The Textbook-in-progress of the Ivy League's first class on the Korean Wave.
This blog is the work of University of Pennsylvania EALC 198/598 students (Spring 2006 & 2007). Please apply proper citation when using any part of this blog. For details on citing this site see: http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite5.html#1
Saturday, March 17, 2007
X Man
Hello Class. Since everything about Korean music and Korean music videos have been talked about, I'm gonna introduce a popular Korean comedy show called "X-Man." Basically, the show is a variety game show where Korean celebrities play weird games that are hilarious. A lot of the stars that appear on the show are music artists because in between acts, the stars sing or dance as punishment and who would be better singers/dancers than actual artists themselves. Hence, the shows is fully packed with fun games and cool singing/dancing performances. I highly recommend the show!
Something interesting I found about Korean celebrities is that, in general, they seem to be a lot more down to earth and are willing to participate in these game shows where a lot of the acts are very humiliating. True, there are shows in America like the "Surreal Life" however, the celebrities on that show are old, "have been" celebrities while the people on "X-Men" are people who are popular and hott now. Additionally, I've heard that the celebrities don't get paid or get paid very little to participate on this show, and the stars just do it to increase their publicity or just because it's fun. Artists like Kim Jung-gook and Minwoo from Shinhwa are regulars on the show and seem to have a good time, everytime they're on it.
For all you Rain lovers, here's a link to an episode where other stars try to imitate Rain's "I'm Coming". Enjoy!
I will preface this post by saying that I am not that familiar with Korean popular music. In middle school when all of my Korean American (female) friends had their favorite H.O.T., SechsKies, and/or Shinhwa member/claimed future lover and the guys had the big furry mittens, I never got into Korean pop music because I felt I did not know enough Korean to follow along with the lyrics. Also, I couldn't help but laugh at the poor English featured in the songs and on the CD liners and the funny costuming choices. So, please excuse my ignorance when it comes to Korean music.
I found an interesting interview with Drunken Tiger from six years ago that I thought provided an interesting contrast to Stephen Epstein's findings in "Anarchy in the UK, Solidarity in the ROK: Punk Rock Comes to Korea." One of Epstein's claims was that punk rock was a space in which Korean youth could be uniquely Korean although punk rock was imported into Korea. This seems to fit in with the ideas that Lawrence Venuti discusses in "Local Contigencies: Translation and National Identities," one being that translation nationalism means that translation (would it be a stretch to say that punk rock is the translated text?) can be used to build up a nationalistic movement or create a cultural identity in opposition to others brought to light through translated texts. So, while the Korean punk rock movement that Epstein studied seems to showcase Koreans who have national pride (while not always agreeing with the status quo), Drunken Tiger does not seem to have that same love for Korea. This seems to be because the two members of the group are actually Korean Americans and seem to identify more with the hip-hop culture in America. Finding out that Drunken Tiger originated in the U.S. made their music video for "Do You Know Hip Hop?" make so much more sense. The song and music video seemed to be a lot more self-aggrandizing and sexualized than the other Korean music videos we watched in class and also seemed to fit more of an American hip-hop vibe. Would I be correct to make that assumption?
P.S. Did anyone else find the interview funny to read because of the way the guys talked? I couldn't stop laughing at the obscenities and use of ebonics.
As I was browsing YouTube for other Korean music videos, I came across this one by Drunken Tiger, entitled "I Want You."
After watching all those sappy ballad videos last week, I struck by how blantantly sexual this video was. I thought the director did a nice job of juxtaposing the singer's stroll through the red light district with the cuts to a pretty, innocent-looking girl, and then later showing the same girl all dolled up like a prostitute. Her transformation is quite shocking. The lyrics to the song as also much more explicit than I would have expected:
I WANT YOU *Translated By Eric Kim - http://www.drunkencamp.com/lyrics/trdt1-2.htm
Tiger is in the presence bam bam Upon the reggae is bam bam Tiger is in the presence bam bam Upon the reggae is bam bam
Even though we don't know each other that well, I could see us like a sweet couple. I want you, I wanna tell you this. The light in my eyes of how much I want you, are so bright.
I can make it feel like there was never futility. Now close the eyes of your heart. There will probably be an overwhelming happiness. Yes, I'm very happy.
