Korean girls groups in Christmas Costumes

T-ara

Secret

f(x)

SNSD

Wonder Girls

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SNSD’s Christmas Fairy Tale

SNSD wishes fans a merry christmas by performing a special concert, "SNSD’s Christmas Fairy Tale."

Check out their performances below.

credits : monmonsnowSeason5@youtube

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A Pink reveals their Christmas-themed photo shoot

On today's episode of Mnet's 'M! Countdown, A Pink performed a christmas song, "Last Christmas".

source: http://thestar.chosun.com

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Girl's Generation for Vogue Girl

Photo: Naver

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Kara's new album jacket partially revealed

Images from girl band Kara's jacket for mini-album "JUMPING" [DSP Media]

Several photographs from the album jacket of girl group Kara’s upcoming mini-album were revealed today.

Kara’s agency Daesung Entertainment (DSP) said that black-and-white photos of three of five Kara members -- namely Park Gyu-lee, Nicole and Ji-young -- were unveiled to the public on Thursday.

DSP added that photos of the remaining two members Gu Hara and Han Seung-yeon will soon be disclosed as well.

The new album titled “JUMPING,” expected to hit stores of Korea and Japan simultaneously on November 10, will be Kara's first release in Korea in nine months after third mini-album "Lupin" and their second single in Japan after "Mister."

KARA, who debuted in 2007, has produced several hit songs such as "Pretty Girl," “Mister” and “Lupin.”

The group advanced to Japan this August with "Mister," becoming the first Asian girl group to place in the top 10 of the prestigious Oricon's weekly chart by placing at No. 5.

Their DVD “KARA VACATION” topped Oricon’s weekly DVD rankings this September.

Reporter : Heidi Kim heidikim@
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@
<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

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Girls’ Generation to debut in Japan

Korean girl group Girls' Generation is finally making their official debut in Japan.

The group's agency SM Entertainment announced Friday that the nine members were leaving their local fans for the time being to "start a new journey."

"The girls are planning to introduce themselves to Japanese fans through a showcase held at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan, on Aug. 25,'' the agency said through a press release.

The venue can house more than 10,000 people, and the agency added that the girls were preparing an exciting show for not only Japanese fans, but also the Japanese press, music labels and agencies.

Along with the showcase, the group will also release a debut single with Nayutawave Records, a branch of Universal Music. The label works with numerous top Japanese artists including Kiseki and Greeen. Girls' Generation is the only Korean artist on the label.

"Thanks to the group's high popularity in Asia, the band has been receiving numerous requests from Japanese music labels. We hope the band and Nayutawave Records will create synergy in making the girls become the hottest issue in the J-pop industry this year,'' the agency added.

With specific plans set out, Japanese fans will get to watch Girls' Generation starting in August with the showcase and the release of a single in September. The agency said they will fly back and forth for both local and Japanese events for the time being.

The group's first DVD, which contains clips and music videos, will also be released on Aug. 11.

Meanwhile, local fans can get a taste of Japan and the girls beforehand with a special photo book in stores right now. The photos, taken in Tokyo, show a more personal side of the girls, away from the shiny spotlight and makeup, as themselves. It comes with a special DVD that shows clips of the girls taking the photos and walking along the streets of busy Tokyo.

Will they captivate Japanese fans?

The band's decision to move to Japan comes a bit late, compared to other girl groups including Kara, T-ara and 4Minute, who all either released albums or held shows and fan meetings in Japan already.

Local singers performing and releasing an album in Japan started in the mid 2000s. Starting with BoA, some of the hottest artists and bands such as Rain, Se7en and TVXQ moved to Japan and created a firm fan base for K-pop music.

News that Girls' Generation signed a deal with one of the top music labels in Japan is a good sign, as the music industry there is dominated by bigger labels and agencies compared to the smaller ones here.

Making their debut in 2007, the Girls Generation shot to stardom as one of the newest and most recognizable groups during the time. Having nine members helped them gain recognition, but it was eventually their songs, dance moves and the overall package that enabled them to become one of Korea's most popular acts.

Whether or not their charm will work in Japan is still up for question, as Japan is certainly a tough crowd with already a number of idol bands dominating the eyes and ears of its public.

No other K-pop girl band managed to captivate the Japanese public yet, and it seems both the local and Japanese fans will keep a close watch on their first official journey to the neighboring country, with plenty of competition from Korea alone.

credit: Han Sang-hee (Staff reporter)
source: koreatimes.co.kr

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Black Girl’s Generation Climbs to the Top of Music Chart

No more girls next door for Girl’s Generation. They’ve turned into femmes fatales and their new release is just as deadly. The nation’s hottest girl group’s “Run Devil Run” has topped the real-time music chart as soon as it was released Wednesday morning. The song features charismatic lyrics that warn women against bad guys. Teaser videos and photos of Black Girl’s Generation have shown a more powerful and provocative version of the girls, instead of their usual perky and adorable personalities.

