Is 2022 the year of monster girl group rookies? All indications point to the affirmative, and if we are to consider the first two groups that have been introduced to us in the last weeks of 2021 and the first weeks of 2022, then we are indeed in for one hell of a year.
Here’s a closer look at the two groups that are out to prove that 2022 is indeed the year of the girl group.
IVE
What we know so far: They have debuted! Armed with IZ*ONE center Wonyoung and visual Ahn Yujin, Starship Entertainment really banked on their trainees’ popularity thanks to Produce 48 and the resulting girl group IZ*ONE to propel their group to monster rookie levels. Well, this list will feature an all-monster rookie lineup, but IVE leads the pack because aside from the fact that they have already successfully debuted, they are supported by a company that knows its girl groups. Just ask SISTAR who had all their title tracks peaking at number 1 and Cosmic Girls who have the national New Year’s song, As You Wish.
And to say that the debut went well is quite an understatement because the girls proved that they do deserve their reputation as monster rookies.
According to Billboard’s chart ending on January 14th, Eleven entered the World Digital Song Sales chart at number 9 while also topping the Hot Trending Songs chart. The song also debuted on Billboard’s Japan Hot 100 chart and debuted at the top of the ‘Top User Generated Songs,’ with IVE entering the Artist 100 Chart as well. As for other charts, the single Eleven rose to 4th place on Spotify’s Viral Top 50 Chart and peaked at number 95 on the Global Top 200 Chart. The song also went on to become the most-streamed song on YouTube South Korea for five weeks while the group was chosen as the top cover artist on the music streaming platform Tidal’s K-pop Hits playlist.
On December 8, exactly a week after debut, IVE won their first-ever music show win on MBC’s Show Champion, breaking IZ*ONE’s record as the fastest girl group to win first place since its debut. Eleven also recorded the highest initial total number of albums sold on its first week of release, the highest among girl group debut albums.
The Korean music industry also acknowledged the power this rookie group has. In a January 2022 poll participated by 31 of the most popular music agency experts from different entertainment companies, IVE was selected as the most anticipated act of 2022.
How will they slay: The reputations of Yujin and Wonyoung have so far carried the group through rookie blues and Liz, Leeseo, Rei, and Gaeul proved that IVE will not just be one of those acts where one member carries the entire group’s popularity. We’ve seen that with their company-mates – SISTAR – who for a time was regarded as “Hyolyn and the Girls.” The same thing happened (and is still happening) to other groups like 4Minute, Gugudan, and LABOUM. By putting the spotlight on the other girls as well, the group should be able to surpass the high levels of popularity they are already enjoying currently as high-profile rookies.
What could make their star fall: Two things come to mind when talking about what could cause IVE’s downfall. One scenario is should the girls be made to feel that everything is only focused on Wonyoung or Yujin, then internal squabbles may start and the other members may start feeling uncomfortable to perform and be identified as IVE.
📣#IVE 에게 무엇이든물어보세요💚 멜론 아티스트 채널 내 '팬톡'에서 질문을 남겨주세요🥰
The other worst-case scenario rests ultimately on their company. If Starship suddenly mishandles IVE the way Pledis mishandled Pristine (and all their other groups except for Seventeen), then we can expect the group’s lifespan to dramatically shorten to debut and one comeback before disbandment. But then, with the company’s quite sterling record of handling screwups like Wonho and Shownu with Monsta X, SISTAR’s graceful disbandment, and the Chinese members’ lack of activities with WJSN, we believe that Starship would be incapable of conducting Pledis levels of talent mismanagement.
Kep1er
What we know so far: This is another group on our list that has already debuted! To think that this group is another product of an Mnet singing reality competition, which has seen better, scandal-free days, expectations have been controlled. After the manipulation scandal that apparently was present on all four seasons of the Produce series was exposed, it seems that Korean viewers may have gotten cautious about stan-ing another Mnet-produced group. But then, the music channel presented another twist with their latest offering, making it distinct so that hopefully, the audience can easily warm up to the new show without being reminded so much of the scandal-ridden Produce shows.
And in typical Mnet fashion, the new reality singing show they presented had a new element that hasn’t been seen before. While Produce 48 had almost half of the trainee contestants composed of Japanese trainees, Girls Planet 999 had Korean, Japanese, and Chinese-speaking (from China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong) trainees! How’s that for tapping into the largest market in the world? While there have been a number of trainee contestants from Chinese territories from Mnet-produced shows before (Yiren, Kyulkyung, Zhengting, and Justin in the Produce shows and Snowbaby and Tasha in Idol School), Girls Planet 999 would be the first time that the number of Japanese, Korean, and Chinese trainees would be equal at the start.
Since the show isn’t produced by the same team that has fallen from grace since the Produce vote rigging expose, the final resulting group, Kep1er, wasn’t really suspected of the same cheating scheme. But as with any other show produced by Mnet, many expressed their confusion over the final lineup. Out of the 9 slots that were open for the final group, only one Chinese contestant, Shen Xiaoting, got in and got the final spot when she spent most of the competition in the top ranks (she was ranked first in three out of the 7 ranking episodes, to be exact) . Only two Japanese contestants made it to the final group, which did not include another perennial topnotcher, Yurina. This allowed six Korean contestants to complete the lineup. Alas, there’s the issue of that one contestant who was weak throughout the competition but ended up getting a spot in the final group lineup. While Sohye, Hyewon, and Kuanlin were eventually accepted by fans because of the development they presented throughout the show and during their promotions in the group, Kep1er may have a bigger problem with their “problematic” member Huening Bahiyyih.
How will they slay: They were originally scheduled to debut on December 14 and perform at the 2021 Mnet Asian Music Awards, but due to one of their staff members and later, Mashiro and Xiaoting testing postive for COVID-19, all activities had to be postponed. After the two members fully recovered, Kep1er finally released their debut EP First Impact with the title track Wa Da Da on January 3, 2022. Ten days after the EP’s release, the group won their first music program award on M Countdown.
It does look like Kep1er‘s debut can be considered a success. Their first EP, First Impact, peaked at number 1 in the Gaon Album Chart and has sold more than 300,000 copies. The six-track EP may have sold less than IVE‘s Eleven, but considering that Eleven is only a single album while First Impact is an EP, the difference isn’t that huge. Wa Da Da also charted lower than Eleven as it peaked only at #75 compared to Eleven‘s #2 peak, but it fared better in Japan by peaking at #9 compared to Eleven, which only managed to peak at #16 in the Billboard Japan Hot 100.
