SB Highlights - Vol. 1 by Seoulbeats

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HIGHLIGHTS M A G A Z I N E

K-POP &

Doppelgangers Why do doppelg채ngers fascinate and yet weird us out?

PLUS SPONSORSHIPS: JUST ANOTHER WORD FOR PROSTITUTION? VOLUME 1 APR. 1, 2016 seoulbeats.com

#1highlights “For the Fans, By the Fans”

FEATURES China-Taiwan, Caution: Tzuyu And JYP’s Apologies And Repercussions

What started as innocuous flag waving and introductions has been exacerbated and become a serious issue. BY WILLIS ................................. 16

Nayeon’s Soundcloud Mishap And The Role Of Digital Marketing In K-Pop

One of the members of TWICE is in hot water for an Instagram update. BY ERIANNE .............................. 20

Sponsorships: Just Another Word For Prostitution?

Sponsorship is the dirty secret of the Korean entertainment industry. BY PAT ....................................... 24

K-pop’s Preoccupation with Doppelgangers

Why do doppelgängers fascinate and yet weird us out? BY QING .................................... 28

Produce 101 Support Group

This support group is here to make sense of what happens on screen and why we’re watching this show at all. BY STAFF ................................... 32

Roundtable: The N Word

We discuss our first scandal with Seventeen, long held up on a pedestal for being ‘unproblematic.’ BY STAFF ................................... 38 2

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SHORTFORM Season in Review

A recap of the season’s news, debuts and comebacks. BY GAYA ...................................... 7

Indie Gem: IAMNOT

Whenever you find yourself in need of a good bit of soul rocking, IAMNOT is the band you should go to for the good stuff. BY CAMIELE ................................ 8

Music & Lyrics: The Subtle Nuances Of “OMG”

“Oh my god” is a phrase that is both easily mockable and ingrained in society. Are these multiple songs, all proudly named after the shallowest phrase in existence, as shallow as they seem? BY LO ......................................... 10

The Evolution Of The Diss Song

Amidst all this negativity and often highly contrived drama, a new type of diss song is emerging, one that cleverly comments on the industry by directing the dissing at yourself. BY HANIA .................................. 12

Men In The Kitchen: From TV Screens To Korean Kitchens

Cookbang are contributing modestly to changing gender roles in South Korea’s male-dominated society. BY HANIA .................................. 14

REVIEWS DRAMA ........................... 42 FILM ................................ 44 MUSIC .............................. 46 seoulbeats.com

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SEOULBEATS M A S T H E A D FOUNDER Young-ji EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Leslie DEPUTY EDITOR Gaya MANAGING EDITOR Mark EDITOR-AT-LARGE Johnelle

Rise Of The Pre-Produced Drama Dean’s 130 Mood : TRBL Is Absolute Perfection

SENIOR EDITOR Laverne ASSISTANT EDITORS Pat & Willis HEAD OF SOCIAL MEDIA Lindsay WEB COORDINATOR John ------

STAFF WRITERS Camiele, Chelsea, Cjontai, Dawn, Elaine, Erianne, Hania, Irteqa, Joyce, Lauren M, Lo, Lorenza, Madi, Nabeela, Qing, Rachel, Sonya, Sydney & Vya

Red Velvet’s “One Of These Nights” Is A Poignant Elegy

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SOCIAL MEDIA ASSISTANTS Claire, James, Li Ying, Mariana & Tesia ------

The SlutShame Game: Fueling The Flames Of South Korea’s Sex Industry

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Leslie

NEVER MISS A BEAT ON THE GO

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IMAGE SOURCE CREDITS Cover - Seven Seasons; p. 2 - JYP Entertainment; p. 3 - IAMNOT Facebook Page, SM Entertainment, Big Hit Entertainment; p. 4 - KBS, SM Entertainment, Joombas Music Group, LOEN Entertainment; p. 5 - Naver, tvN, Daum, Seven Seasons, DSP Media, MBK Entertainment, TS Entertainment, YG Entertainment, Starship Entertainment, Star Empire Entertainment, TS Entertainment; p. 6 - SM Entertainment,; p. 7 - JYP Entertainment; pp. 8-9 - IAMNOT Facebook Page; p. 10 - SM Entertainment; p. 11 - Star Empire Entertainment, Pledis Entertainment; p. 12 - Big Hit Entertainment; p. 13 - AOMG; p. 14 - jTBC; p. 15 - KBS World; p. 16 - JYP Entertainment; p. 17 - UNPO; 18 - KBS N, YouTube; p. 19 - Hong Kong Press; p. 20 - JYP Entertainment; p. 21 - Instagram, Naver; p. 22 - FNC Entertainment; p. 23 - SK Telecom, JYP Entertainment; p. 24 - MyDramaList; p. 25 -; p. 26 - Getty Images; p. 28 - KBS; p. 29 - Jellyfish Entertainment; p. 30 - JYP Entertainment; p. 31 - Seven Seasons; pp. 32-37 Mnet; p. 38- Pledis Entertainment; p. 39 - Cube Entertainment; p. 40 - Big Hit Entertainment; p. 41 - YG Entertainment; p. 42 - tvN; pp. 44-45 - Showbox; pp. 46-47 - Source Music Entertainment; pp. 48-51 - YG Entertainment

5 THINGS I LOVED IN K-POP

BY JOHNELLE

Attack on (K-pop) Apps When I first became a fan of all things Hallyu, there were no apps to feed my frenzy. Soon Kakao Talk came along, and any fan worth their light stick had an account. As time passed, more apps became available. Fans could watch K-dramas on licensed sites’ apps, but many of the first subbing sites that fueled fans’ Kdrama longings fell because of legalities (annyeong, My Soju). But as the fandom grew, more K-pop apps became available for trivia, games, from your fave groups and from entertainment sites. I’ve personally become a fan of Line’s Webtoon app where I have been able to read some of Korea’s

most popular web toons including the likes of Orange Marmalade and Cheese in the Trap. The new “it” app is V, Line’s (owned by Naver) response to the popular Periscope app. All your fave K-pop groups and actors have a V account and upload videos of themselves doing all sorts of things. Recently, I was able to watch Big Bang’s Made tour finale in Seoul, sort of (I was one of over 10 million fans worldwide tuning in, and the servers struggled to keep up). V is a definite must for any K-pop fan.

mixtape

OVERLOOKED S TITLE TRACK

1. “WANNA” BY KARA

Give Me a Signal My type of K-drama is rom-com with a sprinkling of sageuk (historical) and a smattering of action. While wallowing in mediocre dramas, I heard about tvN’s follow up to Reply 1988, Signal, a thriller loosely based on the infamous Hwaseong serial murders. In my book, Signal had three strikes against it: it isn’t a rom-com, I barely recognized the cast, and it’s based on cops solving cold case rapes, murders and unsolved crimes, so scary and depressing. But as I looked for a new K-drama to watch all these little “signals” kept coming at me. I talked to a friend

about dramas, and they told me how great Signal is; I read articles about Signal’s awesome ratings, that lead actor Lee Je-hoon deserved a best actor award, and that Signal is the best K-drama of 2016. I finally watched the first episode to see what everyone was talking about, and I was hooked. Since I didn’t begin the series until the last week of its airing, I could watch the drama at my leisure... or marathon it. Signal is a must see. It has an excellent storyline, and the actors are great. It gets you in the feels, and though mostly it’s sad/scary feels, it feels good in the end.

2. “SEXY LOVE” BY T-ARA

3. “FALSE HOPE” BY SONG JI-EUN

Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire Whenever I watch dramas and variety, and they feature different types of Korean foods, I want to try everything. Two things that you see people eating all the time during winter in shows are roasted chestnuts and sweet potato. When I went to Korea for the first time, I found bags of chestnuts in the store that

you could buy and bring home. They were delicious, and I’ve been addicted ever since. I’m sure it’s not as good as the freshly roasted ones, but I’ll take what I can get. Luckily, I’ve been able to find them in local Korean markets (Japanese markets have a similar product, too). Keep a look out also for a Busan roasted sweet potato candy. A friend brought some into work and they have a nice carmelized sweet potato taste, though the texture is a little grainy.

4. “LAST FAREWELL” BY BIG BANG

A Variety of K-Variety The increasing popularity of cable stations has led to a wider variety of shows on said stations. There are shows like JTBC’s celebrity pet watching service Mari & I or the one hit wonder revival Two Yoo Project - Sugar Man, or tvN’s celebrity traveling show Grandpas/Youths Over Flowers or Three Meals a Day. One particular series that I have been enjoying on

tvN is Youths Over Flowers. 1N2D’s former producer Na PD helms the show, which kidnaps celebrities and takes them around the world on a budget tour. I loved Youths Over Flowers Iceland with Jung Woo, Jo Jung-seok, Jung Sang-hoon and Kang Han-eul. I’m still catching up with Youths Over Flowers Africa in which the boys from Reply 1988 go to Namibia.

5. “HOW DARE YOU” BY SISTAR

Unlocking Your Full Potential I remember hearing about Zico’s potential as an artist from his debut with Block B, mostly about his days in the underground and talent at production. While Block B started off strong a series of events including past scandals and management company changes stalled the group and their leader’s full potential from emerging. Now older, wiser and in a more stable place in his career, Zico’s potential as an artist has really been on display within the past year. From appearances on various variety shows to being a judge/producer on Show Me The Money and producing tracks for others

as well as himself, Zico seems to be taking control of his career and making all the right moves (maybe not the right MVs--ugh, “Tough Cookie”). I really loved one of his latest songs “I am You, You are Me” because it displays a diversity in his style with its smooth groove. I’m glad to see Zico doing well and making the music he wants and can’t wait to see more of his potential unlocked.

6. “PHOENIX” BY ZE:A

7. “POWER” BY B.A.P

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Community Correspondence Jenny on “Jaejoong Surprises with ‘NO.X’”: I thought that nothing could top my love for WWW but I was wrong. NO.X has the variety that WWW was lacking. WWW had all of the rock tracks that he probably felt he had to get out of his system but it didn’t have the middle ground that tracks like “Love You to Death” and “All That Glitters” have. These tracks very easily get stuck in your head and humming along. I’ve started expecting great music from Jaejoong with every new release and he hasn’t let me down.

be a ballad. Ryeowook’s voice is flawless as always. It seems most Ryeowook fans I’ve encountered were hoping for something different though. Hoping he gets another chance to show us something foxier. find_nothing_here on “Imfact Debuts Happily With ‘Lollipop’”: This is a typical idol release, but I’m actually liking the shift back to traditional idol groups after all the “hip hop” groups that came out the last few years.

I hope he’s using the scant free time he has right now to write new music. I want to see him perform these tracks but like the reviewer I am also excited to see what he has in store for us next. Xiaolei on “Ryeowook’s ‘The Little Prince’ Suffers From Lack of Inspiration”: The MV was lovely but not concise enough to convey his story, especially for someone like me who’s only seen summaries of original book. My favorite scenes were when he painted the sky and walked through the lights, and I wished they would’ve stuck more to one or two scenes like those and made them more lively as opposed to stuffing in so many dramatic walk-and-gaze scenes. Those grayscale-red scenes were a little too reminiscent of SJ’s “Evanescence” for me. I think “The Little Prince” did end on a high note or at least a contented one, so maybe Ryeowook is with his rose. I’d like to think so. The song is pleasant: basically what I’d hoped for after learning it would 6

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severely on “4Minute Stagnates with ‘Hate’”: The trend of really disjointed verses and choruses seems to be something that companies either get tolerably right or get way, way wrong. They almost always require a few listens to figure out what category the song belongs in, too. Go figure. I want to like the song. I loved the hell out of Crazy, and I’m still playing it. Like the author, I’m not surprised that 4M is doing “Crazy Take 2!” And I’ve liked my share of nearly

identical songs, but this is not one of them. I could maybe, maybe get used to the chorus if it wasn’t for the fact that they took the lovely vocals and ruined them at the same time they decided to fuck with the aesthetics, beat, and instruments. It actually reminds me a little bit of when Psy decided to release the super annoying duet version of “Gangnam Style.” I can’t imagine why Cube thinks “chipmunk” is one of the best settings for Hyuna‘s vocals, but I wish they’d cut it out. Tiffer Nguyen on “Reconciling Korea’s Pet Culture with Their Dog-Meat Industry”: I’ve always been conflicted about the topic of dog meat consumption. I completely agree that all animals killed for consumption should be killed in a humane, and clean environment to ensure the safety of the food we eat and the pain inflicted to the animal is minimal. But what gets me is when people scream and shout in anger that the act of eating dog itself is inhumane. And that these “dirty Asians” are disgusting to eat these domestic animals. And while I would never eat dog, I do know that here in America you can get your hands on rabbit meat, and saying you ate rabbit in America is not absurd, yet rabbits are common pets too. I guess you could say it’s in our culture to value the dog as man’s best friend but then can we really get upset if another culture views dogs the same way many Americans view Rabbits? No matter what Korea does I hope they (and all meat industries) work on how they treat animals.

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For more Community Correspondence, check out our weekly segment Comments of the Week.

SHORTFORM

The Quarterly Review SERIOUS NEWS 2016 has been quick in delivering us controversy. The biggest has been the political and nationalist maelstorm after Twice maknae Tzuyu was referred to as Taiwanese instead of Chinese. Read a more detailed summary of the issue on page 16. Tahiti member Ji-soo, meanwhile, kicked off another dicussion about sponsorship in the Korean entertainment industry after revealing she had been propositioned on social media. In addition, a small number of female idols have been implicated in sponsorship and prostitution-related incidents. How did today’s culture of sponsorship and prostitution come to be? A detailed history can be found on page 24. A number of Hallyu cellebrities are continuing the trend of taking action against malicious comments made online about them. These include Wonder Girls’ Yubin, Dal Shabet’s Su-bin, Spica’s Ji-won and actors Seo Kang-joon and Kang Dong-won (and Kang Dong-won is suing those saying that he’s dating actress Jung Ryeo-won). In more serious news, Supernova member Yoon Sung-mo was arrested for driving drunk, as well as for instigating a short car chase that resulted in vehicle damage and injuries to a police 0fficer. Sadly, indie label LoveRock Company announced the passing of founder/CEO, Myoung-shin Ki. Jun Min-woo, AKA Little Psy, to a brain tumor during the Lunar New Year holiday. He was 12. Our condolences to their loved ones on their loss.

COMING SOON That’s pretty much it for this season of 2016, but there is a lot more to come! Former SNSD member Jessica will be making her solo debut, as well as A Pink’s Eunji; Nine Muses and Sistar have promised us summer comebacks; Taeyeon will be releasing her first full-length album; Se7en is promising a career comeback; Show Me The Money will be back for a fifth season; AOMG and Shinee will be visiting North America; SM Entertainment will be unleashing the global mega-group soft power machine that may be NCT; and finally, we have the debut of IOI: the 11-member girl group created through public vote on Mnet show Produce 101.

TEASERS & ANNOUNCEMENTS Girl groups took over this quarter, with comebacks from 4Minute, Hyomin, Hyosung, Miss $, Oh My Girl, Rainbow, Red Velvet, Stellar, and more! Mamamoo and G-Friend were especially successful, collecting weekly music show awards left, right and centre. Speaking of girl groups, Ladies’ Code made its long-awaited comeback with “Galaxy.” Other acts to return after extend hiatuses were YG acts Winner and Lee Hi, as well as SS301, Seo In-guk, Nu’est and Block B. Other male acts to drop music included Taemin, Got7, JJCC, Zico, Jo Kwon, B.A.P and Day6. Day6’s comeback was particularly memorable as keyboardist Junhyeok left the group just weeks prior, due to personal reasons. There were other acts with new line-ups as well: Dal Shabet lost two members, and CLC, DIA, Lip Service and Brave Girls added members. Meanwhile, boy band LC9 and legendary girl group Kara disbanded altogether. But as the old goes out, the new comes in. This quarter saw the debuts of 12-member Cosmic Girls, as well as male groups Imfact and Astro, among others. We also saw solo debuts from Ryeowook, Yoochun, Ravi, Yezi and R&B sensation Dean. We also saw the birth of a new business concept in SM’s station. The initiative produces weekly digital singles from various SM and other artists.

