even now, it would be smarter for them to make a plan so that their current ‘cheap’ fans will buy their music instead of just downloading.  If they could get every single fan to actually buy an album around the world they would be selling millions……..but unfortunately most fans just download. 

    We clearly saw this when JYJ did their showcases.  When they were free, there were fans lined up outside in the cold in New York for blocks……..but when they came back to NJ to hold a paid concert not as many fans showed up. 

    The problem is fans are cheap.  And the biggest problem is that Asian fans are CHEAP.  If they can get a good deal they would rather do it that way.

    Also, in DBSK all members were weak in specific areas.  Also, looks are subjective.  For example, you think Yunho is hot…….but I think he is seriously overated.  He looks like any other Azn man I see on the streets in Calgary, except with ‘abs’ sometimes.  I actually think Jaejoong is best looking (he doesn’t look completely Azn to me….and polls in Asia agree with me(in regards to DBSK members))……and then maybe Changmin or Yoochun.  Yunho……also I think is a weak singer.  He was put into the group because he is a good dancer.  I would have preferred if one of the good singers from Suju were placed in DBSK instead.  Changmin would do so much better as a solo artist.  His voice reminds me of Adam Lambert’s.  JYJ members have their own weaknesses too.  Right now they are still struggling to ‘define’ themselves and create good music.  (Even though I like a lot of their current compositions).  Junsu can outsing the two and dances better than them too, so I think they need to step up their game…or at least stop smoking.  In regards to their music…..it is also subjective.  You think DBSK is better because they do dance music……but I prefer RnB to dance.  In regards to stage presence….I think that is your bias speaking too, because fanaccounts say that JYJ worked the crowds really well, except in NJ for some reason.  JYJ does excellent on the stage and can definitely hold their own.  But, I also have read fanaccounts that DBSK holds really well lives (except sometimes they lipsync) so I have nothing to say about that.

    The problem with these Kpop groups/soloists debuting is they obviously have NO plan or idea on how to tackle the US market.  Right now in Japan selling albums comes so easy to them, so they assume that it will be the same everywhere.  Also, they ‘assume’ that working with big-name songwriters will count for something.  But those ‘big-name’ singers don’t even back them up….they just want to make a quick buck.  All the singers who have tried to debut already….the artists who composed for them didn’t even TWEET about those songs.  Also, it seriously did seem like that they sold them throwaway songs (except maybe JYJ’s Empty which I love). 

    If we look at other singers, who go from small-name to big-name, it is usually because of who they decided to team with (you-got-my-back-I-got-yours), who participated in their MVs or song process, who hyped them out on twitter or in interviews etc.
    For K-Pop, the singers are given a song…….and then left with it………the composers seem to care nothing for them after that.  In comparison, for someone like Justin Beiber how many ‘big-name’ rappers have already showcased themselves in his songs and MVs? 

    I think that at this moment 2NE1 is a group that can become huge is America….I seriously don’t know why they are wasting their time in Japan.  Even the two chics from Vampire Diaries tweeted about them randomly.  The two people who came to the MAMA awards want to work with them, and they seriously KNOW how to work the stage.  They have swag….and their ‘fake image’ or whatever you want to call it is something the west would totally eat up.  Can you imagine the generation of ‘wannabe-punk or emo’ guys and girls in highschool or older listening to this stuff?  I can.  They don’t have to be good live singers.  If they can work the stage then it is good enough for the west.  (And I am someone who doesn’t like 2NE1 music).

    No boy group will make it………because even Asians make fun of guys who look like girls….and many groups have a lot of feminine looking guys.  DBSK, if you hear western Azn guys comment about them…….are summarized by the statement ‘Oh those guys that look like chics.  No we don’t like them.”
    If JYJ go in the right direction (break away from the SME brainwashing system) and start writing good music that is inspirational and well-written…..I can see them becoming close to a ‘wannabe-version’ of the Beatles.  When they get to that point maybe they can make it in the west. 

