Girls’ Generation’s Short PV for “Beep Beep” Released

In addition to the preview of the music video for Girls’ Generation‘s upcoming music video “Beep Beep” revealed through Japanese TV earlier, we are also being treated to the short version of the PV!

The official Universal Music Japan website hinted earlier about the release of the MV for “Beep Beep” and now the incomplete version has been released through the official YouTube channel!

Although it’s not the full version, it should definitely give you insight into what we can see on the full version and keeps in theme with the girly pink theme we saw through the preview earlier.

🙂

Sooyoung and Taeyeon Enjoy a Wine Date

Taeyeon and Sooyoung got together for a lovely wine date!

Taeyeon posted the above photos with Sooyoung onto her Instagram and wrote, “With my lovely SY♥ Chu“. The ladies seem to be enjoying a wine date paired with some delicious pastry. The pair smiled warmly for the camera in the first picture, and then made funny faces for the second photo.

Cute…!!

Girls’ Generation to Release ‘2011 Girls’ Generation Tour’ Live Album

Girls’ Generation will release their live concert album of their ‘2011 Girls’ Generation Tour‘!

Some of our readers may have even attended the ’2011 Girls’ Generation Tour’ held on July 23rd-24th, 2011 at the Seoul Olympic Gymnastics Stadium, and if you have fond memories from that concert or any of their other tour stops, you’ll be able to relive it through this live album!

The album will feature the songs performed at the mentioned dates with two CDs for a total of 34 tracks including rearranged versions of “Genie“, “Run Devil Run“, “Hoot“, “Gee“, “Oh!“, and songs from their 1st Japanese full-length album like “The Great Escape” and “Bad Girl“. The Korean version of the Japanese hit “Let It Rain” as well as the studio version of “Danny Boy” will also be included in this release as well.

The live album will drop on the 11th.

🙂

Japanese Show Airs Preview of Girls’ Generation’s “Beep Beep” Music Video

A short preview of the music video for Girls’ Generation‘s upcoming music video, “Beep Beep” was revealed.

In the early morning of April 5 (JST), Japanese TV program “Mezamashi TV” gave fans a glimpse at a few of the scenes from Girls’ Generation’s upcoming “Beep Beep” music video.

Although the preview is quite short, you can see a glimpse of their choreography and outfits. It seems they’re emphasizing the “call me” sign in their choreography.

What is your opinion?

Gaon Chart Releases Chart Rankings for the Month of February 2013

 

The Gaon Chart is the national chart of South Korea and is intended to be the equivalent of Oricon inJapan and Billboard in the United States.

Check out the chart rankings for the month of February 2013 (February 1st – February 28th) below!

< Gaon Chart National Digital Singles Ranking >

1. SISTAR19 – “Gone Not Around Any Longer” – 92,845,777 Points

2. LeeSSang ft. Eugene of The SEEYA – “Tears” – 69,586,677 Points

3. Huh Gak ft. Yoo Seung Woo – “Monodrama” – 63,864,820 Points

4. Bae Chi Gi – “Shower of Tears” – 58,337,356 Points

5. 4men – “Hello, It’s Me”- 48,521,735 Points

6. Huh Gak – “1440″ – 45,900,212 Points

7. Seo In Guk ft. Verbal Jint – “I Can’t Live Because Of You” – 44,994,135 Points

8. CNBLUE – “I’m Sorry” – 44,373,111 Points

9. BoA – “Disturbance” – 38,999,909 Points

10. Ra.D ft. Shin Ji Soo – “It’s Been A While” – 36,401,617 Points

---

< Gaon Chart National Physical Albums Ranking >

1. SHINee – ‘Dream Girl’ – 137,444 albums

2. Kim Jaejoong – ‘Y’ – 50,000 albums

3. Super Junior-M – ‘Break Down’ – 40,696 albums

4. B.A.P – ‘One Shot’ – 38,680 albums

5. Teen Top – ‘No. 1 – 35,000 albums

6. CNBLUE – ‘Re:BLUE’ – 17,350 albums (Total: 113,299)

7. VIXX – ‘On And On’ – 10,690 albums (Total: 17,120)

8. SISTAR19 – ‘Gone Not Around Any Longer’ – 10,659 albums

9. NU’EST – ‘Hello’ – 9,199 albums

10. Girls’ Generation – ‘I GOT A BOY’ – 9,161 albums (Total: 274,483)

(* Total is added for albums that were released in a prior month)

