Bina Lee - K-POP A To Z: The Definitive K-Pop Encyclopedia

Copyright 2019 by Bina Lee

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Print ISBN: 978-1-63158-447-3

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-63158-448-0

Printed in the United States of America

CONTENTS

PREFACE

I distinctly remember being in seventh grade when I got my first real taste of K-pop. For me, it was one of South Koreas first ever, super popular boy bands, H.O.T, and the song Candy that had me hooked. Simply put, I was in love! Little did I know that what I was listening to in seventh grade would remain a lifelong passion of mine. Im so glad that I have this opportunity to share this with you through this encyclopedia! Maybe you are a longtime supporter of K-pop and want to learn more. Or quite possibly, youre a new listener and BTSs smash hit Mic Drop has you hooked just like H.O.T did so many years ago for me. Either way, if K-pop is your old thing or new love, this is the perfect book for you.

K-pop is the monster genre of the Korean culture that has gathered an enormous following both inside and outside of South Korea. Although it has been around for decades, it has grown exponentially in recent years with fans from all over the world loving and appreciating this particular aspect of South Korean culture. K-pop groups like BTS, BIGBANG, and Girls Generation have put South Korea on the international pop-culture map. Theres something about K-pop, from the cool concepts to the roles of each group member, all the way down to their amazing choreography and fashion, that we just cant seem to get enough of! This encyclopedia was designed to educate both those who are just starting to fall in love with K-pop and those who just cant seem to get enough! Regardless of which category you fit into, its a great book to have in your collection if youre a die-hard K-pop fan. I truly hope this guide is fun to read and helps you navigate the ever-evolving K-Pop subculture that continues to take the world by storm.

A.C.E

A.C.E, which stands for Adventure Calling Emotions, was founded under the company Beat Interactive in May of 2017. The members include Jun, Donghun, Wow, Kim Byeongkwan, and Chan. The first song they released when they first debuted was called Cactus.

Jun and Chan auditioned for the reality series The Unit , and Chan was able to make it to the final group, which was called UNB. He was promoting with UNB while his other members released a repackaged album on June 7, 2018 titled Adventures in Wonderland .

Aegyo

Aegyo is a form of physical expression where you overemphasize displays of cuteness. There are various songs and actions that commonly show this aegyo amongst the Korean entertainment industry. A lot of artists are put on the spot to show their aegyo on various variety shows and programs as it is said to be a form of expression that fans enjoy seeing.

After School

After School was formed under the company Pledis Entertainment. They debuted in January 2009 with the song AH!

Because the concept of the group is an admission and graduation system, the members of the group have constantly been changing. The original members of After School were Soyoung, Bekah, Kahi, Jooyeon, and Jungah. Other members who were part of the group include Kaeun, Lizzy, Nana, E-Young, UEE, and Raina. The current members are Raina, Nana, E-Young, and Kaeun.

After School Club (ASC)

After School Club is a popular Internet-based music show. Jang Han-Byul and Eric Nam were the hosts of the show when it first aired in 2013, but the show has gone on to have various other hostssome of which are K-pop idols. The show brings popular K-pop idols and groups onto the show and then connects them with fans from all over the world. Its a great platform for the fans to ask their favorite groups and group members some questions and request them to do fun things.

Aigoo

A term used to express oneself when you are frustrated or when you make a mistake. It is equivalent to saying, oh no! or oops.

E.g., Aigoo! I dropped my glass of water!

Ailee

Ailee is a Korean American singer who was born in Denver, Colorado on May 30, 1989. She grew up in New Jersey and moved to South Korea to pursue her singing career in 2010. She signed under YMC Entertainment and released her single, Heaven, in 2012. Ailee gained a lot of popularity, especially through her YouTube channel where she uploaded various covers of songs. When she dropped her first album, VIVID , in September of 2015, there was a lot of anticipation and excitement, especially considering her powerhouse vocal abilities. Her natural ability to sing so flawlessly brought her the opportunity to sing on various variety shows and be featured on various OSTs.

Akdong Musician

Akdong Musician is a K-pop duo that is signed under YG Entertainment. This brother-sister duo were participants on the second season of the reality singing show K-Pop Star in 2012. Lee Chan-Hyuk was recognized for his songwriting abilities and Lee Su-Hyun was noted for her natural singing ability. After they won the program, they decided to sign with YG Entertainment.

On April 7, 2014, Akdong Musicians highly anticipated album was released. The title of the album was Play and they released three music videos for the three songs they were promoting. The first song they promoted was titled 200%, which was chosen by the CEO of YG, Yang Hyun Suk. It won the Song of the Year Award at the Melon Music Awards as well as the Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards.

Akdong Musician released their first EP, titled Spring , on May 4, 2016, and then their second studio album, Winter , was released on January 3, 2017. Their song Last Goodbye won them the Digital Bonsang at the Golden Disc Awards in 2018, as well as the Song of the Year at the Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards.