Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Sunday, December 29, 2013

13.12.29 Beast at 2013 SBS Gayo Daejun

Doojoon, Yoseob & Other artists - "Sleigh Ride" Opening

 BEAST - "Shadow" & "Beautiful Night"

 Hyunseung, Woohyun, Sandeul, Onew and Seungchul - My Love

 "Mater Sun" & "The Heirs" Parody -PART 2- (‪Hyunseung‬ & ‪Hyuna‬)

 BEAST (w/o 2JUN) for Friendship Project "You are a Miracle" + Ending

13.12.26 Heartthrobs Rule the Korean Stage


K-Pop Stars Selling Stage Musicals in Korea

SEOUL, South Korea — His acting was all smiles and scowls, and his dancing fell short of Broadway caliber, but Yang Yoseop, at 23, was an old pro at exuding heartache. Which was all that really mattered.
At a recent performance here of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice rock musical, the 1,000-strong audience fell into a mesmerized silence every time the spotlight fell on Mr. Yang, a sweet-faced star in the multibillion-dollar Korean pop music industry. The hush broke only once, when Mr. Yang, playing the much-abused son of the biblical Jacob, sang a Korean translation of Joseph’s power ballad “Close Every Door.” As he belted about hardship and hope, young women wept.
“He looked like he did in ‘Caffeine,’ ” said Jung Jeong-un, 17, during the intermission, referring to Mr. Yang’s recent K-pop video. “ ‘You’re bad to me, so bad to me, oh girl, you’re like caffeine,’ ” Ms. Jung quoted. “Yoseop’s hurt feels very deep. I love him.”
So much so that she had already bought another $80 ticket to his next performance in “Joseph.”
Imagine Justin Bieber in a Broadway show, and the hottest trend in Seoul’s $300 million theater market — which is crowded with American and European musicals — starts making sense. Not unlike Broadway’s star casting of movie and television actors like Daniel Craig and Bryan Cranston, producers here have been increasingly hiring K-pop stars, as well as Korean soap opera actors and other celebrities, to perform two or three times a week in major roles (with other actors handling the other nights) in exchange for the prestige of roles and payments of up to $50,000 per appearance.
This fusing of homegrown performers with American and European shows has meant big money here — and lucrative royalties and fees for the show creators — by turning women in their teens, 20s and 30s into devoted and repeat customers. In the theater lobbies of “Joseph,” “Grease” and “Bonnie & Clyde” this fall, they snapped photos of each other standing beside life-size cutouts of their K-pop stars in costume. At “Ghost the Musical,” a Broadway flop that has opened its first Asian production here, competing fan groups used a large scale near the box office to weigh rice donations they made to charities on behalf of the musical’s K-pop and soap stars. And television and radio advertising emphasize the K-pop stars first and the show titles second for the dozens of musicals running across this city.
“Ten years ago, five years ago, ticket sales depended on a musical coming from Broadway or London or having a Tony Award, but today, K-pop casting has become the No. 1 criteria for a lot of shows,” said Chang Jun-won, a talent agent turned producer here whose latest show is a Korean version of “Murder Ballad.” After he saw “Murder” in New York, he called one of his K-pop clients and said, “I’ve found something for you.” She is now starring in it.
“The stars bring in women, but they’re also famous enough to bring in Japanese and Chinese tourists, whom we need badly to keep growing our market,” he added.
K-pop is known for its high cuteness factor, fast-paced choreography and seductive winks, smiles and double takes, as well as lyrics that tend toward frothy fun or breakup boohoo. The music has become one of Korea’s most lucrative exports, propelling the so-called Korean Wave of culture through Asia while exploding into a YouTube phenomenon in the United States and elsewhere, thanks largely to the viral video “Gangnam Style,” by the singer Psy.
A few Korean theater producers are trying to ride this wave by putting K-pop stars into Broadway musicals and staging tours of the shows in Japan; a K-pop-laden “Jack the Ripper” was a popular export to Tokyo last year. The ultimate goal is to bring these tours to China, once its enormous market opens up further to outside theatrical productions. But for now, most theater activity is centered in Seoul, a city of about 10 million people. Producers focus on rotating big-name singers into musicals to help them have longer runs. And when those performers are on tour, soap stars and others will suffice, like Lee Ha-ni, a onetime Miss Korea, playing virtuous Sarah Brown in “Guys and Dolls” here.
“There are so many musicals in Seoul now, dozens and dozens, that the stars help ticket buyers make choices,” said Gina Lee, the director of “Guys and Dolls,” who cast a former K-pop singer, Song Won-geun, as the gambler Sky Masterson.
K-pop’s dominance is leading to some provocative ideas — and pushback from American musical licensing companies. At SM Entertainment, a major talent agency that is moving into musical theater, executives are planning a Korean-language “Singin’ in the Rain,” with a K-pop star in the Gene Kelly role and K-pop choreography between scenes. (The title number, where Kelly splashes through puddles while twirling an umbrella, will stay.)
“While it’d be hard to put K-pop music and dancing into, say, ‘Les Misérables,’ ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ has a very open structure that could easily blend in our style of performance,” said Jeong Chang-hwan, who oversees theater producing for SM. But Mr. Jeong said he has encountered resistance from Music Theater International, the New York-based licensing company that handles the rights to “Singin’ in the Rain” as well as another musical that SM is considering, “West Side Story.”
