Jyp's Wonder Girls (원더걸스) Official Thread 2

[Guest Dechen]

who's tht girl nxt to sohee???

[Guest donnie_d]

hello..just wondering maybe the MAMA's doesnt really rely on the voting alone..maybe there other categories like album sales, popularity rankings in asia etc etc...just athought..correct me if im wrong...

our girls will definitely win something for asian category not just for korean alone..because they really are the most popular girl group in asia right now....so its just right that they win something...

for SME artists...actually its their loss..they shouldnt be tied with the wars of between Mnet and SME because they are just performers and artists..they should be credited for what are due to them..

[seafood]

I really don't care if the girls come to MAMA or not. I seriously hope that they take part in SBS, MBC, & KBS end of

the year show but I'm sure that not going to happen so I am sure that the girls is going to be at MAMA. I really hope

they perform, also I don't care much for the award. It understandable if the girls didn't win, they wasn't in Korea for that long anyway. It be kinda amazing if they out of nowhere released a mini album in Korea like around Nov. (I know I am only dreaming lol)

[Guest qoxie]

who's tht girl nxt to sohee???

Dunno. But she looked older in the other solo selca she shared with Mark PD.

Google Search was inconclusive, yielding a Kayagum (traditional Korean instrument) musician with the same name, but no good photo to compare.

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I think the year-end music shows are too close to WG's January comeback.

But let's wait see. They don't have any listed activities after HK & Guangzhou (Dec 17. 19), yet figure to see in the new year in Korea (unconfirmed Hefei, China concert on Jan 2).

I expect the timing to be unfavorable for February-March's Korean awards shows too.

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Sunye surpasses 100,000 followers on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/wgsun

Congrats!

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Alpha Entertainment received new instructions from JYPE.Korea, including change of dates for the Singapore auditions.

Alpha Entertainment LATEST: JYP will create a dedicated website  for participants to register. It has to be online and those did not  register will not be allowed to take part. Watch this space for more  updates

4 hours ago ·

Alpha Entertainment Just informed by JYP the Spore dates will be changed to 9th - 12th Dec

1st rd in Spore & HK will be held over 1.5 days and 3rd day for the Final. We will do street castings on the 4th day.

JYP will post the information on their website after 29 Nov. Press and Poster will be released on our facebook, website and also all... fan clubs in the region. Videos by the stars will be streamed on our camfrog later

5 hours ago

Source: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Seoul-South-Korea/Alpha-Entertainment/125883630767631?v=wall

[Guest xxxjarjarbinxxx]

so can someone please help me out and explain?

im confused

im super excited for san e's lovesick mv

because of SOHEEE

but is the male lead going to be an idol/actor??

OR a 'normal', everyday guy

because san e said for people to guess who the male lead would be

so that would probably mean the male lead is indeed famous

otherwise....how would 200 guess CORRECTLY (winners get to watch preview)

but then on a lot of articles it says san e is going to have a casting call

and already 200 males applied................??

that cant mean 200 idols/actors (lol *sigh i wish)

so which ones true?

ultimately i dont care because im just so excited to see mandoo, what with all their US activities

CANT WAIT

please help clear up confusion!!!!!!!!!!

[slrigrednow]

[source: FollowWG@Twitter, Wonder Girls Video Blog]

cr. Wonderfulsworld

only know Lim's basket is on the far right =D

---------

Watch WG Making the Halloween Basket

Part1 http://www.wondergirlsworld.com/video_mu/?p=276

Part2 http://www.wondergirlsworld.com/video_mu/?p=284

[Guest valentino_rossi46]

Sun Mi twitter

mimimimi0502 Sunmi lee

After literature tutoring I took a nap. Btw everyone takes a nap during literature class...lol We shake our head wildly and then try to

16 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

mimimimi0502 Sunmi lee

wake up. Hahaha

11 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

This mean Sun Mi is still studying, she hasnt stopped her studying after was accepted into Dongguk, so im sure she will take SAT exam in November

Hope she will choose American school to apply, then she can go America to study and continue her singing dream

[Guest wonderr23]

^

I hope so too..so Mimi can join her sisters in the US. And LOL at her tweet saying that we SHAKE ?? our heads trying to stay awake?? Mimi is really random. xD

Apple Lim xD

cr Daum, Baidu, and Google

[Guest lacus_jj]

^lim looks so cute

apple lim

I'm i imagining things or there are really 155199 guests at this thread atm?

