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 Un-designing masculinities: K-pop and the new global man?

My K-pop (Korean Pop) “bias” Rain, the South Korean singer, dancer, and actor whose real name is Jung Ji-Hoon, recently released a new album called Rain Effect, which has reignited my, uh-hum, “academic” interest in K-pop. In particular, I am fascinated with how K-pop is re-designing masculinity through the popularisation of what scholar, and former PhD graduate from Melbourne University, Sun Jung calls “Pan East-Asian soft masculinity".

In 2011, National Geographic defined the most typical person in the world as a 28-year-old Han Chinese male, the target demographic within Pan East Asian soft masculinity. Given its global popularity, does K-pop offer alternative values, design, and experiences of masculinity? Or does it just remix old stereotypes about black and Asian masculinities?

Hard masculinities: traditional Australian archetypes

Before addressing the values of “soft masculinity,” I first want to describe the hard masculinity that K-pop male imagery complicates. Australia is a place where traditional images of hard masculinity dominate. Specifically, these images are coded white, rural, and non-intellectual. A quick Google images search of “Australian man” produces a range of physical types that fit this description.

Australian scholar, Dr. Robyn Morris describes the national image of the Australian masculinity as “archetypal and heroic, hyper-masculinised, white and heterosexual figures such as the stoic bushman, brash bushranger, or the fearless ANZAC soldier.” Dr. Linzi Murrie, an Australian expert of Australian men studies, provides details on the values of the iconic Australian male:

Our man is practical rather than theoretical, he values physical prowess rather than intellectual capabilities, and he is good in a crisis but otherwise laid-back. He is common and earthy, so he is intolerant of affectation and cultural pretensions; he is no wowser, uninhibited in the pleasures of drinking, swearing and gambling; he is independent and egalitarian, and is a hater of authority and a ‘knocker’ of eminent people.

Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of Drover in Baz Luhrmann’s movie Australia is the embodiment of this ideal both physically and from the perspective of personality:

Trailer from Australia Movie

Today, images of Australian masculinity have been modified from that of the bushranger to that of the footy player. This includes black footy players although there is often a pathologising of their “bush” images and their questioning of authority is seen as a threat. There have also been some shifts in the values of Australian masculinity. Dr. Karina Butera argues that among 21st-Century Australian men, there is greater ambivalence towards the “tough, emotionally repressed, and stoic independence” of the traditional ideal man. Yet, Asian Australian men are still excluded from images of Australian masculinity. Perhaps, K-pop can change that.

Soft masculinities: K-pop, Confucius, R&B, and guy-liner

In her book Korean Masculinities and Transcultural Consumption, Dr. Sun Jung defines the key aspects of what she calls East Asian soft masculinity:

Soft masculinity is a hybrid product constructed through the amalgamation of South Korea’s traditional seonbi masculinity (which is influenced by Chinese Confucian wen masculinity), Japan’s bishonen (pretty boy) masculinity, and global metrosexual masculinity.

In traditional South Korean seonbi and Chinese Confucius wen masculinity, the exemplary man is one of the culturally refined gentleman/scholar. His values could be described as the exact opposite of the traditional Australian male. He is theoretical, intellectual, culturally nuanced, self-restraining, and obedient to authority, especially that of the father and other elder men.

Rain personifies those seonbi/wen values first in terms of his personal motto – “Endless effort, endless humility, endless modesty” – and second by the completion of his music degree from Kyunghee University. Education is so important even in the K-pop world that most K-pop agencies require that their idols and trainees complete undergraduate degrees at the minimum and preferably complete a Masters degree.

Physically, the Japanese “pretty boy” phenomenon, which is mostly consumed by women, enables a play of gender possibilities by erasing the lines between male and female. Metrosexual grooming frees men to care about their physical appearance through the consumption of clothes, cosmetics and accessories.

All of which is present in the male images in K-pop. All K-pop men rock serious guy-liner. On the pretty boy spectrum, G-Dragon, the lead singer of the K-Pop group Big Bang, models for the make-up line The SAEM — becoming their first male endorser of red lipstick. On the metrosexual spectrum, Rain endorses the Metholatum grooming line.

Rain’s Most Metrosexual Video, 30 Sexy.

Not content to be just pretty faces, the men of K-pop also require what Sun Jung calls “beast-like masculinity,” which is defined by sculpted muscular bodies with rock-hard abdominals. This is literally embodied by Rain in his popular and highly parodied Love Song video.

Parodies of the “Abs Dance” from Rain’s Love Song video.

The “beast-like” masculinity represents the specifically African-American contribution to the visual image of masculinity in K-pop, which adds another layer of complication.

Sun Jung discusses in depth the strategy of Rain and Rain’s first manager and producer JYP to combine through his image and music that which is Korean with that which is globally popular, namely African-American R&B and Hip Hop music.

African-American rap and R&B figures such as Usher and 50 Cent all figure prominently as those most idolised by top K-pop artists. Sun Jung quotes Rain on his admission of being strongly influenced by Usher, who is known for going shirtless to display his sculpted abs in the majority of his videos and stage performances.

Usher Shirtless at the End of the Confessions Video.

