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Three Questions Regarding SM’s Position
By #Xiah_[Piffania]
Translation by: Jimmie of TheJYJFiles
[The Dong Bang Shin Ki Special, 2nd post: This is the post compiled after the first hearing on the injunction on August 25, 2009. What the three members of Dong Bang Shin Ki bring up is ‘a problem with the system’. But is that being properly addressed? Although my work may be insufficient, I would like to add it to the ongoing debate.]
Last year, on August 21, the first hearing on the suspension of the Dong Bang Shin Ki members’ exclusive contract was held. Although the hearing was held in private in a closed session several details were leaked to the press. I expected to hear that both sides displayed steel-like resolve in their positions or maybe that they were starting to find grounds for compromise, but, instead, what was reported of the hearing left my heart cold. It’s because of several allegations made by SM. These are the questions brought about by these allegations.
Why was Dong Bang Shin Ki required on Japanese national television and the DVD with the same broadcast to advertise SM’s restaurant?
On that day [of the first hearing] SM’s lawyer made the allegation, “SM requested the three members to pull out of investing in the cosmetics business because it would bring irreversible harm to Dong Bang Shin Ki’s image.”
I’m not going to bother with whether it was right or wrong for the members, or the members’ parents, to invest in the cosmetics business. Is it even necessary? This issue falls in the territory of the Dong Bang Shin Ki members’ personal investment activities. Unless they mention it in their albums or DVD, it’s none of my business. After all, never once did they use their activities as singers to promote their private investments. But there is one thing I know…
In March of last year, Dong Bang Shin Ki made an appearance on famous Japanese talk show, ‘Shabekuri 007.’ They were given exposure on national Japanese television in the same show as Japan’s best and most popular comedians for about an hour. Here, Dong Bang Shin Ki introduced and promoted their restaurant ‘Grape Tree’. However, it turns out this restaurant is owned by SM’s own catering chain SM F&B Development and was created by them. This shook the confidence of Korean and Japanese fans who only found this out after the fact. Isn’t this damaging to the image of Asia’s best group?
Not long ago, Dong Bang Shin Ki’s DVD, ‘All About Dong Bang Shin Ki 3’ was released for sale. It was a full-length DVD sold at the price of 48,000 won (roughly $46). It’s a DVD that contains [Dong Bang Shin Ki’s] vacation trip, showcase, interview, music video and related clips. And yet, in several clips of about 30-40 minutes in length, Dong Bang Shin Ki’s members are promoting and introducing SM’s restaurant businesses in Korea, such as e-table as well as the Japanese restaurant Grape Tree. And the method of introduction was quite a sight [sarcasm].
The introduction they do is not on the level of merely having the restaurant in the background. It’s not even on the level of mentioning it in passing. From a previously scripted ‘Marketing of the Restaurant’, the Dong Bang Shin Ki members are made to read intently. They play a quiz that requires them to read the items on the menu one by one and match the associated descriptions. The waiter appears, the members cut short their comments and, covering the members’ figures, the waiter explains each item on the menu in more detail. Later, he even says the prices of the set menus. Is this kind of content fitting to the image of Asia’s best vocal group? Is such [shameless promoting] suitable for this group’s full-length DVD?
For an hour and ten minutes, Dong Bang Shin Ki—the singers with the highest market value in all of Asia, singers whose appearance at a single event brings in several 10 millions USD in guarantee—were used despite ‘the irreversible harm to their pride as singers’ to promote the launching of a restaurant owned by SM’s board of directors, which reduced them to the level of salesmen. Then, SM wraps this content in a DVD to sell to Dong Bang Shin Ki’s Korean and Japanese fans as well as to fans in the greater Asia region.
In such situations, is SM actually managing Dong Bang Shin Ki? Or is it using Dong Bang Shin Ki as SM’s salesmen? And yet it dares to speak of ‘fear of [Dong Bang Shin Ki’s] image led us to request [the three members] to refrain [from the cosmetics investment]’; can such words come out of its mouth?
TO BE CONTINUED....
makin sakit hati dgn SM... aiiyoo~~~
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sambungan.....
Is it a lie that all scheduling ‘was reached through cooperation’?
At the hearing that day SM’s lawyer claimed, “The three members were never forced to participate in advertisement or shows or other appearances that they didn’t want to do, so I don’t think they have grounds to be dissatisfied in this regards.”
In truth, it is this claim here that turned my heart cold. ‘No reason now’ did you say? No reason now, in bringing up this lawsuit, because Dong Bang Shin Ki weren’t forced to participate in advertisements or shows and appearances that they didn’t desire to do? Didn’t SM itself say, “In the area of health and scheduling there was sufficient cooperation/negotiation”? So then why at this point do they even have to point out that they found a solution to Dong Bang Shin Ki’s “dissatisfaction” with regards to “appearances that they didn’t want to do”? Does this mean that there were in fact ‘causes for dissatisfaction’ until now?
Upon hearing this claim, I suddenly recalled the time last February when they appeared on ‘Line Up’, a Korean variety programme. The reason why this broadcast remains in my memory is because I felt very uncomfortable whilst watching the broadcast. The producers coordinate with the managers to record a hidden camera scenario in Dong Bang Shin Ki’s waiting room. The scenario is the following: creating a situation where one of the members had to make a ‘Line Up regular/fixed appearance.’
