The original K-pop boy band to hold an official concert after 17 years

When first generation K-pop boy band H.O.T. reunited earlier this year after 17 years away, it was a big deal. Never mind that no one expected the legendary group to ever reunite, but to do it to such praise and acclaim was something else entirely. Decked in white and armed with the iconic white balloons (remember, they are from an age before lightsticks), longtime fans known as White Angels converged for the Infinite Challenge broadcast of their faves and promptly lost their minds.

After all, how often does a K-pop group actually get to reunite and perform?

H.O.T., which does not stand for “hot,” but rather “High-five of Teenagers,” debuted in 1996. The group consists of Moon Hee Jun, Jang Woo Hyuk, Tony Ahn, Kangta and Lee Jae Won, and together they put out five iconic albums.

This was before the main Hallyu craze swept Asia, let alone the rest of the world. This was before Google and YouTube. Yet H.O.T. still made a huge impression, and essentially created the model of the K-pop boy band with their matching outfits, synchronized dance moves and attractive looks coupled with outlandish hair. Really, they were the first K-pop boy band.

Well, it seems that the Infinite Challenge reunion was successful, because H.O.T. is coming back for a concert this month. This will be the first official spectacle since the group held a concert all the way back in 2001 when they broke up.

While it’s unclear what the concert will be, fans are already plenty excited. It’s unlikely that a reformation of the group will permanently occur. All of the members have had many years of solo work or simply living out their post-K-pop lives, yet new songs are a rumored possibility. Even if that proves to not be the case, a full concert of the old hits like “Candy,” “Warrior’s Descendant,” “I Yah!” and “Hope,” is hardly a bad time.

H.O.T. is looked up to by many other K-pop groups, so one has to wonder if there will be any special guests or attendees at the concert itself. Regardless, it’s a great moment for the members to have the chance to perform again as a unit.

It’s wonderful for fans as well who never thought the showcase on Infinite Challenge would be a thing, never mind getting a full concert. We’ll see what this means for H.O.T., as a successful concert tends to lead to other things.

Stay tuned White Angels, you never know!

Written by Kristina Manente

The first openly gay K-pop idol stages a strong return

When Holland debuted as the first openly gay K-pop idol, to say the least, it caused a stir. His first song, “Neverland,” wasn’t all that strong vocally or even instrumentally, but it sent a powerful message with its uninhibited and uncensored presentation of his love life as a homosexual man.

His music video and music put his sexuality in the forefront. There’s no innuendo here, no teasing or queer-baiting; it’s there, out and proud. It’s a first in K-pop, and it’s a huge step in Korean music and media in general. Regardless of what was thought of the song, critics, fans and onlookers alike applauded Holland’s bravery for stepping out and creating a true-to-life representation of himself. He was crowned winner of the 2018 Dazed 100 list.

Since then, support for him is constantly growing, especially among international K-pop fans who have longed for actual LGBTQ representation in Korean media. He tweets largely in English, building up his international base, but also talks to domestic fans in his native Korean as well.

“I’m sorry, hate criminals can’t be my fans.” Holland tweeted shortly after the release of his first comeback, “I’m Not Afraid,” which is not only a much stronger track, but one that takes everything “Neverland” showed and dials it up a few notches. It’s nothing that’s never been seen in heterosexual music videos, yet it was slapped with an R rating by YouTube. Holland called the platform out, and YouTube responded, saying it was a mistake.

Many artists who don’t conform to the status quo in K-pop get silenced. This is perhaps why Holland is so vocal, making sure that this not only doesn’t happen to him, but also doesn’t happen to any others who are brave enough to follow his lead.

That’s what makes “I’m Not Afraid” so apt and important in a time where discrimination is so rampant. The song is good too, with its retro ’80s EDM vibe and an almost husky tonality that serves Holland well. It shows immense growth from “Neverland,” and it makes one even more interested in what this artist’s journey will truly be. He’s not reigned in by a company; he’s a lone-agent, so what Holland is able to create is from him and by him. The diversity he is bringing to the genre is wonderful to see.

