Schoolboys: They're tougher than you think

So I was derping around on tumblr today, and I stumbled upon a group I didn't expect:  BTS.  They're also called the Bangtan Boys or Bulletproof Boy Scouts.

Yeah you read that right.  Bulletproof Boy Scouts.  Oy.

These boys are set to release their debut single "2 COOL 4 SKOOL" (another Oy) on June 12th, which is today!

The video above I'm guessing is their title track, since it's their only music video, and it's called "No More Dream."

Anyway, this group is a part of Big Hit Entertainment, which is a subset of JYP, and their labelmates are 2AM and GLAM.  Their age range is 15-20 years old.  I was a bit shocked to see how young these guys were, but these entertainment companies like to pick 'em young...anyway, as I was looking through their profiles, I noticed that 4 out of the 7 members are labeled as rappers (some also have dancer or visual along with the rapper title, but all of the members dance anyway, and the visual tag is just for promotion sooo....).  Usually, groups have more vocal members than rap members because kpop is very melody heavy, and there's always some catchy hook to sing along with.  I kind of sat there for a minute, and read over the profiles again.  There is only one main vocal in this group, as the other vocals are also labeled dancer/visual/rapper/whatever.  Big Hit is trying to pull off a rap group...with high school boys.

The only other super rap heavy Kpop group I can think of at the moment is B.A.P. (let me know if y'all know more than I do), but they have two lead vocals to pull off the catchy hooks so there is some melody to stick in your head, and they also have some older members so the tough, masculine image is more convincing.  Looking at these guys, no matter how you dress 'em up and how much make up you put on 'em, they still look like babies.  It's hard for me to take them seriously as masculine rappers when most of the group looks like they belong in a classroom tapping beats on their desks with pencils.  That, and the fact that in most of the video, they're rapping in front of a fucking school bus.  Go look at it!  It's a bright yellow school bus.  When was the last time y'all ever saw a school bus in a rap video?  NEVER.  They're also break dancing in some broken down classroom...which definitely reinforces the school boy image.  Like...what?  I'm just confused at the juxtaposition of this group...was this done on purpose?

The song itself is quite catchy.  I'm a rap/hip-hop fan myself, and I like the beat behind it.  Also, DAYUM that maknae (Jung Kook I think) can rap.  

Y'all.  It's BAD when the 15 year old can show up the rest of you.  Step up your game, boys!

Compared to him, the rest of the members are just kind of...blah. The only other member I noticed without looking back at the profiles was some fool named Suga who was rapping about cars, rings, and no big dream, wearing a bandana that was nearly twice the circumference of his head...dude, you're an okay rapper but you look stupid.

The leader of the group, whose stage name is Rap Monster (don't even get me started) doesn't even rap much in this at all...he's just yelling at us repeatedly.  What did I ever do to you, man?

This group certainly has an interesting concept...when you think about it, it's actually a tactful marketing angle.  By marketing these young schoolboys as masculine rappers, I do believe Big Hit is aiming for two target audiences:

1)  The schoolgirls - Y'all are probably saying "well duh, Kaya," but it's still important to point out!  These girls are stuck with their classmates all day, who they probably find boring and unattractive, and when they see these guys, the fantasy of a cool, super hot rapper who could be in your school comes to life.  These guys, if they do become successful, will serve an important market, since the rappers of most Kpop groups are much older than these middle/high school girls, making them seem more out of reach.  BTS's younger age  makes them seem more attainable (even though they really aren't), therefore, Big Hit can expect to make some money off of these girls.  

2)  The noonas - This is always a target market for boy groups, isn't it?  Although instead of using the cute tactic that most boy groups use when looking to snatch some noona cash, they pull the juxtaposition of being masculine with being young.  By rapping in front of a goddamn school bus, these women might think:  "oh how cute!  They're trying to be so tough!" or something along those lines.

If these guys were to debut in the US, they'd be ripped to shreds.  Although in South Korea, this combination may make the bank!  We'll just have to wait and see what happens.  They didn't impress me right off the bat, but they managed to pull enough interest for me to follow their fyeah tumblr blog and wait 'till they pop up on my dashboard again...

Do you like the image BTS is putting forward?  What do you think of the stage name Rap Monster?  Would you rap in front of a school bus?

Let me know!  

Oh!  And since I mentioned tumblr a few times in this post, mine is KayaKiraKira.  I do post jpop and kpop idol photos and gifs as well as anime and food.  If you like that stuff, give me a follow! ;)

Showgirl it up with Sistar!

Sistar is finally back with their second album, "Give It To Me!"  If you know me well enough, you know that I am obsessed with both Kpop and Showgirls.  So to have both combined in one video for me is HEAVEN.