East Asian beast-like masculinity serves as countermove against white Western feminisation of Asian men, especially as the cultural values are in opposition to hard masculinity. Yet if the East Asian beast-like masculinity is based “on the abs” of African American males, does it not continue the over-sexualisation and implied animalism of black bodies that is at the heart of the conflict between Black people and White structures of oppression?

Scholar Ben Carrington argues “the black male torso as object of visual desire is everywhere". Does connecting the sculpted torso on an Asian face change the views of both Asians and Black men in regards to masculinity? Can it offer new possibilities of masculinity for all Australian men?

K-pop and Re-Designing 21st Century Masculinities

Karina Butera quotes from Terry Collins’s book, Beyond Mateship, which offers a challenge for men to be:

Strong without hardness; soft without fear; powerful without oppression; gentle without shame; knowledgeable without arrogance; nurturing; led with humility and themselves with joy.

The soft masculinity, embodied by K-pop figures such as Rain, represents the dynamic play of masculine and feminine characteristics articulated in the challenge. At least among the K-pop netizens in the US and Australia whom I follow, it has changed the perception of Asian men as men potentially desirable in terms of the ideal of a gentle personality with a handsome face and a hot body.

As an African American, I remain conflicted by K-pop men’s relationship to Black male bodies. But, it is undeniable that K-pop offers alternative models of masculinity which are neither too hard or too soft.

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http://world.time.com/2013/08/01/forget-politics-lets-dance-why-k-pop-is-a-latin-american-smash/

Forget Politics, Let’s Dance: Why K-Pop Is a Latin American Smash

Lapped up by a Spanish-speaking market that adores K-pop's lavish production values and upbeat message, a Korean wave is sweeping through Latin America

By Anjani Trivedi Aug. 01, 20135 Comments

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Super Junior in Sao Paulo

Mauricio Santana / LatinContent / Getty Images

South Korean boy band Super Junior performing in Sao Paulo on April 21, 2013

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Correction appended: Aug. 1, 2013, 10:55 p.m. E.T.

 The export success of artists like Don Omar and Shakira in previous years may have given the Latin pop business a few global ambitions, but in Latin America itself the sound that’s making waves right now is Pop Coreano, or K-pop. Driven by South Korean entertainment companies seeking fresh markets for their superslick music stars, and lapped up by a Spanish-speaking youth market that adores K-pop’s lavish production values and infallibly upbeat message, a Korean wave is sweeping through Central and South America, attracting large audiences and inspiring cultish devotion.

“So many [K-pop] acts are making South America and Latin America a priority on their touring,” Jeff Benjamin of Billboard’s K-Town column told TIME. “These fans will come out.” Some 13,000 fans showed up at a Super Junior concert in Lima in April; five months previously, Big Bang attracted an audience of 14,000, dancing and singing along to what were surely incomprehensible Korean lyrics to most (albeit with the odd Spanish shout-out or English chorus).

There’s a shopping center in the Peruvian capital with entire floors dedicated to South Korean music, cuisine and clothes. On YouTube, K-pop videos with lyrics translated into Spanish notch up millions of views, as fans in Peru and throughout the Hispanophone world log on for their K-pop fix. In other words, South Korean popular music “has reached a certain critical mass and it’s become a niche in and of itself, everywhere,” says Mark Russell, author of Pop Goes Korea: Behind the Revolution in Movies, Music and Internet Culture.

(MORE: Seoul Music — The World Is Finally Ready for K-Pop)

That niche — an amalgamation of spectacular entertainment and relentless optimism — resonates with teenagers in South American nations. The values these stars represent are almost “Confucian,” says Professor Patrick Messerlin, a French economist who has produced an economic analysis of K-pop and who earlier this year addressed a cultural forum in Seoul on the music’s globalization. In his research, Messerlin found that “K-pop performers deliver a sense of modesty and restraint,” and “insist on working hard and learning more” during public appearances, something Western pop artists do not do. Their music represents a “new, colorful and cheerful start,” and not “an old order,” something that will easily appeal to millions of young Central and South Americans, living where economic challenges are rife and nondemocratic regimes common. K-pop’s positive energy is a world away from the introspective, jaded and at times downright depressing style of much Anglophone rock, indie and emo. “[The Koreans] say, ‘We understand your problems,’” Messerlin explains, “‘We went through it too,’” referring to the Korean War and the economic crash of the late 1990s.

(WATCH AND LISTEN: Beyond PSY — 5 Essential K-Pop Tracks)

For the fans, there is no contest. K-pop songs “are beautiful, are decent,” says Jenii Ramirez, an 18-year-old K-pop fan from Colombia, where TV station Caracol has been broadcasting a K-pop talent show and where K-pop concerts in the capital, Bogota, lure audiences of at least 5,000. The singers, Ramirez says, have “dedication and are taught to fight in life, understanding that dreams are attainable.”

The timing of K-pop’s Latin push is, of course, no accident. From 2008 to 2011, Korean music exports around the world more than doubled, but there is anecdotal evidence that the markets of its traditional East and Southeast Asian heartland are becoming saturated. The M!Countdown Halo Indonesia concert, slated for early July, was canceled because of “local circumstances.” Another concert in Thailand lost its main sponsor days before the event because of weak ticket sales. The sheer flood of K-pop artists has simply watered down the music’s appeal. Tastes, too, are maturing, with singer-songwriters and alternative bands making inroads into markets traditionally dominated by saccharine pop.