Written by Kristina Manente

Chances are that you’ve heard a certain song playing in every shop and subway station recently, and no, it isn’t BTS. BLACKPINK has finally had their long-awaited comeback, and they’re back with a vengeance. And rightly so.

Many fans had begun to worry that BLACKPINK would suffer the fate of many of YG’s artists: the dungeon. In a forever mystifying move, the idol-producing mogul tends to reward success with forbidding his artists from making future comebacks. Up until this latest release, BLACKPINK had only five songs to their name. Five. It was both bizarre and frustrating as this was despite topping Korean charts and widespread popularity both domestically and abroad.

Instead of making more music, the BLACKPINK girls were modeling or posting videos to their fans hoping they could make a comeback soon. And yet, we all waited. But finally patience has paid off, and “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” not only swept the charts, but dominated every form of social media.

“Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” hit the 50 million mark on YouTube just two days after its release, making it the fastest K-pop girl group music video to reach such a number. The record was previously held by TWICE’s “What Is Love?” It makes sense that their comeback would have a strong reaction, garnering views and repeat viewings; the fact is, it’s good.

“Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” is high on visual pleasure, filled with strong, bold lyrics, and wonderful vibrant performances from four members Lisa, Rosé, Jennie, and Jisoo. The mixture of traditional Korean instrumentals with the beat and bass of hip-hop is an auditory delight, and this is again repeated with Korean architectural elements in the music video itself. The more overt blending of the traditional and modern in many recent music videos is a trend that I am quite on board with and that I hope continues. It’s making K-pop music videos a touch more unique and I appreciate it.

There’s a lot that makes BLACKPINK’s latest really work, and one of the things that stands out most is the fact they changed things up a bit. It’s Jennie who raps in “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du,” not Lisa. I love Lisa, she’s my favorite in the group, but it’s nice to see Jennie rapping again and doing a stellar job as well. Also, let’s not forget the dance. BLACKPINK has always been explosive in their performances, and “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” is no exception; it’s big, bold, and gives each girl equal footing.

Overall the track is entertaining, a true summer bop, and a most welcomed return to one of the best girl groups K-pop has ever produced. The success of “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” isn’t a surprise, but it’s still a delight. I was starting to wonder if we were ever going to hear from them again, but hopefully this success will lead to more and more releases. In the meantime, go watch the music videow again and enjoy.

Written by Kristina Manente

Last month, YG Entertainment released an official statement apologizing for the cancellation of the debut of the final group from JTBC’s “Mix Nine.” The reality show, much like “Produce 101” or “Idol School,” had trainees from multiple agencies competing for a spot in a new idol group, voted on by judges and the general public. YG Entertainment head Yang Hyun-suk went to different agencies specifically to search for trainees and idols with what he called “hidden potential,” giving them a shot at a Big 3 project group.

But when the debut of the final “Mix Nine” group kept being put off and off, fans were beginning to fear the worst. So when the official statement was released, it wasn’t a surprise, but it was disappointing.

The disagreement stemmed from the contract, which was already set, but YG Entertainment wanted to re-negotiate. The agency, best known for groups BIGBANG, 2NE1, and iKON, suggested a three-year contract with the group releasing an album each year.

Promotions would be split domestic and internationally equally between YG and their original respective agencies. Not surprisingly, the original agencies weren’t keen on this, expressing it would be quite difficult to follow this contract. They were also upset as it was drastically different from what was originally negotiated. As such, they asked to keep the duration shorter, as stated in the original contract, which was four months plus an overseas performance.

However, YG Entertainment reportedly refused to yield and cancelled the project altogether, disappointing not only all the fans of the show that had voted, watched, and were anticipating the “Mix Nine” debut, but all the trainees who had worked through the reality show gauntlet with the promise of YG-backed promotions.

YG’s statement in itself reveals the dark exploitive underbelly of the industry, basically admitting they used the trainees’ dreams for good television: “The original aim of the show ‘Mix Nine’ was to unearth those desperate to achieve their dreams of being a singer despite the harsh environment and to increase awareness through good opportunities of those in other agencies who have already debuted but haven’t succeeded yet.”

