[NEWS] “SM Town Live 2010 World Tour” Los Angeles Interview

“SM Town Live 2010 World Tour in LA” had a press conference on September 5th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Korean reporters , American music site “American Music Channel” and otherswere in attendance. The Interview was with 11 SM Entertainment singers, BoA, former H.O.T member Kangta, DBSK’s Yunho and Changmin, Super Junior’s Leeteuk and Siwon, SNSD’s Sooyoung and Tiffany, SHINee’s Onew and Minho, and TREX[sic] member Jay.

—About their performance at the famous Los Angeles Staples Center

BoA: Ever since I heard about it, I’ve been really excited. It’s the first time we are able to perform together at a place like this, so it makes me all the more happy.

Kangta: When I was performing with my group H.O.T we weren’t given this chance, so I’m happy I get to stand on this wonderful stage with my juniors. I’m nervous and worried, but more than that I’m looking forward to it and am happy I can perform her.

—The fact most in the audience are not Korean-American’s, it seems this has a big significance.

Yunho: We are able to make our culture widely known. Still, the fact that various people from different countries have an interest (in us), makes me very happy.

Leeteuk: I feel very happy and honored. Since there are fans all over the world cheering for us, from now on I feel like I need to do my best even more.

—How did you feel about meeting the fans at the airport?

Changmin: I honestly wasn’t expecting it.I could even see the crowd of people who came to see us from a distance. Our languages are different. Since they don’t really have a chance to get to know us, I was really surprised, but I was also grateful that they came to welcome us.

Onew: I was concerned and thought to myself, “I wonder what it will be like when we arrive in America”, but (when we arrived) I was happy that so many fans came to see us. I hope they continue cheering for us after this too.

—SNSD has just completed a successful debut in Japan, but do you plan on advancing to America?

Tiffany: I want to do activities in America as well. Personally, I also want to try acting. I have various anticipations for overseas activities. I feel that music is a common language throughout the world.

Siwon: All of us have a dream that, if given the chance, we would like to try advancing to America.

Translated by : Kanki@Soshified.com
Source : [LINK]
Taken from soshified.com

[NEWS] Hallyu 2.0 has begun

The second wave of the Hallyu boom has erupted this year with the phenomenon first beginning with ‘Yonsama‘ back in 2004. SNSD’s Japanese showcase in Japan was even introduced by the Japanese media as the ’second wave.’

Hallyu 2.0 has made a variety of improvements and seems to be off to a strong start in comparison to the first wave. The first Hallyu generation began with the representative drama, “Winter Sonata.” However, since the end of 2009, the Hallyu wave has expanded to music, musicals, and theater. Over 50% of the reservations made for the musical “Goong” were reported to be composed of foreign fans in support of TVXQ’s Yunho. SNSD has also been met with remarkable success in Japan, selling nearly 45,000 copies of their debut album the first week of its release, currently totalling 63,000.

Then what has changed? The first wave was led by male stars, but the concept has expanded to now include female stars as well. The fanbase has also expanded to include all age groups as opposed to the previous fanbase of women in their 30’s and 40’s.

The Hallyu wave was previously focused on just East Asia, but has now reached out into the world such as Uzbekistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Romania, securing a more diverse fanbase. Traditional Korean dramas such as “Jewel In the Palace” and “Queen Seondeok” have been earning high viewer ratings in Turkey while “Boys Over Flowers” has been achieving success in Egypt. Romania has even recently created a ‘meeting for lovers of Korean culture.’ Nepal has over 30,000 people taking the highly popular Korean skills test yearly, leading to high traffic on the day of the test.

There’s also quite a difference in incomes as well. The golden age of the first Hallyu wave, 2005, earned $1.3 billion from exports until it finally reached a standstill in 2007. Signs of a second wave began to show in 2008 and finally started in 2009, earning $2.7 billion. Many experts are anticipating over $3 billion to be made in 2010.

