Fair Shake Reaction: Move Again - KARA

Move Again - KARA

(Genre: Kpop)

I need your cursor to move again to these links:

When I Move (Music Video)

When I Move (Choreography Video)

Killing Voice (on Dingo Music)

OG Kpop Stan Reaction (to When I Move)

FiFiZappaReacts (to Move Again)

MMTG (Interview/Variety)

Most Shocking/Disappointing/WTF Asian Music Moments of 2013

Promising J-Indies Favorites Disband
I thought it would be excessive to give each of these bands their own entry as there's not much to say other than I'm sad I won't be seeing much of them, if anything, in 2014. Some were bands I've followed in the beginning and sad to see their journey end when they were reaching their peak: otogadead, cocklobin, and Eat You Alive. Some were new discoveries, but sadly faced their end when I was about to jump on the bandwagon of greatness: Called≠Plan and 2the DISCOLAND. I hope at least they find something else to join and continue on their musical journey.

Angeline Jolie Casts Miyavi
If you haven't heard the news, then I'll let you know that this isn't a rumor or a typo. I couldn't believe it myself, but apparently it's true. Angeline Jolie is directing a movie and Miyavi auditioned for it. I have no idea how his acting abilities have changed since Oresama, but I really hope he doesn't try to overwhelm himself with outside work like his pal Gackt. To make the situation even more amusing was his appearance in a tabloid claiming that Brad Pitt was jealous of Miyavi because he resembled a former lesbian lover his wife had. Don't you love tabloids~

Gisho and Hakuei Reunite
I must admit that this whole Litchi Hikari Club thing is a bit hit and miss and a little confusing to me. I don't understand its purpose anymore, unless there's an epic anime series coming out soon based on the manga. Anyway, as a casual listener of Penicillin, I was surprised to see Gisho reemerge to join Hakuei's side for the project. I don't know if it's a permanent addition, but whatever. Hakuei's way of working has always confused me.

Rubik's Kei Fired
Normally I would leave news like this off, especially since I'm not super into this band nor do I know enough people that even know of their existence, but I couldn't resist the vagueness of the news. I do like this band and they make good music too. Among all the band member departures, I think this one won the best of the best. Kei was apparently fired for "inhumane acts". What does that mean? No one knows and I doubt anyone will tell what those "inhumane acts" may be, but it was amusing to see what other people come up with as to what it may be.

ALSDEAD's Setsua's Departure
I think these member departures hit me harder after seeing them live and interacting with each other offstage. It's really weird. You believe everything is well and then bam! member departure or disbandment. It makes you wonder what happened between then and now to make someone leave or decide to break up the band. Anyway, I hope Setsua gets to fulfill everything he wants musically.

Signal's Controversial Disbandment
I thought about adding Signal to the disbandment entry, but there was something more going on with their story. I'm not sure how many people are familiar with them, but they are another talent j-indies band that sadly ended before they reached their peak. I was saddened by their shorten journey and disappointed to find out that their bassist embezzled money before their final live. I never understood the reasoning behind a member betraying their band, especially financially. Fyi, these visual kei bands don't really make much and most have to pick up another job or two to support themselves.

KARA Member Departure(s)
I'm not really a KARA fan, but I do like a couple or so of their songs and my favorite member is Nicole. I was aware that the group, or at least 3 members, had some contract issues with their label DSP Entertainment. Fortunately, things got settled and KARA has been one of the most successful kpop groups in Japan. Toward the end half of the year, Nicole and Jiyoung contemplated letting their contracts expire and leave KARA behind. Nicole made up her mind without hesitation and decided to let her contract expire, while Jiyoung takes the remaining few months at the beginning of the year to think things over. I think KARA is one those brave kpop groups that has a firm grasp of their individual futures and how business works in some way. Since I only have a bit of an attachment to Nicole, I hope this isn't the last I see of her in the public eye, but I want her to be happy with her freedom as well as whatever Jiyoung's decision may be on her own future.

