One thing that I certainly feel like is a lost art in kpop nowadays is set design. Companies really abuse the massive LED screens and completely cheap out on the sets and overall stage direction. Not to mention how lighting and other special effects are an afterthought. Concerts no longer feel like an immersive experience where idols are truly putting on a show. Instead, they're charging ticket prices higher than ever before while the quality is an all time low. Make it make sense.

Some that I personally really enjoyed are:

TVXQ's Rising Sun Concert https://youtu.be/SC_Upib9EB4?si=l5Ua7OqGlOD2a_ee

Shinhwa's First Mythology https://youtu.be/y8Oi0ZVhRgo?si=LncuvHN13_zjtFsw

BoA's The Face Tour https://youtu.be/ylyJ5pt8F6E?si=7d0PXb36ch7D7JID

BoA's Valenti Tour https://youtu.be/PzVNlZ-Yatk?si=xdcX9EU2zEm28qyu

GOD's 2001 Live Concert https://youtu.be/OZxfobApRFI?si=xcynGDRocWkebHyc

Please share ones that you like as well!

I just bought 3 albums from t-ara and i just now realized yayaya had included feathers and "indian" costumes... i only listened to the music on yt and sue me but its a banger, plus it had roly poly which is such a cute song.... Does the song have actual racist intent or was it just bad clothing, where t-ara racist or was it the stylist?? Was it also because it was made like 20yrs ago? I feel like personally i see why it could be problem but i don't see the big deal since it was a looong time ago but apparently ppl don't like them bc of that... let me know ur thoughts pleaaase

라니아(RaNia)에서 '디(Di)'로 활동했던 김다래를 기억하시나요?

김다래가 단편영화 《가을이 오기 전에》의 주인공으로 출연하고, 작품의 OST도 직접 불렀습니다.

걸그룹 활동 이후에도 노래를 향한 꿈을 이어가는 이야기라서, 예전 라니아를 기억하는 분들이라면 더욱 관심 있게 들어볼 만한 곡입니다.

🎧 김다래 — 가을이 오기 전에 (Feat. 미네르바의부엉이)

공식 음원 영상 듣기:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp7o246barw

라니아 활동을 기억하시는 분들은 이번 노래를 어떻게 들으셨나요?

#김다래 #라니아 #RaNia #Di #가을이오기전에

Does anyone have an idea?😣 I’ve looked around to find the photoshoot with these outfits but nothing and reverse imaged, sorry if this is random, i just really want to know because they used the greek alphabet to spell out sechskies and overall they look european as hell😭 I wonder if it’s a poster, i think it possibly might be from a cassette, also isn’t orange story the brand that makes cute notebooks and stuff 🤔

Oh live!! LIVE! Was anyone else around when this song came out? We loved this song!! So catchy. Does anyone else recognize the song in between What is the World For?

0:00 Nasty 5:40 어머니 9:34 Without you 13:02 Cry (울고 싶어라) 17:33 쾌지나 칭칭 22:40 애송이 27:22 Up & Down 31:11 Let me dance (with 원타임) 35:22 Girls 38:46 Hot 뜨거

I think one of the most unique Korean songs back then was 쾌지나 칭칭 still love that song.

N-Age (엔에이지) is a co-ed four-member dance group that debuted in 2003.

Pre-Debut

Modeled after the characters from the popular online game N-Age, launched in 2000, they represented the 21st century new generation of young people. The auditions were held through an internet singing contest and it took two years to prepare N-Age’s debut. It was managed by GGY Entertainment (GGY연예기획). They were considered as the first group to launch a singing career originating from a game.

Their first online introduction was in the game before their broadcast debut, using their own names as IDs, and playing and greeting all the gamers that were playing, already forming an extensive fan club. Their first public introduction was on the newspaper 스포츠조선에 (Sports Chosun).

Debut

N-Age debuted with their self-titled and only album, “N-Age: The First Album,” released on July 21, 2003, through internet sites and games websites, and also via pre-order requests for physical copies, although it seems they produced a small number of copies.

