2PM unveils tracklist for 3rd album ‘Grown’
One of the hottest male groups to have ever set foot in the K-pop industry, 2PM, has just unveiled the track list for its impending third album, Grown!
From the track list it is revealed that members Jun.K , Junho and Chansung participated in the making of the album as they were involved in the composing of a majority of the tracks in the album, while member Taecyeon was responsible for self-penning a number of raps featured in the album. Moreover, notable producers such as Park Jin Young and Duble Sidekick are credited as well.
Are fellow Hottests excited for 2PM’s return to the music scene as the comeback date draws closer?
Sources: (News & Picture) – ENewsWorld
Male Idols and diets
We all know that K-pop stars maintain their figures by dieting and this has sparked a number of articles already. But while we mostly tend to associate dieting with great figures for women, it is easily forgotten that male stars also need to maintain their bodies. They do this not only by working out in the gym like crazy, but also by adhering to strict diets, just like the ladies do.
I personally believe that the crazy dieting trend of K-pop is bad. It’s bad because it gives all the wrong impressions to gullible teenagers, and distorts their own body image. Yes, being pretty or breathtakingly muscular is what everyone wants to achieve, but it’s important to note that you can do it without torturing your body too. It will take longer, of course, and that is why celebrities turn to ruthless diet programs, because they yield results faster. K-pop is an extremely competitive industry, where artists have back-to-back schedules and new projects follow each other like ducklings at the waterside. They might need to launch a new image every six months or so; a new comeback, a new TV series, or a new endorsement (you name it) may require them to lose or gain weight or work out more. This doesn’t mean that you need to follow them blindly yourself. You can bet that while they smile into the camera they go through hell at home to maintain that body.
Back to the guys now. From time to time, we read snippets of news about guys dieting, but they don’t get as much attention as girls do. Probably because we think men are tougher, and thus it is easier for them to go through the hardships of dieting. Well, ask a guy his opinion. Guys I know like eating, and I love a guy who knows how to eat well. It’s just… manly. When a guy needs to give up his regular delicious Korean food for eating nuts, fruits and a diet shake, like J.Y. Park did, you can bet it is difficult. If my husband did this to himself, I would be heartbroken for sure. You can’t live on nuts for weeks. Others also followed strict diets to achieve or maintain their admired chocolate abs. 2PM‘s Junho lived on a meal comprising of steamed cabbage, sweet potato and one tiny chicken breast – once a day. Sure, we all love his abs, but one meal a day?
2PM’s Junho
A famous dieting no-no is what Rain did to his body back when he was preparing for his role in the movie Ninja Assassin. He talked extensively about how he had to stick to eating salmon or chicken breast with eggs and nuts for months, without sugar and salt, along with training day and night. The result was breathtaking, but it sure did involve a lot suffering and nerves of iron to achieve.
Rain shows his diet during the shooting of Ninja Assassin. (From 6:00)
For me, one of the most shocking weight losses recently was Kim Jaejoong‘s, especially because he is known to be a big eater, who loves to cook and eats like a healthy Korean guy would eat. He loves his tummy, period. Roughly a month and a half ago he posted a photo on his Twitter, where his scale read 57 kgs (126 lbs). That’s extremely thin for a guy standing at a 180 cm in height. Even though there is no news about him being on a diet, and stress and hectic schedules might account for some of his weight loss, I doubt he would be this stressed. Especially since his individual and band activities are all going well recently, and he enjoys much more personal and artistic freedom compared to idols under big company contracts. Now he has gained around 4 kgs, but that is still far from what a guy of his height should normally weigh.
Jaejoong in February 2013. His skinniness looks terrifying.
Dieting is OK to a point. We have all done it, or will do it at some point in our lives, although not everyone needs it. These men, who have breathtaking bodies anyway, certainly do not need to lose more weight. Of course, you could argue that the industry demands it, that they do it for their roles in movies (like Hyun Bin lost 8 kgs for Secret Garden), that they want to present better images of themselves - but this is still not healthy. When you are slim and brawny already, and you decide to lose more weight, it’s not what your sane doctor would approve of, unless you pay him to shut his mouth. What I worry about is the reactions of netizens to such diets, be it male or female celebrities. Many young girls take these idols as idols, as in: examples to follow. Artists and management alike should be more conscious about what they represent and what enormous influence they have on youngsters’ lives.
Don’t be excessive in your diets. Just because your bias started shredding kilos for whatever reason, it doesn’t mean that you need to follow along. Healthy meals, regular exercise, less sugar and more veggies – this is all you need to look good.
Source: Chosun Ilbo
Photo sources: W Korea, Jaejoong’s Twitter
Lee Hi releases ‘Scarecrow’
YG‘s Lee Hi has released her latest single Scarecrow.
Scarecrow is an R&B ballad song with a medium tone and soul that will enable Lee Hi’s vocals to stand out on its own.
Scarecrow was created by hit song producer Park Jin Young (J.Y. Park) by the proposal of Yang Hyunsuk long time ago but due to different issues, the release of the song was delayed and instead she debuted with a retro soul song 1,2,3,4, which dominated the music charts almost immediately.
Listen to Scarecrow below:
What do you think of Scarecrow compared to her debut track 1,2,3,4?
Miss A to make a comeback with ‘INDEPENDENT WOMEN PT.Ⅲ’
Popular idol group Miss A will finally be returning to the music scene with their upcoming fifth project, Independent Women pt. III.
The girls have confirmed their comeback and have also released details of the upcoming mini album. Independent Women pt. III is inspired by Destiny Child‘s hit single, Independent Women. It will also feature five new songs which includethe title track Can Live Without Men, Ma Style, If I Were A Boy, Madness (ft. 2PM’s Taecyeon) and Time’s Up.
Can Live Without Men, is a hip hop song produced by Park Jin Young (JYP) and features lyrics about young women who do not need a man to survive, while Ma style has a funky charm. The girls will also be working with Pixie Lott’s producer, Phill Thornalley, who composed If I Were A Boy, while Madness will feature 2PM’s Taecyeon.
Independent Women pt. III is expected for release on October 15.
Are you excited for their comeback?
Source: News and Image – dkpopnews
JYP, Taecyeon, Wooyoung, and Suzy release “Classic” MV for Reebok
JYP Entertainment has released an endorsement music video for Reebok titled Classic. The video features Park Jin Young, 2PM members Taecyeon and Wooyoung, as well as Miss A member Suzy.
The video begins by displaying the cast settling down in a movie theater, waiting for the film to start. The title of the film Classic R, is displayed and the film officially begins. Wooyoung and Taecyeon are seen dribbling a basketball in a secluded parking garage and after their small episode, Taecyeon hands Wooyoung a gift box containing a varsity jacket and invitation card to a party.
The film then features a masquerade party where Chansung is seen placing a ring onto Suzy’s ring finger, but she appears to be unhappy. Wooyoung and Suzy exchange glances and build their relationship from then on out.
Check out the music video below to see how Wooyoung and Suzy’s relationship turns out:
Source: News – JYP Facebook; Photo – JYP Facebook; Video - jypentertainment
