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Taking the Spotlight: BTS Members’ Solo Music

I am sure that the ever-faithful ARMY has been counting the days since Permission to Dance and My Universe were released. So while we are patiently waiting for the next group comeback, here’s a look at the individual activities of the six members.

BTS Jin

Let’s start off with the oldest among the seven, the world-renowned “worldwide handsome,” Jin. Known for his falsetto voice nowadays, things didn’t start as rosy as it is with our visual, at least in the vocal department. As the member who would often have the fewest lines in songs recorded by the group, it used to be that Jin was dismissed as the member whose main contribution would only be limited to his looks and not much else in other facets like dance, song production, and vocals. Even his inclusion in the group really started off that way – with so many people having not a lot of confidence with his skills as a singer. After all, as early as his junior high school years, he was already scouted off the street by SM Entertainment, which he declined at that time. Years later, Big Hit Entertainment scouted him again while he was walking down the street, proof that talent scouts really saw star potential in him with just his looks.

However, try to watch even just one video of the group in BTS and you will realize that of all the members, it is Jin who is known for being the most industrious in terms of improving his skills, particularly in singing and dancing. Thus, through the years, you will most likely notice the improvement in his vocal skills. What used to be rather plain and emotionless singing from Jin noticeably became more secure and layered, complete with a wide emotional range you can hear from his performances. Thus, nine years after debuting, while Jin is obviously still primarily known for his undeniable good looks, he has also gotten recognition for his emotional rendition of his portions of BTS songs and even in his solo performances. You know when it’s time for a powerful Jin performance when you see a vein popping on the right side of his neck, which you’re almost 100% will get when he sings his solo track Epiphany from the compilation album Love Yourself: Answer.

Aside from Epiphany, Jin has also released two solo songs in BTS’ albums — Awake in 2016, which was part of their Wings EP, and Moon, which was part of their 2020 EP Map of the Soul: 7. Epiphany is so far his most successful solo song, while Moon is his highest-charting locally. Aside from collaborating with V in It’s definitely You for the Hwarang OST in 2016, Jin has also contributed to the OST of the 2021 drama Jirisan with the single Yours, which topped Billboard’s World Digital Song Charts in late November last year.

Have we mentioned Jin also treated ARMYs with trot song Super Tuna?

BTS Suga aka August D

Now it’s time to talk about the sleepyhead but perhaps the most successful record producer among the seven, Min Yoongi, aka Suga, aka Agust D. The number of his stage names can only be surpassed by the number of roles this multi-hyphenate portrays – rapper, songwriter, record producer, and just overall slayer of life. Just by looking at the seven members, you wouldn’t really point out Suga as the most successful of the bunch, definitely not with his seemingly introverted demeanor and his unexcitable ways. Considering he is a rapper and his fellow rapper in the group are the leader and chatterbox RM and the eternal ray of sunshine Hobi aka J-Hope, the first impression everybody has of Yoongi would be that of a reserved, if not internally intense rapper. But a quick browse through his profile and you’ll know he’s not some shy passive personality who’ll just let his members claim all the fame.

His personality considered, it may be true that Suga will let his members take more of the spotlight, as it’s not really his style to be overly engaging with fans. We can see how benevolent he is in BTS concerts when he lets the entire group perform Daechwita with him instead of keeping it a solo act. However, when Suga (better yet, Agust D) comes out of the shadows of Yoongi, we see a confident performer who spits fire when he raps and owns the stage. When you’re listening to an Agust D track and you’re keeping still without grooving to it, you’re dead inside, I tell you.

As expected of a bonafide artist, Suga writes, composes, arranges, mixes, and masters all of his releases. According to the Korea Music Copyright Association, he has been credited with over 100 registered songs, which most definitely has caused him to be promoted to a full member of the association as early as 2018. He has dropped two mixtapes, Agust D in 2016 and D-2 in 2020, which charter in numerous international charts, including Billboard. He has several songs that have charted both in Gaon and Billboard, with Daechwita peaking at #1 in the Billboard World Digital Songs Chart and Strange (featuring RM) peaking at #2. He scored a number 1 in Gaon’s Digital Chart in 2020 when he was featured in IU’s Eight, a song he also produced. Aside from IU, Suga has also produced songs for D-Town, Suran, Epik High (who also happen to be his idols growing up), Heize, and OMI.

BTS J-Hope

From one rapper to the next, we move from Suga to J-Hope. While Suga is known to be intense and quiet, J-Hope has all the energy and brightness cornered. You simply cannot hold your smiles when you see J-Hope. He’s just a bundle of positive and delightful energy, a source of cheer for both his members and his fans. Of course, J-Hope has his moments of seriousness and formality and his gleeful personality isn’t really on 24/7.

In fact, if you watch interviews of BTS members talking about each other, they are quick to point out that before debuting, Hoseok or Hobi wasn’t particularly overly cheerful and bright as he is now. Members claim that J-Hope used to be clueless as to dealing with stress, as he used to get easily overwhelmed with facing the challenges of his career as an idol trainee. In addition, during the early years of BTS, it seemed like the first ARMY had J-Hope as the weakest of the seven members as he was pretty much a lead and not the “main” in everything – Jimin is the better dancer, Suga is the better rapper, V is the most charismatic, Jin is the most handsome, RM has natural leadership skills, and everybody just loves Jungkook. Good thing, despite his threats of leaving the group as far as their pre-debut days, the rest of the group did not allow him to quit and talked him out of it. RM, knowing his worrier personality that obsesses on things until they become what he wants them to be assigned him the role of being the mood maker of the group. And with that role, it seems that J-Hope has developed a passion for making himself and the people around him always positive, smiling, and looking at the bright side of life.

The upbeat and energetic characteristics he has developed while in the group have bled into his music and style of performing. If you listen closely to his songs in his 2018 mixtape Hope World, you will notice that although his songs may be energetic and upbeat, they also present stories of his challenges as an idol and how he overcomes them. Thus, his music is quite relatable to a lot of people who choose to be positive and optimistic even when faced with difficulties. Talk about artistic genuineness!

His efforts have not gone unnoticed, as Hope World peaked at #1 in the Billboard World Albums Chart in 2018. Daydream, Airplane, and Chicken Noodle Soup have charted in the Billboard World Digital Singles Chart. Chicken Noodle Soup actually got into Billboard’s main Hot 100 Chart, making J-Hope the first and so far only BTS member to have a solo song that charted in the Billboard Hot 100. He has also recorded solo tracks that have been included in BTS EPs and has written a good number of songs for his group and even for 2 AM’s Jo Kwon as early as 2012.

BTS RM

Next to Suga, the next member who can be considered the most successful in their solo careers in music is RM. The group’s leader isn’t just a highly skilled rapper, but just like his two co-rappers, is also a prolific writer and music producer not just for himself and the group, but even for other artists. But then, who can question RM’s skills? Even as a tween, he already posted poems online and was interested in pursuing a career in literature which he decided not to pursue.

Fans would also know that RM is intellectually gifted and didn’t have difficulties getting high scores in the national university entrance exams, so he could have chosen any career path. His parents were even opposed to his choice of pursuing his interest in music, but he prevailed in the end and got his career started by becoming active in the Korean underground hip-hop scene and later auditioning for Big Hit Entertainment.

As the leader of BTS and with his handy proficiency in the English language, RM has taken the role of being the group’s spokesperson. It goes without saying that his intelligence and way with words have an impact on the songs he has written and produced for himself and his group. A certified bookworm, you would know which pieces of literature have had a tremendous impact on RM. A good number of songs that he has written for his group heavily reference books and literary characters.

As part of 2015’s The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 2 EP, the song Butterfly alludes to Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami, which is about a teenager who runs away from home and experiences various situations where he asks himself if what’s happening to him is true or just figments of his imagination. Another example is 2016’s Blood, Sweat & Tears from the album Wings, which has a ton of symbolism from Hermann Hesse’s Demian, which narrates the struggles of a man on whether to side with the good and the evil.

A year later, from the You’ll Never Walk Alone comes the title track Spring Day, which from the Omelas signage shown on the music video is an obvious reference to Ursula K. Le Guin’s story The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas, which is about this magical place that has to sacrifice an individual to keep its blissful state. And that’s just three of more than 170 songs the Korean Music Copyright Association has attributed to him. If those literary references don’t convince you of RM’s excellence in writing, then nothing will!

https://youtu.be/e0PCwdF7USI

Armed with skills and a brilliant head above his shoulders, it comes as no surprise that RM would succeed in his career as a member of BTS and a solo artist. He has produced two mixtapes for himself, RM in 2015 (which was a critical success but went unnoticed commercially as understandably, BTS was still a bit obscure that time) and Mono in 2018, which was both a critical and commercial success. Aside from being a top contributor in BTS’ releases as a songwriter and producer, he has also collaborated with other artists like Steve Aoki and labelmates TXT to produce songs for them. Not bad at all for an intellectually-gifted student who ditched his academic career for a shot at being a hip-hop artist.

BTS Jimin

Jimin is one of those people who you would think of as an idol with even just one glance. He just looks the part – he has a unique face, the way he moves confirm an affinity to dance, and his overall aura just reflects the charisma of someone who’s part of the entertainment industry. Alas, his life before BTS reflects this, as even before he became a trainee, Jimin was already studying different dance genres in dance academies in his native Busan. When he passed his auditions in Big Hit Entertainment in 2012, he transferred to Seoul and as they say, the rest is history.

