To get things started:

• Giants or Patriots? (As a New Yorker, I have a personal obligation to root against Boston, but hey, we’ll let the actual players duke this one out.)

• Dream High 2 or Shut Up Flower Boy Band? (FBB all the way for me.)
• Not even ashamed to admit that I’ve had Exo‘s “What is Love” on repeat for days.

What’s everybody else up to?

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• The Sunday Social: 1/29
• The Sunday Social: 1/22
• The Sunday Social: 1/15
• The Sunday Social: 1/8
• The Sunday Social: Happy New Year!

© Amy for seoulbeats, 2012. | Permalink | 20 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: the sunday social

A couple of weeks ago, a certain video of kids reacting to K-pop went viral and became a hot discussion topic among K-pop fans. In the midst of the debate, the children were criticized by quite a few of us for having attitudes that were racist, ignorant, or close-minded. Through it all, something that really struck me was that we often forget that as international fans of K-pop, we once stood in their very same shoes. At some point in our lives, we too came across K-pop for the first time, and saw it as something foreign, and I would imagine that some of our reactions weren’t really all that different. When thinking about K-pop and its successes and failures at finding new, global audiences, we often view non-K-pop-listeners as outsiders and try to understand them as such.

However, weren’t we once outsiders as well? What makes us so different now?

When and how were you first introduced to K-pop, and what was your initial reaction to it? In what ways have your perspectives on K-pop/society/culture changed?

(...)
Read the rest of Roundtable: K-pop Origins (2,962 words)

© Patricia for seoulbeats, 2012. | Permalink | 53 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Seoulbeats Roundtable

We start this week with a topic fresh off the presses, SNSD’s first set of promotional American performances, and eventually ended up talking about B.A.P. and EXO.

• SNSD on American network television, and SM’s overall plans (1:33)

• General reaction to SNSD’s performance from non-Kpop fans: good or bad? (11:40)

• Asians and Asian Americans & SNSD’s performance (16:05)

• B.A.P.‘s macho debut (23:50)

• EXO‘s faux debut (32:54)

(...)
Read the rest of SB Chat Box #15: Debuts, debuts, debuts (31 words)

© Amy for seoulbeats, 2012. | Permalink | 18 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Seoulbeats Chat Box

Previously, you guys designated G-Dragon to be the leader of the group, Jonghyun to be the main vocalist, and Taemin to be the lead dancer.

Last week, you guys voted on who you thought would make the best rapper for the group, and the results came out as follows: Beast’s Junhyung took third place with 10.65% of the vote, SHINee’s Key took second place with 36.64%% of the vote, and Big Bang’s T.O.P took first place with 38.36% of the vote.

Congratulations to T.O.P for making it on the team!

This week, we are searching for someone that you think would make the perfect “face” of the group.(...)
Read the rest of The Perfect Boy Group: Visual (68 words)

© Fannie for seoulbeats, 2012. | Permalink | 467 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: The Perfect Boy Group, The Perfect Group

Previously, you guys designated Sunye to be the leader of the group, Taeyeon to be the main vocalist, and Hyoyeon to be the lead dancer.

Last week, you guys voted on who you thought would make the best rapper for the group, and the results came out as follows: Wonder Girls’ Yoobin took third place with 12.39% of the vote, f(x)’s Amber took second place with 23.66% of the vote, and 2NE1′s very own baddest female CL took first place with 45.48% of the vote. Congratulations to CL for making it on the team!

This week, we are searching for someone that you think would make the perfect “face” of the group.(...)
Read the rest of The Perfect Girl Group: Visual (119 words)

© Fannie for seoulbeats, 2012. | Permalink | 187 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: The Perfect Girl Group, The Perfect Group

This is The Sunday Social, your forum for anything and everything. Feel free to chat to your heart’s desire. To get things started…

Who’s headed for SNSD‘s signing event at Best Buy in NYC on Tuesday? What dramas is everyone watching these days (feel free to make some recs!)? And last of all, the ever important question, who’s everyone’s latest K-crush?! ;)

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© Amy for seoulbeats, 2012. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: the sunday social

Lately, it seems as though rookie groups have been debuting left and right at an exponential rate. So far in 2012, we have already witnessed the official debuts of several rookie groups (B.A.P, CHAOS, F.I.X., SPICA, and Lay-T), and are anticipating even more to come (EXO, Nu’est, YG’s new girl group, CUBE‘s new boy group, and Woolim‘s new girl group, just to name a few).