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< Online Downloads For The Month >

1. SISTAR19 – “Gone Not Around Any Longer” – 812,050 Downloads

2. LeeSSang ft. Eugene of The SEEYA – “Tears” – 570,582 Downloads

3. Huh Gak ft. Yoo Seung Woo – “Monodrama” – 520,326 Downloads

4. Seo In Guk ft. Verbal Jint – “I Can’t Live Because Of You” – 503,976 Downloads

5. Huh Gak – “1440″ – 502,911 Downloads

6. Bae Chi Gi – “Shower of Tears” – 458,699 Downloads

7. 4men – “Hello, It’s Me” – 458,302 Downloads

8. BoA – “Disturbance” – 402,069 Downloads

9. Ra.D ft. Shin Ji Soo – “It’s Been A While” – 399,813 Downloads

10. SHINee – “Dream Girl” – 366,220 Downloads

---

< Online Chart – Streams >

1. SISTAR19 – “Gone Not Around Any Longer” – 11,567,691 Streams

2. LeeSSang ft. Eugene of The SEEYA – “Tears” – 10,729,203 Streams

3. Bae Chi Gi – “Shower of Tears” – 9,841,604 Streams

4. Huh Gak ft. Yoo Seung Woo – “Monodrama” – 9,836,180 Streams

5. CNBLUE – “I’m Sorry” – 7,591,867 Streams

6. 4men – “Hello, It’s Me” – 7,516,811 Streams

7. Girls’ Generation – “I Got A Boy” – 6,216,584 Streams

8. BoA – “Disturbance” – 5,899,537 Streams

9. Kim Bo Kyung – “Don’t Think You’re Alone” – 5,640,984 Streams

10. Seo In Guk ft. Verbal Jint – “I Can’t Live Because Of You” – 5,623,220 Streams

Congratulations..!!

Red Carpet Photos from the ’2nd Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards’

 

On February 13th, Gaon Chart held its second annual ‘Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards‘ at the Olympic Hall in Seoul’s Olympic Park.

The ‘Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards’ is held by South Korea’s national music record chart, Gaon Chart. The organization’s awards stand out by recognizing songs, albums, and artists as well as stylists, choreographers, producers, composers, and other professionals in the music industry. Award winners are determined according to the previous year’s Gaon year-end chart of sales.

This year, the show was hosted by Brown Eyed Girls‘ Ga In and Joo Young Hoon.

Check out the red carpet photos from 2013′s ‘Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards’ below!

Fighting..!!

Winners from the ’2nd Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards’

 

On February 13th, Gaon Chart held its second annual ‘Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards‘ at the Olympic Hall in Seoul’s Olympic Park.

The ‘Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards’ is held by South Korea’s national music record chart, Gaon Chart. The organization’s awards stand out by recognizing songs, albums, and artists as well as stylists, choreographers, producers, composers, and other professionals in the music industry. Award winners are determined according to the previous year’s Gaon year-end chart of sales.

This year, the show was hosted by Brown Eyed Girls‘ Ga In and Joo Young Hoon.

Check out the winners from 2013′s ‘Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards’ below!
—–

▲ New Artists of the Year
Male Group – B.A.P
Female Group – Hello Venus
Male Solo – John Park
Female Solo – Ailee

▲ Songs of the Year (Digital Awards)
January – T-ara “Lovey Dovey”
February – Big Bang “Blue”
March – Big Bang “Fantastic Baby”
April – Busker Busker “Cherry Blossom Ending”
May – TaeTiSeo “Twinkle”
June – Wonder Girls “Like This”
July – 2NE1 “I Love You”
August – Psy “Gangnam Style”
September – Seo In Guk & A Pink‘s Eunji “All For You”
October – Ga In “Bloom”
November – Lee Hi “1,2,3,4”
December – Lee Seung Gi “Return”