In South America, though, decades of conflict, coups and revolution mean that people have had their fill of edginess, authenticity and angst. “In Chile, we don’t have anything like K-pop. Songs here mostly have political and social relics, though we have Latin rhythm,” a young woman from Santiago, who gathers with friends in a park every week to practice the latest K-pop dance moves, told the South Korean Yonhap News Agency. “The Korean songs make me dance and smile. What else is needed?” It seems that K-pop’s ability to dazzle is in no danger of diminishing just yet.

An earlier version of this article misstated the capital of Colombia. It is Bogota, not Santiago.

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http://justified.nuslawclub.com/why-you-should-listen-to-kpop/

Why you should listen to KPOP

by JUSTIFIED_NUSLAW on Mar 25, 2013 • 3:29 am No Comments

CREDIT: tumblr.com

You might be thinking you know what KPOP is all about.

You’ve heard of PSY, and you even know how to dance to Gangnam Style. Alas, that is but the tip of the iceberg. It’s like saying you’re Japanese because you watch Doraemon. Or you’re British because you listen to One Direction. Okay, maybe those are not the best analogies but you get the point.

So why should you be listening to KPOP?

If PSY’s signature look of a suit and tie isn’t enough a sign of divine intervention (could it have been any clearer?) pointing you to the world that is KPOP, here are five more reasons why you should pick up your surfboards, not to surf the net but to ride the K-wave!

1. Motivation to stay fit

Whoever tells you they like listening to KPOP solely for the music is lying. So the same goes to whoever tells you first appearances don’t matter.

Something for the guys

CREDIT: tumblr.com

KPOP idols spend a considerable amount of their time exercising to stay in shape, but more importantly, to stay healthy. Would they be as successful if they didn’t look half as good? So go for a run, do some sit ups and go for a swim! Plug into some KPOP beats while you’re at it for added inspiration. Exercising is a great way to relieve stress (especially in light of the looming examinations). Your body is your temple; start worshipping it.

Something for the girls

CREDIT: tumblr.com

Also, you never know when your sun-kissed complexion may give you an edge over the next run-of-the-mill Tom, Dick or Harry. Remember, first impressions do have a lasting impact, and every little thing counts.

For those interested, this is an ad for a water park in Korea.

2. The importance of hard work and perseverance

KPOP idols audition to become trainees in major entertainment companies at a tender age. Jo Kwon from the group 2AM was a trainee for 7 years and 12 days before he debuted. So if you do find yourself stuck in a rut, no matter in school or in a law firm a couple of years down the road – where all semblance of life is seemingly drained from your existence, remember that’s nothing compared to the 2567 days Jo Kwon spent as a trainee. So suck it up and hang in there.

Nothing good ever comes out from giving up. And those abs and slender bodies don’t just come within a day or two alright! Rome wasn’t built in a day. And neither will your legal knowledge. So dig deep and work hard. And it will pay off. You reap what you sow.

3. Teamwork

If you do have some clue as to what KPOP is all about, you’d know that the groups usually have elaborate dance sequences to go with their songs. And behind these dance moves that are perfectly in sync, comes not just hard work, but having to working in tandem with fellow members.

So be it cooperating with someone else for a project or presentation, to working alongside an associate or senior partner for a case, you can never escape having to work with someone other than yourself. Therefore, watching the live

performances of various KPOP groups is a great source of inspiration! For me at least, there’s always an incessant urge to form my own crew and start breaking it down after watching the performances!

I have here a performance by the group SHINee. Notice how the group dealt with a broken mic stand!

For your convenience, I have identified the relevant portions.

• Notice how a mic stand comes apart and is lying on the ground at the back towards the right side at 2:19.

• A group member, Key (blonde hair) picks up a broken piece and pockets it at 2:42.

• Another group member kicks the remaining stand away sending it rolling to the right, towards the back at 2:45.

Now that’s teamwork – watching the backs of your team mates and making sure they don’t fall! But more importantly, in a team, there’s always the possibility of something unexpected happening (like someone screwing up) so you would have to fall back on the group’s team work to salvage the situation!

4. Mix up your playlist

Contrary to popular belief, KPOP is not just made up of auto tuned, mind numbing club hits. Although I suppose credit is due, since these songs never fail to lift my spirits. I reckon, it will likely do so for you too, if you’re willing to open your heart and embrace it!

Beyond that however, there are ballads and jazzy tunes in the genre, perfect to accompany any sort of situation you may find yourself in. Personally, I find it’s one less distraction when you’re not caught up with the lyrics. It’s the perfect companion while you’re mugging! So give it a shot! Who knows, you might be addicted soon enough!

5. RUNNING MAN

CREDIT: allpopasia.com

Finally, RUNNING MAN! Well, maybe not exactly in line with KPOP, but it was certainly because of it that I have become acquainted with the show. You may be familiar with the novel of the same name by Stephen King. Same concept really.

What is it?

Well, words can’t describe what the show is about. But in short, it’s survival of the fittest. You outplay, outwit and outlast your adversaries. You strike when your opponents let their guard down, while at the same time watching your back in case someone backstabs you. Is he a spy? Stay alive until you complete your mission!