Yang argued that the show hadn’t been popular enough to warrant the heavy cost of producing and promoting “Mix Nine,” but is that not the job of a producer? With the over-saturation of idol group shows, it’s not a surprise that one would ultimately fail to make good on their word. Perhaps it’s time to end these shows that do nothing but overwork the already overworked to put money in the pockets of executives who won’t even follow their own contracts.

Written by Kristina Manente

On December 18, 2017, the world lost Kim Jonghyun, the main vocal of K-pop group Shinee, singer, songwriter, producer and artist.

Devastated, distraught and searching for comfort, fans began immediately paying tribute to the man, bringing flowers, gifts and endless notes to SMTown at Coex. The makeshift memorial was soon overflowing, post-its wallpapering the outside of the building, and a garden blooming on the concrete in memory of a man who had meant so much to so many.

However, after the memorial was repeatedly vandalized and disturbed by pedestrians and the homeless in search of food, fans set up boxes to discourage rifling through the gifts left. The memorial was quickly outgrowing the space co-opted outside, and SM Entertainment soon after announced plans for an official memorial inside the SMTown Coex Artium.

While SM may have provided the space and the large portraits, excerpts from his book, the clear album cases, and even the famous kazoo and handbells from his concerts, it was Jonghyun and Shinee’s fans who truly made the memorial.
Much like the original outside, the memorial is peppered with colorful post-it notes and letters. It’s an endless kaleidoscope sea of thank yous and personal tributes. The walls are awash with the notes from fans, and every day more are added to what little space remains on the walls.

“I pretty much go once a week and write a sticky note,” says Carolyn, an American Shawol (the name for Shinee’s fans) who has been living in Seoul coming up on four years.

“I think it’s helpful to have a place to leave notes like this, but I personally don’t feel like it ended anything for me,” explains Nicky, likewise a long-term expat Shawol in Seoul. “I think about him every day.”

However both girls agree that the space is well done, SM handled it well, and it serves an important purpose for fans who want to visit. The current memorial is only temporary, with concerns from some fans that a permanent memorial won’t be made available. While there are rumors, nothing official has been stated one way or the other by SM.

“Since his grave is a private space it would be nice to have somewhere fans can go when we just miss him and want the appropriate place to grieve and not be judged,” Carolyn explains. “There are tons of people who aren’t [in Korea] who love him, so it would be nice to not put a time limit on when people can visit.”

The centerpiece of the memorial is relatively small in size, but its importance cannot be overstated. Encased in glass is a first place “Music Bank” trophy, awarded to “Shinin’,” a title track on the last album Jonghyun recorded.
Released at the end of January, Jonghyun’s “Poet | Artist” has been celebrated by fans and the media at large for its musicality, artistry and pep that was so uniquely him. There was little doubt it would hit number one on the charts, but his posthumous wins on music shows present a bittersweet validation for fans. He had asked to be told one thing, and now everyone was doing exactly that.

You did well.

Jonghyun’s memorial is open from 10 a.m.–9 p.m. on the sixth floor of the SMTown Coex Artium until April 30.

More Info.

If you or someone you know needs to talk to someone, please don’t hesitate to seek help and reach out at www.lifeline.or.kr or call 1577-0199.

Written by Kristina Manente

No, you shouldn’t get a trophy for showing up

Music shows are plentiful  in Korea. Award season makes this even more apparent as award show after award show is broadcasted and fandoms are pitted against one another in battles for awards that rarely end up going to who people voted for.

Let’s just say multiple fandoms, lead by Exo-Ls, petitioned the Blue House, as in the actual Korean government, to abolish the MAMA awards by Mnet because they were outraged by the results and claimed they were unfair based on the votes cast. It currently has over 20,000 signatures.

As K-pop and Korean music continues to gather interest around the world, the shows need a definite rehaul to not only appear fair and legitimate, but simply, to be better.

