Boy Bands are not Dead .. in Pacific Rim.
By Marine Caillault on March 5, 2009
PARIS (Herald de Paris) - Pop music. A short yet scary word. For women who grew up in the 90’s, Pop refers to those male bands negatively called Boy Bands. Their female counterparts were the Girl Bands. They were less popular than the solo female pop artists such as Miss Spears, miss Aguilera, and so on.
Back to the Boy Bands. They were made to be pleasing to the eye of every teenage female. There was in every band the cute one, the blonde one, the sexy one, and the plump-yet-endearing one. From a purely artistic perspective, not all of them knew how to sing. Their targets: 12 to 16 year old girls. And since they were not bad boys, the moms loved them and approved wholeheartedly.
According to MTV, who may be right every once in a while, Boy Bands are dead. The last generation was N’Sync if you believe what they say. Right?
Wrong. Boy Bands are still extremely popular and active in Asia. They are Japanese, South Korean, Chinese and Taiwanese, and they make indecent amounts of money. Just as a reminder, the CD industry is unprofitable in the entire world. All the world, except for Japan. Blame it on the Karaoke system and the group mentality pushing the youngsters to purchase what everybody has.
Money making idols
This industry is a cruel one and severely lacks a sense of humor (see article about Hiromichi Ugaya). And, very revealing fact, the pop stars are called Idols (using the local pronunciation of the English word). That word itself is a proof of the requirements for the job. Just be a pretty flower pot, and then we can teach you how to dance and dress and lipsynch. The best of you will even get to act in cheesy TV shows.
This world of Idols is even more fascinating in South Korea, where they dominate the music market. Their fans are of all age, but as expected, they are mostly female. H.O.T., Shinhwa, Dong Bang Shin Ki, and more recently Big Bang are the most popular acts.
They probably function so well because South Korea bases a lot of its pop culture on looks. Like for instance that generation of celebrities who grew over the Internet, starting in the 90’s. They are called Ulzzang. The word means roughly ‘perfect face’. Those youngsters (male or female) take pictures of themselves with their webcam and post them on their blog. After heavy photoshopping, of course, to make their skin whiter, their eyes bigger, their noses more protruding… The most popular will become models and have their own brand of clothes. Internet and image are intertwined in Korea. The Boy Bands are a living proof of that.
Luckily for the system, they have a strong sense of belonging towards the company which brings them up to their status. YG Family is one of the most efficient in Korea. It was founded by Yang Goon, who happened to be a former musician for the super famous rock star Seo Taiji. To give you an idea of what Seo Taiji represents: he fills stadiums without breaking a sweat – has been for ten years. Seo Taiji is far from a Boy Band type of musician, though. His sound is a skilled mixture of Hip Hop and Hard Rock.
How to make a musician
So how does Yang Goon proceed? Simple. He organizes constant auditions to recruit the kids. The youngest, the better. G-Dragon, leader of Big Band, has been a YG Family trainee since he was a child. He never went to school. He was taught how to dance, sing, behave on a stage, be funny on TV shows, dress, and please the ladies. After he was considered to be sufficiently knowledgeable in all these fields, he was selected amongst others, put together to form a new sensation.
Then, the company makes the new group live together, sometimes even share the same bed, as they prepare for their debut. And that’s when the real work begins. Photo shoots, practice, public appearances, recording sessions, real TV shows, they are overworked until the audience has moved on (ie. They are not financially interesting anymore). (1)
SM Entertainment also deals with Boy Bands. The company owns artists such as Shinhwa, Dong Bang Shin Ki, H.O.T., or Super Junior. This last band has a lot of members (thirteen), which gives opportunities for SM Entertainment to break them into sub-groups every once in a while and release new albums. The novelty never wears off – the formulae is perfect. Each of these acts are extremely popular, and therefore a source for controversies. That’s where the Internet becomes a problem.
Because the counterpart to the fan sites are the anti fan site.
When fans hate
Dong Bang Shin Ki, also called Tohoshiki, also called Tong Vfang Xien Qi, abbreviated either TVXQ or DBSK, is popular all over Asia. Hence the different names, created to suit the audience from all these countries. Let’s call them DBSK. The leader of the band is called Yunho (hence the stage name: U-Know). He is a professional dancer, clothes hanger, and singer. As such, he gets attention and some people do not like it.
In the fall of 2006, Yunho was poisoned with a drink laced with super-glue. The anti-fan who was responsible for that attack wrote heinous letters to him: « Do you know your limit? Only little kids like you! I really want to kill you. » Yunho, being either a clever man or having a really talented manager, said he didn’t want to press charges against the criminal, because he had a younger sister the same age.
Meanwhile, Super Junior’s Heechul, a very good friend of DBSK’s Yunho, though it was clever to post on his personal website about his disgust for such an attack. The anti fans decided to turn against Heechul. Only, there was a problem. Heechul was also in a difficult situation, for he had been part of a car accident involving other members of Super Junior as well. As a result, the fans stated they would attack his Super Junior valid friends.
Hopefully, two years later, no one was harmed because of that story. Super Junior memebrs are safe, as far as we know, as well as DBSK members. Both bands are releasing new albums these days.
All this is more funny than dangerous, you may think. That is, if no one dies. Only, some people have ended in a hospital bed, wich is the proof that things have gotten quite too far. And actually, people have died.