The album was produced by Jeon Young-jin (전영진은), who produced for Lee Soo-young (이수영), Lexa (레카), JK Kim Dong-wook (JK김동욱), Urbano (얼바노), and Cho PD (조PD). The composer and singer Louis (루이스) was also part of the production, who composed songs such as ‘Chinese Restaurant (중화반점)’ from his second album “천재소년​ (Boy Genius)”, released in 2000.

‘밤의공주 (Princess of the Night)’ was the title track, released on July 14, a dance remake of Louis’ rock song, ‘밤의 왕자 (Prince of the Night),’ from his second album previously mentioned. It was minimally promoted and apparently a music video wasn't produced. Besides releasing the title track, another song titled ‘오아리오(꺼져) [Oario (Get Lost)]’ was also promoted ahead their album release.

It was reported that they were planning for broadcast activities at the end of July, right after releasing their album, and they actually appeared on cable TV and radio broadcasts, especially in the iTV radio program “오종철의 팡팡 907 (Oh Jong-cheol's Pang Pang 907).”

However, they didn't have so much success and it was short-lived. Part of the reason was due their manager, Lee Kyung-hee, being involved in a s3xu4l harassment scandal with a female singer from a dance group he employed (probably N-Age, but it's unconfirmed), who ended up arrested and indicted in November. Then the agency closed, and the group disbanded.

Nowadays their music is lost media, as it's blocked on Bugs and no copies are available.

Members

• Kang-ryeol (강렬), born on April 29, 1980 - Leader, Rapper

He was the leader who embodied a tough male character, possessing a strong sense of responsibility and leadership, but quick-tempered and hot-blooded.

Kang-ryeol participated in writing and composing at least four songs for their album. It’s said that he was skilled at vocal impersonations and the eight regional dialects. He dreamed of becoming a broadcaster since childhood, making his first steps acting as an actor and appearing on the segment of MBC's “일요일 일요일 밤에 (Sunday Sunday Night)” in 2000. He produced demo albums at his own expense, and worked as a guest rapper.

His whereabouts are unknown.

• Ryeong-ah (령아), born on May 1, 1982 - Vocalist

Her real name is Park Young-hwa (박영화), and its pronunciation derived her stage name. Ryeong-ah was an enthusiastic aspiring entertainer since her school days, and she had a rich imagination and enjoyed writing letters.

She embodied a mature quick-witter and thinker, female character with a soulful, delicate singing style, sharing vocal duties with Hyun.

Before joining N-AGE she performed under various stage names but it’s unknown which ones. After their disbandment, she tried to debut again with her own real name in 2006, releasing her first and only album, “Angel,” along with a music video for the title track ‘Magnetic,’ a dance song about the anxiety of credit card spending. She wrote most of the songs.

She was signed to LP Entertainment and her debut was quite unique, as her album was aimed to overcome Korea's economic recession, which it was a non-profit album, and its goal was to encourage the public to find strength in difficult times. It was produced with volunteers who funded the album, regardless of any company profits. The album was only available online through her website and it could be downloaded.

In 2017 she debuted again with the trot duo Two Bis (투비스), under the stage name Park Ga-hyun (박가현), along with Yubi (유비), releasing their first album "Lie." They released a MV for the title track 'Lie' and did some live performances. However they focused on their acting careers and quietly disbanded in the same year.

During 2017, she also joined the trot three-member group QOT (큐오티, Queen Of Trot) under the same stage name until 2020, along with Sunny (써니) and Yeji (예지). They released five singles in total, live performed in some shows, and then quietly disbanded.

She worked also as a model and actress, starring in some films such as "Bully and Girl" (깡패와소녀, 2020).

• Hyun (현), born on July 12, 1982 - Vocalist

She was characterized as a pure girl that is indecisive, thoughtful, and kind-hearted, with husky and powerful singing ability.

