2012 In Review: Part 9 – Best Collaborative Work
[2012 In Review Series]
0. Prelude – Best Album Art
1. Introduction
2. Best R&B/Soul
3. Best Rock/Alternative
4. Best Rap/Hip-hop
5. Best Dance/Electronica
6. Best Pop/Ballad
7. Best Crossover/Miscellaneous
8. Best Original Soundtrack
9. Best Collaborative Work
10. Label of the Year
11. Rookie of the Year
12. Song of the Year
13. Artist of the Year
14. Album of the Year
15. Concluding Remarks
Welcome back to our 2012 In Review series! Today we go above the distinction of genres to recognize the best works of a collaborative nature. My rule of thumb for this category goes like this: not only must a selected album or song sound good, but it also needs to display a kind of synergy effect that makes the work equal more than the sum of its parts. It doesn’t always have to mean that the synergy was unexpected, but the act of collaboration has to bring more to the table than simply another voice or instrument to change things up. This tends to be a category dominated by hip-hop musicians, but this year’s picks are relatively well-distributed across genres.
I tend to discount producer-singer collaborations for this category - Sweetune worked with Kara and Infinite on some good tracks, for example, but that’s not really in the spirit of this. (Otherwise we’d be counting everything.) I will count these types of collaborations under two circumstances: either the composer is normally not a producer by trade, or he/she is actually the primary artist.
Many of the works below have been featured already in the genre categories, so we’re skipping the one-liner descriptions for honorable mentions today. And as always, honorable mention picks are sorted by alphabetical order of artist names.
Albums
Best Collaborative Album 2012
Poetree – 사랑해, 희망없이 (Love, Hopelessly)
Collaborators: Rooftop Moonlight, ALi, Hwayobi, Jung-yup, Park Ji-hye, Jooey, Chiyu
If I didn’t know any of the collaborating artists and you told me that they were all just different vocalists for one big group, I may have believed you. The Poetree duo has a well-defined style – mellow pop-ballad with traces of R&B and soul sprinkled in – and as such, the texture of their compositions is pretty consistent. The hard part is finding vocalists that can maximize the impact of each track. Credit them for that: selecting Hwayobi and her husky tone for the old-school groove of Sunday of My Life was brilliant, as was taking Park Ji-hye’s slightly burnt-out but amiable voice for 근.자.감 (Baseless Confidence). One good decision becomes eight, and the transitions between them are seamless. It’s a tall task to make a ballad collaboration this cohesive, and Love, Hopelessly was one of the very few that worked out.
Runner-up Collaborative Album 2012
Clazzi – Infant (also selected Honorable Mention Dance/Electronica Album) (read our review)
Collaborators: Whale of W&Whale, Yi Sung-yol, MYK, Jinsil of Mad Soul Child, Hyun-song & Su-ryun of The Koxx, Christina, Im Seulong of 2AM, Kim Wan-sun, Jang Woo-hyuk, Jo Hyuna of Urban Zakapa, Kota & Jubi of Sunny Hill
Even in my original review (the rating to which I’d add another star, now), I noted the strength of the collaborations. Most striking is the unexpectedness of some of these appearances; I would never have expected Yi Sung-yol to appear in a bubbly house track, let alone handle it that well. His reassuring voice is the anchor that holds the track down. And while Jinsil wouldn’t have been as much of a leap of imagination, the way in which her vocals are used – essentially lithe, washed-out chorus backing – took me by surprise. Further, DJ Clazzi isn’t afraid to adapt his style to fit his guests’. 40 Nights absorbs The Koxx’s electro-garage, while Can Only Feel appears to be written with Kim’s voice in mind. While the tracks don’t quite come together nearly as cohesively in this one, the depth and breadth of Clazzi’s experimentation gets this album high marks.