These, are precious life skills. When you need to evade that flying arrow, or go incognito and lie low when you sense a storm brewing. The things you learn from watching the show – priceless.

Well, I guess more importantly, the show makes for a really, really , really good laugh. And as we all know, laughter is the best medicine! So if you do have an hour or two to spare, give the show a shot and let off some steam at the same time. I know I have. And keeping in mind of the looming examinations (yes, I am reminding you again), any sort of stress buster will be useful.

—

So yeah, that’s your crash course to KPOP! Hopefully your KPOP vocabulary goes beyond PSY and Gangnam Style now, and that you’re compelled to give it a shot!

You just might find joy and reprieve in the midst of work! 화이팅!

***

Article contributed by Jeremy Goh (Year 1).

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http://info.zooppa.com/crowdsourced-advertising-blog/bid/271406/K-Pop-s-Climb-to-International-Recognition-Thanks-to-Video-Marketing

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K-Pop's Climb To International Recognition Thanks To Video Marketing

Posted by Shouhei Senno on Fri, Apr 05, 2013 @ 05:30 PM

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Korean Pop (K-Pop) music has been gaining a lot of international recognition within the last two years. Most recently, we saw the explosive success of “Gangnam Style” by PSY, who gave birth to the very first YouTube video to top 1 billion views on December 21, 2012. PSY is not the only recognizable K-Pop name today; Girls’ Generation, BIGBANG, WONDER GIRLS and 2NE1 are all names that music listeners around the world are starting to take notice of. How is the small music industry of South Korea gaining so much international success? It's all in video marketing.

The use of video marketing has undoubtedly sky-rocketed the success of many K-Pop artists. Posting teasers and music videos on YouTube has made their content accessible virtually anywhere around the world, not just in South Korea. Despite language and cultural barriers, people stumble upon and share music videos while getting drawn in to the mesmerizing tunes and choreography. The easy access to content allows for passionate fans to follow their favorite group from Asia, Europe, North America, and even South America. K-Pop marketers are taking advantage of the current generations’ daily interaction with multimedia and social media to boost artist sales and grow their fan bases.

Because many K-Pop artists rely on channels like YouTube to market themselves, music videos of high quality have become a vital investment for promotions. Of course, the quality of the music is important, but the visuals, concept photos and music videos that go along with it play an even bigger role on the success of a single or album. PSY commented that he spent 48 hours on the “Gangnam Style” music video in roughly ten different locations around Seoul, South Korea. It is evident that lots of blood, sweat and tears went in to making the best music video possible. Everything from dance choreography, costumes, make-up, set production and special effects, contribute to whether or not the music video will be a hit or a miss; it has to be perfect. The content must be compelling for viewers to stay for the whole duration of the video, and has to be material that's worth sharing. The irresistible dance moves and comedic nature of "Gangnam Style" made PSY a household name in South Korea but also an international icon.

Viewers will watch and share videos that are compelling and offer something different: fashion statements that are over the top, choreography that is easy to copy, and innovative shooting techniques. Now that Billboard is adding YouTube views to its formula for the Hot 100 ranking, it is even more crucial that music videos are careful made with the best quality and the most interesting content to draw in viewers. Most recently, “Gangnam Style” jumped back up from 48 to 26 on the Hot 100 list thanks to another 3.7 million streams on top of its already stellar performance online.

The consumers’ reactions to these music videos are what constitute success overall, and it is important to capitalize on those reactions. “Gangnam Style” topped the iTunes chart in 31 different countries and garnered 150 million views in just two months of its release. It all started out in South Korea, reached the United States, and took off to the rest of the world, all because viewers and fans shared PSY’s music video on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter; it is very easy to reach a massive, global audience now. Traditionally, in order for a song to be massive hits they needed to be played on the radio continuously throughout the day. Listener requests were what generated the viral nature of a song on the radio. With our generation constantly active on the internet, it is more important to cater to the audience on that medium. Had Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” music video been originally released on YouTube, its success may have been exponentially faster and undoubtedly different. The key thing is to utilize the current trend and allow users to easily act on their thoughts. Whether it is hitting a “Like” button, sharing on Twitter, or clicking a link to purchase a song, making it easier for consumers to take action can make videos spread online. This allows marketers to take full advantage of the audience’s reception of new releases.  

Marketers have taken advantage of this generation’s trend to maximize the success of their K-Pop artists. After using video marketing by creating music videos with compelling content, PSY has not only made a name for himself, but also improved perceptions of South Korea drastically. His name is now globally recognized and K-Pop is an even bigger international phenomenon. Video marketing just may be more powerful and influential than we think. 

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K-pop: Soft Power for the Global Cool

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-constant/kpop-soft-power-for-the-g_b_1088238.html

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From the unapologetic fanaticism that is often connected with hallyu (the recent spread of Korean culture around the globe), it is almost as if the K-pop factor just fell onto the South Korean government's lap, eagerly waiting to be used as an instrument for expanding soft power and cultural engagement with the world.

For a small country with humble beginnings, South Korea is now under the global spotlight in myriad ways. Just this week Google revealed its latest mission to set up a YouTube channel exclusively for K-pop. Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman at Google, visited Seoul to meet with President Lee Myung-bak as well as a slew of top executives at several major IT organizations in order to gain support for this project.