COMEBACKS & DEBUTS 2016 started off with a dating reveal many did not expect: EXID’s Hani and JYJ’s Junsu! Other couples included actor Namgoong Min and model Jin Ah-reum, and Blood co-stars Goo Hye-sun and Ahn Jae-hyun. A number of celebrities also tied the knot, like Kahi and Hwang Jung-eum. They married different men, though, not each other. And actress Jun Ji-hyun gave birth to her first child. Congratulations and best wishes to everyone! There were also a number of unions of the corporate kind. Loen Entertainment became a subsidiary of Kakao Corporation, which acquired A Cube Entertainment, renamed Plan A Entertainment. EXID’s Yedang Entertainment became Banana Culture, after merging with Chinese company Banana Project. CJ E&M acquired hip hop labels Jay Park’s AOMG and Paloalto’s HiLite Records. They also acquired B2M acts Eric Nam and Spica. Juniel switched labels, parting ways with FNC Entertainment to join C9 Entertainment, home to Younha. Zion.T surprised many by leaving Amoeba Culture for Teddy and Kush’s as-yet unnamed YG sub-label. The split with Amoeba may not have been amicable, though, as former labelmate Crush erased Zion.T on social media. Meanwhile, G.Na’s contract with Cube was not renewed, many speculating it was part of Cube’s damage control after reports all but named G.Na as part of a prostitution ring under police investigation. In lighter news, North American fans were blessed with K-pop concert tours from A Pink, Infinite and Exo. On the flip side, US late night talk show host Conan O’Brien whizzed around Seoul to visit a Korean fan and partake in a JYP project with Hollywood actor Steven Ye-eun. Comedic actor Jack Black also visited Seoul to promote the latest Kung Fu Panda and received a crash course on Korean variety from folks at Infinite Challenge.

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INDIE GEM I

BY CAMIELE IAMNOT burst onto the music scene with a snarl and a sneer. There’s no pretty pop in the swirl of this music. It’s rough and sexy, a slice of 16-bar blues wedged between a rock guitar riff sprinkled with the warped cadence of a synthesizer and that crunch of a voice on lead singer and guitarist Lim Heon-il. The band slapped me in the face with their brand of blues, and I haven’t been able to see straight since. Their five-song debut EP boldly declares whoami, a challenge to anyone coming to their music expecting, I don’t know, maybe something polished or pretty. The band’s name lets you know already: whatever you think I am, you’re sorely mistaken, darling. And whoami pours a bit of salt in the wound with an opening track that sets you up for some “Brand New Blues.” A mixture of the whiskey and 8

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smoke of blues and the rage and riot of rock music, IAMNOT manages to integrate some real feeling into a genre I didn’t even know South Korea had the balls to try. Yes, I should’ve expected it, considering the growl of harder-edged rock slinking on the periphery of the coun-

try’s music scene. However, it never occurred to me that there were musicians in South Korea who had an actual competency for a genre steeped in both jazz and the Negro Spiritual. It’s not something I even considered. Yes, there’s an

over twenty-year history of hip-hop, but blues is a different beast altogether, and IAMNOT made one hell of a go of it when they decided to create some of the grimy stuff. That’s not to say every ounce of the band is tied up in the ache and yearn of the genre (track “HEIYHEIY” from whoami and “LALALA” from their latest release Hold the Night); however, their foundations are very much steeped in the traditional rock, sway, repeat of the blues. Though only two tracks, Hold the Night showcased the tenderness of the blues, the ability to blend what’s both heartbreaking and incredibly poignant about the genre. We get track “Hold Me,” a song that’s a touching bit of soul nestled between some of the grit, exploding into a three-part harmony that pours sweetness into the soul and brings out the lover in you. However, when you sit back and just listen to where the band’s coming from, there’s a crunch of bone in there, a piece of down-home Tennessee swing that gets the body moving. “PSYCHO” from their debut release goes from the boot stomp of a roadhouse to the crude explosion of rock music.

Even further than that, people forget blues is an incredibly sexy genre, music that’s more than just about the lament and whine of a forlorn lover. “Cut,” the track that introduced me to the band, bleeds, aches, and explodes with the brightness of Heon-il’s voice, the pulsating pop and snare of Kim Junho’s drums, and the underbelly of Yang Sion’s bass. It’s a song so deliciously dipped in sin it makes you want to go out and find someone to wrap yourself around. Sweaty, dirty, sensual in a way that does more than caresses the skin; it burrows underneath it and infects the blood, putting images of long, hard tumbles at the front of your mind. IAMNOT is a band to be reckoned with. Though it took them some time to get here, their music is the kind that never leaves you. It sort of sticks to the bones like a good meal and jostles the mind like a really good whiskey. Whenever you find yourself in need of a good bit of soul rocking, IAMNOT is the band you should go to for the good stuff. _____

For more indie music, check out our weekly segment K-pop Indie Gem. seoulbeats.com

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Music & Lyrics

THE SUBTLE NUANCES OF “OH MY GOD”

here are few phrases that are as immediately onedimensional as either “OMG” or “Oh my god.” It is the verbal hallmark of shallow, materialistic girls obsessed with shopping and gossip the world over. And of course, it has shown up many, many times in K-pop. But are these multiple songs, all proudly named after the shallowest phrase in existence, as shallow as they seem? The most obvious “OMG” is from Girls’ Generation-TTS’ debut mini-album. It is frequently regarded as one of the stronger tracks by the subunit, and it is a textbook example of

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BY LO “oh my god” as the refuge of mocking girls. The lyrics are, on their own, fairly sweet. In fact, they’re a little too sugary. Even if you don’t have a golden trophy, you are beautiful, you were born that way Oh My God, the charm that only you have – you can do anything you want You’re so awesome, Oh My God Yet, when paired with the vocal performances of TTS, the overly saccharine lyrics transform into pure sarcasm. The constant flattery of the guy’s charm, charisma and power are biting, catty words from a pack of mean girls reveling in their antics. And every time you start to feel an ounce of sincerity, a simple “oh my god,” absolutely dripping with disdain,

clears it right up. On the opposite end of the spectrum is “OMG” by 9Muses. Where TTS were catty alpha girls, 9Muses use “OMG” as an expression of shock at realizing they’re in love, and an extremely innocent one at that. How innocent? Well, “OMG” stands for “oh my gosh,” like we’re back in middle school where ‘god’ was inappropriate. The ladies detail their experiences with this first crush: My heart is so shocked, I don’t know, it’s getting hotter My face is turning red, I might get caught, I don’t know I want to wear the same ring as you, I want to sit close to you at the movies You might not know but in my eyes, you’re so handsome “OMG” both opens and closes with repetitions of “oh my gosh,” reinforcing the use of “oh my gosh” as one of fluster and confusion, even stress, at not knowing how to handle these new feelings. What was the

height of petty teenage mockery becomes the height of teenage confusion, under younger, sweeter voices.

“OMG” by Seventeen’s performance unit is easily the brattiest and most creative use of “oh my god” in K-pop. Seventeen uses it utterly without irony, savoring the childish edge and meaning every utterance. “Oh my god” is a marker of pride and vanity, a form of selfadulation that quickly becomes a request for adulation from others.

In the same vein as 9Muses is 15&‘s “Oh My God,” also a celebration of first love. Yet where 9Muses were using “oh my gosh” on its own to express feeling stunned, 15& is using it as an interjection; something to add emphasis to their pre-existing emotions. In this case, it’s being used as an expression of joy at feeling genuine love for the first time.

My the distance and difference between us God, at seventeen want you to say my name Let this admiration burst out I want you to say my name Oh my god oh my god

Don’t be ridiculous, don’t scold me I know everything, I’m not that young If you keep viewing me as young, I will rebel Love has come to me, oh! Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh my god 15& have an interesting scenario, as the verses describe frustration with the adults in their lives telling them their love is not real, threatening to rebel if their youth is not constantly referred to as proof their relationship isn’t going to last. Yet they never use “oh my god” to follow any statement except that they have found love, giving the phase a joyous bent. Here, “Oh my god” is an exclamation used to express delight

at their new love, rather than amazement that it’s there at all. The first three songs listed are all by female artists, and that’s for a reason. “OMG” and “Oh my god” are usually thought of as typically female expressions, with males, both in songs and real life, tending to ditch the acronym and that Valley Girl “oh” for “god” or “my god” instead. But some male groups have used it, most recently Seventeen.

“God” is both used to emphasis their point about how awesome they are, but it also places Seventeen as gods themselves. They want their followers to say “oh my god” not just out of amazement, but as literal praise to the higher power they have painted themselves as; “oh, my God” rather than “oh my god.” “Oh my god” is a phrase that is both easily mockable and ingrained in society. As much as the usage of it is made fun of, the nuances contained within pretty much guarantees that “oh my god” isn’t going anywhere. _____ For more lyrical analysis, check out our bi-monthly segment Music & Lyrics. seoulbeats.com

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The Evolution of the Diss Song BY HANIA

iss songs have been rearing their head from time to time in the Korean music scene, both in the hip-hop industry and in mainstream K-pop. Diss songs are used to stir up drama and create hype, with a notable example being the tension between Ravi, Bobby and others last year. Reincarnations of reality shows such as Unpretty Rapstar and Show Me the Money also continue to reinforce the popularity of diss songs, and sly jabs at other individuals in the industry are still a familiar element in Korean songs. Most recently, Jay Park landed himself in an online controversy due to an apparent jibe at Beenzino‘s girlfriend Stefanie Michova in his song “2nd Thots.” Amidst all this negativity and often highly con12

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trived drama, a new type of diss song is emerging, one that cleverly comments on the industry by directing the dissing at yourself. As counterintuitive as this sounds, it can actually be a more powerful way of expressing your opinions than straight up naming and shaming others, and is something that several groups have embraced recently. One notable example is BTS’s “Baepsae”, which recently caused a stir online with its hard-hitting verses and cryptic lyrics. In it, instead of deflecting accusations that they are weak crow-tits (a reference to the Korean proverb “뱁새가 황새 걸 음을 걸으면 가랑이 가 찢어진다” which translates to, if a crow-tit walks like a stork, it will break its legs), the members choose to accept the insult. The members do express their frustrations

at being called crow-tits by the supposedly superior storks, but instead of insulting specific people in the industry, choose to speak through metaphors. Then, rather than defending themselves against these insults, they choose to embrace them, having realised that the ones who are insulting them are in fact the weaker people, and therefore not worth emulating. In fact, after being insulted by the storks in the song, the members call out “As expected of storks!” They reconcile at the end of the song, embracing the fact that they are in fact crow-tits, and will work their way up to success rather than being fed everything on a silver spoon like the storks have. BTS’s “Baepsae” is a clever and nuanced way of addressing the group’s critics. This could easily have turned into a K-hip hop scandal if BTS had chosen to name and shame specific industry peers, but instead, they spoke through metaphors and adopted personas within the song to play out a conversation. Finally, they chose to accept the dissing that they have received, and instead made the choice to turn this diss into a positive. Mamamoo have also recently turned their well-known parody of Unpretty Rapstar into a fullfledged song, “1cm (Taller than You)” or “1cm Pride”, depending on which translation you adhere to. Instead of going for the

serious social critique that BTS have gone for, the group has instead opted for a playful mockery of each other, drawing light to the childishness of other dissing battles in the industry. In “1cm Pride”, the girls bicker about the seemingly insignificant difference in height between them, mirroring the trivial points of difference that rappers bring up in their diss battles. Wheein then breaks up the argument, saying “We’re all similar similar, so stop it stop it. If you have time to bicker about this, worry about other things.” The parody of other diss songs becomes abundantly clear when Solar adopts the persona of Unpretty Rapstar’s Jessi, making fun of the triviality of other rap

battles and the cringeworthy boasting. By directing the dissing at themselves or at other members of their own group, these idols are actually saying a lot, even if it is just in jest. Scandals and diss battles that seem to appear out of thin air really just come across as immature and attention-seeking, and recently, it seems like more and more idols are wanting to parody such diss battles, or cleverly critique their surroundings by engaging in or appropriating disses. Directing the roasting at yourself also shows that you’re above all the bickering and fighting, and really just want to focus on the music. _____

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Men In The Kitchen From TV Screens To Korean Kitchens

BY HANIA

veryone’s a foodie these days: a quick scroll through Instagram shows this, with homemade pastas and expensive brunches dominating many people’s feeds. This worldwide food trend has become the subject of many Korean variety shows, with chefs becoming celebrities and idols eagerly participating in cooking shows, or “cookbang,” to ride the wave of the trend. For South Korea, food variety shows are especially popular due to the country’s focus on food as an important part of their culture, one that bonds people together. The cultural importance of food and the voyeuristic enjoyment of watching people cook and eat has made cookbang programmes the trendiest category on television. Idols have long tapped into this culturally significant part of life by regularly posting about food to appeal to fans, and are now increasingly gaining popularity by participating in cooking variety shows. Variety shows will often delve into idols’ fridges, show 14

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the snacks that idols hide in their bedrooms, and show idols feasting on meals together or cooking for each other. Clearly, audiences gain a vital connection to idols via the medium of food. The widespread popularity of cookbang and the number of celebrity chefs and male idols appearing on these shows seems to reflect changing gender roles in Korean society. Much like The Return of Superman can be praised for promoting active parenting by fathers, cookbang are also contributing modestly to changing gender roles in South Korea’s male-dominated society. Celebrity chefs and idols demonstrate their talents or teach others on shows like Please Take Care of My Refrigerator, Mr. Baek the Homemade Food Master and Three Meals a Day — with the latter featuring 2pm’s Ok Taecyeon and actor Lee Seo-jin. Idols also try their hand at cooking on variety shows, seen through Song Il-Gook teach-

ing his sons how to cook, Exo attempting to barbeque meat, or idols teaching their fans classic Korean recipes. With cooking being heavily glamourised by chefs such as Choi Hyuk-seok, many men are eagerly taking up the skill. A cookbang enthusiast was quoted in SBS Australia’s Dateline as saying, “There’s an image now that men who cook are cool. Women think that, too, so to appeal to the ladies, men want to show off their skills.” At present, Korean men do an average of 21 minutes of chores a day: the least amount in the developed world. Cooking classes like the Happy Men Cooking Class, however, are aiming to change that. Attendance at cooking classes for men have skyrocketed, with many of the participants being middleaged men who are increasingly abandoning the old perception that women should always have a meal ready for their husbands. While some attendees are motivated by a desire to impress women with a mean bulgogi or bibimbap, others genuinely want to do more chores. Many cite specific variety shows as inspiration for their newfound interest in cooking, such as Mr. Baek the Homemade Food Master where Baek Jong-won teaches men who know nothing about cooking, thereby providing a relatable starting point for many men. As well as increasing participation in cooking classes, cooking equipment is also flying off the

shelves. Lotte Mart has noted a 72% increase in the number of woks sold and 63% increase in the sale of kitchen utensils from 2014-15, attributing this to the greater interest in cooking. The Seoul Metropolitan Government also found in its 2015 survey that 20.9% of male respondents spent at least 10 minutes a day cooking – a significant increase from 2004’s 11.9%, while females reported an increase of 4%. The growing interest in cooking is also linked to the cultural importance of food, with one attendee of the Happy Men Cooking Class saying, “Cooking is not about hierarchy. It is a relationship with others. It is also a great opportunity for networking with men too.” Previously, this participant described himself as an authoritarian father, saying, “I wanted to change. Taking cooking classes here was the turning point.” Essentially, food boils down to strengthening relationships, and men are increasingly wanting to participate in the creation of these bonds within their families and among friends. The cookbang trend also allows people to indulge in the fantasy that they can become part of the idealised domestic lives they see on television. Seeing wealthy celebrity chefs put together meals with only a

handful of ingredients allows everyone to recreate the magic at home and thereby experience that lifestyle. Like many other popular variety shows, cookbang shows also allow Koreans to indulge in their voyeuristic side. Cooking clubs have also increased in popularity, with male group members cooking together and then inviting their wives to try the food. One such organiser, Go Dong-rok, believes in the power of cooking to shift gender roles: “Korean society is paternalistic and just because they work during the day, husbands want to be served by their wives. But cooking can soften this.” However, this love of cooking is essentially just a trend, and all trends have an expiry date. When cookbang is replaced by a new TV trend, will men still find it cool to cook for themselves or their families? Also, even if people’s attitudes to gender roles change, the practical realities of their lives must also change for these ideals to be put into action. Unless working hours are reduced and more paternal leave is given, both men and women will struggle to balance their work and home lives. For now, we can look optimistically at the increased participation of men in the kitchen thanks to the cookbang trend, and perhaps try to cook a few recipes ourselves. seoulbeats.com