Honorable Mentions
Born Kim – Future Color (read our review)
Collaborators: Rang Show of Black Tea, The Solutions, Crucial Star, Jolly V, Dok2, Lee Won-suk of Daybreak, Nuck of Souldive, Pento
Eluphant – Apollo
Collaborators: Kim Phil, Bumkey, Jung-in, Simple J, Jooyoung, Ra.D
J-Tong – 모히칸과 맨발 (Mohawk and Bare Feet) (also selected Runner-up Rap/Hip-hop Album) (read our review)
Collaborators: No Brain, Lowdown 30, Simon Dominic of Supreme Team, Beenzino, Zion.T
Lee Seung-gi – 숲 (Forest) (read our review)
Collaborator: Epitone Project (Cha Se-jung)
Leessang – Unplugged (also selected Honorable Mention Rap/Hip-hop Album)
Collaborators: Yoon Do-hyun of YB, Jung-in, Jo Hyuna of Urban Zakapa, Simon Dominic of Supreme Team, Bobby Kim and Juvie Train of Buga Kingz
Primary – Primary and the Messengers LP (also selected Honorable Mention Rap/Hip-hop Album) (read our review)
Collaborators: Simon Dominic and E-Sens of Supreme Team, Yankie, Mellow, Jinsil of Mad Soul Child, Gary of Leessang, Garion, Zion.T, Beenzino, Bumkey, Paloalto, Gaeko and Choiza of Dynamic Duo, Jinbo, Dok2, Deez, Rhythm Power, Jay Park, Double K, G.O. of MBLAQ, Junggigo, Dead’P
Son Sue-kyung – I Am (also selected Honorable Mention Crossover/Miscellaneous Album) (read our review)
Collaborators: Dynamic Duo, K.ing, Jung Tae-chun, Yoon Do-hyun of YB, Phantom, Jang Hyo-suk, Son Seung-yeon, Yu Sung-eun, Woo Hye-mi, Ji Se-hi
Soriheda – Soriheda 2 (also selected Best Rap/Hip-hop Album) (read our review)
Collaborators: Rhyme-A-, DJ Wegun, R-Est, Kaedemelodii, Dead’P, Kang Sun-ah, B-Free, Marina Zettl, Paloalto, Okasian, Huckleberry P, Satbyeol, Hwaji, Born Kim, Soulman, Minos, Soulfish, Suda, Deepflow, Jolly V
Songs
Best Collaborative Song 2012
J-Tong – 개판 (Clusterf*ck) (also selected Honorable Mention Rap/Hip-hop Song) (actual version here)
Collaborators: No Brain
The above video is not the version I’m talking about. I refer to the shiny new 2012 album edition, which you can listen to from that link, but it’s actually useful to compare the two versions. As you can see, J-Tong’s original had plenty of energy with that electric riff and cadence, and especially with the rapper’s characteristically charismatic flow. And then you listen to the newer version… and “plenty of energy” nothing, this is a veritable explosion of energy. No Brain’s instrumentals put a thick coat of power on the original riff, and add an especially punchy device in the deliberate, cymbal-heavy drum play. No Brain vocalist Lee Sung-woo also brings a hook with him: his higher-tone shouting endows a further taste of punk to complement J-Tong’s growl-infused rapping. This is a zany song, crafted by some of Korea’s most indefatigable musicians and resulting in more kinetic vigor than either team could have achieved alone. It’s the very embodiment of what this category represents.
Runner-up Collaborative Song 2012
Kim Jin-pyo (JP) – 아저씨 (Ahjusshi) (also selected Honorable Mention Rap/Hip-hop Song) (read our related review)
Collaborators: J Rabbit
This is one of those cases where I can just quote myself and have it work out. (Love it when that happens.) “It’s about a girl in her teens or maybe 20s falling in love with a much older guy, who adamantly resists the relationship. The presentation is not only tasteful, but positively irresistible. Entertaining lyricism… and the back-and-forth dynamic between narrators show what JP’s music can be when everything goes right. Additional credit is due to J Rabbit; Jung Hye-sun’s ungarnished, sweet performance is picture-perfect for the song. This is a magnificent piece of pop.” Even in hindsight, JP could hardly have picked better artists to portray the eagerness of a young girl in love. His own depiction of the flustered old guy is humorous but spot-on. They each complement what the other does not have, and Ahjusshi turns out as one of the year’s best love songs (so to say).