When rumour kills
October 2008, Choi Jinsil is found dead. She was a popular actress, but she committed suicide. Why? One month before, another actor, called Ahn Jaehwan, also killed himself. The female actress was rumoured to be the cause of her peer’s suicide – because she would have lent money to Ahn Jaehwan, and was supposedly pressuring him to give it back.
After both actors are dead, people began to realize in other countries how dangerous were the rumors. Those on the public stage in Korea have this constant deer-in-the-headlight look when they appear somewhere. Websites are fed with all sorts of information, concerning the fact that they might’ have been spotted holding a female’s hand. Or that possibly they have performed for an Adult Video. Or that they are going to split. Or that they have connections to the mafia, are gay, married to billionnaires, etc.
Jeong Dabin, Yuni, U-Nee and Lee Eun-joo are other female entertainers who killed themselves, more ofthen than not following a cyber rumor. To fight this habit, South Korea has created the Cyber Terror Response Center.
So, who is at fault? The entertainment companies, who sell every aspect of their artists’ private life? The fans and bloggers, who take possession of those lives as if the entertainers belonged to them? Or the stars themselves, who accept this kind of life in order to become famous? It is probably a bit of everything, but from all this a fact remains: entertainers in Asia make a lot of money.
(1/ To be fair, one should also look at their own bellybutton too. In Europe, the Underground Rock is probably worse than the Asian Boy Bands: it pretends to be underground and choose the musicians based on skills alone, rather than on their appearance. Well all know that it’s much harder to become a musician if you are overweight. The trend also incorporates the numerous actors who release an album. The confusion of trades is an international habit. Singers, actors, composers, songwriters, dancers, and models are all thought to be having the same job. It is a lack of respect for every single one of those professions)
As much as i like the fact that Asian Artist esp. Boy Bands is being known around the world. Being a big K-pop follower. I disagree with you.
“Just be a pretty flower pot, and then we can teach you how to dance and dress and lipsynch. The best of you will even get to act in cheesy TV shows”
Are you kidding me.? Yes, looks is one the main factor for a “idol” as everyone says. but Talents come hand in hand too.
I don’t know where you got this info from, but just to let you know that Everything u stated above (the quoted) is not true, what so ever. All the korean boy band are talented and have proven themselves. It’s not their fault that they just happened to have the good looks, talent and skills.
you talk as if looks doesn’t matter in other part of the world.
Looks matters everywhere you go, in fact it’s the media who promotes those kinds of act.
beside. What the heck, When was DBSK leader Yunho a clothes hanger.. u guys really need to get the fact straights. Seriously, I demand a re-editing on this article.
.
Oh btw, because you mentioned “lipsynch”.
Majority of the Asian Boy Band “idols”.. (as u have labelled)
Can sing “live” perfectly, as matter of fact they can even “sing and dance” at the same time.
I’m not going to speak a lot (my english isn’t very good), but I’m a bit shocked by this article…
Some facts are real but the others are too much !
I totally agree with you, Yumidoma !
Asian boy bands are talented, it is too easy to categorize them as “pretty flower pots” just because they looks well ! Many stars in the whole world are beautiful, but just because they are boy bands they have to be stupid figureheads ? It is just a caricatured image that needs to change.
Wow… this was really harsh, although some of the things were true.
But the thing i dissagree most has to be the image created for “idols”.
Heck, these boys have worked their asses off to become what they’ve became.
I don’t think i’ve ever saw an eastern band going on a tour and singing 30 SONGS ~!!!!! AND LIVE~!!!!
And not only singing, more than a half of these songs are meant to be danceable, so they have to dance too.
And let’s not to mention all the beautifully sung ballads that make people go all teary eyes.
And some (DBSK) have even said that they don’t want to have an “IDOL” image, they just want to be seen as singers because idols aren’t taken seriously.
===============
And lastly, please don’t say that because of training they drop school because it’s not like that. I don’t think GDragon dropped school. Or if he did, i’m sure it wasn’t because of the training. The majority of singers graduated and are in universities too.
please do your homework first before writing such article. the fact is those people that you call as idols have been trained for many years. do you think only teenagers love them? hell no. they are respected and has many fans from different generations. BECAUSE THEY ARE TALENTED WITH NOT ONLY LOOKS!
do you know that Gdragon that never went to school is a genius in music? is a talented composer? do you know that DBSK members actually compose and arrange songs for their album? bet you never know that huh.
Clear PROOF that You don’t KNOW what you’re Talking about
DISSAPOINTED with how you wrote, Clearly BIASED
HAVE YOUR ACTUALLY WATCHED a VIDEO of their LIVES
Or DO YOU ACTUALLY KNOW ANYTHING
YOU SHOULD INVESTIGATE Things YOURSLEF
INSTEAD OF making ASSUMPTIONS from your BIASED Mind
YOU CALL YOURSELF A REPORTER!
I don’t think you know or understand enough to write this article. Being a reporter yourself, shouldn’t u get more familiar with the Kpop scene and understand how things work there before you jump to write some lame stuff like this?
Asian bands, unlike the americans or european “bands”, are trained up to 8 years and had to go through a lot of challenges before they can actually come out to the entertainment industry.