The K-pop sensation burst onto the already-existing Asian pop music scene years ago, but its carefully organized system of matching good looking young singers (now often bilingual in English, Japanese, or Chinese -- and chosen in order to enter those respective markets) with globally-attractive dance beats and ballads has clearly been adopted as the au courant choice of dance/pop style not only within Asian borders but in the Western sphere as well.

Distant Europe, South America, and the Middle East may be some of the genre's most surprising fan bases, but even last month's sold-out Madison Square Garden K-pop extravaganza in New York City is testament to this phenomenon. And recently on MTV.com, the most viewed article on the site was actually about K-pop group Girls' Generation -- not Jay-Z, Kanye, or Robert Pattinson.

In recent years, even I have noticed the increasing amount of strangers I meet (both Asian and non-Asian) who become keenly interested in me once they confirm‎ my Korean background: What is Seoul like? Do I watch Korean movies? What are my favorite Korean foods? Who are my favorite music groups, and have I met any of them? (Quite a big change from my early childhood in the suburban Midwest where many people would take the liberty of assuming I was Chinese!)

As an avid cultural traveler, I truly appreciate these conversations with so many individuals who are utterly fascinated with Korean culture. While I do not believe that this is the sole result of K-pop music's popularity, the initial platform of these early dialogues are usually based upon either Korean pop music or Korean films (quickly followed up by Korean food, education, and plastic surgery).

Undoubtedly there are skeptics of K-pop's global influence and utility as a soft power tool -- but I find such hesitation towards this cultural explosion to often: a) stem from a limited racial approach to the subject, and b) originate from taste levels so mainstream that there is little chance for awareness of trends and cultural currents not yet adopted by big corporations and media.

But the era of questioning K-pop's relevance is ultimately in the past, whether you are a fan or not. Once the figures at MTV and Google are on board a trend, said trend is no longer cutting-edge, obscure, nor underground or peripheral. This large scale cultural appropriation is precisely what drives the already huge K-pop machine to continue its global expansion as well as share its benefits with other South Korean enterprises, such as the nation's tourism industry.

South Korea, though historically conservative, has ultimately embraced this flashy and creative culture. The progressive utilization of this kind of soft power by a small and usually traditional government will also be a fast track pass to engage with masses of young people all over the world based upon what they are truly interested in. Governmental cultural diplomacy can sometimes come off as forced or out-of-touch, but K-pop is an authentic reflection and spectacle of youth culture that is impressively close to the pulse of the "global cool." 

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ragogna/ill-miss-you-dobie-gray-p_b_1145070.html

MR: Can you go into "MTV Iggy"?

ND: MTV Iggy is an acronym--it stands for "intelligent gratification for global youth." It's a mouthful, so we've cut it down to "Iggy." It sort of evokes the gooey, icky, messy feeling, sort of describing the chaotic and clamorous nature of music around the world. So, yeah, that's what it means.

MR: One of the genres in the batch is a little less known to the masses here than the others--K-Pop or Korean Pop.

ND: K-Pop might be a little less known here in the States and I think that's about to change today. K-Pop is an exploding phenomenon worldwide. It's obviously pop music coming out of Korea, but it has massive audiences from around the world. Just to illustrate that point, the band that won this program was voted to be the best new band. They received votes, not just from their native country, but a lot of their votes came from the US, from Latin America, and from Europe where they have very large fan bases. Those kids who were voting for 2NE1 are not all Korean, so this is a very interesting genre of music that's finally taking root in the US. It's extremely high quality and it's very exciting visually, and 2NE1 exemplifies that genre really well. If you watch the show in the afternoon today, you will see what I'm talking about.

MR: Will the Best New Band In The World events be ongoing?

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/quora/what-are-some-major-diffe_b_1818644.html

What Are Some Major Differences Between the K-Pop Industry and the American Pop Industry?

Posted: 08/21/2012 12:13 pm

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This question originally appeared on Quora. 

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By Christine Choi

1. Kids are trained, molded - effectively made into K-Pop Stars, and no one bats an eye.

Recall when the Backstreet Boys and N*SYNC came out - there were huge efforts made to build out the "back story" to make their coming together more "genuine" (so-and-so's mother had a cousin who had a nephew, etc.). In Korea, there are K-pop training camps that kids will go and audition for to join - and everyone knows that.

Take Dong Bang Shin Ki and Super Junior (SuJu) - they all grew up together training under SM Entertainment (Junsu of DBSK and Eunhyuk of SuJu even went to high school together). There were several different guys who were "tried out" together to determine what would be the best fit for DBSK. There was a time that, instead of being in DBSK, SM considered putting Junsu and Yucheon (of DBSK) with Siwon and Yesung[1] (of SuJu) into a 4-person R&B group.

Hyuna, from 4Minute, was originally going to be in Wonder Girls (under JYP Entertainment), but got severely ill before their debut. 4Minute is under Cube Entertainment, which was formed by a former executive of JYP.

F(x) and Girl's Generation (aka SNSD - So Nyeo Shi Dae): Krystal from f(x) is the younger sister of Jessica from SNSD. Krystal accompanied Jessica to the audition to train under SM Entertainment, and was also selected to be a trainee.