Wonder Girls Hiatus
It all started when Sunye announced that she was getting married and it kinda seemed out of the blue. Of course, a lot of people assumed that she had a bun in the oven and worried about the future of Wonder Girls. Well, she did give birth and probably extended the group's hiatus as she adjusts to motherhood and married life. There was hope, but then Sohee decided to let her contract expire to pursue acting and modeling. I'm curious as to what is going to become of the Wonder Girls now. Will they pick up another member? Form a sub-unit or conduct solo careers in the mean time? I suppose we'll find out eventually.

SE7EN Scandal
Rain had a rocky check out of the military and SE7EN decided that he was continuing the celebrity military scandals when he began his 2 year service. Normally I would make fun of how big of deal South Korea made of SE7EN's trip to the massage parlor, but I can understand the fuss. Aside from ruining his dignity as a South Korean citizen serving his time, he also committed infidelity on his long time girlfriend. The interesting thing is that this scandal may change the system for male celebrities serving their mandatory military time. I guess something about it causes their hormones to go crazy.

BORN Accused of Starting Bizarre "Trend"
Overseas media love picking up bizarre "trends" that aren't really trends at all. Sure, Japan can be weird, but most things westerners think is weird they think is weird too. Eyeball licking happens to be one of those things. Although this viral "epidemic" was proven to be a hoax on CNET, BORN gained some views for "Spiral Lie" and of course some humorous commentary on the situation. Most long time fans of jrock are familiar with the late hide and Zi:Kill's TUSK's short film Seth et Holth and mentioned that, if anything, they would be the ones to start the "trend" of eyeball licking among visual kei. Nonetheless, everyone had a good laugh while it lasted.

Piggy Dolls Revamped
Piggy Dolls was a group that not many people knew about that possessed massive vocal talent and charisma. They started off with a bit of controversy with their image and name, but they embraced it and joked about their appearance while delivering powerful and confident performances. They were silent for a while, but I was happy when they returned with their first album. Unfortunately, more weight controversy arose when the girls lost weight. Whether it was the label's decision or they really did work their asses off literally, no one will know. Piggy Dolls went silent once again and returned with another controversial comeback: the original members were replaced. This upset me as well as other Piggy Dolls fans. Something I enjoyed about the group was that they stood out from the stereotypical imagery of kpop, but most of all they had mesmerizing vocals. Their replacements were quite vanilla and their debut was very bland. In short, I gave the new girls a chance and decided to abandon this new direction.

T-ara Ruins CEO's Competitive Plan
It seems like the overflow of drama has made it to 2013 with Kim Kwang-soo's initial plan falling apart before his eyes. Although we'll never know the truth behind Hwayoung's departure and relationship with the other members, we do know that new addition Aerum left before any serious attachments formed, but is said to possibly have a solo career in future. We also know that Dani will probably never be part of the main group and remain in T-araN4 as long as that exists or until she follows the same path. Either way, the line-up remains as six as it should've been in the beginning.

-OZ-'s Disbandment
As mentioned in my entry about Setsua's departure, I had the same feeling toward the announcement of -OZ- disbanding. They were an indies band that I felt would be producing music for a long time as their quality seemed to improve with every release. The band had amazing chemistry on and off stage and they were very consistent with everything. I hope the members find some projects to participate in because they are very talented, but nothing will replace -OZ-'s powerful energy.

AYABIE Member Shuffle
I've gained some enjoyment from this band after a few releases and seeing them in person. I still might not get over the whole name thing, but I learned to look past it enough and simply enjoy the music. Some time passed and Taito was announced to be part of the band as keyboardist. Later, KENZO stated he was leaving the band and I was really surprised, but it was nice he was working with Nightmare's Hitsugi on a side project called GREMLINS. After releasing a new single after his departure, Yumehito and Intetsu announced that they would be departing at the end of year. It looks like the band will continue with a new set of members to the existing and I'm really curious how that's gonna go.