    Also, JYJ are no longer emo.  Cassies just want to make-beleive they are still emo to justify their thoughts that JYJ should return to SME and to their ‘brothers’.  They are actually very happy, and are finally living well (financially and physically). 
    And the comments you said about old fans not knowing about what SME did to JYJ or their contract is totally baseless.  JYJ fans have been following the court proceedings to the dot.  And have even translated the news in different languages.  SME screwed the boys over BAD.  Also, if you only listen to Untitled song Part 1 (which you obviously haven’t listened to) you will know how bad SME treated DBSK in Yoochun’s words. 

    /Done ranting…..I just found your rant above very misleadind and inaccurate…….or should I say biased?

    • Guest

      Ah so many grammar and spelling mistakes (bangs my head against the wall)

    • Kpop

      Finally somebody who think just like me…overall I agree with you…We are as CHEAPEST as we can! And I include myself…If I don’t like most of the album I won’t buy it…I preffer to buy the songs that I like in Itunes and listen it in my ipod that spend 40 bucks in a Cd that I won’t listen(and if that makes me a bad fan be so). As a die hard cassie i must be realist and say that they wouldn’t have make it in the USA, not then and totally not NOW! Yes they have dance music but than again the US is already full of american dance songs so they rather listen to someone american than asian and thats reallity not racism.I myself couldn’t listen to KYHD for more than 1 minute because of the autotune(i hate autotune),chagmin’s hight pitch scream and yuhno’s nasaly singing and rapping(why do you have to screw his voice with that SM?)

      Yunho is hot?(in my opinion yes:yuhno biased) but for other people? Not at all! for people outside kpop/jpop, Yuhno is another asian, just like you said with abs sometimes(I always fail to see those abs though)…Jaejoong is a lot more famous for his looks ouside Korea than yunho(even in korea if you go to their fan base)…When I asked my friends who looks better(they are not into kpop) and show them the members photos they inmediately choose jaejoong and sometimes chagmin and said that the others are just like the other asians out there(sad but true).

      To make it in America nowadays you have to have one of this two things for me: be it an extreme good voice(Adelle) or be it extravagant looks and bitchy songs(Lady gaga,Rihanna, Katy perry)…And thats how it works nowadays like it or not.

      As kpop is today they won’t make it, simply because an american won’t buy music from aegyo/cute girl groups or cute femenine boy bands…for that they watch Kate perry and the other who shows them skin(sad reality) or the new  english boy bands.
      2NE1 could probably make it if they are properly “sold” in America by Will.I.am which is highly recognized there, I dont know *sigh*. But SNSD? Never(i love gee but…).

      JYJ as they are nowadays won’t make it either but they have talent and when they will find their “thing” maybe and only maybe they would have a moderate success.Actually I made some of my friends listen to their cover of  “I have nothing” in the Tokyo Dome whithout knowing that their are asians and they were totally blow out by their voices(yes they also said that their english sucked xD), so they have the voices and the lyrics minus the catchy songs that they need… I love their lyrics but they have to work in their music *sigh*…
      I’ve been in the cassiopea fandom for almost seven years and in Korea the fandom has already taken bands and most of them are JYJ fans now(because all the shit SM has done, and because of the interviews of the new DBSK).International fans are the only ones who keeps saying AKTF and thats because they don’t know anything but that is changing because the Korean fandom has decided to step out and don’t be silent anymore. And thats SM fault( you can keep bitching that huge fandom and get away with it, korean fans are very scary sometimes *goosebumps*)

      You want to make it in America? Be a bitch, show some skin, be outstanding or have a god like voice and than maybe  oand only maybe you will make it, but than again we have a lot of those here so…

      • Zjydreamer

        It’s true
        that it’s almost only the international fans that are doing that AKTF thing.
        In Korea, both JYJ and TVXQ have their own fans. It’s obvious who your bias
        is but please don’t be misleading and say that the Korean fandom are JYJ fans
        now. There are TVXQ fans and JYJ fans. Both have strong numbers. Please go
        check the number of albums they sold. They received tremendous support this
        year. And in case you want to say something about SM cockblocking JYJ, that
        has nothing to do with TVXQ sales. 

