2AM‘s Jo Kwon shared that J.Y. Park is personally involved in how the idols take care of their voices.

On the April 11th broadcast of KBS2‘s ‘Happy Together‘, Jo Kwon told a funny story of how producer and JYP Entertainment‘s J.Y. Park takes care of 2AM. He said, “Park Jin Young advised us not to speak for 5 hours after we wake up. To be honest, the day before his concerts, he does not speak and communicates with people by writing his thoughts in a sketchbook.”

Yoo Jae Suk chimed in, “But during that concert, his voice kept breaking from the first song to the last,” causing everyone to laugh.

Jo Kwon also said, “J.Y. Park once gave me a CD to listen to while I exercised my throat. I was looking forward to it because I thought it was a CD with professional vocalization methods, so I ran over to our practice room and turned the CD on.” He continued, “But when I turned it on, J.Y. Park’s voice was recorded on the CD! And I couldn’t even understand the vocalization.”

He explained that the only sound from the CD was “Eee, eee, eee.” The rest of the panel couldn’t help but burst into laughter, commenting, “What kind of vocalization is that?”

YG Entertainment founder & CEO Yang Hyun Suk was named the wealthiest celebrity stockholder for 2012.

The value of Yang Hyun Suk’s stock holdings have increased from 184.7 billion KRW (approximately $173.6 million USD) last year to 219.5 billion KRW (approximately $206.3 million USD). With the increase, he has surpassed SM Entertainment‘s Lee Soo Man, whose stock holdings amounted to 200.1 billion KRW (approximately $188.9 million USD) this year.

In third place was Bae Yong Joon with 23.7 billion KRW (approximately $22.3 million USD).

The 63% increase for Yang Hyun Suk was mainly credited from the worldwide success of Psy‘s “Gangnam Style“.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]

Actor Yoo Seung Ho has officially been cast in the upcoming MBC drama ‘I Miss You‘.

The actor has been cast for the role ofKang Hyung Joon, an asset manager who becomes rivals with Han Jung Woo, played by Park Yoochun.

A drama representative explained the casting decision saying, “Yoo Seung Ho is being recognized by many for his maturation as an actor. We believe that he will play the character of Kang Hyung Joon, who is cold-hearted and hides his past pain behind his gentle image, better than anyone else.”

In the drama, Yoo Seung Ho plans to showcase acting skills that have further matured since his most recent appearances in other dramas.

Meanwhile, ‘I Miss You’ already cast Park Yoochun and Yoon Eun Hye as the protagonists to draw out the sad love story of the drama.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]

J.Y. Park congratulated Psy through his Twitter account.

On October 5th, J.Y. Park tweeted, “Jesang (Psy’s real name), I just heard the news after cutting off internet and cell phone access after I left Korea. How did this happen. When I left, I did a ‘Gangnam Style‘ support video, and that song is now 2nd on Billboard. All these people prepare for years and can’t accomplish that, how can you do it in just one month? Congratulations. Your life is such a drama. I’ll call you when my cell phone is up again.”

Netizens commented, “Although the media is trying to portray them as rivals, they’re really good friends“, “Congratulations Psy“, and “Good to see their friendship.”

Source: J.Y. Park’s Twitter

If there is a defining quality to the genre of K-pop, for me, it has to be the importance placed on the choreography. K-pop places such an emphasis on the dance that songs can be better defined by its moves rather than by the musical properties. Just look at PSY’s “Gangnam Style“. Most of America can’t understand more than a handful of words in the song but I’ll bet that many can identify and probably even perform the horse dance that has taken the world by storm.

The early days of K-pop were no different as the dance was very important to the identity of the song and the artist. To this day, old heads like me can can regurgitate the moves that we practiced while rewinding VHS tapes and watching the grainy images of music shows that had aired a month earlier. For this week’s Way Back Wednesday I was going to write an article covering all of the best dances from back in the day but when I started to sort through the different groups, I realized that it would be impossible. So in order to cover as many as possibly, I’ll break down the best dances by era.

First up are the all important years of 1993-1996; the beginning of K-pop. In covering those four years I’m sure there will be a lot of songs left out in this article so be sure to add in your own and go dance a little, it’s good for you.

Hyun Jin Young – Among the Faded Memories

This song technically was released in 1992 but it was still a huge hit and reached #1 on the charts in 1993 so I had to let this one slide. Hyun Jin Young has been mentioned in this column before as one of the first artists signed to SM Entertainment back in the day and also for this dance crew Wawa which included members Lee Hyun Do and Kim Sung Jae of Deux. This song might sound familiar for those who are fans of entertainer and quasi-reggae artist Haha as he used the dance and the sound on his song “Jump”. The fun starts at :50 below and don’t mind the blurry video; it’s twenty years old and videos were recorded by something called VHS.

