seoulbeats

Sunday Lessons with Inkigayo

Ambika — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:33:45 +0000

When it gets to the end of the week, many K-pop fans become excited to see their favorite groups perform on the multiple music shows: Mnet‘s M! Countdown, KBS‘s Music Bank, MBC‘s Music Core, SBS‘s Inkigayo, and a bit later, MBC Music‘s Show! Champion. But what stands out from these shows, aside from who wins and how that’s calculated, is the what is there in addition to the performances. Specifically, SBS Inkigayo amongst the many performances and MC cuts, have a couple of songs each week aimed at teaching, essentially, good behavior to the viewers. The subject of the song varies depending on the focus for the certain period of time. For example, recently, Inkigayo has been promoting road and traffic safety and workplace etiquette.(...)
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Putting it in Black and White: G.NA, Then and Now

Nabeela — Thu, 17 May 2012 07:01:45 +0000

G.NA: Cube Entertainment‘s female soloist starlet, the owner of many fanboys’ and girls’ hearts.

Cube recently announced her comeback to the pop scene with her third mini-album Bloom and her comeback dance track “2Hot”, which is reportedly going to “be a dance number of a new genre that will maximize the many charms of G.NA,” and other promotional mumbo jumbo. And while this embellished praise seems promising for what’s to come, I can honestly say that it would be nice see G.NA actually live up to the hype.(...)
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Korean-Americans Struggle to Balance East and West Identities

Salima — Thu, 17 May 2012 02:20:26 +0000

If you don’t like Daniel Henney for his acting, then it’s almost a given that you at least appreciate him for his out-of-this-world good looks. You probably first saw him during his debut role in the Hallyu phenomenon My Lovely Sam Soon and wondered, “Who is this handsome guy with the perfect American accent?” And then you probably realized that he didn’t actually have an American accent but was in fact American. And the more you watched him, the quicker you probably came to the conclusion that he could speak barely a word of Korean.

Daniel Henney’s come a long way since Sam Soon. He’s appeared in several Hollywood films (including his role as Agent Zero in X-Men Origins: Wolverine), maintained endorsements in Korea, and has steadily been working on incorporating more and more of the Korean language in his K-drama roles (by “more and more” what I really mean is “the bare minimum,” but we can’t say he isn’t trying). He recently promoted his new film Shanghai Calling in Los Angeles, where he won an award for outstanding achievement at the Newport Beach Film Festival. Henney has accomplished a lot for himself both in Korea and in America.(...)
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© Salima for seoulbeats, 2012. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Brian Joo, Daniel Henney, Jay Park

Jinxed by Junsu’s “Tarantallegra”

Fatouma — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:17:08 +0000

As you may realized by now, the first solo album of JYJ’s Junsu has been named after the spell from Harry Potter, Tarantallegra, a portmanteau of “tarantella” — an upbeat Italian folk dance associated with the tarantula — and “allegro,” the Italian word for fast. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the jinx could be used to induce victims into dancing uncontrollably, so with this knowledge in mind, it is expected for the album to be very dance-oriented, which I’m a bit wary of, because an album heavy on dance tracks will feel a little redundant and lacking substance, especially an album boasting twelve tracks.

But seeing that Junsu is heavily involved in the producing, composing, and writing of the album, and having enjoyed the songs he composed and wrote for JYJ’s In Heaven album, “Fallen Leaves” and “You’re,” I still had some hope for Tarantallegra to be an enjoyable listen.(...)
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Manhwa: Another Side to Hallyu

Kevin — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:35:20 +0000

South Korea’s strongest cultural exports that contribute to the Hallyu Wave are none other than K-pop and K-dramas. However, those that read Japanese Manga may have noticed the ever increasing presence of its Korean version, manhwa. Stylistically, they may not be much different. On the surface, the only immediately noticeable differences are their names and the fact that it’s read from left to right. Manhwa is actually an umbrella term for any sort of visual novel (US Comic, Japanese Manga, etc) in Korea, but to the West, manhwa is essentially Korean manga.(...)
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When Jean Reno Meets Norazo

Maria — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:03:34 +0000

Norazo is a Korean duo that debuted back in 2005 and started gaining attention in 2008 with their “Superman” song and video. Throughout their career, they released five full-length albums and experimented with a variety of sounds and styles. While bringing something new each time they promote, Norazo is one of the bands that have a trademark; the bizarre effect and the goofiness in their lyrics are the assets that make them unique.