What could make their star fall: As of the moment, that haters are concentrating their efforts on one thing; one member to be exact – Huening Bahiyyih. As mentioned earlier, people are still not convinced that she deserves her spot in Kep1er. The skills she displays are not really at the same level as her groupmates who she outranked in the finals (she ranked second in the Girls Planet’s final episode). If we’re talking about beauty, a number of names have been forwarded by critics who say that Girl Planet contestants like Guinn Myah, Chen Hsinwei, and Yurina would have been better options compared to her. Even in their variety shows, people have commented on how Bahiyyih is coming up as dry and lackluster in terms of personality. Alas, with her beauty, skills, and personality all in question, people can’t help but point out that her popularity is only because she is the sister of TXT’s Huening Kai. People speculated that her brother’s fans may have power voted her to the final lineup, as she wasn’t actually in good standing during the show’s first five ranking episodes. It wasn’t until the second to the final episode when she became part of the nine-member lineup.
With the group joining Queendom 2, it is feared that the gap between the more experienced and senior groups and Kep1er may become more obvious, not to mention the gap between more experienced members Yeseo, Yujin, Hikaru, Dayeon, and Xiaoting and Bahiyyih. Thus, there’s no better platform for Bahiyyih to breakout and establish herself as a star member of Kep1er than Queendom 2. Will Mnet do some magic in Queendom 2’s editing to give Bahiyyih the sob story angle that could possibly convert some fans to her side? Here’s hoping they can.
The question now is, are you ready for these groups to dominate the rest of the year?
Featured image: [Special Video] SVT JUN&THE8 'MY I' KOR ver. Photo: SEVENTEEN/YouTube
The recently concluded finals of the idol survival show Girls Planet 999, which included contestants from Korea, Japan, and Chinese territories (China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong), has the public wondering again if Chinese idols don’t get a fair break among K-fans. Throughout the show, at least 2 or 3 Chinese contestants figure in the top 9 contestants of the show, which by its end, will compose a nine-member girl group. One of the Chinese contestants, Shen Xiaaoting, was ranked number 1 in three of the five episodes that have the contestant’s rankings revealed. And on the final episode, she ended up 9th.
With the Korean public becoming a tad weary of Chinese idols for a good number of reasons, such as the government implementing stricter guidelines towards idols and fans – from discouraging “sissy” idols to spending excessive amounts of money on voting in idol survival shows (which may also be a reason the Chinese girls ended up not performing well in Girls Planet 999) to several Chinese idols making highly patriotic political stands (e.g. Jackson Wang siding with the government on the Xinjiang cotton issue), fans of groups with Chinese members are crossing their fingers on the plight of their idols. Let’s have a look at three different cases of Chinese members of some K-pop groups.
Chinese K-pop Members on Top: The Case of Jun and The8
Perhaps, the most active Chinese idols in the K-pop industry are Jun and The8 of the 13-member group SEVENTEEN. Jun (who was born in Shenzhen, China) and The8 (a native of Anshan, China) have not been able to have a homecoming until last October. As the group debuted in 2015, Jun and The8 have not returned to China ever since, until recently, which means they haven’t been with friends and family for more than six years. Even the pandemic did not stop the two from continuously staying in Korea for the group’s last four comebacks in Korea – Hengarae (with the lead single Left and Right), Semicolon (with the lead single Home;Run), Your Choice (with the lead single Ready to Love), and Attacca (with the lead single Rock With You). The group has also had three Japanese comebacks since the pandemic started – Fallin’ Flower in April 2020, 24H in September 2020, and Not Alone in April 2021. All three releases have topped the Japanese Oricon charts, despite the group not actually holding in-person live events in the country due to COVID-19.
For the latest comeback, the two Chinese members were part of the recording of the entire EP and making the music videos. This means that they have versions of the songs with 13-person choreography and 11-person choreography. It has been a tad unfortunate though that when the EP Attacca was released on October 22, the two members are back in China. Both are still quite active in promoting the song on their social media accounts, though, and have also uploaded videos on the group’s TikTok account of them dancing to the “killing parts” of their single Rock With You. According to Pledis Entertainment, the two boys will be back in Korea in the New Year, which may most probably mean after the Chinese celebrations of Lunar New Year.
Judging from June and The8’s social media posts, there’s little to no reason why CARATs have to be worried about them and their status with SEVENTEEN. Besides, all thirteen members, including Jun and The8, renewed their contracts with Pledis, which is now under HYBE (aka BTS’ company) a year ahead of their expiration. It seems that the commitment of all members to the group is quite strong.
The Curious Case of the Chinese Members of WJSN
Here’s a story of another 13-member group: the Cosmic Girls or WJSN. From the group’s formation in 2016, the Chinese presence in the then-12-member group has been established, with Xuanyi, Meiqi, and Cheng Xiao holding prominent positions in the group. All of WJSN’s title tracks have been released in China and even have Mandarin versions. The three members were also present when the group welcomed a new member to their fold – Produce 101 alumna Yeonjung in late 2016, when her project group I.O.I allowed some of its members to join groups of their agencies.
Things went a bit awkward when the three Chinese members suddenly grabbed opportunities in their native China all at the same time while still promoting with the group. Fresh from the promotions of their latest EP Dream Your Dream (with the lead single Dreams Come True) from late February to mid-March of 2018, Meiqi and Xuanyi were pulled out from group promotions to compete in the first season of Produce 101 China. On the other hand, as early as January, Cheng Xiao went back and forth between China and Korea, as she was appointed as a dance mentor in the male idol group formation show Idol Producer. Fun fact: Cheng Xiao’s fellow coaches included EXO’s Lay, then GOT7’s Jackson, and then Pristin’s Kulkyung who were in various stages of activity/inactivity with their respective groups.
Meiqi and Xuanyi did well in Produce 101 China, so well that they were actually the two top-ranked contestants of the show. Due to their ranking, they automatically became members of the show’s project girl group, Rocket Girls 101. For her part, Cheng Xiao accepted acting jobs in China and did not return to Korea to reunite her group and participate in their next comeback, WJ Please, which had the lead single Save Me, Save You.
What happened to the two Rocket Girls? On August 9, Yuehua Entertainment (Starship’s partner in WJSN) and Mavericks Entertainment released a joint announcement stating that they would be withdrawing Meiqi and Xianyi, along with Mavericks talent Zhang Zining (who placed 7th in the show) from Rocket Girls. However, a week later, both companies confirmed that after coming to an agreement with Tencent (Rocket Girls 101’s company), that Meiqi, Xuanyi, and Zining will be returning to the group.
The Cosmic Girls continued to promote all throughout 2019, releasing three EPs. During this time, Meiqi and Xuanyi continued to promote with their new group Rocket Girls 101 while accepting acting and TV appearance jobs. While still promoting with her Chinese group, Meiqi released her debut EP in April 2019, which subsequently sold more than 2.5 million copies. Xuanyi also got casted in Chinese variety shows even during her time as a Rocket Girl. Cheng Xiao also continued appearing in C-dramas and variety shows.