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features

China-Taiwan, Caution

Tzuyu and JYP’s Apologies and Repercussions

BY WILLIS

s you may have heard, Twice‘s Tzuyu found herself in a major controversy over an issue of whether she was pro-independence for Taiwan or not. Tzuyu’s non-political — but ultimately politicized — Taiwan flag incident, and, especially, the fallout from misunderstandings regarding Tzuyu not vocally declaring her support for One China got out of hand over the span of a few days. Since Pat’s last article explaining China-Taiwan relations and the historical background behind this issue, there have finally been some statements made on the JYP Entertainment side. The fallout of the scandal has had major effects on JYPE’s activities and operations in China and other events sponsored by major Chinese companies (re: Seoul Music Awards). 16

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Negative Ramifications to JYP Entertainment in China While the major witch hunt was something that went over on the internet side of things, very real repercussions have hit JYP Entertainment (and subsequently Tzuyu and Twice) in waves. Including termination of commercial contracts with Huawei and LG, Twice have also been edited out of the Beijing Spring Festival Gala and have not been included in the Anhui Spring Festival Gala, which they were initially invited to attend. In addition, their music and videos have been removed from Chinese music outlets Kuwo and Kugou. In addition to Twice and Tzuyu being affected, Jackson from Got7 has had his own share of consequences. He’s faced criticisms about his han-

dling of stating that he’s from China and Tzuyu’s from Taipei & Taiwan-China on A Look At Myself — although he seemed to handle that situation diplomatically, in my eyes. Subsequently, he’s had his appearances in Day Day Up delayed. 2PM‘s Nichkhun cancelled his activities, and 2pm followed suit by announcing cancelled Chinese activities soon afterwards. JYP noted that considering the major reactions in China, it would be better to not pursue activities at the moment. JYP Entertainment has since made a first and second statement, Tzuyu made a YouTube video apologizing, and Park Jinyoung himself posted an apology on Weibo (full translated statements are linked below respectively). JYP Entertainment’s First Statement “Recently, the internet ran rife with unpleasant news about Tzuyu. I apologize for this. We, as an entertainment company, have always kept good relationships between Korea & China. The company (including Tzuyu) have never discussed anything related to China politics.” I was genuinely surprised by JYPE’s first statement. They probably sat on it for a moment

company and Tzuyu to make their position clear, they are marked by specific clarifications regarding the One China policy. JYP Entertainment’s Second Statement

hoping the fervor would die down but the company made a well thought-out response after realizing things only kept escalating. JYPE made a reasoned statement, once again pointing out that the company nor Tzuyu have made any political statements whatsoever. Who knows how this statement alone would have fared? It doesn’t really give in to either side and for those calling on Tzuyu to choose a side, it doesn’t satisfy their whim. Unfortunately, as you can guess from the continual string of repercussions, JYP caved in to further demands. JYP Entertainment’s stock value was falling (although how much of this is attributed to the China-Taiwan blow up is debatable), the incident was burning up on Weibo (with anti-JYPE sentiments being expressed), and push back from Chinese promoters. The subsequent set of apologies all came after responses from some Chinese netizens only continued to grow larger. Giving into the increasing call from some Chinese netizens for the

“1. The company and Tzuyu supports the One China principle. Taiwan is Tzuyu’s hometown, and feels for Taiwan, but that doesn’t mean she’s a Taiwan independence supporter. Chou Tzuyu has never spoken of anything related to Taiwan independence, so the rumors on the Internet are untrue. 2. We fully encourage a healthy relationship between Korea & China, and we respect the One China principle, and we will never allow anyone from the company to hurt this relationship.” The second statement clarifies that JYP Entertainment and Tzuyu support the One China Policy and respect it, in regards to the relationship between Korea and China. It’s probably the statement he should have given at first in attempts to quell the PRC netizen rage. It does seem like JYP Entertainment are wary of furthering any cross-country — between China and Korea — tensions, sparked by any hint of pro-Taiwan independence talk. Tzuyu’s apology It’s heartbreaking to see Tzuyu seoulbeats.com

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bow her head and apologize here. For things to intensify to this point, I honestly don’t even know if her apologizing like this will even make anyone satisfied. It’s depressing to see her look physically dejected and having to read from a script, lest her words get taken out of context. She is 16. She didn’t want to make a political statement, but now here she is having to state that “there is only One China, the two Straits are one. I will always be a China Chinese.” Far be it that she has to show humility in her admission of guilt — of what she’s specifically guilty of I’m still unsure of — but she also has to deal with bearing responsibility for all the negative impact dealt to her group members and company.

town when she was 13, came to Korea, and it’s my company and my fault for not teaching Side note: One of our comher well on behalf of her parmenters and former writer ents. We will be stopping all of Patricia pointed out in her comTzuyu’s China activities for now ment on our previous article and we will make proper followabout this incident, the flag that up arrangements with the partTzuyu was holding isn’t even ners that are affected from this considered a flag that is pro Taiincident.” wanese independence. Of the many other proposed indepenFurthermore, JYP himself felt dence flags (see: on the right), the need to make a personal pro Taiwanese independence apology as well. I respect that supporters don’t really consider JYP is trying his best to apthe ROC flag (see: flag Tzuyu is pease everyone and to calm the actually holding) as one they flames. Pretty much acquiescwould use since it was designed and commonly associated with the Kuomintang. Park Jin-young’s Apology “Over the past few days, Tzuyu felt a lot and has been reflecting. She left her home18

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ing to the ‘hurt’ felt by Chinese netizens who have misguided anger towards Tzuyu and JYP Entertainment. Lingering repercussions and what gets politicized? The reaction is one of a drawn out historical and political wedge that is further fortified by an idea of legitimacy. This situation has grown as its flames are fanned by both sides. On the Taiwan side, rival politicians of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Kuomintang (KMT), and People First Party (PFP) have co-opted this viral news during a time (Jan 16) when Taiwan is holding their general elections. They recognized that there was support for Tzuyu in Taiwan because of her youth; so candidates from each side have displayed their support for the young 16 year old. Even the Taiwanese President made a statement of support for Tzuyu, calling for calm. This misguided flurry of anger has only hoisted responsibility on the shoulders of Tzuyu. While you can be politically active below voting age, Tzuyu, in this case, was not trying to be. In Taiwan, you have to be 20 to vote (though there are calls for voting age to be lowered). Even in China, you have to be at least 18 to vote. Hence Tzuyu, who isn’t vocally engaged in any political movement – she has been training with JYP since she was 13 –, shouldn’t bear this burden; nor

should she have to make a political statement that could either bar herself and JYPE from China or make her an outcast among pro-independence Taiwanese in Taiwan. Some people want to keep their political ideologies to themselves, but this incident has just forced Tzuyu’s hand in proclaiming which side of the binary she has to lie on: us or them, One China or pro independence. Any signs of proTaiwan independence is thinkspeak. It’s unacceptable and culpable to complete blacklisting. And this isn’t some undercover blacklisting of artists that have left your company; this is the full on sponsors dropped, album covers blurred type of censorship. It is this utter denouncement of anything even utterly capable of being against the predominant discourse that renders this dispute — over her seemingly innocent actions — as something inflammatory and unacceptable. Given the extent of this event, it really brings to question how fiercely a perceived opinion can spark outrage. Why hold every individual’s political views up on a pedestal and then critique them? Why force her to take a side and voice an opinion on a topic she’s pretty much stayed quiet about? And furthermore, the reactions don’t even allow open dialogue because of how ferociously things got out of hand. Now that Tzuyu has made her apology, I don’t know what else the enraged group of netizens

will want from her or JYP Entertainment. And conversely, under such duress, things continue to pile on the 16 year old’s shoulders from the both sides. Many people from Taiwan have changed their profile pictures on popular social media outlets such as Facebook to state that they will not apologize for being Taiwanese. Not giving Tzuyu any time to breathe after her apology, Taiwanese entertainment company Juksy has also offered to buy out Tzuyu’s contract and launch her career in Taiwan.

In China, the netizen reaction seems to already be set with some high profile responses such as from actor Lin Gengxin who posted a mocking comment about her apology. She’s being barraged from all sides and the incident continues to snowball even after attempts from the JYPE side to combat the flames. What started as innocuous flag waving and introductions of her from China-Taiwan, has been exacerbated by Huang An who spread malicious rumors that she was a pro-Independence supporter — even though she didn’t make any political statements — and has now become a serious issue for JYP Enter-

tainment in different regions in Asia. Even Western Media outlets (such as Daily Mail and ABC News) have been on this issue with the AFP Wire picking up the story. JYPE and Tzuyu are stuck between a rock and a hard place, and there is just no satisfying everyone in this case. At the end of the day, no one is denying that One China isn’t an important issue to both China and Taiwan. It is just ridiculous that they are tearing apart this sixteen year old girl who did not make any political statements. Sadly, the real repercussions for Tzuyu will include emotional trauma and a fear of words and actions related to her birthplace being taken out of context and used as fuel for damaging her reputation and career prospects in the future. Her mom is reportedly traveling to Korea right now, and while it will be good for Tzuyu to have family near her, the damage to her has already been done. Hopefully, she will find a way to be okay after the dust settles. ____ Update: Newly elected Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen references the hullabaloo behind the Tzuyu apology in stating “This has offended and hurt the feelings of the people of Taiwan. Everyone should unite to voice their belief to the world that no national of the Republic of China should be [attacked] for identifying with her country.” Also, both Tsai Ing-wen and Tzuyu’s name have started to be censored on popular Chinese site Weibo. _____

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features

Nayeon’s Soundcloud Mishap The Role of Digital Marketing in K-Pop BY ERIANNE

WICE has definitely been a girl group that has sparked many various dialogs and conversations over the past couple of months. From their initial appearances on Mnet’s survival program SIXTEEN to their successful debut, and recently to Tzuyu’s unfortunate flag controversy, the group’s run under the spotlight has been both full of highs and lows. Now, one of their members is in hot water for — of all things — an Instagram update. Sounds petty, right? But before we lambaste the Korean netizens for overreacting, let’s delve into the context of which the issue stands on. Last February 21, rookie idol Nayeon of TWICE came out with an apology on the group’s offi20

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cial instagram account after netizens criticized her for her post on her personal Instagram account. The said post was a rather innocent one as Nayeon updated her fans with her current adoration for SM Entertainment’s Taeyeon and her latest track “Secret.” However, upon a closer inspection, the original post — which has since been deleted — showed that Nayeon was actually illegally streaming “Secret” on the online music streaming site Soundcloud. For those of us living outside South Korea, we’d think that the response regarding Nayeon’s online streaming incident was a bit too intense. After what Tzuyu has been through, you’d think that people would give TWICE a much needed

momentary breather free from issues and scandals. However, the way netizens — particularly the South Korean netizens — reacted to Nayeon’s mishap reflects a bigger picture of how digital media is treated in K-pop and in South Korea as a whole. As the world probably knows, South Korea has consistently been hailed as the country with the fastest internet connection around. However, that doesn’t mean that the South Korean internet is all that ideal and perfect. For one thing, internet monopoly has been an on and off issue in the country and has even raised concerns regarding net neutrality. While the rest of the internet-using world is probably relying on Google, South Koreans continue to use Naver, which is essentially Korea’s version of Google. In addition, it’s got a wide array of online services to offer like local online marketing, blogging sites, and so on. As for more interactive online media, despite how Facebook has since trumped popular social networking site Cyworld over the years, the South Korean social media landscape — particularly sites that share and distribute intellectual property such as music and videos — is still pretty localized. This stems from the fact that the South Korean government has been known for being a staunch supporter of copyright thereby preventing digital piracy. In fact, their government even went above and beyond to legitimately establish an authoritative body that would specifi-

remain within a stable domestic sphere in the years to come.

cally handle such concerns: the Korea Copyright Commission (KCC). The KCC as a champion for intellectual-property rights has seemingly achieved a state of idealism in which utmost protection of knowledge and culture has been carefully put into detail under their Copyright Law.

Fuhr elaborates on this by saying that through the government’s active participation in administering copyright laws and other similar policies, there would be a steady increase in domestic online investments via conception of more localized social media platforms (i.e. as mentioned Naver, Cyworld, etc.) which would all ultimately contribute to the greater South Korean economy. This is why the Copyright Law would require South Korean online service providers to block illegal streaming sites as they were deemed to not only violate intellectual property rights, but also impede on the Korean government’s greater plan in establishing a more localized and monopolized online market. As an idol, fans might have perceived Nayeon’s act of using an illegal streaming site as distasteful considering the efforts that the government has made

According to Michael Fuhr’s Globalization and Popular Music in South Korea: Sounding Out K-Pop, defending artistic and intellectual content from potential online pirates was only the stepping stone to ensuring that market growth in Korea was to genuinely seoulbeats.com

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to ensure that local artists are being given the actual credit that they deserve through the creation and ultimate enforcement of legitimate media sites. It is on this note that fans might have also seen Nayeon’s act of patronizing Taeyeon’s music as insincere since instead of subscribing to an actual, government-approved streaming site that would legitimately credit Taeyeon, she had opted for Soundcloud. Apart from being a key player in the country’s overall economic growth, there’s another reason why South Korean K-pop fans can be a bit sensitive when it comes to their usage of online media content and that has every bit to do with what was mentioned earlier on in this piece; as technology continued to play a bigger role in people’s lives, it has become a significant criteria in gauging popularity and exposure of a particular musical act. As you all might know, the Korean pop industry is a very manufactured business which starts off with widespread casting and audition processes followed by an intense training period, and ultimately the much-awaited debut. Sadly, despite shedding their trainee status, these idols are in it for the long-haul as they are subjected to not just the usual hectic runs 22

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so long for idols to break even is that there is always the constant threat of low physical and digital sales of K-pop music which becomes even more emphasized with the occurrence of piracy.

and schedules expected of an idol, but the tedious attempt to reach their break even points (BEPs). This notion is all the more highlighted through the infamous idol slave contract system that is meant to guarantee that the idols pay back every investment their company has made on their part.

These unfortunate realities of the industry has encouraged fans to go through lengths just to really help out their idols in reaching their respective BEPs hence, the fans’ outcry against Nayeon’s usage of an illegal streaming site such as Soundcloud was remotely justifiable as it felt like a slap in the face of not just the fans, but the idols themselves who rely on digital sales for profits.

The system’s grueling idol process is the very reason why digital piracy is closely monitored in the industry, because without it, K-pop acts are probably doomed to shelling out everything they earn to their companies for the rest of their idol careers. Despite the vocal hype that surrounds a particular idol group — specifically a rookie group that’s just fresh off their debut — their raucous fame does not necessarily translate to the actual figures.

