Kpop Behind | All the Stories Behind Kpop Stars

The Queen of Live Are you enjoying my concert? Is it interesting? Are your ears getting fat? Are you eyes becoming bigger? Yes? Great. That's what I intended. From May 12-24, Girls' Generation's Taeyeon held her solo concert "PERSONA" at the Olympic Hall at Olympic Park in Seoul. The female singer, who is regarded as the best vocalist among k-pop female idols displayed her abilities to the fullest through the concert. She sang a total of 25 songs including "U R", "Rain", "I" and "Why". It's notable that she performed all the tracks of her first full solo album "My Voice", while she also entertained her fans by singing drama OSTs and commercial songs. She showed top class performance, and yeah, she proved again that she is a very competent vocalist. Well, it was my second time to went to Taeyeon's solo concert (I went to her first solo concert held last year too), and the most impressive thing abou...

On October 3, YG Entertainment's new boy group iKON held its debut concert 'SHOWTIME'  at the Gymnastics Stadium in Olympic Park in Seoul. As the concert was aired through Naver V app, some of you might have watched the show. It is very exceptional that a rookie idol group like iKON holds its "debut concert" at the Gymnastics Stadium which is the biggest indoor concert hall in Korea. I went to the concert, and it was good. iKON electrified 13,000 audience by showing high quality performance. The rookie group showed as great performance as top class idol groups such as Big Bang. Of course, it's hard to say iKON can rank with Big Bang, but the iKON members' singing and rapping ability was great. They were better than ordinary kpop idols. After the concert, I could have a conversation with the iKON members and Yang Hyun Suk, who has been giving full support to his new boy group. As it was first time for iKON to hold a concert and talk with journali...

Do you like the popular TV show 'Running Man'? And which member do you like the most among the 7 running men, Yoo Jaesuk, Haha, Song Jihyo, Gary, Kimg Jongkook, Lee Gwangsoo, and Ji Sukjin? Well, all the members are popular, but I think Gary is one of the most popular members. He is a  funny guy with a dry sense of humor, while his special relationship with Song Jihyo  a matter of great concern to the 'Running Man' fans. However, Gary is not just a funny guy. He is a member of famous hip hop duo Leessang along with his best friend Gil, and he has been active as a competitive rapper in Korea since 1999. He has his own world of music, and his rhyme and flow as a rapper are definitely different from the other rappers. That's why he's been loved by so many people not only as an entertainer but also as a hip hop musician for a long time. On September 21, Gary released his first ever solo full album. The album has a total of 10 tracks including 2 title so...

On September 17, SHINee's Jonghyun released  The Collection 'Story Op.1' which has a total of 9 songs including the title track 'End of a day'. Have you all listened to the songs? Some of you might be curious why Jonghyun released "The Collection" not "mini album" or "full album." Well, "The Collection" means an album which includes informal and short songs. Singers usually release "The Collection" when they want to show their own characteristics as musicians instead of dwelling on musical formats and commercial success. That's why many competitive musicians such as Yoo Hee Yeol and Epik High release "The Collection," while  idols don't(can't). Jonghyun's releasing "The Collection" was possible thanks to his outstanding ability as a singer songwriter. He took part in writing all the tracks of "The Collection." He wrote the songs through his radio program 'Bl...

HwangTaeJi (Kwanghee X Taeyang X G-Dragon) - Mapsosa Good: Since his debut in 2010, Kwanghee has been active in various TV shows and has been loved by many for his cheerful and energetic energy. However, he couldn't show his musical talent as a singer on stage. His part as a member of ZE:A was small and pedestrian, while all the people regarded him just as a rollicker, not a competent singer. It was surprising that Kwanghee showed a charismatic performance with two of the most competent kpop singers, GD and Taeyang. Bad: It is commonly acknowledged that GD is the most talented young singer songwriter in Korea. He has produced numerous hit songs. Recently, he likes to mix different music genres in one song as you can see in Big Bang's hits such as 'BAE BAE' and 'BANG BANG BANG'. In this way, he makes music that is not only popular but also very musical. However, this time it was too much. I can't say 'Mapsosa' is one of his best works. It seems t...

From August 22-23, Boa held her exclusive at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. The concert was held to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the female singer's debut, while it drew a total of 6,000 fans. Some of you might be disappointed because the concert is not a large scale.(Top kpop stars such as Big Bang, EXO and Girls' Generation usually hold their concerts at the Gymnastics Stadium in Olympic Park which is large enough to accommodate ten thousand people) However, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts is a special place for kpop singers. The center is usually used for classical concerts and musical performances. HOT and Sechs Kies are the only two kpop idol groups who held their exclusive concerts at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, while the other idols have not been allowed to perform there. In 1989, legendary Korean female singer Patti Kim became the first popular singer who hold an exclusive concert at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. After ...

Lee Seung Gi made a comeback as a singer with his 6th full album on June 10. It is his first album in 2 years and 7 months, while the title track 'And Goodbye' is gaining great popularity on various online music charts. 'And Goodbye' is a rock ballad music that is about love and parting. Honestly, Lee Seung Gi's voice is not that powerful. And his singing technique is not among the highest in the world of kpop. However, he is competitive enough as a singer because he has his own strong point. Do you remember Park Jin Young, the judge of 'Kpop Star', said that a singer's speaking voice and singing voice should be same? He also stated that singers should sing the same way as they talk. Yeah, Lee Seung Gi is the typical example of the singer who sings the same way as he talks. Lee Seung Gi starts singing 'And Goodbye' with his sweet voice, while emotions run wild as the song comes to the climax. Let's see a part of the song's lyr...