Rocket Girls 101 disbanded in 2020, yet the two (plus Cheng Xiao) have not returned to promoting with Cosmic Girls. With a ton of activities in China, the three are not expected to reunite with their WJSN groupmates anytime soon. For their part, WJSN have had two successful comebacks despite the pandemic, with their two EPS, Neverland and Unnatural, selling more than 105,000 and 92,000 copies, respectively.
Chinese members of Cube’s Groups: CLC, Pentagon, and (G)I-dle
Three of Cube Entertainment’s groups have Chinese members – Elkie from Hong Kong, Yan’An from Shanghai (though born in Japan), and Yuqi from Beijing. There’s not a lot of weird activity solely happening with the three, with their careers taking rollercoaster rides because of the company’s (mis)management of their groups.
Let’s start with Elkie who’s supposed to be from the most senior of the three groups, CLC. Unfortunately, despite their “seniority”, it seemed that Cube had always been weird towards its treatment of the group. CLC was a sort of bridesmaid to 4Minute, which until their disbandment in 2016, was Cube’s leading girl group. When the group finally disbanded, the company showed their efforts in “prioritizing” CLC by adding two new members – Elkie who was then already a popular TV personality in Hong Kong, and Eunbin, who was at that time fresh from her stint in Produce 101 (eliminated in the second to the last episode). CLC showed promise with their High Heels Japanese comeback and their Hobgoblin Korean comeback, the latter featuring an image change for the group that showed them sporting an edgier concept resembling that of the then-recently-disbanded 4Minute.
The group felt like they were on their way to finally break through the local market when something weird happened – the company debuted a new group, (G)I-dle, which includes another Produce 101 alumna, Soyeon, and Chinese member Yuqi. The public instantly warmed up to (G)I-dle’s girl crush image with a slight softness. So, it seemed like CLC skidded a bit to the sidelines yet again.
For the part of Pentagon, they went the normal boy group career trajectory, as, during their debut in 2016, Cube was still holding a bit of hope for their “Legacy” group, BEAST, while now putting more effort into the promotions of their second boy group in line, BTOB. Things took an unexpected turn for the better when the group’s song, Shine from ther sixth Korean EP POsitive became a sleeper hit, thanks to positive word of mouth from listeners who got hooked with the group’s trendy choreography and the song’s earworm quality. The song started out in the Gaon charts in the 500s, then rose by hundreds of places until it peaked at number 27. It did feel like the group was finally on its way to attaining superior-level boy group levels of fame.
Then Yan’An got sick, making him take a health break from the group. Also, E’Dawn was revealed to have a relationship with Cube’s biggest stars, former 4Minute center HyunA. At first, the company denied this, then the two actually admitted to the relationship, after which the company dropped her and E’Dawn. Yan’An took another health break (a longer one this time for most of 2020). Members Junho and leader Hui (who was also in a group with HyunA and E’Dawen called Triple H) are currently on military duty, so the group is practically on that weird state exclusively occurring among boy groups: a hiatus with awkward and poorly promoted releases by still-active members. Yan’An is back with the group, but with its weird status, we’re not exactly sure what the future holds for the group.
This brings us back to CLC and (G)I-dle. With the company obviously preferring the newer group, CLC was pushed back and forth from sweet and innocent songs to edgy girl crush releases, while (G)I-dle getting better songs.
Their latest/last release was Helicopter in August 2020 and before the year ended, Elkie sent a legal notice to Cube Entertainment requesting termination of her contract, citing that she has not received payment for her acting activities and that Cube Entertainment had already stopped their “developmental support” of CLC, putting the group in an uncertain future. On February 3, 2021, Cube Entertainment confirmed that Elkie is not with the group anymore and her contract has been terminated. Fast forward to September, when member Yujin, who joined Girls Planet 999, said in an interview on the show that the group has been “dismissed.” As fans, we can only interpret this as CLC disbanding.
Finally, what has happened to the rather successful (G)I-dle? With EPs that sell more than 200,000 copies (AMAZING considering 100,000 units sold for girl groups is already a lot) and all lead singles charting notably high (the group’s last single, Hwaa, peaked at #4), the three-year-old group has achieved top-tier status in record time. Considering they’re not from SM, JYP, or YG, their sales and chart performances are unquestionably commendable. They even won new fans when they participated and eventually placed third in the idol group competition Queendom, only placing behind MAMAMOO and Oh My Girl. everything is turning up roses for (G)I-dle until something gets messed up.
Only several weeks after the promotions ended for the group’s latest release, Hwaa, Cube announced that Soojin would temporarily halt all activities after bullying accusations by former classmates rose. The company has since encouraged individual activities, with Yuqi releasing her first EP as a solo artist, A Page, in May and Soyeon releasing her solo EP, Windy, the following month.
Finally, on August 14, Cube Entertainment announced that Soojin has departed from the group. (G)I-dle is now down to five members, but there hasn’t been news about a comeback. Several weird developments have happened since Soojin’s departure from the group, with various reports claiming that the members did not agree to Soojin getting booted out of the group and have become disappointed with Cube. Many also pointed out the lackluster support the company gave to Yuqi’s debut.
Finally, only days after the announcement of Soojin’s departure, rumors of Soyeon leaving Cube and therefore, the group spread like wildfire. On August 28, Soyeon hello a vLive session and eagle-eyed watchers were quick to point out that there was something tucked in her phone case – a business card with the logo of PNation, Psy’s relatively new entertainment agency that houses, surprise, surprise – the banished duo of HyunA and E’Dawn! That it has been months since the last comeback and the year is drawing to a close, fans can’t help but wonder if it is also “buh-bye Cube” time for (G)I-dle.
So, there you have it- the great, the mysterious, and the perennial mistreatment among Chinese idols. Let’s hope there’ll be more Juns and The8’s in the future of K-pop.
Featured image: [Special Video] SVT JUN&THE8 ‘MY I’ KOR ver. Photo: SEVENTEEN/YouTube
Before BIGBANG there was SE7EN, one of YG Entertainment's former artists.
In May of last year, the inevitable finally happened: Dara, formerly of the mega girl group 2NE1, announced that she has parted ways with her entertainment agency for more than 17 years, YG Entertainment.
It was indeed the end of an era, as the groups that we have always associated with the company are pretty much gone or are on an extended hiatus. BigBang remains quiet despite everyone in the group being done with military duty, Seungri left BigBang and the entertainment industry altogether since his scandals became public, all four 2NE1 members are with new agencies after Dara’s departure, Lee Hi is now with AOMG, Nam Taehyun has been out of WINNER since 2016, B.I has been out of iKon since 2019, Psy also left the company to make it on his own with the establishment of PNatio, and the company’s resident hip-hop group, Epik High, also called it quits in 2018.
And if you think that these have been only the huge departures from the company, here are three YG artists that have left the family before the ones we mentioned finally decided to pack their bags, too.
Se7en: Was he dismissed or did he decide to leave?