2. There is very strong loyalty to the record label in South Korea.  The record labels themselves - particularly the major ones - are more than just a label; they're also very strong brands.

The R&B/rap music industry in America may actually be similar to the K-Pop industry in this respect (e.g. loyalty within Jay-Z's label, etc.) - but I know very little about the R&B/rap music industry here in the US so I'm just going to stop right here.

In Korea, there is a very strong sense of family within each music label.  The major ones you may have heard of are: SM Entertainment (BoA, DBSK, SuJu, SNSD, f(x), SHINee; in the past they have boasted H.O.T. and Shinhwa),YG Entertainment (Seven, Big Bang, 2NE1, Lexy, Psy), and JYP Entertainment (2AM, 2PM, Wonder Girls, Miss A; in the past g.o.d., Rain - Bi, pronounced Bhee, - before he left to found his own company). However, you will also hear the terms "SM Family," "YG Family," and "JYP Family" tossed around a lot. [2]

Each entertainment label sometimes has some sort of "family concert" event, in which all the major, and up and coming, stars will come together and perform together. At music awards, you will see several artists from the same record label performing a suite of songs together in some kind of "tribute." E.g. several years ago, DBSK, several members of SuJu, and The Grace - all from SM Entertaiment - did a medley of songs from H.O.T., Shinhwa, and S.E.S (all former big k-pop stars, from SM Entertainment), respectively.

3. Korea is very strategic in its members of pop-groups, in order to appeal to as broad an audience as possible - i.e. China.

Increasingly more K-Pop groups coming out these days have at least one member of Chinese descent, as a quick way to appeal to - in order to capitalize on - the massive potential of the Chinese audience. Super Junior, f(x), Miss A - they all have at least one Chinese member. Although Dara of 2NE1 is of Korean descent, she was a pop artist and actress in the Philippines before she left to become part of 2NE1 - this helped propel 2NE1's popularity in SE Asia. Nickhyun of 2PM is of Thai descent (with a little Chinese).

I don't imagine the US pop industry doing much, or needing to do much, to appeal to a broader audience. The only example I could think of is Christina Aguilera releasing several of her (very early) songs in Spanish, to appeal to the growing Hispanic community here in the US.

4. To follow-up #3 - most K-pop artists will release the same album in three different languages: Korean, Chinese, and Japanese. Or, they'll release completely different albums - completely different songs - in each language.

Again - this is to appeal to as broad of an audience as possible. In addition, artists will move to a foreign country - e.g. Japan - and perform and release albums there exclusively for a few years, and then make a "comeback" to Korea with a new Korean album.

Usually, when you hear the term "comeback album" in the US, it is an artist who has simply not released an album recently - not an artist who went to, say, the UK or France, released several albums there and did a tour there, and then came back to the US several years later.

Most American pop artists don't need to be concerned about keeping up an image in three different countries, in three different languages, sometimes each with separate albums and tours Lady Gaga doesn't release an album in English, Spanish, and German. It's a very different animal, trying to build and maintain stardom in Asia.

[1] I think it was those two pairs. I could be mistaken, but there was definitely a lot of mix & matching going on to find the "perfect" combination.

[2] This isn't exclusive to the music industry, and is a bit reflective of Korean society. You are just as likely to hear "Samsung Family" or "Hyundai Family." Many of these companies are family-founded, owned, and still led.

More questions on Pop Music:

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/09/going-gangnam-how-one-tee_n_2529142.html

‘Gangnam Style': How One Teen Immigrant Fell For K-Pop Music

  |  Posted: 02/09/2013 1:34 pm EST

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This is a teen-written article from our friends at Youth Communication, a nonprofit organization that helps marginalized youth develop their full potential through reading and writing.

By Peter Chen

Before I moved to the U.S. four years ago, music was not a big part of my life. Back in China, I listened to pop music on the radio or TV. But because I didn’t have a computer or an iPod, I couldn’t discover new kinds of music, so I didn’t know very much about music from other countries.

One day in seventh grade, not long after I’d come to the U.S., my friend Vincent took out an MP3 player to listen to music during free time in gym class. The song was very exciting and different from other music I enjoyed.

The song reminded me of the music the ice cream trucks play, kind of like an electronic music box, with a fast beat. It made me feel like I was going back in time to when I was 5 or 6 years old in a theme park, playing the electric games or riding the roller coaster.

“Hey, what is this song?” I asked Vincent.

“It’s Korean music. It’s called K-pop. This song is ‘Oh,’ by Girls’ Generation. This is my favorite K-pop group. Do you like it?”

“Yeah, of course!” I said. “This song is completely different than the Chinese and English music that I listen to. Wow, can you tell me more about it?”

“Sure!” That’s how Vincent and I became closer and closer as friends as we shared K-pop and Chinese music (both of us are Chinese).

I went back home to watch the music video of “Oh.” A group of girls was singing and dancing together in unison. The video had a lot of pink color and every girl had a different emotion on her face. Sunny made an envious face. Taeyeon made an angry face. They were all so cute; it made me want to laugh. I was hooked.

A Cool Sound

K-pop is one of the really important things I’ve discovered in the U.S. It has helped me with many hard moments. My parents have to work long hours, so I have a lot of stress and adult responsibility here. I like to listen to K-pop music every time I have problems; it helps me relax and not give up.

