Farwell and Kpop On!

 

                                 Christmas Song by Cube Entertainment
 Artists featured in video by order of appearance: Beast, 4Minute,A-pink, Huh Gak, Roh Ji Hoon, G.na, Btob, and Kim Ki Ri

                                                              

The holidays are coming, which means that school is almost over! Although, this is such a bittersweet moment, I had so much fun creating this Kpop blog and sharing my knowledge about Kpop with all of you. I may not be a Kpop specialist but having this opportunity to put everything I have known into actual posts was challenging but definitely worth it at the end. This was my first ever experience with creating a blog and I can definitely say that blogging is not easy!

During the process of creating this blog, I have learned so much about how to create a blog as well as learning different techniques to create the perfect post. I was never too fond of the idea of creating my own blog because I was always really shy when it came to others reading my posts. But I believe that from this blogging experience I have grown so much as a writer and have become a lot more comfortable with voicing my opinions and my writing. 

What really made me enjoy this time as a blogger was the fact that I could write about something I love and listen to religiously. I really liked sharing my opinion as well as giving others insight on Kpop. Either if you are new to Kpop or already a fan, there are always new things to learn and appreciate about Kpop and the Kpop idols that make the Kpop Industry so popular. Since the time I have listened to Kpop, I’ve always had such a great appreciation for Kpop idols so, hopefully I was able to voice my appreciation in my posts while, giving you the insight on Kpop.

 Kpop has constantly kept me moving and dancing everyday so, I really hope that for those of you who have never listened to Kpop that Kpop would do the same for you. MUSIC IS UNIVERSAL! Even if you might not be able to understand the lyrics in a song, it doesn’t mean you can’t like it and rock out!  

 

Snow Candy by Starship Planet

                                      Artists in this video: Boyfriend, Sistar, K.will

With that said, I think I can finally say that I made it through something that I never thought I would ever do. Although, I really enjoyed my time as a blogger, I will probably not continue to post but I will definitely remember all the skills I’ve learned about blog posting and use these skills in my writing. As a final goodbye, I will leave you with some holiday songs sung by various Kpop artists. Also, if you are looking for some good Kpop songs to listen to or want to give Kpop a try, I will also list a few Kpop songs that I am currently obsessed with. 

Thank You for reading my blog and I hope that I was able to give you the other side of the Kpop Industry as well as influence you to listen to Kpop!    

Here is my list of Kpop songs:

- One Way Love by Hyorin 

- Boy in Luv by Bangtan Boys (BTS) 

- Girls, Why by VIXX with 옥상달빛

- Hush by Miss A  


- G.R.8.U by VIXX 

               

          Enjoy the songs and Have a Happy Holiday! 

The Differences between SM & YG

                 
                                                      On the top: SM Entertainment family
                                                      On the bottom: YG Entertainment family
                                 Image:  http://omonatheydidnt.livejournal.com/10760654.html

           

            In the Kpop Industry, SM and YG are 2 out of the 3 biggest Korean entertainment companies. Not only does SM and YG produce and create Kpop groups, they have the highest grossing profit and is well known all around South Korea and internationally. Now, although SM and YG are in the same entertainment business, where they produce and create Kpop groups, these 2 companies have many unique differences that make them the top 2 successful companies.  

                                                            "Monster" by Big Bang

             Video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btDd9rOlc2k

 SM and YG use the same process of auditioning and trainee system like every other Korean entertainment business. They hold auditions looking for the most talented person to hopefully bring their company profit but the difference between the two companies are the types of music they produce and what they look for in an idol.                         

 2NE1 from YG Entertainment
Image:http://oneasiaa.wordpress.com/2011/07/27/lyricseng-2ne1-ugly/

While, SM have very talented idols under their label, they have been known for choosing idols based on how they look more than talent. SM believes that they can create the perfect idol that can sing and dance so, as long as you have the looks and some talent, they will add you into their company. SM promotes many of their idols on reality shows and variety shows where, Korean idols from their company can showcase themselves and also bring publicity for their Kpop group that they are in. Compared to SM, YG is a little bit different in this area. YG is more talent based and is not focused on looks. If you watch YG produced music videos, you can see that the Kpop group's vocals are being showcased rather than dancing. YG doesn’t promote their idols as much compared to SM idols but even without YG idols going on shows, groups from YG like 2NE1 and Big Bang are still one of the top Kpop groups in South Korea.    

