Who do you think is the most popular female k-pop singer? Who do you think is the most talented female k-pop singer? There could be many different voices and opinions, but the majority of people in the k-pop industry would say it’s IU. The talented singer, who has numerous hits such as “Good Day”, “You&I”, “Twenty-Three” and “Palette” is being loved by men and women of all ages, and as a competent musician, she wrote many of her own songs too. What’s most surprising about her is she can cover a diverse range of genres, while there are no other young k-pop singers who can do as great as her. That’s not all. IU is one of the most popular k-pop singers among k-pop industry workers because she is very good-natured. She's kind to everybody and she never acts high and mighty even though she is a top star. And as you may know, the sweet girl always cares about her fans and tries to do anything she can do for them. So, are you a big fan of IU? Do you want to know all the stories about the queen of k-pop? IU: The Queen of K-pop contains all the things about IU. The author, who has been working as a k-pop journalist since 2010 gives you answers to all the questions about IU such as “What is her real personality like?”, “How was her childhood?” and “What is IU’s ideal type of man like?”. The book also includes various stories behind IU. Welcome to the real world of k-pop. Enjoy your time!
SEOUL Magazine is a travel and culture monthly designed to help both expats and tourists get the most of their stay in the city, whether they’re in for only a few days or dedicated lifers who are always in search of new places, facts and interesting events. Featuring in-depth reporting on how to enjoy the city, foreigners’ perspectives on life as an expat in Korea and more, SEOUL is an eclectic publication that has something for everyone, whether you’re looking for an interesting read or a simple source of information.
"A sweetly engaging love triangle tale." — Kirkus Reviews Perfect for fans of One True Loves, Crazy Rich Asians, P.S. I Still Love You (To All the Boys I've Loved Before), this sweet contemporary romance novel follows a love triangle between a girl who hides her past with bright smiles and two swoonworthy boys who deeply love her, but only one who loves her right. Lydia Zhang finally achieved all she ever wanted. She has her very own art studio and holds an art class there three times a week. With her best friend Isabel Wong, and her boyfriend of three years, Reed Wang, by her side, nothing can be more perfect in Lia’s life. But when Reed is a candidate for the new editorial director position at his publishing company, he ends up spending less and less time with her. Lia finds herself building a newfound friendship and confiding in the boy-next-door (more like boy-next-door-building), Connor Li, a chef teaching cooking classes at the SW Youth Center. Soon Lia’s heart is torn between the love of her life and whatever is going on between her new neighbor friend that is just a friend, right?
-Unknown stories about kpop stars such as BTS, EXO, BIGBANG, TWICE, BLACKPINK and more -Korean stars' real personality -With whom and how they date -How much they earn Aren’t you curious about k-pop stars’ real personality? Aren’t you curious about unknown stories about them? Here’s what you’ve been waiting for! Kpop Secret is released! Welcome to the real world of k-pop. We tried to include all the secret stories about Korean entertainment industry in Kpop Secret. We want to share all the stories behind k-pop stars with fans all over the world.