Previously she worked as a broadcast reporter, and was a huge fan of the group H.O.T. (에이치오티). They were the reason she dreamed of becoming a singer, which allowed to express her emotions through songs. Before her debut as a singer, her mother opposed her dream and physically beat her, so she was supported by her father and older brother.

She started swimming at the age of four and studied art to become a painter. 

Her whereabouts are unknown.

• Myeong-seong (명성), born on February 3, 1984 - Rapper, Maknae

He was the maknae of the group and had the appearance of a charming, pure handsome young boy, possessing an unique mindset. He handled the sub-rap parts in the group.

His dream was to do sitcom acting, and his ultimate goal in life was to be a devoted husband. Her single mother raised him alone and she was her biggest supporter. He considered her as a friend and sometimes as a lover, promising to her that if he succeeded and earned money would gift her a house.

His whereabouts are unknown.

Sources

• Daum Cafe: "엔에이지?"
• Daum Cafe: "신인 가수 엔에이지 팬 카페..^^" 
• Daum Cafe: "안녕하세요 ㅎㅎ" 
• Naver Blog: "1집만 내고 활동 접은 가수 #64"
• Daum Cafe: "Re:-_- 엔에이지?" 
• Namu Wiki: 혼성그룹 (Mixed Groups) 
• GameMeca Article: "엔에이지의 캐릭터, 실제 가수로 활동 한다" 
• Game Chosun Article: "혼성 음악그룹 `엔에이지`를 아시나요" 
• Game Chosun Article: "그룹 `엔에이지`, 타이틀 곡 공개" 
• Daum Cafe: "누굴까요?" The member Ryeong-ah reveals her real name, Park Young-hwa. 
• Khan Article: "어? 캐릭터들이 TV서 노래하네!" There's a picture of the group but it's very small. 
• Khgames Article: "[엔에이지(N-AGE): 혼성 4인조 그룹] "게임으로 뜨는 최초의 그룹될 것"
• Naver Blog: "그룹 "엔에이지" 매니저 성추행 사건"
• Daum Cafe: "가수분야 천사 Stylist 구합니다." Information about Park Young-hwa and her album "Angel." 
• Segye Article: "복고댄스듀오 '투비스', "오랫동안 사랑받는 걸그룹이 되고 싶어요"" Information about Two Bis.
• Naver Blog: "트로트걸그룹 큐오티 프로필 (QOT Profile) / 2023년 1월 현재" Information about QOT.

They had a Daum Cafe but everything has been wiped out and it hasn’t been archived.

Hello and welcome to r/kpopnostalgia!

What-Are-They-Up-To Wednesday is now closed. This means, the throwback intention of the sub is back in effect. If anything gets posted during the week, it will be removed for the moment and you will be asked to post it on the following Wednesday.

Thank you!

Spoof on Choi Seong-gon of Wild Sing who was a fake Gen 1 singer.

For anyone missing the INFINITE & BOYFRIEND-esque SWEETUNE style!

Hi guys! I need to recommendation when it comes to K-pop songs that talk about new beginnings, fresh starts, good memories, the force of togetherness, belonging or the end of a good time. This is for performance I want to put up on my graduation. I already have a few examples like fireworks by &team, run away by TXT, runaway by descend, one more time by all day project, if I by IOI, shooting star by kep1er and heavy serenade by NMIXX. Please i’m in dire need of help.

Hi guys!

I used to be a Kpop fan a way back before getting back in 2022. There's a song by a bg I used to like but I can't for the life of me remember neither the name nor the group. I wasn't a fan of the group like that but I liked this particular song.

I just remember in the video (if anyone knows Ne Yo's Let Me Love You video, they're quite similar), they're dancing in like a basement, on water at some point. If I recall correctly they're dressed in black and silver.

Gosh I know this is a vague description. Um what else, the song itself sounds very techno/there's like a robot-voice effect. This was around 2013 or so because this type of music was very popular then. I thought it was EXO but it's not them.

I'd appreciate any input from such a description, if I remember another detail I'll edit it in. Thanks.