“Run Devil Run” is threatening to topple 2AM from the top spot on music charts and placed in the upper ranks of smart phone application stores like App Store and Android Market. At midnight Thursday the music video of “Run Devil Run” will be released for the first time on music portal site Bugs and smart phone’s “Girl’s Generation Application.”
source: KBS Global

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Girl Groups Set to Mesmerize Foreign Audience

Girl groups have wowed Korea last year and now they’re eyeing the world stage. Which group has the best chance of winning the hearts of global music fans? Music industry insiders size up the chances of each group by their characteristics.

First, Girl’s Generation, Kara, and T-ara are marked by their cute, perky appeal. Korean internet users have picked Girl’s Generation as the most likely girl group to succeed in America. Kara and T-ara are projected to do well in Japan and other Asian countries. These Korean girl idols are taller and more sophisticated than their Japanese counterparts, yet they still have that adorable girl-next-door quality.

Then there are powerful and charismatic 2NE1 and Brown Eyed Girls. They have very strong and mature personalities that set them apart from other girlish idols. They have become solid cultural icons for women in their teens through 30s. Brown Eyed Girls have already won a huge following in Singapore after they participated in a promotional tour there with FT Island last month.

Wonder Girls and After School appeal to the masses with their strong visual presence. They’re better in music videos than on live stage. Last year Wonder Girls have made quite a wave in the American music scene with “Nobody” and their opening act in the Jonas Brother’s national tour. Thailand and other Asian nations are looking to invite After School, although the girls have never promoted their songs overseas.

source: KBS Global

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Girls' Generation's New Song 'Oh!' Tops Charts

The group Girls' Generation, which has become popular with hit songs such as "Gee" and "Tell Me Your Wish," already has another hit on their hands this year.

On January 26, the title song of their second album "Oh!" ranked number one at many musical sites such as Melon, Lunch Box, Bugs and Cyworld Music, within a single day of the song's release.

In addition, Yes 24, which is a sales site of recorded music, announced the group's second album is topping the sales by subscription and overall sales charts.

The Yes 24 official said, "One thousand one hundred albums have been sold in 10 hours as pre-orders. This album seems to have taken off faster than the Girls' Generation's 'Gee' and 'Tell Me Your Wish.'"

Girls' Generation took the top spot on the charts of different music sites and broadcast music programs during several weeks last year, and they gained popularity with middle-aged fans as well as younger generations. They are continuing their trend of big hits with their latest song, "Oh!"

The title song "Oh!" -- which was written by songwriter Kenzi -- is a unique and cheerful electronic pop tune featuring catchy lyrics. In addition, SM Entertainment said that Korea's hottest musicians -- including E-Tribe, who composed the hit song "Gee," as well as Kenzi -- have written songs for the second album, which contains a total of 12 songs from different genres.

SM Entertainment said, "The song ranked first on one portal sites' hourly chart and became popular immediately after the song was released. The group has attained fresh popularity whenever they have released songs such as 'Girls' Generation,' 'Kissing You,' and 'Baby Baby.'"

The music video of "Oh!" will be released on January 27. Girls' Generation will actively promote the video through the MBC TV music program "Show! Eumakjungsim," which is hosted by group members Tiffany and Yuri.

source: KBS Global

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Sunmi to Quit Wonder Girls

Sunmi of Korea's top girl band Wonder Girls is to take a break from show business in March and go back to school. The 18-year old will be seamlessly replaced by Hyelim, who has been trained up in the JYP Entertainment stable for the past three years. She is reportedly fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.

"After long deliberation and discussion among Sunmi and her family, the members of the Wonder Girls, and the company, we finally concluded that Sunmi will quit as a member of the Wonder Girls and return to Korea and to school," JYP said in a press release. "The company will support her return to show business if she wishes to do so after going to university."

It quoted Sunmi as saying, "I'm coming home after wrapping up a year of activities in the United States in February. I would like to resume my career in show business after becoming a university student. Being on stage and touring 50 cities in the U.S. in the past year was a happy and valuable experience, but I'm not sure I can continue to live like this in the future." She reportedly told the agency that she would like to take dancing and singing lessons with the company to prepare her comeback.

Credit: englishnews@chosun.com

source : Chosun

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KARA for Crown Bakery's White Day

photo : karaholic.com

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So Nyeo Shi Dae to comeback with new song ‘Oh!’ on 28th January

9-member girlgroup So Nyeo Shi Dae will be having their comeback.

Coming 28th January, they will be releasing their 2nd full-length album with the title song ‘Oh!’. With that, this will be their new song 7 months after they release ‘Tell Me Your Wish’ last June. And it will be 2 years after their 1st full length album released in 2007.

A SM Entertainment official said on 21st January, “2nd Full length album title song ‘Oh!’ will be a well-polished electronic pop genre song, and So Nyeo Shi Dae will be back to set a new trend with the song.” It is also revealed that the song is about heartfelt confession to someone one likes.