Seo Taiji and Boys – Ha Yeo Ga

Everyone knows that these guys are the OG’s, the genesis of everything K-pop. Seo Taiji was a musical master and a real-life rock star (he was the bassist for legendary band Sinawe) and among the first to fuse American and Korean music to create a brand new sound. But people often forget that members Lee Juno and Yang Hyun Suk were very well-known dancers in the club scene in Korea and when the group initially debuted, they were a dance team. While their debut song “I Know” gets a lot of love, this is actually my favorite of all their songs and the dance is legendary. It’s actually pretty funny now to see how out of place Seo Taiji is with all the dancing and how good YG and Lee Juno are.

Two Two – One and One Half

I know this song has been discussed before and the dance was mentioned as one of the big reasons I love this song but it was just so fun. Very simple, kind of obvious given the lyrics but such impact. I found this random video on YouTube that kind of outlines the moves. Yes, I will be recreating my glory days.

J.Y. Park – Don’t Leave Me

In my humble opinion, J.Y. Park is the best at creating original dances for his music. I said in the article for him that the opening five notes still gets me fired up and ready to cut a rug (although the video below has a little intro dance that he’s been adding in there recently). The dance for the song is so simple but meshes with the sounds so well that how can you not want to copy it? This still stands up to the test of time as one of the best K-pop dances ever and was recently performed by Ailee on the J.Y. Park episode of ‘Immortal Song 2‘.

Kim Gun Mo – Wrongful Meeting

I’ve also covered the song before but I don’t think I really discussed the dance. The opening sequence is one of the more well-known routines and has been copied many times over. Kim Gun Mo was never known as a dancer but this song stands out as one of this best.

Park Mi Kyung – Eve’s Warning

One of my top 5 Korean female singers, this song was Park Mi Kyung’s second major hit. I think I wrote before that I was in Korea when the song was released and that simple hand motion was so catchy and fun that people all over Korea were copying it. This video is of a performance from a recent ‘Old School Night’ on the popular music show ‘Yoo Hee Yeol’s Sketchbook‘ and features Clon member DJ Koo who is a pretty good dancer in his own right.

Roo’Ra – The Angel Who Lost Their Wings

The legendary butt slap dance. It was massively popular, it’s simple and fun, and people still remember it today. And that’s all I have to say about that.

Noise – From My Imagination

Noise was a popular group in the early to mid 90’s and while their pop sounds were well liked, they kind of got lost in the shuffle with the other groups that were hitting their strides at the time. This song had been mentioned before in this column but I’ll always remember it for it’s really cool dance. There’s a part at around 1:13 when they do this wolf-man dance thing and that’s still one of the best known moves from the day. Great group but often don’t get the recognition they deserve.

Seo Taiji and Boys – Come Back Home

Surprise, Surprise, Seo Taiji and Boys shows up for a second time on this list. If “Ha Yeo Ga” was their rock anthem, then “Come Back Home” was their ode to gangster rap. This might be their best known song and certainly was the big smash hit toward the tail end of 1995. The dance sequence that begins at :33 is maybe the single best known dance move of that era.

Turbo – Twist King

I mention this group all the time but it’s because they were freaking awesome. This dance was so much fun because it was Turbo’s high energy music but with a classic dance that everyone knows. The best part of this video though has to be Kim Jong Gook’s shirt. That looks very Ed Hardy-ish before Ed Hardy.

What were some of your favorite dances from this era?

While it’s nothing new for women to borrow from the men’s section, the idea of men wearing clothes designed for women is less common. Sure, we see idols in drag all the time, but do we ever see men wearing stuff from the women’s department unironically? This summer, the answer is yes, as these five, fashion-forward men show us that style really is genderless.

In Seungri‘s version of Big Bang‘s Alive Special Edition (released in June), there’s a picture of him wearing a leopard print shirt. As it turns out, this shirt is from one of Roberto Cavalli’s womenswear lines! To personalize the look, Seungri paired the shirt with a red jacket, which disguised the billowy sleeves, and removed the narrow, self-fabric belt.  [Source: UKBigBang]

Also in June, style icon G-Dragon was spotted in Paris wearing a black maxi skirt with a red belt and white t-shirt. During that trip, he did a photo shoot with Harper’s Bazaar, where he wore a black, knee-length skirt with his skateboarding gear.