                                                             "I Got a Boy" by Girls' Generation
                                                 Video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq7ftOZBy0E

 F(x) from SM Entertainment
Image:http://thekpoprage.wordpress.com/category/fx-vs-miss-a/

As two of the biggest Korean entertainment companies, SM and YG produce many popular Kpop groups that bring out the two companies particular sound. SM Entertainment produced popular Kpop groups like Super Junior, Shinee, Girls’ Generation, EXO, F(x), only to name a few. While, YG produced popular Kpop groups like Big Bang and 2NE1. Now, these groups have all risen to popularity all around Asia for their songs and individual character but SM and YG produce very different genres of music compared to each other. SM’s music has more of an upbeat pop sound. For example, Super Junior’s most popular song “Sorry, Sorry” and Girls’ Generation, “I Got a Boy” are very upbeat while, showing dance, looks, and vocals in videos.  While, YG has more of an electronic, hip hop, R&B sound, while showcasing mostly vocals, which you can hear and see in Big Bang’s song “Monster” and 2NE1’s song “It Hurts.” music video.

                                          "Sorry, Sorry" by Super Junior
                              Video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6QA3m58DQw

I think what makes SM and YG so successful is how different they are from other companies. They produce Kpop music with different genres that people are able to sing along to and really like. Although, these companies are really strict and are very picky when choosing who they want in their company, they have shown with these methods, that it can lead to success. These differences that I have talked about in this blog post is just the general differences but there are a lot of other things that each company brings into the Korean Industry.   

                                                  "It hurts" by 2NE1
                            Video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUiMaz4BNKw

          After watching the music videos, which type of music did you prefer?  

            

Kpop is Universal

        
                   http://24-7kpop.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/live-concert-kpop-in-california.jpg

               

         While living in America, we are exposed to the American music industry as well as the Pop songs that are constantly played on the radios. I’m in no way saying that American music is at all boring, but sometimes it’s nice to have a diverse selection of music to listen to, rather than just your own culture’s music.         

Kpop is perfect for those looking for upbeat music and dancing but the only problem with listening to Kpop is the language barrier. When my friend first told me about Kpop, I thought my friend was weird for listening to music he didn’t even understand. Because I thought listening to songs I didn’t understand was silly, I didn’t give Kpop a chance until months later. Like myself, for those of us that cannot speak or understand Korean, the most common question that would come up is “Why listen to Kpop, when you can’t understand anything they are saying?”

                           I wonder if you hurt like me- 2AM
                                           Video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhuVWznRDDs

Well, in my opinion I think music is universal just like how facial expressions like “smiling” and “frowning” is used to express that you are happy and sad all around the world. Kpop is just like that form of expression. If you just listen to the tempo and the artist’s voice, you can feel the emotions they are trying to portray without even knowing what they are singing about. What the artist is portraying in the song is the most important rather than the lyrics. For example, by just listening to the song “I Wonder if you Hurt like me” by 2AM, you can hear a soft piano playing in the instrumental as well as a slow beat telling you that the song is about something sad.  Compared to the song "Lovin’ U" by Sistar, you can hear an upbeat tempo and cheerful singing giving the impression that the song is a happy song. 

                                                       Lovin' U by Sistar
                                    Video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL2AlXWVbKU

Although, knowing the meaning of the lyrics sung in song is also very important, music should not be discriminated against because of language. Karen Sprey and Thomas Fritz also believe that music is a universal language, where anyone around the world will be able to hear the same emotions from just a tempo of a song. Their belief can be proved by a study performed by Fritz and Stefan Koelsch, where they brought together members of the Mafa, who had no experience with Western music. Fritz and Koelsch played Western music like instrumentals with different genres (jazz, rock, and pop) to test if music is really a universal language. During the study, the Mafa “could recognize emotional expressions of happiness, sadness, and fear in the music more often than would be expected by chance.” The Mafa had no experience with Western music but was still able to decipher the different emotions of the song just from instrumentals and tone of voice.

 The lyrics in Kpop songs may not make any sense for those who cannot understand Korean but just like the Mafa in the study, we are still able to figure out the emotion, the song is trying express. There is nothing more important than how a song can move you even without words, which has a more of an ability to move others emotionally. I hope that my post will help you become open to all kinds of music from all around, not just Kpop. Not being able to understand Korean or any other language should not be a reason for not opening yourself to all different kinds of music like Kpop.  

After watching/ listening to the songs "Lovin' U" and "I Wonder If You Hurt Like Me", what do you think the Kpop groups are singing about? 