Line Up is a game programme with an ambiguous design in a short-lived format and poor viewer ratings. Dong Bang Shin Ki’s appearance on this show in the midst of an excessively tiring schedule for their Japanese activities was most likely the decision of their management company as a ‘courtesy appearance.’ So, Dong Bang Shin Ki not only helps as [SM’s] salesmen but also helps SM’s managers maintain good relations with broadcasting stations by running odd-end errands like this.
Therefore, a fixed appearance on this programme, in the end, is not a good thing. But this hidden camera scenario starts with the premise, ‘ this programme is not a popular programme, and no one is expected to receive gladly an appearance here,’ and knowing full well that ‘no one eats pastry that he hates’ they presented this concept to the members, telling them ‘to pick a member who will do the fixed appearance.’ However, that process goes like this. The managers notify the members, and although their faces aren’t enthusiastic no one complains or turns it down. Among the struck-dumb members, Xiah Junsu catches the eyes [of the managers], and he asks, “You don’t want to, Junsu?” Junsu replies, “Of course I want to!” with a straight face.
I’m not trying to harp on the manager’s or the broadcast’s personal position. The problem is the practice/custom revealed by this scene. None of the members, in spite of their erratic schedules, can say with ease “No, I’d rather not” in such situations. I am extremely wary of and question the mind/mentality of the management company that takes pride in such decision-making procedures.
Even in 2008 Dong Bang Shin Ki was Asia’s best group. Even in the spring of 2008, these men had completed 17 sold-out tours in Japan’s Arena (10-20,000 capacity space) worthy of top-quality teams. Singing Love in the Ice, they moved the audience and received recognition as a team of musicians and as the representative group feeding their management and ensuring its survival. And yet, employees of broadcasting stations and the management company would have fun on certain ‘pilot programme’ appearances showing who truly held ‘decision power’. ‘In truth, these kids do whatever we tell them to do, whatever that might be,’ they would say.
And now [SM] are saying that ‘we’ve always cooperated [with DBSK members] on deciding the schedule.’ This is something coming out of the mouth of a company that has taken a leaf out of military training manuals in the manner they have pushed a young team that can’t say ‘no’ through 45 album releases, 103 concerts, heaps of broadcasts, heaps of promotions, heaps of events for the past 6 years without conceding them a single ‘rest period’, ‘re-energising period’ or ‘preparation period.’
The members would say, smiling, that they dreamed of ‘a month-long vacation’ or of ‘going on vacation just once,’ but each time their wishes were shot down. Even if their voices suffered, or they broke a leg, or had severe stomach irritations to the point of needing gastric pumping they still stood on stage and had to sing. Nonetheless, because this is a team with exceptional vocal abilities and ensemble qualities, I attended the shows and watched, but as time passed, witnessing this team became more and more like watching a ‘horror movie’ (I will elaborate on this idea in more detail in my follow-up piece, ‘Dong Bang Shin Ki’s 6-year life—an episode out of a cruel and twisted horror series’, which I will post up for your lecture).
In all honesty, I don’t think these people (DBSK) have yet recovered from the psychological scars brought on them. All of them would have experienced mental trauma at some level. Even after becoming the victim of an attack that made it necessary for him to have his stomach pumped, U-know Yunho was not given a holiday. Xiah Junsu, who almost wasn’t allowed to debut due to a 3-year long voice-change problem in puberty, who almost lost his voice completely again due to exhaustion and stress, would undoubtedly have been scarred by trauma. One time on a broadcast, Micky Yoochun confessed, ‘at times I just want to collapse.’ A video clip of Choikang Changmin stumbling/swaying is circulating online. After completing their tour, Youngwoong Jaejoong told the concert director in Japan, ‘having to sing like this will kill me.’ I believe these aren’t just casual remarks/expressions but in reality the truth. Because I saw that concert myself. I’ve seen them 8 times, and each time I felt at the same time overjoyed and disturbed. This is something I’ve been feeling for a long time.
And now, the company who was the one in control of all these situations is now coming forth to say ‘we never made Dong Bang Shin Ki undergo a schedule they didn’t want and so there are no grounds for dissatisfaction on their part.’ Not a single word of apology. Not a single indication of self-reflection.
They have never once communicated the position, ‘If by any chance we have conducted an excessive schedule, we think of this with remorse and apologise. Henceforth, we will monitor the hard work and strain of the members and improve in this area.’ This is the behaviour of the managers and board directors to whom for 6 years [the members] would refer to as ‘hyung’ or ‘father’ at every awards ceremony.
TO BE CONTINUED LAGIK....  |
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sambungan.....
Is it normal behaviour to not fairly distribute the earnings from a singer’s album?
At the hearing that day SM’s lawyer said, “On July 15, Xiah Junsu took 45,000 USD from the company as advance payment only to sue the company that fed him a month later; an unacceptable/inappropriate act.”