On June 28th, in order to fit in with the “beach theme” of the Mnet 20′s Choice Awards, the Asian Soul J.Y. Park himself wore a black, wraparound maxi skirt with a slit up the back, paired with black gladiator sandals. He dressed the outfit up with a cap-sleeved, white button-down and red bowtie.

2AM‘s Jo Kwon made good on his promise to perform in Jeffrey Campbell‘s 19.5cm shoes with no heel support on July 1st, giving everyone something to talk about. He completed his dramatic stage costume with tight black pants and a dramatic, feathered collar that extended from his nose to his waist.

B2ST‘s Junhyung had some fun on the set of the ‘Midnight Sun‘ (released July 21) photo shoot, while wearing a jacket and pants from Ashish‘s Spring/Summer 2012 collection. He made the look his own with a fringed scarf and a yellow t-shirt.  [Source: Cube-Style]

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What are your thoughts on genderless fashion? Would you ever give it a try?

Below is an interesting article written by Korean media outlet, Star Today, pointing out the weaknesses of the “Big 3″ South Korean entertainment agencies.

SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, and YG Entertainment are the so-called “Big 3” entertainment agencies of South Korea. With extensive planning, funding and tactical marketing, they possess a significant portion of equity in the music industry. However, even they have inevitable weaknesses.

To start out, SM’s weakness lies in its extremely rigid system. After its release of male idol group, H.O.T., SM has focused on “blockbuster” idols that can be well showcased. Although systematically built on the ideal idol image, overseas music trends, chic styling, and massive amounts of publicity, the SM system is still vulnerable to that ‘1% of unpredictability’. The reason being that in the case of popular music, just ‘having the secret potion and knowing the magic spell’, does not necessarily produce a hit song.

An example of this case would be newly debuted boy group, EXO. Displaying good looks, outstanding talent, endless publicity starting 100 days before their big debut, lyrics appealing to teens, and large scale music, the group possessed the formula for success, yet was unable to see results up to par with expectations.

Surprisingly enough, it was because they possessed all of the ideal elements which resulted in evaluations stating that the group does not stand out among the plethora of idol groups. Being so “typical” can display the group as lacking their own unique color. This is where SM’s “bold investments” can hinder the success of its’ artists, because the greater the investment, the greater the pressure is to bring in revenue. If going by the statement, ‘It is not the strong that survive, but rather the ones that survive are strong’, then with exception to BoA, there are no “strong” artists.

On the other hand, JYP’s biggest weakness lies in the head of the agency himself, Park Jin Young. His signature ‘simple yet catchy’ songs are the reasons why the Wonder Girls, 2PM, Miss A, and others are considered representatives of K-Pop; however all of the title songs have been his creations. Although it is said that Park Jin Young’s songs are picked even against the collection of songs the A&R team has compiled, they cannot deny the fact the at least three of the agency’s artists have yet to promote a title song produced by anyone other than Park Jin Young.

The biggest problem musically would be that because the songs are produced by one individual, all of the songs can generally sound similar. Even in the case of 2PM’s Wooyoung, whose individuality should shine through his debut as a solo artist, one cannot help but notice the stylistic similarity of his recently revealed title song to the songs of 2PM.

Although it could be seen as a “direction of enterprise”, it can unintentionally be crippling for idol groups who are always searching for new images that appeal to audiences. In reality, six year veteran idol group Wonder Girls have yet to break out of the retro concept they created early on with songs, “Tell Me”, “So Hot”, and “Nobody”.

Last but not least, YG’s biggest weakness can be noted in their very closed system of communication. This can be seen in their relationships with broadcasting companies. YG entertainment has a particularly strong relationship with SBS compared to its relationships with KBS and MBC. Debut stages and appearances on SBS’s ‘Inkigayo’ are always a priority for groups such as Big Bang and 2NE1. As a result, KBS and MBC can seem somewhat neglected in comparison.

When this problem turns from a simple music program problem, to the discrimination of all variety and entertainment programs, it makes it even more difficult for all other broadcasters other than SBS. SBS in reality, exclusively enjoys appearances by YG artists. During the time of Big Bang’s comeback, the broadcast station arranged an hour long special program for the group, who also appeared on many of its major variety programs, such as ‘Healing Camp’, ‘Running Man’, and ‘You & I’.

This is the case not just with television, but also with newspapers, magazines, and other media. It may not be a big problem for artists that have reached a certain level of success; however that is not the case for new artists. The smallest negative matters brought up by sides that are not “alliances”, can cause a fatal blow on up and coming artists.