▲ Albums of the Year
1st Quarter – Big Bang ‘Alive‘
2nd Quarter – TaeTiSeo ‘Twinkle‘
3rd Quarter – Super Junior ‘Sexy, Free & Single‘
4th Quarter – TVXQ ‘Catch Me‘
–
▲ Hot Trend Award
A Pink
–
▲ Hip Hop Award
Double K
–
▲ Hallyu Special Award
CNBLUE
–
▲ Best Producer Award
Yang Hyun Suk of YG Entertainment
–
▲ Composer Award
Teddy Park
–
▲ Lyricist Award
Kim Min Ah
–
▲ Style of the Year
Choreography – Lee Ju Seon
Stylist – Sung Jung Ok
–
▲ International Song of the Year
Maroon 5 “Payphone“

Congratulations..!!

SM vs. DSP

 

I frequently mention the great idol wars of the 1990’s when the first generation of idol stars were part of fan fueled rivalries pitting groups against each other. While there were many different players, at the center of the frenzy stood the two most important companies of that era: SM Entertainment and DSP Media. These two companies have had an interesting relationship over the years as SM has always been viewed almost as a big brother to DSP’s little brother in the way they have developed and debuted groups. However, there is no doubt that each has helped shaped the landscape of K-pop. On today’s Way Back Wednesday, we’ll look at how the rivalry between the two companies began and how it’s still continuing to this day with their contributions to the world of K-pop both past and present.

H.O.T. vs. Sechskies – Rise of the Boy Bands

H.O.T and Sechskies defined the SM/DSP rivalry of the late 1990’s. Lee Soo Man of SM Entertainment changed K-pop forever with how he created and marketed the first boy group in H.O.T. The strategy of DSP Media (Daesung Enterprise at the time) CEO Lee Ho Young was to respond by creating what was initially viewed as a copycat group but Sechskies had their own distinct style and personality. Rival fans have always been a part of Korean music but it was the rise of the boy bands that led to a new generation of fandom with specific colored balloons (white vs. yellow) and synchronized chants (I had a friend who used have them ALL memorized). Much of this activity is still part of the fan experience today. I think the rivalry existed more in the minds of fans than between the actual groups but the popularity of the two groups probably opened the eyes for the entire music industry about how powerful the (then) new generation of music fan could be. From H.O.T and Sechskies came the basic outline of how to market an idol group: showcasing individual personalities but always as part of the larger group. It’s still exactly how most companies operate today.

SES vs. Fin.K.L – Rise of the Girl Groups

Even with all of the very talented young women in K-pop today, SES and Fin.K.L are still my two favorite girl groups of all time. SES debuted in 1997 with the single “I’m Your Girl” and it was an instant hit making them stars overnight. Their cute, wholesome image worked with fans as they became the first idol girl group in K-pop. Fin.K.L debuted just a few months later but didn’t have the initial success they had hoped for but that all changed with their second single “To My Boyfriend” which propelled them to become one of the most popular groups in K-pop history. Like the boys, the rivalry between the group mostly existed among fans but those fans were fiercely loyal. Both SES and Fin.K.L grew beyond their role of just idol musicians into almost iconic figures with fans copying their fashion, hairstyles, and more. They became major product endorsers and were sought after guests on TV shows. The girls were basically marketed as all-around talents rather than just singers and encouraged to show multiple sides of their personalities to forge that personal bond that fans latch onto. Sound familiar? SM and DSP still do that today.

TVXQ vs. SS501 – Going Global

SM and DSP took everything they had learned from H.O.T and Sechskies and took it to the next level by going global with the next iteration of boy groups, TVXQ and SS501. Both groups had success in Korea (TVXQ more so than SS501) but the rivalry really kicked off when the companies made the jump into the Japanese market. Traditionally, the Japanese market was not easy for Korean artists to crack but through constant effort from previous artists such as BoA and Korean cultural exports (think ‘Winter Sonata’), the doors slowly began to open. By the time the two groups came along, they were able to kick the door down and paved the road to the Japanese market that many of the current idol groups enjoy today. I think it’s fair to point out that while SS501 had great success, TVXQ just did it bigger and better. During their heyday, the group boasted the largest fan club in the world, were the most photographed celebrities in the world and had much broader success over a longer amount of time in both Japan and Korea. It’s unfortunate how that story ended but there’s no denying their impact on the world of K-pop.