Koki Tanaka Gets Kicked Out
I've surprisingly enjoyed KAT-TUN more and more over the last year and I know my younger self would be surprised that I would pick them over Arashi now, but I still have a soft spot for MatsuJun. Even though I'm not a hardcore fan, I was shock to see that Koki was getting the boot from Johnny's for violating the rules. After leaving, he was rumored to be offered to write a book about the scandalous underbelly that goes on in Johnny's Entertainment, which caused Papa Johnny to make a move to silence him. It didn't seem like Koki cared either way and went about his busy conversing with his fans on Twitter and working on his restaurant.

Dir en grey's Kyo Becomes Super Active
After recovering from vocal issues...again, Kyo decided to be more interactive. He opened a Twitter and Facebook account, had his photos featured in a gallery, created a website for his solo endeavors including some fictional characters he drew up, and lastly put together a band called sukekiyo. As much as I worry about Kyo's health, it is exciting to him open up more to his fans and try new things. Unfortunately, you have to deal with these crazy fans who think Dir en grey is breaking up. To those people, please calm down and reevaluate everything.

Block B vs. Stardom Entertainment
Block B has been through a lot of ups and downs as a rookie group, well somewhere in between rookie and veteran. They recovered fairly well after the mistranslated Thailand incident and soon the contract dispute began. I really wish companies would stop taking advantage of young talent (and their parents). The struggle was over their contract and not being paid what was due to them. According to sources, their parents contributed to the group's funding as well and the group never received what was promised to them. Fortunately, Block B made a true comeback under Seven Seasons and a new mini-album.

Rain Returns
Some of you may know that Rain is my ultimate kpop bias and the reason I even know what the heck kpop is. I've already expressed my excitement when I watched MAMA 2013 and watching him perform on stage like a boss. I remember holding back just a little when I heard the announcement of a new album for 2014 and a documentary/reality show. The more Rain the better. I'm obviously not complaining and can't wait to hear and see and feel everything for this man.

Ailee vs. AllKPop
Some of you may know I really dislike AllKPop and that I don't understand why people rely on them for news because they're as poor, reliable, and unbiased as Fox News and CNN. Most people know the story, AllKPop posted some nude photos of Ailee and everyone went crazy over it. I never really voiced my opinion on the actual situation of who was right or wrong, except for a class assignment, but I don't think I will be changing that anytime soon. Although, I still thought the "boycott" was stupid. Fans will continue using the site and continue to bash Ailee.

Gackt Scandal Part 2
Congratulations, you made the list twice and stayed consistent with being the spotlight of scandal! I thought things would settle after the financial and possible illegitmate child news and then we would get new material. Well, Gackt has been super busy throughout 2013 as an actor, judge, and musician, but he didn't avoid the scandal boat. As much as I wanted to rant about the fan commentary presented on the matter, I didn't make the time for it and I kinda wanted to avoid certain aspects of it. In short, a woman went to a tabloid and exposed her sexual exploits with Gackt. She accused him of sexual assault and the story went all twisty turny. As I want to still maintain my opinion on the whole situation toward the comments a secret, I'm not surprised that Gackt continues on by gearing up with several singles for 2014 without a moment's hesitation.

Pay money To Pain's K Passes Away
Only a few days after posting 2012's list and mentioning K's mental health, it was announced that the vocalist passed away. I wasn't expecting such news to occur so quickly when there was so much hope for recovery and new material for the coming year. With two new songs on the compilation album to hold us over, they did a fine job honoring K's essence with their last album.

