BOOK REVIEW EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ELLA KELLEHER WRITES — South Korea, often referred to as the ‘plastic surgery capital of the world,’ is a place where it’s not only typical but expected for young women to have double eyelid surgery before they hit thirty. Jaw slimming, skin lasering, destructive dieting – these radical approaches…
Full Article BOOK REVIEW: IF I HAD YOUR FACE (2020) BY FRANCES CHA – BEAUTY AND WOMANHOOD IN SOUTH KOREA
LILLY WEBBER WRITES — In a tweet posted recently on his official Twitter, Floridan politician KW Miller asked the following question: “Why was AOC conspiring with Koreans such as Junkook and BTS (Big Time Socialists) to undermine our President?”. Miller’s tweet was in response to the low audience turnout at President Donald…
Full Article K-POP CULTURE V. US IGNORANCE: THE BTS ‘CONSPIRACY’
JOSEPH LITTAUA WRITES — Most popular songs have a lot of things in common. For example, whether it’s a soloist or band song, most songs will have a short, catchy melody that gets stuck in your head, like Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know,” or One Direction’s “What Makes…
Full Article SOUTH KOREA: FORGET ABOUT SILENCING THAT ANNOYING BABYSHARK TUNE
DANIELA GUEVARA WRITES — Known as an ultra-competitive and highly technologically advanced society, South Korea has one of the highest suicide rates in developed nations. And this month the even higher stresses in the country’s profitable K-pop industry took their toll on a K-pop star. After hearing the tragic news that Sulli,…
Full Article South Korea: REMEMBERING SULLI AND WHAT SHE STOOD FOR
KELCEY LORENZO WRITES – They say that diamonds are forever, but in K-Pop fandom, nothing lasts longer than a good, ol’ (often blown ridiculously out of proportion) dating scandal. From a Western perspective, celebrities dating isn’t a big deal; in fact, it is often expected, even celebrated. But when news…
Full Article K-POP KORNER: PSA – Your Idol Is Not Your Boyfriend
SABRINA VERDUZCO WRITES – When that uptight next-door-neighbor yells at you about your music, sometimes the solution is to turn it up. South Korea took this advice to heart in response to North Korea’s most recent hydrogen bomb stunt in early January, countering the North’s explosive behavior by blasting K-pop…
Full Article SOUTH KOREA: Northern Neighbors Don’t Appreciate K-Pop
KELCEY LORENZO WRITES – In the past year, livestreaming has become a hot trend in pop culture. The ability for fans to watch their favorite singers and bands talk and answer questions in realtime is obviously appealing. But while it can create positive interactions between artists and fans, it can…
Full Article K-POP KORNER: If You Don’t Have Anything Nice to Say…
KELCEY LORENZO WRITES – In late March, CL, leader of K-Pop girl group 2NE1, was nominated for TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2015. CL, whose birth name is Lee Chaerin, was the only Korean out of the 158 figures nominated for the list. Other individuals that were nominated for…
Full Article K-POP KORNER: CL Makes Waves with TIME’s Top 100 Nomination
KELCEY LORENZO WRITES – After almost a year away and the departure of two members, boy group sensation EXO is officially back on the K-Pop scene. The now ten-membered group began releasing teasers for their new album “Exodus” on March 18th through the YouTube page of their entertainment company, SM…
Full Article K-POP KORNER: Crack the Code with EXO’s Pathcode Teasers
KELCEY LORENZO WRITES – The Korean Wave, or Hallyu, will be crashing over mainstream American television through Nickelodeon’s new TV musical comedy, “Make It Pop.” The television network and co-producers Nick Canon and Thomas W. Lynch describe the show as “a comedic, music-infused daily strip about three unique girls who…
Full Article K-POP KORNER: “Make It Pop” or Make it Stop?
KELCEY LORENZO WRITES – Atlanta-born K-Pop solo artist and YouTube sensation Eric Nam recently announced that his first U.S. tour would have to be put on pause. The one-week showcase tour was supposed to kick off on February 20th in New York, continue on to Atlanta and Dallas, and finish…
Full Article K-Pop Korner: Bad Weather “Rains” on Eric Nam’s First U.S Tour
KELCEY LORENZO WRITES – Korean entertainment companies are always looking for the newest and freshest way to market and promote their idol-singers through means other than just the group’s music. Idols can be seen guest starring on variety and radio shows, endorsing products and companies, and modeling in magazine pictorials.…
Full Article K-Pop Korner: Web Dramas – The Next Big Hit (or Miss)
KELCEY LORENZO WRITES – EXID, a girl group that debuted in 2012, won their first weekly music show award four months after releasing and promoting their song “Up&Down.” Back in August 2014, EXID released their music video and single for “Up&Down.” The song failed to gain the attention of the…
Full Article K-POP KORNER: You’re Nothing Without Your Fans
KELCEY LORENZO WRITES – On December 4, the 2014 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) were broadcast live from Hong Kong. Known as one of the biggest annual award shows of the year, the 2014 MAMA rewards groups and solo artists who have made exceptional contributions to the Korean Pop music…
Full Article K-POP KORNER: The 2014 Mnet Asian Music Awards
KELCEY LORENZO WRITES – Block B’s Zico has recently come under fire after the release of his official solo debut music video “Tough Cookie” on November 6th. In the video, the rapper uses a homosexual slur and is seen wearing a jacket with a Confederate flag. The music video is also…
Full Article K-POP KORNER: Homosexual Slurs Do Not Make You a Tough Cookie
KELCEY LORENZO WRITES – K-Pop boy band Infinite became the first Korean music group to chart No. 1 on Billboard’s Twitter Emerging Artists chart for the week of Sept. 20, 2014 with their song “Last Romeo,” the promotional track off of their second full album entitled Season 2. According to the…
Full Article SOUTH KOREA: INFINITE-ly Popular?