Another reason Nayeon’s act was significant would be that digital sales have some considerable effects in music charts, that more or less add on to the fame and credibility of a group. In this detailed blog post by some rather dedicated fans of 2PM, it has been established that by actively participating in online streaming of music through legitimate music streaming sites, fans can enhance their favorite idol’s chances of grabbing a higher spot in the chart rankings.

FNC Entertainment’s Ace of Angels (AOA) very recently just got paid for the first time despite their popularity in the K-pop community. Sadly, one of the main reasons why it takes

And while this blog post might appear freaky, it’s not an isolated incident. Numerous fan blogs catered to international fans (and even to some local fans) usually have these specific

kinds of instructions that plan out how they can help their faves win during a music program or an award during one of many year-end award ceremonies. To place more emphasis on this matter, let’s take a look at the very existence of SK Telecom’s online music store MelOn—which has been deemed as one of K-pop’s most influential entities. If the name sounds familiar to you, then that’s probably because you’ve heard of the MelOn Music Awards which is one of K-pop’s major award-giving bodies usually held alongside other music awards ceremonies– such as the Mnet Asian Music Awards, Seoul Music Awards, and Golden Disk Awards. What’s especially unique about the MMAs is that it plays emphasis on faninteractivity. As an online entity, it relies heavily on the fans’ votes and participation that would ultimately dictate which artists were to win the awards. On a much smaller scale, weekly music programs like MCountdown, Inkigayo, Music Bank, Show Champion, and Show! Music Core have

included digital sales as a part of the criteria for computing which K-pop act were to nab

the week’s trophy, and mind you, it’s not merely just for show either. For MCountdown, digital music sales account for 50% of the total score, while for Inkigayo, the digital music sales consists of a whopping 55% of the total points earned. MBC’s Show Champion on the other hand is the most heavily reliant on online sales and popular-

ity as one of rubrics for scoring composes of 50% digital sales, and that includes both downloads and streaming. In the end, Nayeon’s incident was ultimately a case of rubbing fans the wrong way. Since digital music marketing plays heavily on the popularity and success in the very competitive industry of K-pop these days, curbing piracy in order to make sure that K-pop acts are being granted the credit that is due to them has become one of the most underlying notions of what it truly means to sincerely support your favorite idols. Since Nayeon is a rising idol herself, fans could have more or less expected her to become this role model/ champion of musical copyright. Whether her little mistake implied an indirect defiance against the government or an unsupportive act towards Taeyeon and other idols, the reality is clear that digital piracy remains a sad threat against the K-pop industry and only further reflects the state of music piracy in a global scale. _____

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features

SPON SORS H I P S Just Another Word for Prostitution? BY PAT

n March 7, 2009, the actress Jang Ja-yeon was found hanging on a stairway bannister by her older sister. The apparent suicide of the actress that was just starting to get her name recognized after her role in the hit drama series Boys Over Flowers hit hard, not just to her fans, but to the general public as well. In a way, it reflected the high suicide rates Korea is known for – here was another young actress who killed herself for reasons unknown. And then her suicide letters became public. In these letters, she told a tale that had awoken the fury of the Korean public. In her letter, where she identifies herself as a “weak and powerless actress” who wants to “escape from all this pain,” she listed eleven prominent individuals, one of whom was the producer of Boys Over Flowers. She goes into detail, claiming that she was forced to sexually entertain these men over 110 times, and accused them of sexual coercion, rape, and battery. In the months and years that followed her death, the eleven names somehow became 31 in a list passed around the internet, news stories became 24

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inaccurate as the truth became increasingly blurred, contradictory stories from just about everyone involved, allegations of computer hacking, and government interference was rampant. But one fact continues to be held true – Jang Ja-yeon was forced into sexual acts with these influential people, and was forced into these sponsorship relations by her manager. Of those named in her letter, only her manager and CEO were sentenced to jail for two years. As for the men named? They were all cleared. Sponsorship is the dirty, barely kept secret of the Korean entertainment industry. Every entertainment industry has some form of the casting couch, yes, but there are few that come close to the systematic way that it is present in South Korea. It is not only present, but it is easily available, with organizations and ‘clubs’ dedicated to using low ranked and rookie celebrities and delivering them to wealthy and important men. These men would then sponsor the celebrity, giving her designer and expensive stuff, and would help her get roles and commercials, in return for one little thing — sex.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - OCTOBER 23: South Korean police officers repress clandestine prostitution in a red-light district on October 23 2004 in Seoul, South Korea. 330,000 South Korean prostitutes did not work during one month up to today because of government’s crackdown. The South Korean government began enforcing new laws last month to target human traffickers, pimps and prostitutes. The sex industry accounts for more than four percent of South Korea’s gross domestic product (GDP), with its annual sales estimated at 24 trillion won (21 billion dollars) last year. Statistics show one in five South Korean men buy sex four times a month and 4.1 percent of women aged 20 to 30 rely on prostitution to make a living. If this is the case, isn’t this essentially prostitution? That’s a common question. After all, prostitution is illegal and engaging in prostitution and paying for prostitution is considered a criminal act. Why aren’t there police investigations and why aren’t they arrested? Simple answer: the individuals all have powerful positions and/ or can buy the police investigator. More complicated answer? Prostitution, no matter what you choose to call it, is rampant and prevalent in South Korea. If you know what you’re looking for, you can assuredly buy yourself a blowjob in your local noraebang or a ‘massage’ in a barber shop. It is systematic, it is rampant and it is constantly overlooked.

This has been the case since, well, before South Korea was even the Republic of Korea. Hell, to even get to the start of why sponsorships is so prominent, we have to go all the way back to the kisaengs. A Short History of Korea’s Prostitution Culture Before anything else, not all kisaengs would engage in sexual acts with their patrons. Kisaengs were trained in the traditional arts, and some even feature as heroines in ancient Korean tales. Some became medics for the female members of the royal family. Because of their extensive training, kisaengs were among the most educated females in the society. This was because women were taught to be chaste and unsullied – and not just in virtue. Educated women were also looked down upon. Nobody wanted a wife who could speak her mind. They preferred them meek, innocent, and chaste. Don’t those characteristics sound oddly familiar? So, these kisaengs, in contradiction to their low status, ended up being more educated than the women their patrons were married to. That they also had sex at the right price with the right person in a powerful position was just another role they played in this game that society set upon them. A kisaeng who refused to perform a sexual act that was already paid for would be seen as disgraceful. Most kisaengs come from the lower ranks of society, and were

treated as entertainment slaves. Most were either born into it, with mothers who were also kisaengs, or sold into the training by poor families. Similar to sponsorships, kisaengs would also have a patron of prominent position who would take care of her. The Joseon dynasty additionally set up a three tiered hierarchy for the women. The highest position the kisaeng could reach was the royal bedchamber of the king. This continued for almost the whole 400 plus years of the Joseon dynasty. This all ended when the Japanese occupied Korea in 1910, and forced an inconceivable number of women into servicing the Japanese military. Fast forward to the end of World War II and the Americans had set up base in parts of Korea. According to Maynes: “It is estimated that at least 250,000 women became military prostitutes… Korean businessmen and pimps opened halls and brothels close to military seoulbeats.com

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bases, and both Seoul and Incheon had dance halls with 250 prostitutes each.” And as for the response of the Korean government? They shelled out the money to facilitate the prostitution near the military bases. After all, just the unorganized business near the military camps accounted for nearly 25% of South Korea’s GNP. It was also during this time that ‘Hooker Hill‘ in Itaewon came to be. In the decades that Korea had a struggling economy, prostitution kept them afloat. In the 1960s, the Korean government created legally recognized ‘special districts’ that catered to businesses for American troops. When the economy started gaining in growth, Koreans suddenly had more disposable incomes, and men found that they could pay to have sex. At that time, women were still expected to keep the innocent, meek and chaste image that was imposed on them. Korean males could hardly expect to find a woman willing to have sex with them because that would taint the women for their future marriage prospects. For the married, they did not wish to ruin their wives’ lives with their sexual libido, because, according to how they were raised, women weren’t supposed to have libidos that could keep up with theirs.

establishments. In time, the high end salons would come to existence, catering to high paying clients. Prostitution Is Illegal, But Sponsorships Aren’t In 2000, it was estimated that 20% of women between the ages 15 and 29 had jobs that included sex. This was because the pay was double of what women would make in normal jobs. With a good percentage coming from the country areas to Seoul to find work that would give them money to send back to their homes, the normal pay was too low.

ment at play in that kind of sexual corporate entertainment culture. Wining and dining clients or other forms of similar corporate entertainment generally involve male higher-ups in the corporate hierarchy. And this goes hand in hand with the fact that Korean women are generally confined to less important roles within social organizations.”

Various international human rights groups became horrified at the amount of abuse that the women were put through. From rape, to being beaten, to forced sexual labor, and to the massive amounts of human trafficking organizations that had made South Korea as their base of operations, the horror stories were countless.

According to the governmentrun Korean Institute of Criminology, the sex trade accounted for almost $20 billion, or roughly 4% of South Korea’s GDP in 2013. They noted that 20% of men visited brothels for sex at least four times a month. Despite the fact that it is illegal, police crackdowns are rare, and some warn the businesses beforehand.

So instead, they turned to prostitutes.

Prostitution was made illegal in 2004. Despite this, the business continues to boom, and in fact, has become a company outing for businesses. In 2013, it was estimated that $1 billion was spent on corporate cards on sexual services. According to Shin Sang-ah, a consultant at the Seoul Women’s Workers Association:

As the demand for prostitutes increased, so did the various

“There is definitely a discriminatory and exclusionary ele-

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If you know what you’re looking for, you can instantly spot the businesses that employ females who are there to cater to your sexual needs. There are the barber shops where you can get a handjob and noraebangs (as opposed to legit, sing-yourheart-out, karaoke rooms) which are situated near motels for a reason. Then, of course, everyone remembers the Se7en controversy when he was found

going into a massage parlor. Then, there is the highest level, the tenpro, which roughly means ‘ten percent.’ These are the supposedly top ten percent women in the industry. They are the most beautiful, have the best bodies, best personalities, and cost the most. It is in tenpros that wealthy businessmen get their private pleasure.

partially to a recent episode on a television show. It went on to detail about the nature of the sponsorships, and how even from the very start, when one becomes a trainee, women are told to sell their bodies to a sponsor. They were held on a tight leash, and told that when the sponsor asks for her, she has to go, whether it be day or night.

It is also in tenpros where you can find “failed celebrities,” rookie actresses, idols and models, or those aspiring to get into the entertainment industry — all who serve the rich and powerful of South Korea. Some, if not, most, of these clubs require an invitation to get in. It is highly regulated, so that the privacy of the wealthy men and the potential celebrity is kept secret.

In a SBS show, another trainee said that if she wasn’t able to take her clothes off, then that would mean the company didn’t trust her enough to invest in her future. There was also a recent case where an ex female idol was sentenced to one year of jailtime for allowing her sponsor to beat her boyfriend for four hours. The sponsor was sentenced to three years in prison.

This is where the vicious cycle of celebrity sponsorship starts. In 2010, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea conducted a survey of 111 actresses and 240 aspiring actresses. Two-thirds responded that they were told to have sex with a prominent figure who would then give her an advantage. Half reported that they were put at a disadvantage if they declined, and the other half had gained assistance when they complied.

And it is not just the rookies and aspiring who enter into these sponsorship contracts. Top actresses and idols also enter into sponsorship relationships. Sometimes, it is a continuation of a sponsorship from prior to their fame, or it is a new one to keep quiet about their old sponsorship. Then there are times when they do it to fuel their lifestyle, keep getting roles and CF deals, or to pay off debts.

Sponsors Can Make Everything Go Away… Even Police Investigations In the last few weeks, there has been a furor about these sponsorship relations thanks

Then there was the case of TAHITI‘s Jisoo. On an Instagram post, she posted pictures of a broker trying to contact her to enter into a sponsorship contract. The broker then went on to add that she would be paid one million won each time, and

the last message raising it to 4 million won. She soon filed a lawsuit. However, just this week, it was reported that the investigation was likely to end with no clear culprit. Like Jang Ja-yeon’s case, Jisoo’s case is also likely to close and go unfinished. Again, why is it so hard for these cases to properly close? This is because it is pervasive in the Korean society. They criminalize prostitution, then turn a blind eye because of how much it brings to the economy and because they have been raised in a culture where prostitution has, in one form or another, been present. And when a case such as Jisoo or Jang Ja-yeon becomes public? Because they are celebrities, it is more likely than not that powerful individuals are behind it. It could be someone influential in the entertainment industry, or it could be someone involved in politics. Or, it could be someone who is in the higher ranks of a huge company. It has been noted time and time again that the reason that the South Korean economy is so robust is because of the huge conglomerates such as LG and Samsung. These individuals, simply put, have the power to pick up a phone, call a higher up in the police station, and have the whole investigation shut down. It seems highly unlikely that the cycle will ever break, given the deep rooted history of prostitution in South Korea. seoulbeats.com

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features

K-POP’S PREOCCUPATION WITH

doppelgangers BY QING

rom twins swapping lives to characters with multiple personality disorder, there has been no shortage of doppelgängers as a motif in recent K-dramas. The cultural fascination with doppelgängers extends to K-pop as well: the interest in idols who are practically clones of one another never seems to end, and the doppelgänger appears in varying forms in MVs. The figure of the doppelgänger might have roots in the myths and religions 28

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of several cultures, but it was brought into the realm of Western literature first through German gothic literature, and then through influential English gothic novels like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. A doppelgänger can take on different forms: it can be a ghostly counterpart of a person, a double (such as a twin or a person who looks the same as another, but may not be biologically related to him), an alter ego, a reflection, or even a shadow. Whatever the

form, the doppelgänger is a duplicate of a character, although it usually has a different personality or behaviour from its original. Given that Kpop has been dabbling in gothicism for some years, it’s no surprise that the doppelgänger—a common trope in the gothic mode—surfaces in MVs. But why use the double, or doppelgänger, as a motif? In other words, what does it achieve? Why do doppelgängers fascinate and yet weird us out? It is worthwhile to note that while the double is not exclusive to MVs with a more gothic aesthetic, it seems to produce an eerie effect even in a less

dark setting.

doppelgänger allows us to confront what we have repressed. It may also give rise to a struggle between our “good” and “bad” side, and serve as a moral warning. This type of double usually appears as an evil alter ego.

