Kpop | Meet the Young Artists Creating a <b>K-Pop</b> Boy Band with No Korean <b>...</b> |
- Meet the Young Artists Creating a <b>K-Pop</b> Boy Band with No Korean <b>...</b>
- <b>K-Pop</b> Band F(x) Make Debut As Foursome In London - Just Jared Jr.
- L.A. Korean Festival to Stage <b>K-pop</b> Song and Dance Battle <b>...</b>
- TOP 100 MOST VIEWED <b>K-POP</b> MUSIC VIDEOS OF ALL TIME <b>...</b>
- The short and shimmery outfits worn by <b>K-Pop</b> stars at KCON | Fusion
| Meet the Young Artists Creating a <b>K-Pop</b> Boy Band with No Korean <b>...</b> Posted: 25 Jul 2015 09:05 PM PDT
Photo by Jhe Ming Hsu, courtesy of IMMABB On 26 April, a new, American-based K-pop boy band called EXP made their world debut in Long Island City. Like South Korea's idol groups (the K-pop industry term for a meticulously groomed cadre of attractive, often barely-legal performers), the band was smooth and shiny. The six boys sashayed over the stage in form-fitting clothing, flashing Vaseline smiles and exuding gentle sex as they cooed about relationships in their English-Korean single, "Luv/Wrong." It was exactly what you might expect out of a fledgling group trying to hack it in the K-pop mold. Except for one little thing: None of the six members of EXP (Tarion Taylor Anderson, Frankie Daponte Jr., Hunter Kohl, Šime Košta, Koki Tomlinson, and David Wallace) are Korean. None of them even speak Korean. Continued below. Recommended News of this K-pop group without the "K" spread rapidly throughout South Korea and the industry's global fan base. Even a week before their debut, K-pop fans started to excoriate EXP for wanton cultural appropriation, circulating fake track lists for a non-existent album and accusing them of explicitly ripping off the insanely popular non-threatening teenage heartthrobs of EXO. As soon as "Luv/Wrong" went up on YouTube, hardcore critics blasted the band's lack of polish, fostered in most idol groups over years of near-martial training within a hit-churning machine. In short, folks seemed to say, the group wasn't Korean, hadn't worked in the system, and as a result was making a mockery of the industry. After a few days, most of the internet copped on to the fact that EXP was actually a conscious project developed by a conceptual artist. Dreamed up last fall by Bora Kim, a Columbia University MFA student from Seoul, EXP (short for EXPERIMENT) is the centerpiece of a multimedia endeavor, "I'm Making A Boy Band" (IMMABB), documenting her attempt to transform thoroughly American performers into prototypical K-pop boy-toy stars. Back in 2012, the global success of PSY's K-pop satire "Gangnam Style" got Kim thinking about how South Korea, a post-colonial nation with a long history of importing foreign culture, had rapidly developed its own style and begun to export it through Asia, then the West. She was also fascinated by the way foreign consumers were buying into K-pop's aesthetics, performances, and sexuality. Male sports fans, [they say], "Yeah, that's fucking great, you should roar like wild animals and paint your bellies!" But when girls scream for One Direction, that's silly. —Karin Kuroda Eager to play around with these trends, Kim told two friends from art school, Karin Kuroda and Samantha Shao, about her idea to graft K-pop form onto American bodies and see what'd happen. By October, the trio had put out casting calls in New York, seeking young men, ages 18 to 28, with some performance skills and an interest in joining a boy band. After four months of training in how to act like a K-pop group, including several "Cuteness Workshops," the boys took to the stage, performing music composed and produced by Ben Hostetler and Chatori Shimizu. A month later they started a Kickstarter campaign, raising $30,600 to record a mini-album featuring "Luv/Wrong," two new songs, and remixes. Now, three months after their first show, EXP has started to develop a social media following. The boys, and the girls behind them, insist that they're treating EXP not just as a social experiment, but as a real band. Eager to learn how, exactly, one manufactures a boy band, VICE met up with Kim, Kuroda, and Shao in their half-dismantled New York studio, just after they'd had finished filming their first music video. (It's set for an early August release date.)