Back in the days when there is still an option for Korean male singers to find fame as soloists of any genre and not be confined as balladeers, rappers, or group idols, Se7en debuted and shot to fame. It was 2003 and the likes of Usher, Craig David, Mario, and Chris Brown (not to mention Latino singers like Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin) were dominating American, European, and even Asian music charts, so becoming a male R&B or soul soloist somehow became trendy.
Thus, when YG Entertainment introduced Se7en to the Korean public as a soloist who’s not particularly associated with sappy ballads or trot, people took notice. He also received several Rookie of the Year awards in his home country, a testament to his popularity throughout the first decade of the 21st century. And having a signature fashion statement such as wearing roller shoes or heelys (for Generation Z readers, they’re shoes with retractable wheels in them, which distinguishes them from roller skates as the wheels in the latter cannot be hidden) in every public appearance and music video really helped in Se7en‘s name recall.
He continued to maintain his popularity through Korea, which eventually spread throughout the rest of Asia, as he also debuted in China and Japan. As with most K-pop acts at that time, there was a clamor for Se7en to debut in the rather finicky and fickle-minded American market (something which the Wonder Girls and Girl’s Generation attempted to do), so, he made his American debut in 2009 with a song Girls that featured rapper Li’l Kim. And like all K-pop acts attempting to make it big in the American music scene, Se7en received a lukewarm welcome in the US.
The lackluster US debut did not diminish Se7en’s stardom in his native Korea, where his comebacks until 2012 were still unquestionable successes. He even figured in a first as his 2012 comeback,When I Can’t Sing, was written and produced by Park Jinyoung aka JYP of JYP Entertainment himself. That title track was the first official collaboration between YGE and JYPE and it was also his first number 1 under the Gaon chart system.
Se7en enlisted for his mandatory military service in 2013 and was finally was discharged from the military in December 2014, but not without scandal. Not only was it reported that he broke curfew, but he was also spotted visiting a massage parlor famous for prostitution. His contract with YG was slated to end two months after his discharge, but maybe because of the scandals during his military service, both parties decided mutually not to renew his contract. To add to this, two days before Christmas, the agency of his then-girlfriend for 12 years Park Hanbyul announced that their talent’s relationship with Se7en has ended.
Se7en then established his own agency, ELEVEN9 Entertainment, but it took more than a year before he released new music. He first released a single entitled I’m Good in July of 2016 before releasing an EP entitled I Am Se7en, with the carrier single Give It to Me in October. The EP managed to sell more than 8,000 copies, although his songs failed to chart.
Se7en has been busy with musical theater, having headlines a number of musicals such as Dogfight and I Loved You. He also hosts a web show on YouTube entitled Seven Golf Courses. He signed with a new agency, Dmost Entertainment in 2020, although he hasn’t released new music since 2016.
Katie Kim Breaks Free From the Dungeon
If there is one thing YG Entertainment is very famous for when it comes to how they treat their artists, it’s that they rarely give them comebacks. Once an artist is established and has acquired some semblance of popularity, the company opts to make sure that his or her next releases are of premium quality.
Unfortunately, the process of ensuring this takes a long time, and for most YG artists, it takes years. Lee Hi famously cried on an episode of Party People hosted by JYP (the guy we mentioned earlier, as in Park Jinyoung) expressing her frustration that she has had only four half-albums in her four-year career. Thus, the birth of the YG “dungeon,” where the company allegedly keeps their artists until they (or an in-house YG producer like Teddy) give them materials of superior quality.
If you think that Lee Hi’s time with YG was tragic, wait until you read the entire story of Katie Kim. Like Lee Hi, Katie was also thrust into the spotlight via a singing audition program – K-Pop Star 4 in 2015. Not only did she participate in that season, she actually won the show and got offered contracts with the companies partnered with the program. She decided to sign a contract with YG Entertainment. And that may have been a not-too-good decision.
For the next three years, as in the moment she won until 2018, she recorded several songs and produced music videos, and went back and forth between Seoul and the US, as YG noticed that her style leaned more towards American music – jazz and R&B, to be precise. So, she participated in songwriting camps and wrote songs for her album that has been a year two years three years in the making. With her songs finally available, what does YG do? Continuously delay the development and release of her solo album to ensure the finished product is up to “YG standards”.
The release of Katie’s album has been exaggeratedly delayed that even the creative director who was in charge of Katie at YG Entertainment had quit the company and started a new record label. Katie with nothing to show for her “career” after three years followed him to his new label, AXIS Entertainment. Finally, in June 2018, Katie debuted with the album Log under AXIS, but guess what? YG Entertainment was still involved with her career as the company was the distributing arm of her new company. Even the music video for her debut single, Remember, is housed in YG Entertainment’s YouTube channel, where, as of press time, it has amassed close to 15 million views.
Alas, it seems that the search for perfection and high standards that is YG’s signature trait has rubbed off on Katie, who only released her second EP, Our Time is Blue, with the single Our Time, in December last year. She had not promoted any of her songs in Korea. Her second single off the EP, Faux, has been seen by casual listeners as shades against her former record label. In an interview, she claims that “The song was inspired by “an experience with a record label. I thought everything went super well and we were getting ready to sign the paperwork, but everything fell through. I later learned that they were looking for a K-pop artist and I wasn’t really K-pop. They were interested at first, but later realized I wasn’t what they were looking for.”
If that’s not a reference to her time in YG, then I don’t know what that statement is all about!
Gummy: When the Queen Left Her Kingdom
If we’re talking about the pillars of YG Entertainment, there’s Gummy. When she debuted in 2003 (coincidentally the same year as Se7en‘s debut as well), she immediately took the position as YG Entertainment’s biggest female artist with her title track We Should Have Been Friends.” After all, not everyone (if not anyone else) can boast of winning the Bonsang at the 19th Golden Disk Awards with her debut single. Close to 20 years later, We Should Have Been Friends remains one of the most popular Korean pop songs ever. It is constantly being used as a contest piece in singing competitions and is still one of those songs Koreans recognize and pick in their noraebang sessions.
The awards and recognition continued in her debut year as Gummy won earned the Mobile Popularity Award for Memory Loss, the lead single of her second album, It’s Different, at the 2004 Mnet Km Music Festival. Despite suffering from vocal nodules between preparing her first and second albums, Gummy was on a roll. Her third album, For the Bloom, kept her at the top of both album and song charts. Then, she altogether stopped releasing music and went on a hiatus that lasted for three full years.
In 2008, she released her fourth album titled Comfort, which saw her officially ending her hiatus. The lead single I’m Sorry features BigBang‘s T.O.P and immediately charted at #5 in music charts in the first week of its release. She then took another two-year break before releasing a mini-album, Loveless, in April of 2010.