        • Kpop

          Oh no no, don´t get me wrong they both have lots of fans , but i’ve been inside the korean fandom and trust me they are are really really upset with Sm specially after the “i’m gonna make a new fandom for those cassies who only suports Homin” and the Hotel girls…Homin, has a lot of new fans and that’s a reality, but old cassies in Korea? mmm check all the fan bases and you will see it.. from the two most important sites one is a JYJ site now and the other is split in two.
          Check album sales? Sorry but I don’t believe in numbers in the Kpop…knowing all the bulk buying that has happened? mmm no thank you…and that has happen with all the kpop groups out there not only SJ, DBSK, JYJ and so on…
          If you go to DBSKnights or SJsite you will see(i don’t know now) that they even tell you to give money to bulk buy so…excuse me if I don’t believe in numbers.
          As I said before (maybe I gave a wrong impression) my bias is Yuhno and I even bought Maximun but not their album! Why? I already gave my opinion.
          So yeah, the both have strong fan base, the new DBSK maybe more new fans that JYJ, because of the catchy music, but old cassies in their fandom? mmm don ‘t think highly of that.

          • Zjydreamer

            okay, let’s get this straight. the truth is that jyj fans have already moved on. they are jyj fans and not tvxq fans. tvxq fans are the current tvxq fans. korean fans have already moved on and are supporting separate groups already. and the biggest tvxq site that you said was now a jyj site, that is also true. but you said it already, it is now a jyj site and therefore, tvxq fans are not included there. jyj fans are angry with sm. tvxq fans are not. tvxq fans are those who support yunho and changmin and jyj fans are those who support jaejoong, junsu and yoochun. the korean fandom is already split. the “old cassies” you are saying, you must mean the now jyj fans. of course, they don’t think highly of tvxq’s music, they like jyj more. and tvxq fans like tvxq more. that’s it. i am merely stating in my comment that you are misleading international fans into thinking that the korean fandom is a jyj biased fandom. and about the bulk buying, since is everyone is doing it anyway (even JYJ as you said) then you can still use that as a measure of support fans give to their idols. i’m not saying number of sales = number of fans because clearly, NOT ALL fans buy albums. remember the  5TVXQ? they had 800,000 fans but their sales never amounted to that. 

          • Zjydreamer

            How can you buy Maximum without buying Why when they belong to the same album titled WHY?

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2HLWIJFBCMMYGQYBMYXOPTEXF4 Mq

        not just an extremely good voice. There have been great voices popping up all the time, it’s just that they don’t catch onto the mass.

      • http://twitter.com/mh34n Mh34n Vergara

        i’m an International fan of DBSK but now I’m more for JYJ

  • Anonymous

    “you need to have some ugly members in the group [...] to serve as a reference point”
    - Young-ji

    I laughed but I feel somewhat guilty for that…

    ["so only then will you feel like someone is hot or ugly, is that you need to, like, set your eye on something(?)"]

  • Anima

    I feel that DBSK would never make it simply because people in the states would probably consider them an Asian ripoff version of Boyz II men, All4one, or Jodeci with less talent. Although  I don’t personally find DBSK to be goodlooking, I really don’t think their faces would have hindered them in any way.

    I don’t see 2NE1 making it either tbh, they are unique for Kpop but that’s it, the UK has so many quirky artists that make the same genre of music, and sadly, I think that those acts have a bigger chance of making it before simply for the fact that english is their first language. The US also has many aspiring musicians who make unconventional music trying to make it… look at what weird as hell lady gaga went through before getting her big break. It also doesn’t help that Will.i.am whose recent song isn’t doing well and has been losing relevancy somewhat as of late is going to be the one to help them. I don’t hate 2NE1 but I feel that people equate their popularity and uniqueness in korea and their somewhat western image with automatically being fit for the US market when there are so many other factors.