Percentage

In many award shows, fan voting counts for a large percent of who will end up winning an award. Sometimes it’s quite a large portion, like 30 percent. Other factors that decide the recipient are things like album sales and a judge’s panel. The problem with this is that it’s all arbitrary. One group could be leading by a very large margin in the fan votes and even album sales, but end up losing to the third or fourth placed group because the judges’ votes are weighed more heavily.

If this is the case, why let fan votes count at all? Why not just make it industry experts who vote for winners, or a panel like the Academy? If the fan percentage ends up not mattering at all, then why bother and just create fandom drama? Because it brings in ratings, I know, and money …

Paying to vote

There is no system I hate more than asking fans to pay money to cast votes for their favorite artists. It’s a money grab. That’s all it is. There is no merit in it. Have the money go to charity and only then will I find this method redeemable and bearable.

There is the concern of classism here, that more wealthy fans or those with incredible numbers will always win and outspend their competition. That is an inherent problem with this type of voting, and it always will be. There is no way to make it fair. Just because more money is spent on an artist doesn’t make them more entitled to an award.

If a show requires its voters to pay to cast their vote, that vote should not only be worth more, as there is a monetary value attached, but also, most importantly, it should be honored. If enough people throw enough money into your contest, then their money is not only supporting your show and company, It’s also an agreement that whoever wins this contest should actually be presented the award, allowed to perform, and actually … be invited.

I speak of the 25th Seoul Music Awards wherein JYJ’s Kim Junsu won the popularity award by paid voting but was not invited to the show. The show producers explained this was due to a focus on the “major award categories,” which no one, including Junsu, bought. Pun intended. The furor over this was so great that the mayor of Seoul forbade the show from using the city’s name in future award shows.

Attendance awards

In Korea there is something called chemyeon, which best translates to “saving face.” The fear you could offend someone and being eternally concerned about what others think of you is a strong cultural drive here. This even applies to award shows where sometimes artists simply get an award for showing up. Or rather, awards are invented to get certain artists to come and perform, which is the only way certain fandoms will watch. The Best of Next award, anyone? These shows, and companies, appeal to agencies by making sure everyone they deem important enough is included.

It’s a not-so-secret secret that Korean music award shows will not give awards to artists who do not attend the show. It’s even in some programs’ rules. And while I understand the desire to have performances of winning songs, imagine if the Oscars or literally any other award show had the rule that you could not be given an award if you weren’t physically there. It’s just dumb.

Award shows are clearly important to give legitimacy and celebrate Korean music domestically and in Asia. However, voting needs to be more transparent, awards need to be more genuine and someone needs to please hire better camera men.

Written by Kristina Manente

Your votes, our thoughts and what was listened to this year

We took to social media to see what you all thought earned the title of ‘Best Album of 2017,’ and boy… that was an experience. Imagine your own humble Twitter being set upon by thousands, and I do mean thousands, of ARMYs. Well, that’s what happened to me. But, beyond my mentions breaking and phone dying from overexhaustion due to the sudden influx of notifications, we did get a great poll, out of it.

And then something rather extraordinary happened. In our Facebook poll it wasn’t BTS that was running away with the lead. It was a dark horse, and one that, frankly, delighted me. So here they are, tied, your picks for best male K-pop album of 2017.

Your Choice: BTS – “Love Yourself: Her” / GOT7 – “Flight Log: Arrival”

I don’t think anyone could deny that this was BTS’ year. Make them 1,376,915 domestic sales for “Love Yourself: Her” is nothing to balk at, never mind their success abroad. It’s clear that the group isn’t going anywhere other than up and will amass even more fans as they do so, and rightfully so. BTS has done what few other K-pop groups have been able to do; they’ve reached beyond Asia and garnered interest in the genre, and they’ve done that successfully because of their art and performance.

GOT7’s “Flight Log: Arrival” is the third and last entry into the group’s Flight Log series and saw its fair share of success. “Never Ever” is a catchy track, and the entire album is a fun and intriguing blend of synth, house, R&B, and trap. I always felt Korea slept a bit on GOT7, so it’s nice to see their fanbase rallied to get them a bit more recognition.