Another significant setback is that the agency is highly dependent on one artist, Big Bang. In the year 2010, Big Bang was responsible for a whopping 70.1% of YG entertainment’s total sales. This could mean that YG is more focused on Big Bang than any of its other artists, but it can also mean that if a problem were to occur with the group, the whole company could be at stake.

Did the arguments given above have you nodding in agreement or do you see things differently? Let us know in the comments section below!

Appearing in pictorials for various fashion magazines, JYP embodied his character for the upcoming movie ‘5 Million Dollar Man‘, making the photoshoot even more entertaining.

In the photoshoot, JYP did not disappoint. He lived up to his nickname of being a fashionista and displayed impeccable style and shining individuality.

JYP’s success in the pictorials demonstrated that he was truly capable of dominating all areas of the entertainment industry. With his role in ’5 Million Dollar Man’, entertainment company CEO and singer JYP will also declare his debut as a movie actor. One of the pictures from the pictorial (top right) played on the many versatile sides of JYP.

JYP’s signature facial expressions also added onto the individuality of the pictorial and drew a lot of laughter from the Netizens.

’5 Million Dollar Man’ is expected to release on July 19th.

Source & Image: Naver

‘Asia Star’ BoA expressed her excitement after seeing a photo of herself on the side of a Taiwanese bus.

A young Taiwanese female claiming to have been a BoA fan for a long time sent her the photo above via Twitter on April 25th.

The photo is an advertisement for a famous sound system, for which BoA served as an endorsement model. BoA’s flawless facial features became much more conspicuous due to the ad’s extravagant size.

Immediately after seeing the tweet, BoA enthusiastically responded:

Wow!!! That’s cool!!! RT @shin3100: A bus with BoA’s “audio-technica” ad in Taichung City, Taiwan! @BoAkwon twitter.com/shin3100/statu…

— BoA (@BoAkwon) April 25, 2012

Meanwhile, BoA is currently serving as a judge on SBS‘s ‘K-Pop Star‘ representing SM Entertainment, alongside YG Entertainment‘s Yang Hyun Suk and JYP Entertainment‘s J.Y. Park. She has been gaining attention for her commentary which is at times full of emotion, while also witty and straight to the point.

Source: Star News via Naver

2AM and the Wonder Girls recently attended the March 25th episode of SBS‘s ‘K-Pop Star‘.

Near the end of the live broadcast, MC Boom took the time to interview the two special audience members. He first questioned Jo Kwon, “What do you think about J.Y. Park‘s commentaries as a judge?” to which he hilariously replied, “I used to be on the same program as Jin Young hyung where he was the judge. Even now, the way he judges has been the same. I still hear those same negative remarks by him.”

When asked about Park Ji Min, who received a close to perfect score of 99 by J.Y. Park, Jo Kwon remarked, “I’m really jealous of Park Ji Min for receiving 99 points from Park Jin Young. I still haven’t received such a good score from him.”

In addition, Wonder Girls’ Yubin expressed her discomfort with J.Y. Park’s judging by saying, “I wish he would manage his facial expressions. It’s disturbing when you’re trying to concentrate on their performances,” causing the audience to roar into laughter.

Meanwhile, this week’s ‘K-Pop Star’ consisted of performances by the Top 7 with a mission to sing an OST from either a drama or a movie. Unfortunately, Yoon Hyun Sang, who had sang “Wind is Blowing” by Lee Sora, got eliminated.  Check out the performances HERE!

Source & Image: Osen

Park Jae Hyung, who is currently appearing on SBS‘s ‘K-Pop Star‘, recently sat down for an interview with SBS. He began by explaining how he grew in love with k-pop saying, “When k-pop gradually became popular in the States, I started listening to k-pop with my noona who was 10 years older than me.”

“The reason why I first loved k-pop was because of the group, G.O.D. I visited Korea when I was little and planned on attending one of their concerts, but I wasn’t allowed to go because I was too young, so my uncle only took my noona. I ended up crying all day that day.” He continued, “A few years later, I fell in love with SHINee‘s music and that’s when I uploaded my first Youtube cover video of ‘Replay‘.”

Park Jae Hyung previously participated in one of SM Town‘s concert events with his cover of SHINee’s “Replay” and achieved 2nd place. He also performed a different rendition of the song, this time with fellow contestant Yoon Hyun Sang on ‘K-Pop Star’.