Photo by Jhe Ming Hsu, courtesy of IMMABB VICE: Bora, you've talked elsewhere about the theoretical basis of IMMABB. When was the moment that you thought, "I should take all of this, and turn it into a boy band"? Coming [to Columbia], I put so much pressure on myself. You're in grad school. You have to make your masterpiece. But I was just stuck in this weird place where I just researched and [wasn't] able to really make a high-quality product that's allowed in the commercial world. When it came time to actually get boys, how did you choose people? Were you trying to find the perfect little dolls you could mold into K-pop stars? Sometimes I feel that all relationships among Koreans are a bit S&M. —Bora Kim What was the audition process like? Do you consider what you're doing could be considered an act of cultural appropriation, or a racially-charged act? We want to raise the question of what it actually means to appropriate culture, because this implies [that people are tied] to the idea of cultural authenticity. How does one determine authenticity and originality in culture? We are interested in asking and complicating the idea of how cultures influence each other. Does the concept of cultural appropriation shift when applied to pop music, a very specific and accessible cultural channel? You've been putting the boys through tons of training, like "Cuteness Workshops." But what was hard to teach them? What about K-pop was just not getting through? Here, as a default, you are supposed to present yourself as a strong person. But in Korea and in a lot of Asian countries, it's better to be friendly. And acting cute is a way of putting yourself in a lower position, so you won't appear to be too macho or threatening. Because not being individual, but being a member of a group is more important. So the conversation would evolve into talking about bigger cultural differences. Shao: It's mostly just how to perform sexuality. When we asked them to be sexy, everyone has their own way to do that. It's hard to change that because it's more of a default situation for them. When they think of sexy, maybe [they] think of Brad Pitt. It's hard for them to think of Asian idols, who will do things that people here might think is "gay-ish." Kim: It really goes to the audience of K-pop, because it is mainly young, straight females. They're catering their performance to sexuality, and the fact that we're highlighting that is very important. We're thinking of what the teenage girls want. Kuroda: It's seen as vapid. Male sports fans, [they say], "Yeah, that's fucking great, you should roar like wild animals and paint your bellies!" But when girls scream for One Direction, that's silly. Any time girls feel something that's emotional, that's not valuable to society. So the fact that this entire [K-pop] industry is catering—well, not entirely—to what 12-year-old girls want... it's a massive amount of fiscal turnaround!
Courtesy of IMMABB K-pop has a massive training industry, and you don't get to replicate that. So do you feel like [as K-pop stars] there's anything they're missing by not having gone through that? Kuroda: The whole thing that makes K-pop Korean is that it's a mirror of Korean culture. The reason that exists is from the military aspect. We're trying to, not critique that, but we don't want to replicate that. Because it's 17 hours a day of dancing, singing, acting. I don't think we want to do that. Kim: Korean society has that military culture. It's really hard to explain that, and I'm sure it's hard for people to believe that. But it is. Sometimes I feel that all relationships among Koreans are a bit S&M. Because if they are in any way above you—age, gender, class—you immediately lower yourself. And in the opposite situation, you have to perform that very strong or dominant act towards the other [person]. I think the K-pop world shows that aspect very well. You can see that in the product. I want to pinpoint that in the project, but at the same time, we don't have that power over them. They don't know that culture, so even though they respect us, it's in a different way. Sometimes they don't respect us! It's hard to push that on them. Shao: That's the interesting part in a cultural clash kind of way. Whenever we try to push that, they're like: "You guys are being ridiculous right now." They can't even function. In a different cultural sense, it'd be like, "Oh, I understand what you're doing, and I want to work harder. I want that humiliation." Kim: Humiliation is a very important word, I think.
You were [K-pop] consumers, critics. Now you're producers. How has that changed you? The pop creators are the same creative people who want to make something interesting and new. It's just that they usually have more capital, which is why it's all so shiny. And they lack criticality sometimes. That's where we want to insert ourselves. Shao: Before, when you look at shiny stuff, you just want to enjoy [it]. But now you're saying, "How did they make this so shiny?" Kim: The relationship between us and the boys has changed a lot. They are a big part of the creative process. They really care about this project as well. We don't have a background in music. We're making a boy band! We don't know about music! We just tell our producers and composers [what we want.] How much further do you think this project can go? And how far down the rabbit hole will you follow it? Shao: It's reality. If there are a bunch of normal guys who want to be a successful boy band, then the end goal is to be a successful boy band with a bunch of fans and bigger stage and a huge record deal. Kuroda: Eventually in Korea. That's ultimately our end goal. When we get there, we'll decide what the future will be. Follow Mark on Twitter.  |
| <b>K-Pop</b> Band F(x) Make Debut As Foursome In London - Just Jared Jr. Posted: 09 Aug 2015 01:00 PM PDT F(x) hit the stage at the 2015 South Korean Festival in London, England on Sunday afternoon (August 9). The band — Amber, Krystal, Luna and Victoria – made their official debut as a foursome after Sulli's departure. "After negotiating with Sulli, who is currently taking a break, about her future activities, we have decided to respect her wishes, and she'll be leaving f(x) and focusing on her acting" the band issued a statement after her departure earlier this week. F(x), who have been described as the Korean Spice Girls, are expected to drop new music later this fall. 20+ pics inside of F(x) performing in London… Like Just Jared Jr. on FB |
| L.A. Korean Festival to Stage <b>K-pop</b> Song and Dance Battle <b>...</b> Posted: 11 Aug 2015 03:14 PM PDT  The annual K-pop Singing and Dancing Battle is back! This year, contestants can enter for the chance to perform live at the 42nd Los Angeles Korean Festival on Oct. 2, 2015 at Seoul International Park in Koreatown. The competition celebrates the impact of K-pop all over the world, and this is your chance to show your love for K-pop. Groups have the option of singing, dancing or both, and they will undergo a preliminary round before the final round takes place at the L.A. Korean Festival.