Our Choice: “G-Dragon – Kwon Ji Yong”

This was a difficult one, and I almost chose Epik High’s nearly flawless album. But the reason G-Dragon has claimed my top spot is for a very unusual, but important reason: I’m not a BigBang fan. I fully appreciate and recognize what they’ve done for K-pop globally, but they were just never my thing. On a whim, I decided to give Kwon Ji Yong a shot. And well··· damn. Honestly, if G-Dragon had been singing like this all these years, he would have made a VIP out of me. I honestly hope he continues to explore his musicality in the future.

The battle for the polls wasn’t quite as intense for the ladies. However, they seriously rocked the charts as well. You voted, and while it was almost Red Velvet’s “Rookie,” they were just nudged out.

Your Choice: GFriend – “The Awakening”

GFriend is still at the top of their game, producing feel good lush music that you can’t help but smile at. “The Awakening” was a great EP that had re-listenability and showcased how their vocals have matured. At the heart of “The Awakening” and GFriend really is just an inherent sweetness; they make you smile, which is a lovely thing.

Our Choice: IU – “Palette”

This was a no-brainer. IU once again proved she is the queen of K-pop, and an insanely talented queen at that. Palette is gorgeous, telling and wonderfully produced. It highlights IU as an artist and really allows her wonderful vocals to shine. If you want to introduce someone to K-pop, but not overwhelm them with choreo, treat them to “Palette.” You won’t fail.

If there’s anything 2017 has taught us, it’s that while trending acts put out some great tunes that are instant hits and yes, can be looped ad nauseum to reach whatever YouTube milestone is next to be broken, the veterans of this industry aren’t done with us yet. Nor would we ever want them to be.

Written by Kristina Manente

Obsessive fans stalk the idols they follow

K-pop fans have always been the enthusiastic sort, and the chance to get a glimpse of their favorite idol is an exciting one indeed. While there are many who would simply be happy having the chance to see them, there’s others that will stop at nothing until their idol knows exactly who they are. This is a sasaeng.
These fans are so intrusive that even their name comes from the word sasaenghwal, which means privacy. It’s that which they violate on a daily basis. This includes getting on the same flights as the idols. They follow idols at any cost, most infamously hiring out taxis all day long to chase after company vans, often at high speeds. This has resulted in multiple accidents.
BTS sasaeng have obtained their schedules, passports and other personal information and offered to sell it online. Invading the privacy of their favorite idols is a rush and an accomplishment for sasaeng. This has taken the form of finding out cell phone numbers and calling and texting them, hacking social media channels and hacking phones themselves. Super Junior’s Eunhyuk’s phone and twitter were hacked, the sasaeng posting indecent photos for all to see.

A lasting impression, even if a negative one

In terms of idols being attacked, like T-ara’s JiYeon, who had her hair violently pulled by a male fan at the airport, the sasaeng longs to become a memory for their idol, even if that memory is a negative one. Exo’s Kai was pushed so violently by a sasaeng at the airport that the other band members had to help him walk, and 2PM’s Taecyeon received a letter written in period blood.
Sasaeng have snuck inside of dorms, hotel rooms and homes of idols, taking photos and videos of them while they sleep and shower, as well as touching and kissing them. (This most notoriously happened to JYJ, generally regarded as having the most intense sasaeng in the industry.) The more popular idols can have anywhere up to 200 sasaeng fans who follow them at any given time. G-Dragon often caught sasaeng outside his home and had to post on social media, asking them to “… please stop, you’re scaring my mother and sister.”
Many idols have come home to find their apartments and dorms broken into. If the sasaeng aren’t hiding inside, items are missing, typically undergarments, and there’s sometimes even presents left behind. F.T. Island came home one night to find feces in their apartment and multiple personal items stolen.

