Author: Denise Coley
Introducing a newcomer singer-songwriter, Dabit Dabit is a Korean-American who was born and raised in the State of Ohio. Dabit’s real name is David Kim and his Korean name is Jungwook Kim. Dabit’s name was an innovative change from David and has no set meaning. Since his friends started calling him Dabit to differentiate him from a friend who was also called David, he thought it would be fun to name himself Dabit, switching a couple letters around resulted in this unique stage name. Dabit has always been passionate about music and has been singing since an early age…
On September 13, 2014, Muzik MuzikAzia is a new Spotify-type site that focuses solely on Asian music./via MuzikAzia’s Facebook. Azia, a new music streaming service specifically for Asian music, officially opened. Described as Spotify for Asian music, users can stream Korean, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, and Vietnamese music, and users can stream music from their favorite artists if they choose to do so. MuzikAzia sounds like a promising concept right now, and a lot of users may find it helpful once a few kinks get worked out for long-term enjoyment. First Impressions Entering the website may be off-putting for many users…
The queens are back! After some time away, T-ara has made their triumphant return to the K-Pop scene with And & End, an album that shows some signature tunes and musical growth. But, the album is not without controversy as it seems T-ara is nothing more than a target for hullabaloo anymore. Sadly, in this case, decisions made by composers and their company overshadow the efforts of otherwise good performance abilities on the six-song mini album that is sure to please T-ara stans. “Sugar Free” There are two versions of “Sugar Free” included: The original and Big House version. The…
TEEN TOP’s EXITO Worth it Even for a Non-Fan I need to get this out of the way: I am not a fan of TEEN TOP. Save for “Supa Luv,” “To You,” and “Rocking,” their music isn’t my style. However, teasers for EXITO caught my attention since they sounded more mature. I am pleasantly surprised by the growth Changjo, Niel, C.A.P, L.Joe, Chunji, and Ricky underwent coming into the album. The music improved making this album smooth and enjoyable. “Cry” and “Love U” The best songs on EXITO are, by far, the ones composed by the members. “Cry,” composed by…
Nightlife in Seoul – Where To Be In Seoul At Night One of the defining characteristics of the nightlife in Seoul, in my opinion, would be that you can always find something to eat, drink or do. And, another great thing is that the city is pretty safe to walk around when it’s past midnight. It is safe to claim that Seoul has definitely a more vibrant vibe and energy at night than in the daytime. If you know where to be that is. Below are some suggestions as to where you can experience the Korean nightlife. Do not expect…
Studio Ghibli, Inc. is a Japanese studio founded on June 5, 1985, in Tokyo, Japan. The studio is known for producing animation movies, short-films, anime series, stage productions, music vídeos, exhibitions, TV commercials, etc. Ghibli was founded after the success of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), which had its funds by Tokuma Shoten. The highest-grossing movie that the studio produced was ‘’Spirited Away’’, which won a Golden Bear Award and an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film. Many of the films Ghibli makes have won the Animage Anime Grand Prix award while four of them won the Japan Academy Prize…
Happy Chuseok everyone! Today is supposed to be a day of family and happiness in Korea. Hopefully, for many, it is a happy day full of food and joy, although we know some recent events may not make it so. While Chuseok festivities go on in Korea, many foreigners may not know what it is. Don’t worry: We have you covered! What is Chuseok? Chuseok is what is known by many as “Korean Thanksgiving” and goes by other Korean names like “hangawi,” “gabe,” or “jungchujul.” Like American Thanksgiving, the holiday celebrates a bountiful harvest, family, and even to provide thanks…
Misheard Adventures Part One K-Pop brings a lot of joy, but sometimes the lyrics cause a pause to say “what?” Misheard lyrics are common when listening to music since my ears don’t work. Checking my Kiss This Guy profile provides a slice of what I mean. But, I’m not the only one mishearing lyrics. Who can forget Taemin’s “Soy un Dorito”, Super Junior’s “Sexy, Free, and Single” bridge, or Girls’ Generation’s “I got a boy on my chin. I got a boy chicken”? So, in honor of misheard lyrics, here are some of mine. Feel free to share and add…
Even in 2014, tattoos are considered taboo in South Korea. For parts of the 20th Century, tattoos were only worn by gangs and the Korean mob, sending the message that tattoos are not an art form but a sign that someone should not be trusted. According to the Korean Herald and Global Post, tattoo artists in Korea are often underground (but open in plain sight in many instances) and move around often in order to avoid being caught by authorities and potentially raided. Tattoos are only legally allowed to be applied by doctors in Korea. Today, the tide is turning…
Some children’s books today rely on bathroom humor in order to be entertaining to young readers. This is a sad testament of where books have headed the past few years. But, that’s how the times have changed and keep changing. Sometimes it is nice to return to simpler times to try to recapture the innocence of childhood. Recently, while sorting through books of my youth, I came across Aki and the Fox by Akiko Hayashi and immediately felt nostalgic. Aki and the Fox Akiko Hayashi Story: Illustrations: Readability: Complexity: Themes: Overall: The story, released…