K-pop is from Korea, but it is becoming hugely popular around the world, thanks to the Internet. People everywhere can watch YouTube videos and download the music using different apps, just like I did when I first listened to K-pop.

K-pop can have qualities of both Chinese music, which it is slow and romantic, and more fast-paced English-language music, like rap and hip-hop. But the beats of K-pop are really different from both and make you want to dance.

I spoke with Jussarang Lee, a journalist who covers arts and culture for the newspaper Korea Daily in New York, to learn more about K-pop. She told me that K-pop developed out of a music genre from the 1990s called kayo, which basically means, “pop song” in Korean.

Lee said that a lot of the K-pop groups were basically created by a few big Korean entertainment companies that hire choreographers to make the dances, and stylists to create a certain look for the members of each group. They engineer a certain sound that catches people’s attention and makes them want to dance.

“Those choreographers are the ones who make all the moves… it has to look cool and easy to follow. That’s what they try to focus on,” she said.

Transcending Language

In my opinion, the most important part of K-pop is the music video. There is usually really cool dancing to the rhythm of the music. Some videos have street dancing or break dancing, but sometimes I see styles of dance that I’ve never seen before—often in a group of people, which makes the dance look cooler. It amazes me how a human can dance such a beautiful movement.

It is common for Chinese teens in the U.S. to be fans of K-pop, too. I found out more people in our school like K-pop, and it helped me make new friends. We always share and talk about the new songs when they come out. Sometimes I try to learn how they dance when I’m watching the videos alone at home, or with my friends, who always like to dance like the K-pop stars in gym class. Sometimes my friends and I laugh at each other trying to imitate the moves.

The language is not a problem even if you don’t speak Korean. In a way, it makes the music more mysterious. Anyway, I think Korean sounds beautiful when it’s sung. You don’t have to know the language to love it.

Click here to read the rest of the story on YCTeenmag.org!

Help Youth Communication's teen writers make their voices heard. Donate now. Reprinted with permission from Youth Communication.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/31/k-pop-latin-america_n_3366546.html

Korean Music Finds K-Pop Cult Following In Latin America (PHOTOS)

By FRANKLIN BRICENO 05/30/13 09:52 PM ET EDT AP

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LIMA, Peru -- Teenagers throughout Latin America have long looked north for pop music inspiration. Now the East is rising, with a large and enthusiastic cult of fans in some countries following the K-pop music from Korea.

It's a movement especially strong in Peru and Chile, and it goes far beyond Psy and "Gangnam Style."

Some 13,000 fans attended an April concert in Lima by the group Super Junior. Another group, Big Bang, drew 14,000 in November. They've drawn similar crowds in neighboring Chile.

Hundreds of fans such as Araceli Galan gather each week in a downtown park in Lima to dance to the energetic music. Some dress up as Korean comic book characters.

"I've liked K-pop since I was 10," said Galan, now a 16-year-old student at a local university. "I learned everything from the Internet because here in Peru you don't find much on radio or television."

She's amassed a collection of posters, bracelets, T-shirts and records of her favorite, Kim Hyun Joong, who was met by thousands of fans when he arrived at the airport in Peru's capital in February.

"Although you won't believe it, in Peru the K-pop groups are starting to be more popular than Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga or Demi Lovato," said Diana Rodriguez, who is capitalizing on the trend by organizing Korean dance contests throughout Peru.

While there's little hard data on that, there's no questioning the fervor of the fans who turn up at Ramon Castilla Park each Saturday and emulate the dances of K-pop bands.

"We start at 10 in the morning and we stay until 6 in the afternoon," Galan said.

A bus trip away is the small Arenales shopping center where entire floors are dedicated to South Korean music, clothes and food.

"I like the `sujebi' soup and another dish that combines a sweet and salty flavor that I can't remember the name of," Galan said.

Some try to solve the language problem by having the songs translated into Spanish and posting them on the Internet. "The lyrics are pretty. It's not as eroticized as reggaeton. It's more romantic," said Pamela Diaz, a 26-year-old fan.

"It's made me want to learn Korean," said her 14-year-old sister, Sabrina.

The trend has surprised Peruvian parents, just as the onslaught of rock-and-roll once alarmed an earlier generation.

"My father listens to rock in English; he doesn't like K-pop at all," Galan said. "He tells me, `Why do you listen to that music if you don't know Korean?' And I tell him that he doesn't know how to speak English either. Music you only need to feel."

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mimsie-ladner/kpop-korea-music_b_3784115.html

K-Pop and the Future of Korea

Posted: 08/20/2013 8:51 am

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Many Westerners who come to Korea quickly write off K-pop, Korea's mainstream music genre, as a cheesy, sugar-coated excuse for entertainment. They see outlandish costumes, boys in heavy eyeliner, and flamboyant choreographed dance moves. They become annoyed with strange Engrish lyrics and seemingly identical tunes that blare from just about every storefront of the country. But, what they don't realize is that K-pop is much bigger than skinny jeans and plastic faces. In fact, K-pop is transforming Korea as the world knows it.