Although we are often unwilling to admit it, we all have within us negative qualities or the potential to behave in socially unacceptable ways. A doppelgänger may have these negative traits that we try to VIXX‘s “Hyde” uses Strange suppress and reject. By giving Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde form to dangerous impulses, the as a reference point to portray a character who is struggling to keep his abusive and murderous impulses in check. In the novel, Dr Jekyll transforms into the deformed, monstrous Mr Hyde by drinking a potion. He intended for this to allow him to act out his darker impulses without affecting his conscience, but seoulbeats.com

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he gradually loses control and transforms into Mr Hyde involuntarily. In “hyde,” the reason for the emerging evil side of the persona is unclear, and the persona is presented more as a victim of the dark force that is threatening to consume him. This draws the listener in through a sense of sympathy: as much as we would like to condemn the persona as simply evil, we cannot do so, because his moral side is still part of him. If we were subjected to this same dark force, we would want to be understood by others that we are the victim, even as we appear to be the aggressor. Even though the evil double seems to embody all that we view as immoral, we remain attracted to it because it is in some way part of every person. On a broader level, the unease that a doppelgänger creates stems from more than its characteristics. Even if a doppelgänger isn’t evil, it can still be 30

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startling and bizarre. Unless we are born with an identical twin, we generally believe that we are unique in terms of appearance. The presence of a doppelgänger challenges this belief, and also disrupts our control over ourselves. Because a doppelgänger bears such striking resemblance to its original, and yet is autonomous, its behaviour may be misattributed to the original and affect others’ views of the original. An example of a non-evil double is JB’s doppelgänger in GOT7’s “Stop Stop It” MV. JB’s character confesses rather unpleasantly to his crush (played by TWICE’s Dahyun), threatening to jump off the rooftop if she rejects him, essentially forcing her to accept him or else become the cause of his death. Dahyun doesn’t hear him because she is listening to loud music. Unconcerned, she walks off, and the door opens again to reveal a second JB. The original JB falls off the roof in shock, and finds himself in the future, where Dahyun is now his girl-

friend and is much more bubbly (as he explains in the MV commentary). By the end of the MV, JB finds himself back on the rooftop, a few moments before the confession. What action he takes is never revealed, but it is strongly suggested that his doppelgänger from the future has changed what he was intending to do. Despite the positive outcome, the presence of his doppelgänger still produces a shocking and slightly creepy effect. At times, a doppelgänger may not even fully resemble its original in appearance, or share the same gender. Zico’s “I Am You, You Are Me” MV employs a male/female doppelgänger pairing. The MV reverses the chronology of a typical relationship in which a couple begins dating before wearing couple outfits and rings. Zico and a cashier at a convenience store he frequents find themselves dressed with uncanny similarity every time they meet. The cashier girl is visibly unsettled, and tries to

differentiate herself by removing her jacket in one scene, only to find that Zico is wearing the same Tshirt in a different colour. They even wear the same accessories, and their shoelaces come loose at the same time. Although the idea of accidental couple outfits creating a couple is cute, the MV executes this coincidence with a dark undercurrent that attests to the disconcerting effect that doppelgängers can have. As doppelgängers prompt us to realise that there may be multiple selves fractured into different bodies, a related impulse follows: that of seeking out your doppelgänger, some-

one to complete you. This need is also a source of unease. The attention given to couple culture, and the need to outwardly portray this state of “completeness” in the form of couple outfits is expressive of the anxiety of being incomplete. It is also telling of how fragile this state ultimately is.

Disruptive to ideas of self and other as it may be, the double has remained an important device in literature and other types of cultural texts. In its many forms, it holds up a mirror for us to confront the dark, hidden parts of ourselves, and to reflect ever-changing concepts of identity and selfhood.

features

Gaya: I’ve never watched any kind of pre-debut/survival show before, and I had no intention to start anytime soon, But then, I saw the M!Countdown performance of “Pick Me.” I wasn’t blown away by the choreography, or the mass singing (it’s the female equivalent of Melbourne High School Speech Night), or the school uniforms (so overdone). But gosh darn if they didn’t pick an earworm of a song. More than that, though, was the production: that performance embodied the show’s entire concept (and triangle motif). It was big, it was flashy, and I wanted more.

until you want to scream. Like, yes, we picked you up, can you please stop chanting now? Lo: My problem is why the hell is that song pitched so freaking high? Altos exist, assholes. I can honestly say that I’m watching this show for the trainwreck. Ain’t no way this is not going to be a catastrophic mess, and I felt like flipping on the drama and grabbing the popcorn. Think of the chaos! The tumblr warfare! The inevitable battle between personality and talent! The resentment between Somi/fans and Literally Everyone Else/fans!

Pat: I pretty much give any kind of pre-debut/survival show a try. I’m a sucker for punishment, and I have way too much free time. And when it was revealed that there was going to be Jellyfish trainees involved? The long-fabled female trainees? How could I not watch the show, mess or no mess. Although, it’s Mnet, so we know it’s going to be messy in one way or another.

Elaine: Produce 101 isn’t my first Mnet survival variety – I followed Sixteen from beginning to end — but I was rolling my eyes when the idea of this show was announced. I couldn’t see how Mnet could make it work with 101 trainees (and as of now, I’m not entirely sure they have). “Pick Me” only reinforced my intuition, as I spent the entire time I was watching marvelling at all the people.

The song is eh, but it gets stuck in your head and rings on and on and on,

I decided to watch the first episode to see what a trainwreck it would be, and

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was (unfortunately?) drawn in. I can’t seem to stay away from these types of programs in general, because I’m easily fascinated by a good show of talent, and sometimes it’s the competition that brings out the best in people. Camiele: Quite honestly, I’m not that big a fan of these shows. They’re inevitably all the same, and I’m not really an advocate of public punishment (that’s not in jest, like Running Man) or embarrassment. More than that, I’m kinda not a fan of Mnet’s, shall we say, “creative” editing. I hadn’t actually planned on watching this at all, but quite frankly when the idea of a support group came up, I thought it’d be great to actually watch it with a group and discuss. But what sold me was the intro. What. The. FUDGE?! Lo: Why was it set to the Moulin Rouge version of “Roxanne”? Camiele: Why was there a zoom-out of a poster of a child in his underwear?!?! These are things that I’m sure will never be explained. The questions will far outweigh the answers for this show, I’m sure!

n a time where Mnet‘s recent talentbased competitive programmes — Show Me The Money and Unpretty Rapstar — have been receiving ire from viewers for biased editing and a focus on drama over talent, the last thing anyone expected was another such show. So, people were taken aback when Produce 101 was announced. In the show, 101 female trainees from Korean entertainment agencies vie for a place in a 11-member girl group that will be managed by Mnet for one year. The fi-

Pat: There are so many questions that pop up every single episode so far. My number one being: has Jang Geun-suk always been this creepy? Do the girls not get creeped out by him? Hell, are these girls at least getting some sort of payment???? Also — who the hell thought of that intro and what was he or she on? Gaya: I don’t think the girls are getting paid. And that intro gave me major whiplash. Just as I was beginning to buy the sentimental set-up of these young ladies with dreams of idoldom and in training for years — BAM — slapstick! Luckily, the show manages to pick things up with the trainees’ first task: picking where to sit. Chanmi (of Co-ed School and Five Dolls fame) chose the #1 chair; and while I enjoyed her show of lamenting about a lack of seats while walking past two empty chairs, I feel like she’s the only person who could have sat there without fear of looking like an upstart. You saw how Mnet edited the Jellyfish trainees when they went to the top 11 seats. Lo: Yeah, but no lie: those ladies de-

nal line-up, as well as eliminations, will be decided purely through public vote, which is also accessible to international fans. Considering Mnet’s reputation and the sheer scale of Produce 101, there is potential for so much to go wrong. And yet, there are many of us who can’t look away. So we have, against our better judgement, decided to watch Produce 101. This support group is here to not only to make sense of what is happening on screen, but also what we are doing watching this show in the first place.

serve to be there. Pat: I feel like a broken record, but Kim Se-jeong, the loudest Jelpi (Jellyfish) trainee who initiated them sitting there, reminds me of Ken so damn much. And her bravado is being rewarded — as of episode 2, she’s second only to Somi. I’m just happy that, so far, those three didn’t say anything that might set them up for Mnet’s editing magic. I never paid attention to Co-ed School or Five Dolls, but I think . . . I may like Chanmi? I see they have her singing “Into the New World” in episode 3 and I can already hear the Mnet editing squad stretching for the inevitable almost SNSD member backstory. Elaine: I agree with Pat that the Jellyfish trainees appear to be some of the most promising thus far – they strike a nice balance between vocal ability and stage presence, and seem to have bright and outgoing personalities to match. I also have my eye on Park Soyeon from Loen and the Cube trio for the same reasons. I think Chanmi is definitely one of the most competent trainees, but walks

a fine line between confident and arrogant – while I didn’t see a problem with her taking the #1 spot, she does look bemused a good majority of the time she is onscreen. Some viewers are already calling Mnet out for evil editing, and although I’m unsure whether this is the case with Chanmi, I am noticing trends in the way they choose to portray certain trainees. Fantagio‘s Choi Yoo-jung, for example, receives a lot of sympathy. What do you guys think? Lo: Oh, the evil editing is in full swing: the blatant Somi bias, the way they try to make the A-trainees seem arrogant and cold (not just Chanmi), the underdog mentality given to B-D classes, and portraying the F-trainees as near-hopeless. I definitely picked up on Yoo-jung, and I have to concede that I feel for her: getting iced out by the other girls, who then decided that being a loner/introvert/not a cool kid meant she would go down, despite not actually being that bad. Gaya: I really feel for Somi. The mentors seemed to have legitimate criticisms, but Mnet is so clearly reveling in dragging her down. Five girls leave group A after the second evaluation, seoulbeats.com

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but all of the focus is on her. Mnet’s attempt to play up the suspense when we all knew she was leaving group A soured the ending of episode 2 for me. Is this what I have to look forward to for the rest of the show?

about her craft to the point she can be frightening. As if she will literally come across the stage and slap you in your face, because mama don’t take no MESS! I love that intensity, especially in dancers!

Pat: I think it definitely showed in episode two that while the lower groups were trying to help each other, group A was basically every man (woman) for themselves. Unless if Mnet edited any footage of them helping each other out – and considering its Mnet, I wouldn’t be surprised.

Gaya: I feel a bit bad that Kim Sungeun gets lost in the mix; but overall, I am loving the female mentors and their interactions with the female trainees. If only Jang Geun-suk wasn’t there — or, if the producers at least stopped overdoing it whenever a pretty trainee turns up. There are some genuinely cute moments, but the editing leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Camiele: I’m not at all surprised at the movement of people from Group A. And I feel no one should be. Just because you impressed with an audition doesn’t mean you can ride on that alone, especially since you have legitimate trainers there to evaluate where you really are. You can’t hide in training, especially with Bae’s eagle eye. Classic mistake by those who get into a higher-ranking position: the standard and expectation is much higher for you at that point; thus, the burden you carry is heavier. You got that position; now you have to keep it. Besides, that ranking doesn’t tell you that you’ve already made it. The mentors said that it’s so training is tailored to trainees’ specific needs. The lower you are, the more help you need and the more work the trainers have to do with you. That’s it. I wonder how many people listened and missed that… And, of course, Mnet with its “creative” editing makes the A group seem catty. Like, the way they be cuttin’ eyes at everyone in the room? But, really, they’re just paying attention to everything. Meanwhile, Queen Cheetah is queen. Queen Kahi is queen! But then Bae Yoon-jeong… She is too fierce! I love that she’s so hardcore. She gives zero and a half fucks who you are, how good you think you may be. She’s going to tell you straight up to your face what the deal is. I love that! She reminds of me Laurieann Gibson in that way: totally fierce, totally serious 34

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Camiele: I was absolutely thrilled when Madame Bae told them to dance to songs they may not be used to. That’s how you find those who actually know how to move naturally and those who can just memorize choreography if they sit in front of their computer screens long enough. And let’s not even get started on Jang Geun-suk. It’s like San E all over again. Why do they even bring these dudes on here? And he’s totally playing up this title of “Prince of Asia.” Dude’s not only campy in that way that really makes you want to high five his face with a brick, he’s not that cute! Anyway, I digress. The girls who did 1TYM were SO dope! I mean, I get that it’s about being an “idol.” But, damn, just because they’re not into that “aegyo” girly-girly nonsense they got C’s and a D? Oh no…! Help. I’m getting way too invested now!!!! Cjontai: I thought they were being marked down for not taking the judges’ request seriously because they gave that girl from the acting agency an F for having the same reaction. I feel like the Kconic girls were misled by their company and/or Mnet, since they looked completely dumbfounded when asked to be girly. It was clear from the jump that they were out of place, so somebody lied to those ladies about what the competition was.

Gaya: I was thrown when Bae Yoonjeong kept requesting ‘weird’ songs for the trainees to dance to; but when you saw Chan-mi successfully mimic traditional dance moves and that one trainee work “Yoncé,” you realise that Bae knows what she’s doing by forcing the trainees to rise to the challenges she sets them. It makes it even clearer why the Kconic trainees were graded low despite their amazing 1TYM cover — because they didn’t really try. Camiele: Oh absolutely. It’s a shame, because if they’d find a company or show for them, they’d be a FORCE! Anyway, I do have a favorite (Ju-na‘s voice is what life is about, honestly); but I don’t think I have someone I’m rooting for more than anyone else. I kind of want all of them to do well, not gonna lie. Gaya: Choi Yoo-jung and Cube’s Jeon So-yeon are my other favourites so far. I didn’t pay that much attention to Yoo-jung in the “Pick Me” performance, aside from noting that she was the centre. But now that I know she started off in D, I am curious to see how it all unfolded. I feel for her too, because I am also one of those people who hesitates to approach others. I’m also looking forward to finding out more about Pinky, the Chinese trainee from Pledis. She’s been in the top 11 since the show started airing, but has yet to feature in an episode — hence her slipping further down in the rankings. We’ve seen a couple of the other foreign trainees (and I love Ng Sze Kai), so I would like to learn more about Pinky, too. Pat: I may have already picked a favorite, and its Jelpi girl Se-jeong. I’ve seen plenty of Pledis stans preach about Pinky, but she’s barely been shown so we non-fans have no idea what she can do. I’ll also be upset if we don’t get more of Ng Sze Kai. She was someone who delivered. Meanwhile, Mnet seems to be intent on focusing on the girls from the larger, more known agencies, as well as the girls who did dismally.

They’ll be covering girl group debut songs in episode 3. Hopefully, with songs that were actually made for actual singing, and not whatever chipmunk style “Pick Me” was, we’ll get to see what they can actually do. Lo: As of episode 2, I am honestly amazed at the ratio of serious talent to serious looks in the top 11. I was expecting 3-4 girls there primarily on skill, with 6-7 there primarily on personality, plus Somi. But it’s at least six on skill, maybe more. Thanks for nothing, Mnet editing team. (The support group reconvenes to discuss episodes 3-5.) Gaya: What do we think of the reevaluation results? Pat: I think that they were pretty spot on. An idol’s success has always been due partly to talent, partly to hard work and partly due to pure luck. In this case, those who were unlucky to have a performance that didn’t showcase their full potential in the first two episodes were able to showcase it with the “Pick Me” exercises and were placed at levels more indicative of their potential. Those talented enough, or worked hard enough were able to place better.

We never got a lot of footage giving reasons why others went down, but I honestly had to pause when Kim Ju-na was placed in F. If Park Bom could debut with little to no dancing skills, why can’t she? But the Park Bom comparison is for later on, me thinks.

bias is very clearly Ju-na. Her voice is quite obviously the most versatile, the most technically sound, and has the best quality of tone than any of those girls. However, it does seem obvious they’re attempting find the SK’s next SNSD.

Laverne: I think its because Produce 101 has a very set idea of what they’re looking for in a girl group. They want to produce the nation’s next girl group a la SNSD, not something like 2NE1. This idea was reinforced when one of the vocal trainers was talking about the song — it’s deliberately high and girly. I think they made the right decision to bump her down to F because of her dancing skills when viewed through that criteria.

That being said, Ju-na really… canNOT dance… at all! What’s unfortunate is that that weakness was so strong in the trainers’ eyes she had be docked down to level F. But it’s one of those things. She needs to work on it and needs help, thus she’s in the section that needs the most help.