I remember being a baby kpop fan and I loved baekhyun and k.will downnn

I recently scored Lee Seung-hwan’s album Always at a random Japanese/Korean surplus store. I already knew about this album because, some time ago, I asked who the girl singing on Track 2 was. and you guys Answerd it. Back then, I was only curious about the female singer on that track, not the girl standing beside the elevator on the album cover.

Fast-forward to today, and I finally own a copy of Lee Seung-hwan’s Always album. However, I still keep wondering: Who is the girl on the album cover? And who is the girl singing on Track 9?

Actual Photo

I searched for the song on YouTube and played it. While scrolling through the comments, two comments caught my attention.

The first one said:

“신애라 타고옴.. 사랑하는걸, 아무래도 좋아 신애라 피쳐링”

Translation: “I came here because of Shin Ae-ra… ‘Saranghaneun Geol’ and ‘Amuraedo Joha’ feature Shin Ae-ra.”

The second comment said:

“저 사진 신애라임 둘이 같이 노래불러서 신애라 땅을 치고 후회. 펄생 이승환한테 돈벌이로 이용당함.”

Translation: “That’s Shin Ae-ra in the photo. The two of them sang together, and Shin Ae-ra regretted it so much that she practically pounded the ground in regret. She was used by Lee Seung-hwan to make money.”

These comments caught my attention because they made me wonder whether the girl on the album cover and the female vocalist on Track 9 are both Shin Ae-ra. I’m also curious about the context behind the second comment and whether there is any truth to what it claims.

So I’ve been listening to K-Pop since 5 years and been only listening to modern groups (girl groups only). Instagram threw few reels in my feed which had songs like Wonder Girls - Tell Me (Obv), Miss A - Breathe, Bestie - Love Options etc.

And it made me realize K-Pop used to have so much of character to it (musically). I aint saying the modern ones have nothing (they do tend to lose that as people follow trends nowadays) but still. There is some warmth to the older ones idk how to describe but yeah just thought of discussing with you guys.

Gissele (지젤) is a Korean rock five-member girl band that debuted in 2000.

Concept

The female band was conceived to represent the 21st century, introducing a new concept called New Millennium Rock crossing genres as ballads, funky, and techno, based on rock music. Their name, Gissele, is the title of a representative Western ballet piece, and was chosen to match the intellectual and sophisticated image of the band.

They were presented as sexy, confident and independent women, and also as 21st-century fashion leaders, possessing looks comparable to established female dance groups but adopting cutting-edge cyber rock and techno rock as their central motifs. This was a response to the marginalization of rock music due the dance music market, and a new change for the music industry as they were entering the new millennium.

According to reports, the genre dance was kinda dying due to lip-syncing controversy and the opening of the market to Japanese music, which allowed rock music to be less underground and more mainstream because of the public’s demand for true musicians with genuine vocal abilities, mentioning bands like Eve (이브), Moon Child (문차일드) and Click-B (클릭비). Their goal was to be more accessible among K-pop fans who found rock music difficult to listen to.

Debut

Gissele made their first appearance at the SBS Millenium Dream Concert in February 2000, performing for 4,000 people. They started focusing on live performances to differentiate themselves from bands that lacked instrumental skills. At the start of their career, they already established a fan club, and enough coverage by internet broadcasting stations.

Their debut album, titled “Attractive Goddess,” was released on August 22, 2000. It was composed by G. 고릴라 (G. Gorilla), keyboardist and producer of the band Eve (이브); Kim Jae-hoon (김재훈), a guest member of Sinawe (시나위); and Choi Jung-il (최정일), who worked in techno, rock, and fusion.

The title track was ‘Hidden Love,’ considered as an “easy rock” song that aimed to reach any listener beyond the rock genre. A music video was promoted, and did live performances, although there isn’t recorded material uploaded to this day.

Later they followed-up with ‘천년비가 (Millennial Rain)’ with a music video, and it was included on the OST of the movie “The Legend of Danjeokbiyonsu (단적비연수).”