The interviewer asked, “We heard you attended one of the Korean Music Festivals in LA and was enamored after seeing BoA‘s and J.Y. Park‘s performance. How did you feel at that time?” to which Park Jae Hyung replied, “Their songs were very sophisticated. When I saw BoA noona, she was very pretty and I thought to myself how someone could dance and sing live at the same time so well. I was very impressed.”

He then expressed his admiration for the two saying, “The fact that I was able to personally meet these two sunbaes through this audition program still amazes me. I brought the pictures I took with them during the LA concert with me to Korea and I hope to get them autographed by them.”

Meanwhile, Park Jae Hyung has safely made it through the top 8 and will be performing for the March 25th live broadcast of SBS’s ‘K-Pop Star’.

Source & Image: TV Daily via Nate

miss A‘s Min shared a story about her dreams of becoming like Beyonce.

On today’s episode of  Mnet‘s “Beatles Code 2“, Min surprised everyone when she told them that she was a trainee for 8 years.

When the MC asked, “How old were you when you started training?“, Min answered, “Since 5th grade. J.Y. Park teacher told me he will make me like Beyonce, so I came to Korea from America.”

Upon hearing this, MC Shindong poked fun that J. Y. Park promised to make a 5th grader into Beyonce.

Check out the full episode below for Min’s full story.

Source: Star News via Naver

Picture: Chosun

There’s a lot of interest growing over who 2PM‘s Taecyeon will give his original song to.

On the 18th, Taecyeon tweeted to Park Jin Young, “Let the staff noonas listen to Taecyeon’s third work(unfinished) and this time they said it sounds like G.O.D. I guess I’m a slave of recycling. Well, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I did start my music life with JYP.”

Park Jin Young replied, “The first one was pretty good.. I want to listen to the second and third one already. Especially the third one. If it’s good I’ll let Tae Woo or Ho Young listen to it” which made the fans curious over who will receive Taecyeon’s song.

After seeing the tweets, the netizens commented, “Taecyeon, now writing songs… what can’t you do“,”I want to listen to it too“, and “I think it will be better if 2PM sang it instead of Son Ho Young or Kim Tae Woo“.

Source+Picture: Star News via Nate

JR revisited a song from his audition days on the latest episode of KBS 2TV‘s “Dream High 2“.

On the March 13th broadcast of “Dream High 2″, JR performed TVXQ‘s “Balloons” with co-star Jung Yeon Ju. During the final round of the Kirin Arts School super star auditions, Lee Seul (Jung Yeon Ju) and Ui Bong (JR) made a last minute song choice change and decided to sing “Balloons” instead of Big Bang‘s “Dirty Cash“.

It has been revealed that JR had performed “Balloons” previously at the 5th JYPE Auditions in 2009. At the time, JR performed with none other than his fellow “Dream High 2″ co-star JB. The video also reveals JR and JB’s intriguing real names. Both JR and JB’s birth names are of two famous singers. JR’s birth name is Park Jin Young (J.Y. Park) and JB’s name is Lim Jae Bum.

Check out their audition video from the final round of the 5th JYPE Auditions (beginning at 2:44).

On Dream High 2:

Source: KBS & Youtube

Leader in Entertainment

That’s the tagline of one of the most influential companies in Korea, JYP Entertainment. The company has produced some of the biggest stars in K-pop, but behind the behemoth is the creative direction of one man, J.Y. Park. Before he was “The Asiansoul” and one of the biggest producers in Korean music, J.Y. Park was also one of the best entertainers in K-pop history. Combining American sounds with modern dance moves and a unique sense of style, J.Y. Park redefined K-pop.

The New Generation

J.Y. Park debuted in 1992 with this group Park Jin Young and the New Generation. It was a three member group and was produced by Kim Chul Soo who was a famous Korean singer in the 1970’s and 1980’s. While the album did have an original sound, it failed to reach commercial success.

For the next two years Park tried auditioning for various entertainment companies, including a young SM Entertainment. However, because his appearance didn’t fit the profile of what companies were looking for, he was met with many denials and dead-ends. He also worked as a back dancer for some time and was on the dance crew for legendary singer Kim Gun Mo after he was discovered at a night club by Kim Gun Mo’s producer.

The Big Break

Finally in 1994, Park was able to release his first solo album, “Blue City”. While his first album with his group may have ended in failure, this try as a solo singer was a complete success. The album’s first single “Don’t Leave Me” was an upbeat, dance pop song and showcased J.Y. Park at his best: catchy melodies, an unbelievable hook, all put together with a fresh, fun dance. The song was a huge hit and breathed fresh air into the Kpop scene reaching #1 for two weeks in a row in March 1995. The song also propelled J.Y. Park from obscure dancer to a bonifide Kpop star. Despite all of his famous songs, “Don’t Leave Me” might still be his most enduring hit among fans and the goosebumps come out when the opening five notes start playing.