The more i write, you wont read and skip me so i’ll just leave it there. Word of advice, if u wanna be a good reporter and be recognise, get your facts straight, statistics right, and get enough proof before you start writing nonsense.
wow…are you kidding me?
as a reporter, you should get all the RIGHT facts before publishing something. this becomes such a waste of space if you don’t even report everything correctly.
you don’t even know the time and effort some of these guys work in order to come out on top. take DBSK for example, they work their butts off the entire year, flying from country to country, getting only TEN days off in a year…
how many days do YOU get off in a year? does that mean that you’re a horrible reporter who has been “trained to write?”
as for what you said about Yunho “Yunho, being either a clever man or having a really talented manager, said he didn’t want to press charges against the criminal, because he had a younger sister the same age.”
this is INCREDIBLY insulting…as a fan who loves this artist AND to the Asian culture. we are taught to be respectful to others and other moral values as we are growing up. in korea, being respectful to others is an incredibly important aspect of their culture. as such, because Yunho was raised correctly (as you can see in one of the pranks that was played on him…if you had searched around and done your research), you can see that he is really humble, good-natured, and hardworking. he loves his younger sister very much, and because that anti-fan was of the same age, he didn’t want to feel like he was pressing charges on a person the same age.
this article is one of the worst i have ever read in my entire life. it is full of biased opinions and unresearched claims. please edit it after you have researched more on the asian pop culture
I have a confession to make : I really like some songs of those artists quoted in the article. My heart leans more towards Seo Taiji or Mot as far as Korean musicians are concerned, but I’ve been known to sing some DBSK under the shower as well. Or beatbox on Big Bang while doing the dishes.
Now, that being said, I wish you had tried to be a bit unbiased as you read the article. Criticizing things you like is healthy. I have never stated at any point of the article that the Boy Bands are unskilled. To me, they are mostly victims of a system which gives no alternative to potential artists. They must adapt to this shape of ‘being an artist’ or stay underground. And the problem is that if you change clothes several times during a concert or pay more attention to you haircut than to the questions the journalists are asking you, you’re bound to be seen more for your appearance than your music.
The same goes for Japanese Visual Kei musicians, who are instrumentalized by their looks and are mostly also very knowledgeable in their respective choice of instrument. If you look at it coldly, you could even say that there are similarities (not musically, but esthetically), between G-Dragon and Miyavi. Both of them have the same bone structure and have a close sense of fashion. But I digress.
I am shocked at the fact that most of you stated quite naturally, « all the korean boy bands are talented ». I don’t even know how you can state that; have you listened to every single one of them? And how can you judge talent? I am a music journalist, have been for a while, and I’m not sure I can differentiate hard working and talented musicians. Don’t you confuse that word with « skill »?
What I do say in this article is that they work much more than we both could ever imagine. That’s also the reason why they can’t possibly be bad singers. If you practice 10 hours a day on your voice from age 12, I hope you can sing.
I also said that G-Dragon does not go to school ; I never said he is not studying. What ‘not going to school’ means is that you don’t have the same social education as other youngsters your age. I have experienced being homeschooled when I was a kid. I didn’t prevent me from achieving studies afterwards. Also, the DBSK members have (some of them) stopped their studies pretty early (high school). It doesn’t prevent them all from speaking three languages : korean, chinese, and japanese.
I am a singer too. I have trained 10 years in classical singing, as much in ‘chanson française’ and 5 years in grunge-rock singing. I have played the guitar for six years, and the flute for 15 years. I have been part of choirs and bands. I have also had (though informal) training in music programming and recording techniques.
My personal opinion about Boy Bands, which I actually didn’t state in the article, is that they have extremely good singing techniques, but I wish their vibratos weren’t sustained the way they are. I would also like them to scream a bit more ; use their stomach muscles to release more powerful sounds. Their voices are trained into softness more often than not (I am not talking about those who rap), while they could experience a bit more.
It was also written « you talk as if looks doesn’t matter in other part of the world. » You didn’t read the article to the end. I’m sorry about it, because if you have you would have seen a sentence which says precisely « In Europe, the Underground Rock is probably worse than the Asian Boy Bands: it pretends to be underground and choose the musicians based on skills alone, rather than on their appearance. Well all know that it’s much harder to become a musician if you are overweight. »
The point of this article is not to poison Boy Bands. It’s to poison the companies who exploit them. And yes, to write this article, I have listened to 76 CDs and spent three full days on YouTube watching live shows and MVs.
This article, in spite of the demands, will not be edited.
Marine
PS: to answer the last comment: I got six days off last year at Christmas and sleep 5 hours a night. You may underestimate the workshifts of a journalist nowadays.
Tant de haine pour si peu! Puisqu’il s’agit d’une publication franco-américaine, laissez moi le plaisir de m’exprimer dans la langue de Molière. Vous qualifiez cet article de ramassis d’informations tronquées voir détournées et mettez en cause la crédibilité de l’auteur. Sachez qu’en tapant son nom sur google, vous découvrirez qu’elle sévit dans le milieu musical asiatique depuis un bout de temps. Cela vous suffira peut-être à ne plus la prendre pour une débutante ou encore à remettre en question la teneur de ses propos. Vous êtes vous déjà demandé pourquoi le politiquement incorrect gêne tant? La vérité parfois dérange, n’est-il pas?
sorry, but disagree with your article. did u do any research before writing it anyway?
“Just be a pretty flower pot, and then we can teach you how to dance and dress and lipsynch. The best of you will even get to act in cheesy TV shows.”
# most of them had to train for YEARS before debuted as an artist. in korea, 1-2 years of training is considered short, and some of them even spent 6-7 years before they can become an artist. what is that for? it’s for them to become an artist with quality, and not merely depends on their looks. who wants to spend nearly 10 years as a trainee to just lipsynch on the stage? have you ever heard of their live performance? those people are really, really talented people, for your information.