“Obviously, we don’t want to do any damage to the shows,” Mr. Jeong said, sitting beside bookcases with CDs by Girls’ Generation, Shinee and other K-pop groups. “But we also want these to be Korean shows.”
The Music Theater International executive who oversees licensing for Asia, Koji Aoshika, said SM Entertainment had not included K-pop sequences in its “Singin’ in the Rain” producing proposal, and that such sequences would be rejected. As for “West Side Story,” Mr. Aoshika said, “I’ve suggested they create a dance, especially ballet, training program for their young performers for a few years at least, as dancing is much weaker than acting and singing in the Korean musical market.”
The lack of experience was glaring at several performances featuring K-pop stars. Mr. Yang, as Joseph, mostly scurried and twirled around the lip of the stage and conveyed emotions by putting his hands on his heart or balling them into fists. As Sky Masterson, Mr. Song panted and sweated visibly during the lengthier numbers. And in the lead role of Sandy in “Grease,” Oh Seung-a, of the girl group Rainbow, said she sometimes had to fight her instinct to wink and smile at the audience, in K-pop fashion, during the show’s more serious moments.
American producers have certainly tried to capitalize on pop-star appeal, too — after all, Donny Osmond has played the title role in “Joseph” numerous times, and Debbie Gibson dropped into “Les Misérables, “Cabaret” and other Broadway musicals. More recently Nick Jonas returned to Broadway in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” but his presence failed to generate big ticket sales. New York theater critics have often bemoaned this stunt casting, and a few Korean producers are starting to worry, too.
“The idea of revolving casts of K-pop stars, soap actors and theater actors doesn’t bode well for a musical, because it can’t guarantee quality when performers change every day,” said Shin Chun-soo, president of the OD Musical Company, which has produced “Jekyll & Hyde,” “Man of La Mancha,” “Contact,” “Nine” and other Broadway musicals in Seoul.
High quality or not, several shows with iffy pedigrees (they have never made it to Broadway) have enjoyed big ticket sales thanks to K-pop stars, like the European musicals “Elizabeth” and “Mozart,” which featured Kim Jun-su of the pop group JYJ — a performer whose booming voice fit the soaring melodies of those two historical musicals. “The Three Musketeers” sold strongly by having K-pop stars rotating as the young romantic hero d’Artagnan. And “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” and “Xanadu” also sold well with K-pop stars.
But the reliance on K-pop performers highlights a void in the theater scene here: the dearth of original Korean musicals.
The most popular Korean-made show here is “Nanta” (or “Cookin’ ”), a comedy about the staff of a restaurant kitchen that has no dialogue, a so-called nonverbal production that has made it easy to tour. (It ran Off Broadway in 2003 and again the next year.) The musical romance “Finding Mr. Destiny” was a hit in 2006 (and was mounted in China under the title “Finding Mr. Kim”), while the most popular original musical here recently was “Bungee Jump,” a complex love story that involves a young woman who is reincarnated as a man and reunited with her old lover, also a man, leading to scandal.
Hue Park, the lyricist for “Bungee Jump,” said he drew on his experience writing K-pop lyrics a decade ago, gigs that earned up to $7,000 a song, as he worked on the musical.
“K-pop lyrics repeat the same words over and over and try to be very catchy, memorable, karaoke worthy,” said Mr. Park, 30, who collaborated with an American composer, Will Aronson, on the show. “And too often, American musicals aren’t translated here into ways that real Koreans talk. One reason ‘Bungee’ is popular is that the Koreans sound like Koreans.”
Mastering the English-to-Korean translation is only one of the challenges facing the K-pop stars, several of whom said that they dreamed as children about acting on the stage but were pulled into the K-pop world because the talent agencies and music-making assembly lines have become so dominant here.
Ock Joo-hyun, who plays Elphaba in “Wicked,” said that the make-believe world of theater — like adjusting to green makeup at every performance to play her character, who becomes Wicked Witch of the West — had been unnerving at first.
“I had never been raised in the air before, and I got a little motion sickness the first time on the broom,” said Ms. Ock, who then smiled and winked — a K-pop move that seemed almost involuntary to her.
Mr. Yang, whose slightly androgynous features were pronounced “cute” and “sweet” by several girls during and after “Joseph,” said he is trying the theater for the same reason that some Hollywood stars go to Broadway: to prove something to his fans, and to himself.
In his dressing room after his performance, however, he admitted that he wasn’t sure if the audience was shrieking enthusiastically at the curtain call for his performance or for his celebrity. (He sees Justin Timberlake as a role model at both.) Unlike on Broadway, audience members in Korea are permitted to take photographs during curtain calls, and Mr. Yang, who is also a member of the boy band Beast, said he noticed the sea of young women taking his picture, some with highly sophisticated, Telephoto lens cameras.
“Popularity can just be a bubble when there is no ability,” he said. “So I’m coming to the theater to learn abilities. K-pop gives you fans, but I hope that musicals can give you skill.”