Things between SM and Gummy finally came to a close after the singer marked her tenth anniversary in the music business. After celebrating with a fan meeting and releasing her OST for the drama, That Winter, the Wind Blows entitled Snow Flower (which charter as high as #3), she also released a Japanese album, Fate(s). She also had a duet with Daesung from BIGBANG. Then, just like that, it was reported that she has left YG Entertainment, her home agency for 10 years, and has transferred to C-JeS Entertainment in October 2013.
https://youtu.be/Z2U1HX6GMCw
Gummy hasn’t looked back then, as she has thrived in every aspect of her life. Since leaving YG, she has married Hospital Playlist actor Jo Jungsuk in 2018 and gave birth to their first child in August 2020. As for her music career, she has continued her reign as the OST Queen while still releasing new music, the latest being a single titled It Was Still Love in October this year.
Which brings us to: Why did Gummy leave YG in 2013? In a 2014 interview, she said, “It has been a little over half a year since moving to a new agency. My former agency had a [particular] tendency [in the way they do things]. YG is not the type to release albums often… When good music comes out, you release an album. Artists agreed on that, and each artist had a lot of ambition to promote with good music. I also made an album at YG, which fell through about two times. After thinking about it a lot, I decided to switch agencies.”
Quashing rumors of bad blood between Gummy and her former agency, she clarified, “We did not go our separate ways on bad terms. [Yang Hyun Suk] CEO actually felt sorry towards me. He told me that if there is a place where I can get cared for more, then let’s do that comfortably. I think it came about naturally.”
Therefore, we conclude that even the queen of YG during her reign still felt like she languished in the YG dungeon as a lot of her work was refused.
So, who are we left with in YG? The depth of talent is still mind-blowing. Sechs Kies, the legendary 1st generation boy group that joined YG when the members decided to revive their group in 2016, just released a top 10 single in February this year, still under the company. Digital monsters AKMU just released an EP in July, with a collaboration with The IU entitled Nakkatopping the charts, and is still charting as of press time. WINNER is still with the company, despite having changes in their line-up and inactivity due to Jinu and Hoony currently serving in the military. While iKON members won’t be starting their enlistment until next year, they have also experienced a line-up change with B.I’s departure and the sudden revelation of Bobby being a father as he plans on marrying his partner. Of course, there’s the biggest girl group BLACKPINK and the promising Treasure. Finally, we still hold out hope for a BigBang comeback.
Featured image: Before BIGBANG there was SE7EN, one of YG Entertainment’s former artists. Photo: YG ENTERTAINMENT/YouTube
Krystal Jung of f(x) fame plays snob but kind-hearted Lee Bona in the SBS K-Drama, The Heirs. Photo: SBS Drama/YouTube
For us K-pop fans, being in a girl group and maybe graduating into a soloist would be the be-all-end-all for our favorites’ careers. But as a lot of idols have proven time and again, there are enticing opportunities awaiting them in the field of acting, whether it’s on television or the movies. Yes, a good number of them have been harshly criticized because of their sub-par thespian skills, and sometimes they get called out for being hired as actors only to raise the popularity of the show they are a part of. But then, there are quite a number of female idols who have proven their acting mettle, so much so they have already successfully transitioned into focusing on their careers as actresses rather than as idols. Here are five of them:
Hyeri
Any K-drama fan would remember Dukseon, the most adorable picket girl for Madagascar in the 1988 Seoul Olympics and her neighborhood gang. With that one drama, Reply 1988, Hyeri became a household name. But K-pop fans would argue that Hyeri was already popular thanks to her girl group, Girl’s Day and that she had already starred in a couple of TV dramas (Jekyll, Hyde, Me and Tasty Life) before Reply 1988 started. Both are true, but it so happens that Reply 1988 just became a phenomenon. And as what Reply 1997 and 1994 did to Apink Eunji and Go Ara’s popularity respectively, Reply 1988 cemented Hyeri’s star status as well, not to mention that it became more popular than the previous Reply versions.
Alas, although the members of Girl’s Day decided not to renew their contracts with the group’s agency, Dream T Entertainment, it has been years since the group’s last comeback – I’ll Be Yoursin 2017. Moreover, Hyeri hasn’t gotten involved in solo projects when it comes to music. So, suffice to say that until a Girl’s Day reunion comeback truly materializes, we may not see the return of idol Hyeri.
Last singing activity: The 2017 EP Girl’s Day Everyday #5, with the single I’ll Be Yours
Latest acting activities: KBS’ When Flowers Bloom, I Think of the Moon with Yoo Seungho and Kang Mina has finished and is slated to be released soon.
More idols like EXID’s Hani and Jeonghwa, SISTAR’s Dasom, I.O.I and Pristin’s Lim Nayoung, and AOA’s Seolhyun have expressed intentions of focusing on acting. For the first four mentioned, this means signing with new agencies as actors – Hani and Nayoung actually share an agency, Sublime Artist Agency, Jeonghwa is with J-Wide Company, and Dasom is with Story-J. As for Seolhyun, with MIna’s erratic behavior and Jimin’s departure from the entertainment industry, her group AOA’s future is most uncertain. But then again, AOA’s agency, FNC Entertainment, is quite experienced in having idols who straddle between singing and acting careers.
Seohyun
Now, this is one weird career shift. Seo Juhyun, known to all of us as Seohyun, Girl’s Generation‘s golden maknae and one of the group’s main vocalists (anyone still holding out hope for a TaTiSeo comeback?), has turned her back completely on singing. Which is quite weird considering other GG members who have ventured into acting still have dabbled into recording. For example, Sooyoung, famously known for saying she never considered herself the best singer after being with a better vocalist during her time with the group, still recorded a single in 2020. Yoona and Yuri, who are also more known in their careers as sub-vocalists, have still recorded singles and contributed to OSTs.
Not Seohyun, though. Her last activity related to singing was her 2017 EP Don’t Say No, and that was when she was still with SM. No promotional singles, no OST contributions, not even a single musical theater role. Not that we’re complaining about our girl’s three lead role performances on TV since 2018 and two upcoming movies, but it has to be said, not hearing our SONE maknae‘s singing voice ever again is one sad thought.
Last singing activity: 2017’s EP Don’t Say No
Latest acting activities: Two movies slated for 2022 release: Netflix’s webtoon-based Love and Leashes and Holy Night: Demon Hunters with Ma Dongseok.
Uee
While not necessarily one of the pioneers of the legendary group that during their peak was dubbed the “Pussycat Dolls of K-Pop,” Uee’s time with After School was quite remarkable. She was seen as a replacement of Soyoung, who although was still there when she joined the group, was actually the first AS member to “graduate” and pursue acting. But then, Soyoung only stayed with the group for 10 months, while Uee stayed with and was very prominent in almost all of the group’s most iconic comebacks, including Bang!, Diva, First Love, and Flashback. After eight years with the group, Pledis Entertainment announced that Uee has graduated from the group with the expiration of her contract with the company.