Elaine: There were some moments that made me glad the judges caught onto the talent (or lack thereof) they missed in the first evaluation, and others that left me slightly baffled. I don’t want to join the MBK trainee hate train, but I would say that Dani‘s skills do pale in comparison to some of the other As; on the other hand, I didn’t think Kim Ju-na’s ineptness at dancing was enough to warrant her dropping all the way down to F given she is one of the strongest vocalists on the show. Camiele: I’m in league with Pat. My

Gaya: I don’t see any glaring discrepancies in the re-evaluation, either; I am all for F group trainees rocketing up to A! And we not only get to see Choi Yoo-jung move up to A from D (practice, practice, practice), but also how she was voted to the centre position for “Pick Me” by the rest of the A group. Possibilities of Mnet machinations aside, I liked the tale of Yoojung going from most likely to fail to becoming the centre, all by peer vote. Produce 101 has a very clear idea of what kind of girl group they want to debut, which is why I loved the first group battle challenge of head-tohead performances of girl group debut songs. There was a decent variety in the concepts available, and the ladies seoulbeats.com

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were given the freedom to flex their creativity muscle. One kind of decision was with the A trainees — who got to select the songs they wanted to perform — selecting their group members. While some struck out, like the poor girl who picked Risa and the 2NE1 group without a single rapper, others hit the jackpot, like the 2NE1 group that scored Ju-na (absolute perfection) and, or course, The Avengers. MBK/ DIA‘s Cathy managed to get Somi, Chanmi, fellow DIA member Chaeyeon and Pledis girl Jung Eun-woo. The picking order was apparently decided by the order in which the A trainees locked in their songs; so either Cathy was really fast and got to pick first, or the people before her didn’t pick Somi for whatever reason. Getting other big names also helped. Elaine: The “Into the New World” performances were definitely a highlight of these two episodes. SNSD had one of the more legendary debuts amongst girl groups, and I think that these stages were evidence of this — the stages were so fun and energy-filled, it was refreshing to watch. The blue team clearly won in my opinion: Yu Yeun-jung killed those high notes just as cleanly as the original, and the performance was very neat and well-practiced on the whole. On the other hand, with the pink team, Chanmi obviously cracked her high notes, not once but twice; but I also felt bad for her in the sense that Mnet sure made sure to drive home the point with all those replays. In addition, I feel like the team just didn’t suit the concept. Somi herself said that she wasn’t confident in doing girly songs, and I feel like Cathy and Chanmi would’ve also suited a stronger concept. Pat: I loved, loved, loved Yeun-jung slaying “Into the New World” and cringed so hard when Chanmi choked hard during her high note. Just the way Mnet was building up the tension, you knew it would either go really well or really bad. As for the other group, I didn’t know Somi could sing like that. 36

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I didn’t pay attention to her that much during Sixteen, so I really don’t know what’s the hype for her, aside from her being pretty. And that dance break by Cathy broke any love I had for their performance. Why do that kind of dance break for a song that talks about chasing dreams despite the rough terrain ahead? It just did not suit the song. Gaya: I had the same opinion about Cathy’s dance break, but when you consider that the original choreography has girls in miniskirts doing high kicks towards the camera, is there really much difference? Hyoyeon’s pop-and-lock dance break is hard to emulate, so Cathy decided to go with sexy. I think Cathy could have taken the dance break in a more original direction, but I can understand why she did what she did. Camiele: Yeah, those “Avengers”… what exactly have they done thus far to even earn that title? As far as I can tell they’re mostly basic. Team 1 ROCKED that SNSD song, and this is from someone who doesn’t even listen to SNSD. Home girl was all about those high notes, and also had incredible control over her voice, something the self-proclaimed tenth member of SNSD couldn’t even manage. The way Chanmi is portraying herself (or being portrayed) is kinda… sad. I mean, she actually recorded SNSD’s debut song while she was training with SM, a point they kept reiterating (obviously to set us up for the fact that she can’t actually sing the song, and probably couldn’t while she was training). Jea made the point she was trying to sound like a professional singer (operative word “trying”) and the age difference between her and Yu Yeunjung was obvious. Chanmi’s confidence is there, but at the age she’s at and the fact she’s trying to focus on being in an idol group, which by its nature is very, very young, just shows me she’s desperate. She may need to try a different route at this point. Just like everyone kept making the point that Ju-na really should be a solo singer (something I’m sure they saw as a negative but I

thought of as an absolute compliment and truth, because her voice is just that good and belongs on a stage of its own), they need to make the point that Chanmi may just be past her idol prime and needs to focus on other avenues. But watching episode three gave me SO much validation when her team not only got an overwhelming amount of the votes, Ju-na got the most votes of ANY of the girls for the on-site voting. Was rather happy about that. (I legitimately applauded and screamed, “That’s right, bitch!” at the screen!) Gaya: My favourite performances were of the 2NE1 and Miss A debut songs; all the groups aced their performances. And while we’ve been seeing groups win because they had popular members, the Miss A battle showed us the opposite — Oh Seojung‘s negative image from Superstar K4 continued to plague her, leading to a low score. Pat: Unexpectedly, “Fire” was awesome and Ju-na totally rocked her role as the future Bom. If she were ever put in a group, I see her role as being similar to Bom – that powerful voice with the super awkward dance moves. Honorable mentions: I feel like “La Cha Ta” was not done well. Someone also needs to pick Chungha from whatever small agency she’s from. I just feel like she won’t be able to reach her full potential in a small agency where success is like a game of Russian Roulette. Gaya: And then we have Choi Yoojung. She gave up the centre position, despite trainer Bae’s protests. Even with the vocal fans in the audience, Happyface‘s Hwang Soo-yeon got the most votes with her risque top-lifting. That battle in particular drove home the importance of the centre position. The way Yoo-jung matched her expressions to the song reminded me of my own Bharathanatyam training, where you are taught the importance of maintaining facial expressions, and especially eye movement. I loved how Bae Yoon-jeong pointed out Yoo-

jung’s capabilities and really wished the team had stuck to that decision. Kahi changed the centre for the first A Pink group, too, but it felt as if it was more about punishing Pinky for her complacency than picking the best person for the centre position. I wasn’t a big fan of the way she went about making her point. As for the other A Pink group: netizens can mock her arms, the trainers can put her on a diet, and the cameras can tease her about snacking, but Kang Mi-na motherfucking killed that first turn. She just glowed, and I hope she never loses that. Pat: I will fight for Kang Mi-na. She is a baby and a precious bunny who does not deserve the hate she’s getting. As someone whose legs are thin yet her arms aren’t, I totally feel for her. Also, the stylist should not have put her in that dress. She killed her first turn and I hope whenever she debuts in the Jelpi girl group, she keeps her innocent charm. Elaine: I agree with what Gaya said about the importance of what Bae

Yoon-jung calls “expression acting” — Choi Yoo-jung’s micro-expressions were what drew me in during “Pick Me,” and So-hye did well for the same reason — she looked like she was really enjoying the stage. There were quite a lot of things going on with that one — the whole So-hyeSe-jeong storyline, for one; as quite obviously spotlighted by the show, Sohye showed a ton of improvement during the practice period, and I respect her for that. Just as an interesting aside, did anyone feel like her experience in acting paid off with the way she worked her expressions during the performance? The leaders of both teams also did reallllllly well. I started stanning Sejeong after this episode, because she really is the full package in terms of looks, talent and personality. She was a great leader in making sure every member was keeping up, and showed a flawless execution of her own parts on stage. My anticipation for her performance was on par with Bae Yoonjung: “Turn up the volume please, we have to hear Sejeong’s voice.” However, Lee Hae-in really got the short end of the editing stick this time — she came off as arrogant, but you can tell she really wanted to do well for the sake of her group. In terms of her performance, she also pulled her weight as leader, center AND main vocal, and her necktie tugging performance seems to have been a defining moment of her team’s stage. Even the MCs recognised her by that gesture when she was called up in episode 5. Camiele: I’m also really hurt that after Sohye moved Queen Bae during their second evaluation she ends up messing up the lyrics… of all the things! I mean, I understand she was probably the most nervous contestant

there, but that just really made me sad, not gonna lie. Also, was I the only one looking exactly like Kahi after those two groups did squat with the After School cover? I mean, that mess was just… unfortunate. Pat: I hated the “Ah” performance. I felt for Kahi — the song she debuted with just to be butchered in such a way. And don’t even get me started on the cutesy version. “Ah” is anything but. But I’m biased because “Ah” is actually one of my favorite debut songs – the energy, the dance, the attitude and the unrepentant sexiness wasn’t a frequent sight in the Era of Gee and Tell Me. Elaine: I had the same reaction as Jang Geun-suk when he saw Kahi’s expression: “She’s scary.” Neither group did particularly well with their rendition of the song, but when I saw the cute one I was cringing the entire way through. Despite being a fan of A Pink, the two performances for “I Don’t Know” weren’t exactly much of a standout stage. Nevertheless, I do think there were some trainees that benefitted from the choice of song — Kang Mina killed me with her eye smile right from the beginning, and Park Si-yeon surprised many with her vocal skills given that she was originally a rapper. Gaya: Remember how Lo talked about the Somi vs. The World set-up? It feels like Se-jeong has become the champion of team Everyone Else, with some help from Mnet. They didn’t choose to highlight the difference in votes between the two for no reason. I’m glad it’s Se-jeong because she is absolutely precious, but I hope Mnet’s focus on her doesn’t hurt her in the long run. As for So-hye making the top 11… The biggest reason she is there is because of Mnet, so I can’t be mad at her. I can’t even be mad at Mnet because, what’s the point? They’re just going to keep doing what they want to do. As long as So-hye keeps up the hard work and shows improvement, I’m not too fussed. seoulbeats.com

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features

THE N WORD Barely into the new year, and we have our first scandal with Seventeen, who had long been held up on a pedestal for being ‘unproblematic.’ At the emergence and spread of the video, there has been debate on whether or not the N-word was said, and if the member in question knew what he was doing. It has led to Korean translators posting pictures of their Korean passport along with their translations, and an intense/heated discussion that not only touched on Seventeen, but also the use of the word in K-Hip Hop. That being said, do you think the N word was said? What are your thoughts on its use in Korean music and pop culture? What do you think of the response from K-pop fans, and what do you think can be done to address this issue?

Lauren M.: Do I think that the N word was said in this clip? No. But do I think a play on words was made that alluded to the N-word? Yes. I’m confident that most Koreans who are familiar with rap/ Western pop culture know that the N-word is inflammatory and a slur now, because of outcries by Western fans. The Nword used to be all over K-Hip Hop up until around 2014, but it’s practically non-existent now. That’s pretty hard to ignore. I think those in the scene use wordplay to get around use of the word now, and saying ‘ma naega’ which is what S.Coups said, is one of the ways to do that. I do think the kids from Seventeen laughed because they knew what the wordplay was. It was pretty obvious to me. So I think a good question is, now that language-specific alternatives to the N-word have been created in KHH and maybe elsewhere, does it still mean the same thing? They’ve appropriated and gone a step further, I guess, to make it something more uniquely theirs. I personally think that’s what’s worth talking about. Madi: This is my first time I’m aware of this (well second, sort of), but I have to say what was said does sounds the N word…. and we’re talking ending with an ‘er’ and not the we’re trying to make it nice version with the ‘a’ ending. And fair warning, I may be a bit more sensitive to this issue because I do have African American blood running through my veins. There are so many things to be said about this, so I’ll try 38

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and make it short and compiled. Even dating back before what Lauren mentioned, earlier K-pop songs have used the word… both versions of it. Take a listen to H.O.T.’s “Outside Castle” and Shinhwa‘s “TOP“. Of course, the lines are said by the English rappers, so it might be safe to assume since rappers are the ones who are supposed to be the hip hop element of the group, it’s a sense of imitation since origins of hip hop date back to the United States. Now here’s the problem, well what I think is the problem: You can’t expect someone from one country to be fully aware and know another country’s history. I would not be surprised that times dating back to slavery in America are not a chapter in a Korean textbooks. But to counter that problem: if you’re trying to imitate something to “sound cool” or what have you, don’t just do it, know what you’re doing/saying. But here’s a problem to that problem: The N word has a nicer variation with dropping the ‘er’ and adding the ‘a’, which is normally used as a friendly greeting, thus if it’s said that way and displayed in songs, someone who doesn’t know could easily think it could translate to “my friend”. Essentially, that’s the modernized meaning yes? You can cycle through all of these and see how they counter each other. Now, do I think this was said with the intention to offend anyone? No. Was he wrong in saying it? Yes. Was he wrong in saying it even though he might have not known the backstory behind it? Yes. Nowadays with the Internet, you

can’t go around and use the excuse “I don’t know.” You know what people say in response to that? “Google it.” The subject is more sensitive now because of what’s been going on in the United States… so I feel the reaction of K-pop fans is normal. (I actually think this is worse than the Rap Monster issue.) Back in the day (shakes cane), no one batted an eye to this. And I’ll admit, hearing it in songs makes me feel uncomfortable. And I’ll even admit this, “Outside Castle” is my favorite H.O.T. song, but Tony‘s rap just makes me cringe because it’s used. Of course, back then I excused it as they didn’t realize what they were saying. What can be done? Education. It doesn’t any plainer than that. And then there’s issues of “Who should be allowed to use the N word?” Simple and best answer: no one. Cjontai: It’s hard for me to make out exactly what is said in the video since he sounds muffled, so I don’t know how to call it. I honestly feel like the larger issue is fans using the deflective tactic of throwing shade at other idols who are known to have said it instead of addressing why it’s problematic in the first place. Nobody wants to discuss the issue; they’d rather pass the shame stick around. I know someone is going to toss out the “fix it yourselves since you love

saying it” argument because it’s easier to pass blame than accept responsibility. I hate that retort because it’s clear that person is placing fault on American society without taking the historical context of the word into account. It’s almost akin to victim blaming. It’s like telling women “stop saying ‘b*tch’ if you want men to respect you,” or demanding Muslims to change their religion to avoid social persecution. Black people didn’t create the origin of the word, so who is truly at fault for its existence in the first place? Yes, some black people “reclaimed” the word in an effort to deflect the pain they felt from racists who used it to dehumanize them. My personal experiences with the word keep me from buying into the reclamation defense because I’ve never heard it used as a term of endearment growing up. Truthfully, I think certain entertainers only exploit its use for commercialized reasons, so they can appear more hardcore than what they really are. It’s a cheap excuse, but some people will say or do anything for fame and money. Not my bus, but I try not to judge those who hop on it because I don’t know their personal background with the word. What I don’t understand is why that particular racial slur gets a social pass over other ones. No one is using ch*nk, r*ghead, k*ke, w*tback, or any number of slanderous terms in that manner, but why is that? Is it only be-

cause black rappers aren’t using them as terms of expression that they are still deemed too taboo to appropriate? Or is it because those words don’t apply to everyone except the race upon which they demean; therefore, calling myself a “ch*nk” would sound foolish since I’m not connected to Chinese heritage whatsoever? People only want to use the N-word because it’s been labeled as slang and therefore excused from being viewed negatively on the basis of being colloquially acceptable. It’s the same reason colorist remarks are given passes. Because a group of people keep insisting those remarks are “jokes,” that means it’s okay. Problem is nobody considers the social ramifica tions of those attitudes towards minorities. People develop an unseen social bias and subconsciously judge others based on these social beliefs. Sadly, because most people grow up not realizing these micro-aggressive thoughts exist within themselves, they hold a belief that their way of thinking isn’t the problem; it’s the problem of the discriminated group for not thinking the same way they do. Camiele: If I can be completely honest here, this entire conversation to me is just ridiculous. What it stems from is this childish notion that, “If Black people can say it, why can’t I?” And the answer is simple: because you’re not Black. Full-stop. It boggles the mind why those outside of my seoulbeats.com

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ethnic group are just so desperate to be able to say a word that carries such an ugly history. Yeah, Black people use it, a reclamation as has been brought up. But whether as a Black person I agree with its use or not, the fact remains it was a term made for Black people as a means to further dehumanize us, then reclaimed by Black people to assert our power over our own humanity. Regardless of its use within our own community, there’s nothing positive about using the term outside of the community just because one “thinks it’s cool.” Finding ways around saying the word just so you can find a way to covertly say the word and not piss people off smacks of immaturity and an acute desire to not only use a term Black members of your fanbase consider derogatory in someone else’s mouth, it shows a lack of actual care how Black members of a fanbase feel. Yet again, our concerns aren’t relevant. How we feel about the word, its origins, and its current use is irrelevant. The fact that so many people continue to justify and even condone the use of blackface in South Korea ought to make this conversation moot. As was mentioned, you don’t hear anyone using any other derogatory terms from other ethnic groups as slang. The reasoning behind those groups not using and/or reclaiming those terms is none of my business. That’s their culture and their decision to banish the word from their vernacular or use it however they see fit. As it’s purely the decision of women to use “bitch” how they feel, and the queer community to use “fag” if they so choose. But dribbling past the lips of someone outside of those communities, you bet your behind it’s meant to degrade. The naughty “N” word when viewed from the gaze of someone not of Black American heritage is simply a means to appear more “down” or have more “street cred.” In reality, the use of that word within our own community has zero to do with anybody else. All this talk about “who can use it” is useless to me. The answer to “Since it’s used 40

