Through the Ages

This winter is failing me in K-pop right now I find ridiculous things like SNSD's Hoot and Kara Jumping hitting the top of the charts. Mostly because of their Music videos and hot bodies not because they make Great music or even good music. Whatever happened to being something that would last through time as a song itself and not as some sexy icon? I mean they are supposed to be "MUSIC" Videos not just some pythimic sex tape. ~end rant~

Here is the Kara Video for Jump so you can see what I am talking about.


A song needs to be seriously good to fit into my repertoire of K-pop history. Give me something that the song itself can hold up over time. Something where I can enjoy just listening to it.

Seotaiji "Come back Home"


Jinusean "How Deep is your Love"


Park ji Yoon "Steal Away"

K-Rap

Personally I've never been a big fan of rap.  I remember when it blew up in 90's when I was growing up getting more and more intense in the States.

In Korea it was something they were just wrapping their head around.  They were in-between this huge Reggae phase and finding themselves.  I remember Roo'ra with their original "panic" style Rap.


and Of course SeoTaiji Rap from Hayago and Nan Arayo which I won't repost.  Just go back and check it out on the earlier posts.

Also Deux was early onto the K-rap Stage.


I did find this entertaining little nugget of Seotaiji doing a little Reggae style rap


But The Group that I remember that started K-Rap for me was DJ DOC with "Sorrow of Superman"
Which I am having a hard time finding a Video to share except this Myspace video, follow the link!

DJ DOC- Superman's Sorrow

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.