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…
Category: Solo Artists and Groups: #-D
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…
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…
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…
2AM: K-pop’s Balladeers
2AM debuted in 2008 under JYP Entertainment. A subunit of One Day (made up of 2AM and 2PM), 2AM has four members: Lee Chang Min (Changmin), Im Seul Ong (Seulong), Jo Kwon (Jo Kwon), and Jeong Jin Woon (Jinwoon). The group is known for their emotional singing and moving ballads, which fits the group name…
Block B: Busting Out
Seven member group Block B (short for Block Buster) debuted in 2011 under the Brand New Stardom label. Group members Zico (Woo Ji Ho), Taeil (Lee Taeil), B-Bomb (Lee Min Hyuk), Jaehyo (Ahn Jae Hyo), U-Kwon (Kim Yu Kwon), Kyung (Park Kyung), and P.O. (Pyo Ji Hoon) have made a mark in Kpop due to…
2NE1: Music for Anyone
2NE1 burst onto the music scene in 2009 with their debut song Fire. The group’s name means “New Evolution of the 21st Century,” showing that they want to add their unique style to the existing pop music industry. After making a name for themselves in Korea with their popular songs, the group also debuted in…
CN Blue: Code Name Blue
CN BLUE is an acronym for Code Name: Burning, Lovely, Untouchable, Emotional. Each adjective refers to each individual member of the four-man rock band. They made their debut with the album Now or Never in Japan in 2009 under AI Entertainment, followed by their Korean debut in 2010 with FNC Music. . . Click…
2PM: They’re Your Men
2PM debuted in 2008 under JYP Entertainment. Other groups debuting that year included sister group 2AM, and Davichi, SHINee, and U-KISS. A sub-group of One Day (made up of 2AM and 2PM), 2PM debuted with seven members: Park Jae Beom (Jaebeom), Kim Jun Su (Junsu), Nichkhun Horvejkul (Nichkhun), Ok Taec Yeon (Taecyeon), Jang Woo Young…
BEAST/B2ST: B2UTY and the BEAST
Beast debuted in 2009 under Cube Entertainment. Other groups that debuted that same year were 4Minute, 2NE1, After School, T-Ara, MBLAQ, Secret, and f(x). Beast debuted with six members- Yoon Dujun (Dujun), Son Dong-woon (Dongwoon), Lee Gi-kwang (Gikwang), Yang Yo-seob (Yoseob), Jang Hyun-seung (Hyunseung), and Yong Jun-hyung (Junhyung). Originally formed as B2ST, they soon changed…
KPK: Kpop Kollective 