On September 4, KBS already announced that 2PM’s upcoming single “Go Crazy” is already banned due to “inappropriate lyrics.” Never mind how a tracklist wasn’t shared with the public yet or how audio teasers were not released until later in the day; nope, the song needed to go and KBS offed it. The lyrics in question are: “Let’s go for a second round” “These guys are planning to go crazy”* *Apparently, the Korean is a vulgar expression. As Naver commentators say, the lyrics are not necessarily bad, but the term used is a “rougher term for ‘guys.’” In honor of…
At 10:10am September 7, 2014, another tragedy struck as Ladies’ Code’s RiSe passed away. She turned 23 August 16. RiSe sustained critical injuries from the September 3, 2014, accident that took fellow Ladies’ Code member EunB’s life. Doctors operated on RiSe for seven-to-11 hours, having to suspend further surgery after her blood pressure dropped. During surgery, RiSe’s heart stopped, and doctors needed to perform an internal cardiac massage to get her heart pumping again. Since the surgeries, RiSe had been in a coma. Her family members stayed by her side. Since RiSe’s passing, Polaris released a statement to the public…
In a world full of aegyo, happiness, and hard-working performers, it’s difficult to announce when tragedy strikes the K-Pop world. Sadly, today, there is tragic news to report as Ladies’ Code’s EunB passed away following a tragic vehicle accident September 3, 2014 in South Korea. She was only 22. The accident occurred after 1am KST. Rainy conditions caused the girls’ van to ram into a wall on Singal Intersection of Yeondong Expressway heading toward Incheon. The other Ladies’ Code members and staff were in the van also and were rushed to St. Vincent’s hospital. Sojung and RiSe are in critical…
Who doesn’t love candy? Sweet, tasty candy is what is right in the world sometimes. In Korea, they seem to feel the same way I do about candy, so they blessed us with pumpkin caramel chews which sound promising and delightful just by the name alone. But, do the candies live up to their heavenly-sounding pumpkin-ness? In the spirit of the upcoming fall season, let’s unwrap a few in a taste test! Initial Impression Each piece of candy is individually wrapped, so it’s nice for individual snacking. Plus, the wrapper helps to keep your fingers from getting sticky…
Today, I would like to introduce you to Grace, who is a great friend of mine and I’m going to be interviewing her about her favorite Kpop idol group. Before we get to the interview, I want to talk more about her, so it kind of gives you an idea of what kind of person she is. Grace loves to write stories and she actually has her own blog where she writes a lot on. The stories are about her favorite idol group, which we’ll talk about soon, but she has a lot of people who read her stories and…
The K-Pop industry is dominated by many big names like Girl’s Generation, Big Bang, Super Junior, SHINee, 2NE1, and many others dominating fans and the media. All the while, groups with potential who lack a big name company or are victims of poor promotion cycles get lost. Let’s help some of these groups not get lost and show them some support since they’re performers you should know! Note: all groups debuted prior to 2014. Never Mind Members: G-One, G-Hoon, Ino, and Chang Ha Company: Toeast Music Debut: January 2013 Debut Song: “Shooting Star” Their debut song “Shooting Star” provided…
Korean news portal Naver reports that on August 22, 2014, singer and actor Kim Hyun Joong was accused of allegedly assaulting his girlfriend of two years. He is currently facing a lawsuit for assault and battery. Acquaintances of the woman known only as A have reported that she was assaulted multiple times by Kim at his apartment between the period of May and July 2014. Acquaintances said that after each alleged assault, Kim became apologetic, but each act of violence grew worse over time. According to reports, A suffered facial bruising and lacerations and bruising on various other locations on…
K-Pop has been breaking barriers in almost every country over the past few years, and with good reason. Catchy songs, enjoyable dances, and all the hard work idols put into performances all help with K-Pop’s appeal. But, K-Pop artists have tried to appeal to Western audiences, and one of the ways is by creating covers from Western artists. Many of these covers are very well-done, and listeners should give them a chance. Here’s a nice little fusion of East meets West with some covers you should definitely check out! 1. Bella “Don’t Let Go” (En Vogue) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6KsyON5Vww En Vogue…
Say YES to ‘Say Yes’ is a Korean band with five talented members who are musical enough to compose, produce and write lyrics for their own music and play their own instruments. ‘Say Yes’ is a Korean band with five talented members who are musical enough to compose, produce and write lyrics for their own music and play their own instruments. Since ‘Say Yes’ released their first mini album titled, “Virus” in July 2013 last year, this year on June 26th, ‘Say Yes’ has come back reloaded with a newer image through their new mini album ‘SAY ?’ – Get…
B.I.G (Which stands for ‘Boys In Groove’) is a just-released five-member boy band from Korea. Since debuting with their first single, ‘Annyeounghaseyo’, which is a greeting for ‘Hello’ in Korean, the boys have already marked themselves as a Hip hop and street dance group, but that doesn’t mean their genre of music is limited. The members are into and able to perform to diverse music and dance – one was the member called Benji is a former violinist who studied classical music. ‘Anyeonghaseyo’ is fun and entertaining with lyrics not only in Korean and English but in Chinese, Japanese, German,…