There are so many k-pop boy groups, while the groups are too numerous to mention one by one. However, some of them just disappear after debut, and only a very small minority of k-pop boy groups can become popular. By the way, there is a boy group who has been on the steady rise since its debut and is now considered as one of the most popular k-pop idol groups. Yeah, it’s BTS. As BTS is enjoying a huge popularity at home and abroad, many people in the k-pop world are now saying "The boy group is the future of k-pop." Actually, BTS' success is considered as being very special by people in the k-pop industry. Because BTS is in Big Hit entertainment, which is not as big k-pop agency as SM, YG, or JYP. Achieving success as an idol group of small and medium agency in the k-pop word is much harder than you could ever have imagined, and that’s why BTS deserves to be called “The k-pop pioneer”. Then, what do you think is the reason for BTS’ great success? First, the main reason for BTS' success is that the boy group differentiated itself from other boy groups by doing "real hip hop" music. The group writes its own music and sings about teenager's life, arousing empathy from young k-pop fans. Second, some of BTS fans may disagree, but the members have ordinary looks unlike other pretty k-pop idols. They’re not traditionally good-looking, and frankly speaking, I thought they are too ugly to be idols when I saw BTS for the first time. However, because of this, they could become the hottest idol group. I mean, fans could feel more comfortable and familiar with the members because they do not look like cartoon characters. Third, BTS is an idol group, but its members, Rap Monster and Suga have released their mixtapes just like underground rappers do. By doing so, they stressed the fact that they’re different from other puppet like idols. Especially, Rap Monster, who has polished his rap skills in the Korean underground hip hop scene before debut is getting the spotlight in the k-pop industry by showing off his outstanding rapping ability. He’s been active not only as an idol but also as a rapper, and he was also featured as a rapper in the album of MFBTY, comprised of Tiger JK, Yoon Mirae, and Bizzy who are considered as heavyweights in the Korean hip hop scene. BTS certainly succeeded in fascinating k-pop fans and it’s mainly because of the group’s image as a skilled hip hop idol. Oh, it's not just an image. The BTS members have sufficient performing skills and always prove it on the stage. Unlike other puppet like k-pop idol groups, they enjoy the stage and show high quality live performance. Have you been to BTS’ concert? It’s really gorgeous. So, are you a big fan of BTS? Do you want to know all the stories about BTS members? < BTS: The k-pop pioneer> contains all the things about BTS. The author, who has been working as a k-pop journalist since 2010 gives you answers to all the questions about BTS such as “What are their real personality like?”, “What were they like in school?” and “How did they become k-pop idols?”. The book also includes various stories behind BTS members. So, welcome to the real world of k-pop. Enjoy your time, and love yourself!
Everything You Could Possibly Need to Know about Korean Pop Music! K-POP is popping up everywhere! Korea’s infectious and high-energy pop music and entertainment scene is a relatively young phenomenon in the West, and it is rapidly gaining traction. Don’t be left out of the phenomenon. This book will help you learn the K-Pop lingo, culture, and important facts about the top stars of the industry, including: What it means when someone is your “Bias” Who has the best “Eye-smile” in the industry What exactly “Call” means Why you should avoid being a “Sasaeng fan” When G-Dragon started training for K-Pop stardom The meaning behind BTS’s name Where Wanna One got their start And much more! Impress all your “Koreaboo” friends with the knowledge you gain in K-Pop A to Z!
K-pop, described by Time Magazine in 2012 as "South Korea’s greatest export", has rapidly achieved a large worldwide audience of devoted fans largely through distribution over the Internet. This book examines the phenomenon, and discusses the reasons for its success. It considers the national and transnational conditions that have played a role in K-pop’s ascendancy, and explores how they relate to post-colonial modernisation, post-Cold War politics in East Asia, connections with the Korean diaspora, and the state-initiated campaign to accumulate soft power. As it is particularly concerned with fandom and cultural agency, it analyses fan practices, discourses, and underlying psychologies within their local habitus as well as in expanding topographies of online networks. Overall, the book addresses the question of how far "Asian culture" can be global in a truly meaningful way, and how popular culture from a "marginal" nation has become a global phenomenon.
Samosir and Wee examine how the immensely popular Korean Wave ("K-wave") also known as Hallyu is wielded as soft power through the use of communication for persuasion and attraction on the global stage. The Korean Wave refers to the global spread and popularity of South Korean culture, particularly its pop music ("K-pop"), serialised dramas ("K-dramas") and films ("K-films"). Given the South Korean government’s involvement in providing funding and publicity, the Korean Wave raises interesting sociolinguistic questions about the relationship between artistry and citizenship, the use of social media in facilitating the consumption of cultural products, and, ultimately, the nature of soft power itself. Studies of soft power have tended to come from the field of international relations. This book shows that sociolinguistics actually has a number of tools in its conceptual arsenal – such as indexicality, stance taking, affect, and styling – that can shed light on the Korean Wave as a form of soft power. As the first book-length sociolinguistic analysis of the Korean Wave and soft power, this book demonstrates how K-pop, K-dramas, and K-films have been able to encourage in consumers an anthropological stance towards all things Korean. This volume will be of particular interest to students and scholars in sociolinguistics, political science, cultural studies, and Korean studies.