cr: nytimes

Saturday, December 28, 2013

13.12.27 Beast at KBS Gayo Daejun 2013


Song Festival Eunji Yoseob - When I First Saw You

 Song Festival Dance Symphony - Trouble Maker

 BEAST - Shadow

Friday, December 27, 2013

131221 희망로드 출근길-요섭

13.12.26 25 idols to perform for the opening of SBS Gayo Daejun


SBS revealed on 26th December, 25 idols will perform for the opening of SBS Gayo Daejun. 

Idols who will perform include SHINee Minho and Taemin、2PM Junho and Nichkhun、BEAST Yoseob and Doojoon、Infinite L and Woohyun、B1A4 Sandeul and Jinyoung、EXO D.O. BAEK HYUN、K.Will、KARA's Gyuri、4minute Hyuna and Gayoon、f(x) Luna Victoria、Secret Sunhwa and Hyosung、miss A suzy and Jia、Rainbow's Jaekyung、Girl’s Day's Minah and Apink Eunji. 

2013 SBS Gayo Daejun will air at 8.45 pm on 29th December.

cr: dkpopnews 

13.12.26 2013 KBS Gayo Daejun reveals performers list


Date: 27th December (20:50 ~ 00:20 KST) 

MCs: miss A (Suzy), Yoon Si Yoo, Lee Hwi Jae 

Performers: Girls' Generation, SHINee, 2PM, BEAST, KARA, SISTAR, Lee Hyori, Secret, 4minute, K.Will, Huh Gak, Ailee, miss A, Yoo Hee Yeol, Teen Top, Girl's Day, Lee Seung Chul, Infinite, IU, A Pink, B1A4, EXO, Crayon Pop, Dynamic Duo 




cr: dkpopnews

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

BEAST - 2013 연말 메세지 (2013 Year End Message)