“After heavy photoshopping, of course, to make their skin whiter, their eyes bigger, their noses more protruding… The most popular will become models and have their own brand of clothes.”
# heavy photoshop? that’s harsh. i dont think photoshop will bring much difference for them, because they ARE naturally good looking. even hollywood artistes’ photos are being photoshopped before coming out in the magazines, so, what’s the big deal?
next time, please, do a complete and thorough research before writing any article. this article is really and obviously, BIASED!
Hello there. I’m so glad to see a news report about the Asian Pop was broungt up in the Europeian country. However… ARE YOU INDEED KIDDING ME? Next time, please do a proper homework before you decide to do a report of a foreign culture. My reasons were all spoken by the above comments. Thank you anyway.
This article seriously hits the nerve of many k-pop followers. You need to re-write it, if you think they have the looks without the talents you are so wrong. Like what others had said, many trained for years and they do have their abilities in singing live. With the recent news of Music Removed in the music videos or live performances, many groups such as DBSK was highly praised for singing it live well. So then again, if you think everyone are looking at the looks, then think again. Seriously, you are causing some trouble in writing this article – obviously there are biasness and you are somewhat discriminating Asian pop acts.
GET YOUR RESULT DONE PROPERLY! AND RE-WRITE IT!
i meant your research done properly.
P.S.: I’ve read your post up a few above mine, the way you wrote your article needs to rephrase it or what. It doesn’t put the message across if you think “they companies are exploiting the artistes” or whatever you are trying to say. Yes not all Korean groups are talented, but at least for the basic they need to sing well, even if they can’t, they will not be able to last long in the industry, as most viewers/listeners are very objective when it comes to this matter.
The only part that I disagree with in this article is the fact DBSK is put in, not only as the main picture, but in this article period. Yes, some(I don’t listen to many) boybands may not,imo, have great singing ability but I’ve never felt that way about DBSK. “Just be a pretty flower pot, and then we can teach you how to dance and dress and lipsynch” ?? Have you heard any of their live performances?
Years of intensive skills training has never -thank god- made up for talent. Rather, it is more likely that those kids are taught how to sing and dance in a polished, unoriginal way which will help produce a formatted music to please a formatted public.
Of course, this text is biased. It is not a compilation of facts gathered by a machine, but an article written by a journalist who was asked to give her opinion on the subject. Whether you personally agree or disagree with the views she expresses is up to you, and congrats on even having your “own” opinion, but in no way should the author have to rewrite her article under the pressure of disagreeing readers. Live with it.
Congratulations you’re the worst writer I’ve ever seen!!! you call yourself a reporter? you should do a little research before posting a “news”. What a shame I expected a lot more from the Herald de Paris.
Next time be a little more objective please, though I agree with you, most of the boybands like super junior can’t sing. A point that needs to be made is that DBSK is an Acapella group and that’s why they’re so popular, because they CAN sing, they CAN dance and as a plus they’re good looking
Are you a journalist?
I think you need to do some kind of research before posting articles.
Go to Youtube, listen DBSK live, and then… we can talk.
[b]hi[/b]
We are u getting your facts??? this article seems totally biased against boybands. not legit at all and very unprofessional. Just check this out if u don’t think they can sing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxBoZbX155A
it’s a live performance of tvxq/dbsk/thsk all of their japanese performances are live! sometimes even with a live band. don’t judge until your hear them sing live. i didn’t know that a newspaper could be this miss informed? it’s shocking especially because dbsk are one of the top groups in asia known for their singing ability. Of course there are groups that can’t sing, but to put dbsk in the mix is way off. Next them do some research before writing an article or better yet go to one of their concerts!
actually they have fanclubs all around the world, even in peru and spain.
I have nothing to say…. The “reporter” is so STUPID!! Don’t compare the Asia BoyBand with the boyband in the west!!!!!
Are you really watching theri dance or listening theri songs,I think you don’t,you never do,so don’t say anything
Hi Campers. I rarely chime in on articles written by my journalists, but this one caught my interest because of the way so many of you are jumping down the throat of one of my staff.
For the record, I have some music in my background, but I have not particularly been a fan or a follower of Western boy-bands, let alone those from Asian countries. It is not that I find anything particularly wrong or bad or distasteful about any of their music – in fact some of it is quite good – it just isn’t my thing. If you can not accept that – SNAP OUT OF IT, you have been drinking the mass-marketing kool-aid way too long.
I awoke this morning, and set aside my usual routine so that I might watch some videos and see what all this scuttle-butt is about. Here is what I discovered:
These guys in the Asian boy bands are adorable; they can sing, though there is a clearly a synergistic effect – the sum of the whole is better than their individual talents; the primary focus of their repertoire is MARKETING, not the overall integrity of what they produce – not that there is anything particularly wrong with that – it is a tried and tested method of selling music.
Can anyone say MENUDO?
Sorry angry people, I see nothing different between Western boy bands and their Eastern counterparts. Let me put it another way: producer Lou Pearlman, creator of the 90s boy band craze in the US, was no genius – he built his little boy bands with talented parts, but the focus of amassing each group the way he did was a blend of ability and marketability, just as many had been created as far back as Motown. Boy bands do not occur organically – they are created in a laboratory.
Let me put it another way. What is the primary focus of a record label? To create moving works of art? No, the reason they exist is TO SELL AS MANY RECORDS/CD’s AS POSSIBLE. That means an artist, a band, or a group has to be highly marketable. This has been going on since the early 1900s, when the Victrola first gained widespread appeal, and music was first mass-produced.