Honorable Mentions
Bae Sun-yong – The Lady of Seba (Featuring Park Ju-won) (also selected Honorable Mention Crossover/Miscellaneous Song)
Bulhandang – 한 길을 걸어가라 (Walk One Path) (Starring Keeproots, P-Type, Rhyme-A-, Wimpy, Minos, Daephal, Sean2Slow, Garion) (also selected Honorable Mention Rap/Hip-hop Song)
Choi Baek-ho – 뛰어 (Run) (Featuring Park Ju-won, Malo) (also selected Honorable Mention Pop/Ballad Song)
Double K & Loco – Home (Featuring Jinsil of Mad Soul Child) (also selected Honorable Mention Rap/Hip-hop Song)
D-Story – 부탁이야 (Please) (Featuring Hyun-joong of M.A.C., Xena)
Ga-in – 시선 (Gaze) (Featuring Yoon Jong-shin) (read our related review)
Goodmorning Heaven – Goodmorning Heaven (Starring Lee Sang-mi of Ex, Jung Yu-jong of Daybreak, Park Soon-chul of Oh Ji-eun and the Wolves, Jo Jun-yong, Lee Myung-joon; featuring Harim)
Grand Mint Band – So Nice (GMF 2012 Version) (Main sessions: Kim Sun-il, Kim Jang-wun, Jung Yu-jong of Daybreak, Yu Jung-kyun, Jang Dong-jin, Jung Su-wan of Serengeti, Lee Su-ryun of The Koxx, Kang Min-suk, Im Young-jo, Kim Dong-hyun, Kim Myung-gi, Jo Jung-hyun, Kim Sung-hwan, Kim Hye-bin, Lee Da-hye; featuring Ko Young-bae of Soran, Kwon Jung-yeol of 10cm, Kim Hyuna of Lalasweet, Oh Ji-eun, Sweet Sorrow, Thomas Cook, Lucia). As an aside, I’m fairly certain that 26 people credited in one song is a 2012 record.
Lena Park (Park Jung-hyun) – You Don’t Know Me (Featuring eAeon) (read our related review)
MC Sniper – 할 수 있어 (I Can Do It) Song Version (Featuring Yiruma, Kim Ji-soo) (read our related review)
Nam Soo-rim – Drive Me To The Moon (Featuring Park Ji-yoon) (read our related review)
Oh Soo-min & Rex.D Project – 어색한 인사 (Hello)
Park Ji-yoon – 소리 (Sound) (Featuring Park Asher)
Park Myung-soo & Jung-yup – 꿈이었을까 (Endless Dream)
Siberian Husky – Real Sound (Featuring Lee Sung-soo of HarryBigButton)
Skull & Haha – 부산 바캉스 (Busan Vacance)
Soran & Kwon Jung-yeol of 10cm – 미쳤나봐 (Maybe Crazy)
Soul Fish – What We Do (Featuring Okasian, GLV, Paloalto, B-Free, EVO) (also selected Honorable Mention Rap/Hip-hop Song)
Sunghoon – Ma Boo (Featuring San E)
Wanted – Like You (Featuring IU)
What do your picks look like for this category? Discuss with us in the comments, and join us tomorrow in Part 10 as we recognize labels that had the biggest years!
Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely of the reviewer and not of hellokpop as a whole.
Sources: Photos – Covers from Bugs Music, Daum Music; featured image from Nate
2012 In Review: Part 5 – Best Dance/Electronica
[2012 In Review Series]
0. Prelude – Best Album Art
1. Introduction
2. Best R&B/Soul
3. Best Rock/Alternative
4. Best Rap/Hip-hop
5. Best Dance/Electronica
6. Best Pop/Ballad
7. Best Crossover/Miscellaneous
8. Best Original Soundtrack
9. Best Collaborative Work
10. Label of the Year
11. Rookie of the Year
12. Song of the Year
13. Artist of the Year
14. Album of the Year
15. Concluding Remarks
Welcome back to our 2012 In Review series! Today we’re looking at another perennially strong scene in dance and electronica. In recent years, the idol market has been a significant source of quality dance music, and that was no different in 2012. So idol music fans will see plenty of familiar faces. Apart from those artists, a diverse crop of indie musicians, DJs, and even a couple live-session bands round out the list.
Again, please remember that the Album of the Year and Song of the Year (and their runner-ups) are not included in the genre categories. That means that there could be a electronic (or any other genre) album that isn’t being honored on this page because it’s the album of the year. As always, honorable mention picks are sorted by alphabetical order of artist names.
