T.O.P. - Turn it Up (parody)

Hey it's been awhile...I'll try and get something up that's more legit, but for now...

Hey hey! BEAST gave a nice surprise by releasing an MV for their song "Take Care of My Girlfriend (Say No)", from their latest mini album Shock of the New Era.


So here it is, enjoy!

"Take Care of My Girlfriend (Say No)" MV


Credit to: mrskwonjiyong

I am going to end the night with this...


Here is BIGBANG's "Lollipop Pt. 2" MV. This is the recent music video/advertisement the guys did for the new Lollipop phone. No 2NE1 this time, but still fun!


Credit to: ygfammv

Till next time!

EUN JI WON (G1)



This solo artist is the ultimate entertainer. He is a composer, producer, singer, rapper, dancer, actor, and host. In 2008, he released the song "Dangerous" which has an Akon feel to it. In 2009, his album Platonic dropped with a catchy title track "Siren."
Earlier this year, Eun Ji Won announced his marriage to his first love that is said to take place in Hawaii.

Here is "Siren":


Credit to: TYPICALpocky7

BROWN EYED GIRLS (B.E.G.)

A 4 member girl group who debuted in 2006, under the label NegaNetwork.



Miryo (Rap)
Ga-In (Vocals, rap)
Jea (Leader, vocals)
Narsha (Vocals)

In 2009, the girls released their most popular track "Abracadabra" with a swinging hip dance that is just as popular to imitate. The music video raised some eyebrows and was deemed "controversial", but this didn't affect its fame. Later, B.E.G. released another single titled "Sign" that also gained high recognition, but not as much as the former.

"Abracadabra" MV


Credit to: miwarashi

SNSD (Girl's Generation)

This is a 9 member female group under SM Entertainment formed in 2007. Their most popular song was "Gee", but recently they released 2 tracks that have been receiving a lot of attention. The 1st song is titled "Oh!" and has a cutesy, girly concept. Soon after they released "Run Devil Run", which takes an opposite concept of dark and sexy.
See for yourself...

(Again, the videos might be slightly cut off so try double clicking them and watching them directly off Youtube. Thanks!)

"Oh!" MV


Credit to: sment

"Run Devil Run" MV


Credit to: CodeMonmonSeason3

SHINee

This is a 5 member male group who debuted in May 2008, under SM Entertainment with "Nunan Neomu Yeppeo (Replay)" ["누난 너무 예뻐 (Replay)"], that became a huge hit after its release.



These boys are known for their vocals, but even more for their nsync and original choreography. From left to right:

Onew (Leader, Vocals)
Taemin (Vocals, maknae)
Jong Hyun (Vocals)
Minho (Rap)
Key (Vocals, rap)



"누난 너무 예뻐 (Replay)" MV


Credit to: asianforlife



In 2009, SHINee released their 3rd mini album Year of US, and dropped "Ring Ding Dong" as their title track.


This song quickly gained popularity because of its catchy tune and awesome choreography. Check out the MV!

"Ring Ding Dong" MV

Credit to: KAIIIYO

AFTER SCHOOL

This next group is female with Pledis Entertainment and one of my favorites. They debuted with a song titled "Ah" in 2009, as a 5 member group. Later, they added a 6th member, Uee, and released their next song "Diva." Member Yoo Soyoung, decided to leave the group for personal reasons and the group made a comeback with 2 new members, Nana and Raina, and a new track titled "Because of You."


From left to right:

Joo Yeon
Jung Ah
Gahee (Leader)
Uee
Nana
Raina
Bekah (rapper)


Now in 2010, After School added one more girl making a total of 8 members and released their hit track "BANG!" Along with this new song came a new concept. Leader of the group, Gahee, came up with the idea of a drum line performance and the girls practiced drumming for 8 months.



The girls are currently promoting this new track including "Let's Do it!", which is an awesome preview of their skill on the drums.