[INT] 131207 ANECAN INTERVIEW






BEAST’s Love and Ambition
2014’s love and ambition!
Doojoon: Firstly, after we properly promote in Korea, I’ll work hard to be able to meet the overseas fans. Personally, through the Korean drama ‘Let’s Eat’ I want to show everyone an improved version of me as an actor.
Hyunseung: To the people who still don’t know us, I want people to know us. Personally, I’ll work hard so that many people in Korea and Japan will show interest in us.
Junhyung: More than writing many songs, I hope that in the future the opportunities for magnificent singers singing my songs will increase. For example, like Yoseob-goon!  If a drama opportunity comes along and it does not get in the way of BEAST’s promotions, I’d like to challenge it once more. If I get to do it next time, I’d like to try a role where I’m weird and capricious somewhere.
Yoseob:  I don’t know if we can accomplish this but after a year, I want to hold a concert at Nissan stadium. At a place bigger than Tokyo Dome, to sing live for 3 days! Personally, I want to release my second solo album. Of course, you have to ask Junhyung-goon about the plan though♪
Kikwang:  More than the image in 2013, I want to show to the fans an improved side of me. In Japan, we’ve been promotion for one and a half years, personally I want to try my best and deliver results, with a new mindset/heart I want to do my best in everything.
Dongwoon: I want to let people hear more of BEAST’s new songs. Personally, for about 100-200 people, I want to perform (theatrically) alone in a small theatre! And… My language ability is high but why is it when I’m trying to speak Japanese, it comes out as English (laughs). I’ll work harder!
Doojoon – I’m attracted to a lady who has pretty eyes. I think I would understand older girls!
Hyunseung – Ever since I’ve read romance comics in high school, I’ve always wanted older girls.
Junhyung – I think when I’m facing problems, older girls can advise me on it; I would be able to rely on her!
Yoseob – I want to date with an older girl someday♥  Because she has lived longer, I would be able to rely on her.
Kikwang – Older girls have an image of being able to cure (me) warmly when (I’m) feeling exhaused.
Dongwoon – If she’s leading the younger me, seems like she could be surprisingly cute♥
Q. If I’m not a singer and I had another job, it’ll be?
Doojoon: A school teacher. (Kikwang: It doesn’t suit you!! The subject would be gym?) Gym is good but ethics and morality. (Kikwang: You cook well too so home economics is alright too) Right?
Hyunseung: I’ll be the boss in a music company♪ My secretary would be… Dongwoon-goon.  He’s smart.
Junhyung: A major shareholder and boss for a recording company. My accountant will be Yoseob-goon! (Kikwang:Junhyung-goon too should do well (in that role).  He won’t even be wrong about 0.01cents(laughs)!)
Yoseob:  An active boxing athlete with a world title… (Dongwoon: What!?).  If not, a director of a gym! My secretary will be the meticulous Dongwoon-goon and I’ll take the portfolio of the accountant! There will be no embezzlement and I’ll be saving costs.
Kikwang: The boss of an entertainment company. My secretary the reliable Yoseob-goon… Will be what I’m thinking but, a secretary needs to have good handwriting so…  Yoseob-goon’s handwriting is very unique (laughs)
Dongwoon: I want to be the owner of the Korean branch of ramen shop ‘Ichiran’! We are all fans of ‘Ichiran’.
Q.  On a day with no work/schedules, what do you do?
Doojoon: Fishing or soccer.
Hyunseung: I’ll play online games on the computer. I like spending time alone.
Junhyung: Fishing with Doojoon-goon or composing.
Yoseob: Boxing.
Kikwang: Eating delicious food and soccer.
Dongwoon: After waking up late, with the windows down, going out for a drive while listening to an exciting song♪
Q. If at the year-end party, during the talent show, what will you do?
Doojoon: Like Dongwoon-goon, I’ll sing a trot and sing flattery for my boss~. (Junhyung: This kind of people can never succeed (laughs)).
Hyunseung: Sing…? But even if everyone say “do it”, I might not (laughs).
Junhyung: A girl group’s dance♪
Yoseob: I will sing a really upbeat song really hard. A ballad is absolutely unacceptable (laughs).
Kikwang: A cool song or an upbeat song.
Dongwoon: If it’s in Korea, a trot to kiss up to the boss. If it’s in Japan, a rock song.
Q. If your older girlfriend works overtime?
Doojoon: I will call her out for a while, eat delicious food together, I’ll help her out at her work and will talk to her tenderly.
Hyunseung: I will look for her with food in my hands. Something like coffee. Without any signs, just naturally.
Junhyung: Because my girlfriend will have a harder time if I’m unable to sleep because I was worrying about her… I will sleep well! But if I were to bring food to her? Um~ Really spicy ddeokbokki.
Yoseob: ‘I’ll go to sleep first’ is what I’ll say to her when I talk to her on the phone but in reality I’ll go all the way to her office! Ah~ I’m so cool right~♪ Snacks? Um… Chicken feet.
Kikwang: I’ll buy her an energy drink and I’ll wait by her side till she ends.
Dongwoon: I’ll bring chicken and beer to her.
Q. Where do you see first on a woman?
Doojoon: Obviously the face first but, (Dongwoon: Body is next?) No… The look in her eyes is important! Of course we talk, then I will look at her personality and her inner side.
Hyunseung: Um~ This is hard… Truthfully her face? And her eyes. Also I like people who smile a lot.
Junhyung: I look at the overall balance. The harmony from her eyes till her lips. (Dongwoon: What is that!)
Yoseob: Face. Isn’t that a given? (Junhyung: For me, it’s the heart) Don’t lie (laughs)!
Kikwang: Although I do look at the face, I think what’s important is her attitude. Whether you like me or not (laughs).
Dongwoon: No matter how pretty someone is, if she doesn’t show much expression, there won’t be a lively feeling so a person who smiles/laughs a lot is good.
Q. Your favorite woman fragrance?
Doojoon: A smell that is akin to a baby.
Hyunseung: A soap kind of smell.
Junhyung: A shampoo or body shower that smells like coconut.
Yoseob: A fabric softener smell.
Kikwang: Her own smell. Not like a fragrance but her own natural smell. Isn’t that sexy!
Dongwoon: I like Jennifer Lopez’s frangrance.
Q. If you have a girlfriend, do you think you will devote yourself to her?
Doojoon: If there is a woman who comes along that I can devote myself to, it’s be really good♥
Hyunseung: I’ll be happy if I could devote myself to my girlfriend! The feeling of ‘I receive love’ is good.
Junhyung: If I had to choose, it would be good if the girlfriend can devote herself to me.
Yoseob: Um~, I think I would want to devote myself to her.
Kikwang: I think that if love is (given more) by one side, it cools down fast so if each of us gives the same degree of affection, it’ll be good!
Q. Please tell us 3 charms about the members!
Doojoon: Hyunseung-goon has a lot of good kind of greed. Passionate. Ideal (laughs).
Junhyung: Dongwoon-goon is really tall. Humorous and clever.
Hyunseung: Kikwang-goon is good looking, he sings well and has a lot of talent! He has a lot of charms that makes ladies like him.
Yoseob:  Junhyung-goon’s composing skills are magnificent! He raps well and lately his acting too has been well received isn’t it? He’s cool, sense of fashion is good, and above it all, he’s rich~♪ Oh? I said more than 3?
Kikwang: Doojoon-goon is a fun and gentle person. And he’s really popular with girls in Korea! You yourself know it right? (laughs) (Doojoon: No~♪)
Dongwoon: Yoseobie hyung is (Junhyung: Sings well, handsome~) Junhyungie hyung… It’s my turn! Um, and… A voice and heart that is able to receive love from anyone… I can even say up to 30 things. (Yoseob:  Is that the end?) And… If he takes his clothes off, a very fit body!
Credit: @a8sun  (SOURCE), @KongKongXD (JP-KR), @yongjunna (KR-EN).