Quick Music Review

Kara - Pandora (2012, South Korea) Rating: 3/5

Favorite Tracks: Pandora, Way

Kara never strays too far from their signature retro electro sound -- they just tweak and modify it a little at a time. This might not be a bad approach as I interpret this as Sweet Tune's attempt to recreate the huge wave of success they found in previous hits such as 'Mister' and 'Lupin'. “Way” is an infectiously cute song that combines an assortment of electronic beats and synths with a colorful melody to create a futuristic jpop-esque track. “Pandora” takes a little detour with a dark but energetic style amplified by its edgy guitar riffs and cascading synth effects.The harmonies are pleasant to listen to and I feel like the song is mixed in a way that made even their weakest vocalist sound impressive. “Idiot” gives off a similar vibe as the first song. It's a bubbly, summery track that reminded me of 8bit nintendo game music – a genre that I would ordinarily find quite charming. Unfortunately, the immature, childish vocals make up one of the most nerve-grinding songs I've ever encountered in kpop.  I would have appreciated a little auto tune magic in this track. The mini-album closes with “Miss U,” an upbeat, swing, jazz-influenced piano tune that features big band style instrumentation. I didn't really care for this song because I'm not too big on anything of this genre. Overall, I wish the other songs on the album would have retained the sexy, dynamic sound found in 'Pandora'. It might have given them a unique edge over all the other girl groups. I hope in the future DPSmedia realizes that one well-polished title track is not enough to sell us on Kara's mature image, nor is it enough to make Kara's singles worth investing in.

Sistar19 - Gone Not Around Any Longer (2013, South Korea) Rating: 4/5

Favorite Tracks: Gone Not Around Any Longer, A Girl in Love 

Subunit duo Sistar19 is back with a slow, sultry r&b title track that follows the current heartsick, melancholic theme that's been so popular this year. I'm convinced that "Gone Not Any Longer" is a filler track that didn't make it onto Sistar's “Alone” album. Just like with Sistar, Hyorin dominates this song, leaving little room for Bora to show off her talents. Hyorin exhibits full control over her slightly husky, soprano range voice. She doesn't rely on adlibs to convince us of her singing capabilities. Her technique is incredible and it's easy to understand why they shine the spotlight on her so often. The saxophone and piano melody really complimented Hyorin's vocals nicely and added to the overall sophisticated, sensuality of the song. So I'm at a loss to understand why Bora's misplaced, monotonous rap was even added. I felt like it interrupted the flow of the song and made Bora seem like she was just a featured artist or an afterthought. Luckily, the second track redeemed her a little. "A Girl in Love" continues their mellow urban sound but adds a more dance-able beat. This time the duo maintains the perfect balance as Bora's rap is confident and even a little playful in its delivery, while Hyorin's flawless vocals are the proverbial icing on the cake. This was another one of my favorites, one I could find myself playing over and over again. This short album wraps up with "Ma Boy," a classic r&b tune that's pretty original to kpop but not exactly in a good way. Honestly, it's a love it or hate it kinda track. I mostly thought it unnecessary for them to include an extra from their debut single, but again that's only because I didn't enjoy the repetitive hook, bland rap insert and Hyorin's pitchy vocals here. Yes, for once I didn't care for Hyorin's voice. Other than that, I felt this single effectively showcased the classier side of kpop and I can't wait to hear more from these two. 