Scent of your presence was true essence of your beauty Complexion luminescent be like blinding twenty twenty From the git go couldn't let go You had my heart mad looney tooney From the full moon to the crescent Reminiscing about your booty Feeling blue indeed
Like the time You didn't do me When I'm alone I'm in a love Jones Baby boo I'm truly yours Like honey dip from Gothem
You let me in for a pleasure Voulez-vous couchez avec moi? Now you drop your draws, uh!
I want you, I love you, honey. I remember all the times we shared. I could feel all of your love.
Even though we don't know each other that well, I could see us like a sweet couple. I want you, I wanna tell you this. The light in my eyes of how much I want you, are so bright. Now as I close my eyes and as the moon greets me. Come into my arms, and leave you with me. And tell me of the words of temptation that will come out of your mouth. I like the way you are now.
The honey that I love, do you know? Do you know my heart? Do you know that it's full of the thoughts of you? What is it of me that you don't like? I can make it feel like there was never futility. Now close the eyes of your heart. There will probably be an overwhelming happiness. Yes, I'm very satisfied.
The YouTube page where I found the video notes that this particular version of the music video was banned. I wasn't able to find anymore information about that online anywhere, but I believe that "I Want You" was one of the first popular rap videos in Korea, and coming from the era of completely unsexualized ballad videos, I'm not surprised that that was the general reaction. The video does, however, have some stylistic commonalities with the ballad videos, most notably the violent, tragic ending and the cinema-style storyline accompanying the music.
In class we talked about how Korean music videos, as far as the ones that we've seen, seem to be produced as quasi-movies. To me, this seems like a good way for artists to extend their imaginative skills to create an entity of its own, distinct from the music itself. On the other hand, it does seem to deflate the significance of the song itself. While I was watching those music videos in class, I honestly did not pay any attention to the lyrics. I passively listened to the meoldies while I my mind was actively engaged in watching the actions taking place before my eyes. The fact that many artists resort to this disjointed approaches in disseminating the song and the stories depicted in music videos suggest that Korean artists are seeking different avenues to intensify despair. As Keith Howard suggests in Appropriation and assimilation in Korean pop music, even songs outside of ballad (in his discussion about Seo Taiji's song entitled this night, is deep, but)"conform to the anodyne romantic idyll, encumbered, as we might expect in a country infused with the notion of han, of grudge and repression, more by desertion and the loss of love than with successful union" (p.40). As we have seen in dramas, Koreans' obsession over love, lust, and complicated relationships are transplanted in songs as well. Hence, it seems reasonable for the artists and directors to use music video as an additional medium to create a unique production rather than an extention of the existing music. It is not a new technique that songs are being used to project human emotions. Korean Ballads, for instance, is imbued with references to love, loss, death, and hopelessness. It seems as though they would have exhausted all the possible ways they could portray such emotions. Wrong. The lyrics might have a common theme such as a girl leaving for some other guy and the reject sings about his sorry life and how he will forever love her. The tunes might also be along the same vein: melancholy, string instruments, and what-have-you. Because the ballad singers do not have as many topics they can use as the theme of their song, (imagine a ballad about winning the lottery) they might resort to music videos to set themselves apart from each other. Whoever can have the most compelling, attention-grabbing, thought provoking, emotion surging, and sad storyline might be able to stand on top of everyone else as a successful artist.
I will do my presentation on Monday on Epstein's article about punk rock in Korea. We will embark on a journey together to explore the worlds of punk, hardcore, metal and their various sub-genres in Korea. These alternative genres generally diverge strongly from the mainstream ballad, hip-hop and kayo music in many respects. Thematically, the principle themes tend to be ones of individuality, anti-establishment, the bleak realities of life and rebellion against societal norms. The presentation, instrument choice, rhythm and image are also radically different. I present now a few videos with a brief commentary that should help to make the transition from ballads to alternative as injury-free as possible.
A brutal auditory assault from the awesome K-metal band "Crash." They are old on the scene, formed way back in the early 90's. A catchy refrain with some nice double bass pedal, definitely a good video.
N.E.X.T - The Power. A slower, gritty punk video that uses war footage as a backdrop for this music video. Definitely has an epic feel to it, and has some nice fret work near the end.