Though Jimin is primarily considered as BTS’ main dancer, which is testament to how his skills in dance are more highly regarding than his skills as a vocalist, this hasn’t stopped Jimin from releasing solo singles every now and then. In 2016, he released Lie as part of the group’s studio album, Wings. This dark and dramatic song was praised for being in line with the album’s overall moody concept. The next year, his solo track Serendipity, which was included on the Love Yourself: Her EP of 2017 was described by Korean music critics as “unraveling the joy, conviction, and curiosity of love.” It took three years before Jimin contributed a new solo track to BTS’ discography with Filter, which was included in the group’s 2020 studio album, Map of the Soul: 7. People described his latest solo song as radio-friendly with a noticeable Latin pop influence. All three songs charted at the top 20 of Gaon’s Digital Charts and reached the top 3 in the Billboard US World Digital Songs Chart.

In 2018, both Serendipity and Lie have surpassed fifty million streams on Spotify. A year later, Serendipity’s full-length version from BTS’ Love Yourself: Answer (2018) compilation album also achieved the same feat. With this, Jimin joined a rather exclusive set of Korean artists — that so far only has Psy to have three solo songs with more than 50 million streams each. Both Serendipity and Lie have also been the only solos by a BTS member to be included in the Official Chart Company’s list of the top 20 most streamed BTS songs in the UK.

Jimin’s winning streak continued in 2019 as he became the first BTS member to have a solo music video achieve 100 million views on YouTube with the MV for Serendipity. He was also the only BTS member with multiple solo songs in the January 2020 update of the Official Chart’s top 40 list. Filter continued its predecessor’s record-breaking tradition as it set a record for the biggest streaming debut among all Korean songs on Spotify with over 2.2 million streams in its first 24 hours of release. It eventually went on to become the fastest Korean solo in the platform’s history to surpass 20–60 million streams. It is also the first and so far only solo BTS b-side track to receive a Song of The Year nomination at the Gaon Chart Music Awards.

Jimin has also released a solo song that hasn’t been included in a BTS release with Promise, which was made available for free on BTS’ SoundCloud page in 2019. SoundCloud then announced the song had surpassed the record set by Drake’s Duppy Freestyle for the biggest 24-hour debut in history. Aside from his solo tracks, Jimin has also co-written some songs for his group, including Christmas Day in 2014, which he performed with Jungkook, Friends in 2020 that was included in the Map of the Soul: 7 album, and Dis-ease, which was a track in the group’s Be album. Considering that it is accepted that he is the group’s most popular member (ranking 1st as the most popular idol in an annual survey conducted by Gallup Korea in 2018 and 2019), we expect nothing less from Jiminie.

BTS V

Arguably the most popular member of BTS (pending the objection of Jimin-stans, of course), V also happens to have the most diverse career trajectory in the group. He is the first BTS member to have appeared in a television drama via a supporting role in 2016’s Hwarang: the Poet Warrior Youth, a feat that up to now still hasn’t been replicated by other members and even by himself, as he hasn’t acted after Hwarang. V’s versatility (for all we know, his stage name also stands for versatile aside from the commonly accepted ‘victory’) has been noted from the start, even before his debut with BTS. After acing his audition, BigHit Entertainment named… or rather hid V’s identity, announcing him as a member of the company’s soon-to-debut group without revealing his identity. People did wonder why V’s identity wasn’t revealed until it was time for BTS to debut.

Since BigHit did not offer any explanation up to now as to why they made V a hidden member prior to the groups’ debut, people eventually presented their own theories. Perhaps the most popular conspiracy theory on this issue was that at that time, the company wanted to avoid bigger companies from pirating V from them after his successful audition. As V was (and still is) an all-around ace with a unique husky voice, passable dancing skills, and arresting good looks, BigHit didn’t want to alarm the bigger companies and give them the opportunity to strategize and lure this diamond in the rough. Thus, the company made an effort to hide their gem until it was time for BTS to actually debut. Smart, eh?

Since his debut, V has figured in a good number of solo projects. His first solo track Stigma, which was included in the group’s 2016 album Wings, went on to top the Billboard World Digital Songs Sales Chart. Two of his solo songs appeared in 2018 and 2020 in the group’s next two full-length albums, Love Yourself: Tear and Map of the Soul: 7, respectively. Singularity and Inner Child also topped the Billboard World Digital Songs Sales Chart during their release.

In 2019, V released Winter Bear—an MV he also directed and starred in.

Aside from his solo tracks, V has also contributed to a number of OSTs, his first being It’s Definitely You with Jin, included on the Hwarang OST, a show which he was also part of. He also recorded Sweet Night, which was part of the Itaewon Class OST in 2020, and Christmas Tree, which was part of the Our Beloved Summer OST months ago.

V has also flexed his songwriting muscle several times, contributing to the group’s catalog su0ch as Hold Me Tight in The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 1 EP, the group’s breakout hit Run, which was part of the EP The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 2, and Blue & Grey from the group’s Be album, to name a few.

As of the moment, V’s Christmas Tree has posted another record for landing at No. 1 on iTunes in over 80 countries including the eight largest music markets in the world: the United States, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands. His OST for the K-drama Our Beloved Summer is his second song to claim the top spot in those countries following his Itaewon Class contribution Sweet Night.

So, what does the future hold for BTS’ resident Good Boy? Only time can tell, but ARMY is assured that only good things are in store for V, with his boundless charms and talent.

BTS Jungkook

Last but not the least, it’s time to talk about the Golden Maknae, Jungkook! We know that all members of BTS are all-rounders, being skilled in singing, rapping, and dancing, but everybody would agree that Jungkook just takes everything to the next level as even those who don’t have him as their bias would have him as a bias wrecker. That’s because he’s just so good in all facets of being an idol.

He is the main vocalist of the group, with his voice fitting each BTS song to a tee and remaining stable even with the most intense choreographies, and we know BTS has a lot of that. He has also rapped on various occasions and his skills are commendable as well, especially for someone who has already established a reputation in the vocal department. His dancing skills, although not as flashy as Jimin’s, are more precise and very controlled, which makes him a perfect sight at the center. Finally, there’s his magnetic stage presence which for some reason compels everyone to look at his direction despite being on stage with six other people who, depending on who you’re asking, can perform better than him.

In terms of likeability and being the total package, Jungkook is among the top idols in the industry, which makes him a popular pick to be a guest in TV shows. With his music career, he has released three solo tracks in BTS releases — Begin in 2016’s Wings, Euphoria in 2018’s Love Yourself_ Answer, and My Time in 2020’s Map of the Soul: 7. All three songs have topped the Billboard World Digital Sales Charts upon their release and charted in Korea’s Gaon Singles Chart as well.

His latest solo effort is an OST for the group’s webtoon 7FATES: CHAKHO entitled Stay Alive, which, as expected, has been breaking music chart records left and right. It has been reported that the song has hit No. 1 on iTunes in 105 territories.

This track, produced by Suga, achieved that feat in only ten days. Obviously, it is expected to make a killing on the World Digital Song Sales Chart.

Kookie is also a skilled songwriter, having been credited with the writing of several songs in the group’s discography, including familiar hits such as No More Dream, Run, Your Eyes Tell, and Stay, among others.

With the sheer volume of solo activities the hardworking BTS members have, fans are assured of so much music to last them until the next group comeback, which hopefully will be really soon!

Featured image: 7FATES: CHAKHO with BTS (방탄소년단) | Official Story Film (Full ver.). Photo: 7FATES: CHAKHO by HYBE 7FATES: CHAKHO by HYBE/YouTube

 

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TikTok and the Dance Challenge Insanity in Today’s K-Pop

I’m sure you’ve come across a ton of dance challenges the moment you open your TikTok account. In the K-pop world, the trend has been used to the point of exhaustion for some people. But then, it wasn’t exactly like this. Let’s look book at arguably a couple of the earliest uses of TikTok to amplify a song and one that has proven to still be effective despite the fatigue a lot of users have with the trend.

‘Any Song’ by Zico

We cannot talk about K-pop songs that have gone viral on TikTok without mentioning the song that started it all – Zico‘s Any Song. It’s not actually that this song was the first to have ever exploded on the platform, but the way the song utilized TikTok to bump up its popularity was at that time, quite new. Zico does not usually go to variety shows or promote his songs on music shows, so bringing his singles onto public consciousness solely depends on his reputation for releasing bops. Everybody knows that any Zico song would be a hit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiyxhaS_xwQ

However, the rapper did not leave anything to chance this time, as Any Song would be one of his last songs before his military enlistment last year. Thus, the marketing minds of KOZ Entertainment (which he is also CEO of) thought to use the power of this emerging social media platform to their advantage. So, they had a video of their CEO singing his song and doing the choreography with some of the biggest names in K-pop and posting them on his TikTok account. 

TikTok-verse caught on the craze of the song’s choreography, which was usually done in pairs as Zico did with his first two guests, MAMAMOO‘s Hwasa and Chungha. The song was already a hit, with its release very well-timed as it only had to battle on the charts with one other major release – Red Velvet‘s Psycho. However, its virality was aided a million times with what then became the #AnySongChallenge. 

