This Week In Kpop: September 17, 2018

Well, it appears I haven't done a kpop weekly wrap up for a long time! LOL... why did I name it that? Whatever, I will tell you about what happened this past week I guess anyway...

E'Dawn and HyunA

Awhile back a couple of kpop idols (celebrities) announced that they were dating and had been for two years... that they were sick of keeping it a secret and that they wanted to share with the world. Of course, while international fans seem okay with the idea.. Korean fans HATE the thought of their idols dating, and so they freaked out. The company for these two then also freaked out and said that they were now on hiatus... and they stopped all promotion for their groups. The dude was supposed to come with his group to KCON but of course he didn't and so we saw his group without him, which was a sad sad thing. So this past week they announced (we think they officially announced... I don't think it was a simple leak) that these two were being fired basically. And kicked out. Well... we ALL went crazy on Twitter and after a day.. the company's stock fell a TON and then they said.. okay wait... wait... maybe we won't fire them. Calm down everyone! So then after a few more days they said... yeah... we will keep them after all... and so now we are all... NO NEVERMIND! WE WANT THEM TO LEAVE AND MAKE ALL THE MONEY WITHOUT YOU! It's such a mess and such total drama. But real lives are messed up. The poor boys left in the group, trying to do their job... keep breaking down in tears. They had to release a new song and MV without him and it's so cute...but it's so hard to know that inside they are all hurting so bad.



The dude wrote a letter to fans that was seriously heartbreaking saying he just wanted to live a truthful life and that he never meant to make such a mess. I was proud of him though, for NOT apologizing for actually falling in love... or telling the truth. Anyway. It's still going to be seen what happens, but I hope they figure it all out. It's such a mess.



BTS came out with more songs and more awesome MVs. And a complete repackage album of all their recent best stuff. Currently they are on tour in the US and making everyone lucky enough to go to their concerts pretty much die in ecstasy over them. They really are amazing. Of course, we didn't get tickets this time. We tried and failed. They have been nominated for a Grammy... it's in the social artist category, but soon they will be nominated for an actual musical award, I'm pretty sure.  Just wait :) They have been having drama of their own with the Korean fans since they wanted to do song on their upcoming Japanese album writen by a dude that the fans do not approve of... so the company listened to the fans... again.. .and pulled the song. Those Korean fans are NOT to be messed with let me just say!

Our favorites, SHINee, released a video and new song this past week too and their video is the cutest thing ever....you should totally watch. And Minho is reading a book... can you see what it is? I couldn't but someone told me in a comment on our channel. I will let you guess first. :)




I can't think what else to report on for now. But it seems like there's always something going on!

This Week in Kpop : January 7 2018

It's been two years since we discovered Super Junior and in so doing, discovered kpop and our lives were changed. We're having a giveaway to celebrate:

There was another Korean award show (Golden Disk) and BTS won album of the year. EXO won one global artist, which caused the fan wars to erupt yet again. Also Super Junior and a bunch of our other favorites, won another award that I don't totally know how to explain. But yeah. What it means is tons more awesome performances to watch!

BTS held their 4th Muster (like a concert but more informal) and did a bunch of performances to songs that previously had no dances to go with them, so that was cool.

SHINee announced in heart breaking letters to the fans, they will go ahead with the concert scheduled for Japan... and sing without Jonghyun though they will feel him with them in spirit.

Super Junior indirectly announced an LA concert date for April 29th, along with plans to have Europe dates. Also, they had performances in Malaysia this week.

New favorite song of the week.... Grrr by Stray Kids. Ah, this one is so much fun!!!

You Did Well Jonghyun

This is Kim Jonghyun. He is the lead singer for a Korean kpop band called SHINee. They've been singing together for ten years. They were the first kpop band we got to see live in person, in LA, in March.

He sings beautifully. He writes songs. He is a goofball. He has the biggest most contagious smile ever.

He suffered from depression. On Monday, he decided he was done. He texted his sister and said, this is my final farewell.

He wrote his friend and said, all I want is for people to say, you did well.

You did well... it's what Koreans say after they've completed a job... after they've worked together on a project, they will say to each other as they leave... you did well. Kind of like we say, good job guys.

He went to an apartment, not his, and burned charcoal on the stove. And poisoned himself with carbon monoxide.

His sister called for help. They couldn't find him. Until it was too late. He died on the way to the hospital.