On this matter, the three members’ lawyer responded through the press that Xiah Junsu never accepted advance payment; the amount referred to was tax returns that he picked up at the company. And even the court has accepted this fact and ordered that it not be brought up again. After that, SM has been unable to use that as a counterattack.
But what shocked me about this was something else. If Xiah Junsu had actually taken advance payment like that, can that really be considered unacceptable behaviour?
According to the Oricon website for album sales, Dong Bang Shin Ki sold in the past year 3.3 million USD worth of albums and DVDs. This places them in 8th place relative to all the singers active in the Jpop industry. That is an incredible and scary feat. Dong Bang Shin Ki’s popularity in Japan is indeed something to be feared. If one includes profits from concerts, the sum would easily surpass 7 million USD. Of course, what will be counted as net profit will be the amount that’s left over after taking out various fees and other profits shared out [among the management]. But the amount stands at 7 million USD. Do they think 7 million USD is the name of the boy next door?
On top of this, if we add the various small-stream revenues and profits, [DBSK] would have earned at least 10 million USD. To claim that a member of the team that earned this much for the company has no right to 40,000 USD in advance payment is ridiculous. It’s not like he stole the money; instead, he scribbled his signature on the log before receiving it. What’s the problem here? Under a 13-year contract and an arrangement that payment would be allotted every 6 months, is it such a horrible thought that one member asks for advance payment?
Right now there are a lot of questions concerning SM and Dong Bang Shin Ki’s income distribution. Aspects regarding investment fees and deficits and whatnot are indeed confusing and dizzying. However, the issue of income distribution between singers and the management company is actually not that difficult to understand.
It’s enough to follow the idea of ‘optimal percentage’ when it comes to payment. The sum amount of money is not important. But, obviously one must take into account the total sales as a standard when assigning payment. When using net proceeds as the standard, one must make it possible for the artist to know how much of it is from sales and how much was deducted in costs.
If the singer sold little, the singer receives little. If he sold a lot, he receives a lot. If he wrote some songs himself, the copyright rate goes to him. If he held a concert, a percentage of the concert proceeds goes to him. Of course, taking into account the fame and critical value of the singer, the terms of the contract adjusts itself with regards to the percentage allotted to the artist; this is the manner in which record labels and management agencies relate to the artist. Whether in Korea or out, it is like this. This is the way of ‘common sense.’
And so a company that itself doesn’t uphold the accepted practice and custom in its dealings with its singers has the nerve to criticize another for ‘inappropriate behaviour’?
Due to the particularities of their contract terms, [DBSK members] weren’t able to receive the royalties from the tens of thousands of albums they sold until early this year. For the various live and repackaged albums they released, the royalties practically don’t exist. The rights/copyright to all recordings are assigned to SM. Even the compositions created by the members themselves are automatically yielded to SM (I will go into depth about the content of the exclusive contract at another opportunity).
[DBSK] has rights to the net profits from online purchases and various side activities, but, in the case of the net profit from their Japanese activities, after Avex takes its share of the profits, the remaining sum is shared out between SM Japan and SM Korea. What is left after the deduction made by SM Korea is then shared out amongst the Dong Bang Shin Ki members.
Although what’s written in their contract guarantees them a fair share in the above areas, the reality is far from this ideal. When taking into consideration the interests of the artist, a reasonable percentage of the royalties and copyright, concert and event appearances should go to the artist. And then, the distribution of what remains amongst the relevant management branches should follow. This would make a well-viewed partnership. It represents sharing the fruits of success.
However, Dong Bang Shin Ki was unable to receive royalties, copyright, concert or appearance proceeds but received instead the bare minimum from the above arrangement. Dong Bang Shin Ki have the biggest role in the activities that bring in all the proceeds, but their pay-day/payment is prioritised only after those of the external staff and employees. In other words, they receive ‘the scraps.’ Naturally, there will be costs for management, external related employees, staff and maintenance taken out as ‘fees’. But what about the artistic labour of Asia’s best salesmen, Dong Bang Shin Ki…are there no ‘fees’ for that?
Let’s say all accumulated overhead expenses are taken out of Dong Bang Shin Ki’s net profit. It’s like taking off the head and the tail. If the company decides to calculate the investment fees and overhead costs higher than they really are or raise them, the singer is in danger of having his rights infringed and being swindled. Just looking at the role of SM Japan, this kind of high-handedness is evident.
More than anything, this means that Dong Bang Shin Ki were never informed of the ‘exact profit breakdown.’ That is to say [SM’s] method of profit distribution doesn’t fit a salary scheme or an incentive scheme or even a contractual scheme but a ‘receive-as-you-are-given’ scheme. It’s a contract that says ‘after taking everything out, this appears to be all that remains [for you].’
TO BE CONTINUED...LAST~~ |
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final.....
To wrap it all up…
I strongly believe that ‘the current contract under SM’ needs to be declared null and void. I want this backwards, renegade and unfair contract to be declared null. More than anything, even among today’s average Korean entertainment companies it’s difficult to find a 13-year contract, which makes this contract more than simply an unfair contract but also one that violates human rights.