@kozico0914

#AnysongChallenge#ZICO #지코 #화사 #아무노래 #Anysong#아무노래나틀어주세요#KOZ

♬ 오리지널 사운드 – kozico0914 – kozico0914

The trend became THE thing that even celebrities who meet Zico by chance posted themselves dancing with him on their own social media accounts. For example, 2NE1‘s Dara, who only met Zico at their common hairdresser’s, also did the challenge and posted the video on her Instagram. Ultimately, the TikTok craze spread to other social media platforms, with dancing pairs doing the Any Song choreography and posting their videos on their personal accounts. Since then, the song itself has also been used in the background of other TikTok videos, even those that do not involve people doing the dance challenge.    

‘Dumhdurum’ by Apink

If two songs that charted well were not enough to prove to the public that then-9-year-old girl group Apink had a successful change of image from teenybopper tweetums (from Mollayo to Five) to sophisticated elegance, the group released the third song in April 2020 to complete this trinity of “Apink is all grown-up” songs. And just like the group’s two previous releases, the song was successful in reminding the public that Apink has successfully transitioned to being more adult. Both the EP Look and the single Dumhdurum peaked at number 2 in the Gaon album and download charts, so it goes without saying the song was a hit. 

The song itself was a huge departure from the usual Apink fare. For one, lead vocal Namjoo opened the song, a responsibility that maknae Hayoung usually carries. Then, you can hear main vocalist Eunji spit lines in almost-rap cadence in the chorus. And things only got better with the song’s music video and live stages. The unique choreography of the song on its first 30 seconds alone had people trying it out for themselves, because why not? That’s what social media is for, isn’t it? To show to the world your skills in copying K-pop choreography less than a day after the live stage and dance practice videos are released? 

So, there’s this move when visual goddess Naeun sings her part in the first stanza, which has been referred to as “illusion choreography”. It is when Naeun combines her arms with Bomi, who until then was behind her. Their arms get tangled, then she’s free the moment she finishes her line. It got TikTokers so confused that they did the only thing they could do whenever they get confused with something – make a video out of it. Netizens shared clips demystifying the dance that reminded a lot of people of childhood games where kids tie their limbs in confusing knots. 

@jazlynebaybee

THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO SENT ME A LINK TO THIS SONG! ALSO THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO KINDLY ASKED ME TO ADD IT☺️ performed by @official_apink2011 on 4/13

♬ Dumhdurum – Apink

 

Alas, with success, is a bit of controversy ever far behind? A couple of  TikTokers posted a video of them doing the illusion choreography and not crediting the group or the choreography studio Freemind. When the Pink Pandas came out in full force in the video’s comments section, it was first turned off. Then, the post was taken down. After a couple of days, the video was re-posted with credits to Apink with a disclaimer that they didn’t know that it was a K-pop video. 

‘Permission to Dance’ by BTS

Any K-pop list these days won’t be complete without mentioning THE group of the moment year century, BTS. When the group’s third all-English single Permission to Dance came out, TikTok was already rife with a gazillion dance challenges, but obviously, there would always be room for RM and the group. After all, the music video for the song featured seemingly ordinary people dancing and performing sign language moves to the song, so it was practically a TikTok challenge waiting to happen. 

The HYBE marketing team wasted no time and collaborated with YouTube in issuing the #PermissiontoDanceChallenege. As with anything BTS-related, the trend spread outside the video-sharing website and reached other platforms, where ARMYs posted videos of them dancing to the song and posting them on TikTok. The challenge went full steam ahead with everyone from self-professed ARMYs to K-pop idols and even international celebrities joining the craze. Everyone from medical front liners to senior citizens and neighborhood ladies who miss their zumba group sessions and even the likes of Elton John rose up to the challenge. 

Inevitably, the song’s profile rose (well, come to think of it, anything BTS-related is bound to explode) and it peaked at number 1 in Billboard’s Hot 100 Charts. Back home, Permission to Dance won the group eight music show trophies and the song peaked at #3 in the Gaon Singles Charts. 

Now, almost every song released by idol groups would most likely have a TikTok challenge to accompany its release. Nothing beats organic popularity, of course, but if TikTok virality works, then who are we to stop its use in promoting the latest releases of our favorites?  

Featured Image: Screengrab from BTS – Permission to Dance Official Video

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The Genius of the Genius Game: Exploring the Brilliance of the Game Show

Has the Netflix hit Squid Game have you pining for more Korean shows where people play games for money? Don’t worry, there has been quite a number of Korean game shows that have been produced that had contestants compete for money, just like in Squid Game. The good thing is, the contestants in these shows don’t have to resort to violence and death. 

The show we’re going to explore is The Genius, a game show that ran for four seasons, from 2013 to 2015. When it was aired, it became a huge fad in Korea.

The Genius was a reality game show with 13 contestants from different backgrounds. There are some celebrities known for their social skills, professionals known for their particular skills in their work, and finally some “regular folk” known for their exceptional intelligence. These participants compete to be on top in every episode, which provides them with immunity from elimination. On every episode, one contestant is eliminated after two rounds of games – a Main Match and a Death Match.

During the Main Match, all players who have survived the previous episode’s elimination will play to win and to be immune from elimination via a token of life. There have been some Main Matches where more than one contestant receives the token of life and therefore, is exempted from elimination. In Main Matches, the winner receives an additional token of life which they can give to a fellow contestant, sparing the recipient from elimination as well. 

The contestant who performed the worst in the Main Match will face off with an opponent of his or her own choosing from among the contestants without a token of life in the Death Match. There have been episodes where there are joint losers, in which case the winner(s) of the Main Match will have to nominate the Death Match player from among the losers. Obviously, the Death Match loser is the eliminated contestant of that episode. 

Aside from the token of life, the winner(s) of the Main Match also win a number of red garnets. A red garnet is equivalent to 1,000,000 won (approximately US$1,000). In the final episode, only the total garnets of the winning contestant are exchanged for his or her prize money. Throughout the show, garnets can be given to other contestants as a form of leverage when negotiating some aspects of the game. Some Main Matches also allow the use of garnets for clues or implements that may win a game for a contestant. 

As the show’s title denotes, it would take a genius to win – but not just a genius in the conventional definition of being someone who has superior academic intelligence. As the start of the third season’s first episode showed, there are different kinds of intelligence, according to Harvard psychologist Howard Garner. To win this game show, it is believed that the contestant needs to employ the kind of intelligence that would benefit him or her the most, at least for a particular Main Match or Death Match. It can be interpersonal intelligence, verbal-linguistic intelligence, logical-mathematical intelligence, etc. 

The key is for the contestant to realize what skills are important for a victory. Thus, having a high IQ may not be assurance of success in the show, as understanding and grasping concepts quickly also aren’t – other contestants may notice this skill and may consider you a threat, prompting them to ally with other contestants to plot your downfall.  Some watches may require more of quick scheming, others may require superior logic, yet others may demand alliances and betrayal.

What are the games played in the Main and Death Matches? 

Most, if not all games are made to look like contestants need to be astute in using logic and mathematical skills, but that might only get them so far. A good deal of one’s success in the games also involves strategy and negotiations and building cooperative relationships and alliances with co-players to ensure favorable outcomes. Outthinking and amazing strategic mindsets can also help a lot in giving a contestant a win.

https://twitter.com/colinstone/status/1462612587154132999

For example, in Season 2, Episode 11,  TV personality and politician Yoo Junghyun faced comedian Noh Hongchul in the Death Match that required them to play Same Picture Hunt, a game that was also Season 1’s final Death Match. The game involves 16 picture tiles hidden behind 16 letter panels and arranged in a 4 by 4 board for the contestants’ reference. Tiles corresponding to the pictures are then dealt out on a conveyor belt with 20 spaces on it. The candidates then try to locate the picture on the board that matches the next tile on their belt. If correct, they move to the next tile, their conveyor belt not moving. But if they’re wrong, the belt is sent one space backward and the erring contestant loses their turn.  This continues until either the winning candidate reaches the end of their conveyor belt or until the losing candidate loses all his or her tiles because they have fallen off the belt. 

Seems to be your usual memory game, right? In Season 1, former idol and TV personality Lee Sangmin and former newscaster and TV personality Kim Kyungran played the game in a straight laced-fashion – a battle of memory. That did not happen in Season 2 as politician Jonghyun used his advantage of going second in the game to block out Hongchul. How?

For example, Hongchul wanted to know the picture behind the letter S. As Hongchul’s picture and the picture behind S do not match, it becomes Jonghyun’s turn. Jonghyun does not use his turn to discover what’s behind another letter and instead just repeats Honghul’s chosen letter, S, for his round. Thus, Hongchul is not given new information. Since he comes first in the game, he used up all his tiles before Jonghyun lost his. Smart, eh? 

Another popular Death Match that was frequently used in Season 1 was Winning Streak, or simply put, rock paper scissors with politics. The point of the game is to make sure you have more allies with your fellow contestants compared to your opponent, so that you will have a longer winning streak, as you will play rock paper scissors with the contestants who aren’t in the elimination block. If the contestants you have allied with are few and far from each other, then the chances of you getting a long winning streak is slim.  

A lot of games were like this, proving that while you can get ahead in the contest with just a thorough understanding of the game’s rules, being strategic on how to use this understanding to win the game is also important. 

Who were the players in The Genius?

The Genius ran for four seasons and had popular personalities as contestants. In Season 1, aside from Sangmin and Kyungran who were mentioned earlier, other contestants include former member of the short-lived girl group Tinus Choi Jungmoon (who also happens to be a MENSA member, eliminated in Episode 5), controversial MC and DJ Kim Gura (as in the grouchy panelist in Radio Star and King of Masked Singer, eliminated in Episode 6), INFINITE leader Sunggyu (who was actually quite successful, reaching Episode 10 before getting eliminated), webtoon artist Kim Poong (eliminated in Episode 7), and weather reporter Park Eunji (eliminated in Episode 9). The season was won by former professional Starcraft player and TV personality Hong Jinho, who faced off with Kyungran in the final episode.

Season 1 champ Jinho (who was unfortunately eliminated in Episode 7) and Sangmin returned in Season 2. Aside from Hongchul and Jonghyun mentioned earlier, they were joined by Jaekyung (leader of girl group RAINBOW, 2nd to be eliminated). Jiwon (as in the leader of 1st gen mega group Sechs Kies, who like Season 1’s Sunggyu was also eliminated in Episode 10), magician Lee Eungyeol (who was always in coattails and sunglasses throughout the show, 4th to be eliminated), and former Starcraft professional player Lim Yohwan (as in Jinho’s mortal adversary in the gaming world), who faced Sangmin in the finals. 

Season 3 included academy math teacher and KAIST lecturer Nam Hweejung (who rose to fame after becoming the first contestant eliminated in Season 2 as many disliked his arrogance, though he fared better in Season 3, where he got eliminated in Episode 4), former singer and actor Kim Jeonghoon (as in Prince Lee Yul in Princess Hours, eliminated in Episode 6), and eventual winner, comedian Jang Dongmin, who beat then 19-year-old KAIST student Oh Hyunmin. Hyunmin, who then was the youngest contestant to ever appear in the show’s four seasons, went on to become a TV personality. 

Season 4 is sort of the show’s “greatest hits” season, where the most popular players of all three seasons reunited. 

What was the best season? 

The answer to this question really depends on the viewer’s personal preference. I personally prefer Season 1 the most, since the contestants were pretty much left to their open devices on how to play the games and strategize, while the two other seasons already have references from previous seasons and thus, came more prepared. 

Season 1 set the bar with the brilliance of the eventual winner, Jinho, whom showed amazing performances in the three Death Matches he participated in and won, as well as winning three Main Matches as well. How he played the games and avoided betrayal as much as possible was also remarkable. The season also showed fantastic runs from Sunggyu, who led on other players by pretending he was mostly clueless of the games to hide his brilliance in tactical thinking and Kyungran, who managed to always be in the right place and the right time and thus, avoiding Death Matches (she only played one Death Match – the last one before the final episode). 

Season 2 was a bit of a damper in the sense that most of the season was spent on something that wasn’t really a part of the games – the immunity token. This was introduced only in Season 2 and was not used in the following seasons, which allowed the owner to skip a Death Match. A good amount of play time during Episodes 3 to 5 were spent on players who have clues on the whereabouts of the immunity token looking for it, so they weren’t able to focus on the Main Matches. 

Moreover, thing went awry in Episode 6 when Jiwon took the ID of contestant Dohee (known for hacking Seoul National University’s website), which was an important element of playing the Main Match of that episode. As a result of  looking for it until the last round, Dohee wasn’t able to properly participate in the game and was automatically sent to the Death Match. Things became more uncomfortable to watch when Sangmin gave him a fake immunity token, which he used, only to find out that he was duped for the second time in one episode. For a show that stated right from the start of Season 1 that  “violence or theft is not allowed,” it was very disappointing how the producers did not step in and forced Jiwon to surrender Dohee’s ID. 

Season 3 had a very different player dynamic from the past two seasons because of the backlash the show received with the Episode 6 mess and the alliance among celebrities and non-celebrities. Thus, the third season had more “normal” and “regular” people as contestants. The alliance between Hyunmin and Dongmin pretty much ruled the entire season, but what was great about it was the two did not make their relationship too obvious and still allowed the other players to display brilliant gameplay, especially Yeonseung who considered himself an outsider the entire season, yet managed to be part of the final 3. The games themselves were not as dynamic as the first two seasons, but we were allowed to see the vulnerabilities in all the players.  

Sadly, The Genius is not streaming on any platform, although subtitled episodes have been available on YouTube and Dailymotion. International diehard fans have also made it something of a cult classic, with reddit and Discord forums still alive six years after the last episode was aired. It can be said that the show’s popularity can be narrowed down to three factors: The novel but interesting concept, the genius-level editing of the show’s episode (the fast forward and flashback scenes get people to anticipate what’s happening and why things turn out they way they eventually did), and finally, the relatability of the contestants who really made sure they played the games to the best of their abilities, which made the show all the more watchable. Hopefully, we can get tVN to release the show’s four seasons in a streaming platform for more audiences to experience it. 

Featured Image: Screengrab from Tvn Youtube Channel “The Genius Game” trailer

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The Rise, Fall, and Weird Future of MOMOLAND

Featured image: Momoland - Ready or Not showcase. 사진기자머길, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

If you started following K-pop in 2017, it’s inevitable that you know the song Bboom Bboom. But then, the next question you may likely ask is, whatever happened to Momoland, the group that shot all the way to the top of Korean music charts with that viral song? Sit back and read on as we trace the group’s humble beginnings, their sudden success, and their unfortunate and uncertain future.

A JYPE-Inspired Start

Patterned after the success of JYP Entertainment with SIXTEEN which produced the final lineup for the group TWICE, Finding Momoland premiered a year later, featuring 10 trainees from Duble Kick Entertainment (now known as MLD Entertainment) competing to debut in the K-pop girl group Momoland. The first episode premiered on July 22, 2016 and ended on September 16, 2016, revealing the group’s final composition on the 10th and final episode.

During the competition, the contestants displayed their talents in dancing and singing abilities while showing their charisma and personality in order to gain the favor of the judges and the public, survive the search. As mentioned earlier, the lineup of the group was announced in the finale of the show, with the group set to debut under Duble Kick Company, which was represented in the show by producers Rhymer, Duble Sidekick, and Shinsadong Tiger.

So, among the trainees Hyebin, Yeonwoo, Jane, Nayun, JooE, Ahin, Nancy, Heejae, Daisy, and Shinsia, the latter three were eliminated in the final episode, with the seven remaining contestants composing the final lineup of Momoland. From the start, the group already encountered initial problems as Finding Momoland’s Final Mission could not collect 3,000 spectators, which in turn resulted in the delay of the group’s official debut. Suffice to say, while the show had decided on the final lineup for the group, they were not able to amass the needed fan count and finances to support the group’s debut. This included physical copies of their CD, costumes, live stage venues, and music videos. 

Thus, while still amassing the funds needed for the group to properly debut, the entertainment agency booked the new group in free, goodwill appearances to raise their public profile. For example, on October 26, 2016, the group was appointed as ambassadors for the international relief development NGO Plan Korea. While these appearances were happening, the company held crowdfunding events to cover the cost of producing the physical format of the group’s debut release. The company eventually succeeded in raising funds for the group, accumulating more than 10 million won.

A Rocky but Promising Start for Momoland

Finally, the group’s debut showcase was held on November 9. The next day, their debut extended play Welcome to Momoland was released, for which the group made their debut performance of their single Jjan! Koong! Kwang! through music television program M Countdown. As part of their Plan Korea ambassadorship, the group traveled to Phuc Luong Village in Thai Nguyen, Vietnam from December 12 to 16 to encourage Happy Mov students to participate in constructing a kindergarten in the region. On December 27, the six members of the group except for Yeonwoo, who had lower back pain, attended SBS Gayo Daejeon.

The accompanying music video for the group’s debut song Jjan! Koong! Kwang! was uploaded onto 1theK’s YouTube channel at the same time as the release of the single. Bae Yoon Jung of Yama & Hot Chicks—more known as the terror dance mentor in the Produce 101 series who was also a judge in Finding Momoland—served as the choreographer of the video. A dance version of the music video was released on November 14 and a dance practice video was uploaded two days later.

The group’s first EP, Welcome to Momoland peaked debuted and peaked at number 28 on the Gaon Album Chart for the week of November 12. For the month of November of 2016, it was the fifty-third best-selling album, selling 1,915 physical copies.

New Momoland Members and Breakout Recognition

On March 28, 2017, the company decided to add Daisy and Taeha to the group. If the name Daisy sounds familiar, that’s because it is the same Daisy who was eliminated in the finale of Finding Momoland. Meanwhile, Taeha, fresh from her stint in Produce 101 as a trainee of Starship (Sistar, K.Will, and I.O.I‘s Yeongjung who was Taeha‘s co-trainee in PD101 and later joined Cosmic Girls), left her former agency and joined Dublekick and eventually, Momoland. In April 2017, the group released Wonderful Love, which was their first single album. This was followed four months later with Freeze!, their second EP, which featured the single of the same title. While Wonderful Love failed to chart, Freeze! peaked at number 17 in the Gaon album charts after its release, eventually selling more than 2,200 copies. 

The group started 2018 on a great note, pun intended as they released their third EP entitled Great!, along with the single Bboom Bboom. The EP at the start was embroiled in a bit of controversy as a Russian girl group by the name of Serebro claimed that Bboom Bboom is plagiarized from their song Mi Mi Mi. Shinsadong Tiger, the composer of the song, while pointing out that the song does have similarities with the Russian girl group’s single, “the bass line (is) commonly heard in retro house or electro swing genres, as well as the 4-stanza chord.” 