"BANG!" MV:


Credit to: AfterSchoolCraze



"Let's Do it!" & "BANG!" Live performance:


Credit to: HDShidoka195

Hey everyone!

The next group is BEAST also known as B2ST ("Boys to Search for Top"). They debuted in October of 2009 under Cube Entertainment and have gained an immense fan base ever since. Their most recent track titled "Shock" created a new genre of music called "Rocktronic". These kids have incredible vocals and dance skills.



From left to right:

Jun Hyung: The main rapper of the group.
Doo Joon: Leader, rap & vocals.
Gi Kwang: Vocals, debuted as a solo artist under the name "AJ" before BEAST was formed.
Hyun Seung: Vocals, trained with BIGBANG before their debut, but didn't make the cut. He is going strong in BEAST and has improved a lot since then.
Yo Seob: Main vocals.
Dong Woon: Vocals, the maknae of the group.

Here is their debut intro track "BEAST is the B2ST" MV:


Credit to: AznSamManMV

And here is their latest track "SHOCK" that they are currently promoting:


Credit to: Hafsaatje

P.s...If part of the videos are cut off just double click the screen and watch them directly through youtube. I apologize for the inconvenience. Thanks! Till next time :)

As previously mentioned, Tae Yang is a member of BIGBANG and has released several solo tracks. His most recent are titled "Where U At?" and "Wedding Dress." His strong vocals and sharp choreography could impress anyone. Check out the MVs...



TaeYang - Where U At [MV]

♥K-Pop Videos!♥ | MySpace Video
Credit to: MySpace kpop videos!



Wedding Dress - Tae Yang

BB | MySpace Music Videos
Credit to: MySpace BB

Hey everybody!

Sorry my posting is slow...hopefully when this term is over I'll be able to post more often. Just a bit of an update...Currently, I'm filling out applications to study abroad in Busan, South Korea for this Fall. Obviously I am interested in the music industry over there so I hope to one day use my degree in communications to help get me involved in the production of music videos. I am specifically focusing on video editing. I cannot wait to study abroad and further immerse myself in South Korean culture and possibly gather more information for this blog.
Thanks for reading!

2NE1



These ladies are with YG Entertainment and debuted with the song "Lollipop" featuring BIGBANG. Leader of BIGBANG, G-Dragon, and former leader of 1TYM, Teddy, both worked on the making of this group. Teddy composes most of 2NE1's songs.

From left to right:

Minzy (the maknae, or youngest / rap, vocals)
Dara (Sandara / vocals)
CL (Leader / rap, vocals)
Bom (Park Bom / main vocals)

They have released several singles and their latest is titled, "Try to Follow Me."
Here are some MVs!...


Debut track/MV: "Lollipop" with BIGBANG


Credit to: YG Entertainment



"Try to Follow Me" MV

[ENG/KARAOKE] 2NE1 - Try to Follow Me MV {ROYALACES} from THE YG SECRET on Vimeo.

Hey! I apologize for the delay...college.
Anyway, here is an update with some more South Korean groups.

One of the most popular groups in Asia is known as TVXQ (a.k.a. DBSK or Tohoshinki)












From left to right their names are:

U-Know Yunho (Jung Yunho)
Micky (Park Yoochun)
Hero (Kim Jaejoong)
Max (Shim Changmin)
Junsu (Xiah Junsu/Kim Junsu)


This is the MV for their Korean song "Mirotic" from their 4th Korean album, released in 2008.


Credit to: sment Youtube channel

And here is their latest Japanese single "Breakout" released January 27th, 2010. This single set a new record for the group and topped the Oricon charts in Japan. Then they broke Elton John's record of 14 years and 8 months for a foreign artist holding the highest amount of sales. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVXQ)


Credit to: Keiragirl

These guys are part of SM Entertainment, but earlier this year they had somewhat of a falling out with the agency and are currently focusing on their activities in Japan. Recently, TVXQ and BIG BANG have won several awards through the Japanese music industry and are both gaining more attention from other countries.

