K-pop

IceCat
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K-pop Sept 30, 2014 7:32:33 GMT

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Post by IceCat on Sept 30, 2014 7:32:33 GMT

The restart of this topic on the new forum has been prompted by news breaking within the past several hours.

Jessica Jung

SM Entertainment confirmed within the past few hours what had originally been posted on a Sina Weibo account linked to San Francisco-born Jessica Jung, older sister of f(x) member Krystal: she has halted her promotions as a member of Girls' Generation and the group will continue as an eight-member ensemble.

Jessica has recently been sighted with a boyfriend in New York and has also launched her own fashion line, activities that conflict with ongoing promotions of Girls' Generation. Although the entire group hasn't performed together since their EP "Mr Mr" dropped this past spring and they wrapped up their third Japanese tour in July (a different member, SooYoung, was absent from the nine at KCON in LA back in August because she's currently a cast member of the MBC drama My Spring Days) they were all expected to be part of promotions in support of the group as a whole as well as the current release of the mini-album "Holler" from the sub-unit group TaeTiSeo, consisting of Girls' Generation members Taeyeon, Tiffany, and Seohyun.

The nine had recently renewed their contracts with SM for three more years, so Jessica is still tied to the company. She apparently was informed just prior to departing Incheon for a fan event in China that she had been pushed aside, prompting her to take to Sina Weibo to post the following:

I was excited about our upcoming fan events only to shockingly be informed by my company and 8 others that as of today, I’m no longer a member. I’m devastated – my priority and love is to serve as a member of GG, but for no justifiable reason, I am being forced out.

You guys are very special people that I love dearly, therefore you deserve to hear the truth from me. I’m deeply saddened and hurt by those who I trusted and hope that you don’t ever have to experience this kind of pain.

Later on SM released this official statement to clarify their position...sort of.

Hello. This is SM Entertainment.

We are offering our position on the words posted on Jessica's Weibo posted today.

This coming spring, due to her personal situation, she has notified us she will halt her team promotions with the release of one [more] album.

Despite Jessica's sudden notice, the agency and the Girls' Generation members tried our best and tried to figure out a way that Girls' Generation's activities can continue in the best possible direction.

However, in the midst of insufficient negotiations regarding conflicts of differences in priorities and interest, Jessica started her fashion business. Due to this, despite ongoing talks, it has come to a point where the team could not be maintained.

Thus, the agency had no choice but to pull up Girls' Generation's activities as 8 members earlier than planned, and in the midst of while working out when to announce this, Jessica had posted her words early this morning.

From here on, our agency will continue to support and manage the 8-member Girls' Generation and Jessica's individual activities.

Currently trending worldwide on social media is the hashtag #StayStrongSNSD .
More information will hopefully be forthcoming.

www.sbs.com.au/popasia/blog/2014/09/30/girls-generation-jessica-not-present-airport-following-rumours-she-been-dropped

Kevin

Last Edit: Sept 30, 2014 7:38:50 GMT by IceCat

IceCat
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K-pop Oct 1, 2014 6:08:53 GMT

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Post by IceCat on Oct 1, 2014 6:08:53 GMT

Jessica released a written statement through her fashion line Blanc clarifying the sequence of events that led to her recent exit from Girls' Generation:

Hello. This is Jessica.

I was given a notice of departure from Girls' Generation by the agency on September 29, and I cannot hide my shocked and upset heart about this, so I'm here to reveal my position.

I have always put Girls' Generation's activities before my business or personal life as a member of Girls' Generation. However, despite my efforts for the team, I have been asked to leave the team by the agency.

While I was planning my business that I've had a lot of interest in since before, I had sufficiently consulted SM as well as the members about my preparation many times and asked for their understanding.

Up until the beginning of August when I was launching 'BLANC', I had received agreement and permission from SM, and congratulations from the members as well.

However, in early September, after only a month since the launching, the members suddenly changed their position and held a meeting, and told me to either quit my business or leave Girls' Generation without any justifiable reason.

I explained that I had already received permission from the agency, that I had never neglected Girls' Generation's activities, and that I could not suddenly halt my business due to my contract with my business partner after a month.

Ultimately, I pleaded that it was unjust for me to have to make a choice. Becoming a Girls' Generation member was the best thing in my life, and I had never thought about quitting.

