K-pop Acts

A few weeks  ago I did a post on J-pop acts.  It was originally going to be about both J-pop and K-pop acts but was turning into a really long post, so I decided to split it up! The follow up post got delayed because of computer problems but here it is now. :) You can check out my J-pop Acts post here:  https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2015/09/j-pop-acts.html

So here are the Korean acts. Some of them sing in Japanese and Chinese as well.



Lee Hyori

Lee Hyori, aka Hyolee, is a solo singer, who started out in the girl group Fin K.L, before going solo in 2003. Her last album was Monochrome, which was released in 2013.

Video for my fave song 10 Minutes: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2012/05/weekly-music-video.html

Girls vs Boys with Rain (see below): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2013/10/girls-vs-boys-k-pop.html



Rain (Bi)

Rain (Bi), whose real name is Jung Ji-Hoon, is one of Korea's top solo stars. In addition to singing he dances, acts and runs the record label J Tune Entertainment.

Here is How To Avoid The Sun: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2013/05/weekly-music-video_22.html

See above for Girls vs Boys link with Lee Hyori.


Dong Bang Shin Ki

Dong Bang Ki (also know as Tohoshinki in Japan and TVXQ (Tong Vfang Xien Qi) in China) were a South Korean boyband who sang in both Korean and Japanese.

They are now a duo consisting of U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin (they perform under the name TVXQ) and the other 3 (Jaejoong, Yoochun and Junsu) are now the trio JYJ.



Mirotic videos (Korean and Japanese): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2011/12/weekly-music-video.html

Girls vs Boys post (with Girl's Day; see below): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2012/12/girls-vs-boys-k-pop.html



BIGBANG/Big Bang

Another Korean boyband who also sing in Japanese. They are very popular in Korea and Japan. The members also have solo careers in music and acting. One of the most successful is G-Dragon and he and T.O.P also formed a sub-unit. The other members are Taeyang, Daesung and Seungri.


Video for their Japanese single Gara Gara Go: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2012/05/weekly-music-video_23.html

Taeyang feat. G-Dragon- I Need A Girl:  https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2015/09/everythings-k-pop-or-j-pop-this-month.html

Girls vs Boys post (with Girls' Generation): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2012/11/girls-vs-boys-k-pop.html


BoA

BoA (full name Kwon Boa) is a star in both Korea and Japan and releases albums in Korean and Japanese. She has been nicknamed the Queen of Korean Pop. In 2009 BoA released her first US album (self titled) which contained English songs.

Check out her latest videos here: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2015/09/new-boa-videos.html



Se7en

Se7en, whose real name is Choi Dong-wook, is a well-known solo artist in Korea and has also had success in Japan, China and America. He hasn't released any music since 2012, due to completing his mandatory South Korean military service. He was discharged last December.

Se7en's 10 year contract with his record label YG Entertainment expired in 2013 and he is now pursuing a career in musical theatre under his real name.


I featured both BoA and Se7en in a Girls vs Boys post 2 years ago: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2013/07/girls-vs-boys-k-pop.html


Girls' Generation

Girls' Generation are a 8 member group, also known as SNSD. There used to be 9 members but member Jessica left last year. She also has a solo music career and branched out into acting. The group sing in Korean, Japanese and English.

Video for Run Devil Run: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2012/10/weekly-music-video.html

1st UK single The Boys (Korean and English versions): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2012/12/girls-generation-1st-uk-single.html

 Divine video: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2014/10/weekly-music-video.html

Video for You Think: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2015/09/weekly-music-video.html

See above for my Girls vs Boys post featuring Girls' Generation and BIGBANG.



Girl's Day

Another girl group. There are currently 4 members, Sojin, Minah, Yura and Hyeri. To date they've released 6 mini albums-Girl's Day Party #1, Everyday, Everyday 2, 3 and 4 and I Miss You-, 2 Korean studio albums, Expectation (2013) which was repackaged as Female President and Love (2015) and a Japanese album, Girl's Day 2015 Autumn Party which came out last month. They also have a compilation called Best Album.

Here's the video for Something, one of my favourite Girl's Day songs: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2014/03/weekly-music-video_26.html

Also see above under Dong Bang Shin Ki for my post with DBSK and Girl's Day.


EXID 

EXID are a 5 member girl group whose name is an acronym for Exceed In Dreaming. They've released 4 singles, their debut Whoz That Girl, I Feel Good, Every Night (my fave), Up and Down and their latest Ah Yeah.  The group haven't brought out a full length album so far but they have 2 EPS, HIPPITY HOP (2012) and AH YEAH (2015).

