SM Town Youth Star Audition 2012

SM is famous for producing many of Korea’s top K-Pop stars, such as BoA, TVXQ, Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, SHINee, and f(x). A few of those stars were discovered through the SM Global Auditions, such as Super Junior-M‘s Henry, a finalist of the 2006 Global Auditions, and f(x)‘sAmber, who participated in the 2007 U.S. auditions, and more.
For this year, SM will be holding a new audition catered towards the youth of the world in their ‘Youth Star Audition‘ for those ranging from 8 to 20 years old. The auditions will take place in seven countries including South Korea, Japan, China, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, and is open to all nationalities and genders.
Check out more details at the official ‘Youth Star Audition’ site here, and check below for the list of the North American dates and locations!

July 29th – Los Angeles, CA, USA
August 4th – New Jersey, USA
August 28th/29th – Toronto, Canada
September 1st – Vancouver, Canada
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The agency has also unveiled a few promotional videos for the upcoming auditions, so check them out below if you didn’t catch them before!

Giving Rookies a Chance

In this day in age of K-pop, you have your staple, mega-idol K-pop groups (DBSK, SNSD, Big Bang, KARA, 2NE1, U-Kiss and the like) and then you have your normal idol groups (Dal Shabet, Rainbow, Teen Top, Chaos, AA, etc) and in between exists a great divide. It is surely no secret that mega-idols reign supreme on music shows, on music charts and in awards ceremonies without so much as batting a pretty eyelid, sweeping the floor of rookies clean out of the running for any inkling of glamorous success. Now, the superstar idols of today were of course rookies once too, and have come a long way in securing their ranks among the most highly celebrated groups in K-pop through plenty of blood, sweat, tears and schedules. However, even as our favorite big shots continue to soak in the limelight and as we continue to fund their success by means of emptying out our wallets for repackaged albums, posters, and keychains, you may find it well worth your time to remember the little guys once in a while, for it is in their hands that lies the real future of K-pop.
I’m talking, of course, about rookies. To be completely honest, it wasn’t until this new year that I took a fancying to rookie idols. Before then, I loathed the coming of rookies, plugging up the pop scene with mediocre music and poor attempts at recreating trends already accomplished by the bigger and better idols that stood above them. It sincerely frustrated me: just think about the sheer number of rookies groups that have popped up on the scene within the past year, and consider all their feeble attempts to rise up in status in the world of idoldom.
It is almost too easy to despise rookies groups. And not simply because of their antics on the idol scene, but also because of their status as rookie. As a well-weathered fan myself, it used to seem beneath me to waste time with rookies and rookie music, especially when my favorite idols were already pumping out chart-topping autotune crack-tastic nonsense. But there comes a time in every fan’s life when all your favorite idols are not promoting, are away in Japan, or something of the like, and suddenly, you are without your music. For me, this was the moment I turned my attention to the rookie sphere, and to put it shortly, I have never been the same. There is a certain charm to watching rookies grow and excitement watching them succeed. So please, before I digress, sit back, relax, and let me argue the case of the rookies.
Top Five Reasons Why You Should Give Rookies An Honest Chance:
1. A Breath of Fresh Air
There is a reason you keep your K-pop playlist on shuffle during your commute home, on the way to school, or during your routine exercise. While we’re always going to have love for our favorite idols and their music, there comes a point where enough is enough. Listen to the same songs over and over again from the same artists and you’ll stop registering the music and eventually tune out. Rookies, on the other hand, are the perfect opportunity to recharge your K-pop senses. Depending on their entertainment company and their grass roots concepts, rookies can come fully equipped with unique sound and plenty of attitude.
Take for example Block B‘s “NalinA.” Sadly overshadowed by a controversy involving Block B shortly after its release, “NanlinA” it is a high energy song complete with interesting choreography and a wide array of vocals to keep you hooked. If you’re bored of the usual pop-centric approach to rookie boy-group music, turn your attention here.
Another great new song from a rookie group that is turning heads is VIXX’s “Super Hero.” Rallied together as the six finalists from Mnet’s reality show Mydol, VIXX’s first official release “Super Hero” is surprisingly addictive for a song from the typical rookie pop grind.
2. Eye Candy
New rookie groups also mean new faces, and that is why it is the second most important reason when it comes to loving rookies groups. Now we all have our biases (and hell I have an eternal bias lover, as I like to call Jun.k) but let’s be honest here: it doesn’t take much pushing to blush in front a fresh new face from across the computer screen.
Idols are always going to be pretty and prim and perfect, but there is no better way to spice up your bias love life than with a pretty new rookie. This year, Hello Venus’ Lime and her cute minty locks stole my heart, all the more because she is also a rapper. NU’EST’s Baekho only had to swing a sword around to dubstep backtrack to attract my wandering eye to his debut teaser and BAM–I was sold.
3. Real Talk
Though some rookies may stick to the books and remain cool, calm, and collected 100% of the time to maintain their idol image, there are some that break barriers. Rookies often tend to be nervous and excited enough for themselves as up and comings, and are captured in plenty of candid moments that can reveal their honest humor or shyness, or other such traits that may eventually simmer down in the grand scheme of their careers as idols. These looks into rookies lives allow for a connection to be a established–seeing them vulnerable also makes their struggle relatable, at least to some degree, as they are still young people. It’s one way fans connect with the idols they grow to love long before those idols rise to stardom.
Here is B.A.P. leader Yong Guk‘s pre-debut interview about his anticipation and excitement for the B.A.P. project to come to life. Normally a leader with a tough, bad boy exterior, he breaks down for a moment reflecting on this rise to fame. (Starts 22:02)
4. Reality TV
As long rookies are still hot on the scene, they’re going to do a lot of self promotion. This usually involves the group getting all the members together to feature in reality program that stars the rookies themselves. These shows provide an inside look into the group’s beginnings and its dynamic. Members are often forced to complete outrageous missions or go about on team-building activities that allows fan a look into their real, interactive personalities off stage. As seen above, B.A.P. had Ta-Dah! It’s B.A.P. to document their pre-debut story.
The likes of B1A4, who are currently condoning cheating with their latest aegyo-ridden “Sleep Well, Goodnight,” was featured in MTV Match Up alongside Block B back in the day, and more recently was the focus of Sesame Player. These programs are often rather mindless, but are also the source of much laughter, and laughter has a funny way of making fans like us fall in love with idols. Plus, with plenty of rookies roaming around, there is plenty of reality TV to pick and choose from.
5. Raw Talent
The great rookie wave brought with it an onslaught of mediocre idols that sing with bland voices and perform robotic choreography. However, odds are there lies more real talent out there than we take for granted, and our ignorance for rookies due in part to their sheer numbers also mean that there is talent being readily overlooked. Of course, when the cream of the K-pop crop is out promoting their music, rookies stand no chance in out shining who we know to be the best of the best.
But that doesn’t mean we give up on rookies altogether. If you dig deep enough, you may actually be surprised at what you find in the great rookie sphere. Consider SPICA: B2M Entertainment‘s latest female quintet. SPICA is a dazzling array of vocal talent that won’t leave you disappointed, and their mature sound and concepts set them apart from most rookies on the scene at the moment. When it comes to delivery, these girls mean business. Check out their latest haunting title track, “Painkiller.”
So if you have abstained from getting to know the many rookies that flood the K-pop scene, it may be high time you become acquainted with the talent creeping up behind you. Sure, it is daunting trying to remember who is who, and keep track of all these random group names, but in the end, a dip into the rookie sphere may prove more fruitful than you think. While it is all fine and dandy and cotton candy to love and rock out to your favorite superstar idols, don’t forget that there are rookies on the pop scene with great musical capacity and stage charisma just dying to get your passing glance. And for all we know, a handful of rookies will one day replace the ranks of others at the peak of the idoldom hierarchy; so passing up a rookie may very well mean passing up a real-time underdog story. At the end of the day, rookies only need an honest chance to prove themselves worthy of pop-scene glory. The question remaining, however, is will you give them that chance?

Taeyeon Reveals Her Diet Secret!

 Want to know the secret behind Girls’ Generation (SNSD) Taeyeon’s slim body? You’ll be surprised. Girls’ Generation member Taeyeon, who is currently promoting as a member of sub-unit TaeTiSeo, revealed the secret to maintaining her ideal figure.