After weathering the first storm of controversy, Momoland was in for a surprise as the song became a viral sensation. The catchy and easy-to-follow choreography for the song that the group used for the video and their live performances prompted online content creators not just from Korea but from other countries such as Thailand and the Philippines to create dance covers that also became viral. Alas, individual members also started getting attention, particularly Yeonwoo and Nancy for their visuals, and JooE for her animated persona that bagged her an ad deal with Tropicana Sparkling beverages. All these factors aligned to propel the group and the song to new levels of popularity. 

Thus, the song slowly but surely climbed to the top of the charts, from its debut at number forty-eight on the week of January 20, 2018, to number eighteen on its second week, until it peaked in March 2018 at number two. While it was only their albums that used to enter the charts, Bboom Bboom was their first song to enter the digital charts. It was eventually certified platinum by Gaon Chart in August 2018, with more than 100 million streams. It was the first by a female artist to be certified platinum and only the second to receive this certification, the first being Love Scenario by iKon, which happens to also have been released in the same month in 2018.

The success of the single also prompted the group to try promoting overseas, with promotional events held in Japan from February to March. The group also signed with King Records for the release of the Japanese version of the song on June 13. As for the music video, the girls were featured in what appears to be a home shopping TV show. As of press time, it has amassed more than 537 million views on YouTube alone, while the dance practice video has been viewed more than 102 million times. 

Bboom Bboom also gave the group its first music show wins, with a record number of 12 consecutive weekly nominations and two wins in Inkigayo. The song also won twice in M Countdown (which was the first win for the group on January 11 and the second win happening more than a month later on February 22) and once in Show Champion, The Show, and Music Bank.

So then, the question was, how can the group and the company capitalize on their sudden rise to stardom? After five months, with Bboom Bboom still charting quite high, the group released their fourth EP Fun to the World, with the single Baam! The song was not as commercially successful as its predecessor, although music critics thought it was actually an improvement from Bboom Bboom. The EP peaked at #6, while the single went as high as #13.  Interestingly, as its chances may have been cannibalized by Bboom Bboom, Baam! did not give the group any music show wins.

As for the song’s music video, it features the group in backdrops depicting the Philippines, Korea, Vietnam, France, Mexico, Egypt, and the United States, as a sort of tribute to the areas where the group made a killing with Bboom Bboom. As of this article’s writing, the MV has accumulated more than 225 million views.

The Start of Momoland’s Decline?

On March 20, 2019, Momoland released their fifth EP Show Me, which featured the lead single I’m So Hot. The cracks in the group started showing as I’m So Hot did not include Daisy and Taeha. The song only managed to peak at #81 in the Gaon Digital Charts, though it managed three music show wins. 

More causes for concern among the Merries (Momoland’s fandom) started appearing as the group’s first Japanese studio album, Chiri Chiri, also did not have Yeonwoo, aside from Daisy and Taeha. In a sudden move, the group and MLD Entertainment (which has changed its name from Duble Kick, thanks to the group’s success), signed a co-management agreement with the Philippine media company ABS-CBN Corporation. The group made several appearances in Philippine TV shows, although the three were still nowhere to be found.  

Alas, the event Merries were most afraid of happened the following month, as MLD Entertainment announced the departure of Yeonwoo and Taeha from the group, although they also mentioned that they were still in negotiations with Daisy about her future in the group. The year ended with the group releasing Thumbs Up, their second single album. Daisy was not part of the single, its MV, and promotions. Although the album peaked at #4 in the albums chart, the single only managed to chart at #137. The group still won in M Countdown on January 9, 2020. 

Momoland’s Uncertain Future

While the group was still at the thick of promoting Thumbs Up, Daisy issued statements claiming  that Finding Momoland was rigged. In an interview by KBS with Daisy and her mother, the member on hiatus said that she knew she was going to be joining the group even if she was eliminated in the show’s finale, as the company’s executives met her the next day and told her that she will be be included in the group after promotions for the debut EP end. Also, she claims that she was charged by MLD Entertainment to appear in the show and the company has asked for payment of 70 million won for her inclusion in Finding Momoland. 

MLD Entertainment responded to Daisy’s allegations by releasing a statement that refuted all her claims. The agency further said that they will be taking legal action against Daisy. After five months, the agency announced that Daisy had left the group, as if we don’t know that yet. 

On June 11, 2020, the group released Starry Night, a non-promoted “special” EP” which didn’t really fare well, as expected as it wasn’t promoted. On the same month, the company announced that announced that the group have signed a contract with ICM Partners with plans to enter into the American market. Since a lot of plans have been shelved because of the pandemic, any activities stemming from that contract have yet to materialize. Moreover, the group’s management contract with the Philippine media company ABS-CBN has remained in limbo because aside from the pandemic, the media company also lost its franchise to operate its main business, a television station. Thus, earlier plans of the group releasing an English-Filipino language EP via the company’s record label Star Records, as well as Nancy headlining a drama are all in limbo. 

On November 17, 2020, the group released the third single album Ready or Not, containing the lead single of the same name. The song has THE Psy as a lyricist. The song had a lackluster performance on the Korean charts, as the EP peaked at #25 and the song only reached number 81.

It is unfortunate that Momoland was not able to capitalize on the phenomenal performance of Bboom Bboom. The unstable member lineup may also have turned off a good number of fans, which can only be attributed to the company not taking proper care of their talents. With more or less zero activities this 2021 for both the group and all members, we can only wish 2022 will be the year the public finds its way back into loving Momoland once again.

Featured image: Momoland Ready or Not showcase. 사진기자머길, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Kpop Girl Groups: 5 Top-Tier Kpop Girl Group Concepts that Intrigued Fans

Picture credit: Youtube

Previously, we featured five awesome male idol group concepts. Now, it’s time to shine the spotlight on some of the most iconic concepts of Kpop girl groups. Here are five memorable K-pop girl group themes that keep fans coming back for more. 

Kpop Girl Group Concept 1: Girl Crush 

You can’t think of girl crush without mentioning the OG group to absolutely slay the concept—2NE1. CL, Bom, Dara, and Minzy debuted at a time when girl-next-door and sexy were at their peak, and the quartet immediately made a splash with the energetic track Fire. Their 2011 hit, I Am The Best, was peak girl crush, and their edgy, badass style paved the way for the current generation of girl groups.

 

 

Another second-generation group that embodied the girl crush concept is 4Minute. The girls showed off their strong and fierce style in their music videos, particularly in Crazy. Mamamoo also climbed up the charts by breaking the stereotypes of what a girl group should be like. The vocal powerhouses were cheeky and confident in Hip, and free-spirited and sexy in Starry Night. 

 

 

Blackpink further popularized the concept and took it to the global stage with their debut track Boombayah. The girls were also pretty and savage with their record-breaking hits Ddu-Du Ddu-Du and Kill This Love. Monster rookies (G)-Idle leads the pack in the fourth generation with their debut hit Latata. Other fourth gen groups to put their own spin on this theme include Weki Meki with Crush and ITZY with Wannabe. 

Kpop Girl Group Concept 2: Dark

 

 

The dark concept isn’t commonly used in Kpop girl groups, so it immediately makes an impact when female idols dive into this theme. Two groups were brave enough to cross over to the dark side. Dreamcatcher made a splash with their rock-infused sound and eerie debut music video for Chase Me. The group remains committed to the dark and creepy with their succeeding singles, such as Good Night, Scream, and Odd Eye. 

 

 

Red Velvet’s dual concept allows the girls to seamlessly switch from bright (“red”) to brooding (“velvet”) in every comeback. The group perfectly plays their “velvet” side in their music videos for Peek-A-Boo, Bad Boy, and Psycho. The Irene & Seulgi sub-unit also nailed the sinister vibe with Monster. 

K-pop has more music videos inspired by the creepiest holiday of the year. Check them out in our Halloween-themed K-pop MVs article. 

Kpop Girl Group Concept 3: Sexy 

 

Second-generation Kpop girl group Brown Eyed Girls dialed up the hotness meter and shot to stardom with Abracadabra. The sensual choreography and music video also sparked the “arrogant dance” trend. The women of SISTAR are not only the undisputed summer queens; they also owned the sexy concepts, especially in their sultry music videos for Alone and I Like That. 

 

 2014 must be the year for sexy concepts, with the release of AOA’s Miniskirt and Like A Cat and EXID’s Up & Down. Girl’s Day is another group that’s well-known for their sexiness. Their song Something won the Best Dance Performance by a Female Group at the 2014 MNET Asian Music Awards and spawned numerous covers by fellow idols. 

Kpop Girl Group Concept 4: Sci-Fi 

 Just like their sunbae labelmates EXO, rookie group Aespa’s concept is deeply rooted in sci-fi. The group is part of the SM Culture Universe—SM Entertainment’s worldview that includes all of the groups under the agency. Karina, Winter, Giselle, and Ningning, along with their virtual alter egos, were introduced in the group’s debut single Black Mamba. The group’s storyline continues in their follow-up single Next Level and in their latest EP Savage.

Cosmic Girls (WJSN) take fans into another world complete with shooting stars, flying cars, and interstellar travel with their music video for Secret. Twice makes sci-fi cute as they try to communicate with an extraterrestrial love interest in Signal. Even legendary girl group 2NE1 took a stab at the sci-fi concept in their video, taking on the roles of rebels in a dystopian world for Come Back Home. 