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so freely among Blacks, we should be able to use it too, right?” is simple. No. You’re not Black. You don’t use it. The end. Get over yourself for about thirty seconds and realize what happens in someone else’s culture is not about you. Parts of a culture that exclude you do for a reason: because you’re not part of it. I really don’t care if you’re upset, offended, or just don’t get it. Some things you aren’t meant to get, and some things aren’t meant for you. What a shame. You can’t have a slice of every pie, and the world doesn’t revolve around you. And while some child idol sits there “keke-ing” it up about being semi-cute

and finding a way to say “nigger/ga” without actually saying it (Oh aren’t you the clever, cheeky one?) all they’re doing is exposing how childish they are to me. What I don’t understand is why people outside of the Black community are so interested and in such dire need to use that one word in particular anyway. All the words in all the languages in the world, that word is the one people wet their panties and cry their eyes out over. Give me a break. Hania: It’s sad that my reaction to these sorts of scandals is really just “Here we go again.” It’s really remarkable that people are still desperate to use the word even if they’re not African-American: why the obsession, people? Like Camiele’s pointed out,

why are people itching to use this one word for comedic purposes or to gain some sort of street cred? I’d also add that although none of these idols mean to cause offence, they definitely aren’t completely clueless about the word’s true origins. This is evident through the fact that the word has been tweaked to fit the Korean language and also lessen its impact, meaning that people are aware that it is not an appropriate word to use, and therefore can no longer feign ignorance about its implications. But ultimately, with American culture being such a pervasive global force, maybe it’s inevitable that the word will spread without regard for its problematic connotations. Cjontai: It’s already spread, but the fan response is the most aggravating part. Any time anything problematic pops up, they either deflect blame, create fake apologies on behalf of the idols, tell everyone to stop overreacting, or condemn the ones involved. We’re not talking about toddlers imitating adults by cursing up a storm, yet that’s how people treat idols every time. No one has an issue viewing them as adults when writing fan fics or fetishizing them, but the moment things get remotely serious, suddenly they’re kids who “don’t know any better.” “We must protect them!” From what? Looking stupid? Fine, then educate them and let them know they don’t have to try so hard to be accepted. Is anyone really going to think less of them for NOT saying that word? No, because they don’t need it. They’ve been successful without it, so why say it in any form? It serves no purpose other than to provoke people into reacting to it. If you need to do that to become popular, that says more about your lack of confidence in your creativity because controversy is the cheapest marketing tool in entertainment. Otherwise, why say it? To fit into a culture whose people they fuss about

resembling whenever they get a slight tan? How are you going to pick and choose what aspects of a culture to imitate when you openly mock it? As Paul Mooney once said, “Everyone wants to be a n*gga, but nobody wants to be a n*gga.” Camiele: Took the words right out of my mouth, Cjontai, including the wise words of Mr. Mooney. Sarah: I think everyone’s pretty much covered the main points, so I will just reiterate what I think is most important. I think these young idols (and I say young because the older ones do seem to learn) are acting like immature teenagers from any culture, in that they’re imitating something they think is cool in hopes to be cool by association – in this case American hip hop. They’re actually imitating many different aspects of hip hop and

the culture which surrounds it, but the most obvious one is their use of the nword because we’re all so sensitive to it. Don’t worry, I’m not condoning it, I’m just saying I understand why they are using it. Ultimately then, it comes down to them learning (and perhaps reminding the rest of the K-pop music industry) exactly why that word isn’t ok to use. It’s fine to say, “no, you can’t use it”, and Seventeen may stop but then new young idols will just keep using it over and over, and we’ll keep having this conversation over and over, until we can explain why exactly it is they can’t use it. And I mean we, as fans, should explain to them in as much historical detail as possible where such a word comes from and why it’s taboo. So, yes, it’s problematic, but the solution doesn’t lie simply with one side

of the problem. The idols should all be aware of what they’re saying and try to be appropriately culturally conscious (especially as they become more and more global), but we, as American fans who know the cultural and historical background, should teach them of our own culture and history. Then they might truly come to understand why the word is offensive, instead of simply following orders to not use it so as to avoid more scandals. After all, there was a time when it was considered acceptable for anyone to use the word here in the States. We too had to learn why it was an offensive word, and it took awhile since we had to figure it out by ourselves. We should kindly pass along our hardwon knowledge and give our idols a helping hand in being better global citizens, rather than fighting amongst ourselves and coldly criticizing them. seoulbeats.com

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Cheese In The Trap: A Disappointing Ending

heese in the Trap has been followed by a number of people, including our writers Laverne and Vya. Now, the two have teamed up to discuss the final two episodes of a drama that started off promising, but doesn’t seem to have followed through. Caution: Spoilers ahead! Laverne: The last episodes of Cheese in the Trap have been a love/hate relationship for me. One the one hand, I love that Yoo Jung and Baek In-ho were able to apologize to each other, both recognizing their wrongs. Jung realizing he needed time to reevaluate himself was also a nice touch because it didn’t force a personality 180 on him; his realization came about organically. On the other hand, though, these episodes felt rushed. Jung’s father being the root of many of the shows issues was alluded to once or twice over the course of the drama but there was never a strong foundation. For him to become such a big player all of a sudden came out of left field. His callous manner and sending In-ha to a mental hospital against her will was revolting to watch. However, despite the rushed, messy nature of the last episodes, I think the 42

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BY LAVERNE & VYA ending was rather fitting of the show. It seems you have a different opinion, though, Vya. What was your initial reaction to the ending of the drama? Vya: I thought it was awful. For all of the terrible ways I was prepared for the show to end — it could go full-on makjang, Jung could pull an idiotic noble martyr stunt, they suddenly have Seol fall for In-ho, etc — I never imagined such an unsatisfying, incomplete and lazy ending. Don’t even get me started on the ridiculous time jump gimmick. It was a truly disappointing end for what was once an extremely well written show, full of too many loose threads and standard drama tropes. I was glad for Jung’s sake that he got some clarity, and seemed to understand himself and the effects of his actions better. The montage of In-ho, In-ha, Min-soo, Sung-chul’s expressions was chilling, and it was critical that Jung finally saw those same events from a different perspective. But I cannot accept that there was no role for Seol — the person who spurred all this change — in his journey to self-improvement. I’m not saying that she had to be with him every step of the way, but at least stay in touch? Why cut out the only person he really cared about and who genuinely wished the best for him?

I also cannot accept that nothing has changed in Seol’s life. After all that growth we’re supposed to accept that she’s back to being a drone, unfulfilled by her work and still putting up with the Min-soos, Sang-chuls and Younggons in the world? They turned our strong, hard-working heroine into someone pitiful, who stuck by her man only for him to leave her, and yet she’s still hoping he will come back to her. To me, the most compelling character in all this was In-ho. Seo Kang-joon was wonderful in this role, even when the show devolved into a campy mess around him. He showed an incredible range of emotions — desperation in trying to help In-ha, hopelessness at her being committed, real joy at learning that Seol had woken up again and genuine affection toward Seol’s parents. However, he didn’t get his due either, as we see him pack up and leave (but we don’t know to where); play in the concert (but what about his hand?); and three years later he’s finally going to music school (but where was he in the meantime?). What made Cheese in the Trap so magical was that it captured a time in these characters’ lives when they were discovering love, figuring themselves out, and learning to navigate the crazy

obstacles that life throws at them. For all the stalking, scheming and fighting the show managed to be very grounded, and that slice-of-life tone was so refreshing. Sadly the finale was missing all of that magic. Laverne: You make some great points, especially about Seol. She finally began standing up for herself and promised In-ho not to live in regret and yet, in the time jump, she was an unhappy worker drone. There was none of the life and innate happiness that we saw from her throughout the series. I know many are upset about Jung’s lack of screen time and rushed character ‘growth’ (the latter part bothers me more than the former) but I think Seol is the one whose character was jerked around — at least Jung’s character was consistent. Sure, they showed Seol with Bo-ra and Eun-taek but aside from that, she was so bland and unhappy — and this definitely wasn’t a commentary on office life the way Misaeng was. Going back to my statement about the ending of the show being fitting, I don’t want that to imply that this was a great ending, but rather that, in context of how messy the show had become, it is fitting. The days of tightly-woven plot with strong character beats have been over for a while. Rather than expecting that of the drama’s ending, I tried to be realistic at how the ending would be and on that count, Cheese in the Trap (unfortunately) delivered. It’s a shame because had the drama continued the way it started, it would have been one of the year’s best, hands down. But I do wonder, having read the webtoon, if you feel that this has influenced your perception of the drama? I came into this drama blind and despite many of its flaws, I enjoyed the drama up until episode 14. Even though the drama lost focus after about 7 or 8, I still found it much better than many other K-dramas.

Vya: Reading the webtoon did mean that I was a lot more invested in the drama — these were characters that I already knew about and liked. However, after the first two episodes, I stopped associating the drama with the webtoon because the drama was so good on its own, in terms of casting and writing. But it’s not like the knowledge I had from the webtoon stopped existing, which is probably the reason why I was okay with Jung’s temporary disappearance — he’s gone for a big chunk of the webtoon because of his internship. And I wasn’t as hung up about the lack of his emotional growth at first either because I could back fill with what I already knew from the webtoon — many of the flashbacks they showed in the last episode are from earlier seasons in the webtoon. I’ve wondered if this wouldn’t have been better as a 20-episode series and that’s partially because as a webtoon reader, I know a lot of the side plots and events that were cut out of the drama version. There’s more material that could have filled in those extra episodes which would have added to the story, and might have resolved a lot of adaptation issues — e.g. Seol/ Jung constantly fighting, Jung’s childhood/his father, his emotional growth. Plus, two episodes centered on In-ho out of 20 might not have been as problematic. As you said, what ultimately did the show in was the messy writing. The writers could have still bungled it up with more episodes, plus the webtoon’s author Soonkki would have likely been more upset that they had copied even more heavily from the webtoon. Honestly, the drama’s end was so lazy and incomplete that I can’t help but wonder if they cut out the ending they had filmed because Soonkki raised such a fuss about how they had copied her intended ending for the webtoon (and so the drama would ruin it for her readers). Or maybe I’m just still in denial that the drama screwed up the ending quite this badly. Laverne: I definitely think that view-

ers of the webtoon excused Jung’s lack of growth more than non-webtoon viewers. Because the drama didn’t flesh out why Jung acted the way he did, it was very hard for me to root for him. At a certain point in the drama, I found him completely irredeemable. This may have been why his lack of presence didn’t affect me as much as other viewers — I didn’t care about him being endgame with Seol so him not being around didn’t bother me. But seeing his father in action in these ending episodes has made my viewing experience bittersweet. I was fine with not liking Jung during my viewing experience but now, knowing what I do, I can’t help but feel the loss of what the drama could have been. As you said, there is so much more that could have been explored! So why wasn’t it? Vya: I can only guess that the writers were too focused on the central plot (Jung as enigma), and maybe weren’t yet sure about the ending when they started production. So they once the drama passed the webtoon plot-wise, the writing started coming apart. They did a good job staying consistent to the webtoon’s tone for existing plotlines — for example, the drama’s version of what happened with In-ho’s hand and Jung’s role in it is believable, even though it hasn’t been covered in the webtoon yet. But when it came to creating an end, and a catalyst for Jung’s reformation, they just didn’t put down the foundation early enough for it to feel organic. It’s tricky in situations like this where the source material is on-going – sort of like with Game of Thrones — but a big part of that production’s strength is how involved the original author is in the drama adaptation. We know now that wasn’t the case with Cheese in the Trap, and I can’t help but feel that the drama suffered for it. Laverne: As a former avid Game of Thrones watcher and reader, I’ll have to disagree with you on that point. But at least we agree when it comes to Cheese in the Trap: what once began as a masterfully-crafted drama full of intrigue and vivacity has ended on a rather disappointing note. seoulbeats.com

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Yoo Ah-In Is Exquisitely Restrained In “The Throne” BY SONYA

oo Ah-in is famous for many things such as his model-like appearance and has been in the acting for a while, but 2015 was a breakthrough film year for Yoo Ah-in with Veteran and The Throne. Veteran made over 92 million won while The Throne made close to 42 million won: Yoo Ah-in, as part of the main cast, was heavily involved with these two movies’ successes. In 2015, and even in 2016, Yoo Ah-in has continued to receive nominations and award wins for these two movies from the likes of Korean Film Reporters Association Film Awards (KOFRA), Blue Dragon Film Awards, and Korean World Youth Film Festival. With Yoo Ah-in’s next movie coming out February 18 with Like for Likes, will he be able to replicate such successful box office numbers? Obviously, no clear trend analysis is to be expected as all three films are in totally different genres. The Veteran is an action thriller, The Throne, a dramatic historical period piece, and Like for Likes, a romantic comedy. However, there is something to be said about concurrent successes with its effect on public awareness and the growth of star power. While romantic comedies can be seen as fluff pieces, generally there is less director-taken liberties and more emphasis is 44

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placed on natural charisma. By analyzing Yoo Ah-in’s acting in his proclaimed favorite of his two successful films, The Throne, there’s a better chance of predicting his future success with movies. Were his movies’ successes contingent on the depth of his acting ability or was it a good actor choosing a great project? The Throne is about the infamous Prince Sado, who, according to history, went mad, killed palace servants recklessly, and was condemned to death in a rice crate for nine days. The film is an introspective reinterpretation of historical events that uses flashbacks to describe Prince Sado’s descent into madness. As the titular lead of the film, Yoo Ah-in had a lot of responsibility in portraying a historical character with so many controversies: was Prince Sado actually mad, driven to madness by external forces, or just condemned to death because of his radical thinking? Immediately, the outward strength of the film emerges as in media res. Rather than start the story when Sado was young, Director Lee Joon-ik placed it at the sentencing of Prince Sado to the rice crate. By focusing so much on Sado’s punishment and interspersing flashbacks in between the gradual deterioration of Sado’s life, the viewers are able to recognize the tenuity of Prince Sado and King Yeongjo’s relationship.