Nu'est - Hello/The Moments (2013, South Korea) Rating: 3.5/5 

Favorite Tracks: Hello, Hello Hello

I've been patiently awaiting rising star rookie group Nu'est's return from their 6-month hiatus because I've enjoyed what they've put out so far. As we all know, the kpop market is already over saturated with groups that recycle the same generic musical formulas. So I wondered, “Could Nu-est churn out another attention-grabbing title track like the ones found on their previous mini albums?” I convinced myself to give it a try, hoping I'd find another reason to keep my eye on them. I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that the album begins on a mid-tempo note, but my expectations weren't exactly crushed. Warm acoustic riffs and sentimental piano melodies blend together to elevate clean, evenly distributed vocals in "Hello." Truthfully, I wasn’t very fond of it at first, but I realize it is a good idea for them to have chosen a promotional song that showcases their singing abilities early on just to let the public know they aren't one-dimensional. Nu'est returns to its roots in "Hello Hello," which gives me a little bit of hope. This synth-driven, power pop tune pulls from most of the musical conventions currently popular in kpop. And while it's not exactly original, the pulsing bass-line and slick electro trance buildup towards the chorus still makes this song worthy of repeated listens. The third track, "너네 누나 소개시켜줘The Girl Next Door," begins with a talking introduction (a voicemail message, perhaps?) over a piano rendition of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” which made me immediately exit my itunes application. After a few minutes of prepping myself for the song, I decided to give it another go. This song throws me for a loop when a 70s era r&b accompaniment kicks in. Once again, I’m happy to compliment them on their harmonizing, but this is not something I'd listen to all the time. Break out the tissues and a half pint of ice-cream for this next song. "조금만 A Little Bit More" is yet another typical, filler drama ballad. The first thing I picture the moment this song starts playing... is a screen and credits rolling in slow motion. The end of some movie or a TV Drama? Not exactly a good thing. But it's still worth listening to if you're in the mood for sweet, heartfelt vocals sung over dramatic string instrumentation. The album concludes with “Beautiful Solo,” which treads unfamiliar ground with an energetic, pop rock set up that reminds me of something B1A4 would have put out in their earlier releases. I applaud Nu'est's efforts to explore a different side of their talents, but I can't say this is their strongest release. Hopefully in the future, we’ll see even more improvement as they build on what they've done and succeed in creating their own niche.

Nishino Kana - Sakura, I Love You (2012, Japan) Rating: 3/5

Favorite Tracks: Sakura, I Love You, My Baby

This little gem of a single came to me during a time when my music listening had sharply declined in favor of non-media related hobbies. Coming from someone who absolutely loooves J-r&b style singers, I was definitely in need of something familiar but fresh to help pull me out of my music slump. "Sakura, I Love You" is pop-oriented with colorful vocals and a catchy, almost tropical sounding chorus to go with it. Even though this song could be strictly classified as jpop, I still felt as though it would fit in quite nicely on a j-urban themed playlist. "My Baby" is a sentimental, filler-esque slow-jam. It may not be my style, but I was still impressed with how smooth the combination of English and Japanese was in this song. "Sweet Sweet" amps up the beat, with a synth-filled, bubbly "pretty girl" theme song. There didn’t seem to be much of a difference between this track and the opening track in terms of the mood it brings and there's something really infectious in the way she raps between the chorus. Needless to say, I was impressed with Nishino Kana, and after listening I experienced one of those "If only I would have checked her out a billion years ago" moments.

Nell - Holding onto Gravity (2012, South Korea) Rating: 4.5/5

Favorite Tracks: White Night, Holding onto Gravity

Nell is one of many k-indie bands that successfully infuses emotion into their music in a mature and authentic way.  I've found myself able to relate to many of their songs on a deeper level, and I often listen to them whenever I need a break from manufactured kpop tunes. I thoroughly enjoyed their last two albums, so I felt I wasn't taking too much of a risk to order this latest single without listening to previews. "Coinseller" is a short simple instrumental with a distant, resonating acoustic melody that creates a smooth transition for the second track. "White Night" carried me away with its lush arrangement and emotionally rendered lyrics. There was a feeling of ethereal, dreamy ambience in this particular track that was – for lack of a better word – absolutely lovely. The percussions fit nicely and even brought out the best of the song, second to the vocals of course. "Holding onto Gravity" continued on that note, with the perfect combination of strings, cymbals, and acoustics. The blending of instrumentals in this track works superbly with Kim Jong-wan singing as their front man. The final song on this ep is "Blue," which opens with the soft sound of rain and pulls you along gently with a soft steady beat and bassline. The vocals are nice enough to fit the song's overall longing and contemplative theme. Every song seamlessly runs into the next, bringing with it subtle differences that allow the album to feel cohesive. I encourage anyone who hasn't given Nell a try to start with this short album as I feel its one of their most accessible releases.