Shocked about this, I had met with the agency CEO on September 16 to convey my position, and once again confirmed their permission for carrying out my business.

However, on September 29, I was given a one-sided notice asking me to leave Girls' Generation. Due to this, I was also unable to attend the fan meeting in China on September 30, and I have also been excluded from following Girls' Generation activities.

I have received great pain and cannot hide my sadness that I was asked by the agency and fellow members, whom I've spent 15 years with putting in all my passion and effort, to leave Girls' Generation just because of the reason that I'm starting a business.

I also want to apologize for causing concern to all the fans. Please understand that this situation is not at all what I had wanted, and that I've always treasured Girls' Generation, and that I will continue to do so. Thank you for always supporting and loving me.

Sincerely,
Jessica

Her boyfriend Tyler Kwon posted a message of support on his Sina Weibo page, then followed up with another post denying that they had married or were planning to do so in the foreseeable future.

Kevin

IceCat
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K-pop Oct 8, 2014 7:24:03 GMT

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Post by IceCat on Oct 8, 2014 7:24:03 GMT

Promotional poster for SBS' My Lovely Girl

I wasn't sure whether this belonged in the K-pop or drama folder, but as this current K-drama is centered on the K-pop industry and stars several K-pop stars it seemed appropriate to place it here.

K-pop star and actor Rain returns to the small screen for the first time in four years in the 16-part SBS drama My Lovely Girl. He portrays a singer whose girlfriend is killed in a traffic accident and as a result of his grief becomes a recluse for three years, living off the royalties from his hit songs. He comes back to Seoul after he receives a desperate voice mail message on his late girlfriend's smashed smartphone (which he not only kept as a totem but also kept her phone number active) from her younger sister (played by San Francisco-born Krystal Jung, member of the K-pop girl group f(x) and younger sister of recently ousted Girls' Generation member Jessica), an aspiring songwriter from the countryside who's run through a succession of part-time jobs to try to keep ahead of the loan sharks. Also cast in prominent roles are Hoya and L from the boy group Infinite. It airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9:55pmKST on SBS with subtitled versions available on DramaFever (they're currently through six episodes).

This recent CNN report on the Hallyu wave included a visit to the set of My Lovely Girl and comments from Rain; a must see.

Kevin

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K-pop Oct 18, 2014 8:22:03 GMT

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Post by IceCat on Oct 18, 2014 8:22:03 GMT

In addition to the Seongnam tragedy that I posted in the 19th Hole folder here is some other K-pop related news of recent vintage that I wish to pass along.

Lee Chae-rin, better known in the K-pop world as CL, leader of the girl group 2NE1, has recently signed with Scooter Braun (who also manages PSY on this side of the Pacific) and recorded an English-language album that is set to be released here in North America next spring.

www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/6281868/cl-solo-america-scooter-braun-2ne1

Meanwhile 2NE1's label, YG Entertainment, has had to deny rumors that the group was disbanding after Minzi briefly removed references to the group from her Twitter and Instagram profiles; they have since been restored.

During a recent solo concert in Seoul Big Bang member Taeyang (far left in above image) revealed that the group is working on their next album, set for release around the new year. T.O.P. (center) is currently promoting his most recent motion picture Tazza: The Hidden Card, now playing at select theaters in North America in addition to Korea, and had commented that getting the five together these days is difficult given their hectic schedules. Not helping is the auto accident Seungri (second from left) was involved in back in September that left him with internal injuries and forced the group to cancel their performance at the closing ceremony of the Asian Games. Rounding out the above picture are G-Dragon and Daesung.

Dashboard video of Seungri's accident from YTN:

I'll have more news coming on Sunday, some of which involves more departures from groups.

Kevin

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K-pop Oct 21, 2014 20:42:53 GMT verdantgarden likes this

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Post by IceCat on Oct 21, 2014 20:42:53 GMT

K-pop gaining airplay on mainstream North American radio? Is that possible?

PSY proved that it was possible and now fellow YG Entertainment artists 2NE1 are making waves. In my last post I mentioned that their leader CL signed with Scooter Braun and will make her English language debut next year. Now let me share with you how a now-three year old song of theirs has gotten them onto station playlists, at least in NYC and Boston.

