23-food-dance-kpop ramble

Wheeee almost a month ish ayee.

I made dumplings for brunch! =D Well boiled anyway.

Starting to get desensitised to Taiwan. Like everything is still awesome and cute, but it's no longer new. I find a lot of the clothes the same, a lot of the merchandise the same, etc etc. I'm also starting to not really crave any food in particular...seems like I've already gone through my Taiwan food list. xD

Today was a pretty sluggish day. I slept way too much the night before so I didn't really sleep until 5am...and was chatting to some friends back home who were getting up to go to work or uni. I woke up, watched some tv, ate breakfast, and then started watching Shinee videos on youtube. The best thing about not having youtubed them in awhile is that there's a lot of new videos up. Hohoho. The computer was broken so I didnt' have audio, so I borrowed the ipad and just laid on the bed for few hours watching the oh so cute Taemin. It kinda puts kpop groups in perspective because Shinee is a pretty well seasoned group now, and in their debut days, they were a 'new group' next to 2pm.



Taemin (Shinee) and BoA. Btw, this is one of Taemin's best performances because this was one of his best 'arch back' stand up  executions.

Ahh, now kpop is a whole bunch of new groups with too much skill and not enough originality and audience. I swear companies are coming out with new groups every few months, and I think the debut pretty much judges the death or life of a rookie group.

The kpop industry is a hard place.

Seeing as I didn't really do much besides dance and eat today, imma ramble about kpop for a bit. =D


---Kpop in a nutshell--

But yes, the kpop industry is a hard place. Screw being able to sing, you need to be able to perform, look good, be interesting on talk shows, be able to dance, and be stylish.

All in one person.

And even if you can do all of the above, there's no guarantee that you'll even make it there, or make it big, or even make it to an audience. If you've seen trainee videos (i.e YG Trainees) then you know that potential members and scoped out young, train young, and debut maybe from 16 onwards.

I think a lot of young kids or teenagers have the blind vision of becoming famous and performing with the amount of talent and charisma and the amazing fanbase that kpop idols have. Like yes that is true, but behind the scenes, things are a lot different. It's not a glamourous lifestyle about looking sexy and hot all the time. There's a lot. A lot. of hard work that kpop idols put into their lives. If it's a career that any reader might be considering, I'd probably say, if you think you can put in the effort and the risk, and you think you have what it takes, then by all means go for it. But it's not all fame and fun.

Tayeon for SNSD

I view kpop idols as: pretraining->debut->seasoned debut.

Pretraining: This is already assumed that the company has taken this particular idol or person into training under their wing. This does not mean that the person is guaranteed anything. A trainee is as easily as let go as found. There is a definite surplus in the amount of people who want to become kpop idols, and from what I've seen, there is an ever increasing amount of talent in the rookie groups. Thus as a trainee, if you can't prove yourself unique, talented, dedicated, and on top, then more likely or not, the company will let you go, or never debut you, even after training you for years.



Boyfriend and the 'Lovestyle' concept. One of the more girly ones I've seen.

Shinee and their manly 'Lucifer' concept

Debut: This is probably the make or break of an idol's career, although it's not the complete end if it doesn't go amazing, but obviously your career aspects look significantly brighter if you start out strong. What's most intimidating about debut is that I've seen idol groups who've only debuted one song, and have never been seen again. So that's all your trainee years gone. And with debut, you don't get to chose your songs or your get up. So if you're a guy, and you want to be super hot and awesome and cool like Shinee, you could just as likely be debuted into a girly boy band (early Boyfriend), or maybe in a classical style boy band. Or like T-ara, they get all their not that modest outfits chosen for them, and ther songs and concepts. In kpop, you don't get much of a voice as an artist, almost everything is decided for you by your manager and your company; pretty much all in the aim of money.

Another thing is if your debut does go decently, then your company will likely sign you to a contract. These contracts are not amazing either, and they bind you to your band and your kpop life for the good amount of your young and lively years. I think I've read the SNSD's Yoona has a 12 year contract? So if she signed on when she's 18 (random guess), 12 years later, shes 30, and past her prime. Pretty much her whole life will be SNSD. There's no going back.  And your company doesn't offer you an amazing contract either. As a trainee, most people are willing to take anything just to debut, so your pay and benefits are not awesome; even if you do make it big years later, you're signed onto some crappy contract. Score for the company. They've got years and generations of idols to judge you on, and you've got your one chance to maybe get out there in the world. Then again, your company will give you more attention if you do well though, because you are making money, but likewise if you don't, your company is likely to ignore you, which leaves you...?

So pretty much, debut is trying to make yourself popular, so that you can make money, and that your company will still continue to want you and support you.

SNSD on a talk show

Idols do this in may ways, for example advertising, talk shows, entertainment shows, interviews, performances. To really make it and be popular, you have to be likeable, you have to be humourous, you have to be everything, on top of a singer and performer.

Although that being said, a lot of what is perceived in kpop is fabricated. Including a lot of the idols personalities. And a lot of the shows are staged, rehearsed, planned, even if they're supposed to be 'live'. If your manager tells you to act bitchy, you do. You have no choice. If you decline, they can snap your fingers and have you replaced in a heartbeat.

Sexy IU

Seasoned Debut: I think seasoned debut is where most idols aim for, or are somewhat comfortable. This is when idol groups have made a name for themselves, and have a decent fanbase, and a few comebacks stages (i.e released singles), and maybe a few concerts. The seasoned idols that come to mind are BoA, SNSD, Shinee, Big Bang, Miss A, IU, Ailee. These idols have it going for them, and they have fans who are crazy, buy merchandise, go to concerts, and would flame many relationships.

For these idols, I think it's about maintaining their popularity. They're competing with a lot of the strong new rookie groups that are coming out. However, these idols have the advantage as they already have a good source of income and support, that any song that they come out with is likely to be met with some popularity and thus has an advantage of staying afloat in the mass of new kpop songs being released for what seems like daily.

Many of these idols also have more room to try contrasting concepts, different looks, songs, etc. They usually have a few die-hard fans who will love them no matter how much dignity they are willing to sacrifice. Not to say that some of the new concepts aren't awesome. :D These idols also have to be very cautiious about their image and scandals and perserving their privacy. They also get 24/7 stalkers, minimal relationship opportunities outside thier companies and minimal privacy.


So yeah. My impression of idols in a big nutshells.

---

Anyway back to Taiwan. So had dance with Mr. Afroo :

 

 

Then had dinner at a sushi train with dad. The customer service was kind of lacking. I dont think they should have given us a table, because we didn't really have that much time to eat, and they seemed really eager to clean up and go home.

 

Aburi Salmon

Sushi train

Aburi flounder

Fish!

California roll