I topped a page

[Guest valentino_rossi46]

Wonder girls: Mnet Ultimate live in Asia : greeting Thai fans

http://www.facebook.com/sandraqa/posts/165210376841419#!/video/video.php?v=1677746390489&oid=112151598843802

They spoke Korean ? WHy suddenly i eel so strange ? ha ha

[Guest *bluebutterfly*]

To be very honest, I don't want them to be nominated in any category. If they'll be nominated, I'm quite sure that they will not win. Actually, it's okay for me if they can't get any award but I hate to see comments like "ohh. ___ beat WG." or "WG lost to ___" or "lol. WG wasn't able to win in a category" Anyway, I am soooooo looking forward for their new album. Will their collab with Jonas Brothers still push through?

I agree, but we can't really do anything about it. We're just going to have to be Mannerfuls and not be fight back. We all know that Nobody was such a big hit and it's kind of hard to beat it, and 2DT was not their best song. Also, WG haven't been active in Korea and they keep losing members in their fanclub because they're unloyal and they've migrated to another new fanclub, therefore they might be behind with votes, and they didn't promote for long at all!

I think the girl group battle will be between WG, 2NE1 and maybe Kara.

so can someone please help me out and explain?im confusedim super excited for san e's lovesick mvbecause of SOHEEEbut is the male lead going to be an idol/actor??OR a 'normal', everyday guybecause san e said for people to guess who the male lead would beso that would probably mean the male lead is indeed famousotherwise....how would 200 guess CORRECTLY (winners get to watch preview)but then on a lot of articles it says san e is going to have a casting calland already 200 males applied................??that cant mean 200 idols/actors (lol *sigh i wish)so which ones true?ultimately i dont care because im just so excited to see mandoo, what with all their US activitiesCANT WAITplease help clear up confusion!!!!!!!!!!

I think the male lead could be an unknown actor. It could be ordinary person who just auditioned to act in the MV.

[Guest wonderr23]

French Wonderfuls gifts to Yubin

Merci beaucoup to all the kind WF in France for giving Yubin very nice and thoughtful presents. ^^ Please follow WGFrance on twitter!!

www.twitter.com/WondergirlsFr

cr www.twitter.com/WondergirlsFr

dramablog

[slrigrednow]

Yubin's Birthday Party in Paris

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-38N4eSyfsc

[Guest qoxie]

MIPCOM souvenir. (The other Hallyu pics in the photo album do not feature WG.)

Source: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=31892&id=142051795818383

[Guest ashenlo]

oh french wf gave yubin "nutella" it's chocolate that u put on bread! wonder if they have ever tasted it?! it's delicious! yenny seemed interested haha

WG haven't been active in Korea and they keep losing members in their fanclub because they're unloyal and they've migrated to another new fanclub 

i know how the girls are hurt by these flying birds fans so i really hope they'll get an award: it'll give them strenght and love

[Guest qoxie]

Here is the translation of the super-long Zaobao article from last Thursday, as promised.

I am also posting a screengrab of the HTML page, in case it is eventually deleted (as the media owner SPH is wont to do).

Source: http://stars.zaobao....rea101021.shtml

Kpop idol factories: what's the formula for success?

Huang Jingjing 2010-10-21

Zaobao.com

Recently, many Kpop groups have been coming here for promotions. This 'Korean Wave' is an unprecedented force. From WONDERGIRLS, SUPERJUNIOR, ZE:A, BEAST, 2AM, 4MINUTE, CNBLUE, Jay Park to G:NA, Kpop music has, in recent years, become one of the important exemplars of youth culture throughout Asia. Kpop blends Asian qualities into its lively rhythms, & is greatly accepted by the young people of China, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong & Southeast Asia.

Kpop idols mushroom rapidly.  They are quickly supplanting the Jpop & Mandopop idols. The Hallyu whirlwind sweeping Asia is mainly due to the emergence of Korean idol factories. Korea has more than 10 entertainment companies. When it comes to grooming all-round artistes & then marketing them, the idol factories each have its own successful formula.

The 4 major idol factories each occupies a share of heaven

The Kpop industry produces great output. In the last half-year alone, at least 9 groups -- MBLAQ, 4MINUTE, CNBLUE, ZE:A, 2NE1, F.CUZ, f(x), B2ST, T-ARA -- have sprung forth, almost a new group every month.

Among Korean idol factories, the current big players are YG Entertainment, Star Museum (SM), JYP & DSP. Each occupies a share of heaven.

YG was founded in 1996. Owner Yang Hyun Suk is a big fan of hip-hop music, & his company thus specializes in the genre. In the beginning, it successfully launched popular groups like JINUSEAN & 1TYM, causing a considerable hip-hop tremor in Korea. From 2002 onwards, it would successively launch R&B singers like Wheesung, BIG MAMA, GUMMY & SE7EN, setting a staggering sales record.