Albums
Best Dance/Electronica Album 2012
eAeon – Guilt-Free
I mean no slight to any other artist when I say that this was perhaps the easiest pick to make in this entire series. No hesitation, no second-guessing. The fact of the matter is, eAeon’s attempt to create art out of nothing, to forge sound where there is none, is simply a greater level of achievement. Guilt-Free is a wholly synthetic album; apart from real bass in one song, not a single note in its ten tracks remains untouched by post-processing, and most of those notes are entirely programmed rather than physically played. As a result, the greatest joy of Guilt-Free is these fantastical and sometimes grotesque sounds that cannot exist in the real world. Impossible guitar strokes and dizzying, discrete string waves give 너는 자고 (While You Sleep) an unmistakable flavor, while strange bells and impenetrable static-infused synths are somehow packed into 5 in 4‘s irregular beats like an M.C. Escher painting fitted into two dimensions. This flawlessly detailed instrumentation already makes for a complete work (as evidenced by the instrumental version of the album), but it’s combined with a melancholia that permeates every melody and hook, as well as lyrics that express disturbing levels of emotions like anxiety, loneliness, and fixation. With that, Guilt-Free achieves the hallmark of great albums. It transports us to another world, one terribly twisted and deformed from our perspective – think Spicy Horse‘s rendition of Alice in Wonderland. Listen to the surreality of 무슨 일이 일어났는지는 아무도 (What Happened, Nobody)‘s slowly degenerating arpeggio melting into Kim Young-ha‘s avant-garde writing. There is plenty of beauty to be found if you look.
Runner-up Dance/Electronica Album 2012
F(x) – Electric Shock
This applies to several idol groups these days, but the great thing about F(x) is how consistent they are. After a string of high-quality releases (including last year’s Pinocchio, an honorable-mention pick in the 2011 list), theirs is a trusted brand among fans and critics alike. The five girls returned with their greatest work yet (and perhaps SM Entertainment‘s best in years) in Electric Shock, a short-but-sugary-sweet EP that went overboard with the quirky identity built up in the previous discography. Apart from Beautiful Stranger and maybe Let’s Try, there isn’t a track in Electric Shock that has “normal” lyrics. Creative (or stupid, depending on whom you ask) expressions of tired phrases, nonsensical connections, baffling imagery, and unpredictable sensitivity all abound in place of the cuteness or sex appeal peddled by other groups. SM’s production finally fully catches up to the insanity in this release, giving the girls a tightly-layered yet spazzy playground to claim as their own – the intense rushing sensation of Jet and the shouted chorus to Love Hate, among other moments, are absolutely tailor-made to what this group stands for. Randomness for its own sake does not make a good work, of course; the genius of Electric Shock is in its exemplary marriage of concept and sound, and a singular focus on making its randomness embraceable. As a result, Electric Shock is an album that only F(x) and no one else could have done.
Honorable Mentions
Casker – 여정 (旅程) (Journey) (read our review)
Even with the bevy of effects and tools, Casker’s music remains as graceful as ever.
Cassette Schwarzenegger – Gym With You
The stigma of a red-ocean genre is vanquished with clever instrumental choices and a healthy ear for melody.
Clazzi – Infant (read our review)
Another miss on my part. The cold, sterile urbanity here has a lot of legs.
G-Dragon – One of a Kind (read our review)
The culmination of an unbridled swagger and bold direction.
Kim C – Priority
This deep and moody bundle of dub paints volumes about the artist’s experience in Germany.
Neon Bunny – Happy Ending (read our review)
Our 2011 Rookie of the Year pick does a vitriolic, femme fatalist about-face.
Smells – Dance Wit Me [sic]
Evocative club-tune at its best.
Wonder Girls – Wonder Party
2011′s Runner-up Dance/Electronica Album winners add effortless attitude and beat-heavy sound to their game.
Songs
Best Dance/Electronica Song 2012
Heureun – Leisure Love
Heureun isn’t even an electronic artist by origin, but here she is, taking this thing home. That’s part of the genre’s appeal – it lends itself to talented artists from other fields coming in and doing something dazzling. Dazzling, by the way, is a pretty accurate way to label the folk/pop artist’s electro debut. From the slowly building momentum of the club-friendly (read: one-minute) intro to the suddenly expanding pads to the punctuating raindrop synths and sequencers, Leisure Love is constantly gripping. Its sounds are all so diffusive as to evoke aquatic imagery, and Heureun’s echoing vocals come in and out of audibility. The song flows with abandon, rarely even coming up for air, singing an ode to simple but profound happiness. What a moment.