Hallyu I
Time Frame: 2004~2005
Representative Stars: Bae Yong Joon, Lee Byung Hun, Ryu Shi Won, popular dramas, male stars.
Region: East Asia
Genre: Drama
Consumer Base: 40’s, 50’s
Characteristic: Interest in celebrities as individuals, dropped value

Hallyu II
Time Frame: 2010, present
Representative Stars: Big Bang, SNSD, 2PM, KARA, idol groups, female stars such as Bae Doo Na and Moon Geun Young.
Region: East Asia, Central Asia, etc worldwide
Genre: Korean music, drama, musicals, etc
Consumer Base: Expanded to include teens and 20’s
Characteristic: Interest in Korean culture as a whole, added value

Source + Photo : Everyday Economy
Credits : Allkpop

[NEWS] Which Korean girl group member is the most popular in Japan?

Which girl group is the most popular in Japan?

Japan’s SNS site Mixi researched on the Korean girl groups with the greatest number of fanclub members. Although it’s hard to get an accurate representation through only one site, Mixi is one of the most popular social network services amongst Japan’s youth, boasting over 21 million members.

On the 24th, Mixi reported that KARA’s Goo Hara had 6,500 fans for her similarity in appearance to Japan’s Amuro Namie.

The member with the second most members is SNSD’s Yoona with 5,500. Yoona was also previously chosen as the #1 most popular SNSD member in a survey that ranked their popularity in Japan.

KARA’s Nicole (4,500), SNSD’s Taeyeon (3,300), KARA’s Kang Jiyoung (3,200) followed Goo Hara and Yoona. Other members each had about 2,300 to 3,000 fanclub members.

4minute’s Hyuna has about 1,000 fans in Mixi as well.

Group wise, SNSD held 24,700 members while KARA held 23,800. Both teams have managed to rank top 5 in the overall category for Japanese girl group idols.

Source + Photos : Newsen
Credits : Allkpop

[NEWS] Detailed analysis of SNSD’s successful debut in Japan

Secrets of SNSD’s success in Japan were analyzed in a Japanese TV Program.

Aired on September 12th, Fuji TV’s “Mr. Sunday” made an analysis on why SNSD seems to be more popular among female audiences than male audiences.

On the show, during the “Dr. Sunday’s Corner”, Nikkei Entertainment Editor, Shinada Hideo explained that there are 3 main factors behind SNSD’s success in Japan.

The first factor is called “CC” which stands for “Carbon Copy”. As the name implies, this factor is all about spreading the news/information of Soshi to one another. In the old days, popularity was gained through TV appearances but nowadays, one could be popular before debut, thanks to the Internet and IT skills.

The second factor is that the idols nowadays could take advantage and enjoy full benefits from the high-definition era. During the analog TV era where the aspect ratio of TV screen is 4:3, it is a challenge to have all 9 persons within the coverage of the screen. Now, in the era of HD TV where there are screens with 16:9 ratio, it is not a problem to have all the girls in one screen.

The third factor is known as “cross”. The crossing of arms is a behavior or a gesture that emphasize one’s femininity. The dance choreography of “Genie” involves a lot of moves where the girls cross their arms and legs. These movements seem to appeal to viewers.

In addition to these factors, much attention have also been given to their pretty legs. SNSD’s hit single in Korea “Gee” which will be making its entrance into the Japanese market on October 20th emphasizes cuteness, which is very different from Genie’s sexy and cool concept. The impact of the leg crossing moves in the PV was highlighted on the show.

Although Japanese men are fascinated by their appearances, the acceptance rate of SNSD among male audience is somewhat lower than female audiences who are attracted by their beauty, styles and dancing skills.

While Japanese idols focus on giving an intimate feeling for the viewers, SNSD’s combination of powerful performance and attractive appearance prove to be the right recipe among female fans.

Shinada Hideo said, “Japanese women think that looking as cool as SNSD makes them feel like stars.”

Credits : newsen.com
Source : fanwonder.com

[NEWS] More than 60k copies sold in 2 weeks!

On September 24th, SNSD’s Japan Debut Single “Genie” was ranked 6th on Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.

The debut single which was released on September 8th was ranked 4th on September 20th’s Weekly Singles Chart. Being placed within Top 10 for two consecutive weeks is an amazing feat for the girls who are newcomers to Japan’s music industry.

“Genie” recorded sales of 44,907 copies in the first week of its release and 17,792 in the following week. From these two weeks, the girls recorded a total sales of 62,699 copies.