[EXCERPT] 131126 K-BOY INTERVIEW


─ What kind of group do you want BEAST to be in the future? And in that group, what kind of role would you like to play?
Doojoon: To last as long as possible, to hold concerts like we do now, to meet many people. And in that, I want to be the one who gets along well with everyone.
Hyunseung: I want to be a group that not only receive love from the females but also the males. Personally, I want to do well in singing and dancing so that when I’m on stage, I can be the most powerful and become the member that shines!
Junhyung: Up till right now, BEAST is still being called an ‘idol’, I want BEAST to be a musically acclaimed group in the future. “BEAST’s song is good”, “The stage is good too”, I want to be able to hear those words
Yoseob: I think we’ve achieved all the dreams we had in the past. We’ve gotten first place on Korean music shows, we also received the grand prize (daesang), we also did a world tour. Next year too we’re planning a Japan tour, I think we’ve done everything. The things I wish for now is, us six people to be together for a long time, have a good relationship, be happy, to be singing in front of many people as always. In that, the thing I can do is to properly managing the condition and to the fans offering them good songs. I think that is my assignment.
Kikwang: Like huge sunbaes Shinwa, I want to promote for a long time. The members each have their own charm and when it shines when the group is together, it allows each other to fly even higher – I want to be that kind of group. In that, like the relationship now, I want to have an existence of being good friends.
Dongwoon: I think because of the fact that up till now we’ve been taking one step at a time steadily towards our goals, in the future too, not to forget our starting mindset, to be a group that rises up by working hard one step at a time – I want to be that kind of group. In that group, I want to be a member that you absolutely can’t do without. “If there’s no Dongwoon, the stage can’t go on” I want to have that kind of existence.
Credit: Buuu  (SOURCE), @KongKongXD (JP-KR), @yongjunna (KR-EN).

