2017 WDJ World DJ Festival : Headliner Artist - WYM

Koreaboo : Amber and NCT’s Johnny Appear in Bill Nye the Science Guy’s New Show

f(x)‘s Amber and NCT‘s Johnny appeared in an episode of Bill Nye‘s new Netflix original Bill Nye Saves the World.


The famous kid’s science program host and TV personality, Bill Nye, was recently involved in the production of an American talk show series called Bill Nye Saves the World that was released exclusively on Netflix just a few days ago. The series features a variety of special guests and K-Pop fans were pleasantly surprised to see that the episode titled “The Sexual Spectrum” actually featured some unexpected idols.

In the episode, viewers see NCT‘s Johnny putting on makeup while Amber talks about the evolution of K-Pop allowing for more girls to don different looks than had been the norm in the industry. A fan of Amber’s told the hosts of the show that Amber was the reason she found the confidence to cut her own hair short and challenging traditional beauty standards.


K-pop has empowered fans to experiment with gender expression.
— Bill Nye Saves the World host Derek

While there were no direct comments on the idols’ sexuality during the show, the episode talked in depth about how sexuality and social norms feed into each other. f(x)‘s Amber has shut down speculation on her sexuality in previous interviews, but she has always been candid in her desire to exhibit a different style, which she reiterated in the show’s brief interview.



https://www.koreaboo.com
By Koreaboo

Featured Commentator : DFSB Kollective (Bernie Cho)

Asian Junkie : Top 100 Korean Songs of 2016

2016 is not over until the world floods the internet with their best-of lists, and of course I’m here to add to the fun.

This year I’m keeping things simple. No crazy rules, no strict guidelines. The only rule I followed in compiling this list is that each song had to have been released between December 1, 2015 and December 1, 2016. That’s pretty much it. Another thing to keep in mind is that some artists appear once on this list while others appear multiple times. It’s a diverse list, yet also very clearly my personal taste (if IATFB worked on this he’d find a way to have all 100 be Crayon Pop songs). From K-pop to folk, R&B to punk, I listened to a ton of music over the course of 2016 and I did my best to make sure this list reflected that.

Also, I ranked these for the sake of ranking them, but don’t take it too seriously. The point is that all of these songs are great, and no matter where they landed on the final list they all left an impression on me and I’m sure a ton of you, too. So please enjoy my list of what I think are the best Korean songs of the year!

16. Big Phony 'Hanging On a Thread'

Release Date : 09/30/2016
Genre : Folk

“Hanging On A Thread” is a breath of fresh air upon first listen. It’s one of Big Phony‘s most melodic releases, with strung out melodies dancing against a shimmery instrumental and a touch of vulnerability embedded in the singer’s voice that holds this delightful song together.




25. Heo 'Pyre'

Release Date : 11/28/2016
Genre : Electronic

Haunting and riddled with layers of peculiar synth work, Heo‘s “Pyre” is a sweet example of what electronic music sounds like when it isn’t afraid to go a little dark and experimental.

30. Billy Carter 'The Dog'

Release Date : 11/23/2016
Genre : Rock

Billy Carter‘s immense and ferocious “The Dog” is a slick and hyper rock’n’roll anthem that throws all caution to the wind. While the majority of it is rooted in rock, the underlying percussion elements add a lot of extra flavor to the mix.

43. 3rd Line Butterfly '나를 깨우네 Awaken'

Release Date : 10/19/2016
Genre : Rock

For a song over 11 minutes long, there’s a point one reaches while listening to “Awaken” that the passage of time ceases to be of concern and every glimmering detail of its expansive composition is effective in liberating the mind.

70. Jay Park 'Aquaman'

Release Date : 10/20/2016
Genre : R&B/Soul

Jay Park has learned through trial and error the formula to produce great R&B music, and he succeeds in waves with “Aquaman.” Just disregard the lyrical cringiness about cunnilingus to appreciate its finer details.

88. Love X Stereo 'Dead Beat Generation'

Release Date : 04/29/2016
Genre : Electronic

Annie Ko sounds absolutely mesmerizing on Love X Stereo‘s eerie “Dead Beat Generation.” In a year when R&B and hip-hop rose to full mainstream status, it was refreshing to hear sparks of electro-pop done right from this promising duo.

92. Silica Gel '9'

Release Date : 10/12/2016
Genre : Rock

The fuzziness of Silica Gel‘s “9” (and of the rest of the self-titled album they released this year) adds a degree of warmth to the band’s psychedelic sound that both captivates and transports as the song unfolds.

Korean Indie : Best Albums of 2016

It’s near the end of 2016 and the time where Korean Indie pulls together our favorite releases of 2016. As always, this list consists of music I was able to listen to this year. It feels like there were a lot more releases this year. Like previous years, my list isn’t in any particular order, but more of going through albums that I heard chronologically.