The Differences between Sasaeng Fans and Normal Fans

               
   Image:  http://www.soompi.com/2013/08/13/exo-members-experience-hardships-over-sasaeng-fans/

           

               In the world of entertainment, the more popular a celebrity is, the bigger the fan base they have. Fans are bound to get crazy, scream, and get obsessive over their favorite celebrity but there are boundaries between being a normal fan and an overly obsessive fan. In the Kpop world, fans are categorized as either a sasaeng or normal fan.

How to differentiate a Saesang fan from a Normal fan:  

                         

The picture on the left is of Junsu from JYJ taking a picture with one his fans. In the
         background, there are sasaeng fans stalking Junsu. The picture on the right  is a picture a sasaeng fan took while Jaejoong from JYJ was sleeping in his dorm. 
Image: http://onekpop.com/18646/a-managers-perspective-on-sasaeng-fans/#

          While all fans of idols share the same obsession and love for their favorite Kpop group or Kpop idol, there are fans that take obsession to another level.  Saesang fans and normal fans are categorized as “fans” but it’s what fans do that differentiates them from being either a normal fan or a sasaeng fan.

Every Kpop fan is similar, they always research their idol, hoping that one day they will get to meet them. Kpop fans research everything about their Kpop idol so they can get to know them better and  also get noticed by their favorite idols and become special to them. In order for fans to really support their favorite idol, they attend the idol’s concert and purchase their album. But of course, there are fans that take their love and obsession for Kpop idols overboard by doing really scary and obsessive things.

While, normal fans would just watch videos about their favorite Kpop bands to know more about them, Sasaeng Fans use the method of “stalking” and other outrageous methods to learn more about their idols as well as hoping their idols will remember them. In order for these fans to get their favorite idol’s attention, these obsessive fans camp outside their favorite idol’s dorm and try their best to break into their room. The reason for camping outside their idol’s dorm is because they want to be able to know what their favorite idols are doing on a daily basis while, trying gather information about their idols that others don’t know making them feel “special.” Now, this may already seem scary and illegal but there are way more bizarre things sasaeng fans have done to their idols. Fans have reported sasaeng fans leaving their unsanitary period pads on their idols doorstep, disrupting their idol’s privacy by snooping out their favorite idol’s phone number and taking pictures of Kpop idols sleeping in their (Kpop idol) dorm.

                                                

Saesang Fans taking videos and pictures of Baekhyun while he was attending his brother's wedding   
 Image:  http://www.allkpop.com/article/2013/09/exo-wedding-sasaengs#axzz2lGLEoSu 

Just recently, there were news going around about how sasaeng fans crashed an idol’s family wedding. Baekhyun (from the Kpop group, called EXO), was at his brother’s wedding, where sasaeng fans have found him. These sasaeng fans were very disrespectful. They climbed on top of tables while taking pictures and videos of Baekhyun.  

              Normal and Sasaeng fans do have the same idea of wanting to become closer to their favorite idols. They both want to be seen as different from other fans as well as support their favorite idols but the difference between the two fans are their mindsets. Normal fans have more self- control over themselves and are not as obsessed with wanting to know about their favorite Kpop idol’s private life.  While, Sasaeng fans don’t know how to distinguish between what is the right and wrong way to support their favorite idols. 

As a normal fan, I understand the kind of obsessiveness that comes with liking Kpop idols. Sometimes you like your favorite Kpop idol so much that you want to marry him or her but there are boundaries. I am pretty obsessive myself, where everywhere in my room I have Kpop posters or pictures of my favorite Kpop idol but I would never be as extreme as a Saesang fan. I think what Saesang fans are doing to these innocent Kpop idols are scary and should be illegal. It is kind of funny because Saesang fans say they stalk their favorite idols out of love but if they really love their Kpop idol, then they should let their idols live a safe and private life. Love for an idol should not be that extreme! Simply purchasing or supporting Kpop idols is enough. Kpop idols are normal people and deserve to have a private life. Although it is easier said than done, I really hope sasaeng fans will really reflect on what they are actually doing to their idols and stop being so obsessive.

               If you were a Kpop Idol, how would you approach your Saesang Fans?

Female Korean Idols: Beauty = Thin

           Image: http://shineonew.wordpress.com/2013/09/26/fxs-amber-greets-her-aussie-fans-on-twitter/

                   

               One thing Kpop idols have in common are their skinny physiques. Female Kpop idols are constantly dieting to become slimmer than they are and honestly, it’s weird for female Kpop idols to diet when they are already so skinny. When I read articles about Kpop idols dieting and losing weight, I really wondered how much weight they could actually lose, when they barely look like they have any fat on them, but as an idol “being skinny” is a must. 