The follow up single from the first album was the emotional ballad “Behind You”. The song didn’t quite reach the same levels of success as “Don’t Leave Me”, but it showed Park’s ability to express a wide range of emotion in his music.

Park released his second album “Tantara” in September of 1995. This was the beginning of Park’s notorious fashion sense which featured some unusual ensembles and even the album cover itself showed the direction of his fashion. The single from this album “Proposal” was another #1 hit for Park. The song went back to the fresh, funky pop sounds and of course included an energetic dance which fans could learn. “Proposal” is also another classic among fans but certainly not the only song popular from the album.

“Elevator” was influenced by American R&B, hip-hop, and rap sounds. Both the song and dance were known for pushing the envelope of suggestive lyrics and sexuality but is still one of the early examples of fusing American hip-hop with K-pop. For all the variety show fans, the song might be best known for the remake version by the “Khuntoria” couple of the show “We Got Married”. Interestingly enough, another song from this album “Forever Just the Two of Us” was also featured on the show “Heroes” and sung by the members of the show during a wedding.

Park’s third album “Summer Jingle Bell” dropped in September of 1996 and produced Park’s third chart topper with “She Was Pretty”. The song had funk and disco sounds not used often in K-pop music which made it memorable and of course, that dance with the finger shaking and the swim move was unforgettable. While I knew who J.Y. Park was, it was this song that really caught my attention and made me a fan. There wasn’t a single K-pop song that sounded like it and there wasn’t a single K-pop singer that could move like him. He was an original in every sense of the word.

The Producer

At this point in his career J.Y. Park was already being recognized as a song writer and producer and was in high demand by other companies and artists. In 1997, Park founded Tae-Hong Planning Corporation which was the predecessor to what would become JYP Entertainment. He also began working with other artists as a producer, even giving birth to a young group called g.o.d. At the time, g.o.d. was not a part of his company and Park was called in merely as a producer. It would begin a relationship that would span a decade and eventually see the heights of success.

In January of 1998, J.Y. Park’s fourth album “Even after Ten Years” was released. The title song of the album “Honey” was another instant classic with one of the most memorable openings of any K-pop song in history. Comedian Jung Sun Hee lent her voice and introduced the name of the song with a kiss and then Park turned up the big brass, funk sound that distinguished itself from the other songs released in that era. The very popular dance borrowed some moves from the King of Pop Michael Jackson but was still a JYP original. “Honey” never hit the top spot on the charts but is instantly recognizable to all K-pop fans. A number of artists, especially the current group of JYP Entertainment idols, have performed the song and dance on various shows, and this song is actually the opening song that Park performs in the beginning of the Wonder Girls’ video for “Nobody”.

Park followed up “Even after Ten Years” with another album that year titled “Kiss Me”. The title song of the same name was a straight funk, dance track with a music video that was “Thriller” meets “Edward Scissorhands”. The video showed off Park’s amazing dance ability and creative vision. The album also featured a collaborative effort with the Rock N’ Roll Daddy himself, Im Jae Bum called “Reunion”. The song was a rock ballad which was not only different from the other songs on the album but not the type of music that Park was known for.

1999 was also a big year for Park as he received the prestigious SBS Grand Prize for ‘Composer of the Year‘ which recognized not only his vast body of work but the work he was doing for other singers at the time as well.

After a three year absence and officially establishing JYP Entertainment, Park unveiled his sixth album, “Game” in 2001. The album consisted of two CDs; the first comprising new music and the other a compilation of his greatest hits. Included among his new songs were “Swing Baby” which mirrored the swing music revival of the late 90’s in the US, and “I Have a Woman” which is a pure R&B track and another often remade hit.

2000 and into 2001 were momentous years for recognition and accolades. Park racked up eight awards from SBS, KBS, Seoul Music Awards, Mnet, and other groups for ‘Best Composer of the Year’, ‘Best Video’, and ‘Best Producer of the Year’. He had truly established himself as a force in Kpop and of one its brightest ambassadors.