Runner-up Dance/Electronica Song 2012
eAeon – Bulletproof
On the other end of the happy spectrum is… this. eAeon’s aforementioned synthetic sound is presented in typical deathly pale fashion in Guilt-Free’s lead single. The song’s technical complexity and melancholy appeal is apparent, but one especially notable characteristic is how inexplicably catchy it is despite everything. The artist sang a repeating hook and decided to have the melody follow a soaring and then resetting synth riff. The result is a memorable refrain that is effectively an auditory analog of the tangent curve. Ideas like this are found all over his album, but in Bulletproof it manifested in an especially big way.
Honorable Mentions
3rd Line Butterfly – 스모우크핫커피리필 (Smoke Hot Coffee Refill). Our first band to appear in two categories achieves nebulous nirvana with an instrumental approach to lyricism.
Big Bang – Bad Boy. The heavy rhythm is memorable, and the groove palpable.
Cassette Schwarzenegger – Super Hi Fi. I was going to write something… and then realized the title really sums it up perfectly.
Clazzi – Love & Hate (Featuring Yi Sung-yol, MYK). Yi’s reassuring voice gives weight to a bubbly track.
Eniac – Love Again. Remember those Cassette Schwarzenegger guys above? He’s one of them under a different name. The busy man makes liberal use of sports anthem-worthy thick synths in this one.
F(x) – 제트별 (Jet). The speedy chorus seems to only gain velocity as F(x) half-sings and half-yells the delightful lyrics.
Ga-in – 피어나 (Bloom). (Read our related review) Ga-in weaves an endlessly charming first-time story with deftness and taste.
Glen Check – Blood, Sweat & the Beat. (Read our related review) And here’s our second band to appear in two categories. They blend the line between rock and electronica more with each release.
G.na – 2HOT. The pounding piano and brass are great, but most impressive of all is G.na’s unexpected vocal seductiveness.
Hakdong Station Exit 8 – Hot Summer Night. Four vocalists and five instrumentalists make for a richer sound than you’d expect from a dance track.
Kim C – LOVE. Warmth exudes freely from Kim C’s affection.
House Rulez – New Day (Featuring Black Illumin, Another Saturday). Dizzying speed and split synths of all manner characterize yet another solid House Rulez track.
Infinite – 추격자 (The Chaser). (Read our related review) Sweetune hits another home run with that trademark brass spam (in a good sense); Infinite’s treatment of the chorus is satisfying.
Mascota Pacific House – Thrill Me (Featuring Lil Cham). More than the dubstep, it’s Lil Cham’s performance that drives the synergy effect.
Neon Bunny – 왕자님 (Dear Prince). Im Yu-jin’s myriad jabs and sarcastic potshots work precisely because they’re so hilariously mismatched with her voice.
Neon Bunny – 첫사랑 (First Love). In the same vein as the above, but overtly condescending this time.
Seo In-young (Elly) – Anymore. She made honorable mention in last year’s ballad songs category, but this shows Seo hasn’t forgotten how to work the dance genre.
SHINee – Sherlock. (Read our related review) Exhilarating chorus lines and snapshot lyrics lift this (literally) hybrid dance track to greatness.
Smells – Dance Wit Me (Featuring Mongu). I’ll just say it again: “evocative club-tune at its best.”
SNSD-TaeTiSeo (TTS) – Twinkle. Addictive melody, deliberate pacing, tasteful performances – this one has it all. The final minute shows promising possibilities for future work.
SouLime – Tonight (Featuring Bizzy). Tonight, we party in hazy synth-string hits and tantalizing vocals.
Space Cowboy – Circus (Featuring Horan, Peacedelic Su). The sounds are familiar, but a Sentimental Scenery-esque arrangement make Circus an enjoyable ride. (Pun unintended.)
Sunny Hill – 베짱이 찬가 (The Grasshopper Song). (Read our related review) Frenzied, schizophrenic atmosphere and piercing lyrics equal Sunny Hill’s best release to date.
What do your picks look like for this category? Discuss with us in the comments, and join us tomorrow for Part 6, when we’ll tackle the elephant in the room – the ballad scene!
Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely of the reviewer and not of hellokpop as a whole.
Sources: Photos – Covers from Bugs Music, Daum Music, Blogspot blog, Nate
Ha Jiwon, Kang Yewon and Ga In to be ‘Joseon Three Beautiful Girls’
Ha Jiwon, Kang Ye-won and Ga In of Brown Eyed Girls will be transformed into Joseon era’s best bounty hunters for historical action movie, Joseon Three Beautiful Girls (조선미녀삼총사). For the past 3 months, filming and production have been going on in Chungju and the last scenes were completed on December 18.