  During a recent recording for SBS E! TV ‘TV Cult Two Show – Talking With The Stars‘, Taeyeon left her fans dumbfounded when she said she keeps in shape by “eating ramyeon late at night.”
While this alone would be enough to make anyone a round ball in a week, she then explained, “But I don’t sleep after I eat,” revealing the important detail behind her secret. Taeyeon also questioned the ‘SNSD diet’ that made issues on the web, saying, “How do you expect someone to live on just 900 calories [a day]?”


 Netizens did not seem to be satisfied with her trick to staying slim as they responded, “Even so, how can she stay so slim when she eats instant ramen,” “She must have another trick up her sleeve,” and “I need to sleep less.”

Another Side of Hallyu: Manhwa

  South Korea’s strongest cultural exports that contribute to the Hallyu Wave are none other than K-Pop and K-Dramas. However, those that read Japanese Manga may have noticed the ever increasing presence of its Korean version, manhwa. Stylistically, they may not be much different. On the surface, the only immediately noticeable differences are their names and the fact that it’s read from left to right. Manhwa is actually an umbrella term for any sort of visual novel (US Comic, Japanese Manga, etc) in Korea, but to the West, manhwa is essentially Korean manga.
  First thing’s first, though: manhwa is not a carbon copy of manga. Manhwa has a rich history that evolved alongside Korea (and independently of manga). Telling stories through the use of pictures is an age-old idea, and manhwa has actually been in existence since the 1900s, often used as a form of criticism for Japanese Colonization. This changed dramatically in the 1960s, when Park Chung-hee essentially jailed anyone or anything with a slight tinge of dissent.
  From there on out, manhwa switched from political satire to good-natured entertainment, and became a way to squeeze enjoyment out of what may have been a miserable life. The Korean Government actually backed this idea and urged artists and publishers to create what was called “patriotic comics.” Manhwa of this time period usually contained stories of unpatriotic Korean degenerates being brought to justice or criticism of the North Korean government. Popularity of manhwa only grew as illegally smuggled Japanese manga became widespread.
  As the political landscape of South Korea evolved, so did manhwa. The authoritarian oppression of Park Chung-hee ended, there were many political reforms in the 1990s, and eventually there were less things to criticize. Many artists realized that for manhwa to survive, their inherent subjects needed to change. The scope of entertainment for manhwa began to range from science fiction, to romance, to “shounen,” and even “yaoi.” (Google that last one) Finally we’ve reached the modern manhwa, a smorgasbord of stories and genres that, while on the surface, seem very much like manga, hold their own uniquely Korean flavor.
  Manhwa has even begun evolving through digital distribution. Popular portal sites Naver and Daum distribute many online manhwa called “webtoons.” These webtoons are usually in color and exist in an “endless scrolling” format, with each chapter posted onto one long image.
  Manhwa is considered a little bit more realistic in presentation in comparison to manga. Many stories take place in an ever so slightly edited version of reality. This leads to manhwa being more entrenched in Korean culture, with nuances and traditions that are more readily brought to the forefront than in manga. That being said, manhwa only started becoming popular internationally thanks to its Japanese counterpart. With the manner of presentation being so similar, it was only a matter of time until they were grouped together.
  However with the emergence of Korea as a cultural mecca, manhwa companies in South Korea are now keen on tapping into the power of the Hallyu Wave. Recently it was revealed that the sirens of Girls’ Generation as well as the boys of SHINee will be featured in an upcoming webtoon called ENT. ENT most likely stands for entertainment and will revolve around an SM trainee and a young fanfiction writer. The fanfiction writer publishes a story based on what the trainee has told him/her with much of the webtoon featuring the events that follow. This manhwa will initially be published in the Japanese magazine, Club Sunday, with the chapter being uploaded onto Naver at a later date. Manhwa publishing company Ylab hopes to draw attention to both manhwa and K-pop with this project.
  Although Japan has its own thriving manga industry, manhwa has managed to find a place in the market. It is only recently that manhwa has been able to break into the west. One of the largest manhwa and webtoons distributors in the US, Netcomics, currently sells more than forty different series online. Following the format of how it is done in South Korea, each chapter is sold at $0.25 to be read online. When it comes to physical copies of manhwa, US comic distributor Dark Horse as well French-owned Yen Press lead the way, with a plethora of different titles being circulated either in bookstores or available for purchase online.
To international fans of the Hallyu, manhwa may seem obscure and of no great consequence. This viewpoint is interesting when you take into consideration that manhwa accounts for nearly 25% of South Korea’s overall book sales. But why is manhwa so invisible when it comes to the Wave?
  Unlike in Japan, Korea does not have a large animated series market. This doesn’t mean manhwa cannot move beyond its initial printing. Many beloved and adored K-Dramas are entirely based on manhwa. Goong, Full House, and Damo are just a few of the well known live-action adaptations of this medium. Manhwa has even managed to make its mark on Hollywood. Priest is a popular manhwa that circulated in Korea more than a decade ago, and was recently made into a movie, also entitled Priest. With most manhwa classically being adapted in a live-action format, the association of “this was a manhwa” is easy to forget. Not only that, it severely cuts down on the type of manhwa that can be expanded. Your typical “battle” type series will never be picked up as a drama because high production costs as well as lack of a strong plot-line.
When compared to South Korea and Japan, Western audiences have certain cultural stigmas attached to comic book readers. Around 10% of Americans admit to reading comics. In South Korea, a single chapter of a popular series can acquire 10% of the nation to read it. American women in general do not read comics — it is estimated that only about 5% of women do — whereas in Japan, 81% of teenage girls read comics. Much of the difference between the two industries should really be chalked up to how much more diverse manhwa and manga is. Most Western comics center around masked super heroes endlessly fighting villains to bring about justice. It’s extremely rare to find a comic where romance is the main focus.
  Here is where manhwa tries to really make an impression. Western comics are a male dominated industry, but around 40% of manhwa artists are women. Female oriented comics is something the industry itself should invest itself in. Years ago, female video gamers were relatively unheard of, yet through re-branding and correct marketing, there is a relatively large amount of female gamers these days. That was not possible without the appropriate material to back it up.
In terms of comics, manhwa would be that appropriate material. Most manhwa that are published in the US are “soonjung” manhwa. These are innocent love stories, comparable to “shoujo” manga, and generally are targeted towards young women. When it comes to comics, American or otherwise, romance will not be the flagship seller. Soonjung manhwa have shorter stories, meaning a built up fan-base will end just as quickly. However shorter anthologies are easier to produce, and believe it or not, romance has the largest market share in popular fiction. Once manhwa as a genre can gain a real foothold in Western publishing industry, more competitive genres can ease in.
  With K-Pop beginning to storm the West, maybe manhwa will soon follow. In five years it might not be strange to see a manhwa on bestsellers lists.