    I actually think that if any group could make it in the west, it would be miss A tbh. There is that kind of appeal about them that I think gets overlooked… but this is very hypothetical. I feel that they could do well enough releasing some digital singles in western Europe. Kind of OT But I think that in general it is the moderately popular groups and artists that have more success in the long run anyways… look at Wheesung, he was part of a fail group and yet he became big, Hyori wouldn’t have been the first pick talent wise to be the successful solo artist, g.o.d. was never as popular as Shinhwa and yet their music is still doing well among the public and the members themselves are still doing decently on their own.

  • happyslip

    A US cross-over is not as easy as:

    “Oh, they blew up fast — now can they go back to Korea and promote Korean material and gloat about their success at the same time?!”
    or

    “Oh, they failed they should go back to Korea ASAP.”

    It takes a lot of time. I wouldn’t really worry about the image, concept and music because those things can be adjusted. See Wonder Girls as an example. I for one could not see the motown look they had for nobody giving them some sort of positive feedback, but their vibe for Me, In to me would better their chances. 

    The question is, are these companies and Korean acts willing to be really, really, really, dedicated to their US promotions? That would mean no Korean comebacks for a long while regardless of their success or failure in America. Are the fans willing to take that? From what I’ve observed most can’t because if these people are ok with it, then we wouldn’t be hearing things like the Wonder Girls should go back to Korea and stay there for good among other things. It’s not helping that most of these companies and fans have that “Hallyu domination” mindset, either. 

  • http://kpop-rumblings.blogspot.com/ Enigmatic Sphinx

    Feels that a barrier to most K-pop groups is how the West connect the synchronicity of the performances with a “slightly cold and detached” feel.

    For this, groups that have a more “real” and “stage presence” feel around them, like the YG acts are more likely to make it, compared to groups with a more formulaic approach, like say SM.

    The biggest problem though, is that America is not in the mood for groups. Look at the X Factor USA and the groups (talented as they are) being sent home.

    Also agrees that in K-pop, the capitalist vs artistic side, with the capitalist one winning, is an unfortunate one.

    While the monetary gains are worth commending, the lack of artistic growth from such regimented music creation will hold development back. It would be great if companies took longer times between promos, and between that idols did their own thing to get ideas for contribution to the group, but sadly now it’s just “you go for your recordings, we settle your concepts”.

    Buying in ideas can only go so far, and idols should start showing some input in their work. In the West, this is something most listeners look out for, and it also comes as no surprise the better pop albums this year featured ideas/input by the group members (Fiction & Fact/ Wonder World).

     

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2HLWIJFBCMMYGQYBMYXOPTEXF4 Mq

    When they decide to make good music instead of making good concepts. What’s holding a lot of asian artists back is “asian”. They focused too much on being known as an Asian when they should focus on being known as an Artist. Precisely because the US scene is radio heavy, the music needs to speak for itself. We don’t get those variety shows to get to know the artists, or those weekend stage performances to see their concepts because the scene over here is much more radio driven. To get good radio airtime, you need good or at least catchy music. Once you get a little more popular, then you can drive it with an image on tv shows and what not.

  • http://www.twitter.com/hipployta Hipployta

    I just want to point out in my comment I said Hyuna would fit right in over here in America.

    Guess who is #9 on Spin Magazine’s top songs for 2011?  Yup…Bubble Pop

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_3MAXA4XUBRTP3H3WOOKIK3RNMY khady

    TOP sings and raps and writes songs! He wrote all his solo songs and also all the raps for the new album but also Good Man etc… His only problem is that he is not a good dancer otherwise he is really creative!

  • min

    First and foremost, I think they need to know fluent English minus accent. I can already see people making fun of their english.  Oh and American doesn’t run on “concept” and change them every song. They have to have their own style. 