In 2013 members Hani and Solji formed a sub-unit called Dasoni.

See below for my Girls Vs Boys post with MBLAQ.

EXID also have another version of Every Night called Call, which is my absolute fave. :) Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5wMQfNDbnA



MBLAQ

MBLAQ are a boyband created by Korean singer/actor Rain (see above). Their name stands for Music Boys Live In Absolute Quality. MBLAQ now has only 3 members, Seungho, G.O. and Mir. Members Lee Joon and Cheondung aka Thunder left the group in December 2014. Kim Sang Bae was another member who left in 2011. The group's latest EP is Winter which was released in June.

Girls vs Boys post with EXID: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2013/03/girls-vs-boys-k-pop.html


SISTAR

4 member girl group. The members are Hyolyn, Bora, Soyou  and Dasom. To date they've released 6 EPs-Alone, Loving U, Touch N Move, Sweet & Sour and Shake It- and two albums, So Cool (2011) and Give It To Me (2013. Their singles include debut Push Push, Alone, Give It To Me and their latest SHAKE IT.

Girls vs Boys post (with EXO; see below): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2014/06/girls-vs-boys-k-pop.html

SHAKE IT video (also see this for a EXO video): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2015/07/new-k-pop-videos.html


SISTAR19

Subgroup of SISTAR made up of lead singer Hyolyn and rapper Bora. They've had one mini album, Gone Not Around Any Longer (2013) and 2 singles, Ma Boy and Gone Not Around Any Longer (with a B-side A Girl In Love).


Gone Not Around Any Longer video: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2014/11/weekly-music-video.html


EXO

EXO are a Korean/Chinese boyband which originally consisted of 12 members divided into subgroups, EXO-K and EXO-M. EXO-K sing in Korean and EXO-M sing in the Chinese language Mandarin. However 3 members (Kris, Luhan and Tao from EXO-M) all filed lawsuits against their record label
S.M. Entertainment in  2014 and 2015 and the group now has 9 members.

Growl videos (Korean and Chinese versions):  https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2014/04/weekly-music-video_30.html

See above for my Girls vs Boys post with SISTAR.

Videos for CALL ME BABY: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2015/04/weekly-music-video_49.html

LOVE ME RIGHT video: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2015/07/new-k-pop-videos.html


U-KISS

7 member boyband and another group who sing in Japanese as well as Korean. To date they have released 3 Korean studio albums and 4 Japanese ones.  They have also brought out 10 Korean mini albums and 4 Japanese EPs.


miss A

A Korean/Chinese girlband which has 4 members. They also sing in Korean and Chinese. miss A's latest album is Colors and the lead single Only You got to No 1 in the Korean music charts.

Check out my Girls vs Boys post for U-KISS and miss A videos: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2015/08/girls-vs-boys-k-pop.html


BTS

Boyband BTS are also known as Bangtan Boys. BTS is short for Bangtan Sonyeondan, which according to Wikipedia translates as Bulletproof Boy Scouts. Their latest EP is The Most Beautiful Moment In Life, Part 1 which was released in April.

One of my favourite songs, Hip Hop Lover: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2015/07/weekly-music-video_29.html


AOA

A girl group which consists of 8 members altogether but they are divided into 2 halves. One half is an idol dance group with 5 members and the other half is a band who play instruments (guitar, drums, keyboard and bass). Their most recent mini album is Heart Attack which came out in June.

See this post for BTS and AOA vids: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2015/01/girls-vs-boys-k-pop.html


Younique Unit

Younique Unit are a "supergroup" which consists of members from other K-pop groups on the SM Entertainment record label. T The members are Eunhyuk (from Super Junior), Henry (Super Junior-M), Hyoyeon (part of Girls' Generation and the only female member of Younique Unit), Taemin (SHINee), Lu Han (EXO-M) and Kai (EXO-K). Henry is Canadian and Lu Han is Chinese so I consider them a Korean/international group. :)

They released one mini album PYL Younique Album Vol. 1 and the single Maxstep but I don't think they're doing anything currently.

Maxstep video: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2014/03/weekly-music-video_7038.html


Zhoumi 

Zhoumi (or Zhou Mi) is the main vocalist of Mandopop boyband Super Junior M and debuted as a solo artist last year. He's Chinese but sings in Korean as well as Mandarin, that's why I've included him. :) His song Rewind features EXO members TAO on the Mandarin version and Chanyeol on the Korean one.

Video for Rewind: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2014/12/weekly-music-video_17.html



That's it for now, long post! lol. If there's anyone I've missed who I've previously featured on here, I'll update later. :) Who are your favourite K-pop groups and singers?