Given the viewer has to process all of the time leaps, the choice to have very little background music save for drumming allows the viewer to empathize with the characters at his/her own pace. Too often background music drives the viewer’s perspective of a scene and can take away from the pointedness of the words of a scene or even the actors’ movements. By allowing most of the film to be quiet, Director Lee Joonik infuses the film with a quiet tension that remarkably matches a calm before the storm. Yoo Ah-in’s acting range is definitely on full display in The Throne, but the viewer can’t properly appreciate it given the framework of the film. The nonlinearity of the narrative causes Sado’s descent into madness to seem jarring. Since there are no distinct markings of time, except the countdown of the nine days in the rice casket, it’s difficult to place when his madness starts or even when the first signs of insanity appear. However, while the most obvious strength of the film stifles a total appreciation of his acting, there are distinct moments where Yoo Ah-in truly shines. These moments are pivotal because they perfectly balance the derangement and vestigial sanity of Sado. In one scene, Sado converses with his son, Jeongjo, while shooting arrows for sport. Sado seems to be aiming at a target, but then at the last moment he lets the arrow fly blindly, releasing the great

tension from his arms. The symbolism of the shooting an arrow is synonymous to Sado’s direction in life. Where once he balanced the tension between ruling and idealism, Sado eventually lets go of the strictness of kingship and tries to live life his way. After this demonstration of his life’s values, Sado turns to his son, and questions Jeongjo’s motivations for his excessive studying, instead telling him that he should know that love is the most important thing. While there are many scenes of Sado’s reckless lunacy or innocence as a child, these words and action reveal the truly caring side of Sado. He might have not been the perfect son to King Yeongjo, but Sado really wanted to enrich his son’s life–to teach him what was truly important. Another great moment is when Sado broken by his father’s nonexistent affection comes after King Yeongjo’s life. Ironi-

cally enough, Jeongjo is with King Yeongjo at the time, and is being asked why Jeongjo went along with Sado’s actions that contradicted the regime’s rules: to honor a concubine’s mother like the queen. It’s pretty incredible the acting of Sado’s eyes filled with rage, with his sword arm taut with purpose, to gradually dropping to his side, as he hears his son’s response of the importance of Sado’s sincerity and honoring one’s parents. The motion is perfectly timed and has a dancer’s feel, where one action carries a lot of importance. There can be many interpretations of why Sado decides not to kill his father, such as Jeongjo’s words or the fact that Confucianism can be interpreted in a hypocritical fashion to Joseon’s laws. Whatever the reason of Sado’s actions, the strikingness of this scene of Sado’s inflammation of madness to the glimmers of his sanity is a testament to Yoo Ah-In. While The Throne can be considered one of Yoo Ah-In’s greatest works, the fact remains that the film is considered great largely in part to the directorial decisions of Lee Joon-ik. However, while Joon-ik’s decisions shaped the tone and vision of the film, those two particular scenes of Sado’s return to sanity are truly great acting. Hopefully, Yoo Ah-in’s upcoming movie, which appears less stylistically driven, Like for Likes, allows him the opportunity to demonstrate his acting chops. _____

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G-Friend Matures with Snowflake BY SONYA G-Friend | Snowflake | (Source Music)

hen Source Music Entertainment debuted G-Friend in 2015, the company couldn’t have possibly realized they were debuting a rookie group that would be this successful in such little time. After all, popularity in K-pop is theorized to be correlated to the company’s size, since that’s indicative of its financial resources and experience.

anticipation for the coming tracks.

The first ten seconds of “Rough” sound like the start of a stereotypical bubbly song about love until a lovely minor melody emerges from the background, which is right where the song picks up the tempo. Compared to their previous releases of “Glass Bead” and “Me Gustas Tu,” G-Friend doesn’t sound cutesy at all. They sound deterFlash forward a year and G-Friend has surprising- mined and confident in what they’re singing, ly made a place for themselves in K-pop. At first, which is emphasized by the punctuated melodic their viral video of “Me Gustas Tu” brought more background. Of course, the sound of this song attention to them, but now all eyes are watching doesn’t stray from the easily accessible sound G-Friend with this promotional cycle’s “Rough.” of G-Friend’s songs, which tend to sound like an So far, it has garnered them their first win, along opening drama OST. with four successive others, achieving an all-kill on the week’s music shows. However, to update “Rough,” the song utilizes water drops and clock ticking, which work with However, it’s not just the strength of the title the album’s meaning. The song speaks to a love track that has led to their success. Snowflake is that is present, but unable to fulfilled due to the supposed last part in their trilogy of high the two being in different places in their lives. school concepts, and has high thematic cohesive- Snowflake is the title of their album because it is ness and a sense of maturity that speaks for the a symbol of a unique love that seems impermapotential to this group. nent. The water drop is the melting of the snowWith “Snowflake,” there is an instant sense of flake, and the clock ticking represents the short drama in the soundtrack-esque introduction. lifespan of their love. The clock ticking slowly builds intensity with the addition of string instruments and the moody The synth in “Say My Name” creates a very retro chords of the keyboard. Then the trademark Gsounding track, which is further made exciting by Friend sound enters with all its brightness and its use of a melody that explores the lower range positivity, and the dramatic keyboard switches to of G-Friend. K-pop songs tend to over-emphasize the lighter sounds of the xylophone. The guitar high notes due to the belief is that is a testament backing provides a solid background so that Gof a singer’s prowess. However, lower melodies of Friend’s echoey repeated lines feel dynamic. And, “Say My Name” allows greater change in feeling as with all good introductions, it fades and builds when those higher notes come in along with 46

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more space in the piece for harmonies. The use of arpeggios hidden in the background modernize the song while keeping it in theme with the loveliness of a schoolgirl concept. As for the song’s lyrics, at this stage in the album’s progression, G-Friend is struggling to give up this love because they are trying to be realistic. “Say my Name” ended with just words and no melody, which draws attention to the spoken introductory section of “Luv Star.” The lower range is explored in this song as well, but “Luv Star” is much more overtly cute. “Luv Star”‘s uplifting feeling makes this song almost akin to a Disney song. Lyrically this song conveys the same type of story as “Rough” but now G-Friend has decided to maintain their love despite the circumstances. The star is a reminder of the brightness of their love, and its persistence to shine in the dark sky, which is why G-Friend has mustered the courage to be resilient about their love.

Immediately, “Someday” feels like the image song of a protagonist of a Korean drama as he or she is strolling along, skipping happily. Here the lyrics speak towards trying to share the happiness G-Friends finds in love with their partner. With such a romantic sentiment the song reflects that idea with catchy repeated phrases and happy chants. But the true strength in this song lies in the buildup and the actual climax of the song. At first the song sounds like it will go with the cliche long drawn out high note, but it quickly subverts the obvious and slows down. The actual high point of the song is punctuated with very rhythmical instrumentals. In doing so, the music reflects the roller coaster effect of love from the happiness, to doubt, to – in this case – the strong resolution to pull through any difficulties. This is the definitive moment in the album where, lyrically, G-Friend figuratively embrace their love. Instead of feeling shy or feeling sad, they face their feelings head on. Every album needs a slow song, but “Trust” is definitely not a throwaway song. The singing execution of their lines at the start is slow and separated, but not punctuated. This allows them to express the shyness of their feelings in the past, as

they recount the beginning of their love. However, from the moment the chorus enters, the smoothly sung melodic lines convey their confidence in their resolutions. G-Friend maturely acknowledge their fear of the future, but stay the course with their belief in the potential of this love. Snowflake was a surprise in that the songs flowed lyrically and never felt jarring as the tracks proceeded. The use of a snowflake as a symbol of unique love that seems impermanent was definitely interesting. This is because while the snowflake never maintains its original shape, it just changes to water. Like the snowflake, G-Friend changed from girl to woman as they embrace their feelings and become proactive to deal with any challenges, both internally and externally. While G-Friend is still a rookie, this mini album solidified their foundation of nostalgic catchy music but brought in potentialities that might speak towards their future sound. _____

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EXIT: E Is a

Winner BY LORENZA

Winner | EXIT:E | (YG Entertainment) Fans have been waiting for almost 18 months for EXIT, Winner’s comeback, and on February 1, the first mini album finally dropped. Similar to Big Bang‘s MADE last year, EXIT is split into four mini albums, the first of which is E. It has five new songs, all of them composed and written by the members of Winner themselves. It’s a strong comeback that maintains the same sound as their debut album and builds upon their strengths. Each of the five songs focuses on the similar theme of loneliness and desire. The first three songs are musically upbeat, even if the content of the lyrics aren’t. Both “Baby Baby” and “Sentimental” revolve around the feeling of being lonely but not having anyone to help alleviate the loneliness. The chorus of “Baby Baby” expresses this sentiment with: Baby baby, I don’t like this night Baby baby, I don’t wanna be alone Let’s spend this lonely night together Let’s forget everything and get drunk Baby baby, I don’t wanna be alone The lyrics to “Sentimental” are similar; they make several references to how frequently they want to reach out and find someone to keep them company. It’s interesting to have these kinds of lyrics paired 48

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with the upbeat and groovy arrangements, but it works quite well. “Baby Baby” sounds very similar to “Kandi” by One eskimO; like “Kandi,” the lyrics are mournful and isolated, but the musical arrangement grooves beneath their sadness. “Sentimental” also pulls from old school sounds of Motown and elements of salsa for the chorus, creating a very danceable tune that doesn’t sound like every other dance song out there. The last upbeat song is “Immature,” a rock inspired song about not wanting to grow up. It’s one of two songs that Taehyun didn’t write the lyrics or music for; instead, it’s a collaboration between Seungyoon, Mino, and Seunghoon. While the lyrics to “Baby Baby,” “Sentimental,” and “I’m Young” are more introspective, “Immature” is purely about wanting to have fun even if you’re an adult. During the chorus, Seungyoon and Taehyun sing, Yeah, I’m immature, leave me alone We can run a little more, we’re still young Yeah, I’m immature, mind your own business If you’re going to push me away because I’m different, get lost The attitude is much more brash and confident than the other two songs, even in the moments where they express uncertainty about their behavior. They want to be young for-

ever and don’t care if people think they’re being immature by wanting to pursue that. The arrangement works really well; having a driving drum beat and rough guitar be the main focus of the music fits the rebellious vibe they’re going for. Personally, this might be my favorite song on the album. It brings your energy up, getting you excited for whatever you may be doing. It makes me feel like running through a crowded store like a kid, which is exactly what this song wants you to do.

The final two songs are both mellow, starting with Taehyun’s heartbreaking solo song “I’m Young.” Both “I’m Young” and “Pricked” are all about unrequited love and the pain of realizing they will never love you back. “I’m Young” is a ballad mourning the end of a relationship. With its minimal instrumentation, the listener can easily imagine Taehyun sitting at his keyboard after a break-up writing about how he isn’t ready to move on. Taehyun’s sweet tenor voice works well for this song — it’s the focal point, after all, and if it wasn’t heart wrenching the song wouldn’t work nearly as well. There are moments in the song where it feels like his voice is straining from trying to hit the higher notes, but it doesn’t diminish the pain he feels. Similar to “I’m Young,” “Pricked” uses minimal instrumentation. The main

instrument is an acoustic guitar with some orchestration to help emphasize moments within the song. While “I’m Young” is mournful, “Pricked” is more angry, bitter. It uses Mino’s and Taehyun’s voices well to express the bitterness that comes with the end of a relationship. Mino’s rough rapping plays off Taehyun’s voice, creating a really interesting sound when they sing together. My favorite moment in “Pricked” is when Mino sings his line, “I still say goodbye and my heart still cries”; it’s rare for some rappers to sing and the tone of his voice really works for the delivery. Overall, EXIT: E is a strong first mini album for Winner. It shows how they’ve grown in the past 18 months and is a good introduction for people who may be new to them. Hopefully the next three mini albums will build on this momentum and show us another side to the group that we haven’t seen yet while maintaining the sound fans have come to love. seoulbeats.com

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Lee Hi Defines Urbanite in Seoulite BY DAWN Lee Hi | Seoulite | (HIGHGRND) YG Entertainment’s recent promotion schedule has had netizens up in arms: Big Bang’s longdrawn releases with their latest album, Winner and iKon’s repeatedly delayed comebacks and most recently Akdong Musician’s Chanhyuk’s national service enlistment. In the midst of the disgruntlement of these more popular YG artists, another YG treasure has almost been forgotten – Lee Hi. Only 20 years old, Lee Hi first gained recognition in the first season of K-Pop Star, where she lost to JYP’s Park Jimin. Following her decision to sign with YG Entertainment, she released her debut album in 2013, but things have gone pretty quiet since then. So it was no surprise that the hype surrounding her comeback as the 9th of March drew closer was undeniable and the excitement was palpable. Released as a half-album, Seoulite consists of five tracks and was produced by HIGHGRND, YG’s sub-label headed by Tablo. The album features several big names, from lyricists to producers to rappers; but not only does Lee Hi manage to hold her own and keep the spotlight on herself. The tracks of Seoulite further serve as a stage for her guests to shine in their own right, making for a solid and thoroughly enjoyable album. An aptly-named album, the five tracks take the listener on some kind of journey of the different facets of being an urbanite in South Korea. Beginning with the first track, “World Tour”, this song sets the tone for the entire album with its low-key hip-hop vibe. Featuring Winner’s Song 50

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Mino, the lyrics speak of the liberating freedom and independence that being in a city allows and encourages. But in this subtext, there is an undeniable sense of loneliness and insecurity of living in a big, cold city. The idea of needing to upkeep appearances and put up a façade is also further reflected by the juxtaposition of the music and the lyrics. Where the music is blasé and chic, the lyrics are unsure and fretful: Love, people; aren’t answers Running out of money that I earned so far And I might be a slave of work again I don’t know, but let me be As we go on into the second track, this idea of false confidence is further expounded upon with “Hold My Hand”. With a distinctly retro drum beat, the song gives off a similarly indifferent attitude, but less so in comparison to the first song. A song about missing a loved one, Lee Hi pleads for her lover to return, to hold her once again. When we bid goodnight on our last day together I turned around and only cold tears ran down my face But while the song appears, lyrically, to be a song about pining, it is once again starkly contrasted with a fun, catchy tune in a major key, which makes the listener want to dance along. Once

again, this seems to be a continuation of the “cold city woman” concept of the album, where sadness and loneliness are weaknesses to be masked and concealed. Nevertheless, this second track is slightly less suppressed and stoic, with more emotions coming through, even if they are contradictory ones. And if “Hold My Hand” had been a step towards stripping away facades, “Breathe” is a complete exposure of emotions. Co-produced by Shinee’s Jonghyun, this third track truly highlights Lee Hi’s talent. Beginning with the singular use of a piano, the first half of the song features only her voice, backed up by the piano, and her choice of musical phrasing and delivery are flawless. As we go into the first chorus, listeners are treated to Lee Hi’s voice in the upper register – something that does not happen very often in her songs. Jonghyun’s choice of vocal register is brilliant; Lee Hi’s voice in this range is almost child-like, reflecting a sense of absolute yearning that is perfect for the song. When someone sighs; a breath as deep as that How am I to understand it? Your sigh; even though I won’t be able to understand its depth That’s okay, I will embrace you As the other title track, “Breathe” aptly encapsulates the idea of being a Seoulite,

building particularly on previous ideas of loneliness and helplessness. It also adds, however, a new layer of emotion in the form of soul, something that was previously absent. A song of comfort, Lee Hi tells listeners that it is okay to take a break sometimes when life gets a little too hard. Heart-breaking in every way, this is the perfect third track to the album, bringing listeners to the peak of their emotional journey. Following the emotional trajectory of the album so far, Seoulite takes a sharp left turn with its second to last track, “Official”. This track is sexy — both lyrically and musically — with an exceptionally strong bass beat. It plays off a lazy duple time as well as off the rasps and lilts of Lee Hi’s voice, working in tandem to create a coy and sultry aura. When underground rapper Incredivle enters with his rap two-thirds of the way through, his confidence verges on lazy and arrogant, further enhancing the provocative ambience. Finally, the half-album ends off with “Fxxk Wit Us”, my personal favourite of the five tracks. As the final track, this song ups the hip-hop element, and features one final aspect of being a Seoulite – not giving a fuck,

as per the song title. Starting off unconventionally with the piano, there is a distinct, almost blues-ish vibe to this song. It is also laid-back and haughty, and both Dok2 and Lee Hi are entirely in their element here. What makes this song work in particular, for me, is the element of surprise that came with hearing the F word come out of Lee Hi’s mouth. But somehow, in both her diction and delivery, she is able to pull it off with class, without it coming across too harsh or crude; it’s amazing. Overall, this half-album checks out perfectly. It manages to showcase Lee Hi’s versatility as an artist and serves as the perfect platform for her undeniable talent. There isn’t a single flaw to this album, and it almost makes the three-year wait for Lee Hi’s comeback worth it – almost. I still stand for the fact that YG could have done better in scheduling her promotion. Nevertheless, Tablo did an incredible job in the production of Seoulite, and it might be a little premature to say this, but Lee Hi might just have one of 2016’s best albums under her belt.

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