    P.s. I love this little group! Junsu+CL+GD+TOP+Yunho= awesome! but I also think Joon should be in this group :)

  • http://twitter.com/ErikinaDaisy Erika Ward

    I HATE when people think that a KPOP idol who is 30 or over is old! HOW IS THAT OLD!?!? To me, and I’m 18, I think 50 is old! I still think Kpop idols can still be super popular in their 30s – HOW THE HECK IS 28 OLD?!? Fergie and Enrique Iglesias are WAY over 30 and they are still super famous! And HELLO – 2ne1 has half of it`s members nearing 30! So does BEG – so why do people focus on how `old` male idols are? I really don’t understand! Someone please explain!  I’m just venting because they called Heechul old :P
    He still looks like a teenage though :P
    I LOVE what you guys said about how the shelf-life of celebs are too short – IT IS SOO TRUE! If I had a fav celeb I would totally want them to keeping singing and dancing even in their 30s – I mean they are already pushing the limits on the other side of the scale – like we have younger and younger artists – so why cant we have older artists – like 35 years old! 

    I’m kind of glad Kpop is not in the US right now. I mean when and IF they come to the US it will take a LONG and SLOW transition – If they wake them in the face with kpop it WILL be rejected – but I also think that it’s wrong that people are saying “Oh groups like 2NE1 and Big Bang are so much like US artists – they’d love them there!” But I think if they do cross over – they shouldn’t change what they are just to fit in in the US – no they should come to the West and try to make things work with what they have – I mean if my friend was like “Oh check out this new artist from Korea!” I would want to see something different and original – Something Korean right? I think any group could do well here BUT only IF they would JUST LEARN ENGLISH~!!!! Anyway my favourite group will always be Super Junior – would I like them to come here? Of course! But none of them speak English -__-
    Anyway, for now I’ll be content watching my fav groups on youtube etc.

    Great review! It was very interesting! And I think you guys are VERY realistic – I mean at first I was going to be mad – because I mean I would love ALL my groups to come here! – but what I like is that you two were so realistic in how you actually though about how certain artists would do well here. I really like that. I think a lot of  kpop fans get lost in the kpop world from watching so many of their concerts, variety shows and music videos that we forget how the pop culture in the US works. But I mean it’s hard to go into any country! Look at Bieber – when he went to Japan he had fans, but not nearly as much as Super Junior when they went there. So I think for any artist it is hard to cross over to another country.

    On a side note — at one point you two were talking about how you wish more kpop idols wrote and composed their stuff – well I have very high hopes of what Kim Heechul will do in the future – and I will leave it at that ;)

    SARANGHAEYO KIM HEECHUL~! <3

  • felicia elasih

    …. Changmin didn’t choose the outfit, just saying. Though I do have to agree with you. Boy needs to keep it closed sometimes cuz his face doesn’t match his body :P 

    Well.. but if you get rid of daesung.. Then .. 1/3 of the song is gone. He’s precious lol. 

    alksjfowiejfaklsjf DB5K ftw. But i agree with what you said about what might make a kpop succeed in the US market. Maybe that’s because you guys listened to english songs and know how americans perceive certain styles as opposed to just be looking at it from a sidelines and I think that’s what entertainment companies need to do. Integrate the artists or researchers w/ever into the culture they’re going into and then review stuff from there. 

    Yeah.. I used to think Junsu was ugly. Except I clearly overlooked that since he’s now my number two bias :] He’s cute sometimes. I guess when he’s happy his face shines but when he’s tired he’s like a lump of dough. Poor Su :P

    tbh I don’t know why I like listening to you guys talk about random stuff. It’s entertaining, I guess. And it opens my eyes to some new perspectives I haven’t seen before… to some of them. And it’s kind of funny too. :] o btw HAPPY BELATED NEW YEAR.

    off to the next chatbox~