Girl’s Generation vs. Rainbow – The Mega Girl Group

When Girls’ Generation first debuted back in 2007, the majority of the talk surrounded the fact that there were nine members and that SM was on some weird big-huge-group kick as Super Junior and their thirteen members debuted just two years before. There were questions about if that same concept could work with a girl group and if fans would be able to identify with each member which is so important in K-pop. The answer was a resounding yes. GG was the benefactor of the full marketing prowess of SM but it wasn’t until their 2009 monster hit “Gee” that they became international stars. That same year, DSP introduced their seven member Rainbow which followed the trend of huge girl groups performing intricate choreography taking advantage of their sheer numbers. While individual members of the group have become popular, the group itself hasn’t reached the same level of success as their rivals. This was more of a clear example of DSP following in the footsteps of SM, but it’s not just DSP. Other companies like Core Contents Media and Pledis Entertainment have followed suit with groups like T-ara andAfter School growing to eight members each. All of that was from the success stemming from SM as they showed it was possible for these large line-ups to become popular.

EXO vs. A-JAX – The Next Evolution

In 2012, K-Pop was all about new boy bands and their powerful concepts. EXO‘s highly anticipated debut was the blueprint for many, incorporating apocalyptic themes in their music and big powerhouse vocals. As far as concept is concerned, A-JAX followed this formula the closest. Currently, it seems A-JAX moved on to doing their own thing with their singles “2MYX” and “Hot Game”. But until EXO makes their comeback, we’ll just have to wait and see how this rivalry will turn out.

This article might seem like I’m painting all SM groups as revolutionary and all DSP groups as meager followers. Not so. It is true that SM Entertainment has been on the cutting edge of the K-pop idol industry and could be called innovators. It’s also true that DSP Media has been in a following position debuting groups after a similar group comes out from SM but so has the rest of the industry. What DSP was able to do though was create groups that were able to stand up to the SM groups and that challenge forced each company to produce cooler music, choreograph more creative dances, envision forward fashion, and overall, made each company, each group, and even maybe each member better. And that’s why rivalries are a good thing.

What is your opinion guys???

Gaon Chart Releases Chart Rankings for January 20th – January 26th

 

The Gaon Chart is the national chart of South Korea and is intended to be the equivalent of Oricon inJapan and Billboard in the United States.

Check out the chart rankings for the week of January 20th to January 26th below!

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< Gaon Chart National Digital Singles Ranking >

1. Bae Chi Gi – “Shower of Tears”

2. CNBLUE – “I’m Sorry”

3. Huh Gak ft. Yoo Seung Woo – “Monodrama”

4. LeeSSang ft. Eugene of The SEEYA – “Tears”

5.Girls’ Generation – “I Got A Boy”