Ha Jiwon will play as Jin Ok, leader of the three beautiful girls who invents unique weapons and has the ability to disguise herself, Kang Ye-won will be Hong Dan, the only married one in the group, and Ga In will act as Ga Bi who steals the hearts of men all over the country.
With the unique cast list and interesting story line with action scenes, many people are looking forward to the new upcoming movie, Joseon Three Beautiful Girls. They ended the filming after 64 sets as of December 18 and will be available to the public in 2013.
Source: news and photo-The Star
2012 in Review: Part 1 – Introduction
[2012 in Review Series]
0. Prelude – Best Album Art
1. Introduction
2. Best R&B/Soul
3. Best Rock/Alternative
4. Best Rap/Hip-hop
5. Best Dance/Electronica
6. Best Pop/Ballad
7. Best Crossover/Miscellaneous
8. Best Original Soundtrack
9. Best Collaborative Work
10. Label of the Year
11. Rookie of the Year
12. Song of the Year
13. Artist of the Year
14. Album of the Year
15. Concluding Remarks
Here we are, folks, at the end of another great year in music. That means our Year in Review series is back, and the 2012 edition is packed with more timeless contributions to the annals of Korean popular music than ever. That’s not just a figure of speech – this year’s picks are actually more numerous and more comprehensive than the 2011 installment. You can see this year’s categories above – hopefully you enjoyed the prelude article – and starting today, we’ll unveil one category a year leading up to the final article on December 31. Sometime afterwards, we will also have a readers’ poll for all of you to participate in choosing your own very best of the year – so stay tuned for that too!
Descriptive Statistics
If you’re interested in numbers, this year’s list was composed after reviewing a total of 1,639 lead singles and an additional 800 (approx.) album tracks released between December 1, 2011 and November 30, 2012. (I unfortunately don’t have a precise count for albums.) A total of 286 singles and 141 albums were initially chosen as candidates, and ultimately this pool was narrowed down to the 196 singles and 66 albums that you will see recognized in this series. (The “prelude” article from last week, “Best Album Art”, had 197 candidates that were eventually narrowed down to 100. Over half of those albums are also represented in the series proper.) The final list features 210 primary artists.
The reviewed pool was not complete by any means; consider that over half of the 1,600 lead singles were parts of EPs and LPs. Additionally, a significant portion of Korea’s more obscure scenes – such as jazz and ethnic music – were not covered, although they are all represented to some extent. Nevertheless, my hope is that this ends up being one of the most comprehensive 2012 K-pop roundups you can find on the Internet.
2012: Events and Trends
As is traditional (for all of one year), I start off the series by doing a quick recap of the year’s biggest events and trends in K-pop. Let’s take a look at what had people talking this year.
1. Op, op, op, op, oppan Gangnam Style: Really not much more to be said here. 11-year veteran Psy became a worldwide sensation in the truest sense of that word with viral single Gangnam Style, going places that no Korean artist had ever gone before. At time of writing, Gangnam Style is the most-viewed and fastest-growing YouTube video of all time at 957 million views, with 1 billion surely in hand within the year. It reached #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for seven weeks, a feat no Korean artist had even been close to. It topped mainstream and online charts elsewhere. It swept social media and traditional media alike, not only in the United States and Korea but quite literally all over the world. With politicians, athletes, musicians, actors, and other celebrities worldwide joining in the spread, Gangnam Style became 2012′s definitive cultural phenomenon and household name. No one expected Psy to be at the center of such a breakthrough, and I’m not sure we completely understand all of it even today. One thing is certain: the success of this thing is going to be researched and debated for years to come.
2. The decline of idol group dominance: Before Gangnam Style, Busker Busker ruled the scene in the first half of the year. Fresh off of a second-place finish on audition show Superstar K3 (more on this in a bit), the indie band released a self-titled debut album in March and never looked back. Sales figures exploded, netting Busker Busker the coveted “perfect all-kill” (topping every major chart in the country) as well as the first sweep of Melon‘s top three monthly spots in that chart’s history en route to over 25 million downloads, by far the most of the year. This was but one example of the ways in which the K-pop mainstream scene branched out from the usual idol-group domination. Ailee, Juniel, Lee Hi, and more made forceful commercial and critical debuts, even as Verbal Jint, G.na, Ga-in, Lee Seung-gi, and others continued to make waves of their own. Sales figures still show continued dominance by established idol groups, but the relative struggle of most of 2012′s rookie idols are potentially telling. Is the five-year reign of idol groups on the mainstream ending?