This month marks their comeback with the track “Woman Person,” which doesn’t stray away from their previous releases:(...)
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Getting Rough and Ready with the “Gang Kiz”

Nicholas — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:28:31 +0000

As K-pop enters the second quarter of the year, the scale of the releases get larger, with Core Contents Media (CCM) releasing teasers for its new girl group, Gang Kiz.

Putting aside the question on whether every imaginable niche in K-pop girl groups has already been filled, and whether CCM has had too many cuts of the girl group pie (Davichi, T-ara, 5dolls and previously, Seeya), I still love my girl groups, so it’s worth giving them a once-over.(...)
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Post tags: CCM, Core Contents Media, Gang Kiz, T-ara

K-pop Diets and the Logical Disconnect

Dana — Wed, 16 May 2012 03:40:49 +0000

After twenty-something years on this earth, I’d like to think that I have a fair sense of how to maintain a balanced diet and healthy body. Vegetables are always good to include where and when possible (though I still refuse to touch broccoli or cauliflower), fruits make an excellent and nutritious snack, protein is a daily must, and maybe try not to eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s every day; additionally, stairs > elevator, gym = good, and 15-minute workout videos are your friend. Of course, that’s just me — and it’s not always possible (or even a good idea) to stick to such a plan all day every day. Sometimes, you just need to eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, and that’s perfectly fine. But in general, if one doesn’t deviate too far from their comfortable diet and exercise plan too often, one should feel happy, healthy, and proud of their body, no matter the shape or size.(...)
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© Dana for seoulbeats, 2012. | Permalink | 39 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Goo Hara, Nine Muses, Secret, Sistar, SNSD, Sunny Hill

SB Exchange #16: The Dimensions of Cube Entertainment

Gaya — Tue, 15 May 2012 23:17:13 +0000

Having already looked at YG and SM, this week I take a gander at another company: Cube Entertainment. Which is apparently not a subsidiary of JYP Entertainment, but a company in its own right. I’m sure you probably already knew that, but it’s news to me.

I had never paid much attention to labels and companies until I heard about Cube’s name come up in a discussion about Beast, mainly about what a good job Cube had done with the group. I knew that K-pop groups were manufactured, but I’d never given proper thought to the actual manufacturers themselves. In South Korea, companies seem to have personalities and distinct styles; these “company exchanges” are about trying to get a clearer picture of what a particular company is; and to help me out with Cube Entertainment, we have Michelle, Patricia and Ree.(...)
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© Gaya for seoulbeats, 2012. | Permalink | 19 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 4Minute, Beast, BtoB, Cube Entertainment, Hyuna, Seoulbeats Exchange

The Summer of EXO-CK

Jessie — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:30:14 +0000

Calvin Klein Jeans recently announced that a trio of member from rookie group EXO-K would feature in the upcoming June issues of both GQ and Vogue Girl. Sehun, Baekhyun and, of course, Kai were chosen for the pictorials and were fully wardrobed in the globally-recognized fashion brand. This pairing should come as no surprise to EXO fans considering Calvin Klein and the boy group go way back –all the way to March– for their first solo photo shoot. At that time all of the members of EXO-K featured in the Calvin Klein-filled spread for High Cut magazine, modeling the label’s new double indigo jeans. The company obviously liked what they saw the first time around, so the boys are back again for all to enjoy in their casual denim glory.(...)
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