This exist and I am okay with that.
Orange Caramel is that little dash of fun in K pop I think. This is a sub-unit that not only works as an extension of their group, but shows a different side of them. Plus they never get "serious" songs.
I will admit I was not a fan of this song at first, the overly cute voices put me off, but then I got over it, and succumbed to everything. Raina is loaded with potential, Lizzy does alright, and Nana is the aesthetic. Plus they do well on stage.
*Random post over*
So rising girl group Apink have been trying to get on that about shit status, and have been adamant in keeping their cute (but maturing) look.
So today they came back with Pink Blossom (their mini), and the single is called Mr. Chu.
Mr. Chu is...cute. I say cute because it doesn't have the overall same hype as No No No did. I am not saying they need to just outright try to replicate that song (that would be bad), but Mr. Chu feels like it is missing just a small something, yet that something is incredibly important. I blame the beat of the song. It is very lowkey chill, and this song does not sound like it wants to be chill. Despite that, I don't hate it. I actually kind of like it, but I can tell this song won't have any immediate effects.
The video itself is cute...and I enjoyed it. I wonder how old some of these girls are? I know Nauen is a 94 girl, and I think Eunji is too, or at least '93. I know Namjoo is the baby of the group, but she looking grown right now. I think this is the last time they can get away with this. If they want to keep it wholesome their company may need to start thinking about doing something like Mariah Carey pre-Butterfly.
Another fave of mine is Yenny (Park Ye Eun of the Wonder Girls), and after a year of doing things and people acting like she wasn't, she finally gets on TV to perform some song I don't know.
She looks pretty, and she sounds lovely. I think she has seen some improvements over the last year, because she sounds much fuller and less...not strained, but Yeeun had a habit of not being able to fully support herself and the notes would die out. Here she was able to even resonate a few times. She could stand to get more comfortable as a singer. She tends to not know what to do in a song and here she didn't sound as fluid as she could be.
Okay no vocal talk...but yeah I thinks he has improved, and it is always nice to hear her sing something. Even with all the mess that is The Wonder Girls, JYPE could put her on IS2 (They managed to get their freshly debuted boy group on there, they can get Yeeun on there) just so she can do something musical related and people will be quiet about it.
I didn't want to get all serious real quick,a nd honestly I plan on trying to stay away from that as much as possible. But one thing I do want to talk about, or at least express my thoughts on, is the cute and sexy concepts.
K Pop is a very visual based industry...I mean I don't think there is one music industry that isn't visual based these days. The US music scene changed their charting rules to include youtube...like...why?
But regardless of that, K Pop is big on the visual...they even have a job for someone with that title...
One aspect of this visual music scene is concepts. Every act has a concept, often times they overlap.
Two of the biggest, widely known are the cute and sexy concepts.
One of the biggest examples of the cute concept:
SNSD's Gee (God Forbid) is one of the biggest known examples in K pop of the cute concept. The way they sing is very cutesy (Sunny's voice sounds almost way too childish for a woman her age at the time), their movements are cute and nonthreatening, they are singing some inane (but very catchy) love song.Their outfits are not traditional cute concept (lack of pastels and overly bright colors, or school girl/sailor outfits at a uniform look), but it still gives them a very youthful appearance.
Now for sexy we have:
Miss A's Hush is my favorite example of the sexy concept done so far. There outfits are darker, and more revealing, they sing with their normal voice, sometimes a little huskier. Suzy does take on an infantile sound in the bridge, but that is the only place that happens. The dance is much more sensual, and openly suggestive. They way they give face to the camera is also more sexual. Now this is one of my favorites for two reasons: one, Miss A was given a song that was more or less sexual, which made this sexual concept a lot more palpable. Also there is something more aggressive about Miss A which allows them to pull of the sexy concept and not look uncomfortable (yes even Suzy).
Now these two concepts are not all uniform. The reality is that the concept (assuming that there is a group of concepts that are used throughout K pop) is simply a template, and however the group handles it is up to the company them.There has been a bit of similarities between the concepts as of late (especially with the increase in sexy concepts)...however acts usually try to distinguish between them.
But this isn't just about their existence...I have problems with both of these "concepts" (with the idea of concepts in general...but another post at another time).
Starting with cute concepts...they just...creep me out. The idea that practically grown ass women (most are able to go to clubs with a valid form of id on certain nights). What's worse is that sometimes they are thinly veiled ways to be sexual. Like Apink's iconic song No No No had them shaking their asses in short skirts...while singing in a very cute way. It just...Also it tends to limit acts in my opinions. Yeah it can be fun, and you can get some cool shit out of it, but at the end of the day Sunny from SNSD sounds a lot different when she isn't forced to be the aegyo cute member.