And now there are four other boys who are without their lead singer. Three of those boys are also known to suffer from depression. One of them fainted when they heard the news.

And now there are millions of fans all around the world without his voice and his smile and his music.

And now there's a family without their son or their brother.

I wish he would have known how many loved him. I wish he would have been able to get help that actually helped. I wish he would have decided to call someone in that last moment instead of go through with it. I wish we could hear him sing again, live in person, in LA.

But hopefully his pain has ended. And hopefully his family and band members will heal.

We are going to miss him like crazy. He did amazing things while he was here for these short 27 years. So yes...

Jonghyun, you did well.


Our tribute to Jonghyun... pictures and gifs set to his beautiful song: End of a Day:





A year ago, singing live at a radio station. SHINee being silly and cute. One of our favorites. Jonghyun is in the black hoodie.

Our SHINee Experience: March 26, 2017

So, the concert was awesome. Crazy crazy fun. Lots and lots of screaming. Very loud. My ears hurt for a full 24 hours afterwards. The boys are as beautiful and talented and amazing as expected. We all fell in love with Taemin and his dancing and shyness and attempts at English. We fell in love with Key for his coolness, Minho for his swagger, Onew for his sweetness and Jonghyun for his voice. All of them. They are all the best.

If you REALLY want to know what our experience and our one day adventure in California, was like, we made a video:






 Some songs that I didn't know before but loved after this concert:










And now... TWO DAYS UNTIL BTS!!!

Introducing: SHINee!

So we've pretty much lost our minds around here and are going to  not one, but two kpop concerts at the end of this month... both in LA... six days apart from each other. Which would be awesome if we could just stay there and party on, but there's school and work and responsibilities so we'll be coming home in between the two for a few days. We'll be flying to and from one and driving back to the other one. (That one happens to be at the start of spring break, so we  WILL be staying and hanging out in California that week!)

I've gone on and on about BTS, the second concert of the two, (haven't I? I feel like I have but I haven't REALLY posted about who they are or anything I don't think) but I haven't said much about SHINee... and since I wanted to... I am here to do it now!

Onew, Jonghyun, Taemin, Minho, Key

So.. SHINee is a Korean boy band with five members. They are the first band I really listened to and got excited about following the first couple of months after immersing myself into Super Junior. These two bands are very similar since they both work for the same entertainment company, which is probably why it was easy to transition from the one to the other.

SHINee is a little bit younger than Super Junior both actual age-wise and how long they've been around. SHINee debuted in May of 2008 (compared to Super Junior's 2005) with a song called Replay:



Wow they look so so young here!


But they are especially well known for their songs Lucifer and Ring Ding Dong.. both songs that I love to show people when I'm first introducing them to kpop, though I know that these songs are a bit out there" in their weirdness (or what I like to think of now as coolness and awesomeness.)






The boys in this band are:

Onew: the oldest and the leader. He has a beautiful voice that never fails to give me chills. He also made his acting debut in a really well-loved drama called Descendants of the Sun (click for my review) and blew everyone away with how amazing he was.












Jonghyun is next and also has an amazing voice that kills me. I can't wait to hear him live and in person! I first paid attention to him when I discovered this solo song of his called The End of a Day.

Next up is Key, short for Kibum. He makes me smile with his eccentric hairstyles and clothes and.. just everything. Also, he can speak English which always  endears us English speaking fans to him.

And then there's Minho who has a killer smile. And he knows it. He is FULL of swagger. And I love it. He has done a ton of acting but most recently in what will go down as one of my favorites, Hwarang (click for my review.) He is the groups rapper, which is cool, but has always been weird for me since he just doesn't seem like a rapper, despite that swagger!











And finally... the baby of the group, Taemin. He, in my opinion, is pretty much the best dancer out of all the kpop idols I've been watching this year, and that's saying a lot. Seriously. The thought of seeing him dance live is making me crazy. I so can't wait.




(Yes, this is in Japanese not Korean...just in case you wondered.)


Our concert is going to be in a theater not an arena so I don't really know what to expect. I don't know if the production level will be toned down and it will be more about concentrating on the singing and dancing or what. But if so, I'm fine with that! This is what the inside of the theater looks like:

Doesn't that look amazing? AH!!! My stomach is filling with butterflies just thinking about it...

Well, and now you know a little bit about SHINee... and what we will be experiencing in a couple of weeks. Follow our Kpop Konverters Instagram for live updates about this concert and BTS!