6. Jung Hyung Don – “Gangbuk Dandy (Gangbuk Fancy Guy)”

7. Baek Ji Young – “Hate”

8. 2YOON – “24/7″

9. Kim Bo Kyung – “Don’ Think You’re Alone”

10. INFINITE H ft. Bumkey – “Special Girl”

---

< Gaon Chart National Physical Albums Ranking >

1. Girls’ Generation – ‘I GOT A BOY’

2. CNBLUE – ‘Re:BLUE’

3. INFINITE-H – ‘Fly High’

4. TVXQ – ‘Humanoids (Repackage)’

5. Various Artists – ‘I Miss You OST’

6. Various Artists – ‘Les Miserables OST’

7. So Ji Sub – ’6PM… Ground’

8. Moon Hee Jun – ‘Begins’

9. Nine Muses – ‘Dolls’

10. Various Artists – ‘School 2013 OST’

---

< Online Downloads For The Week >

1. Bae Chi Gi – “Shower Of Tears” – 266,949 Downloads

2. LeeSSang ft. Eugene of The SEEYA – “Tears” – 227,735 Downloads

3. Huh Gak ft. Yoo Seung Woo – “Monodrama” – 223,626 Downloads

4. CNBLUE – “I’m Sorry” – 216,433 Downloads

5. K.Will ft. ChaKun – “Even If You Play” – 135,296 Downloads

6. 2YOON – “24/7″ – 134,357 Downloads

7. MFBTY – “Sweet Dream” – 125,160 Downloads

8. Girls’ Generation – “I Got A Boy” – 124,873 Downloads

9. Jung Hyung Don – “Gangbuk Dandy (Gangbuk Fancy Guy)” – 117,901 Downloads

10. Kim Bo Kyung – “Don’ Think You’re Alone” – 116,234 Downloads

---

< Top 10 songs sung at Karaoke >

1. Roy Kim and Jung Joon Young – “Becoming Dust”

2. izi – “Emergency Room”

3. Ailee – “I’ll Show You”

4. Geeks ft. Soyou – “Officially Missing You”

5. Lee Seung Chul – “Molly Flower”

6. Jung Hyung Don – “Gangbuk Dandy (Gangbuk Fancy Guy)”

7. Lee Hi – “1, 2, 3, 4″

8. Lee Seung Gi – “Return”

9. Seo In Guk & Eunji – “All For You”

10. Kim Bum Soo – “I Want To See You”

Congratulations…!!

Stars Attend Wonder Girls’ Sun’s Wedding + Sun Reveals Her Thoughts at Press Conference

 

It is January 26th in Korea, which marks a very special day for the lovely Sun of Wonder Girls.

As you all know, Sun is tying the knot with her fiance James Park, becoming the first member out of the current idol groups to get married!

Sun’s wedding started recently at 12:30 PM KST at the Seoul Lotte Hotel, but ahead of the event, the beautiful bride held a press conference and shared her excitement about the ceremony and her upcoming life as a newlywed.

Sun commented, “Marriage to me is a turning point in life and a new start. Since I was little, I liked being on the stage and being a singer so I have kept running towards achieving that until now. However, as time passed, I wondered about what direction my life would take next. And naturally, marriage came about and I think it is a new start as a turning point.”

She consoled some of her fans as she shared, “I’m so thankful that my members sincerely congratulated me and was truly happy for me. As they cheered me on, I felt strengthened while preparing for my marriage… Many people have expressed their sadness and regret as well, but I will continue to be with you all so please don’t be sad.”

She also revealed her thoughts on who she thought might be the next to get married out of the Wonder Girls members, stating, “Each of the members have their dreams about starting a family… And although Lim is the youngest, I personally feel that maybe she will marry before the other members. I think Lim will be a great wife and mother.”

As it is known she’ll be heading to Maldives for her honeymoon, she revealed that she planned to“spend it comfortably” when asked about her first honeymoon night coming up. She also confirmed,“There is no new life in my stomach at the moment” denying any rumors about this being a shotgun wedding. However, she revealed that she would like to have “one son and one daughter”.

“James really loves kids. I always dreamed about a happy family since I was little, so I think keeping that in mind, I think James will be a good father too.”

Sun also explained Jo Kwon‘s reaction to her asking to oversee the ceremony as she stated, “At first, when I asked Jo Kwon, he said that he felt uncomfortable with the idea because he thought he would cry. However since he is a guy who is good with a mic, I’m not worried.”

The idol also revealed more details: “I asked Yenny to sing the congratulatory song. I thought it’d be nice for JYP artist to do so, and J.Y. Park has also agreed to do it as well. I thought it might feel awkward for him, but he seemed to be fine with it so I was thankful.”

The question on everyone’s mind was then answered as she shared the story behind her wedding ring.“According to my husband-to-be, he was trying to prepare a ring from his grandma, but it turned out his parents had secretly already prepared a ring. I learned about the significance of the ring of my in-laws, and how they wanted to get the same ring for the future as well, and I almost cried. I told myself, I’d want to become a mother-in-law like that someday as well.”

Lastly, she sent a message to the public and her fans with a short, but sweet words: “I’ll live happily and well.”

Some of the stars attending the wedding are JJ Project, San E, J.Y. Park, Wonder Girls, Younha, Girls’ Generation, Bada, Noel, Ahn Hye Won, Park Kyung Lim, 2AM, and more.

Congratulations…!!