I should first mention that there is a dark side to K-pop. Performers begin training in their teenage years. After signing 10- to 15-year contracts and moving into company dormitories, all aspects of their lives are controlled by their managers; even after the performers become household names, they receive a minimal portion of the profits of their success. I've also heard rumors of young girls being coerced to make sex tapes with producers to ensure their chances of being signed on to a label. Then, there are the more overt problems, like the objectification of women thing. But more on that later.

With that being said, there are some good things about K-pop. I'll be the first to admit that I do have a nice little selection of K-pop songs on my iPod and I'm not ashamed to say it. Contrary to popular belief, not all of it is mangy, mass produced pop. There are many singers in the genre who are actually very talented and would do well even without the hype of K-pop to hold them up. Lee Hi, a newcomer on the scene, has been compared to Adele, and can hit notes very few others her age (16) are capable of. FT Island excels in playing guitars and drums and Epik High challenges the very meaning of K-pop with their funky styles and hip-hop roots.

Whether K-pop's popularity is related to talent or other reasons (err... six packs), the industry is boosting the Korean economy in more ways than one. K-pop is quickly becoming one of the county's biggest exports; in 2011, exports equaled $180 million, up 112 percent from the previous year. Last year, popular groups held world tours spanning from Indonesia to Chile to France. And lest we forget about that famous horse dance. Since Psy's "Gangnam Style" went viral, there has been a massive influx of tourists to Korea as well as an increase in interest of Korean products and cuisine.

On the home front, the music industry greatly affects the domestic economy, so much so that a single performer has the ability to influence the Korean stock market. Entertainment company YG's shares dropped 10 percent after Big Bang member, G-Dragon, was involved in a marijuana controversy. Similarly, IU, K-pop's girl next door, caused her company's stock price to drop 2.46 percent after she mistakenly uploaded a picture on Twitter deemed scandalous by Korean netizens.

The plummeting of the stocks in these circumstances is no coincidence; everyone from the companies to the consumers know that K-pop performers have the unique ability to influence an ever-expanding audience unlike any other media figure. Some entertainment companies have seen the advantages of this power and have used it in a positive way to address many of the country's social problems that have been swept under the rug for so many years.

As I mentioned previously, K-pop has received a lot of heat for objectifying women; female idols are often dressed in hoo-ha-length mini skirts, shoot sexy, come-hither looks into the cameras, and booty pop their way through televised performances, leaving ajusshi (middle aged men) drooling at the mouth and young girls with unrealistic images of what they should be. Somehow, these acts are still masked with innocence, as sex is very hush-hush in Korea.

2013-08-20-girlsday.jpg

K-pop idol group Girl's Day hypnotizes fans with their sexy dance moves and polyester hot pants. [Photo reprinted with express consent of Letz Magazine.]

Recently, however, the messages of some female idols are changing. Take Ga-In's recent music video "Bloom", for example. While most of the sexuality in K-pop is intended for the eyes of men, she changes things up a bit in and portrays a girl discovering and taking charge of her own sexual enjoyment. Note that in Korean culture, sex has always been viewed as an outlet for the pleasure of men and women who are vocal about sex are often considered hussies. "Bloom" is a bold move in the industry and goes where no K-pop video has gone before; in essence, it's a dose of manifest feminism and sexual liberation that the Korean female population is in desperate need of.

Another taboo being addressed by K-pop is homosexuality. Older generations of Koreans actually believe that homosexuality does not exist in their country and because of this, human rights for gay individuals are virtually non-existent. It's a subject that is simply not talked about... until now, that is. The music videos for K. Will's "Please Don't," Nell's "The Day Before" and Baby Soul & Yoo Jia's "She's a Flirt" all address the subject of homosexuality beautifully and in a way that viewers can be empathetic with the characters portrayed. Although it will take some time for the gay and lesbian community to be fully accepted here in Korea, these videos are a step in the right direction.

But, it's not just the videos that are sending messages.

I can't talk about K-pop without mentioning my favorite girl power group 2NE1, whose styles are unique and unlike most other girl groups out there. Their lyrics are fun and empowering, like those in "I Don't Care": "All those girlfriends you call 'friends' Don't think of me in the same way as them. I won't let it fly. From now on, do as you want, I'm going to stop caring.... I don't care."

Miss A is another great act who has no problem embracing their "I Don't Need a Man" independence in a couple-obsessed society: "I want to take care of myself. The other girls may have rich parents or a rich boyfriend and live comfortably but I'm not interested in that. That is why I am proud of myself." These ladies are great role models for the younger girls and will hopefully inspire them to be individuals and independent in a society where such characteristics don't have much value.

It's easy to ignore the fact that there's a bigger picture to K-pop when silly costumes and screaming fangirls are involved. So, the next time you're in Seoul and hear the familiar sound of sugary K-pop sounding from every which direction, don't roll your eyes. Appreciate it for what it is and keep in mind that that very song might just be influencing the future of Korea.

전세계 한민족 커뮤니티의 중심 '한열사'

[라다]

멋지구만~!

[거기서라!벌!]

아...프라다폰 정말 갖고 싶었는데...ㅎ

[Nur써니]

음악 듣기 좋네염ㅋㅋ근데 제목은?

[seiei]

장소가 프랑스라서 그런지 인테리어 엄청 신경쓴듯....예쁘게 잘 전시 했네요.