3. Bigger roles for audition shows: You could argue that at least part of the above phenomenon was due to the rising popularity of audition shows. And heck, two of the above artists are in fact from those shows. With the sustained success of the Superstar K series and less spectacular but steady influence of Top Band and The Great Birth, everyone wanted to get in on the fun this year. So we saw K-pop Star yield such rookies as Lee Hi and 15&, while The Voice Korea got us Son Seung-yeon and Hayena, and so on. There were some odd cases – Show Me The Money probably caused more headaches than it was worth for Mnet, while Top Band 2 ended up being more like I Am A Band 2 with its roster dominated by established bands – but in general, the shows did what they were supposed to. Previous contestants of these shows such as Busker Busker, Huh Gak, Ulala Session, Jang Jane, Kim Greem, John Park, Seo In-guk, Kim So-jung, HarryBigButton, Kim Ji-soo, and more were all staples on the mainstream scene this year; newer ones like Roy Kim seem like locks to become the same. The shows themselves are beginning to die out, but credit them for providing a welcome influx of talent that will be around for years.
4. Evolutions in sound philosophy and design: Several artists surprised us last year with creative sounds – Idiotape, The Koxx, and Sentimental Scenery come to mind immediately. That trend has kept up in the indie scene this year, with Glen Check and No Respect For Beauty leading the way in bold new directions of electrorock and postrock, respectively, while eAeon took the full-synthetic route and presented us with sounds we’ve never heard before. Artists like The Solutions, Born Kim, and Jambinai mixed and matched diverse genres and crafted their own paths, while Lowdown 30 and Naul completed striking reinterpretations of blues metal and deep soul. Perhaps most exciting is that none of the artists are done yet – sound experimentation is becoming more sophisticated and bolder by the year, and these and other teams will undoubtedly continue to explore the cutting edge.
5. Scandals, scandals and more scandals: On the sobering side of things, K-pop also had its share of regrettable incidents. Block B‘s February gaffe, where the members came across as insensitive and even offensive to Thailand’s flood victims while allegedly trying to interview lightheartedly, continued to bite the group for weeks as a Stardom Entertainment (then Brand New Stardom) official’s comments and fake news reports added fuel to the fire. The summer was alight with controversy, as first Nickhun was arrested for a DUI and then the T-ara Twitter scandal erupted. T-ara, along with alleged details of an internal bullying of member Hwayoung, dominated the Internet as well as entertainment news for days even amidst the Olympics fever, taking repeated clarifications from both Core Contents Media and Hwayoung herself to simmer down.
The end of the year had the tabloids milking details out of an alleged relationship between IU and Eunhyuk in perhaps the year’s silliest scandal. Finally, rumors of discord between longtime friends Kim Jang-hoon and Psy struck in the midst of the Gangnam Style mania as Kim attempted suicide in October, and a media circus followed as unrelated third parties sued and escalated the deal way beyond the core issue – that of an alleged concert plagiarism and staff poaching by Psy. This story had a happy ending, at least, as Kim and Psy were able to make up. There were other scandals, large and small – but even with just this, what an eventful year it has been.
There’s my recap of this year in Kpop, and that will wrap up Part 1 of the “2012 In Review” series. Join us tomorrow as we kick off the reviews with the best R&B and soul music of 2012!
Source: Photos – Ohmynews Blog, The Star, Tistory Blogs (1) (2), Nate
Sales figures obtained from Gaon Charts and summarized by Sacha Marty Malfroy @hellokpop
Brown Eyed Girls releases fifth teaser for ‘Tonight 37.2°C’
Brown Eyed Girls has released a fifth teaser featuring member Ga In to advertise to its mature audience for Tonight 37.2°C concert.
The teaser video displays Ga In spraying perfume on, applying mascara, and pulling up stockings to exhibit a sexy audience. Each video for Tonight 37.2°C has a story line that centers around love, heartbreak, and revenge.
Brown Eyed Girls will host its 19+ concert on Christmas Eve and the day of Christmas itself at the Central City Millennium Hall. Minors will not be able to enter the show venue.
Meanwhile, check out the teaser video for the concert below:
Source: officialBEG