Monkey Monkey, a silly name but there is nothing silly about that guitar and drum beat. Very energetic.
Oathean. This is a live recording, not a music video, but Oathean has such a brutal sound that I feel compelled to include it. These guys and Crash are my favorite K-metal groups that I've heard. This video has a bizarre interlude as well.
The Cockrasher, a new-wave sounding punk band. I confess to having no idea what they are saying, but the sound is pretty catchy. This style is typical of many punk music videos.
I like a lot of Japanese and Chinese punk/metal, but until recently I have not had much exposure to the Korean alternative scene. I have found plenty that I like though, and am always looking for more recommendations. These videos are just a primer, based on what I could find on YouTube. Keep on rocking out, Korea.
After last week's discussion of tragic korean ballads with music that doesn't relate to the music videos and sad stories on the videos I remembered seeing this music video on youtube by a Tawainese all girls band called: S.H.E. and they have done a music video called "I love you" where the song's lyric is irrelevant but the story is very emotional (it's based on a real story) however, the story is kind of told with words too in the music video. I loved this and wished that I could have played it in class last monday. I'd bet that this would be popular with korean audiences.
Below is the translation done by a commentor named on one of the pages: Story starts in Shanghai 1949. The KMT (the Kuomintang or Nationalist Party) lost the civil war to the Communists and were forced to flee to Taiwan. The girl's family was probably high ranking KMT government/military officials. As they fled, she promised her bf that she'll return and all her "love" was kept in that box for him. He promised that he'll spend an entire lifetime waiting for her, many lifetimes if needed. 40 years later she has a family with many children and grandchildren. One day her son told her that he found her long lost boyfriend. Like promised, he waited for her all these years at the same place, never marrying, even that box was never opened in fear of losing her forever. After an intense emotional struggle, she decided to pack up and spend the rest of her days with him back in Shanghai. Her husband in Taiwan bought a house for them as a wedding present.
Synopsis and Opinion: Who would have thought that traditional music is making a comeback? Korean trot music, considered as traditional “Korean” music, sounds just like Japanese enka (a genre our parents would listen to) that are usually sung by older artists. However, Wikipedia claims that enka actually might have influences/roots from Korea or China. Although trot cannot replace the pop, rock, and rap that we love, it sure is attracting more and more audience, especially the younger crowd. I have posted a sample of Korean trot sung by Jang Yoon Jung, who is most famous for beginning this fad for the younger generation.
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Young trot music stars bridge generation gap By Lee Yong-sung 2007.03.16 [Source]
If you are a parent of a rap-obsessed teenage son or daughter and have ever tried to have fun with them at a noraebang (karaoke room), chances are, you have realized how difficult it is to bridge the generation gap through songs.
This cannot be the case in Korea only, but here, the emotional gap could be especially wide because we have trot music - arguably a traditional Korean pop music genre, which has long been popular among older adults but has largely been detested by young Koreans. Well, this was until the new generation of young trot singers exploded into fame, most notably Jang Yoon-jung, 27, whose debut single "Eomeona! (Oh My Goodness!)" has brought a lot of young people out to listen to trot music.
Although there were far younger trot singers than Jang (like Moon Hee-ok who made her trot singer debut when she was a high school student), the debut of the pretty-faced Jang with versatile vocal ability - she won the grand prize in a 1999 Riverside Song Festival in Seoul with the Latin dance number "Naeane Neo (You Inside Me)" - was sensational enough to encourage many more young and attractive singers to get into the trot music scene, including Park Hyun-bin, 24, and the girl group LPG.
(from left)Jang Yoon-jung, Super Junior T, Two Guys
"With simple and easy melodies and lyrics, trot songs are ideal vehicles to convey various human emotions," Jang said in an interview. "But more than that, (they are) the type of songs I've found pleasant to sing. Such unprecedented success of the young trot singer has even attracted Super Junior, a 12-man boy band best known for their powerful dance routines and harmonies, to the trot music scene. Half of the members - Lee Teuk, Sung Min, Kang In, Hee Chul, Eun Hyuk and Shin Dong - formed a group within the group, Super Junior T, last month and released their first trot single "Rokkuguh."