[INT] 131125 ZIPPER INTERVIEW



At singing, at dancing, top notch!! The top KPOP group BEAST’s 6 pretty men thoughts on what a good man is will be revealed!
─ The album Hard to Love, How to Love is written by Junhyung. What was in your heart when you made the album?
Junhyung: The period in which BEAST was inactive was long.  Considerably the fans’ expectations are larger and because of that I worked hard to repay them. For the purpose of including songs with various genre, I immersed myself. The album’s theme is love and I worked towards creating lyrics and melody that man people could easily sympathize with.
─ How was singing the Japanese song of “Shadow”?
Dongwoon: As expected, pronunciation is hard. In Korean 『つ』『ず』, such pronunciation does not exist so we had to pay extra attention to it.
─  During the summer, you had an area concert, you took part in a festival etc, there was a lot of promotions in Japan.
Dongwoon: At the Arena concert, there was duets and also solo stages prepared, we also revealed for the first time songs inside the Korean album etc there was diversity.
Yoseob: I tried to communicate more in Japanese as compared to the past.
Doojoon: I think the festival was a good opportunity for people to know us.  『Who are they?』 if that happens and they look us up on the Internet, it’ll be great (laughs).
─ The original Japanese song that will be released in December, what kind of song is it?
Junhyung:  Now I’m writing the song but, I’ll be arranging it simply.  There’s also emphasis on the melody. Anyway, I hope people can throw away the preconception of a Korean artist singing it and just listen to the song for the song itself.
─ There seems to be a lot of opportunity to come over this year, is there any Japanese food you like?
Everyone: Ichiran ramen!!
Doojoon: It’s like everyone in Japan goes to that store.
─ That’s amazing. Christmas is coming, is there an idea date outfit or situation?
Junhyung: I want a down jacket that’s bigger than my body and go fishing with my girlfriend.
Dongwoon: Since it’s Christmas, a red scarf would be nice. When the white snow falls, I want to go to a place that’s untouched and leave my footprints there.
─ That’s romantic. If you could go through that with a lady, would there be an item that would make your heart beat quickly?
Dongwoon: White shirt. A man kind of shirt that’s a little loose on her.
Yoseob: For me, pink lipstick on her lips. It’s cute.
─ So, what do you think a good man is?
Dongwoon: For me, a man that is like a tree. Standing still at one place, being reliable, that kind of feel is good.
Junhyung: Talking realistically, definitely a man with capabilities. Because he’s capable, he treasures himself, and he can also protect his woman. Ah, a capable man isn’t just about money. It includes physical strength and vision too.
Kikwang: A man who is manly in his love and loves with a flame.
Hyunseung: For me, a passionate and a dream guy every day.
Doojoon: For me, an Americano-like man.
Junhyung: The possibility of a refill!!
Doojoon: What are you saying! Not that but with ladies, it’s popular, has class and looks like it has energy.
Junhyung: But it’s the cheapest isn’t it (laughs).
Doojoon: Even though it’s cheap, the taste is there right? You could drink it iced or hot; like a man who has his cold and warm times. When you drink it, your heart palpitates!
─ Yoseob, previously you said a man who is like a wolf, has it changed?
Yoseob: Exactly that. A wolf sacrifices itself for its family; it’s an animal that really loves its precious females.
─ Do you think you’re close to being a man who is like a wolf?
Yoseob: Um-, I don’t know. I think when I’m about 35, I’ll be able to know.
Credit: a8sun  (SOURCE), @KongKongXD (JP-KR), @yongjunna (KR-EN).

