Wednesday, February 15, 2012

'Music Island' to push limits of K-pop


With Sunny from Girls' Generation as host on a stage on Jeju Island, "Music Island", an upcoming K-pop program, has many grandiose objectives. One is to "prove that K-pop idols can sing", said Kim Chang-woo, theSBS MTV director in charge of the new show.

"'Music Island' will offer a genuine musical experience to the viewers, much like a mini-concert, where four to five artists will fly to Jeju Island for every episode to perform together and share their stories", said Kim at a press conference at the Jeju Grand Hotel on Tuesday.

The filming of the first two episodes at Tamna Hall of the International Convention Center in Seogwipo, on the same day showed that perhaps the noble ideas are a bit of a stretch given the packed schedule and vocal capabilities of K-pop stars.

The venue and format is unique among K-pop shows. The guest stars on the first episode - IUJung YupSunny HillB.A.P, and Rainbow - sat with Sunny at the right of the stage and stayed until the end. On other music programs such as "Inkigayo" on SBS and "M!Countdown" on Mnet, artists leave after their performance. Nearly 1,000 spectators took their seats at Tamna Hall, unlike other shows where people stand around small stages.

Sunny skillfully led the small talk between each act. This was the first time for her to host singlehandedly, but she was poised and casually interacted with the audience. She predictably asked the guests about their newest albums and future plans. However, much of the conversation often appeared unplanned fillers, with questions such as who the artists are closest to on the music scene.

Female solo singer IU kicked off the show with "You And I". While chatting with Sunny, she responded to the crowd's requests to sing parts of her famous tracks like "Good Day" and "Marshmallow". Ballad singer Jung Yup performed the title track from his latest album "I Didn't Know" as well as his most famous number "Nothing Better". Armed with great vocals, the two musicians were perfect for the program.

This did not last as things headed downhill when the idol stars performed renditions of their own songs by the music director of "Music Island", Eco Bridge. Every week the show promises to offer such special performances in addition to singers' standard versions of their hits. The crowd went silent when Rainbow undertook a rock version of their dance track "Maha". The seven members could not hit the notes let alone dance. The audience could barely make out the lyrics, and the singers appeared disoriented with the clashing choreography.


At the end of the performance, Woori, the rapper of the ensemble, stood in the middle of the stage looking lost while others were posing.

Sunny Hill, a four-member group, did not fare any better. The music director had added a jazzy twist to their debut ballad "Ring Tone" from 2007. The vocals were tenuous to begin with and attempts to add flavor to the track made the singers sound off-beat.

Nonetheless, the young residents of Jeju Island did not complain. The convention hall was packed from noon with people waiting to get in. After the show, the audience, mostly high school students, came out flushed from their first up-close encounter with the stars. "We were excited that (the show) will bring artists to Jeju. I came to see IU but I was very impressed with B.A.P". said Kim Ah-ram, a local high school student.

But not as many appreciated the attempts to offer something new. Kim Yi-seul, a high school student from the area, said "I didn't think it was that different from other music shows. The sound system was sub-par and the different versions of the songs were pretty bad. It was embarrassing because the artists couldn't sing".

Many pointed out the talk show component as their favorite part. Yang Chang-woo, 17, and his friends joined the queue to get in at 6 a.m. "The show was worth the wait! I came to see IU, and I was really happy that she didn't just disappear after her act but sat with other artists and talked", said Yang.

"Music Island" will utilize the global MTV network and will be aired in eight Asian counties, including Japan, China, and Singapore. The show will feature musicians from overseas and collaborative performances with K-pop stars. No foreign artists will perform in the first two episodes and as yet no specific plans for their appearing have been made.

The first episode will air on February 28th.

"Wild Romance" Jessica and Lee Dong Wook enjoy a sweet date


On February 15th, still cuts from the KBS 2TV's drama series "Wild Romance" featuring lead cast Lee Dong Wook and Jessica of Girls Generation have been revealed, attracting the audience attention.

The photos show scene of Park Moo Yul (Lee Dong Wook) and Kang Jong Hee (Jessica) sitting down at a restaurant and enjoying a sweet date. Seeing a beautiful night view, the couple drink wine together while exchanging loving glances.

The sweet date between Lee Dong Wook and Jessica will be revealed on tonight.

“暴力罗曼史”李东旭 & JESSICA约会场面公开,可爱的眼神交换


李东旭和Jessica的约会场面被公开,引人关注。  


15日放送的《暴力罗曼史》将公开李东旭和Jessica的约会场面。 公开的照片中,两人在气氛很好的餐厅中享受着约会,在可以看到夜景的西餐厅中,尽情享受着幸福的两人,李东旭微笑着饱含爱心的眼神展现了浪漫的魅力。 Jessica也身穿展现成熟女性美的服饰,散发美丽的风采,并以可爱的眼神望着李东旭。  


另外,《暴力罗曼史》中棒球选手朴武烈虽然激动于与初恋钟熙的重逢,但心已被自己的保镖李垠渽所吸引,爱情线渐渐清晰,引发了暴发性的关注。

Jessica and Kim Jin Pyo unveiled Perhaps MV!


Check out Jessica and Kim Jin Pyo's Perhaps MV for Wild Romance OST!

Yoona is a "Vogue Girl"!


SNSD's Yoona graces the cover of the March edition of Vogue Girl magazine.

She is seen posing elegantly for the well-known magazine in the photo above,like her new photo for Vogue Girl?

Sunny shares her thoughts on being a solo MC for ‘Music Island’

Girls’ Generation member Sunny expressed her thoughts on being a solo MC for the very first time.
Sunny attended the SBS MTV ‘Music Island‘ press conference that was held at the Jeju Grand Hotelon February 14th and said, “I will work to serve as a bridge for Hallyu and the world.”
The program will be aired in more than 8 countries worldwide, and I think it will help build more awareness for K-POP,” she continued. “As a member of Girls’ Generation who benefits from the K-POP phenomenon, I will work harder to do bigger things on the program. I will do my best to lead the program to success.”
In regards to being a solo MC for the first time she said, “I’m actually very nervous to be a solo MC for the first time. I will be with many audience members and guests. I am both excited and nervous waiting for the first shoot to take place.”
SBS MTV program director Kim Chang Woo also said, “There are a lot of music programs out there but they lack variety for the most part. But ‘Music Island’ aims for a high-class live music show.”
The idol stars at the forefront of this K-POP phenomenon will lead the show live for the most part, and we are excited for a mix of live K-pop and a talk show,” he continued. “The program will be aired in over 8 different countries and will available in 250,000,000 households.”
The first broadcast of ‘Music Island’ will feature stars such as IUMBLAQ, FT IslandDal Shabet,Jung YeobRainbowBlock BLim Jung Hee, and Sunny Hill, and will airon February 29th at 8:00PM in countries such as Japan, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Philippines.