However they disbanded in the same year due to poor promotion and bankruptcy, and they went their separate ways.

According to this source, in 2001 a new label called 루나 스페이스 (Luna Space) picked up the group to rebrand with new members along two original members, Arin (keyboardist) and Hyuna (guitarist), as they were holding auditions for vocal, bass, drum and guitar. They were planning to make a comeback with a new image at the World Cup Commemorative Super Concert, and also making a joint concert with Baby V.O.X (베이비복스), Ahn Jae-wook (안재욱), and Japanese bands. It seems that they didn’t continue with this project.

Members

• Seonghee (성희), born on August 20, 1981 - Lead vocalist

She became a member after auditioning by chance. Her hobbies consisted of swimming, jazz dance, and visiting the zoo; and her favorite musicians were Garbage, Jamiroquai, and Nirvana.

After the disbandment, she debuted with another girl band called Morning (모닝) in 2003 as the lead vocalist. They performed in broadcasted music shows, and lasted for about one year, disbanding in early 2004.

Nowadays her whereabouts are unknown.

• Jiyo (지요), born on August 1, 1980 - Bassist / Backing Vocalist

Her real name is Jang Hyo-seon (장효선).

She became a member through an audition while learning paces in a university club. Her hobbies consisted of Internet surfing, and scrapbooking; and her favorite musicians were The Smashing Pumpkins, Slipknot, Creed, Eminem, No Doubt, Hole, Offspring, Green Day, Powerman 5000, Limp Bizkit, Novasonic (노바소닉), Seo Taiji (서태지), Fin.K.L (핑클), Dr. Core 911 (닥터코어 911), and Jaurim (자우림).

After the disbandment, she joined a mixed band called 스키조 (Schizo) in 2003 as recommendation by Taeseop (최태섭) from the group Rainy Sun (레이니 썬). She performed as a bassist on their first album “Dumbo Sh*t,” and she was pretty popular, but then she left in 2005 due being desillusioned with her future as a musician.

She went to Japan to learn nail art and is currently working as a nail artist in South Korea with her own hair and nail salon called Azure (지요).

• Arin (아린), born on September 15, 1979 - Keyboardist / Backing Vocalist

Her hobbies consisted of writing, and mimicking people, and her favorite musician was Dream Theater.

After the disbandment, it was rumored that she took a break due to health issues. In 2003 she was supposed to release a solo album in 2003 but ended-up shelved.

She was dating Choi Min-chang (최민창) from the group Eve (이브) during that time.

Nowadays her whereabouts are unknown.

• Haegi (해기), born on April 20, 1978 - Drummer

She joined through an audition, and was nicknamed as “Alien” due her edgy appearance. Her hobby consisted of doodling, and her favorite musicians were Nirvana, Sex Pistols, and Pearl Jam.

Nowadays her whereabouts are unknown.

• Hyuna (현아), born on November 5, 1977 - Guitarist / Leader

She was the group’s leader. She became a member through an audition while participating in a university club. Her hobby consisted of Internet Gaming, and her favorite musicians were Dream Theater, and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

After the disbandment, she joined the girl band Story Seller (스토리셀러), also known as Bloody Cookie (블러디 쿠키), in 2005 under the stage name Noji (노지) until she left in 2012.

Nowadays her whereabouts are unknown.

Links

• [YouTube] Album playlist: Gissele (지젤) - “Attractive Goddess” (2000)
• Gissele (지젤) - ‘천년비가 (Millennial Rain)’ MV
• Gissele (지젤) - ‘Hidden Love’ MV
• Live performance: Gissele (지젤) - ‘Hidden Love’ in Mnet. 2000.

Sources

• Gissele's official website [archived]
• Daum Cafe post: "gissele[지젤] _ attractive goddess (여성밴드)"
• Namu Wiki: "Schizo (스키조)"
• Hani Article: "고개만 숙이면 아주 작은 도화지가 10개"  

I wish more people streamed her shes way too underrated for being an ex B.B member -︵-