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Hara’s ‘Alohara’ Avoids Expectations, For Better And Worse
If I had ever made a list of idols unlikely to ever debut as a solo artist, Gu Hara from Kara wouldn’t have topped the list, but she would have made the top five. Hara is the visual and subvocal of a...
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Bust Out The Pillows for A Pink’s “Pink Memory”
In a change-up from the sexy summer comebacks currently saturating, A Pink has returned with a more innocent release in line with their image. 2014 was a great year for A Pink, with “Mr. Chu” being...
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Grab Your Drinks and Dance Shoes For Beast’s “YeY”
Following last year’s TiMe and Good Luck, Beast has taken most of 2015 off of group promotions, with “12:30” having been released almost nine months ago. Now, though, they’re back, making a comeback...
View ArticleBest of Weekly Music Shows: 7/27 – 8/2
Welcome back, readers, to the Best of Weekly Music Shows! Summer is starting to wind down, but it appears no one told Korea that as the onslaught of summer comebacks continues. This week saw the...
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The Wonder Girls ‘Reboot’ Right Back to 1987
The Wonder Girls have a long and respected history in K-pop. They were the original second-generation queens, scoring a trifecta of hits with “Tell Me”, “So Hot”, and “Nobody”, but repeated departures...
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Stephanie’s “Prisoner” Is An Exercise In Uncomfortability
One of the biggest tragedies of 2nd generation K-pop is the short career of CSJH The Grace, who lasted only five years before breaking up in 2010. A close second, though, is that despite the immense...
View ArticleThe SB Mixtape 8/26/2015: Grief And Loss
Welcome back, SB readers, to another round of the SB Mixtape. Frequently, these mixtapes are inspired by whatever is happening in our lives when we’re putting them together. This is one such mixtape,...
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Hyorin, Zico, and Paloalto Seek Refuge In “Dark Panda”
Summer is coming to an end, and the bright, cheery releases that have dominated the last five or so months are ending with them. As the weather turns dreary and cold, the musical landscape of K-pop...
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Purfles’s “A Bad Thing” Breaks Abuse Wide Open
After splashing onto the K-pop scene in late 2014 with “1,2,3”, Purfles has been curiously absent. Their debut was lauded alongside Mamamoo‘s as one of the best of 2014, yet it’s been almost a year...
View ArticleBest Of Weekly Music Shows: 8/31 — 9/6
Welcome back to the Best of Weekly Music Shows. Show Champion didn’t air this week, with MBC‘s Prime Concert airing instead. Girl’s Generation have kept on their “Lion Heart” winning streak, taking...
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Red Velvet Expands On Boldness In ‘The Red’
I’ve always admired Red Velvet for straight up admitting to a future of switching between bold concepts and sultrier ones. According to SM, it’s literally in their name. Of course, this has the obvious...
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Super Junior Definitely Brings The “Magic” Back
It’s a pretty open secret that SM Entertainment is having a good music year. Base, Odd, Kiss My Lips, The Beat Goes On, Exodus and Lion Heart were all great releases. Looking over a full list of...
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Ailee Makes Sure You “Mind Your Own Business”
After almost a year away, Ailee has returned with her first full album, Vivid. Title track “Mind Your Own Business ” is a clear statement that Ailee’s particular brand of girl powerhouse songs hasn’t...
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‘Lovelyz8’ Slaughters With Sweetness
Lovelyz has had a long and turbulent history for a group under a year old. From a long-delayed debut to false accusations against member Seo Ji-soo, the eight ladies have had a difficult journey. But...
View ArticleBest of Weekly Music Shows: 10/5-10/11
Welcome back, Seoulbeats readers, to this week’s Best of Weekly Music Shows. My goodness, was this a chaotic week in K-pop. We saw the official debut of iKon, as well as the long-awaited solo debut of...
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Music And Lyrics: Bad Girls, Bad Girls, Whatcha Gonna Do?
A few months ago, we talked about bad boys in K-pop: how they’re perceived, and how they’re portrayed in the many, many, many songs about the rapscallions everyone hates to love. But what about their...
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Sassy, Go Go, Episodes 1-4: What’s In A Grade?
My hopes for Sassy, Go Go, the current Monday-Tuesday drama on KBS, were not high. It’s about a street dance club and academic club joining forces to win a cheerleading competition; something sweet but...
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Sassy, Go Go, 5-8: Bridging The Great Club Divide
You know a show is good when even the nameless side characters have distinct personalities and stories, developed in 10-second flashes of screentime. You know a show is great when those side characters...
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Brown Eyed Girls’“Warm Hole”: Unabashedly Sexual Retro Pop
Following a two-year hiatus, Brown Eyed Girls have returned! Many expected the perpetual pushers of the envelope to give us another kick-ass song, and the title “Warm Hole” only exacerbated those...
View ArticleBest Of Weekly Music Shows: 11/9 — 11/15
Welcome back, readers to another roundup of the Best of Weekly Music Shows! The glut of November comebacks clearly has no plans to slow down. Vixx, MyB, Tahiti, and Seo In-young have all added to the...
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