TVXQ held a special concert to celebrate its 10-year celebration. From December 6-7, the duo's concert 'TVXQ! SPECIAL LIVE TOUR -T1ST0RY-' at the Gymnastics Stadium at Olympic Park in Seoul. It has been about 2 years since the group held its exclusive concert in Korea, and tickets for the concert have sold out in just minutes after a website for reservations opened ticket sales. TVXQ drew a total of 24,000 audience through its 2 shows, and the two handsome guys proved that they are still two of the most popular kpop idol stars. Since it debuted in 2004, TVXQ has stayed on the top of the Kpop world. The title of the group's concert "T'1'ST'0'RY" is formed by combining 'TVXQ', 'HISTORY', '1', and '0', which mean TVXQ's history for 10 years.  Max Changmin stated, "I couldn't have done it if it weren't for Yunho. I stuck fast to him like a parasite." And added, "As it ha...

From December 2-4, I've been to Hong Kong to watch 2014 MAMA held at Asia World Expo(AWE) in Hong Kong on December 3. As you know, the event is the biggest music festival in Asia, and a variety of Kpop stars including Big Bang's G-Dragon and Taeyang, EXO, IU, Girl's Day, Ailee, Winner, Epik High, Block B, AOA, BTS, Infinite and more attended the event. 2014 MAMA TOP 3 Performances Many of you might watched the show through TV or online. So, which performance do you think was the best? Here are top 3 performances of 2014 MAMA. No.1 GD & Taeyang Big Bang's Taeyang, who won a triple crown by receiving awards for Best Vocal Performance Male, Best Male Artist, and Song of the Year at 2014 MAMA, performed his mega hit 'Eyes, Nose, Lips', and then, hit the stage again with his best friend GD. It was the first time for the two top idol stars to perform their new song 'Good Boy', but the two absolutely overwhelmed the audience with their o...

APink released its new album 'Pink LUV' on November 24, while the album has a total of 5 songs including the title track 'LUV'. Have you listened to the album? As soon as being released, 'LUV' topped various online music charts, and APink absolutely proved its dominance in the world of Kpop. Well, there are some reasons for APink's success. Pretty and lovely looks of the members? Yes, of course. But, I mean, in terms of music, APink has some unique characteristics. You may have heard of some of legendary Kpop girl groups' names such as SES and Fin.K.L. SES and Fin.K.L are called first generation Kpop girl groups, while the girl groups were hugely popular in the 90s. You can say that the groups are the roots of second and third generation Kpop girl groups such as Girls' Generation, 2NE1, Wonder Girls, f(x), Girl's Day, and APink because lots of Kpop agencies followed the example of SES and Fin.K.L in producing new girl groups. For the las...

Akdong Musician kicked off its first ever nationwide concert tour in Korea. From November 21-23, the duo held its concert 'AKMU Camp' at Blue Square Samsung Card Hall in Seoul. As you know, the duo is comprised of real brother and sister, Lee Chanhyuk and Lee Suhyun, while the brother is 18 years old and the sister is only 15 years old. Well, however, the teenagers showed as refined stage manners as veteran Kpop singers and captivated audience with their impressive live singing. Akdong Musician released its debut album' PLAY' last April. Lee Chanhyuk wrote all the tracks in the album, while the emotional and witty tracks were ranked at the top spots of various online music charts, creating a sensation in the world of Kpop. Last October, the duo topped music charts once again with their new song 'Time and fallen leaves'. It is very exceptional that teenage rookie singer put up such a great show, and it seems that the duo's pure and unique music ha...

Super Junior's Kyuhyun took a new challenge as a singer. On November 13, the idol star released his first ever solo album since his debut in 2006. It is notable that 6 out of 7 tracks are ballad songs because the music genre seems to be something that is improper to the cheerful and mischievous boy group. As you may know, the handsome member Kyuhyun  dressed up as a woman and showed special performance at the group's concert and SMTOWN's concert, showing off his talent as an entertainer. Well, Kyuhyun made a debut as a solo singer with his ballad album anyway, and to tell the conclusion first, he has been reborn as a "prince of ballad". There have been many Kpop singers who were called "prince of ballad" or "king of ballad", such as Shin Seung Hoon, Cho Sung Mo, and Sung Si Kyung. Through his first solo album Kyuhyun proved that he has more than enough talent as a ballad singer to succeed his competent senior ballad singers. I can say...

Kpop girl group made a comeback with its second mini album 'Like a cat'. The album includes a total of 6 songs, while the title track 'Like a cat' is a lovely pop number which has an impressive Latin guitar sound. Through the song, the AOA members transformed into 7 sexy cat women by wearing black leather costumes and showing off their voluptuous figures. Actually, before the album was released, it had been expected that AOA will make a comeback its new sexy music. As you may know, AOA gained great popularity with its sexy song 'Mini skirt' in early 2014, and has been maintaining its sexy concept ever since, as you can see in the case of the girl group's another hit 'Short hair'. The sexy concept of 'Like a cat' could be a dangerous choice for the girl group because it is risky for idol groups to cling to only one concept. However, the 7 members who perform a sexy song are still attractive. By transforming into cat women, the ...

Do you know Epik High's Tablo? Many of you many know of him because he's currently appearing on KBS' entertainment program 'Superman Come Back' and he's a member of YG family. However, some of you may not know that he's one of the greatest hip hop musicians in Korea because it has been so long since he released his new album.(even though he appeared on Mnet's 'Show me the money 3' as a hip hop producer) Well, Epik High released its new album after 2 years of hiatus. The hip hop group, comprised of Tablo, Mithra Jin and DJ Tukutz, recently gave an interview to Korean media outlets, and Tablo talked about their hiatus, "During the period, Mithra has experienced a slump, and we were not able to release our new album because of our desires for a better album." It was worth it. Right after being released all the 12 tracks of Epik High's new album got the top spots on various online music charts. The songs even knocked down new son...