On the old board I wrote of how their 2011 hit "I Am The Best" was the focal point of a guest appearance on the most recent season of The Bachelor where the cast traveled to Korea and among other things learned the choreography of the song from the girls and danced behind them at a shopping mall performance in Seoul.

Following on from that was the decision by Microsoft to feature the song in the background of an advert for their new Surface Pro 3 tablet/laptop. Thanks to that the song recently became the eighth K-pop video to reach 100 million views on YouTube and more importantly became the first K-pop song by an artist other than PSY to reach #1 on the Billboard World Digital Songs chart. Now the song has gotten airplay on this continent for the first time. Can the momentum continue?

Kevin

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K-pop Oct 29, 2014 8:22:25 GMT

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Post by IceCat on Oct 29, 2014 8:22:25 GMT

The nominees for the 2014 MNet Asian Music Awards, aka the MAMAs, have been released this week. Unlike previous years there apparently will be no Album of the Year; most artists these days don't release full length albums, opting for singles and extended plays instead.

Song of the Year

Artist of the Year

Best Male Artist

Best Female Artist

Best Male Group

Best Female Group

Best New Artist

K-Pop Star

Superstar K

Who is Next: WIN

Best Dance Performance – Male Group

Best Dance Performance – Female Group

Best Dance Performance – Solo

Best Collaboration

Best Vocal Performance – Male

Best Vocal Performance – Female

Best Band Performance

Best Rap Performance

Best Music Video

Best OST (Original Sound Track song - usually for a TV drama, sometimes for a movie)

This has been a year where no one artist has been dominant, so a lot of the awards are wide open. Ailee leads with six nominations, but two of those are for Song of the Year.

The MAMAs will again be held in Hong Kong and will air on MNet and MNet America Wednesday 3 December.

In other news, the three surviving members of Ladies' Code have been discharged from the hospital and are spending time with their respective families. At some point after they recover emotionally from the tragedy that took EunB and RiSe from them last month they will return to their record label and begin the next phase of their careers, whatever form that may take.

Kris and Luhan, formerly of EXO-K

Will the last member of EXO to leave please turn out the lights on their way out? Just a few months after Kris files suit against SM Entertainment to get out of his contract Luhan is following a similar path, even retaining the same law firm, who also helped Han Geng get out of Super Junior three years ago. The EXO-K half of what had been a dozen is now down to four.

MBLAQ: from left - Seungho, Thunder, Lee Joon, Mir, G.O

Also on the departure front are two members of the group MBLAQ, formed by Rain on his J Tune Camp label five years ago. Lee Joon and Thunder have been rumored to be leaving the group at the conclusion of their contract next month but no formal announcement has been made. Thunder (real name Park Sang-hyun) is the younger brother of Sandara Park of the girl group 2NE1.

Crayon Pop: from left - Choa, Way, Ellin, Geummi, Soyul

Crayon Pop's next album is currently on hold but fear not: their label has debuted a sub unit consisting of the twin sisters Choa and Way under the name Strawberry Milk. Choa made her acting debut on the first episode of the current KBS2 drama High School: Love On, for which the group recorded a song for the soundtrack.

Keep tuned to this thread for more K-pop news...

Kevin

IceCat
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Posts: 1,041

K-pop Nov 12, 2014 7:49:11 GMT

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Post by IceCat on Nov 12, 2014 7:49:11 GMT

The road manager for Ladies' Code, who was driving the van that fateful rainy night back in September, was arrested today for causing the crash that killed members EunB and RiSe. He was apparently driving at over 135 km/h on a stretch of freeway posted at 100, although Korean law mandates that in inclement conditions the limit is reduced 20%, so he should have been down to 80 km/h. At 135 even a normal tap of the brakes brings the risk of hydroplaning in the wet conditions that were prevalent that night. Contrary to the driver's assertion the back wheel came off as a result of the crash, not before it, and the failure of the front airbags to deploy was because the impact with the highway barrier was actually along the passenger side of the van.

www.sbs.com.au/popasia/blog/2014/11/12/ladies-code-road-manager-arrested-and-charged-causing-fatal-crash

sports.chosun.com/news/ntype.htm?id=201411130100158850009850&servicedate=20141112

Kevin

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K-pop Nov 13, 2014 8:56:24 GMT

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Post by IceCat on Nov 13, 2014 8:56:24 GMT

A Korean-Canadian co-host of the morning show on the local CTV station in Ottawa recently filmed a series of features titled "Ticket to Korea". The two that aired Wednesday morning were special in that one focused on K-pop and the other featured our friends Simon and Martina of Eat Your Kimchi.