[INT] 131123 RIVER RIVER MAGAZINE


















BEAST NEW STANDARD
“All made by BEAST” They powered up and returned!
Always evolving, the 6 people who now do not waver, and now with their own color?
In July, they released the 2nd album『Hard to love, How to love』. The title song「Shadow」acquired first place continuously on the major charts and music shows, once again displaying the high level of BEAST’s popularity as well as their skills.  When asked the members「The most memorable work you had this year」and they recounted back on their comeback,  「The one first place this time is considerably different from the first placings we have received up till now」they told us. Wondering what kind of mindset/heart is hidden in these words.
─ You returned in Korea after a year. During this one year, in order to upgrade, how did you spend your days?
Doojoon: The members were each busy with their own solo promotions. Even so, during the off-days, I went to meet my family and friends, get refreshed and then polished up on my own skills.
Hyunseung: I too, didn’t just focus on lessons; I played around a little and worked hard.
Yoseob:  I worked out, I received lessons, I debuted in Korea and Japan, during this one year, I think I tested out my chances/possibilities.
Kikwang:  For me, for the purpose of the next album, I’m working hard at studying composition.
─ When receiving first place on Inkigayo for Shadow, Kikwang’s comment is pretty impressive. In front of the fansI really want to receive this modestly. We will become BEAST who works even harderyou said that,  what were you thinking  of when you said those words?
Kikwang: After the announcement of the 2nd album, our first stage was our concert.  Standing on stage, looking at the members, the thought came into my head. 「How many of these kind of  concerts can we do in the future. How many people will be waiting, will be coming like this」. No one knows the future. So I thought, tomorrow’s sake, we should work even harder. We cannot forget to work hard…. I think it is with that heart that leads to the comment I said that day.
Yoseob:  Getting first place is always a good thing but I think this time round the feel of it being ‘special’ was stronger. I think it’s because the gathering of hearts of the fans who waited such a long time due to our hiatus is what allowed us to win first place. On one hand we are really really thankful but on the other hand because they waited for us for so long, we have an apologetic heart too.
─ Prior to the conclusion of the 2nd album’s promotions, the release of the handwritten letters to the fans became a topic of conversation. Dongwoon’s words Some people love us and some people don’t like us but we will work even harder through our music so that they can love at least our music, we could feel an artist’s determination in that.
Dongwoon:  This album, we prepared it as fast as we could. But for several reasons, the release was delayed so our hiatus was even longer.「Now with a concert and the album coming out, will we really be able to make everyone happy?」with such thoughts, I was really uneasy. But now that is has actually happened, the fans’ reactions are good and I felt that our song really received love. We’re really thankful but of course there’s a lot of our hearts that’s sorry too so I wrote that as the content of my letter. In the future, we won’t forget to work hard, we want to repay everyone!
Hyunseung: During this comeback and as our promotion period moved along, once again we felt how precious and thankful the fans were.
─ This album was produced and composed by Junhyung, and the other members pitched in various ideas leading it to being a “All made by BEAST” album. Finally you’ve taken a step forward into being a group that personally produces (for yourselves)!
Doojoon:  Over time after debut, we’ve all accumulated some musical knowledge so we’ve thought about things here and there. The thought differs from member to member. But even so, the heart of wanting to create the best work is the same for all the members. We completed it by actively voicing our opinions.
Junhyung:  As much as we’ve waited, the fans’ anticipation is considerably larger. To satisfy that anticipation, we worked really hard. Although I don’t know if we actually managed to satisfy the fans, but either way we worked hard.
─ Previously Yoseob was on Radio Star and he mentioned,During recording, Junhyung-goon would ask for weird/strange adlibs.
Junhyung:  If the recording hours are long, the members, the staff will start to feel tired/down.  When that happens, to lift everyone’s spirits I will request for a slightly weird adlib from Yoseob (laughs).
Dongwoon:  When Yoseobie hyung goes into the recording booth, the other members will be outside. It’s a situation where only Yoseobie hyung is unaware of anything and for several times, he keeps telling Junhyungie hyung「I’ll do it one more time~」. Us who are outside the studio witnessing it burst into laughter.
Junhyung: I’ve saved that data preciously. When the opportunity arises, I will reveal it to everyone, please anticipate till that day comes (laughs).
─ During a comeback, it’s definite that a close-up will happen on “the things that have changed”. There’s such stuff but as a group are there things like “We do not want to change  this, we want to protect this”?
Kikwang: The thing that I hope will not change, because I’m a singer, is when I go up on stage, I want to always look good/cool and I’m always working hard with that mindset. Because of that, the members don’t neglect their individual efforts too. I think that if you’re working hard, you can constantly come out looking good/cool.  It’s not like that for everything but out of everything I think the most important is singing. Next is performance.  There’s also a considerable amount of attention for dancing.
Doojoon: I agree with Kikwang’s words 100%! All the members are like that too. Between the members, we speak of this often.
Yoseob: 「Since we want to do this for the next album, we need to prepare like this」we’re always saying things like that so the atmosphere builds up.
─ Finally, an original Japanese single will be released!
Junhyung: Please anticipate the detailed announcement later(laughs). I’m certain it will be a song that will not betray your anticipation. Please trust in it.
Dongwoon: Everyone is curious, right.
Doojoon: Because we’ve been promotion in Korea for a while, as compared to our first album in Korea, we’re more accustomed to it and there’s more strength. In addition, every member personally polished themselves up through various forms. For example, Yoseob has picked up boxing!
Yoseob: I’ve liked martial arts originally so I wanted to challenge it but people surrounding me said 「It’s hard, don’t do it」and opposed greatly to it…  In the end I picked up boxing.
─ Not long ago, due to boxing, Yoseob released a picture of your muscular body and received attention.
Yoseob: Ah, I’m embarrassed(laughs).
─ Doojoon too definitely did boxing together right.
Doojoon: Lately I’ve been busy so I haven’t been able to go to practice. It’s not because it’s scary and I didn’t want to go, it’s because I’m busy (laughs)
Kikwang Oh? It seems like Yoseob is busier than Doojoon, though? (laughs)