Kpop Girl Group Concept 5: Cute/Girl-Next-Door

Cute/girl-next-door is one of the most popular concepts in K-pop, but girl groups always make sure to put a fresh spin to the idea in every comeback. One of the first groups to earn the nation’s girl group title, Girls’ Generation, are the queens of the girl-next-door theme. From the earworm Gee to the genre-bending I Got A Boy to the retro-cute Lion Heart, these ladies continue to serve the perfect visuals and vocals every time.

Red Velvet has struck the perfect balance between creepy and lively. Power Up, Red Flavor, and Queendom’s cheerful and refreshing sounds are paired with colorful music videos that showcase their quirky charms. Twice has mastered the cute concept as well, seen in their videos for Cheer Up and Heart Shaker.

 Produce 101 group I.O.I also released songs that fit the cute concept, especially Very Very Very. Lovelyz were adorable in their music video for Ah-Choo. More recently, Oh My Girl cranked up the aegyo and made waves with Dolphin.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, because female idols take inspiration from anywhere and everywhere for their music! What’s your favorite girl group concept? 

Featured Image: A still from MAMAMOO’s Hip. Credit: Mamamoo Youtube

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Knowing IU’s First #1’s: The Five Songs That Capture Her Rise

Korean singer-songwriter IU has released, as of October 19, another single that has been anticipated to break records anew. And she did that without breaking a sweat as the new song, Strawberry Moon, has reached the top position in MelOn and Bugs (both daily and real-time charts), Genie (real-time and #5 in daily charts), and FLO (which only has real-time charts) HOURS after its release. Yes, it didn’t even take a day for her to be numero uno!   

In celebration of her nth #1 song (seriously we’ve lost count, although a quick Wiki search may give us 17 Gaon #1s), let’s check out the first five songs that got Ms. Lee Jieun on the top of Korean music charts.  

“Nagging” ft. Lim Seulong (2010)

IU wasn’t exactly a breakout hit when she started her career in 2008. She was 15 years old then, and debuting as a solo artist at 15 was not something that was common. Even now, idols who debut early are usually part of groups and reap the benefits of having a broader fanbase before launching their solo careers. Even K-pop legend BoA had to start her career in Japan first before getting recognition in her own country. IU released some singles that didn’t really accelerate her rise to stardom, before finally making it big two years later.

And how! Her first song that went to #1 on the Gaon Chart was actually a duet featuring 2AM‘s Seulong. It might be argued that the song became a hit because of Seulong, so IU can’t really take full credit for it. However, for a female soloist to have a #1 song after only two years on the business is already quite an achievement. The non-album single went on to sell more than 3 million copies, so we can safely say that Nagging was the start of her career’s rise. 

Unfortunately, there is actually no official music video released for Nagging, although Seulong and IU have performed it live in music shows, which means the couple did promote the song when it came out. This is quite interesting because IU is not a JYP talent and yet, JYP Entertainment allowed Seulong to participate in the song’s promotion. 

 

Come to think of it, this may be JYP’s (as in the company’s former CEO Park Jinyoung) way of showing remorse. After all, IU did audition for the company and got rejected. JYP’s former CEO was later vocal about his regret as he thinks of IU as the one talent who got away. Nagging brought IU and Seulong their first music show win in Inkigayo, where she won the trophy on the show’s June 27, 2010 episode. They also won two other trophies in Music Bank. The Nagging wins were also among Seulong’s first music show wins.   

Aside from JYPE rejecting her, IU was also rejected nineteen other times by other entertainment agencies before LOEN Entertainment (now EDAM Entertainment) signed her.

“Good Day” (2010)

If there were still doubts that IU was going to make it big even after her first number 1, they were eventually silenced six months after Nagging’s release as she dropped her third EP Real with the iconic single  Good Day. Yes, it’s that song that people attempt to sing on everything from variety shows to audition survival programs because of that oxygen-depleting IU rendition of the line “I’m in my dream” with three key changes. 

This song cemented IU’s place in K-pop as she amassed new fans with the song. Moreover, she also recorded a Japanese version of the song, which reached a top 5 position in the country’s Oricon Charts. In her home country, she managed to outsell her first #1 song, as Good Day sold a total of close to 4.5 million copies. 

The music video for this song is arguably one of IU’s most known. It starts off with IU visiting a general shop with her pet, a giant parrot. We discover that she actually has a huge crush on the shopkeeper and is thinking of ways to get his attention. But then, her giant parrot began saying, “saranghaeyo oppa.” 

And that’s just the first 30 seconds of the video.

So we see IU through the rest of the video overanalyzing things, with singer-pianist Jung Jaehyung making random appearances in her house. The dance sequences are cute, of course, and if you notice, her dancers on this video are the dancers she features on her music videos and concerts up to now. Talk about loyalty!

Anyway, the video ends with the shopkeeper going to IU’s house, with IU expecting him to confess as well. Alas, he only returns the parrot who outed her. But no, IU goes after her oppa and hugged him from behind, but shopkeeper oppa turned around and only patted her head. 

If that’s not a rejection move, then nothing is. 

So, IU sings the last lines of her song while looking out on her window and catching falling snow. On the other hand, shopkeeper oppa takes one final look back at IU’s direction before walking back to his store. Will shopkeeper oppa notice her in the future? Only time will tell. 

On the music video for the Japanese version, the general store is replaced by a violin workshop, with shopkeeper oppa replaced by a violinmaker. Japanese violinmaker oppa doesn’t really mind IU Japanese version’s obvious flirtations as he goes about his day polishing wood and doing the usual things violinmakers do. He also has a pet parrot, while IU has a smaller green parrot who doesn’t pre-empt her confession. Instead, the green parrot gave her a set of keys that may open the violinmaker’s bedroom. Creepy, right? Well, considering shopkeeper oppa just barged in IU Korean version’s room to return her talkative parrot, getting access to the room of someone you like may not be a huge issue in IU’s music videos.

Anyway, IU Japanese version sneaks into the room that looks more like a greenhouse but contains violinmaker oppa’s personal effects, including what looks like a diary or notebook, which IU reads with creepy gusto. Alas, violinmaker oppa catches her, takes away the notebook from her, and… pats her head. As in the same thing shopkeeper oppa did upon receiving IU Korean version’s back hug. 

I guess both Japanese and Korean oppas didn’t see the nation’s little sister as a woman yet, even with three key changes and a line that was sung for 10 seconds in one breath.   

“Only I Didn’t Know” (2011)

Taken from Real+, which was the reissue of IU’s 2010 Real EP.  This 2011 song became the third song of IU to take the top spot in the Gaon charts. The single reached more than 2.9 million sales, while Real+, the EP, where the song came from, reached close to 24,000 copies in sales. The Japanese version of this song is so far, IU’s only #1 in the Billboard Japanese charts. 

The music video that accompanied the song’s release features IU wearing a black dress and singing the song while splayed on the floor, crying. 

 

“You And I” (2011)

The title track from IU’s second full-length album Last Fantasy, “You and I” was quite historic as it reached No.1 not only on Korea’s Gaon, but was also her first song that charted in the US Billboard World Digital Songs charts, where it peaked at number 3. You and I is also a very important song in IU’s career because up to now, it still is her highest-selling single in Korea with over 6 million units sold.

As for the music video of the song, two versions were released – the main version and a performance video, both getting more than 30 million views. The main music video has a quirky storyline with matching locations, including what seems to be a clock tower and a train. It’s in the clock tower where IU seems to live, where ironically, she also looks like a watchmaker while taking care of a boy who looks like he’s in a coma. Well, she has tried everything from drawing something on his wrist to tickling him with a feather she got from her pet goose (Oh, IU and her penchant for weird pets – remember her talkative bird who outed her with her oppa in Good Day?) 

In the middle of the video, IU finishes making what looks like a cog which she uses inside a booth that looks like a TARDIS in Doctor Who. The moment she gets the machine in the booth to work, it looked like she time travels until Mr. Comatose wakes up. However, Mr. Comatose wakes up, approaches the time machine booth, sees IU, and cries. Beats me what that was about. 

Cut to the last scene where apparently, IU is this saleslady in a jewelry or gift shop where she sells something to Mr. Comatose who doesn’t recognize her until he was halfway out the door. It seemed like he remembered something, looked at IU, and flashed a smile, while our girl gave an “I thought you’d never remember me” look back. End of video. 

“Every End of the Day” (2012)

This song from Spring of a Twenty Year Old, IU’s 3rd single album (and her 2nd Korean one) sold 3.2 million copies getting to No.1 on Gaon in May 2012. The song also topped the Billboard Korea K-Pop Hot 100 a week after it was released internationally. The music video for the song is actually a featurette that included a short interview and behind-the-scenes footage of the video shoot, where IU is in some foreign country buying fruit, getting drenched in the rain, playing her guitar beside a canal, and riding a ferry while remembering some guy. 

Stay tuned for more IU #1s!

Featured Image: IU Official Twitter

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Where are the SIXTEEN Contestants Now?

In 2015, JYP Entertainment got into the craze of shows where idol hopefuls compete for spots in a group that will be debut after the program’s run. JYP, in collaboration with Mnet, produced SIXTEEN, where sixteen trainees had to compete against one another to secure a spot in a girl group, which before the show ended, was revealed to be named Twice. The sixteen contestants were assessed with the usual prerequisite skills of singing and dancing, as well as their personalities and their charisma. For ten episodes, the sixteen trainees duked it out on several challenges, with JYP Entertainment’s A&R team and Park Jinyoung deciding who would compose the “major” and “minor” groups.