"I remember Kim Soo-hee's 'Aemo,' which is my mom's all-time favorite song, beat Taeji Boys' 'Hayeoga' to top a weekly KBS chart in the early '90s," said Eun Hyuk, 20, who once competed with his former schoolmate Xiah Junsoo of Asia's top boy band Dong Bang Shin Ki to be the best dancer in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province.
"Trot is like the Korean version of hip hop music. It's always direct in tone of voice and message," added Kang In.
For many Super Junior fans, their trot singer debut sounded almost like an insult to the Korean rock spirit, if not a kind of cult comedy. It took, however, only three days for the new sextet to top the weekly album sales chart. Ironically, "Rokkuguh" (the reverse of "Guhkkuro," which means "reverse" in Korean) sounds like "Rock Go."
"Frankly, trot songs are not easy for me to sing because there are so many vibrations in them," said Lee Teuk, the leader of the entire Super Junior group. "But I think the songs have power to make everyone feel upbeat."
Many argue over the origin of trot music, saying that the genre was born under the heavy influences of Japanese Enka songs, and thus it falls short of becoming a traditional Korean pop music genre. "Highway Stars," a recent film about a rocker-turned-trot singer is in fact a remake of the 1997 Japanese film "Saran-Q No Enka No Hanamichi." The Enka singer in the Japanese film has been replaced by the trot singer in "Highway Stars."
Still, though, many argue that today's trot songs are in the tradition of Korean pop music because the style of singing in trot has transformed dramatically into something uniquely Korean over the past few decades as a result of ceaseless experiments by trot singers and song writers.
"Any musical element can be transfused into trot to create a new trend in trot music," said Yoon Myung-sun, who wrote both "Eomeona!" and "Rokkuguh," commenting on the current trot syndrome. "Traditional trot songs were predominantly about sorrows and tears, but recent trot songs of younger musicians deal with a variety of topics."
There could be more controversies about the identification of the genre as traditional Korean music, but it is undisputable that trot's popularity contributes a lot to bridging the gap between generations. At least it seems far easier for young singers to do trot music than old ones do hip-hop.
"Sad Tango" is one of my favorite Rain videos/songs and it is particularly relevant becuase it relates to many of the issues dealt with in Keith Howard's "From Dance to Rap". The song is quite unique on many levels. For one, it was Rain's debut Japanese single so the original version was Japanese but Rain has now since made an entirely English version which is featured on the link I provided. The music samples latin melodies which reflects the "tango" in the song's title. As for the "Sad" in "Sad Tango", the word suggests a lost love theme which is indeed expressed within the song's lyrical content. So after stepping back a moment, we notice a dynamic interplay amongst the song's elements. We have a Korean pop star singing a Japanese song which musically is a fusion between modern r&b and latin melody while lyrically it is consistent with themes found in traditional Korean ballads. Plus, it is to my knowledge the only Rain song to have an English equivalent.
One thing to note from my observations is the obvious appropriation of foreign musical genres similar to Kim Gun Mo's "Excuse". In looking at the actual video, we see not only the showcasing of dance but also specific dance sequences that often disrupt the video's continuity. These are consistent with findings in Howard's paper.
Finally, there were some other things regarding the interplay I mentioned earlier that struck me. Why was this song in particular chosen to be Rain's first Japanese single? Was it because that musically it is neutral in the sense that it is not quite American pop nor is it very similar to other Korean pop songs. So being neutral in this case would mean differentiating itself from both jpop/kpop and american pop at the same time. Also, why is there an english version to this song and not any of his Korean songs. Is it possible that in infultrating the Japanese market, Rain and his managers hoped they could reach more Americans or English speakers in Japan than in Korea?
Article in Korean Times - Women Bring Sexy Back to K-Pop
Looking online I found an article about another type of Korean music videos that are more similar to the type of those in America. These videos focus on Korean women trying to be sexy, reminding of the American music videos of the Pussycat Dolls or Beyonce. Obviously most of these songs are not ballads but rather are dance music. But I feel that these music videos give another perspective into the Korean music industry. Something I found extremely interesting in the article was that the women who had done sexy videos like Lee Hyo-lee and Ivy are actually trying to soften their image now due to the negative backlash. I guess there are still cultural differences between Korea and the US and that it may be a bit too early for sexiness to become widespread in the Korean music world.