And Then There Were Nine

 
  Many of Korea’s top girl groups are singing and dancing in large packs these days. A Pink, Rainbow, Nine Muses, and quite a few others have debuted over the last few years with seven or more members. Of the large groups, three have earned reputations as the best of the best – gaining popularity through promotions in South Korea, Japan and then all over the world. And interestingly enough, they’re about to share something else in common: the number of ladies. How did they arrive at so many? Is there something special about nine idols together in a group? 

   Let’s start with the group that made the number famous: Girls’ Generation.

GIRLS’ GENERATION

SM Entertainment, one of Korea’s “top three” agencies alongside JYP and YG, debuted Girls’ Generation in 2007. At the time, nine was an unusually large idol group – the second largest in SM next to brother group, Super Junior. Most other groups of both sexes at the time were limited to trios, quartets and quintets.
During an interview on Radio Show Ya Shim Man Man 2, members Sooyoung, Yuri and Yoona revealed that the trainee competition to join the group was fierce. Apparently, the original plan was for a three-member group, but was extended to 10 after three extensive line-up revisions. After the departure of Soyeon (who later debuted  with T-ARA), the final roster consisted of leader Taeyeon, Yuri, Sunny, Tiffany, Sooyoung, Jessica, Hyoyeon, YoonA and Seohyun.
 As of April 2012, Girls’ Generation introduced their first sub-group, TaeTiSeo. Though the group name was drawn from the names of the first three members, Taeyeon, Tiffany and Seohyun, according to OSEN, representatives from SM stated that the members were interchangeable, so future promotions may include other members of GG.