Even before the injunction, I was already thinking that Dong Bang Shin Ki needed their own ‘independent label.’ Dong Bang Shin Ki’s fame was getting too big for SM and the conflicts between the two were getting bigger. If at that point both sides had entered negotiations peacefully, it would have brought so much meaning and progress to our country’s K-pop scene. But now everything has passed into the hands of the law. On the basis of the documents and evidence submitted by both sides, it is now up to the judiciary to issue a judicious and legitimate ruling.
There are many who worry about ‘Dong Bang Shin Ki’s breakup’. However, there’s no reason for society to interfere and concern itself with such a matter. Whether or not a group wants to break up is the business of that group and that group alone. Even if society or fans or their management company try to make them stay as they are, it won’t be possible. As a lot of people already know, Dong Bang Shin Ki has gone beyond Asia to receive the love of music fans from all over the world; they are a group we can be proud of. In the past 6 years they have achieved the work of 10 years. In this regard, our society owes them every possible humane treatment and rights as well as equal protection accorded everyone else.
If everything goes to its rightful place, I think it might be possible afterwards for the Dong Bang Shin Ki members to either depart from SM or establish new relations with the company as equal partners and continue together.
One thing is certain. In whatever manner, the members of Dong Bang Shin Ki will move forward, forging a new path toward the future. Naturally, walking a new path will inevitably lead to mistakes as well as plenty of trials and errors. They will need to face reality like they do an adventure. However, I think what they have chosen is ultimately their ‘future.’ This point comes as a big surprise. It makes me realise that they are much stronger and more incredible people than I ever thought they were. Although right now they stand sandwiched in between a harsh reality and an unattained ideal, if they continue to display the same level of sincerity and professionalism that they have thus far, I expect that they will make it to their new goal.
However, SM’s choice right now is unclear. They are standing at a fork in the road. But, unable to look into the ‘future’ they are attempting to lean on the past. They are trying to do things the old way, the way they’ve always done. They know no such thing as remorse. Even now there are lots of young singers at SM. Sincere and hardworking, they also are the future of Kpop, and their rights, just as the rights of Dong Bang Shin Ki, are important. This is a problem from which ‘the foreign-reach and pride of Kpop’ hangs in the balance. Under the present circumstances, the Fair Trade Commission has revealed its model contract, and so the status quo of the past cannot last long.
The problem that SM faces—I’m repeating myself, but it’s not a problem that only concerns the three members of Dong Bang Shin Ki. It’s a question of whether SM will stick to the past or whether it will learn to embrace the future. Although we continually hope that SM will pick the future, SM is not the type to easily change direction or mentality when it comes to such choices.
Source: piffania.com
후출처 동네방네 장담호언님
Shared and translated by: TheJYJFiles
~Do not remove without proper credits~
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waaaaaaaaa
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screammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm~~~~~~~~~~
Epop Malay version for Feb 2011 will be on sale on 28th Jan!
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JYJ’s reality TV show, ‘JYJ’s Real 24′, to air in February
The boys of JYJ are known to be quite private about their personal life, so it comes as a shock to hear that they’ve agreed to star in a new reality show called, “JYJ’s Real 24“.
Cable channel QTV revealed, “The reality program ‘JYJ’s Real 24′ is scheduled to air sometime in mid-February. Members Park Yoochun, Kim Jaejoong, and Kim Junsu will show their every move.”
‘JYJ’s Real 24′ will follow the boys as they participate in CF filmings, musicals, and all sorts of other activities. In addition, their secret house will also be shown.
Producer Lee Moon Hyuk from QTV expressed, ‘Lately, JYJ’s mysterious private life has gotten the interest of fans, which has amplified the attention for this program. Even though it was a little awkward for JYJ at first, they quickly adapted to the cameras and had fun during filming.‘
Source: allkpop, Report via Nate
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yeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ~~~~~!!!!!!!!  pasti akan d donlod {:2_70:} |
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KIM JAEJOONG 
*pagi kt opis nanti ai spam pic u yer ... now i want to sleep 
muuuuuaahhh {:1_147:} |
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happy birthday sayang jaejoong!!!!
sorry, tade pic nak letak...hanya kaseh sayang yg byk untuk u sorang..  |
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from seoulbeats.com (sorry, x dpt tempek full link sbb kena blocked)
Keep Your Head Down Albums Review
===================================
This album review is brought to you by Yunho and Changmin‘s now-infamous bullseye suits and Patricia’s horrible procrastination habits. It’s been two weeks since the remaining two Gods of the East came back to the entertainment scene, with the release of their new album, Why (Keep Your Head Down). Putting aside all the dramarama surrounding the lawsuit and the interviews and the unscrupulous tweeting that’s been going on as of late, I wanted to take a look at DBSK‘s latest album not just as an album, but as a promotional effort.
SM has not had a direct hand in managing DBSK’s activities since late 2008, and the K-pop scene has certainly changed since then. Now, with the added challenge of working with only two of the original members, SM had to figure out a way to bring back the Gods in a manner that would not only keep them in sync with current trends, but would also maintain their status as the reigning Princes of K-pop. Now, with the DBSK comeback in full swing, let us ask: Did SM do their job?
I’ve addressed this question by examining four main points of DBSK’s promotional efforts:
1. Concept/styling
2. The music video for “Keep Your Head Down”
3. Live Performances/Choreography
4. The album itself
Here w’go:
1. CONCEPT/STYLING.
You know, I’d love it if every boyband with an average age over 22 would regularly dress like grown-ups, instead of this:
…but even I’ll admit that it’s really boring to see a quarter of all K-pop artists in suits all the time. Regardless, I shouldn’t have to spend an eternity staring at concept photos and waiting for my brain to find them aesthetically pleasing. For f(x)’s “NU ABO,” this took about three days. SHINee’s “Lucifer” took five days. But DBSK’s “Why”? Well, folks, we’re at seventeen days and counting.
I’m beginning to get the idea that stylists are keen on putting potentially fugly things on their artists, hoping that someone will call it “edgy” and make it a trend. It’s how the fashion industry thrives, after all. But there’s got to be a certain threshold at which sunbae artists should escape from the stylists’ laboratory. Artists like DBSK, BoA, and Kangta have been around for way too long to be wearing the same stuff that their hoobaes are wearing – which will therefore cause the general public to take them as seriously as they take their hoobaes. Image is everything. A celebrity’s outward appearance is a reflection of his merit as an artist. If his outward appearance is an experimental, fugly mess, then the public is going to view his music and talent in the same way.
Maybe it’s presumptuous to say that DBSK should no longer be considered an idol group – especially since the three “real musicians” of the group have since departed. Or maybe one only graduates from idoldom after he returns from military service. I don’t think there’s a solid definition for what constitutes idoldom and what doesn’t. But it looks like SM’s really going with the whole “phoenix-rises-from-the-ashes-after-two-years-and-three-months” theme here. And when you emerge from the Ashes of Legal Suckdom, play it up, dammit! The reason why BoA’s 10th anniversary comeback was so lackluster is because a) they made her promote at the same time as SHINee, and  they gave her material that was only as good as SHINee’s material. Result? BoA lost her chance to claim the crown of K-pop Queen. Instead, she ended up competing with her juniors.
SM’s taking the exact same route with DBSK, with the added twist that this is supposedly the “return of the king” – a proclamation that’s cheaply exemplified through gaudy styling, a ridiculously epic-sounding lead single, and constant high wire usage. At this rate, no one’s gonna take DBSK seriously as a K-pop group, let alone a K-pop legend. Give them good music and a concept that belongs on this planet and that’s all you need! Yeesh. To be honest, I’ve always liked how K-pop puts so much emphasis on having a “concept” because it provides a point of focus for every promotion effort and keeps things neat. But lately, I’ve gotten so fed up with it because everyone is screwing it up. K-pop styling has become less of a visual interpretation of the music and more of a laboratory for ugly attempts at high fashion.
I do like the capes, though.
Oh, and for the tl;dr folks, here’s a macro for ya:
—★—
2. “WHY” MUSIC VIDEO.
Whoooo, more matrix camera effects! That’s not getting old or anything.
It’s another SM video, but surprisingly, it doesn’t exactly stick to SM’s usual music video formula (two to three full group shots, one solo shot for each member, and, at times, one “storyline” shot). But don’t expect too much – the only differences are in the addition of a few extra sets and costume changes in the solo shots. It’s the SM Music Video Formula, 2.0, really.
There was really nothing special about this MV. And when I say that, I mean there was really nothing special about this MV. As in, it took me three attempts to watch this video all the way through because I got bored and closed out halfway through on attempts one and two. The MV structure isn’t interesting to begin with, and on top of that, the lipsynching was bad, the CG was terrible and the members looked really unattractive. I discussed the styling in the long-winded section above. The color coordination was pretty good, though. I don’t have much else to say other than that.
—★—
TBC..... |
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CONTINUED FROM ABOVE
3. PERFORMANCE AND CHOREOGRAPHY.
I’ve already owned up to the fact that I haven’t been “monitoring” (K-pop speak: watching every frigging performance of) “Why” on a regular basis. Not because the live performances aren’t any good – DBSK does live performances like no other, and that hasn’t changed even after the split. The song’s just not that good. Even live performance couldn’t save this song from not being good. I’ll discuss this more in the next section, but the problem with “Why” is that it tries so hard to be dynamic and heavy, but the structure is so weak and there’s just not enough “song” in it. The climax is defined by a rap break and a Signature Changmin High Note…and that’s not much of a climax at all. If “Lucifer” was one big, noisy climax, then “Why” is just one big flat line of ‘meh’. And that translates into boring live performances.
Thankfully, the choreography to the song is pretty good. I’ve never seen a K-pop duo do anything other than ballads, so I was interested in how they would stage this song. The solution was to have one member in the back and wait their turn while the other member has center stage during his solo line. It’s not the most creative approach, but it’s incredibly effective and it matches the way that the members’ lines are distributed (which I will also discuss in the next section). They used a similar setup for their performance of “Maximum” at SMTown, so I’m guessing that this is how they’ll proceed in the future.