To the reader who, in defending her particular band, found it necessary to bash Nsync – what are you on? Have you ever heard Nsync sing a capella and live? I have. They are actually incredibly talented, and yet when the group branched out into individual projects, only one, Justin Timberlake, found success. I imagine that of the guys from TVXQ split up, the same thing might happen.
I am sure most of you are way too young to have seen the American television show, “The Brady Bunch,” from the early 70s. Well, they once parodied the “formula” for musical stardom when the character of Greg Brady was signed to be a major rock star named, “Johnny Bravo.,” a psychedelic rocker in an absurd Elvis-like jumpsuit. In the end, when Greg became wise to how the industry really worked he asked why he was signed/hired. His producer replied, “Because you fit the suit.”
Look, there is nothing wrong with your favorite band having been built specifically for mass appeal, but do you think that the wardrobes, the choreography, and the cute little “signature” elements really happened when these guys first met in primary school? Really?
As for my journalist, sorry again – I find nothing offensive about her article. There is a subtle air of sarcasm in her words – apparently too subtle for most of you – but it a subtlety born from the fact that she clearly likes this kind of music.
I admire your loyalty – seriously, I do – and I am all for wearing your musical hearts on your sleeve (that is an old proverb, not a decree to buy branded merchandise), but I admit my disappointment in a generation that is so hostile towards anyone who might hold an opinion that is not exactly the the same as their own.
Jes Alexander, Publisher & Editorial Director
Herald de Paris et Cie.
First of all, I would like to say that I was extremely pleased to see a Article mentioning TVXQ in English. As an international fan, this is a rare treat. However, as many have expressed the article did not digest very well.
I myself was surprised that one day I would be defending ANY boyband, one especially with the image and marketing such of TVXQ. But They are a rare gem once you get passed their out appearance.
As it is, TVXQ is already criticized enough in their own turf so this international exposure associating them in a negative light struck home for many fans.
Rested assured that they are not loved by all, some hate their guts.
In the other hand, I respect and applaud the writer for standing up for their opinion.
I think that many who are calling this piece “biased” did not see that it is blatantly in the OPINION section.
However, I’m afraid that this will become a trend . CNN once air a short segment discussing the East’s “boyband fandom” and a article was also published about their “globalization”.
It seems the only attention Western media gives TVXQ highlights the negatives. How about an article getting to know them for once?
TVXQ also sings a Capellas. They are known in Japan for this. I really love them but I understand people have different views of them.
lol…funny how you’re blaming the asian music industry on this when americans do the same thing…they use images such as sex and drugs to draw people to their music.
it don’t matter what country you live in music industries are all the same….they’re a business of course they’re doing it for the money that’s no surprise, but the ‘boyband’ tvxq that you talk about, they are some of the most humblest artist i know. They truly have a passion for music and compose their own sings. They’re not just pretty faces, they can sing live.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czyi7zgP1Jc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu3BKelNHTQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHztK3lwbRk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNGQ39YV4mE&feature=related
ever heard of mr??? removal of background vocals supporting live performances.
Well I think you should know that all the countries in the world have different cultures, and this is the culture in South Korea, China, Japen, etc. You may think that it’s strange, ridiculous, etc but I don’t think you realise a lot of the things which go on in Europe, America, etc are more fake and ridiculous.
And please, do some proper research before you write about something like this. I don’t think you’ve heard any of the singers that you’ve mentioned actually sing. Listen to them, and think about everything you’ve said about these people.
Oh, and I think you should proof read your writing before you actually post it on the internet.
I hope you’ll be less ignorant after reading this, and all the other comments before me.
I just want to say :
they r not only idols!!
most of them have practiced before, even for 6 or 7years!!Just like LEEHYUKJAE , a member of SUPERJUNIOR,he is very very very good at dancing and rap,just listing and watch!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT3AKDIV8-s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGhPwSAJX0Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo-AfQyLWcc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIaGXMa_VhU
Popular American music focus on sex appeal and drugs…big difference.
for your information their are also underground singers in asian countries.
CD industry in South Korea really is dead. Recent CD sales in Korea seems to be affected by the fans’ supporting power.
In that sense, your saying ‘money making idols’ is partly, true.
However, you are not looking through enough, the time has been changed, if you recognise ANY difference beween the 1990’s and the 2000’s. H.O.T is the very 1st Idol group in Korea. They debuted in mid 90s, which is the starting point of Western music being transferred to Korea, without total supervision of government. So you don’t compare them with idols nowadays. As the producer of H.O.T confessed, they were not expected to be musicians. But now, they are.
Yes, Boybands are not dead in east asia. especially in korea, there is the 2nd boom of idol groups, it is called ‘the generation of the evolutionary idols’, if roughly translated. They are good enough, and getting better. They do not fake with the sound although they do make the ‘MR’ loud. If anything like “the real singing voice of SPEARS in the concert” is up on the internet, they wouldn’t survive, as you may have felt from the ’suicidal factors’ in Korea partly due to cyber terror, Korean audiences are cruel.
The system of the entertainment business is nothing I can shortly mention, so I’ll shut up. But in terms of your saying ‘pretty flower pot’, it is not fair expression to some of the ‘evolutionary idols’. Wish you learn the attitude of purely watching a good performance, no matter who it is done by. Pretty flolwer singing and dancing well; that’s the theme of Korean boy bands now.
I bet u know nothing about Korean boy bands.