With the impressive achievement of selling more than 60,000 copies of their debut single within two weeks of release, there is much expectation and anticipation for their 2nd Single “Gee” which is scheduled to be released on October 20th.

Credits : mtstarnews.com
Source : fanwonder.com

[NEWS] SNSD album sales to surpass 100,000 mark in Korea and Japan respectively

The sales of SNSD’s albums are expected to surpass 100,000 copies mark, both in Korea and Japan respectively.

In Korea, SNSD’s music sales is labelled as “daebak (great success)” when the sales exceeds 100,000 copies. SNSD’s album sales figure was expected to go beyond 100,000 copies as soon as they debuted in Japan .The girls are determined to strengthen their popularity and position in the music industry in both countries.

In Korea, SNSD released 2nd Album “Oh!” in January this year, followed by 2nd Album Repackaged “Run Devil Run” in March. On Hanteo Music Sales Chart, from January to August 2010,total sales of 170,775 copies was recorded. Last year, according to infromation on Hanteo, SNSD’s First Mini Album “Gee” and 2nd Mini Album “Tell Me Your Wish (Genie)” recorded sales of 82,162 and 86,443 copies respectively, giving a total sales of 168,605 copies for the year 2009.

With the current momentum, the girls are bound to exceed the 100,000 copies mark soon. SNSD’s Japan Debut Single “Genie” which was released on September 8th recorded sales of 45,000 copies in the first week and ranked 4th on Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.

The upward sales trend for “Genie” is expected as SNSD will be releasing their 2nd Single “Gee” on October 20th. Following the release of “Genie” and “Gee”, it will be a grand success for SNSD again if they could surpass the 100,000 copies mark during their first year in Japan.

Credits : sportsseoul.com/photo as tagged
Source : fanwonder.com

[NEWS] Lee Teuk talks about couple earrings

On MBC Chuseok special program, “Golden Fishery-Radio Star”, Super Junior’s leader Lee Teuk talked about the couple earrings rumor involving him and SNSD leader, Taeyeon.

On the show aired on September 23rd, Lee Teuk said, “The couple earrings rumor is a total misunderstanding.”

He added, “Taeyeon’s earring looks similar as mine and as for the rabbit-shape earring, I bought it first.”

On the show, there were also talks about Hankyung and Super Junior’s exclusive contract with SM Entertainment.

Credits : ytn.co.kr
Source : fanwonder.com

[INFO] The craze for YoonA’s baby-like skin

It is the wish of many women to be as pretty as YoonA. From the photos taken at the SM Party which were revealed by actress Lee Yeonhee through her minihompy, YoonA’s natural beauty har garnered attention from netizens.

After looking at the photos of their favorite artists, a netizen commented, “I can see the real personalities of actors and singers from the photos. Particularly YoonA, as I like her cute and simple appearance. I want to have her baby-like shiny skin.”

A chairman of a clinic in Cheongdam-dong which specializes in dermatology, Hwang Se-Il said, “To be popular in the entertainment industry, members of girl groups need to have good singing skills as well as beautiful appearance as these are the factors that will make fans love them. YoonA’s skin is baby-like, such that it is as white as snow and elastic. She is getting so much attention as she is the ideal model for women who want to have skin like her.

Hwang added, “YoonA naturally has good skin and she knows how to love and take good care of her skin. The reason why many women are attracted to YoonA’s beautiful skin is that clean and smooth skin gives good impression as well as confidence to a person and also to people around him/her.

The advertisement industry is very sensitive to public’s reaction and those in the industry have the same impression about YoonA and her beautiful skin.

A staff of an advertising agency who worked with YoonA said, “YoonA gave me a good impression and she’s full of confidence. She is very polite and she always gives her best. I’m impressed by her attitude. Her clean and smooth skin plays an important role in my observation and assessment.”

A representative of cosmetic brand, Innisfree (YoonA is the brand’s CF model) said, “YoonA’s usual clean image which can be seen through her music activities and dramas matches the pure concept of the Innisfree brand and thus, she was chosen as the model for the brand. YoonA’s unique and lively personality, which appeals to many also played an important role in the decision of selecting her as the model.”

Credits : dailycosmetic.com
Source : fanwonder.com