Girls Generation and TaeTiSeo (Unit Group)

AFTER SCHOOL

After School Debut Members

  Pledis Entertainment took an interesting approach to their first idol group, After School, by declaring from the start that there would be an “admission/graduation” system. New members would be “admitted” into After School, and would “graduate” when it was time to move on to other projects – making member changes appear more natural. Many idol groups cut and add members, but not without much speculation and suggested internal conflict. Announcing from debut that active members are interchangeable took the bulk of negative pressure away from the agency whenever they decided to add to or withdraw from After School’s membership.
  A.S. originally consisted of leader Kahi, Bekah, JungAh, Juyeon and Soyoung in 2007, and admitted UEE, Raina, Nana, Lizzy and E-Young by 2011. Soyoung graduated in 2009 and Bekah graduated in 2011 respectively. Newest member Gaeun was introduced on April 10 in Japan, and will bring the group’s total active members to nine when she joins A.S. for their album release this June. But in an interesting twist, After School’s capacity may come back down to eight soon, as Pledis CEO Han Sung Soo announced through an interview on May 2 that another graduation will take place (StarNews). After School currently has three promoting sub-groups: Orange Caramel, After School Red and After School Blue.

After School Current Photo and New Member Gaeun

 After School Sub-Groups: Orange Caramel (Left), After School Red (Top), and After School Blue (Bottom)

  

T-ARA

T-ARA Debut Members

 

  Core Contents Media formed T-ARA in 2009 with members Eunjung, Hyomin, Jiyeon, Jiwon and Jiae, though it is unclear whether they initially planned to add more. After the departure of Jiwon and Jiae just before their official debut, the group gained Boram, Q-ri, Soyeon and Hwayoung, bringing the current total to seven. Although there have been no sub-groups announced for T-ARA yet, several members have become popular personalities on variety shows and even acted as leads in movies and television dramas.
   CEO Kim Kwang Soo announced earlier this year that two more girls would be added, bringing the total up to the 9 for this group as well. His official statement not only confirmed the member addition, but also served as a warning to members becoming comfortable in their top star position.  “I’ve seen a portion of the celebrities I’ve created become conceited and idle about three years after they’ve risen to popularity. Although T-ARA is working hard, I have decided to make changes to show them that they must continue to try and work even harder onstage and offstage.”  (Kim Kwang Soo, Naver)

Current T-ARA to Add Two New Members

IS 9 THE MAGIC NUMBER?

   Agencies with large groups are well aware of what comes with them – uneven popularity among fans between members, issues of pay distribution and visibility during off-promotion activities. Internal issues aside, it does provide an agency with a larger pool of artists to work with; side projects like sub-groups and acting in dramas and movies is much easier to facilitate when audiences are already familiar with the talent from their high-time in a popular group. Some members may even achieve enough popularity and support to have a second solo career, returning to the group only for group promotions.
   It’s a bit of a reach to say that the number “9″ is specifically the ticket to big success, but as far as we can tell, it seems to sit right in the perfect range. There are enough members to spread out and break down into solos or sub-groups as the agency sees fit, but not too many that fans are put-off by the amount of names to remember and activities to follow. With a wide enough range of personalities and talents, a group of nine has a better chance of appealing to a wider range of audiences.

All Image Credits to Respective Agencies.

What do you think? Do 9-member groups have a better chance at lifting off?

The Pros and Cons of English in K-Pop

   We’ve all heard it, and maybe even made fun of it, but the fantastic elastic fact of the matter is English in K-pop has had its ups and downs. And while it’s safe to say that my perspective is somewhat biased given that I’m a native English speaking person, it’s clear that using English to spread the Hallyu wave is not without its difficulties.

   English in K-pop is a chiefly commendable nod towards K-Pop’s unparalleled global mindset. Not just with English, K-Pop explores many foreign languages, thanks to and as its supporting industry spreads its influence into the international music marketplace. (There aren’t too many music companies that offer more than one language on their homepage, much less four like YG Family does….) Whether it be debuts in Japan or other ventures in surrounding parts of Asia, in just a few short years K-Pop has has been cropping up all over the world. At the very least, the K-pop industry should be commended for its commitment to its heaps of international fans, while most other artists/industries don’t seem to care as much. But as the waves topple over the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans simultaneously, will having to speak and sing English clearly hinder the mega pop machine?