Simon and Martina:

ottawa.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=489511&binId=1.1487308&playlistPageNum=1

Atlanta-born K-pop soloist and presenter Eric Nam and Chinese-Canadian K-pop star Henry Lau of Super Junior M:

ottawa.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=489519&binId=1.1487308&playlistPageNum=1

Kevin

Last Edit: Nov 13, 2014 9:01:19 GMT by IceCat

IceCat
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K-pop Nov 16, 2014 8:20:22 GMT

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Post by IceCat on Nov 16, 2014 8:20:22 GMT

From the "What the hell were they thinking?" department, I give you the rookie girl group Pritz. If you're thinking "I've never heard of this group before" then you're certainly not alone. Their debut single this past spring "Go Girls!" apparently didn't set the world on fire despite the suggestive nature of their anime-themed music video which somehow got played on MNet yet has to date garnered just over 150,000 views on YouTube.

So how do they make an effective comeback this month? Well certainly NOT with the concept they came up with. At a recent live appearance at a race track ahead of their new single "Sora Sora" they come out in all black except for a red armband with a black symbol inside a white circle that their label swears up and down was actually inspired by of all things the speed limit sign on Korean highways, with the four arrows symbolizing the groups' desire to grow without limit in all directions. What it resembles to the casual observer is something else entirely:

The designers at their record label may have been naive and/or stupid, but many Korean netizens certainly weren't. Not only does the armband look similar to the Nazi swastika logo but someone also noted that it more closely resembles the symbol of another far-right movement with a similar ideology, Hungary's Arrow Cross Party, which briefly ruled that country at the tail end of WWII and whose leaders were tried as war criminals by the Soviets.

Only the 30 second teaser for the song has been released so far; the full version was to have come out this week but as a result of this controversy it has been pushed back while they no doubt redesign the logo in question.

Kevin

IceCat God Posts: 1,041	K-pop Nov 18, 2014 9:01:30 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by IceCat on Nov 18, 2014 9:01:30 GMT Pritz' record label released the video for "Sora Sora" with the offending armbands still evident. Good luck getting onto any music shows with that: Kevin

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K-pop Nov 24, 2014 10:39:22 GMT

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Post by IceCat on Nov 24, 2014 10:39:22 GMT

You thought G-Dragon was going to remain silent the whole year, did you? Well you would be wrong.

Within the past week YG Entertainment dropped the single titled "Good Boy" which GD recorded with fellow Big Bang member Taeyang. The song achieved an all-kill, the term used to describe a song that tops all nine of Korea's major real time music charts, and the music video garnered over 2 million views on YouTube within its first 24 hours (it presently stands at over 4 million).

Kevin

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K-pop Dec 1, 2014 5:21:34 GMT

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Post by IceCat on Dec 1, 2014 5:21:34 GMT

The founder and CEO of YG Entertainment, Yang Hyun Suk, is the featured guest on SBS' Healing Camp this week. It is set to air Monday at 11:15pm local (9:15amEST/6:15amPST) and will likely end up on YouTube sometime afterward. In the interview he apologizes for his handling of the various controversies surrounding some of his artists, notably 2NE1's Park Bom and Big Bang's Seungri.

Kevin

IceCat God Posts: 1,041	K-pop Dec 2, 2014 5:49:01 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by IceCat on Dec 2, 2014 5:49:01 GMT For those of you without access to MNet America on your cable you can watch a live online stream of the 2014 MAMAs this Wednesday! The telecast runs from 4-10amEST (1-7amPST). dannyfromla.tv/home/mama-2014-live-stream-2/ Kevin

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K-pop Dec 4, 2014 9:12:24 GMT

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Post by IceCat on Dec 4, 2014 9:12:24 GMT

I'll have plenty to say about this year's MAMAs this weekend, but if you missed them MNet America will have an edited, subtitled version ready to air beginning next Wednesday the 10th at 8pmEST/5pmPST and no doubt repeated several more times in the coming weeks. The live version I caught glimpses of Wednesday morning was the same presentation as on MNet in Korea, which is to say it was not subbed or voiced over. I suspect MNet America no longer had the budget or the staff for a live voice over, which made following the show just a little harder.