This is where the initial controversy with the show started, as the contestants who were classified in the “Major” group were given better treatment, including living in a better dorm (at least for a week), having mentoring sessions with then-current JYP idols, having a van to take them to the show’s shooting locations, and finally having prime training time from 9 in the morning to 9 in the evening. On the other hand, contestants appointed to the “Minors” group had less than stellar living conditions and only had access to the company’s practice room from 9 in the evening until 9 the following day. If that’s not emotionally abusive and sheer cruelty to the contestants who only want to realize their dreams of stardom, then nothing is!

If that’s not enough, controversy pursued the show until its final episode when two contestants who have been eliminated were eventually included in the final line-up for Twice. Momo, who was eliminated in the 4th mission and Tzuyu, a contestant who made it to the final episode but was not chosen to be part of the debuting group but was brought back because of fan opinion, somehow found their way to the final group. 

Moreover, it was weird how some contestants like Natty and Somi, who were designated to the Minors group only twice (pun not intended) throughout the show’s ten episodes, not only ended up getting eliminated in the final episode, but were also not considered at all for the final line-up. The reason: JYP said they were a bit too young to debut.  That’s confusing, considering Hyuna debuted with Wonder Girls at age 13 and Suzy debuted with Miss A at 15, and Tzuyu was only a year and nine months older than Somi. 

Anyway, those dissenting opinions regarding already-eliminated contestants getting a second chance at the expense of better-but-“underage” contestants were only countered by a statement the company released after the show’s finale:  “We apologize for failing to clearly communicate the selection process, and we’d like to explain it in detail once again. The condition to be chosen as a final member was the votes made by the audience and viewers. However, leading up to the final episode, we thought that the seven members selected officially may leave something to be desired. So, in addition to the seven, we decided that one member would be added solely from the viewer’s opinions (Tzuyu) and one from solely Park Jin-young’s opinion (Momo).”

A bit fishy, yes? 

After the program, the nine “winners” of the contest – Jeongyeon, Nayeon, Mina, Sana, Dahyun, Jihyo, and Chaeyeong, plus the two added on the final episode, namely Momo and Tzuyu, debuted as Twice and released their first single “Like Ooh-Ahh” on October 20, 2015. Immediately after the show, Jiwon, who was eliminated in the showcase episode, decided to leave JYP Entertainment. 

Also read: The fun relationship of JYP and Twice’s Dahyun

After Jiwon, Minyoung also left JYPE. In an interview with news site OSEN, she said, “I will be pursuing my dreams somewhere else. I haven’t given up. While I was at (JYPE), I wanted to communicate with the fans, but I was frustrated because I couldn’t. I wanted to say that I got all of the gifts you sent me…I am really thankful; they were a great source of strength for me.”

Despite losing in the program, Somi was next to be in the spotlight as she competed in the Mnet reality girl group survival series Produce 101 in 2016. She eventually finished in first place and debuted with the show’s project girl group I.O.I. While Somi was at the tail-end of promoting with I.O.I, her name, along with the remaining JYPE trainees – sisters Chaeyeon and Chaeryeong, as well as Natty and Eunsuh began surfacing as probable members of a new group JYPE will debut in 2019. However, it wasn’t meant to be as Chaeyoung, Natty, and Eunsuh decided to leave the company in 2017. 

 On August 20, 2018, JYPE also announced that Somi has terminated her contract and left the company. A month later, she signed an exclusive contract with YG Entertainment’s sub-label The Black Label, where she eventually debuted as a solo artist in 2019 with her title track Birthday. Somi has since then done two comebacks with her latest, Dumb Dumb, being the most successful, and news is rife that her full-length studio album XOXO will be out very soon!

But before that, while Somi was winding up her promotions with I.O.I, Eunsuh, Natty and Jiwon competed on another Mnet reality girl group survival show Idol School. It was only Jiwon who secured a spot on the show’s girl group, Fromis 9, as she finished 6th in the show. 

Chaeyeon, the first contestant eliminated in SIXTEEN, has since then followed Somi’s footsteps as she competed in Mnet’s Produce 48, the third staging of the Produce 101 program, where she represented WM Entertainment (home to B1A4 and Oh My Girl). She finished in 12th place, securing her a spot in the show’s project girl group, Iz*One, which debuted in October 2018. There’s still no news about the continuation of her singing career, whether she will promote herself as a girl group member or a soloist. She is currently a contestant in Street Woman Fighter, another reality competition, this time featuring all-girl dance crews. Fans are a bit concerned about the treatment of her by other dancers on the show, who dismiss her as an idol rather than a serious dancer. Others speculate that she is just undergoing the usual Mnet character development of a contestant who has many disadvantages at the start of the competition but leaves her underdog image behind towards the end of the show.  

In 2020, Natty finally debuted as a solo artist after signing with Swing Entertainment with the single Nineteen.  She has since then released another single in November entitled Teddy Bear. She has yet to resume promotions this year.  

After quitting JYP Entertainment, Minyoung seemed to have given up on being an idol. She has been working at an international school and has since gotten back in the spotlight earlier this year with the launching of her YouTube Channel, where she has posted her own music compositions, song covers, and vlogs, including, of course, some insider info of her time in Sixteen.  

After joining Idol School, we haven’t heard a lot about Eunsuh. She got embroiled in a social media tiff after a Facebook account with her name left a shady remark on Somi’s video where she covered Sunmi’s Gashina. She claims that the account is actually a shared account among her friends who don’t have a personal account (most probably because they’re not of legal age yet) and that particular comment was left by one of those sharing the account. She vowed to leave that account and not use Facebook and Facebook Messenger anymore. As for her other social media account, her last Instagram post was in September last year. 

Finally, loyalty and persistence have paid off for Chaeyeon’s sister, Chaeryeong, who is the only JYP trainee who didn’t get a spot in Twice but chose to remain with JYPE. She finally debuted as a member of the company’s new girl group, Itzy, in February 2019.

So, we can conclude that the entire SIXTEEN alumnae body has somehow been successful. Twice even released a comeback album, Formula of Love: O+T=<3, in 2021. Now, only if we can have more updates regarding Eunsuh, a new Natty comeback, a successful Somi album, and for Twice to have better songs, then the OG fans can be happier. 

Featured Image: Photo: Twice/Twitter

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K-POP ARTISTS LATEST STORIES SUPER JUNIOR

An E.L.F’s Thoughts on Super Junior–D&E’s Countdown

A still from 'Zero'.

Super Junior’s Donghae and Eunhyuk have been making K-pop fans dance to their bops since 2011, so it’s surprising to realize that they haven’t actually released a full Korean studio album—until now! But as the saying goes, good things come to those who wait, because this gem of an album was definitely worth the wait. 

On November 2, the D&E sub-unit finally dropped their first full album, Countdown. The album contains 10 tracks—nine in Korean, and one in English—and showcases a more mature sound (but still sprinkled with fun) from the duo. 

The songs in the album cover a wide range of genres—from the heavy dance track Zero, to the groovy La La La, to the pop ballad Have a Nice Day. The diverse genres in this album proves that this sub-unit can’t be boxed into just one genre of music. 

 

 The lead single, Zero, is an upbeat dance track that can be seen as a song for E.L.F. In the chorus, the pair sings, “Don’t go away to stop this story/ Even if it’s filled with scars/ Without you, without you I’m zero.” I feel that it’s a song that conveys the duo’s (and Super Junior’s as a whole) thoughts toward their loyal fans—that they would not have been able to go on for this long without E.L.F.’s love and support. I also personally think Zero is a good song. Maybe it’s not on the same level as the sub-unit’s superb 2015 track Growing Pains, but I’m pretty sure Zero will be on my SJ on repeat playlist.  

 

Beautiful Liar was a surprise. The song’s opening bars sounded like it was going to be a soft dance track, but then the chorus suddenly became more energetic. It jarred me a bit on the first listen, but this song is growing on me. The pair then sings about wanting to go on a vacation in Far Away, and it does sound like the perfect song to listen to on a trip! It’s the kind of song you put on when you’re spending a chill day on the beach. The vibe turns sentimental and emotional with Have a Nice Day and Home, balanced with the smooth and bright tracks Muse and Share my Love. 

My favorite song from D&E’s latest release, however, is oddly not included in the album track list. Eunhyuk’s pre-release single, Be, is a nice emotional track that shows off the main rapper’s lovely vocals, for a change. I see Be as an ode to Eunhyuk’s younger self, encouraging him to never give up on his childhood dreams. I find the choreography in the M/V beautiful as well.   

 

  Overall, this album is musically diverse but still cohesive. It clearly shows the duo’s passion and commitment to their craft, which contributes to their staying power in the K-pop scene. This album is a great way to mark the sub-unit’s 10th anniversary. 

As a final note, in Super Junior’s YouTube live broadcast on the eve of the full group’s 16th anniversary, the members mentioned that they are preparing loads more content (albums? Variety shows? Concerts? I’m sure all E.L.Fs like me would be more than happy to get quality content from these fine men!) in the coming months. With these men releasing quality content like the Countdown album, Super Junior D&E—and the rest of Super Junior—will truly be the last men standing. 

Featured Image: Screen capture from Super Junior–D&E’s Zero MV. Photo: SMTOWN/YouTube
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Five Amazing Boy Group Concepts That Left Fans Wanting More

Picture credit: Youtube

K-pop music videos are always a delight to watch, not just for the music and the awesome choreography, but also for the concepts that will leave you in awe! Here we list down five unforgettable boy group concepts that had many fans clicking on the replay button.