So as far as the video is concerned, we have all of the Showgirl basics:  beautiful women, sparkles, fringe, tulle, a rain curtain, chair dancing, tophats, canes, and a giant hoop on which to sit.  It seems though, that the director mixed two different showgirl eras together.  It was released in a statement before the video was released that this video would have a Moulin Rouge concept, and I can see that in the red set with the clock and chairs, but the set with the rain curtain reminds me more of a Broadway or Vegas showgirl.  There are more modern influences with the costumes, and the microphone that appears in the beginning of the video.  There is also a set with bright blue curtains, and while it does look nice, I'm not quite sure where it fits in with the rest of the video.  It's mainly used for close up shots anyway.  The only other time the video screams Moulin Rouge is during the long line of ladies at the end.

AND HOLY SHIT WAS THAT EFFECTIVE.  Like, DAYUM.  It's been a dream of mine to have a long line of showgirls on a stage that I've directed...and to be in one...so whenever I see one I go nuts.  I actually started clapping when that shot came up.  Don't judge me.

Looking at the other choreography, the choreographer definitely used the most effective showgirl trick in the book:  guiding the eyes of your audience with your hands.  There are lots of hand flicks and twists in the choreography along with the standard Kpop sexy dropping and rubbing.  If you watch closely, you can see the girls doing their hand flicks near various places on their bodies:  their chests, legs, faces, etc.  Wherever their hands are, that's where your eyes look, and I think it's cool that the choreographer did their homework on that (and I'm sure that their fans will be happy with the effects this trick has XD).  

As for the girls themselves, they all look fabulous!  The costumes are super sparkly and fun.  The only complaint I can come up with for the costumes is that some of them look too modern.  The cuts of the pieces themselves look like you can buy them in either a fashion house or a party costume shop.  Most showgirl pieces are handmade by the costumer of a particular company, or by the performer herself.  I know it would've been much more costly to have the costumes done that way, but at least try and find something not so...cheap looking.  Anyway, Hyorin in particular looks STUNNING.  She's sporting a sleeker look than usual with the black, pin straight hair.  I love it paired with the red lace costume.  In combination, the whole look is killer!  Also, Dasom's bit with the tophat made me die.  Multiple times.  She's werkin' that ponytail too!  My favorite outfit of hers though is that white dress with the tulle train.  Very follies, and it looks great on her.  Soyu's red hair is very eye catching, although I think a different cut would flatter her better.  It's very blunt, and since she already has an angular face, I think some softening up is in order.  Showgirls are usually soft. xD  Lastly, Bora's purple streak is fun!  It's a bit more modern so it doesn't quite fit in with the showgirl theme, but it looks great on her so I guess I can let it go.  Her rap in this is flawless.  I always enjoy her raps, but in this song it blended really well.

Speaking of the song, let's move on to that!  When not considering the concept, the song is fantastic!  It's dynamic, catchy, and the girls sound great.  Hyorin and Soyu pull off some really silky high notes, and it's a great contrast to the low vamp of the piano, and like I said, Bora's rap blends with the whole song very well. Although the song itself is great, I think if they really wanted to push the showgirl concept, they could've added some brass to it, since brass bands are a big component of showgirl culture.  The beat sounds almost disco-y, and that feel is pulled through with the string instruments in the background.  I think the most showgirly part of the song itself is Dasom's part, since she's pulling a breathy-talky thing a-la Marilyn Monroe.  

Lastly, after the actual music video is over, there's some cool behind the scenes footage of the girls with the Director and Choreographer I believe, and it's fun to watch!  I'm also pretty sure that those two are fabulously gay (but you didn't hear it from me).

Overall, even with continuity issues, this is a great release, and I hope Sistar does well!  I'd give the song 3.5/5 stars, and the video 4/5 stars.

What do y'all think of the song and video?

I had originally wanted to screencap this video, but with a new computer with Windows 8, I don't have paint anymore, but some bullshit called "Fresh Paint."  If anyone can help a girl out, let me know! 

Foreign Idols: Why they usually don't work

OKAY.

This is an issue that has been on my mind for some time, and I feel like I should talk about it before I continue with my regular idol blogging.

So if you don't already know, there is a large community of teenage girls on YouTube who upload covers of Jpop and Kpop songs and dances.  I happen to be one of those people.  It's fun!  It's a cool little hobby and you can meet people with similar interests!  That's how I first met Chiima of Okay Musume Time!  Making covers of songs on YouTube isn't the problem here.  Many popular singers now have been "discovered" through their YouTube channels (Justin Bieber being a good example).

The problem arises when these young (mostly Caucasian) girls believe that because they upload covers of Jpop/Kpop songs on YouTube, that they can go and be idols in Japan or Korea.  "If Beckii Cruel can do it, so can I!"  If these girls want to be singers, dancers, entertainers, whatever, that's fine.  It's good to have a big dream, and to go for it with full force!  But when a dream you have is so immersed in a foreign country and culture...it can get a little tricky.