Each group in SM has their own signature style when it comes to choreography, just like each group has their own style when it comes to music. Super Junior’s choreo is minimalist and tight. f(x) does weird stuff that ultimately seems to work with their weird music. SNSD is simple, but incredibly precise and coordinated. SHINee is very rhythm and beat-based – similar to that of f(x), but with a more masculine spin. And since their debut, DBSK’s style has been very SMP-y: big, rigid movements, lots of sharp angles…stuff that generally looks very choreographed and boyband-y, but nonetheless cool. A lot of DBSK’s choreography style is based off of Yunho’s personal dance style, and that has since remained with “Why.” There’s just a lot more fluidity this time around, and I think that’s more of a trend thing than anything else.
Another unique point about DBSK’s new choreography style is that the staging is essentially structured so that each member has a solo spot for 15-20 seconds at a time. It’s like the member becomes a solo artist for that brief moment, and that solo spot comes with its own set of choreography independent of the rest of the song. This, therefore, makes the choreography during the verses a lot less coordinated than that of most boyband choreography. Take SHINee’s “Lucifer”, for example:
When it comes time for each member to sing his solo line in “Lucifer”, he just kinda stands there and sings his solo line while the other members temporarily become backup dancers. For DBSK, this isn’t the case. DBSK now has their own set of backup dancers, sure, but the member is also doing choreography while he’s singing his solo line, just like a solo artist. That choreography is thus tailored to each member’s specific style – Yunho’s dance parts are very sharp and Yunho-y, whereas Changmin’s dance parts are softer and Changmin-y. Do you get what I’m saying?
SM has never choreographed SMP for a two member group before, so figuring this out for a two-membered DBSK must have been quite a challenge. The end result is satisfying, but there’s also a lot of flexibility allotted with a two member group and a bevy of backup dancers at your disposal. I’m interested to see if SM will experiment with DBSK’s staging in the future.
Oh, and one last note: I know the fandom (and JYJ) is going nuts over the lyrics of “Why”, which is kinda stupid. (What about the lyrics to “Mirotic”? “Break Out”? “O:Jung.Ban.Hap”, for crying out loud?!) But please, SM, don’t try to stir things up by putting stupid stuff like this in the choreography:
It’s generally not a good business move to stir things up in fandoms unless it’s blind adoration for your artists. If this dance move was just coincidental, then you should’ve been more careful. If it was intentional, then that’s really foolish and unprofessional. Just…don’t go there.
—★—
4. ALBUM.
Yunho and Changmin said in a recent interview that the songs were structured so that Yunho would take all the low notes and Changmin would take all the high notes. It’s not an ideal way to split up the lines, but when you’re left with one bass and one almost-countertenor, there’s really not much you can do.
Thankfully, it looks like both Yunho and Changmin have had some vocal training during the hiatus that taught them to, well, work as a two member group. The material on this album is not particularly vocally challenging…which is a given when your two main vocalists have called it quits. Singing in a two-member group requires a completely different dynamic than singing in a five-member group, and I think Yunho and Changmin are still warming up to that.
As are the songwriters, and the album is a dead giveaway of this fact. For the most part, the album is pretty messy. I get the feeling that the duo recorded a bunch of songs just as an experiment, and all of those songs – whether good or bad – were slapped together to make this album. At least half of these songs should’ve stayed as experiments or practice tracks. Which leaves you with what? A mini-album. They shoulda just released a mini-album.
It’s coupled with that whole psychology that idols feel like they “owe” their fans, and they need to “pay them back.” To me, it feels like DBSK felt sorry for making their fans go through the crap that they did, and in return: “Here’s every single thing we’ve recorded since last May; enjoy!”
It’s the shortest album the group’s ever produced; I’m not even sure if it constitutes an album. I wish it weren’t one. DBSK is still in a giant transitional phase, and right now they’re putting out sub-par material that sticks them at the bottom of the barrel in terms of musical quality and finesse. They need more time to experiment and to find out what really works before they make such a huge comeback. SM could have just as easily attached the fireworks and glitter to a mini-album promotion – it’s the return of the kings, after all; they can do whatever they want – and eliminated the extra, unrefined stuff that was put on this album as filler.
TBC..... |
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Announcement sape2 yg order JYJ gn me dh spai ...... |
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CONTINUE FROM ABOVE
The great thing about a ten-track album, though? Fewer songs to review. \o/
—✩—
1. “왜 (Keep Your Head Down)”
The “Hey! (Don’t Bring Me Down)” vibes are evident in this song, and so is the vibe that everyone (members, producers, Yoo Young-jin, everyone) is trying too hard. Is the “return of the king” characterized by heavy beats, and…heavy beats? I get the feeling that this song was one of the first they created for the two-member DBSK, mostly because it capitalizes so much on the members’ individual strengths: rap break here, obligatory Changmin screaming there, second rap break here, et cetera. It makes the song sound impressive, but in a very one-dimensional and unbalanced way. I don’t have a giant gripe with the song itself, but it’s just not good enough to be the lead single.
2. “믿기 싫은 이야기 (How Can I)”
DBSK’s Korean ballads have never struck a chord with me, and this is no exception. This sounds like a filler piece: Changmin takes one verse, Yunho takes the next verse, Changmin hits a high C, the end. It’s good that they recorded this song because Yunho sorely needs some work on singing ballads and expanding his range, but it shouldn’t have been included in the album.