               

            In Korea, the idea of beauty is being skinny and as an idol, he or she have to make sure they look up to those standards. Their bodies and overall physique is looked upon by thousands of people and from these thousands of people, many of them wished they had the same body as the Korean Idols. Unfortunately even with their perfect bodies, many female idols feel pressured to become pretty by trying to keep losing weight with diets and exercise.

image: http://blog.daum.net/sanheon/7754181

Common Kpop Diets:

One Meal Diet- consists of eating only one big meal every day. The meal can be anything you want to eat.

Paper Cup Diet- This diet consists of only eating out of 3 cups.  Each cup has holds different types of foods. The first cup has side dishes, the second cup should have fruits, and the third cup should have brown rice.

Danish Diet- This diet consists of eating only 600 calories a day.The foods for this diet are                                                       lean beef, lettuce, eggs, and coffee.   

These diets were used by stars like Hyosung from Secret, Nicole from Kara, Eunjung from T-ara, and Nine Muses.

          

             Shouldn’t Kpop Idols be happy with their bodies? Kpop Idols should be happy with their bodies but it’s hard to stay positive when there are people always judging the way they look. Korean Idols are constantly criticized because of their looks and even the so called “fans” even bash them by telling them to lose weight. Hyosung, from the girl group, Secret also known as the bagel girl (Baby Face and Glamorous Body, which I wouldn’t be mind being called), was criticized on the internet for being “short and thick.” Although, Hyosung had a wide range of male fans swooning over her body, she was still pressured into losing weight. In a year for her group’s comeback stage, Hyosung came back with a thinner complexion, losing about 10lbs by eating the one meal diet. Sadly, even though she lost the weight to please others, fans were not satisfied and exclaimed that she looks ugly and was so much prettier before.   

                                  

Sojung talking about her weight loss on the show "Incarnation"
  Image:  http://www.allkpop.com/article/2013/09/ladies-codes-sojung-reveals-she
-didnt-have-her-period-for-a-year-due-to-her-extreme-diet#axzz2jXJr0tUH    

       

              Sometimes, Korean Idols might take dieting too far in order to meet the standards of beauty. Female idols already have intensive practice and long schedules but they still continuously diet even when they have plenty of exercise. One of my favorite Korean soloist, G.na dieted to the point where she was underweight and malnutrition. It was so upsetting to see one of my favorite females idols become so worried about her looks that she didn’t even care about her own health. Sojung from the girl group called Ladies’ Code, recently confessed that she lost 26lbs after seeing herself on TV. She exclaimed that she barely ate and only worked out making her lose 26lbs, making her at an unhealthy weight of 88lbs. Right now, she is trying her hardest to increase her body fat and hopefully become healthy again.

I don’t blame Korean idols for having this addiction to losing fat by dieting but sometimes it’s almost scary seeing my favorite idols become so thin.  Being pretty shouldn’t mean having to be skinny. Many idols are very talented and don’t need to be skinny to appeal to their fans. Although, I was never in the idol’s shoes, I know it’s hard to become confident in your own body when there are so many negative comments trying to make you think the opposite.  I hope that the female idols would stop caring about being pretty and take care of their health, which is the most important. 

                                            
                               What is your idea of beauty?  

The Hardships of Becoming a Kpop Idol - Training

            What is the secret behind creating successful idols? The answer is the trainee system. Korean companies like JYP, SM, and YG have auditions all around the world to find talented young individuals to go under their company. But of course, not all the talented individuals chosen to be part of the company have the experience or the background of an idol. These individuals leave their family behind while, they become trained to increase their skills in dancing and singing, hoping to one day become the perfect Kpop star. Training may seem easy since becoming a trainee is almost halfway from becoming an idol, but there is still a long road full of hard work and hardships before trainees can debut.   

Jo kwon and Jaebum dancing during their JYP trainee days
 Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGqyTowIut4

Although ,trainees are already part of a Korean company, they are constantly thrown into singing and dancing classes, where they are given no guarantee if they are able to debut. Trainees have schedules consisting of singing, dancing, and language lessons every day from day to night. After a week of lessons, trainees are evaluated by their company based on if the trainee improved. If the company doesn’t see a trainee as good enough, he or she will be cut from the company.

      Jo Kwon during his trainee days                 
            Source: http://angangwoo.wordpress.com/2010/03/03/
this-was-our-leadja-this-is-our-park-jaebum

           Many renowned Kpop idols that also went through the same trainee system, recall their trainee days as the time when they endured the most hardships to be where they are now. Jo Kwon, from the ballad group called 2AM, had to train under JYP for 8 years basically spending almost all his teenage life as a trainee. He exclaims “I had no idea it would take this long, and I kept wondering why I wasn’t being cut.” Jo Kwon didn’t know if he was ever going to debut because Jin Young Park (Founder of JYP) never complimented him. He felt pressured when he saw new trainees like Nichkhun and Taecyeon from 2pm. While, Key , from SHINee, who came to Seoul, South Korea from Daegu (a Korean city) to become a singer described himself as being depressed because his “skills weren’t improving” and others “kept criticizing and pointing out [his] weak spots.”  

Key from Shinee
   Source: http://kpcave.blogspot.com/2011/12
/shinee-amigo-repackage-album.html

Similarly to Key and Jo Kwon’s experiences, trainees constantly have to work hard and be persistent in order to become idols. Trainees are constantly told that they are not good enough and that they need to work harder but it’s hard when they see other trainees better than themselves. Key, felt like he wasn’t good enough and in the end felt depressed because his dream of becoming an idol didn’t seem like it was going to come true. The feeling of not being good enough, can really hurt trainees emotionally, making them feel depressed and wanting to give up.

When you’re a trainee, it seems as if becoming an idol is so close but in reality it’s a lot farther. The trainee life is hard and not many people are able to endure the kind of competition and hard work needed to become an idol. But when it comes to following your dreams anything is possible. Would you want to become a trainee for a Korean Company? 

                                                     

My First Experience

My first experience with Kpop was in September 2010 when my friend introduced me to the Kpop song, Replay by SHINee. I didn’t really have any opinions on the song because I thought it was so weird to listen to songs that I couldn’t understand. It wasn’t until the summer of 2010, when I first discovered a Korean variety show called “Let’s Go Dream Team,” where Kpop idols go against Athletes on obstacles or anything sports related, on TV. Little did I know that from then on, I would start listening to Kpop.

                         
                                                               SHINee  

                From right to left: Onew, Taemin, Jonghyun, Minho, Key
                                         Image: http://kpopinformer.com/shinee/

The reason I started to get into Kpop was because of Choi Minho, who was an idol/dream team member of “Let’s Go Dream Team.” The first time I saw him on the variety show, he danced to one of his group’s songs called Ring Ding Dong. I was so surprised to see him dance because I didn’t really see him as an Idol star with his long hair and feminine looks. But after watching him more and more on the variety show, I found him to be super handsome and as a result, I decided to research more about him. I found out that he’s a part of a 5 member boy band called SHINee. The moment I watched SHINee’s music videos I was so amazed with their dancing, singing, and unique looks. Replay and Ring Ding Dong were my favorite music videos and because I liked their music and videos so much, I couldn’t go a day without watching them. I was obsessed and my love for SHINee just prompted me to learn everything about them and also explore other Kpop bands.

                                            
                                                              2PM

                             From right to left: Wooyoung, Nichkhun, Taecyeon, Chansung, Jun.K, Junho
                 Image: http://www.jpopasia.com/news/2pm-officially-announce-upcoming-comeback::12685.html

SHINee started my interest in Kpop but the group called 2PM was what started my curiosity about the Kpop Industry. Because Kpop is Korean music, I always assumed that everyone in a Kpop band is Korean. I was proven wrong when I researched the members of 2PM and to my amazement one of the members named Nichkhun was actually not Korean at all but Thai.  I was really confused because Nichkhun was actually from America and he didn’t know any Korean when he first joined 2PM. I began to look into this and how these idols became part of a group and I realized that Kpop companies like SM, JYP, and YG hold auditions in America, where they find talented individuals to go to Korea and train under their company. This was all so foreign to me. I have never heard of anything like “training to become an idol,” but because this was so different, it got me really interested in the formation of bands, how idols live, and how the Kpop industry works.

             In this blog, I will write about the Kpop industry and how Kpop bands formed. The Kpop industry is really different and complex compared to the American music industry. Many of the idols go through years of intense training to follow their dreams to become a Kpop star, which I respect about each idol. I’m not going to lie but it was the Kpop Idol’s good looks that got me into Kpop but besides all that, it was the idol’s determination to follow their dreams that made me appreciate their music even more.  I may not be Korean but as an Asian American, I am proud the Hallyu wave (Kpop wave) has influenced many cultures and has also spread throughout non- Asian cultures. While reading this blog, I hope you will learn more about the Kpop World.

What was your first Kpop song? If you have never listened to Kpop, what do you want to know about Kpop?