Being handsome is not their fault. they were just born with good looks and talented. They also train very hard. those famous Korean boy bands you mentioned in your article have trained very hard to debut. Have u heard of their songs??? They sing very well and always sing live. Also they can dance at the same time. do u know how hard singing and dancing at the same time is??? your article gives wrong facts to the readers. You can go to youtube and search their songs and watch their performances.
And I strongly believe that Asian music industry is much more ethical than America’s. I’m sick and tired of those meaningless music that always talks about SEX, MONEY, and DRUGS.
bueno ami me gusta los dong bang shin ki ellos an dado un riguroso casting para ser cantantes y alcansar sus sueños al diablo con el resto hay k pensar en su talento y lo mucho k pueden dar como cantantes
i just wante d to tell you that this article was found in a famous korean website. Therefore, there are MANY not only asian but american and other european fans are reading this article. You made many mistakes and you should fix them. Boy bands, yes they are pretty boys but they are also very talented. They’re not like normal european or american boy bands who look pretty but can’t sing or dance.
i’m just warning. Through this mistaken article, you can be put to danger.. Asian people are scary when it comes to networks and internet. They can track you down and threaten you or sue you or somethingn like that.
JUST BE CAREFUL . i suggest you to REVISE THIS ARTICLE after you find out more about asian boy bands!
you can’t generalize boybands like anything else. saying that all of them are bad is wrong. some are bad and some are good.
exile: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxuRWuekdZk&feature=related
I accept what the journalist means by, though I’m a fan of one of the boy bands mentioned there. And people, you don’t necessarily have to find it wrong.. I like them because they are so entertaining and give me a great relief. I’m into things slightly different from the ‘real music’ but exciting, and is there any problem with it? There’s no use criticizing this article only because you are their fans..
Creepy. I am sad tht Yunho oppa got poisoned by a fan. I think they will be safe in Canada. Please trust me dbsk.
I find it really sad how these “Idols” lives are practically gone by the time the debut. Their fans control everything about them. They(girl idols) can’t even talk to another guy without causing histerical problems. If they do… Automatically those guys get “Antis” and death threats. BTW… I hear that the fan issue is the worst in Korea… It’s sad how at first glance… the music industry in Korea is so cute and fun… then to find out that people there are just plain crazy.
I’m Korean fan.I love TVXQ
for your info. dbsk is actually one of the better boybands…they all can sing unlike other bands.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOMpoY1xJLY&feature=channel_page&fmt=22
So, I, was actually looking for DBSK pics and I came upon the one used here and ended up reading everything on the page (meaning the comments as well as the article) and I have to agree with what the editorial head is saying. The author of this article is only talking about the negative aspects of the Korean music industry. And she pointed out in a comment later that she spent a LOT of time researching the article. So for lord’s sake, do READ all the comments before jumping down her throat? I’m from India, and from what I know there aren’t a lot of K pop fans here, but there are -some- and I’M one of them. I love DBSK too. Even Shihnwa. so I can see what the author is saying without just blindly going mental and saying she’s abusing DBSK. Heck she even said she LIKES some of the artists she’s mentioned! Can we respect the right to speech here? Or do we all go around hating everyone who has an opinion/takes a stand on something?
Can we just calm down and really start looking at what the author’s saying?
That’s all the point I’m trying to make.
Peace out.
I really, really would’ve loved to believe with the author’s credibility in this article. Except for one thing. Well two actually, but the former is more factual than the other.
Big Band? Um, hello? Try Big Bang. Google is your friend. Since you’ve bothered researching enough stuff to prove your point in this article, please have your facts straight and rechecked.
And nobody is interested financially speaking with G-dragon anymore? That maybe your opinion, but sales from Big Bang’s albums and a slew of jobs offered to the members contradicts it.
Won’t hurt to Google things once in awhile to actually check your facts eh?
Hi guys! I´m from MONTERREY, MEXICO i ´m 22 years old and i´m a BIG FAN OF DBSK!!!!! … about the article and the commets, to be honest, i don´t think that ALL THE BOYS BANDS, in America, Europe and Asia can sing …
but DBSK is SPECIAL i have listened theirs lives and they are REALLY AMAZING!!! …
I`m agree with the Marine´s opinion twice: “they are mostly victims of a system which gives no alternative to potential artists. They must adapt to this shape of ‘being an artist’ or stay underground. And the problem is that if you change clothes several times during a concert or pay more attention to you haircut than to the questions the journalists are asking you, you’re bound to be seen more for your appearance than your music.” –
but anyways i think DBSK is breaking with this idea of “idol” because the most of the fans prefer their vocal skills than their looks!!…
and also when she says:
” they have extremely good singing techniques, but I wish… use their stomach muscles to release more powerful sounds. ”
i`m a singer and i have trained about 15 years… so, sometimes i feel the same…
About Yunho (dbsk´s leader) … when i knew what happened with the anti-fan i was really sad to think that there are a lot of people who want to hurts to others with no reason … but i think is sadder to me (as fan of Yunho ) read this sentence ” Yunho, being either a clever man or having a really talented manager”… but anyways, is your opinion, i have mine…
finally i want to say that i liked that DBSK, THSK or TVXQ were mentioned in your article… maybe the note was not the best to them, but in the comments there are proof of their vocal skills (the liks to youtube) and proof of all the fans that know, believe and support them AROUND THE WORLD!!!! …
DBSK HWAITHING!!!!!!!