Despite owning a big roster, YG is fully involved in each artiste's career development. It has thus become the 'dream' company for many newcomers.

JYP Entertainment had developed singers like RAIN & Park Ji Yoon. From dance backgrounds, they reached Heavenly Idol status as a result of JYP's vision & innovative packaging. RAIN successfully broke out into the international arena, while flagship groups like G.O.D. & WONDERGIRLS all possessed huge fanbases. More recently, the co-launches of boybands 2AM & 2PM in different sub-genres triggered a new wave of pop idols.

SM Entertainment was already a thriving company last century. From 1996 onwards, it had successively launched powerhouse groups like H.O.T., S.E.S., TVXQ & Fly To The Sky. In the face of strong competition, SM was able to stay on top by virtue of a discerning corporate leadership. Their artistes almost always made good, each & every one a standout. When H.O.T. disbanded, the pain for SM was no less akin to losing an arm.

H.O.T. was the quintessential SM artiste & also the top brand name of the Kpop industry. When SHINHWA debuted later, they could not always break away from being "H.O.T.'s successor" & was not initially well received. But SHINHWA's results soon spoke for themselves, & they ultimately became SM's 'cash cow'.

DSP Entertainment was founded in 1991 & became SM's biggest competitor. It has a fairly established trainee-selection system & is recently mining newcomers from overseas too. It successfully launched sextet boyband SECHS KIDS (1997) & girlgroup quartet FIN.K.L (1998) in the idol market. After FIN.K.L disbanded & the likes of Lee Hyori left the company, it launched anew 2 hottie groups in SS501 & KARA to continue competing head-on with SM's idols.

Unequaled selection system, devilish apprenticeship

Korean entertainment companies have strict & unequaled selection & training systems. To groom prospective idols, they demand that their trainees possess natural talent & can endure rigorous training. It generally takes 5 to 7 years to groom a newcomer.

In Korea, SM holds 2 major talent competitions annually, in addition to weekly in-house auditions. They would pick out younger promising prospects & then subject them to daily 10-hour regimens for several years. The aim is to produce all-round performers who can sing & dance.

There is strong competitive rivalry among the selected trainees. Many of them leave after waiting in vain to debut. Even after debuting, those met with poor market response may end up in cold storage. But getting into SM's popular idol groups means multiple opportunities to showcase dancing, hosting, acting, DJing & other talents.

From H.O.T. to TVXQ, each group member was groomed by SM for years into what they are today. Pre-album debut, H.O.T. had intensified their daily practices to 12-16 hours. TVXQ's XIAH even trained for over 7 years before getting his chance.

In addition, the trainees must undergo language & speech lessons, so as to be articulate on-camera in every situation.

Former SUPERJUNIOR-M member Han Geng was in town for album promotions & told the local media: "I had begun training without knowing with which group or exactly when I would debut. When the company thinks you are ready, they will map out how to launch you. Training was quite strict & hard. There was much to learn, [everything] from singing to dancing. But apart from attending classes, we were entrusted to train on our own. In a class of 30 trainees, only the best can get to debut. I had made preparations. If I couldn't cut it as an artiste, I was going to study to become a schoolteacher instead."

2 other Kpop artistes recently here for album promotions agreed that the training process is very important.

Jay Park said: "It made us realize that, to make the grade, we must put in a lot of hard work. Also, to stay disciplined, which entails giving up your time with family & friends. It means sacrificing several years of your life."

G.NA said: "Making it depends on your perseverance. The journey requires many sacrifices, including the time with family."

Korean entertainment companies' comprehensive training

• Significant investment

Funding-wise, Korean entertainment companies do not hold back in spending large sums on all-around training.

For example, to help groom BoA into an accomplished 'talent singer', SM sought out many experts to exclusively tutor her. BoA's choreographers were Japan's top-ranked Sakuma & Kazeu. For her debut album, well-known Korean composers Yoo Young Jin, Kim Hyun Suck, Kang Won Sunk & Bang See Hynk were roped in to help.

Kpop stars' attires & hairstyles are also thoroughly researched. A lot of money is spent on packaging. There are fashion consultants on hand &, for the more veteran artistes, their own beauty salons in terms of makeup artists & hairstylists. As a result, Kpop stars often lead the way in fashion trends & are greatly emulated by young people.

• Multifaceted development

Post-breakthrough, the entertainment companies will attach great importance to developing related projects for their artistes. For example, various limited-edition & repackaged CDs are launched to encourage repeat purchases; various concerts are held at home & abroad; many commercial advertisements are shot as part of product endorsements; possible participation in Korean idol dramas; becoming TV hosts & so on. Along with raising the artistes' profile, these can also boost music sales, in turn generating a virtuous circle through favorable feedback.