Here are the main reasons why I think it doesn't work:

1)  Relatability
So let's say one of these girls does get a record deal with an office in Japan or Korea.  Wahoo!  But do you speak the language?  Do you know the common courtesies of the country?  Manners?  Do's and Don'ts of social situations?  There are a lot of new things to learn in this situation, and it can be overwhelming (not to mention costly) for both the company and the idol to learn everything.  Without knowing all of these things mentioned above, these girls can't relate to their audience.  While, yes, there are international fans of Jpop and Kpop, the main consumers of the material are Japanese and Korean people.  Idols stand as role models for young people in these countries, and if these young people look at their TV screen and see some foreign girl standing there, they won't have the same connection as they would if it were a Japanese or Korean idol.

As a counter point to my own argument, some people may say that "Hey, music is a universal language.  It doesn't matter what language a song is in for people to enjoy it."  And I agree with that whole heartedly.  If I didn't, I wouldn't have this blog.  But there is a difference between different languages and different ethnicity. For example, artists like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry have held concerts in Japan and Korea, and have been on variety shows there.  The concerts are always packed and the fans sing along in English even though they may not always know what they are singing.  But Gaga and Perry made it in the music industry of their home country first.  They are sharing their music to a global audience, and aren't trying to force themselves into the Japanese idol culture which they don't understand.

Bringing back the whole Beckii Cruel thing, I think this point was a HUGE reason of why it didn't work out for her.  She wasn't fluent in the language when she went to Japan, she didn't know all of the customs, and it was painfully obvious that she had no clue what she was doing.  She was cute, and people liked to look at her, but that can only last someone for so long in the entertainment industry.  Her 15 seconds of "fame" in Japan have come and gone, and last time I checked, no one in Japan gives a damn about her anymore.

She recently announced that she would be recording another Japanese single independently, and as some of you may know, she co-founded Oishii Project.  One of the main goals of Oishii Project is for their girls to make it in Japan.  But if you look at their YouTube videos, Facebook Page, and Tumblr Blog, most of their comments and fans are other girls who want to be in Oishii Project, or want to be idols in Japan themselves. Their main market is these teenage girls, not their target audience of Japanese people.

2)  The importance of Asian musicians in the global music scene
You may disagree with me on this point, but I think one of the great things about Jpop and (more so) Kpop's global reach is that it debunks stereotypes about Asian people.  In many Western countries, Asian people are seen as awkward, submissive, unattractive, among other things.  Asian music artists are kicking those stereotypes in the face and are showing the world that yes, Asian people can be sexy, can be talented, and have a whole lot to offer to the entertainment industry.  In Western countries (and the United States in particular), it's very difficult for Asian people to make it big in the music industry because of the aforementioned stereotypes.  There are plenty of Jpop and Kpop stars that are mixed race, or Asian-American (Canadian, European, etc.) that have gone to Japan or Korea because they couldn't make it in their home country (for example:  Kevin and Eli from U-Kiss, Tiffany and Jessica from SNSD, Amber and Krystal from f(x), etc).  Because of the Jpop and Kpop industries, they have the chance to follow their dreams and show off their own talents.

As a foreigner of no Asian ethnic background, if you were to go and take a spot in an office in Japan or Korea, you'd be taking away a spot for a talented Asian person who would have a difficult time making it elsewhere.  (And for the record, I'm not saying it's impossible for Asian people to make it in the Western music industry, hey, look at Far East Movement, but I'm saying that it's much less likely and it would take a hell of a lot more work).


I'm not trying to discourage those who have dreams of performing.  Being a singer is one of my dreams too, and I am also a fan of Jpop and Kpop.  But I do think it's best for Caucasian people to find success in their own country before going overseas.  And there are definitely pros to doing this!

1)  You speak the language.  No language courses required!
2)  You know the proper manners and customs
3)  Your audience can relate to you!

And plus, if you don't like the music your country is producing, YOU CAN CHANGE IT.  I'm not saying it will be easy, but the entertainment industry is a constantly evolving thing, and you can be a part of that evolution.  You can take inspiration from your favorite Jpop and Kpop artists, and make music about things you care about, and people of a similar mindset will catch on.  And if you want to perform overseas, talk to your agent/record company/producer to see where you can go!  Travel and learn.  You don't need a Japanese/Korean management company to perform there.  You and your company just have to talk to the right people.

If you think YouTube covers are a fun thing to do, please keep doing them!  I plan on it!  It's a great hobby! Go perform at anime conventions like I do with my company, people there will have a great time!  But if you really want to make music, write it in your own language, and have it speak from your own personal experience.

Trust me, you will find it so much more creatively fulfilling then trying to act cute in a language you don't understand.
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WHEW!  I was really worried about writing that, but I decided to take the plunge!  Let me know what your thoughts are on this issue, I'd love to hear them!

Also, just letting you know, once I have more original music to show y'all, I'll be posting it here as well as your regularly scheduled idol-fangirling.

I'm back after my month long hiatus, so please expect some cool stuff coming this Summer!