The context to our conversation was today's release of SNSD's new teaser for their "Black SoShi" song. For those who do not know, SNSD is one of the most popular Korean girl pop groups today. Ask most Asian guys who they are and they will immediately claim their favourite, saying why she is the best member in the group and defending her honour. After all, she is going to be his future girlfriend someday(?).
Muffinman linked me the teaser, after which I got really excited.
Emoinacloset: OWWW
HOT HOT HOT
[after watching the video a couple more times]
ooo shit...
fuck
damn, I am so excited.
Afterwards, we went off into one of our tangential philosophical discussions.
Muffinman: I cannot find [SNSD’s new single] in the Oh! Album.
Emoinacloset: Maybe it will be released as a mini-album or a digital single.
Muffinman: Maybe…
Koreans have such a weird [album] release system.
Emoinacloset: Well, it keeps them in the public longer.
People don't have to wait so long for a new album.
Muffinman: Yeah, but then they are smaller albums.
Emoinacloset: Yeah, but Korea has those live performance stages which the US doesn't have.
Also stars don't get paid as much.
Muffinman: Well yeah stars don't get paid as much because the market is way smaller
And American artists have live performances too?
Emoinacloset: No, but Korea has specific music program shows where artists will go and perform to promote their single and they perform it 4-5 times a week for a month.
Besides, what's wrong with smaller albums?
Muffinman: You get less then what you pay for?
Do you think the mini albums cost half as much as a full album?
Emoinacloset: Yeah, but competition in the industry is so fierce.
If you're out of the spotlight for even a little you're gone.
Think about how many Korean girl groups there are.
Muffinman: Yeah, plus they pretty much all sound the same.
Emoinacloset: Kind of. But yeah, fierce competition.
Muffinman: You think the competition is more than in the US?
Emoinacloset: Yeah. If you think about it, there are always certain industry leaders that come to mind in the US.
Muffinman: Hmm, come to think of it, I think it is easier to get a contract in Korea, but harder to stay relevant or stick around compared to the US.
Definitely a quality over quantity thing in the US.
Emoinacloset: I guess... Or maybe they just invest more in their stars.
Muffinman: Even the selection process is more geared toward quality.
Like think of the way of how US stars get signed and think about how Korean stars are signed.
Emoinacloset: Well, I don't really know how US stars get signed
Muffinman: Like talent scouts? And just overall underground popularity.
Emoinacloset: Ahh I see what you mean.
Muffinman: Like, they have a music career usually before they turn pro.
Emoinacloset: Yeah, Korean stars are more manufactured.
They start training since middle school and then sign on to a label once they pass auditions. Then the label will train them some more until they are ready and fit them into a group
Muffinman: Really? They train for this?
Emoinacloset: Yeah, also because those tutoring schools are a lot cheaper in Korea. Although I'm sure the good ones are expensive too
Muffinman: Interesting. That is why there is so much more variety in the US pop scene
Emoinacloset: Nah, I think the lack of variety in Korean pop music is because Korean society is more homogenous than US society is.
And there is more pressure to conform
Muffinman: That is true.
There is really no other genre of music besides pop in Asian countries
Emoinacloset: Yeah, seriously. In Korea, rap is just taking off barely. Even 5 years ago everything was underground.
Muffinman: But still a small following right? Has it entered mainstream society yet?
Emoinacloset: Yeah, much smaller than normal Kpop.
Epik High is popular and I think Drunken Tiger is getting recognition.
But the market is still not very big.
If anything, Epik High is getting more "pop-ish".
Muffinman: Well, that happens to every band that becomes mainstream right?
Emoinacloset: I suppose.
Any thoughts?
-Emoinacloset
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Addendum: The music video is now out!
7 COMMENTS:
which girl is your favorite?? haha... still think it's funny you listen and anticipate their songs...
there is rap in korean.. it's just not as popular. and korean stars REALLY don't make as much as US stars.. so it makes sense that they're disparate to stay in the spot light. usually the songs in mini-albums or singles are in the album that they make later.. i think they make it for more money or to keep their fans entertained.. cause groups that go mia lose so much attention..
Smaller/mini albums will get consumers to buy and still get attached to them... Plus, like what was mentioned, they need to stay relevant and it's generally cheaper to buy little albums here and there continuously than to wait out a full album like here. They are much more conservative over there than Americans who thrives on materialistic things (I'm being general).
As for Kpop, there are tons of genre of music, but the only ones that seem to be popular and mainstream is kpop. There is kRock, kRap, and kHipHop. kRap is getting popular, but I wouldn't say it's there yet. I love K indie music. Check out delispice on youtube.
As for hip hop, I like dj doc. talbo is an awesome rapper. I really miss onetym... bi is cool, and I do like se7en. yep..
Oh.. "Definitely a quality over quantity thing in the US." Nope, it's all about money. You have the money, you have the producers, do have the time on the radio to make you listen to the song over and over again, and keep seeing them in the media and ads, omg... it's ridiculous. I believe Lady Gaga in untalented, but they wanted her because she's marketable, different, use auto-tune like everyone else, and so on.. probably cheap at the time too. Do you think quality singers/groups are like jobros, selena gomez, britney spears, or miley? c'mon now. we're pounded by their crap to make us (younger generation) go crazy about them and that's all we see. Kind of like McD is a kid's meal come true--that's all they know and they arent' exposed to anyone else. At least Korean industry gets everyone, puts people out to let them have a chance and see what the people like... and yeah. It's really bias in America.
It's not talent at all here, unless you really are... it's about who you know here.
I will just be greedy and say my favorites are Tiffany or Taeyeon.
Muffinman likes Sooyoung.
-Emoinacloset
Small albums cost the consumer more than full albums because they get less than they pay for. Mini albums do not cost half as much as a full album despite containing roughly half as many songs. So the idea that Koreans are less materialistic because they buy mini albums really does not make sense.
What is this idea that the Korean music industry is more of an equal opportunity employer? From what I have heard stars are trained from an early age in special schools. While in the US most of the main stream artists have had no formal training prior to being signed and were scouted for their talent.
If you read the bio on Lady Gaga you would know that she had an extensive music career before being signed by a major label, not to mention talented enough to get accepted into Tish. This is a lot more than I can say about Korean artists who are selected purely based on marketability as evidenced by how pop groups are constructed by companies, not by the artists themselves.
-muffinman
I think Jessica is right. Mini albums are probably released because if they are out of the spotlight for too long, fans will just forget about them. Kpop groups are so similar that they can be interchangeable.
BUT I STILL LOVE SOOYOUNG!
-muffinman
Yes, you are correct to buy tons of mini albums. It's not a smart thing to do for a consumer, but for the marketers, it's a genius idea. It's like buying tools from the 99 cent store, you know it's goign t be crap, but it's 99 cents compared to like 5-7 bucks at home depot. The customer is trying to save a quick buck. You don't notice 2 dollars here and there leaving your wallet, but you would consider not buying something if it costs 10 bucks.
As for Lady Gaga. I do believe she have some kind of musical talent, but when you're signed with a company.. man, you're not more than a puppet who is money hungry (not entirely). I do appreciate artists like Shakira, NIN, and Air and Waves... yep.
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