Love X Stereo : We Love We Leave Part 2



I’ve been waiting for Love X Stereo to move forward. They’ve got a great set of songs which I’ve heard on the numerous times seeing them live. But I was always waiting for the next step. When they released We Love We Leave Part 2, it showed the band has changed. They’re more confident, more deliberate, and working to make their music get heard by as many people as possible.

Big Phony : Big Phony

Anyone who reads the site regularly knows that I’m a big fan of Big Phony. With his latest album, backed on Kickstarter, he finally made the album he’s wanted to make for years. It’s finally captures the talent and perspective in songs that are more complex. This is one of those albums that is a classic from the day it released.

HEO : Actress

Actress went past the brilliance of Structure and set a new standard for HEO. It’s quickly become a daily listen that will flow into 2017.

https://www.koreanindie.com
By Chris Park [Editor]

The Korea Herald : Will Apple Music Rock Korea?

Apple Inc. surprised the local music and mobile service industry Friday by abruptly launching its streaming music service Apple Music in South Korea. The tech giant simultaneously launched Apple Music in 110 countries in July of last year, but had left it unserviced in the South Korean market for more than a year.

Its sudden decision to start up the service drew mixed reactions, raising questions on its impact on the music service industry here, which has so far been dominated by local firms.

Korean online music streaming service providers -- the three big players being LOEN Entertainment, KT and Bugs -- appear to be taking a wait-and-see approach to the tech giant’s new music service, which failed to secure many Korean songs.


“Although we are keeping an eye on the new service, we don’t think Apple Music will be a game changer because they have fewer K-pop songs,” an official from LOEN Entertainment’s told The Korea Herald.

LOEN’s Melon is the top online music streaming service provider in the local music industry, with a 57 percent market share, followed by KT Music with 21 percent and Bugs with 10 percent.

No. 2 streaming service KT said, “Apple’s service may make the competition fiercer, but we still have an edge in Korean songs, which most local users enjoy."

Although Apple has 30 million songs -- triple Melon’s 10 million songs -- it has fewer K-pop songs because it failed to negotiate with local music firms aside from the big three of S.M. Entertainment, YG Entertainment and JYP. This is because Apple’s policy, which gives 70 percent of sale prices, or discounted prices, to the creators of songs, did not appeal to many music creators.

In Korea, by law, music providers such as LOEN are obliged to give 60 percent of the fixed price -- regardless of how much it allows in discounts to users -- to music creators. Since discounts are very common on music platforms, this means that Apple could be offering cheaper services to clients while giving less in royalties to creators, according to some industry watchers.

But the issue of whether artists will recieve more or less is a controversial point.

Apple Korea’s spokesperson could not be reached for comment, but other  industry insiders said the service, rather than paying less, would bring about fairer wages and level out competition in South Korea.

“For Korean artists, the launch of Apple Music in Korea finally brings a global service with global standards, and most importantly, global rates to the local market,” said Bernie Cho, head of DFSB Kollective, to The Korea Herald.

The DFSB Kollective is an agency that specializes in the global distribution of Korean music that became one of the first Korean music content aggregators for Apple iTunes in 2008 and is one of the first official Korean music playlist curators for Apple Music.

“Apple Music in Korea is not only a win for local consumers as the subscription prices are on par with leading local services, but also a win for local artists as the royalty rates are far bigger and far better than those offered by any of the local services,” Cho says.

“In addition to an overall K-Pop chart, Apple Music also allows Korean acts -- indie, idol, icons -- to fairly compete and achieve accurate chart rankings in their respective individual genres,” he added.

According to one music industry insider, Apple’s royalties to the local artists are expected to be much higher compared to that of its local streaming rivalries.

“While most companies are using the government standard for royalties as its maximum rate, Apple is using it as its minimum, which means our artists will be paid much, much more for their music than by the other Korean companies,” said the industry insider.

The local music industry has certainly been no stranger to public disputes, with countless artists and unions speaking out against unfair music chart calculations as well as unjust wages for their creative content and services.

Earlier this year, the Korean indie music scene and the Artists Union were in an uproar when a handful of artists who contributed to the soundtrack for popular TV drama “Cheese in the Trap” took to social media to vent their outrage against mega media conglomerate CJ E&M for not paying for their work.

The union also claimed that many artists were being “coerced into signing unjust contracts” and not being “properly compensated” for their music.

The introduction of Apple Music is not only expected to offer better pay for Korean artists, but also possibly a fairer outlet for local consumers as well.

The Apple streaming service comes following recent drawn-out legal battles involving some of the peninsula’s top streaming sites Mnet and Soribada, after the Fair Trade Commission filed a lawsuit when it was revealed the conglomerates were hiking subscription prices without clearly informing consumers, who were automatically charged the higher rates.

The courts ruled in favor of the Fair Trade Commission late last year.

http://www.koreaherald.com
By Julie Jackson & Shin Ji-hye