School uniform

The school uniform concept is often used in idol group comebacks, but it’s the one theme that fans never tire of. It may be common in K-pop, but each group has put their own spin on it to make it fresh, fun, and unique! EXO brought this concept back into the spotlight with their music video Growl. (Fun fact: this music video was shot in one continuous take!)

BTS in their rookie years nailed the high school bad boy look in Boy in Luv. In the MV, the members act tough to try to get a girl’s attention. The boys also don school uniforms in their follow-up single Just One Day, which showcased a lighter, more mellow vibe.

Astro are portrayed as manhwa characters in their music video for Confession. In the video, a high school girl draws the members, and the boys come to life and start following her around as she goes about her life. And, Seventeen are cheeky schoolboys trying to impress girls in their MV for Mansae. 

Dark

This concept is masterfully brought to life by the undisputed concept kings—VIXX. Voodoo Doll’s heavy, intense beats paired with macabre imagery resulted in a music video so shocking, the group had to release a “clean” version. In the original MV, a woman used a voodoo doll to control and torture the members. The group’s music video Hyde also fits this concept well.  

SHINee’s Married to the Music is much less gruesome but hiding behind the cheery music and colorful visuals is a video where a series of unfortunate events happened to each group member while at a party. Meanwhile, their SM hoobaes, NCT127, ran with the vampire concept in their most recent release Favorite (Vampire). 

Block B capitalized on people’s fear of clowns and deserted theme parks in their MV for Jackpot. Rookie boy group Enhypen also joined the horror concept train with Drunk Dazed, featuring the members having drinks spiked with blood and dancing in a literal bloody shower. 

Check out the other music videos that have gone over to the dark side in our Halloween-themed K-pop MVs article.

Literature/Mythology

Global superstars BTS are known to tell stories through their music and reference literature in their albums. In Blood, Sweat & Tears, from their second full album Wings, BTS references the themes of temptation and growth, reality and illusion, and good and evil. The song—the entire album actually—is based on Hermann Hesse’s novel Demian. In the MV, RM even narrated a quote from the book: “He too, was a tempter. He too was a link to the second. The evil world with which I no longer wanted to have anything to do.” 

VIXX’s Scentist, a portmanteau of “scent” and “artist,” portrays the members as perfumers. The lyrics and the music video led many Starlights to believe that the MV is inspired by the 1985 German novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind. The concept kings also released a trilogy of songs inspired by Greek Mythology in their 2016 Conception project. The first of the series, Dynamite, was based on Zelos, the Greek god of jealousy. The second track, Fantasy, drew on Hades, the Greek god of the underworld. Rounding off the project is The Closer, inspired by Kratos, the divine personification of strength.

Super Junior’s Ryeowook took inspiration from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry‘s The Little Prince in his solo debut song and album of the same name. The music video is chock-full of references to the novel, and the lyrics tell the story of a heartsick man in a conversation with The Little Prince. 

Sci-Fi

EXO’s entire group concept is one big sci-fi universe. From their origin story in MAMA to fighting the Red Force machine in Power; battling against their sinister alter egos in Obsession and journeying through space in Don’t Fight the Feeling, they have consistently expounded on their rich storyline that keeps EXO-Ls hooked. Bonus: they also have a song called Lightsaber, a collaboration project with Star Wars! 

Bigbang has also dabbled in the sci-fi concept. In their music video for Monster, the members portrayed genetically modified beings trying to escape a ruined facility. And an ill-fated love story in the far future is the setting for VIXX’s Error. In the music video, Hongbin recreates a cyborg version of his lost love, only for both of them to meet a tragic end. 

Retro

Vintage has its charms, and K-pop groups know it! Idols have taken their cue from the catchy tunes and styles of the past and molded them to fit current music styles. 

BTS channels 70’s disco-pop in their feel-good record-breaking hit Dynamite. The group went on full throwback with a colorful video with retro-themed outfits, choreography, and sets! Seventeen also swings back into the past with Home;Run. The boys danced their way around an old-fashioned movie theater, a vintage train, and an old-school bowling alley in retro-inspired garb. 

Second generation Kpop legends TVXQ sends fans back to the roaring ‘20s with their jazzy hit Something. Bright lights, brass instruments, and intricate choreography add to the MV’s theatrical vibe. Finally, NCT U throws it back to the ‘90s with ‘90s Love. The song jumps right into the newtro trend, defined as adding a contemporary twist to the retro style. In the music video, the boys battle it out on the hockey rink—has anyone got The Mighty Ducks flashbacks? 

With these (and more!) concepts to play with, male idol groups will never run out of stories to tell through their music! Which male idol group concept is your favorite?  

Featured Image: A still from TVXQ’s “Something”. Credit: SMTOWN

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5 Books Read by K-Pop Idols to Add to Your Reading List

RM, BTS's resident genius, reads "A Bigger Message: Conversations with David Hockney" by Martin Gayford" while preparing for a performance.

One might think that with their super busy schedules, idols won’t have time to even crack open a book. But, it turns out that there are a lot of bookworms among idols—and they love recommending new reads to fans! Check out these K-pop idols’ book recommendations, what they have read, or were spotted with:  

K-pop idols’ book recommendations 1: I Decided to Live as Me by Kim Soo Hyun

Read/recommended/spotted: BTS’s Jungkook

A collection of short essays, filled with nuggets of wisdom, seems to have intrigued BTS’ Jungkook.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed as you took your first steps into adulthood? Or maybe you’ve had days when you felt lost, insignificant, or worthless? Try reading I Decided to Live as Me, a collection of short essays by Kim Soo Hyun, to soothe your worries. The book is filled with nuggets of wisdom such as, “The person that you always have to respect is no one else but yourself.” This blunt, no-nonsense self-help book (peppered with cute illustrations that break up the seriousness of some of the topics) teaches important life lessons that will empower everyone to accept themselves for who they really are and live well. 

BTS’ golden maknae Jungkook was seen packing this book in his bag in the group’s travel variety show Bon Voyage season 3. Sales of the book increased almost immediately after the show was aired, as ARMYs became interested and began reading and recommending it to friends. 

K-pop idols’ book recommendations 2: Almond by Sohn Won Pyung

Read/recommended/spotted: BTS members RM, Suga, and J-Hope

Leader of BTS, RM often recommends the books he read and loved to ARMYs. And this one is RM approved!

The BTS members are certified book lovers! Leader RM, in particular, often recommends the books he read and loved to ARMYs. One such RM-approved book is Almond by Sohn Won Pyung. The story revolves around Yunjae, a boy born with a brain condition that makes it difficult for him to feel strong emotions like fear or anger. When he personally experiences violence and loss, he struggles to cope, until he forms a surprising bond with a new friend. It’s a touching story about growth, friendship, and love, all wrapped up in a slim volume.  

RM read this book at BTS In the Soop. Fellow members Suga and J-Hope were also seen reading the novel in the show. 

K-pop idols’ book recommendations 3: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari

Read/recommended/spotted: Super Junior’s Kyuhyun

This hefty, 400-plus page non-fiction book was ready by Super Junior’s Kyuhyun

Super Junior’s maknae and resident genius, Kyuhyun, also likes to indulge in reading during his downtime. One of his more recent reads is Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. This hefty, 400-plus page non-fiction book dives deep into the history of the homo sapiens—us, modern-day humans—and their motivations, innovations, and need for self-preservation. The idol brought this book with him to a solo staycation, as seen in his KYU TV channel on YouTube. 

Watch Kyuhyun’s staycation video below: 

K-pop idols’ book recommendations 4: Kim Ji Young, Born 1982 by Cho Nam Joo

Read/recommended/spotted: Red Velvet’s Irene

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam Joo is the story of Jiyoung, a 30-something year old woman, and her daily struggle against gender discrimination that’s present in every aspect of her life. This takes a toll on her mental health, and she slowly descends into madness. It’s a sobering story tackling pervasive misogyny, societal oppression, and what it means to live life as a woman. 

Feminist book Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 landed Red Velvet’s Irene in hot water.

Red Velvet’s Irene revealed in a fan meeting that she read the thought-provoking book, which got her into hot water with male fans. The book is branded as a “feminist” book, and some anti-feminists in Korea perceive the novel as inciting contempt for men. Netizens even posted photos of them cutting and burning Irene’s photocards after the event. 

Other idols who have read the book include BTS’ RM and Girls’ Generation’s Sooyoung. 

K-pop idols’ book recommendations 5: The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino 

Read/recommended/spotted: EXO Kai

EXO’s main dancer said The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino made a huge impression on him.

EXO’s main dancer Kai named The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino as a book that made a big impression on him in the KBS program The Human Condition. The Japanese crime novel tells the story of meticulous math teacher Ishigami and his neighbor Yasuko, a divorced mother. When Yasuko’s abusive ex-husband drops in at hers and her daughter Misato’s home unannounced, a fight ensues that ends in the ex-husband’s death. Ishigami offers to help cover up the crime, which results in a high-level cat-and-mouse game between the teacher and the detective in charge of the case. 

Which of these books will you add to your list of must-reads? 

Featured Image: RM, BTS’s resident genius, reads “A Bigger Message: Conversations with David Hockney” by Martin Gayford” while preparing for a performance. Photo: BANGTANTV/YouTube
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