Stay tuned for their upcoming track "ときをとめて/Let's Stop Time"...released on March 24th.


The next group I want to mention is SS501













These guys are in DSP Entertainment and their names are:

Park Jung Min
Kim Hyung Joon
Kim Hyun Joong
Heo Young Saeng
Kim Kyu Jong

Here is their "Love Like This" MV from their mini-album Rebirth, released in October 2009.


Credit to: xSuJux3

Allow me to introduce...

BIG BANG 빅뱅

Credit to: 지디갤 nan

These are the boys of BIG BANG. They debuted in 2006, under YG Entertainment and have been going strong ever since. With strong vocals and incredible dance moves, this band 'dominates' Asia's fan base. Here are their names and a brief description:


Leader: G-Dragon
(Real name Kwon Ji Yong, 'Yong' means 'dragon' in Korean and 'Ji' sounds like the letter 'G' hence, 'G-Dragon.' )
-He is one of the rappers of BIG BANG and released a solo album in August 2009, which won 'Best Album' at the MAMA Awards.

TOP
-The other rapper in the group. He recently starred in the Korean Drama Iris, where he played a ruthless assassin. He can also be seen in the upcoming film Into the Gunfire. Expect a solo album from him this year.

TAEYANG
-Vocals. He released his 1st solo album titled HOT in 2008. In 2009, he released two hit singles, "Where U At?" and "Wedding Dress." This year he will release his 2nd solo album.

DAE SUNG
-Vocals. In 2008, he released his 1st solo single in a trot style titled "Look at Me, Gwisoon." In 2009, he released another trot song "Big Hit," and last month he released "Cotton Candy," which is very different from his previous singles. He will also release a solo album this year.

Seung Ri
-Vocals. The maknae (youngest) of the group. In 2008, his solo song "Strong Baby," which gained a lot of attention, was used to promote BIG BANG's upcoming album Remember.






These guys are an amazing group, but are incredibly talented individuals as well...Enough talk. See for yourself...

BIG BANG -- 하루 하루 (Day By Day)


Credit to: TheAsianMission

And here is G-Dragon's popular song "Heartbreaker" from his 2009 solo album... Enjoy!

G-Dragon -- Heartbreaker MV


Credit to: YG Entertainment Youtube Channel


Stay tuned for more artists!

Introduction:

Through this blog I hope to introduce South Korea's musical artists and their contributions. Many people are unaware of the various musical genres in the South Korean industry. There is a range from Classical to Hip Hop and even a musical style called 'Trot,' but most popular are the male and female groups.

In the 1990s, boy and girl bands dominated the music industry in the USA. Well they had their run. Now it's Asia's turn and frankly, they put bands such as N'SYNC and The Backstreet Boys to shame.

With help from the internet, people from all over the world have started to take notice and become devoted fans of Korean musicians. Hip Hop in South Korea started in the early 1990s, and has been progressing ever since. From this, many entertainment agencies began to branch out into other styles of music, including Pop. Thanks to Hip Hop artists such as 3534, Seo Taiji and Boys, Deux, and DJ DOC, South Korea's music industry has become a phenomenon.

Today, some of Korea's most popular artists are RAIN, TVXQ, BIG BANG, Wonder Girls, SNSD Girl's Generation, and Epik High (to name only a few). These bands are from some of the most successful agencies: YG Entertainment, SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, and Map the Soul, Inc./Woolim Entertainment.

A number of Korean artists have expanded to American shores. In 2009, the female group Wonder Girls, toured the US with Jordyn Sparks and the Jonas Brothers and also performed on various TV shows. Perhaps Asia's most famous solo artist, RAIN, branched out in the entertainment industry and recently starred in the Hollywood film Ninja Assassin, directed by James McTeigue and produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers (The Matrix).

South Korea's music industry is growing and hoping to expand beyond Asia. Unfortunately, this is a commonly overlooked country by the rest of the world. I hope to make a small contribution in changing that. So without further ado, let's begin...