But Uee’s shift to acting did not really come all of a sudden. Long known for her beauty, she was already appearing in several dramas even as she started with the group in 2009. She debuted earlier as an actress, playing the young Mishil in MBC’s popular historical drama Queen Seondeok, which was shown in May, a clear four months before her idol debut. She regularly appeared in dramas throughout her career as a girl group idol, and when she finally left Pledis for Yuleum Entertainment in 2017, she practically focused on her acting career. She has not sung for anything since 2014 when After School was last promoted as a group. As of this year, she has again signed to a different agency, Lucky Entertainment, making her current agency her 4th in her entire career.
Last idol activity: Japanese promotion for Best, After School’s 2nd compilation album that featured a new song, Shine.
Latest acting activity: Will be seen in tvN’s Ghost Doctor, slated for a 2022 release.
Nana
Well, since we have already mentioned Uee, why not go ahead and mention the other After School actress Nana? Nana, of striking visuals and Orange Caramel fame, did not actually start acting until late in her idol career. She debuted in After School in late 2009 and started off her acting career with cameo appearances in a couple of movies, White and Fashion King in 2011 and 2014, respectively. Her first main role was in a 2015 Chinese film entitled Go Lala Go 2, which starred Taiwanese actors Ariel Lin, Vic Zhou, and Chern Bolin. Her first TV role was also in the Chinese drama Love Weaves Through a Millennium, which was shown on Hunan Television in 2015 as well.
Nana’s acting career has a number of hits and misses, with performances in the Korean remake of The Good Wife (she played the equivalent of Archie Panjabi’s role and shared screen time with Jeon Doyeon, who played the Korean version of Julianna Marguilles’ part), Justice, and Into the Ring earning her praise, while her 2021 drama Oh My Landlord is considered by media observers as the start of drama powerhouse MBC’s downfall. But not to worry, fans, as Nana will continue with her acting career, with shows such as Netflix’s Glitch with Lee Donghwi and Jeon Yeobeen. Also, unlike the idol we mentioned before her, she is still quite close with After School members and cheered them on when some of the members reunited in MMTG to perform Bang! and Diva earlier this year. Also, she is the only member of After School who hasn’t really graduated, and is still with Pledis Entertainment, which technically, is now under HYBE.
Last idol activity: Contributed a song to the OST of her own show, Into the Ring in 2020. Not promoted, so this doesn’t really count as an “idol activity”, but rather a singing one.
Latest acting activity: Netflix’s Glitch, which was slated for release in 2021, but now that it’s early 2022 with no confirmed date in sight.
Krystal Jung
Who could forget snob yet kind-hearted rich kid Lee Bona in K-drama The Heirs/Inheritors?
Here is another idol who has managed to combine her idol and acting career seamlessly, until unfortunately, one of the two sort of waned. Just like the Pledis group After School, Krystal’s group in SM, f(x), also debuted in 2009. The next year, Krystal first appeared on the small screen with a supporting role in More Charming By the Day, and since then, both her idol and acting careers flourished. But as she got more recognition for playing snobbish ice queen types on TV to perfection, f(x) activities became scant. In fact, so scant that the group’s last legitimate comeback was in 2015. They contributed a track to SM Station,All Mine, in 2016, but that wasn’t promoted at all and it was practically the group’s last activities.
https://youtu.be/C0SSU8U87I4
Krystal’s fans were not left in the cold with the acting jobs, though, as even without her group, she has steadily been part of popular programs such as The Bride of Habaek and Prison Playbook. With the possibility of an f(x) reunion practically non-existent since all members are now with different companies (Krystal is now with H& Entertainment since her official departure from SM in October 2020), we can only hope to see Krystal go full speed ahead with her acting career.
Last singing activity:I Don’t Wanna Love You, a 2017 single
Latest acting activities: KBS’s Police University with former B1A4 Jinyoung and a Chinese film Unexpected Love, which doesn’t have a release date yet.
Well, the idol world’s loss can be TV and films’ gain and we fans can’t really complain.
Featured Image: Krystal Jung of f(x) fame plays snob but kind-hearted Lee Bona in the SBS K-Drama, The Heirs. Photo: SBS Drama/YouTube
Have you seen Korean period dramas and wondered if there are ones that are based on real-life characters? Here are five historical dramas that draw inspiration from, if not reflect, events and personalities that really happened in Korea’s very colorful history:
Empress Ki
Initial TV run: a whopping 51 episodes from October 2013 to April 2014 on MBC
Cast: Ha Jiwon as Ki Seungnyang / Ki Nyang who later becomes the titular Empress Ki, Joo Jinmo as Wang Yoo / King Choonghye, Ji Changwook as Toghon Temür / Ta Hwan, and Baek Jinhee as Tanashiri, daughter of Yeon-Chul
What’s it about: Seungnyang (played by Ha Jiwon) was born a girl in a family of low-ranking palace officials. She did not have any affections towards the job of her parents, so to avoid being a palace maidservant, she disguised herself as a boy. As a man, she was assigned to watch over Yuan crown prince To Gon, who was exiled to Koryo (Korea) from the Yuan/Mongol empire. Eventually, Seungnyang secret was discovered, and she now has to help To Gon get back to his rightful place in the Yuan empire, which was taken from him by his half-brother who was the one responsible for his exile in Koryo.
In his return to Yuan, he employs Seungnyang’s assistance, who then posed as a royal maidservant. Together, they rose to the highest positions of power in Yuan, as To Gon later decides to marry Seungnyang. Seungyang becomes empress, but she still remembers her first love who she left in Koryo, Wang Yoo (played by Joo Jinmo).
How is it related to real-life events: The events and characters of Empress Ki were based on real-life people. Seungnyang who was then 16 in the year 1331, was sent to Khanbaliq (what is now known as Beijing) from Koryo as part of a tribute to the Yuan empire that also included the return of the crown prince To Gon from exile. With her tenacity and intelligence, she eventually became the first Korean empress of the Yuan Dynasty and became the ruler of close to 60 million people who inhabited Mongol-controlled China at that time.
Empress Ki! Gosh it's been almost 8 yrs and can't still move on with the ending😭 https://t.co/5GTsueqhPj
The drama, although successful among Korean and Chinese television viewers, was criticized by Koreans as too sympathetic, as she was (and still is) seen as a traitor who chose to rise to power in the Yuan dynasty rather than in her native Koryo. On the other hand, Ming Dynasty historians did not look favorably upon her reign as she was considered a corrupting influence.
Finally, it should be noted that when her son, Biligtu Khan, succeeded his father (and in actuality, her, as Empress Ki did more of the ruling compared to her husband To Gon) to the throne when he died, Empress Ki actually faded and disappeared. There were no records of her in her twilight years when her son took over as emperor of the Northern Yuan dynasty.
Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth
Initial TV run: 20 episodes plus four specials from December 2016 to February 2017 on KBS
Cast: Park Seojoon as Moomyung / Kim Sunwoo / Kim Isabu / Dog-bird, Go Ara as Kim Ahro, Park Hyungsik as Sammaekjong / Kim Jidwi / Jinheung of Silla, Shinee’s Choi Minho as Kim Sooho, and BTS’ V (Kim Taehyung) as Seok Hansung
What’s it about: This is a story set in the ancient Silla dynasty about a group of young men called Hwarang who lived 1,500 years ago and their passion, love, friendship. After the death of King Beopheung died, Jiso ruled the kingdom as regent while keeping her son Sammaekjong (played as an adult by Park Hyunsik) hidden outside of the capital to protect him from court intrigue and drama. As the years roll by, everybody is anticipating who shall replace Jiso. There’s Sammaekjong who’s now of age, and nobles, citizens, and officials who now want power for themselves. For fear of the restless nobility who want the throne to themselves, Jiso created a new called the Hwarang, that will protect the throne for Sammaekjong and ward off other interested parties. Leading the Hwarang is Moo Myung (played by Park Seojoon), a young man who despite not being a part of the nobility, became a legendary warrior.
Other members of the Hwarang are Kim Ahro (played by Reply 1994’s Go Ara), a half-breed with an aristocrat father and a peasant servant mother, who becomes the physician of the Hwarang and the love interest of Moomyung.
"Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth", where #Taehyung played the role of youngest Hwarang, "Hansung", was recommended on 'Welcome to Hallyuland', Netflix India
— Taehyung India FB | FRI(END)Sˡᵒᶜᵏᵈᵒʷⁿ •◡• (@Taehyung_india_) November 23, 2020
Kimsammaekjong secretly becomes a Hwarang warrior himself who vowed to eliminate the nobles making his quest for the throne difficult. Other Hwarang members include Kim Suho (SHINee’s Choi Minho) who became known to be flirtatious, Park Banryu (Do Jihan from Basketball) known as the cold-blooded Hwarang, Kim Yeowool (Jo Yoonwoo from Mask) who is described as the most charming Hwarang who doesn’t have designs for the throne despite having royal lineage, and Suk Hansung (BTS’ V aka Kim Taehyung) known as the maknae of the Hwarang warriors.
How is it related to real-life events: In the history of the Silla dynasty, Hwarang actually existed. Known as Flowering Knights, they were an elite warrior group of male youth in Silla, They originally bonded to study arts and culture as well as religious teachings stemming mainly from Korean Buddhism. The youths who were chosen by the Silla Kingdom became the knights and warriors for the Silla Dynasty within the age of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.
Haechi
Initial TV run: 48 episodes running from February to April 2019 on SBS
Cast: Jung Ilwoo as Yi Geum / Prince Yeoning, Go Ara as Chun Yeoji, Kwon Yul as Bak Munsu, Park Hoon as Dalmoon, Lee Geungyoung as Min Jinwon, Jung Moonsung as Yi Tan / Prince Milpung, and Bae Junghwa as Chun Yoonyoung / Bokdan
What’s it about: Haechi is a legal drama set in the period of the Joseon Dynasty. At the beginning of the drama, Minister Min Jinwon (played by Lee Gyeungyoung) explains that justice and truth are unattainable, like that legendary animal. “In real life, it is impossible to judge right from evil.” For him, politics is not about justice, but about power. And when you lose power is tantamount to death.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, a group of people working in Saheonbu (practically the Office of the Inspector General that administered inspections in the capital Hanyang (now Seoul), and the periphery) who actually believes in true justice. With Head Inspector Han Jeongseok (played by Lee Pilmo), they start digging into a murder case that gets them in the crosshairs of the royal court.
Enter Yi Geum (played by Jung Ilwoo), a good for nothing prince who accidentally gets himself involved in this crime-solving mystery. Although a prince, there are some people who look down on him as his mother was a maid, so he was seen as a low-born royal. He also wasn’t being taken seriously because he spends his days drinking and womanizing, which is a waste of his smarts. But then, because of the involvement of the royals in the murder, he needs to establish his position and slowly but surely flex his political muscle as a prince. While he doesn’t have any political capital at the start, he was joined by some friends and advisers, and soon he has people supporting him.
While it can be argued that we already know the ending and that he will become king, his journey to the top is quite an exciting and thrilling ride that we as viewers can join. Alas, with the other officers in the Saheonbu on his side – Inspector Park Moonsoo (played by Kwon Yul), Assistant Inspector Yeoji (Go Ara), and ring leader of beggars Dalmoon (Park Hoon), among others, his rise to the top and their crusade for justice combined splendidly.
By the end of the drama, we also see the shift in the attitude of the Minister who opens the show. While he still believes true justice is unattainable, he was given more hope as he recalls his youth, when was also an idealistic dreamer
How is it related to real-life events: This drama is actually based on the real-life story of Yi Geum, who was later known as Prince Yeoning, during his early years of reign. He becomes King Yeongjo, the 21st king of Joseon in 1724 who reigned for 52 years. However, he would also be subject to a rather depressing episode of Joseon history in relation to his son, Prince Sado, who died of starvation after his father (yes, Prince Yeoning aka King Yeongjo) locked him up in a rice closet for seven days. This father-son tragedy was the subject of the 2015 movie The Throne which stars Song Kangho (Parasite) as King Yeongjo and Yoo Ahin (Chicago Typewriter, Burning, and the soon-to-be-released Hellbound) as Prince Sado.
So now, you may ask, where does the drama’s title come from? Haechi is actually a Korean mythological creature whose likeness is found in front of the Saheonbu building. Haechi looks like a lion with scales and represents a righteous judge of justice and truth. Saheonbu, the Joseon office that is also responsible for carrying out investigations and justice, was meant to be like the righteous and honorable Haechi.
Dae Jang Geum
Initial TV run: 54 episodes that ran on MBC from September 2003 to March 2004
Cast: Lee Youngae as Seo Janggeum, Ji Jinhee as Min Jungho, Hong Rina as Choi Geumyoung, Im Ho as King Jungjong, and Yang Mikyung as Court Lady Han Baekyoung (Jang Geum’s teacher)
What’s it about: For international audiences, this drama is more known as Jewel in the Palace, while in Korea, the drama bears the name of its lead character. Set in 16th century Korea, the series is about Jang Geum whose mother was killed and whose father was arrested and disappeared (we’re not sure if he was killed or was put in exile until his death), when she was still not more than five years old. While his dad was arrested and exiled or killed or no one knows really, her mom came out of hiding to find out what happened to her husband, but alas, was hit by an arrow. Before she died, she told her daughter that her dying wish was for her (the daughter) to enter the palace and become the highest-ranking kitchen lady so that she can somehow avenge her from the palace personalities against whom she fought.