The emergence of JYP Entertainment

Over the next six years, JYP Entertainment would become one of the major entertainment and management companies in Korea. Park Jin Young morphed from his role as an entertainer and into JYP, the producer and manager on a full time basis. His discovery and development of stars such as Rain, Park Ji Yoon, Wonder Girls, 2PM and more created a new paradigm for how talent and music ought to be created. JYP also took a chance and in 2004 went to America to try his hand at producing music for American artists. He successfully wrote and produced songs for Will Smith, Mase, and Cassie becoming the first Asian producer to accomplish this feat. His success and the success of his company allowed Park and JYP Entertainment to begin looking abroad for expansion and in 2007, the company opened an office in New York City and one in Beijing in 2008.

2007 also marked the return of J.Y. Park the singer. His latest album ‘Back to Stage‘ featured more mature tones and had three songs which were banned for those under the age of 19. The single from the album, “The House that You Live in”, was an R&B influenced track about a man not able to get over his past love and wondering what life could have been with her. The video starred one of Korea’s most famous actresses, Kim Hye Soo.

In 2009, J.Y. Park produced his final album, an EP titled ‘Sad Freedom‘. The main song “No Love No More” was written following his divorce from his wife of 10 years and was his way of closing that chapter of his life.

The Leader

J.Y. Park was unique even before he started his musical career. How many Kpop singers have a degree in Geology from Yonsei University? That quest for knowledge and the desire to take on new challenges manifested itself in the way he performed and the music he made. Never playing it safe and always trying out new sounds, J.Y. Park was a true innovator and visionary. Even if you take away everything he has accomplished as a producer, he is still a preeminent figure in the K-pop. As a singer and entertainer, there has never been and probably will never be anyone like him again.

Truly the leader in entertainment.

The March 4th live broadcast of ‘K-Pop Star‘ were filled with many regrets and left many in tears, including J.Y. Park. On this day, the top 10 finalists were given the mission “My Story” to sing a song, released around the time they were born, that they could relate to.

Once the finalists were announced, it came down to Kim Na Yoon and Lee Jung Mi. Before they announced the elimination, J.Y. Park commented, “We never expected this person to end up being eliminated. In terms of the judges’ votes, this person did not receive the lowest score. She received low viewer’s mobile votes and the online voting so there was nothing we could do but to have this person sent home.”

The contestant to be eliminated turned out to be none other than Lee Jung Mi, who performed her cover of “Snail” by Panic. When asked why she chose the song, she replied, “When I was in my first year of middle school, I had a difficult time because of my peers, but I was able to overcome the hardship by singing. After going through many miraculous recoveries in ‘K-Pop Star’, I was able to relate my situation with the lyrics in “Snail”. That’s why I believe I’ll be able to sing with my heart through this song.”

Possibly due to the fact that she was suffering from vocal cord nodules, Lee Jung Mi was unable to perform her utmost best and ended up being sent home.

Netizens commented, “It’s so disappointing to see Lee Jung Mi being sent home like this“, “It’s true that she did receive the lowest votes by the public’s vote“, and, “Can’t believe she got eliminated.”

In related news, netizens have began questioning contestant Kim Na Yoon’s recent change in image. Kim Na Yoon performed her cover of “I Don’t Have Any Problem” by Hwang Kyu Young but throughout the live broadcast, she was unable to properly open her eyes and her face seemed to be swollen. As earlier reported, former contestant Diana Chen posted a Youtube video addressing the matter.

Without further ado, check out the top 10 finalists’ performances below!

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<Kim Na Yoon - I Don’t Have Any Problem (original by Hwang Kyu Young)>

<Lee Jung Mi - Snail (original by Panic)>

<Lee Ha Yi - Regret (original by Kim Gun Mo)>

<Baek Ji Woong - In the Enlistment Train (original by Kim Min Woo)>

<Park Ji Min - Hey Hey Hey (original by Jawoorim)>

<Lee Michelle - Farewell Trip (original by Won Mi Yeon)>

<Lee Seung Hoon - I Know (original by Seo Taeji and Boys)>

<Park Jae Hyung - A Midsummer Night’s Dream (original by Kwon Sung Yeon)>

<Baek Ah Yeon - Someday (original by Lee Sang Eun)>

<Yoon Hyun Sang - One Late Night in 1994 (original by Jang Hye Jin)>

Source: Newsen, TVDaily via Nate 1, 2

Earlier today, Se7en uploaded a picture with J.Y. Park when they were preparing for their ‘Inkigayo’ collaboration for his new song, “When I Can’t Sing“.

The collaboration was long hinted at through previous teasers, but what fans didn’t know was that YG’s CEO Yang Hyun Suk was supposed to be present to watch this stage.