When it comes to the sexy concept my feelings are much different. While I have very little patience for overdone cuteness, I do have all the time for sexy. My western faves (the Supreme faves) include Beyonce and Janet Jackson, both of them have released albums that are incredibly sexual, and have been talking about sex for years. Janet basically gave someone a lapdance and sent him over the dge with an orgasm...like I am pretty sure he came. Beyonce has opened up more about her sexuality as time went on (far cry from the slutshaming she did with Nasty Girl), and now has a song called Partition in which she states:
He monica Lewinskied all on my gown. *For those who read this and don't know what this is referencing
I fell out, died, came back, and found a new religion from that line.
I enjoy sexual beings being open about their sexuality. I don't care.
However what Janet and Beyonce have that K Pop does not...agency. Janet and Beyonce not only talka bout sex in their music, they are open about in their lives. Beyonce is more conservative about it, but she says make love to her husband, and talking about feeling sexy and such. Janet openly said she had her clit pierced, saying she got it becuase she heard that if she got her labia pierced it could possibly go numb... These are two grown ass women who enjoy sex at different levels. It is what it is.
However in K Pop, we don't have that same level of control. The companies not only make their music, they handle their image. Their image is very important, to the point you could be fucked by something like a...you know what T-Ara jokes are of poor taste. Simply put your image holds greater weight in K Pop.
So when it comes to sexy concepts, it is more so in the image of what is perceived sexy.
Some smoldering stares (dark make up is a must)
A few sexy movements (your hips will be winding and gyrating)
The clothing will range from tight skirts (of various lengths) to shorts that may or may not have been painted on.
And the song...
Well...it is really not a sexy song, but the delivery will be with a husky voice, almost evenly tempered.
But the song...is not about sex...or even anything remotely sexual.
Because sexual songs are just...a rarity.
See I gave you an example of a K Pop act doing the sexy concept that I enjoy. Now here is an example of one that fits the typical K Pop experience.
Read the lyrics. Nothing about this is sexual in the slightest. It's about a break up. But everything about this from the clothes to the dance, is considered to be under the sexy concept. And this is the norm. K Pop is only sexy in image, and really ain't about shit further than that.
Now once again that does not mean there are not idols/acts doing sexy beyond the image. Ga-In basically got big because of masturbation. The group from which she derives from are no strangers to discussion adult affairs. Sunmi's glorious return to K Pop as a solo act was with a song that basically was about thirst for dick.
They do exist beyond the image...
But then begs the question...who is really about this sexy life?
Once again, Beyonce and Janet not only talk about sex/give images of sexy in their careers, they are open about feeling sexy themselves. When looking at K pop, I have no idea who actually is okay with sexy concepts beyond the fact it is getting them a check right now. Many of these girls don't get to say whether or not they are okay with what they are doing, so I am to assume that there is a very likely chance that they have no agency in what they do or say...which is expected. They may be totally into it, and saying we get to be sexy on stage and there isn't nothing they (the public) can do about it. But at the end of the day the one making decisions about their images and concept are their bosses, and they are just using the same, tired ideas of what sexy is (over and over again)
Basically: cute concepts are like a creepy fetish, and y'all got grown ass women trying to act like children and nonthreatening for whatever reason. Sexy concepts are only sexy in name, and rarely go the full monty (song+dance+visual), plus the overall lack of knowledge of how these ladies feel about doing something that is apparently deemed sexy.
Despite that, I do like some songs and overall looks that have been deemed cute and sexy...but the concepts themselves are my issue.
Tis all.
Well to get into this k pop blog thing...
A post about my fave.
Or a post about a performance.
Hyolyn is called the Korean Beyonce (shares this title with Ailee), and unfortunately Starship will not let this go.So whenever there is a solo performance for Hyorin, you can bet Beyonce will be apart of the set list (Her three common ones are Halo, End Of Time, and Sweet Dreams). While Beyonce is also a fave of mine, I prefer that they don't mix that often like this...still she gave a lovely performance so I can't be mad at her to be honest.
She is pretty, I like her talent, and damn good at her job...that is all I ask.
Anyway she recently did a mini mash up concert with this Korean Rock band whose name continues to escape me. So far only two performances have come out and I don't regret watching them at all.
So here is Hyorin. Spread love.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Hello!
Welcome to the new and improved place...I don't know. Anyway this blog is being turned into yet another K pop blog. Why? I don't know. I will talk about other forms of music, mostly whomever I like, but for the most part I am just trying to detach my K pop life from everything else...anyway...
First off: this is an opinion based site. I am by no means a professional, and even when I do get into heavy topics, and have to do some research, this is basically my opinions.
There will be times (if anyone frequents this blog in the future) where y'all will disagree with me, and I may or may not comment back (unless it is something big and problematic, I really don't care), but for the most part...remember opinion.
Don't take me to heart, don't take my word as guidance. Like all this is is a blog on mediocre pop.
Anyway there is more I should say...but I won't...just know...
That I will more than likely be inconsistent.