I also have some links to music videos below the article for songs or women mentioned in the article.
Women Bring Sexy Back to K-Pop [http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/culture/200703/kt2007031316520011690.htm] By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Justin Timberlake may be singing ``I'm bringing sexy back,'' but in the K-pop scene, it seems the ``sexy'' concept is still alive and kicking. Sultry pop stars led by Lee Hyo-lee and Ivy, as well as newcomers like Seo In-young have released new albums and music videos, designed to send the pulses of the male population racing.
While this sexy image helps attract attention, it also distracts people from determining if these singers are popular because of their good looks or real talent.
Recently, the stars' skimpy costumes and racy music videos may have proven too much for some audiences, creating a backlash against sexy singers.
Lee is widely credited with starting the sexy trend and is still undeniably one of the most popular stars for commercials. She has recently generated publicity with a racy photo spread appearing on W magazine and the Calvin Klein ad campaign, but it seems this has only distracted from her music.
Lee's new digital album received mixed reviews from fans, although her single ``Toc Toc Toc'' is racing up the charts. Lee may be trying to soften her image, but it seems fans still want her to stay sexy.
Another pop singer who became known for her sizzling dance moves is Ivy, who scored a hit with the single ``A-ha'' last year. Ivy seems to be distancing herself from the sexy image during promotions for her second album, ``A Sweet Moment.''
At a recent music show, Ivy performed ``Temptation Sonata" wearing a conservative but feminine suit, in sharp contrast to the hot pants she wore when she performed ``A-ha" last year.
With the image shift, Ivy seems to be focusing more on the music, rather than using her sex appeal to gain fans.
However, it is newcomer Seo who is generating the most controversy for her barely-there costumes and hot dance performances. A former member of the girl group Jewelry, Seo has just released her first solo album ``Elly Is So Hot.''
Her skimpy costumes have prompted three Korean broadcasting stations KBS, MBC and SBS to ask her to tone down her costumes for TV shows. Her costumes are one-piece outfits featuring cut outs that expose parts of her stomach and pelvis.
If this wasn't enough, Seo has also released a series of racy photos available for mobile phone downloads.
Other female singers are still expected to push through with the ``sexy'' concept by releasing dance tracks which allow them to show off their seductive dancing.
Chae Yeon is also planning to release her fourth album later this month. Her management agency Medialine said the title track of the album is a dance track, similar to her earlier song ``Two of Us,'' and will have a Latin dance version and electronic house version.
Mina, who is best known as the 2002 World Cup girl, will also come out with her fourth album in April. She has worked with Uptown member Jung Yun-joon on writing the title track, which is said to be similar to Lee's hit ``10 Minutes.''
Today's music videos were all very emotional and going along this path, I'd suggest the music video "Because I'm a girl" by KISS, an all girls korean band, this music video fits perfectly into today's melodramatic music video theme. This story was quite popular when it first came out in 2002 and I cried the first time I saw it.
Although this news is old, I just thought that it was humorous.
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No iPods For North Korea November 29, 2006 03:00 PM
The Bush administration reportedly plans to strike back at North Korea's Kim Jong Il for testing nuclear missiles by denying luxuries to the leader and his political allies through trade sancitons.
To punish Kim Jong Il for testing nuclear missiles, the Bush administration wants to keep iPods out of the hands of the North Korean leader and his supporters.
[...]
The list of items to be banned reportedly includes artwork, cognac, cigarettes, expensive cars, Rolex watches, Harley-Davidson motorcycles, personal watercraft, musical instruments, sports equipment, Segway scooters, and personal electronics, such as iPods and plasma televisions.
Those who might want something a little different than the "typical" K-Pop music might want to take a look at the following posts from The Turning Gate which is maintained by an American ESL teacher living in Seoul. It's a collection of lesser known Korean artists that don't get as much attention as their mainstream counterparts with brief descriptions and a few songs you can download and listen to. The intro and links are posted below.
“Is there any decent Korean music?” a friend asked me in a recent email. The answer is a resounding YES! Korea has some damn fine music, and it’s about time The Turning Gate took a few moments to recognize it. And so I ask you, turn your ears to the Land of the Morning Calm to explore some of the finest music I’ve found here.