SUPERJUNIOR is such a success story. Their members average 180 cm in height &, besides singing, also variously host, model, DJ & act. The broad 13-men lineup is rare among idol groups, & they are popular throughout Asia. SM would even specially re-package the members into different subgroups. For example, there is SUPERJUNIOR-K.R.Y. which emphasized vocal skills, as well as SUPERJUNIOR-M which was led by Chinese member Han Geng & aimed at the China market.

DSP Entertainment rode on SS501 Kim Hyun Joong's ballyhoo role in the idol drama 'Boys Over Flowers' to elevate SS501's momentum in Asia to new heights.

Many Kpop stars also come to Singapore as a result of product endorsements. For example, SUPERJUNIOR & WONDERGIRLS conducted local promotions as brand spokespersons for new cellphone models.

• Younger idols

The trend of younger idols has become a global phenomenon. Recent Kpop newbies are mostly 18, 19 years old. Younger debuts give the companies a longer shelf life & revenue stream. Earlier talent spotting, lower packaging costs & greater malleability are also advantageous during the training process.

For example, SM had drawn up a stratagem in 1997: groom a major star who could represent Asia. They found BoA among the countless tryouts in Korea. She was only 11 years old & a Grade 4 student when she auditioned. But her performance identified her to have star quality.

Not only are the singers young, their audience are also mainly boys & girls. These groupies are generally young girls; they form the so-called "Oppa troops". During performances, they will scream out "Oppa" ("Brother" in Korean) the moment the idols appear. Such spectacles have become most characteristic at Kpop concerts.

• Group-based blitzes

Idol groups are a common gambit in the Kpop industry & are also looked upon as a barometer of the market.

For example, H.O.T., SHINHWA, TVXQ, WONDERGIRLS & SUPERJUNIOR. After forming, the companies were able to evaluate their popularity to determine if superstar status could be the next step. Kpop groups can be formed & disbanded rather quickly. Their companies decide the best lineups & the split ups.

• International songs

The songs of Kpop idol groups are generally crafted to cross over internationally. Typically, in 2 major blocks: English & Mandarin.

WONDERGIRLS' 'Nobody' & SUPERJUNIOR's 'Sorry Sorry' are prime examples. The music is Westernized & the lyrics accessible worldwide in English. At the same time, these young artistes are tasked to pick up Chinese-language skills. WONDERGIRLS had studied Chinese before debuting; their Special Edition album contains 3 Chinese songs.

Many Kpop songs are re-adapted for Europe, America & Japan. The catchy melodies & easy consumption, along with good packaging, have rapidly spread throughout Asia. The music style would win over the youth communities mainly through the neat & tidy dances & the uptempo songs.

As for the charm of Kpop music, Jay Park said: "Catchy & discernible tempo. In particular, the songs must be overwhelmingly danceable to attract the listener's attention."

• Ultra popularity

WONDERGIRLS' 'Nobody nobody but you' from their Korean hit 'Nobody' & its accompanying dance has been celebrated for quite some time. Many a youth can casually hum a few lines & mimic several of the dance gestures. Kpop music's trendiness & quick dissemination penetrate fittingly into the young people's hearts.

[wonderstruck]

^

^

Awesome that the French WF chose Nutella among the gifts. I ate a lot of it when I was a kid.

--

Thanks a lot qoxie for the long translation, that article is a good and interesting lecture.

--

Christopher Reeves works for an Atlanta based production team and sings in Korean.

Here's his take on a Wonder Girls song.

Chris Reeves (크리스) - Wondergirls' Friend (Remix)

Source: https://twitter.com/MinPuppy Via WonderGirls France

--

Don't know if already shared, HD fancams of Pivotcon. Can clearly ear the public cheering at the end of the songs.

So Hot

Tell Me

Teaching the dance & Nobody

Credit: http://youtube.com/user/eagle

[Guest qoxie]

OMG, here's an old news video of LIM's Hong Kong audition for JYPE!

The time is listed as January 2007, when she was 14.

She appears from 1:24 to 1:42, & again from 1:54 to 1:57.

It was on the Star World cable channel too! I subscribe to it over here in SG...

Screengrabs:

[slrigrednow]

^ QT =D

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WG Making the Halloween Basket Pt 3 (Sohee)

http://www.wondergirlsworld.com/video_mu/?p=295

[Guest Mia_Mia]

Dream High's male lead has been chosen- Kim Soo Hyun

... so that means the other names of the cast should be coming out soon. I hope it was a WG member (I'm guessing it will be Sohee) in it too

Dream High is scheduled for a January 3 premiere and a 16-episode run.