Hi guys! I´m from MONTERREY, MEXICO i ´m 22 years old and i´m a BIG FAN OF DBSK!!!!! … about the article and the commets, to be honest, i don´t think that ALL THE BOYS BANDS, in America, Europe and Asia can sing …
but DBSK is SPECIAL i have listened theirs lives and they are REALLY AMAZING!!! …
I`m agree with the Marine´s opinion twice: “they are mostly victims of a system which gives no alternative to potential artists. They must adapt to this shape of ‘being an artist’ or stay underground. And the problem is that if you change clothes several times during a concert or pay more attention to you haircut than to the questions the journalists are asking you, you’re bound to be seen more for your appearance than your music.” –
but anyways i think DBSK is breaking with this idea of “idol” because the most of the fans prefer their vocal skills than their looks!!…
and also when she says:
” they have extremely good singing techniques, but I wish… use their stomach muscles to release more powerful sounds. ”
i`m a singer and i have trained about 15 years… so, sometimes i feel the same…
About Yunho (dbsk´s leader) … when i knew what happened with the anti-fan i was really sad to think that there are a lot of people who want to hurts to others with no reason … but i think is sadder to me (as fan of Yunho ) read this sentence ” Yunho, being either a clever man or having a really talented manager”… but is just your opinion, i have mine …
finally i want to say that i liked that DBSK, THSK or TVXQ were mentioned in your article… maybe the note was not the best to them, but in the comments there are proof of their vocal skills (the liks to youtube) and proof of all the fans that know, believe and support them AROUND THE WORLD!!!! …
DBSK HWAITHING!!!!!!!
Hi guys! I´m from MONTERREY, MEXICO i ´m 22 years old and i´m a BIG FAN OF DBSK!!!!! … about the article and the commets, to be honest, i don´t think that ALL THE BOYS BANDS, in America, Europe and Asia can sing …
but DBSK is SPECIAL i have listened theirs lives and they are REALLY AMAZING!!! …
I`m agree with the Marine´s opinion twice: “they are mostly victims of a system which gives no alternative to potential artists. They must adapt to this shape of ‘being an artist’ or stay underground. And the problem is that if you change clothes several times during a concert or pay more attention to you haircut than to the questions the journalists are asking you, you’re bound to be seen more for your appearance than your music.” –
but anyways i think DBSK is breaking with this idea of “idol” because the most of the fans prefer their vocal skills than their looks!!…
and also when she says:
” they have extremely good singing techniques, but I wish… use their stomach muscles to release more powerful sounds. ”
i`m a singer and i have trained about 15 years… so, sometimes i feel the same…
About Yunho (dbsk´s leader) … when i knew what happened with the anti-fan i was really sad to think that there are a lot of people who want to hurts to others with no reason … but i think is sadder to me (as fan of Yunho ) read this sentence ” Yunho, being either a clever man or having a really talented manager”… but it just your opinion, i have mine …
finally i want to say that i liked that DBSK, THSK or TVXQ were mentioned in your article… maybe the note was not the best to them, but in the comments there are proof of their vocal skills (the liks to youtube) and proof of all the fans that know, believe and support them AROUND THE WORLD!!!! …
DBSK HWAITHING!!!!!!!
“Sorry angry people, I see nothing different between Western boy bands and their Eastern counterparts.”
Sorry to you too. You seem to think that two minutes worth of research suddenly makes you an expert on Eastern boybands. If you’d actually done your research you would see the HUGE difference. I’m sure they’re all for “marketing” and blahblahblah but you’re forgetting that asian boybands and american boybands differ in FANS.
do you see how many comments this article has brought about? DBSK has even set a world record for their fans and Super Junior for the number of people in their band.
And why do they have so many fans? Maybe you should sit down and ponder… because there has to be something different about them, correct? N-Sync has nothing on DBSK fans, absolutely nothing (I like N’Sync more btw).
BTW. I liked this article. It’s nothing bad but the above quote just pissed me off. I found it pretty funny! And plus, it’s bringing attention to them!\
Big Bang’s not so much like a boyband to me… they’re a lot cooler! I don’t like associating them with boybands. DBSK and Super Junior didn’t used to be my cup of tea… prettiness is over-rated. I’m liking them a lot more now though because I GAVE THEM A CHANCE.
Bye.
this is to both the writer of the article and the director who wrote a comment earlier:
i think that you guys should stop comparing Asian Boy bands to Western bands. On the part about “Yunho, being either a clever man or having a really talented manager”, have you ever actually considered that Asian morals and ethics are WAAAY more different to Western ones, especially regarding such things?
About the “heavily photoshopped” comment: well, have you actually seen these people in person? you have no right to accuse them of such if you have no basis for comparison.
Nice research there. I mean, come on. “Big Band” and “Tohoshiki”? It would take a ten-year-old about two minutes to figure out what these bands are called, and how to spell their names properly.
I’m not asking you to re-write this article, I’m just wondering if you did as much research as you have claimed.
I realize that this music might not suit your personal taste, but did you really need to go as far as insulting some of the artists? “Yunho, being either a clever man or having a really talented manager, said he didn’t want to press charges against the criminal, because he had a younger sister the same age.” Excuse me, but did you ever even consider the possibility that he is just a good person, who didn’t want to ruin someone’s life? If you have ever been to Asia, or lived there, you would realize that culture there is based on respect. No, I don’t personally know this artist, and thus cannot give you his motives for doing what he did. But do you either? Please, by all means, get in touch with Yunho, and then tell us exactly why he chose not to press charges before insulting him.