Unlike the previous years, 2011 was full of rookie debuts (Dal Shabet, Piggy Dolls, Coin Jackson, CHI-CHI, Leader’s, Rania, Brave Girls, Block B, APink, B1A4, X-5, N-Train, Boyfriend, SPINEL, Blady, STELLAR, April Kiss, C-REAL, A-Peace, Chocolat, Swing Girls, M.I.B., 5Dolls, MYNAME, N.Sonic, HITT, AA,… I’m sure there are plenty that I have missed as well) that may have in some cases gained new fanbases, but overall failed make a big enough impact to revolutionize the K-pop industry itself in their first year, the way that other then-super-rookie groups (e.g. the Wonder Girls, DBSK, Big Bang, Super Junior, SNSD, 2NE1, 2PM, and miss A) have in the past.

What do rookie groups seem to be missing these days, and what would your advice be to them to help them stand out from the crowd?

(...)
Read the rest of Roundtable: Rookie Groups Galore (2,629 words)

© Patricia for seoulbeats, 2012. | Permalink | 41 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Seoulbeats Roundtable

• SBS’ K-pop Star (0:30)

• BoA as a singer and her place in today’s market; the kinds of desirable voices in K-pop today (10:24)

• Do you need to be Asian to be a K-idol? (17:50)

• Vocalists, vocalists, vocalists: Jonghyun vs. Onew, K.R.Y., Junsu, Luna, T-ara, Yeeun and Sunye (24:44)

(...)
Read the rest of SB Chat Box #14: K-pop Star and vocalists today (58 words)

© Amy for seoulbeats, 2012. | Permalink | 19 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Seoulbeats Chat Box

In the previous weeks, you readers have chosen G-Dragon to be the leader and Jonghyun to be the lead singer.

Last week, you guys voted on who would be the best choice for lead dancer, and the results came out as follows: Eunhyuk came in third with 21.49% of the vote, Yunho came in second with 21.76% of the vote, and Taemin came in first with 36.71% of the vote. Congratulations to Taemin for securing his spot in our group!

This week, we are going to turn our attention towards selecting the best rapper for our perfect boy group. The rapper of the group should be in charge of bringing swagger to the team, and also be able to effortlessly spit out verses with a unique and unrivaled sense of flow.

Who do you think is the best choice for the role of rapper in our idol group?

Take Our Poll

The poll is now closed. Thank you for your votes!

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• The Perfect Boy Group: Visual
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• The Perfect Girl Group: Visual

© Fannie for seoulbeats, 2012. | Permalink | 2267 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: The Perfect Boy Group, The Perfect Group

In the previous weeks, you readers have chosen Sunye to be the leader and Taeyeon to be the lead singer.

Last week, you guys voted on who would be the best choice for lead dancer, and the results came out as follows: Minzy came in third with 16.15% of the vote, Victoria came in second with 27.29% of the vote, and Hyoyeon came in first with 38.69% of the vote. Congratulations to Hyoyeon for securing her spot in our group!

This week, we are going to turn our attention towards selecting the best rapper for our perfect girl group. Since most songs in K-pop nowadays come equipped with a rap break in the middle, it is pretty necessary that we get a solid rapper on the team. The rapper of the group is responsible for spitting out powerful verses with a great sense of rhythm, flow, and style. Creativity and the ability to freestyle is also a plus.

Who do you think is the best choice for the role of rapper in our idol group?

Take Our Poll

The poll is now closed. Thank you for your votes!

Related Posts

• The Perfect Girl Group: Visual
• The Perfect Girl Group: Dancer
• The Perfect Girl Group: Singer
• The Perfect Girl Group: Leader
• The Perfect Boy Group: Visual

© Fannie for seoulbeats, 2012. | Permalink | 172 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: The Perfect Girl Group, The Perfect Group