3. “Maximum”
This should’ve been the title track. It made for an awesome live performance at SMTown, and I love the way how each member is featured individually at the beginning before coming together in the end. The song is a bit repetitive, but I’m willing to overlook that because it fits the members’ voices better than any other track on this album, and it’s dynamic without being heavy or overdramatic – which is exactly what “Why” is guilty of. “Maximum” would’ve made for some killer live performances.
4. “Crazy”
Totally didn’t know that it was TRAX’s Jay doing the rap break until now. It sounds so much like Yoochun that it freaked me out for a good week or so.
“Crazy” has that same tacky 60s vibe that was featured in “Rainbow” from their Mirotic album. Personally, I love the tacky 60s thing, but I think I’m in the minority so I won’t say much more about that.
Changmin’s featured a lot in this song, but Yunho has a few parts – I definitely heard a “It’s a party time” and a “Frky-frky-pow” somewhere in there. Yep. Yunho.
5. “Honey Funny Bunny”
This song would be a bajillion times better if it weren’t for the title. Call me shallow for bagging on the title, but I’m just in such a tough spot here because this is *gulp* one of my favorite songs off the album, but I can’t deal with the embarrassment of having something entitled “Honey Funny Bunny” show up on my Last.fm.
Continuing with the Mirotic album sound-a-like theme, “Honey Funny Bunny” is fairly similar to “낙원,” except with less Wheesung and more of that tacky 60s vibe, which is starting to look like a recurring theme on this album. Good for me, probably not so great for the rest of ya.
Definite props to Yunho for a) pulling off a song entitled “Honey Funny Bunny,” and B) pulling it off with considerable vocal finesse. Seriously have never heard him sound so good before.
6. “Rumor”
Favorite song off the album, yo.
I like songs that are interesting to listen to. Obnoxious songs like “Lucifer” and “Rising Sun” go on my A-plus list simply because there’s so much going on in the background, so I keep going back and picking out every last intricacy in the instrumental track. The only downside is that these songs are oftentimes loud, noisy, and excessive. It’s rare to find a song that’s both musically sophisticated and not a headache to listen to. “Mirotic” came close, but “Rumor” takes the cake.
(I also have a feeling that there’s a previous DBSK song similar to “Rumor,” but after poring over my DBSK discography, I can’t seem find it.)
7. “고백 (Confession)”
This song was made for the Paradise Meadow OST, and it’s just as boring as the drama itself promises to be.
Changmin – I love the boy, but he just doesn’t have a voice for ballads unless it’s the cliche high note at the climax of the song. His voice is a bit nasally and his vibrato is a bit exaggerated, so it’s ill-fitting to slow songs. I had the same problem when he sang with Junsu, Ryeowook, and Kyuhyun on “Wish” from (you guessed it!) the Mirotic album, but there’s no JunsuRyeowookKyuhyun buffer to save him this time around.
8. “Our Game”
Seven years and Changmin hasn’t rapped a word until now…and I can kinda see why. Boy’s got no flow. :/
I think this is the only song on this album that sounds nothing like any of DBSK’s past works – and it’s actually not a bad song! I haven’t heard a lot of JQ’s songs, but he was the composer for SHINee’s “Shout Out” and “사.계.후 (Love Still Goes On)” – both of which I loved. I’m guessing that JQ’s a relatively new composer with SM, and although I don’t believe his style really fits that of DBSK, I’m curious as to what other works he’ll be putting out for other SM artists.
9. “She”
It’s a few steps up from a typical K-pop ballad – and any ballad that’s not a typical K-pop ballad is good news to me. The song itself is nothing special, but I was really intrigued by the way they used the word “She” in the song. It’s pronounced more like 쉬 – “shwi” – which, in Korean, means “to rest.” Not sure if they did this on purpose, but if they did, it’s rather clever.
10. “Athena”
This was released prior to the release of the full album, and marked the first time I heard the two-member DBSK. I don’t really have much to say about OST songs, mostly because their musical merit almost always has to be taken in the context of the drama that it’s made for. The difficulty with pulling off “Athena” as a song, however, is the fact that it needs to sound vocally full in order to compete with the busy instrumental. With only two members at their disposal, it sounds like the producers layered Yunho and Changmin’s own voices to make up the harmony. In this way, the two members effectively become their own backup singers. It solves the problem, but it nonetheless creates a weird, hollow sound to the song. It’s like recording a five-part a cappella harmony with yourself using Garageband. The end result doesn’t sound like five people singing; it sounds like five copies of you singing different things. This effect thickens the sound, but it doesn’t make it multidimensional.