As to this comment from the director above: “I am sure most of you are way too young to have seen the American television show, “The Brady Bunch,” from the early 70s”. Please do not generalize. Yes, maybe the target of a typical boy band may be “12 to 16 year old girls”. And yes, maybe I fit into this age group as well. However, my father (who was around in the early 70s) listens to Big Bang, and I have many male friends who listen to Korean boy bands, not all of whom are Asian, or in their teens.
Do you really honestly all of the fans of, say DBSK, or Big Bang, are solely their fans for their looks alone? Is the world that shallow? We aren’t all teenage fangirls over here, as much as you might think so.
It was interesting reading your opinion, really. I cannot criticize your opinion on this type of music, which I personally enjoy, although you may not. Please don’t take this as an ignorant comment from someone who is here to hate on you for not loving their favorite Korean boy band as much as they do. I agree with you on the fact that not every Korean boy band is vocally talented enough to be paid for it. There are boy bands who are there who really do try to appeal to their fan base by their looks alone. However, it is my personal opinion that DBSK is a naturally gifted group that deserves to be recognized for their talents. If you were to look up some of their live performances, I think that you would agree with me on this. I don’t really need, or even want you to re-write this article. However, in the future, please try not to generalize, as you have so obviously done in this article. And don’t criticize a person’s character, especially someone that you do not know.
Thanks.
People acting angrily either have low comprehension or they never read the article fully…or merely a fan who thinks their idols are ‘perfect’.
It is not unknown to Asian fans that a lot of their ‘idols’ have gone under extensive plastic surgery. Pamela Anderson has many ‘clones’ in the East
Even fans don’t have respect for their idols. They pair them in yaois! Yeah, we know you want to unleash your imagination but respect, please. Duh. And yet you complain about western music being all about sex, drugs, murder?
Really? When was the last time you listened to western music
Have you heard the song Where is the love by Black Eyed Peas? There are far more sensible songs in the west than in the east. In the West, they are open to criticize the government through music, while in Asia, it is still considered a taboo and if you do, you are killed by the own government you pay your taxes to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-qJV6HG9R4
I suggest watching it all, but if you want it straight to the point skip to 3:15 and listen to DBSK’s Bolero, I was dumbstruck by their vocal abilities absolutely FLAWLESS. Not hatin, just saying check it out and see if you change your mind
LOL no Lance Bass, Kevin Richardson, or Chris Kirkpatrick there…..All DBSK members can sing
Oh my gosh! I can’t believe this. Whoever wrote this article is stupid. You don’t even know what you’re talking about. You haven’t spent years listening to Kpop. You have no right to bash this! God, I hate the stupid antis. And really? DBSK? You can’t bash on them. In case you didn’t know. DBSK has the LARGEST fan base in the world even over AMERICAN artist. And DBSK can sing and dance live perfectly fine. Big Bang is amazing at everything and I can’t believe you had the nerve to talk bad about GD. That’s just crossing the line. I bet you never even listened to them. You are probably sitting home blasting the Backstreet Boys & N’SYNC, reminiscing in the good old days when music was good, yeah right. You don’t know what you’re talking about. AND BTW, GD DID GO 2 SCHOOL. Get your facts straight.
I completely understand this to be about the companies and not the actual boy bands. Girls, I’m sorry to say this, but you guys are the obvious biased ones. You read this article thinking that it was someone trash talking about your favorite kpop bands. Honestly, get a life. If you would just look at this neutrally like a person that wasn’t critisizing the writer for being biased and see the main reason, maybe you would finally understand what is being said. I’m sure we all love to defend our beloved boys by saying some excuse to start a stupid argument. The reporter wasn’t bashing your boys, they were laying down some information that you all assume is their anti rant. I repeat, get a life. So much sarcasm and many metaphorical terms are used in this and none of you can see it. Wow. We got it already, they are good singers, it isn’t only their looks, they can dance, they went to school, they don’t lip sync, they are really talented. We got that, please, think of something else. Research was done. I think it’s pretty obvious how much research was done. Just to be able to list all these FACTS is amazing. I’m sure that ALL of you learned something by reading this. This was about the failure of Boy Bands in America compared to the success of Boy Bands, or idol groups in places like South Korea, because the companies used marketing strategies. This was not a flame on the bands for being popular. It wasn’t an anti trying to convert. It was about the companies and their marketing strategies. The companies and their marketing strategies. When you hear Boy Band you think of pretty looks and lip syncers. When you hear them you admit they are good and think differently, but that is not what you originally think. Why? Because we were all brainwashed by the media. Yay, you have all seen the light, you actually found a Boy Band that can sing and dance for real live. Stop telling us already, it is so redundant, geesh. I don’t think this article should be edited for there is nothing wrong with it. I do think everyone needs to rewire the way their brains work, because you clearly cannot read something without making it personal, as if you were a kpop star yourself. Think neutral people, then you see what this is really about.
By the way, I happen the be an avid DBSK fan, no seriously, “Bunnies are so affectionate, they are like Um Um Um.” or “Oh my God Sun.” Bolero is my favorite freaking song ever. My youtube playlist of DBSK’s songs is over 70, that is without the list of songs I want to add to it when I get time. Hell, I even right fanfics, no, not yaoi, you pervs. Even better, June 26, 2010, JYJ came to California to record their album and arrived back on July 11, 2010. Do I seem fan enough for you? Am I a good example of neutral, or do you still think I am just an annoying bitch that doesn’t know what she is talking about? Whatever, hwaiting…