Preliminary Round: Wednesday, Sept. 23 from 6-9 p.m. Final Round: Friday, Oct. 2 Eligibility: The majority of group members should be "non-Korean or Korean with mixed racial background whose native language is not Korean, or a 2nd/3rd generation Korean American born and raised in the U.S., whose native language is not Korean." All applicants under the age of 18 must have written permission from a parent or legal guardian. You can register your team through EventBrite. You will receive a confirmation email from the event coordinators with a PDF application attached that includes a waiver form and additional details. All applications must be received by Monday, Sept. 21 at 6 p.m. For more information, contact Korea Daily at koreadailyevent@gmail.com or call them at (213) 368 2518. ___  |
| TOP 100 MOST VIEWED <b>K-POP</b> MUSIC VIDEOS OF ALL TIME <b>...</b> Posted: 31 Jul 2015 05:14 PM PDT These are the 100 most watched K-Pop music videos on Youtube. They're basically the Most Popular K-Pop Music Videos of All Time! I've excluded dance-practices, live performances, and songs not sung in Korean. If I have missed any songs that should be on this list, I apologize in advance. Each month I will update this list, so that we can see which songs are rising in popularity, and which are falling out of the public's eye. Thanks for all of your support over the years guys. I have so much fun making these videos for you! You must remember that this video was made on August 1st 2015, so of course the views would be different! Youtube updates video views every hour, so if you find a K-Pop song should be on the chart now it's most likely because they gained a lot of views AFTER this video was made. Also, I removed "Hangover" by Psy because 95% of the song is sung in English. If I left that on the chart, I might as well put every English song sung by Koreans on here (which isn't fair). ^-^ Follow me here for more K-Pop Charts guys: *K-Ville's Website -* http://kvilleentertainment.com/ Songs in this chart: Gangnam Style - Psy (2012) Songs Leaving the chart: What's Your Name? (2013) - 4Minute |
| The short and shimmery outfits worn by <b>K-Pop</b> stars at KCON | Fusion Posted: 06 Aug 2015 08:58 AM PDT KCON, the celebration of Korean entertainment, held its fourth annual convention in Los Angeles last weekend, to the delight of a steadfast fan base. This year's KCON saw record attendance, and the concerts were a highlight of the event. Each performer rocked a unique on-stage style, and these are 7 of our favorite KCON fashion statements. Sporty spiceStill have heaps of your old college t-shirts lying in your closet? Save yourself a trip to Goodwill and follow Red Velvet's lead by wearing a top emblazoned with the name of your alma-mater's team, paired a pleated pastel skirt and baseball cap. The quintet was one of the last acts to be added to the KCON lineup but certainly not the least; despite being on the scene for less than a year, Red Velvet is making significant strides in pop culture, unlike its saccharine namesake. Pretty print button-downsHip-hop artists Crush (left) and Zion T rolled up to the KCON artist engagement sessions in dizzying prints. Both went on to perform later at the Staples Center. Check out this recent video for their smooth jam, "Just," and you'll see Zion T and breakthrough rapper Crush are, well, crushing. Tennis chicThe ladies of AOA rocked teeny orange tops with black tennis skirts on stage Saturday night. Maybe orange and black is the new black? Menswear mélangeBlock B looked like a bunch of buddies who tried to color-coordinate, even though one was dressed like a high school hero and another channeled a dude who refuses to retire his tacky Christmas sweater. But they hopped up on stage in front of thousands and slayed the crowd anyway. All that glitters isn't gold, but blackUnlike Block B, Shinhwa was seriously twinning (sixtuplet-ing?) for KCON. All-black everything with embellished jackets was a slick, mature look for a group that's been going steady in the K-pop game for a solid 15 years. Bralettes and blazersAOA's Jimin wore a getup reminiscent of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" style. The long white blazer added some sophistication. Short and shimmerySistar's ladies donned high-waisted shorts and crop tops. Eye-catching? Yes. But they were also unencumbered and ready for high-energy dance moves. The East Coast edition of KCON takes place at New Jersey's Prudential Center on August 8. Featured artists include Girls' Generation, Teen Top, AOA, and VIXX. Check kconusa.com for more info — we'll be there! |
Photography by Wei Hsinyen, courtesy of IMMABB
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