While I'm here just a quick word about PSY. While we're still waiting for his next single to drop (which was hinted at when his collaboration with Snoop Dogg "Hangover" was released back in the spring) some news came across regarding the video that launched K-pop into mainstream consciousness, "Gangnam Style". It had become the first and only video to surpass 2 billion views on YouTube, and now it has logged so many views that YouTube had to reprogram its counter. The upper limit had to be raised from a 32-bit integer (just over 2.1 billion) to a 64-bit integer, which is a staggering 9.22 quintillion. I wonder how long it will take before PSY surpasses that figure?

www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30288542?OCID=fbasia

Kevin

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K-pop Apr 14, 2015 10:10:44 GMT

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Post by IceCat on Apr 14, 2015 10:10:44 GMT

Comebacks and debuts galore in the K-pop world as winter finally (FINALLY!) gives way to spring.

Girls' Generation's first release since they kicked Jessica out last autumn dropped last week. "Catch Me If You Can" was released in both Korean and Japanese and is the first for the group as an eight member ensemble.

Now what do you get when you mix EDM, Sailor Moon and Power Rangers? Why you have the music video for the title track from Crayon Pop's latest mini album "FM".

YES, CRAYON POP ARE BACK, PEOPLE...DEAL WITH IT.

Girl group 4 Minute come back kicking butt and taking names in their new track "Crazy".

Another girl group reassembles for a new album after some time away. Member Suzy is one of the most sought after stars in the country for commercials and dramas but she and the rest of Miss A remind everyone of the sassiness that brought them to prominence in the first place.

Not to be outdone, the boss of Miss A's label JYP Entertainment, legendary K-pop star Park Jin Young, dropped his own comeback track that seems to have borrowed from PSY's playbook. A word of caution: this may not be suitable for an office environment.

With f(x) on hiatus now seemed like as good a time as any for the tomboyish rapper of the five woman ensemble, Chinese-American Amber Liu, to make her solo debut. Here she is discussing with Martina of Eat Your Kimchi her favorite track off her mini album "Beautiful"

...and the following is the lead single "Shake That Brass". The song was recorded with Taeyeon of Girls' Generation but in this live clip from KBS' Yu Huiyeol's Sketchbook she performs with her good friend Ailee and follows that up with a cover of Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk"

Overshadowing all of these...for now...is the latest track from EXO. Now a 10 man ensemble after the defections of Luhan and Kris their latest album "Exodus" has been dominating the charts in Korea. The lead single "Call Me Baby" swept all five music shows this past week.

At the beginning of this month YG Entertainment revealed that Big Bang will be making a comeback. Rather cryptically the teaser poster depicted the first of each month through September so exactly when their first album together since 2012 will drop is unknown but on the 2nd it was announced that their world tour would kick off on the 25th and 26th in Seoul. No other dates have been announced so far.

The boys were recently spotted in Los Angeles apparently filming a music video. In the left hand image is Seungri sporting a blond hairstyle while in the right hand picture G-Dragon is pushing Taeyang in a wheelchair. Taeyang apparently injured his ankle during rehearsals but as of today it is almost healed and won't present a problem with the group's comeback.

Finally we wrap with the latest male K-pop stars to have their number come up and go off with the draft ("He's in the Army now; he's blowing Reveille; he's the Boogie Woogie bugle boy of Company B"). OK, these guys won't actually be blowing Reveille or making any other music while they're off fulfilling their mandatory two year service commitment, but Super Junior, numbering twelve at its peak and comprising ten when they released their most recent album last summer, are temporarily down to eight members after Sungmin and Shindong enlisted late last month. They should be back up to nine within the next couple of months as Yesung's enlistment is almost up. With five of the eight current active members yet to be drafted one report posits that it will be 2018 before all the members will have fulfilled their service commitments.

Joining Sungmin and Shindong in camouflage fatigues is JYJ member Kim Jae-jung. Readers of this thread on the old board will remember that the three members of JYJ had an acrimonious split with SM Entertainment when they were originally part of the group TVXQ. It is rather ironic therefore that SM recently announced that one half of what remains of TVXQ, Yunho, will be enlisting later this year.

Kevin

Last Edit: Apr 14, 2015 10:28:12 GMT by IceCat

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