…which is something we probably won’t be getting anytime soon, not with three members emancipated from the company for good. ;_;
TBC.... |
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Announcement sape2 yg order JYJ gn me dh spai ......
hadiff05 Post at 27-1-2011 14:24 
ok..bile boleh amik?? |
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LAST PART....
suke dgn ape die ckp kt part nie sbb mostly is all true..especially the bold part..bukan nak bias..tapi itu la kenyataan nya..*me pun pernah pikir mcm mane die pikir*
I’ve been following the HoMin side of things more closely lately – partly because of bias, and partly because the JYJ side of things is just too messy for me to sort my brain through. That kind of messiness is both an advantage and a disadvantage – artistic and financial freedom are obvious advantages, whereas things like the US tour visa fiasco and having SM and KFPCAI breathing down your neck are obvious disadvantages. But the biggest advantage and disadvantage is the fact that JYJ has a very wide road ahead of them. Regardless of whatever third-party decides to impede on the trio’s future career, JYJ is freer than any other K-pop artist right now, and will continue to be unless SM decides to jail them right back up again. That uncertainty in their career can allow them to take their music to new heights, or it could cause them to plummet. It’s risky, but it’s at the price of a kind of freedom previously un-experienced by any major K-pop idol – as well as the possibility of changing the Korean pop idol scene for good.
HoMin’s career, on the other hand, isn’t in the same kind of limbo as that of JYJ’s, but it’s in limbo nonetheless. I’ve thought a lot about the possible future of HoMin’s careers within SM, and judging from current K-pop trends as well as recent promotion efforts by respected sunbae artists like BoA, Kangta, and, most recently, DBSK, it seems to me that these last remaining years before mandatory military service will be quiet ones, as they play the role of “Idols-that-everyone-respects-but-no-one-really-likes” – up there with BoA and Kangta.
(pernah terdetik dlm hati masa comeback derang)
To be honest, it’s not a bad way to live: leave the idol industry, serve in the military, come back and become a major stockholder, hope to become the next Lee Soo Man. If their main objective isn’t music, then HoMin is on a pretty good path. But as artists, this album spells trouble.
(harap2 objective derang bukan mcm yg writer nie ckp..but to me, comeback album HM is quite good but it is far away to DBSK standard..)
I’ve mentioned over and over again in this review about how DBSK’s promotion efforts essentially put them on the same level as all the hoobae artists that are out promoting right now. To put it frankly, Why exhibits a significant depreciation in musical quality since their last Korean album – solid evidence that DBSK’s career as artists is slowly going into decline. BoA’s comeback was the same way, albeit with a significantly more impressive album (that…wasn’t adequately promoted). At this rate, the two members of DBSK will slip quietly into military service, come back two years later, and release a single here and there whilst looking imposing in aviator sunglasses. Remind you of anyone?
Had SM promoted DBSK like the respected, senior artists that they are, DBSK would be in a class above all of the currently promoting artists, and you’d be able to tell. In that way, DBSK would almost certainly leave for the military with a bang – and a viable fanbase to come home to after two years. But now, I’m just not seeing that happening.
(huaa..this is so true!!! i cannot deny any single word on this... especially when the fans now are divided)
I’m curious as to how DBSK will be handling their career in Japan. I don’t believe that they’ll be coming back under Avex – although a part of me wishes they were. Avex did this amazing thing where they marketed both DBSK and BoA not as Hallyu artists, but as J-pop artists. It took a ton of hard work, but the result was illustrious and set an incredibly high standard for all incoming Korean acts that had their eyes on the archipelago. But with EMI’s current work with SM artists, it looks like DBSK will just be releasing Japanese versions of their Korean songs – just like SNSD, and now SHINee. And they’ll be met with limited success – just like SNSD, and probably SHINee.
It’d be so disappointing to see DBSK jump back into the pool of generic Hallyu artists in Japan, after spending so much work making a name for themselves as legitimate J-pop artists. But without Avex at the helm of Tohoshinki promotions, I don’t see DBSK enjoying the same success in Japan as they did before. I don’t think Japan wants any more Korean boy bands littering their airwaves – they’ve got their own boybands. Tohoshinki was different because their music was molded to Japanese tastes. It wasn’t cheap attempts of pushing Korean music at Japanese audiences in the name of Hallyu.
(i don't think HM will end up like other SM artists in japan since only DBSK is managed by AVEX and i'm pretty sure AVEX will use the same formula creating THSK to HM..they need to come out with new, fresh song that molded in japanese taste instead of version songs and double the hardwork since THSK now only represent by two people..)
Album gets a 2 out of 5. If they re-release this album in Japan and call it Tohoshinki’s 5th Japanese album, I will throw things and cry. Fr srs.
(Originally posted at callmepatricia) |
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Reply 116# amyhisashi
arini pun boleh ..kekek esok aku cuti.....monday aku keja... |
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Reply amyhisashi
arini pun boleh ..kekek esok aku cuti.....monday aku keja...
hadiff05 Post at 27-1-2011 15:13
diff, pass kt muun la aku punye...
die nak g amik kat ko kan arini..nnt aku amik kt die jer...aku order 3 kan??aku nie kdg2 pelupa..  |
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Reply 114# hadiff05
Diff..dh pos ke blm nata nye music essay..klau x cukup duit postage, inform la..tq in advance |
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Post time 19-1-2011 01:44 PM
Author
![[tvN/Disney+ 2024] LOVE YOUR ENEMY - Ju Ji Hoon, Jung Yu Mi ~ 23 November 2024](https://uf.cari.com.my/forumx/mforum/block/59/59a0b0b089db1cda0f378e6fae637fb1.jpg)