Tepid response

Entertainment companies have barely taken any measures against the fans because they are, financially speaking, too good to pass up. They buy everything and they create media play because it means the group is popular; that means more money, even if it risks the safety of the idols.
WannaOne is only the latest group to suffer from the sasaeng plight, and very severely at that. Their fanclub, Wannables, wrote a letter to YMC Entertainment demanding they take better care of the boys, who have been stalked and mobbed constantly since even before their debut. Since then the agency has only reprimanded the sasaeng but hasn’t actually done anything to deter them further.
While social media has calmed some sasaeng down, it’s also allowed others to more easily track and share the whereabouts and details of idols’ lives, both professional and personal. One can only hope agencies start investing more in the safety of their employees than in their promotion, but that’s probably as likely as sasaeng stopping their stalking altogether.

Written by Kristina Manente

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2017’s K-pop trends aim for the past

K-pop is undoubtedly one of Korea’s most vital exports, but at its core, it is a domestic business. The public craves idols and entertainment at an alarming rate, especially given how many new groups and subgroups debut every month. 2017 has seen the birth of a number of trends, from ’80s and ’90s fashion choices to music video aesthetics.

In an industry where getting a top song can make or break a group, solidify a comeback or proclaim it a flop, keeping and, more importantly, creating new trends is a key ingredient to success. So as this rather tumultuous year begins to come to an end, let’s take a look at some of the trends of popular Korean music.

K-pop music videos are always a spectacle; the production values are second to none … even when they’re not meant to be. With having millions of YouTube views becoming the new big bragging right, the music videos themselves need to impress. This year has seen interesting trends, the first being a mixture of low and high quality video. This look is deliberate, and capitalizes on a larger retro trend that has been popular this year. The best examples of this are NCT’s “Limitless” and Got7’s “My Swagger.” It’s been a year of nostalgia, though a very certain sort of stylized nostalgia.

On the opposite side of the spectrum is oversaturated pop-color videos, and while this has long been a mainstay in K-pop, it’s the bold colors and not pastels that sets it apart. Mamamoo’s “Yes I Am,” Oh My Girl’s “Coloring Book,” Lovelyz’s “Wow,” and Red Velvet’s “Red Summer” fall into this category. The pure and innocent girl group concept has been temporarily retired as an image of energy and, dare I say, quirkiness took over, especially during the summer. Sunmi’s “Gashina” is a prime example of this. Personality has been king this year, a direct break from the matching outfits and identicalness that, frankly, plagued girl groups for ages.

Album sales are another key to monetary success in K-pop and agencies and companies have found a way to creatively exploit that by offering album variants. This goes beyond repackages which offer the same album with perhaps one or two extra songs. We’re talking specialized albums where if you buy each version the spines will make a picture. EXO’s “The War” album has three different versions with random comic book pages and retro stylized trading cards, encouraging fans to buy multiples to complete the set. G-Dragon’s “Kwon Ji Yong” USB album was also a showstopper this year, causing its own controversy when the Gaon chart refused to acknowledge it as a physical album. Artists are getting more creative with their albums, doing more and more variants and repackages. Whether it’s a bid to just make more money or to provide fans with unique merchandise … well, that’s up for debate.

But perhaps the most telling of all trends this year is the focus outside of Korea. One of the most popular K-pop groups, BTS, has a stronger international fan base than it does a Korean one, albeit it still has a strong domestic following. Co-ed group Kard had an international tour before they even debuted officially in Korea. With Japan and China having their own idols, the latter especially developing them recently, perhaps in a continuous attempt to limit Korea’s exports in lieu of its objections over Korea’s decision to allow the United States to install an anti-missle system on the Peninsula, it’s become increasingly important to reward and communicate with international fans. In the past, K-pop had mostly been for Koreans, but the Korean music market is miniscule in comparison to the United States and Japan. While K-pop is well-established in Japan, elsewhere it’s still an untapped market, despite legions of fans. What 2017 has really revealed is that groups both big and small can find success outside of their homeland.

It’s been an interesting year for K-pop, and one can only hope things continue to get creative. It’s nice to see concepts that are a bit different and a bit weird. However, only time will tell what trend will be next.

Written by Kristina Manente