Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Seotaiji and Boys - in my eyes the First!

My first memory of K-pop was when I was in 6th grade.  My Oldest brother (ok ok my Opa) picked me up from someplace and he had just come back from Korea.  He popped in a tape of Seotaiji and boys 2nd album and I was hooked.  Around this age is when I think most kids start to develop a taste for pop music and start to search around for what they like and what makes them into the people they are today. 

I know I had heard of them earlier because the prior summer I had spent that in Korea for the first in my life.  It was surreal because I did not grow up speaking korean.  My parent's decided it would be easier for me to fit in if I wasn't taught Korean.

In 1992 Seotaiji had their First Debut with their Song "Nan Arayo"


Here is a little Factoid Straight from the Video Poster that I didn't know about.

"Seo Taiji Boys' debut. It was first broadcasted in MBC in 1992 where new artists would perform and get judged by a panel of critics. Taiji boys got the lowest score in the show, but the audience differed and changed the way music was done in Korea. Korean music can be divided in two eras: Pre Seo Taiji and Post Seo Taiji. Also, they gave rise to the boy bands that we see in Korea today."

I have to agree that I feel Korean music is either Pre Taiji or Post Taiji.  They changed so much about the way korean music industry turned and became a booming business that it is today.  They were the influence for a lot of change in Korea socially as well.  To me Seotaiji is a true Idol in korean culture.   Without them putting their necks on the line for that Silly MBC music contest the youth would of been starved for something original for their own culture.  After Taiji brought Pop to the masses it opened the way for everyone else to be different and try different genres of music.  Today's K-pop is unlike any other Countries in it's music.  Sure it goes through the trends of fashion, synths and rap but the lyrics make them different.  Also their Genre of Ballad truly tugs at the heartstrings.  I can't think of anyone else who does Ballad on the same level as Koreans.

It begins out of Love

Just as a little side thing for me to take notes, vent, and reminisce on something that has always been a huge part of my life,  K-pop.

A little history of myself first.  I started to listen to K-pop when Seotaiji and Boy's first hit the scene. I was probably in 5th grade at the time.  I'm now 29 and have followed more groups and watched their progression then most K-pop fans these days. I remember when in the States the only way to get K-pop was on video through the Korean grocer and it was Inky Gayo and Sang bangson TV Gayo 20!  Before KMTV and around the same time AOL got started.  I am OLD SCHOOL ~puhahaha~  I'm not so up to date with Current K-pop I relay on my High School Students, and K-pop Charts like Soompi.  I have over 150 K-pop CD's from original releases and some groups their full career anthologies such as Deux, Noise and Roo'ra.

I am Full Korean born and raised in OHIO.  I am no where close to being Fluent in Korean so you can expect some mistakes.  I used to go to Korea on a regular basis when my oldest Brother lived there.  So if I was dropped off in the middle of Seoul I could definitely find my way home or the nearest station to Apkujung or Yonsei dae.  I did one summer at Yonsei before College, I would advise any new High School gradute to go do that!  AMAZING experiance you will never forget and some life long friends. 

FIGHTING!
Expect a lot of music videos, references and comparisons and some history from what I know.

Let's start it out with one of my All time favorites Seotaiji Hayoga