On February 19th, Se7en jokingly expressed his disappointment with Yang Hyun Suk on his Twitter. “Hyun Suk hyung promised to come watch Inkigayo today, but he didn’t come!!! Jin Young hyung, the staff, and I came back from eating lots of expensive eel!!!  I paid with YG’s company card~ Thank you for the meal, Hyun Suk hyung~~^^”

The mischievous artist got his revenge, and also posted a handsome selca of himself after returning from the delicious meal.

Netizens replied, “Oppa you’re the best!” and “Oh my god, I laughed so hard!“.

Source & Image: Se7en’s Twitter

J.Y. Park wrote a length tweet recently about how he wanted to gain wisdom both for himself and for his “kids” (the JYP idols) this year. The actor/producer continued his thoughts in a tweet to Leessang‘s Gil, who responded with a witty joke.

On January 2nd, Park shared a screenshot of his Twitter conversation with Gil, which began with, “Leessang’s Gil. What do I do with this one? Look what this rascal wrote as a New Year’s greeting to me, his hyung.”

Park’s message to Gil read: “I quit smoking ten years ago, quit drinking liquor and soju 150 days ago, and 80 days ago, I have been leaving drinking parties at 3 a.m. sharp. From today, I shall quit smoking cigars. Let us all become wiser as we become older.”

Gil then hilariously responded with, “10 years ago, I began smoking two packs a day. 150 days ago, I started blacking out each time after a night of drinking, and 8o days ago, I began trying to pick up girls before 3 a.m.. sharp. Will any of us become wiser as we grow older? I love you hyung.”

Netizens laughed as they commented, “They seem so close“, “Their conversation is funny“, “Gil gave such a witty response”

Source & Image: MyDaily

When it comes to judging contestants on SBS‘s ‘K-Pop Star‘, J.Y. Park and Yang Hyun Suk have demonstrated that they’re complete opposites in terms of their musical tastes and thinking processes.

Episode five brought another obvious example of their contrasting musical style. The episode kicked off with contestant Baek Ah Yeon‘s cover of Kim Gun Mo‘s ‘Beautiful Goodbye‘.  Despite having a sore throat and cold that day, Baek Ah Yeon performed the song with her usual soft and soothing voice.

Afterwards, she received opposite reviews from J.Y. Park and Yang Hyun Suk. Park was harsh as he said, “Out of the three performances you’ve done, this one was the worst. You were so nervous that you weren’t confident in playing the keyboard, which in turn had you rushing to be in sync with your singing. You weren’t thinking about the pitches when you were singing. You only came back to attention at the end, where you correctly sang one pitch.”

But Yang Hyun Suk disagreed. “J.Y. Park said that this was the worst out of your three performances, but I think you did well.  This might have been a bad performance considering your real potential, but since you’re so good… Regardless of what song or where you sing, the fact that you’re good at singing doesn’t change.”

As he listened to Yang Hyun Suk’s comment, a perplexed look crossed J.Y. Park’s face, as if he couldn’t understanding Yang’s reasoning at all.

Baek Ah Yeon’s performance wasn’t the only platform of disagreement between the two producers.  There were numerous auditions afterwards where Park would comment, “That was terrible” to which YG would respond, “I loved it!“, causing Park to glare at Yang a couple of times throughout the show.

Source + Photos: Newsen via Nate

On the latest episode of SBS‘s ‘K-Pop Star‘, the second round of auditions continued with intense fervor, as the remaining contestants battled it out to move onto the next round.

Contestant Kim Soo Hwan stood out with his cover of Lee Juk‘s ‘I’m so Fortunate‘, which was applauded as the most emotionally touching performance of the round.

Kim Soo Hwan is a 19-year-old man who’s been blind since birth. He made his debut appearance on ‘K-Pop Star’ in its pilot episode, when he made judge BoA cry with his unconquerable devotion to music. Even though Kim Soo Hwan required assistance to walk that day, his astounding effort in his dance performance made all the viewers exclaim with amazement.

In the first episode, the judges were skeptical — was Kim Soo Hwan just a one-hit wonder? They debated on whether he would be able to impress them in the second round, since he barely passed the first round.

Fortunately, their concern was unneeded, as Kim Soo Hwan blew the judges away with a heartrending vocal performance that rang with deep emotion. In fact, his performance was so touching that he caused tears to spring in the eyes of his fellow contestants.

J.Y. Park was also teary-eyed as he applauded, “To me, you are number one today. The song lyrics were sung with sincerity.  This was the first time that I was about to cry.”

Source + Photos: maxmovie via Nate