Crystal S. Anderson, PhD Associate Professor of English, Longwood University Sechs Kies is one of most popular 1st-generation male K-pop “idol” groups and contemporaries of H.O.T.Sechs Kies, means “six pebbles” in German. Original group members include leader Eun Ji Won, Lee Jae Jin, Kim Jae Duk, Kang Sung Hoon and maknae Jang Su Won. Former group members…
Category: Solo Artists And Groups
45RPM: Boom Box
One of the first rap groups in South Korea, 45RPM recall the music landscape in the late 1990s: “‘Back then, there was nothing like what we call pure rap. You know how they have some sort of bridge, and then a little rap here and there. But when I started listening to LPs, I liked…
GOT7: Something Good
Crystal S. Anderson, PhD Associate Professor of English, Longwood University GOT7 is a seven-member Korean male group, often compared to 2PM, their label mates at JYP Entertainment. The name of the group refers to its seven members. The group debuted on January 16, 2014 with JYP Entertainment. Original members include leader JB (Im Jae-bum), Mark…
1sagain: Da Hitmaker
Crystal S. Anderson, PhD Associate Professor of English, Longwood University 1sagain (Park Jin Woo), pronounced “once again,” is a Korean rapper who keeps a very low profile, generating very little media outside announcements about upcoming releases. He debuted in 2002 with Neuron Music. Website: http://www.neuronmusic.co.kr/?albums=1sagain Image: 1 LABEL MATES Ju Bora | Paul Kim | Molly…
Battle: Going for Legend
Battle debuted in December 2006 after being formed on the popular television show Let’s Coke Play! Battle Shinhwa!. The group consisted of five members: Ryu (Won Seung Jae), Ki-hyun (Shin Ki Hyun), Lio (Park Ji Woon), Tae-hwa (Jin Tae Hwa), Hwi-chan (Kim Tae Kwan), and Chris (Jung Hyung Rok). The group members were personally chosen by…
Piggy Dolls: Not Your Ordinary Girls?
Piggy Dolls is signed with LOEN Entertainment and debuted in early 2011 with members Min Sun (Kim Min Sun), Jiyeon (Lee Ji Yeon) and Jieun (Lee Ji Eun). The group’s name and unique concept was based on their looks, which went against the Korean beauty standard of maintaining a slim momjjang (good body shape) and instead focused…
Byul: SoKo’s Female Balladeer
Byul (Kim Go Eun) is a solo artist known for her prolific work in singing ballads for Korean television and film. Her name, (별,) means “star” in Korean. While she was discovered by Jin Young Park (JYP) and was signed for a short while with JYP Entertainment, Byul is currently signed with Spring Entertainment. In…
NRG: Spreading Energy
New Radiancy Group (NRG) was a popular male pop/dance group that debuted under the Music Factory label in the fall of 1997. The group was formed out of the duo HamoHamo, whose members were Lee Sung Jin and Chun Myung Hoon. NRG was founded with those members and the addition of three new members:Moon Sung…
Wheesung: Slow Song Namja?
Wheesung (Choi Hwee Sung) is known for his penchant for R&B music. While he originally started his career as a part of the kpop group A4, Wheesung, debuted as a solo artist in 2002, signing with M Boat, a sister company with YG Entertainment. During his career, Wheesung won several awards for his soulful music….
B.A.P.: Badmen
B.A.P (Best Absolute Perfect) was formed in 2012 under the TS Entertainment label. The six-member hip hop group includes Yongguk (Bang Yong Guk), Himchan (Kim Him Chan), Daehyun (Jung Dae Hyun), Youngjae (Yoo Young Jae), Jongup (Moon Jong Up), and Zelo (Choi Jun Hong). The group had a very strong debut, showcasing their strong personalities…
KPK: Kpop Kollective 