With that, the girls will also have their comeback stage on 30th January on MBC Music Core. The SM Ent rep also added, “Please look forward to the girls’ transformation for their comeback stage on Music Core.”

S: StarNews
credit : sookyeong.wordpress.com

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Wonder Girls Currently Voted No.1 for 'Video of The Year' in U.S.

The Korean girl group "Wonder Girls" was ranked number one (as of 5 p.m. on Jan. 4) through online voting on the American music site Musiqtone for “Video of The Year” for their music video “Nobody.”

The group currently ranks number one with 614,745 voters (31%) for “Video of The Year” on the music site. The voting is not over yet and will continue until Jan. 31.

The German band Tokyo Hotel ranks second with 551,159 voters (28%) with its song “Automatic.”

People are voting on the music site for eighty music videos from artists such as the Back Street Boys, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Jonas Brothers, and others, and one person can vote a maximum of 50 times per day.

Meanwhile, “Nobody” was reported to have sold the highest number of singles in North America last year.

According to the Wonder Girls’ management agency, JYP Entertainment, the Wonder Girls’ American single “Nobody” was ranked #1 on the Billboard aggregate “2009 Hot Single Sales of the Year” chart. “Pretty Wings” by Maxwell and “Upset” by Mariah Carey were ranked #2 and #3, respectively.

Last October, the Wonder Girls moved up to #76 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Nobody,” making them the first Korean singers and first Asian singers in 30 years to make it on the chart.

source: KBS Global

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SNSD 2010 Photo calendar

source: snsdkorean.wordpress.com

Related Post: SNSD for Ceci Magazine

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T-Ara: 'We Want to Be Popular Like the Wonder Girls'

Girl groups are the latest rage in the K-pop scene. One of the popular girl bands is the six-member group T-Ara, which debuted in July with the song "Lie." The group consists of Ji-yeon, Eun-jung, Hyo-min, Bo-ram, Kyu-ri and So-yeon. Three of T-Ara's singles, including "TTL (Time To Love)" and "TTL Listen 2," became huge hits on the Internet.

We met with T-Ara, which has recently released its first studio album entitled "Absolute First Album." Its title track, "Like The First Time," is a retro dance song that was written by Bang Shi-hyuk. But T-Ara is active these days with the trendy dance song "Bo Peep Bo Peep," which was written by Shinsadong Horangi. T-Ara is poised to promote its album by performing two songs and filming music videos for four songs from the album.

On the question how they can survive amid the fierce competition among girl groups, Eun-jung said, "Our song 'TTL' topped 8 music sites, but it fell short of our expectations. Our song became popular but our members are still unknown." Hyo-min added that she was happy that T-Ara had its own music style but sad that the unique individuality of each member hadn't been expressed fully and that the group hadn't received the Best New Artist award.

"Each idol girl group wants to be the best. They all want to be loved as much as the Wonder Girls and Girls' Generation," said So-yeon.

On the question how they were different from other girl groups, the T-Ara members cited music. "The music of idol groups is too trendy and new to senior people. But our songs are sentimental and easy to listen to. Although our album also contains trendy songs, like 'Bo Peep Bo Peep,' it also contains songs that even older people like, such as 'Like The First Time', 'Apple Is' and 'You You You,'" said So-yeon. Read more

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Wonder Girls Mulled as Game Characters

By Jane Han
Staff Reporter

Good news for Wonder Girls fans: If simply watching the girl group wasn't satisfying enough, wait till the end of this year ― you'll actually be able to control each and every motion of the superstars through the push of a keyboard button.

This is JYP Entertainment's ambitious way of bringing fans closer to ― and get them more hooked on ― its most-profitable asset.

Industry insiders say that South Korea's leading entertainment agency, which manages and represents Wonder Girls, is in the finishing stages of developing an online game dubbed "Star Tales'' in conjuction with China's Shanghai Magic Grid Network, a gaming technology firm.

The product will be released by the end of this year at the earliest, they say.

However, JYP Entertainment did not officially comment on the plans.

Star Tales, which has been under development for three years, is reportedly equipped with Unreal Engine 3, a top gaming engine that powers many of the best-known games on the market.

Industry sources say that the new product will break away from traditional dance games, as it will likely enable users to customize everything from outfits to accessories, giving them more flexibility to dress up their favorite pop icons.

A similar dance game featuring Wonder Girls is already popular in China, but the officially released version is expected to include more quality options. 2PM, a popular boy group, and other singers belonging to JYP Entertainment may be featured as well.

While the jump into the game business is a new one for JYP Entertainment, it is a late starter compared to its rivals SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment and J. Tune Entertainment.

J. Tune and YG teamed up with GameHi, a local online game maker, to kick off a joint gaming venture, while SM entered the lucrative industry in 2006 by acquiring a domestic game firm.

credit: jhan@koreatimes.co.kr
source: koreatimes.co.kr

Tags: Wonder Girls/korean singer/Star Tales/2PM

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SNSD for Ceci Magazine

Tags: SNSD/Girl's Generation/Ceci

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