The last week in K-pop was a kind of limbo–the big thrills of the new year are over and a period of uncertainty has begun as we hunker down into the year of K-pop that is 2013.  Will the new music continue to be great or once again sink into the mundane, will the new crop of K-dramas make our hearts soar with romance or descend into despair, and will K-variety continue to tickle our funny bones and expand our horizons?  There’s only one way to find out… keep watching.
Not quite Heaven…

A comeback is always good because it means that you’re still around and have a chance to reach the top… or at least the chance to come back again.  Some of those making a comeback this week:

  • Infinite H released their second song and MV “Without U” featuring Zion T.  While “Special Girl” was great, “Without U” is more of what I was expecting and is just… greater. Does everything Zion T touch turn to gold?
  • Shinhwa‘s Andy released his solo track “You and Me” featuring 100%‘s Min-woo and Rok-hyun, 4MEN released “Hello It’s Me,” Ailee‘s “Ice Flower” from the Queen of Ambition OST,  and Solbi reminds everyone she isn’t “Gone,” Ali comes back with “Eraser” with Choi Ji-woo starring in the MV, DMTN try to break free of the “Safety Zone,” SISTAR19 sings of a love “Gone Not Around Any Longer,” and Clazziquai tease their comeback with the “Sweetest Name.”
  • Rookie idol punk band Never Mind released their second title track  “Hoi Hoi.”  Wonder if this song was inspired by My Girlfriend is a Gumiho?  Maybe  not.  I’m really enjoying Never Mind and their punk vibe–it’s a lot of fun and something new and refreshing in K-pop.  Check out their MV for “Hoi Hoi.”

  • As for debuts and the hope for something great:  Super Star K4‘s Takers debut with a remake of Lee Hyori‘s “Remember Me,” K-rock legend Kim Tae-won‘s daughter debuted under the name Kris Leone with her self composed song, “Into the Skies.”
  • The year is over as School 2013 came to an end last week.  The ending was understandable with not too much happy or too much sad, but it still felt like the more of the story needed to be told.
  • Billboard Korea released an interview with Kim Jaejoong about his debut solo album and provided English subs for the whole thing.

 

Not quite Hell…

  • JoonSeo is over. Supposedly due to the busy schedules of both Lee Joon and Oh Yeon-seo it has been decided that they will leave We Got Married. Of course if there were no dating scandal with Yeon-seo and Lee Jang-woo or the outburst by Joon on MBLAQ‘s fan cafe–I’m sure they would have still been on the show. (NoCutNews)
  • It’s bad enough that reports came out saying that the filming of MBC’s Idol Athletics Championship took 22 hours to complete–which might have added to the cause of a few idol injuries, but then came reports that idols that did not attend would be banned from MBC.  Of course MBC has denied reports, but you never know.  (ReviewStar, OSEN)

 

But somewhere in Between…

  • Kara‘s Goo Hara was rushed to the hospital with abdominal pains this week.  She was diagnosed with appendicitis and had to have surgery to remove her appendix. Reports are that she is recovering nicely.  (hankooki)

  • 2PM‘s Taecyeon is joining We Got Married to replace the JoonSeo couple, but then he’s not.  Taec’s going to join an world version of We Got Married and KARA‘s Nicole might also, but it’s not confirmed. Word is Taec’s virtual wife is gonna be Taiwanese  actress/singer Wu Ying Jie, but maybe not?   (TheStarChosun)
  • It’s real life drama like straight out of the script of the recently finished King of Dramas for Kim Hyun-joong’s K-drama City Conquest.  The drama which is based on a popular manhwa of the same name written by Shin Hyung-bin.  The drama was supposed to get a slot in KBS‘ 2013 drama schedule and was even made in conjunction with KBS Media.  KBS is claiming that the the drama wasn’t picked up because it lacked in quality.  100 Media, the drama’s production company, is crying foul saying they did many changes to accommodate KBS and that the real reason they’re being shafted is due to political reasons. (ReviewStar, SportsSeoul, Star)

 

(photos: MBC, KBS2, 100Media)