Jang Geum eventually became successful in both entering the palace and getting a training spot as a court lady. This did not sit well with the other court ladies in training and even with the other palace staff, as she is not known for her strong family background. In fact, her parents are a mystery to the rest of the palace, which increased their suspicion and dislikes for our girl, while she obviously cannot divulge the identity of her parents because they still pretty much had unfavorable reputations, even in their death.
Despite her innate intelligence and perseverance, she finds herself in trouble many times. The intrigues she was involved with, combined with her sketchy background, led her to be convicted of treason for which she was sent to Jeju Island to be exiled. There, she met a lady physician who taught her the tricks of her trade and gave her another way of getting back to the palace – by practicing medicine. So, even if she already built her culinary skills as a court lady, she also had to learn medicine from the lady so she can get back to the palace as a physician.
So, does she get back to the palace and avenge her parents? You’ll have to watch the drama to find out!
How is it related to real-life events: The stories and characters are pretty much based on real life. Jang Geum was a real-life physician of the palace, and the title of the series Dae (meaning great) Jang Geum was also bestowed upon her because of her achievements. The first mention of her in the palace records was in the spring of 1515 when King Jungjong’s second wife, Queen Janggyeong, died from complications of childbirth. While court officers tried to convince the king to punish the medical women, including Jang Geum, for the queen’s demise, the king refused, saying,
“Jang Geum deserves big credit for her role in the safe childbirth of palace ladies, but I have never awarded her for her actions until now, because of other affairs. Now you (the court officers) are telling me to punish her because the Queen is dead, but I won’t do that as well as I won’t reward her. That’s enough.”
Jang Geum’s position as the king’s physician continued until his death in November 1544. In the Yi dynasty Medical Officer’s Journal, she was also mentioned in this passage:
“Medical Lady Jang Geum, whose origins cannot be traced, received the right to be called ‘Dae Jang Geum” under an edict issued by the 11th King of Korea, Jungjong, in the 18th year of his reign [1524-1525]. At that time, there was no precedent of a Medical Lady treating a King, but the Emperor trusted in Jang Geum’s method of treating illness with food. Jang Geum, with the granting of the right to use ‘Dae’ in her name, is certainly an epic lady whose name will be recorded in the history books.”
So, yes, by now we’ve spoiled the drama for you. She pretty much had an awesome career as a doctor and continues to be the only female physician in history to serve the highest officer of the land. Even now, the Korean president’s personal physician is male. But to know if Jang Geum’s family background was eventually exposed, that you will have to find out ion the drama. It seems that we didn’t spoil everything, after all!
Empress Myeongseong
Initial TV run: 124 episodes that ran from May 2001 to July 2002 on KBS
Cast: Lee Miyeon (episodes 1, 10-81) and Choi Myunggil as Empress Myeongseong, Lee Jinwoo as King Gojong, and Yoo Donggeun as Heungseon Daewongun
What’s it about: If you come across the song If I Leave being sung in singing contests and programs in Korea like Immortal Songs, Yesterday, and King of Masked Singer, then you may have had a brush with this historical drama. That OST was originally sung by world-renowned Korean soprano Jo Somi for the historical drama Empress Myeongsong. This is one historical drama that was so successful that decades after it was first shown, people still remember it, including the timeless theme song. It even had two actresses playing the same role – the titular Empress for its run that lasted a year and two months and 124 episodes!
The issue with the two actresses is not really a real issue as it just happened that the original actress was not ready for the eventual success of the show. The contract that the “original” Empress Myeongseong, Lee Miyeon, signed with KBS was only for 100 episodes. However, due to the success of the program, the TV station wanted to extend it to more than 100 episodes. However, Lee Miyeon wanted to adhere to the original contract, so she refused to do more than 100 episodes. Not to worry though, as the station just had to hire a new actress, Choi Myunggil, to play the empress from Episode 82 onwards.
So, for K-drama fans who are used to a 16-episode show, be prepared for a very long ride.
How is it related to real-life events: Although there may be some scenes where the show’s creators exercised some creative freedoms, the characters of the drama are based on real-life historical figures. There’s Empress Myeongseong, who was the wife of the country’s first Emperor, Gojong, and the 26th King of Joseon. Her presence was felt when the First Sino-Japanese War broke out and was a driving force in modernizing Korea.
Empress Myeongseong was known for her liberal ways such as wanting girls to be educated and employing a modern army for the country. She was Korea’s first queen to rule the country—next to her husband—and was politically more active than the emperor. Due to her immense power and influence, the Empress’ rule did not sit well with foreigners, particularly the Japanese, who sent agents to assassinate her.
There are still more historical dramas that are actually based on real life. Even if you can’t relate to the traditions or you may not recognize your favorite actors because of the hair and make-up, get ready to be dazzled by the high production values!
Featured Image: BTS’s V/Kim Tae Hyung as the ever loyal and innocent Hansung in Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth, along with lead actor and fellow Wooga Squad member Park Seo Joon. Photo: BANGTANTV/YouTube
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!
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.
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.
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 momentyear 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?
Has the Netflix hit Squid Gamehave 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.
Today #GoingSeventeen feels like old Korean reality game show #TheGenius with all the mind gaming. If you want this kind of content you can watch The Genius. The mind gaming is serious like if it's still running Jeonghan will win there. pic.twitter.com/cIzDbxx0SM
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.
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.
i've been saying this for years but the genius is simply just peak game show, i just keep coming back to it years after because i'm apparently not as smart as i think i am and every challenge is like a fresh challenge again for me to re-figure out 😂
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).
Jiwon on another strategy game show? Kinda makes me want to finish S2 and S4 of The Genius… I stopped watching when Hong Jinho lost lol
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
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 threewere 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 Bboomis 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
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.
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 Miniskirtand 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 Leveland 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 Geeto the genre-bending I Got A Boyto 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
![SE7EN - BETTER TOGETHER M/V [HD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UlyAD_Jjhks/hqdefault.jpg)
![[AXIS] KATIE - Remember](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IAWI6nMQhQI/hqdefault.jpg)
![[1080p] 141231 After School - Bang! @ Dragon TV New Year Concert](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1cmjInV0D4/hqdefault.jpg)
![Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth | 화랑 [Trailer]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Sd8zd9SmFXk/hqdefault.jpg)
![[CHOREOGRAPHY] Jin of BTS ‘슈퍼 참치’ Special Performance Video](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cQA7VKSvXFM/hqdefault.jpg)
![[CHOREOGRAPHY] BTS (방탄소년단) '피 땀 눈물 (Blood Sweat & Tears)' Dance Practice](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/v8z1TtlY1no/hqdefault.jpg)
![[MV] MOMOLAND (모모랜드) _ BBoom BBoom (뿜뿜)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JQGRg8XBnB4/hqdefault.jpg)