─ Previously, when speaking aboutin charge of BEAST’s revealing/stripping, it was Kikwang….
Kikwang:  Oh, wait a minute! Since when I was in charge of it? (laughs)

─ From the influence of Yoseob’s muscular body, is there any member who perhaps is thinking of starting to take care of your boy (into muscular type) as well?
Hyunseung:  It’s something that cannot be done!
Doojoon:  I want them but I can’t do it, hahaha. Firstly, exercising regularly is not something that is easy to achieve. It’s definitely hard for me (laughs).
Junhyung:  When I see Yoseob’s and Kikwang’s muscles, of course I think that it’s cool.  But it’s just that, nothing more, nothing less. Just that, thinking that it’s cool.
─ For Yoseob and Kikwang, when you see your own muscles, what do you think?
Yoseob: 「Ah ah, I’m tired~」(laughs). Once you’ve built it up just once, the expectations of your surrounding rises so no matter where you go, you’re expected to show them off  (laughs). So it’s not something I can stop now. Everyday continuously working out is hard. Really really hard. Even so, you still need to maintain it!
Kikwang:  Completely agree! I also can’t stop exercising (laughs).
Yoseob:  In the past, in Korea「muscular men are the idea of romance」. Anyway, for men, muscles are important. If it’s not erupting, it won’t do. But lately, it’s changed a little. Even though it’s muscles, a beautiful balance is important.
Doojoon:  As expected, it’s too much for me (laughs).
─ So everyone, lately is there anything you did to upgrade yourself personally?
Doojoon:  Not long ago, I changed my cell phone. Truthfully, I’m a ‘latest technology’ mania. When a new model for a phone comes out, I’ll change it.
Kikwang:  I think I upgraded my soccer skills.  I belong to the celebrity soccer team and sometimes I take part in the matches. Compared to before, I think I have more skills. The people around me also said 「you have skills」 and hearing that makes me extremely happy.
Yoseob:  For me, I upgraded my boxing shoes. I received it as a present and when I tried it, it was all soft, I really like it! It’s like feather and its light and above it all there’s a zipper. After tying the shoelaces, you clasp it at the zipper, it’s that kind of design so even when you jump it doesn’t trip you, it’s the best!
Doojoon: When he starts talking about boxing, there’s no stop (laughs). Yoseob, while you’re at it, tell us your boxing goals too!
Yoseob:  To not be hit by Doojoon! To be able to avoid even when he hits me (laughs).
Junhyung:  I upgraded my drinking lately (laughs). Lately I like whiskey.  If the friend I’m drinking with curls up first, I think 「I won」(laughs).
Dongwoon:  I think I became strong mentally. In the past, even if things were a little hard, I’ll get bothered but now I’m not because I believe I can get over it. No matter what problems form up, with a good sense/meaning I’ll soon forget it.
─ If you could upgrade something about your members?
Junhyung:  Kikwang’s humor sense! It’ll be good if he could upgrade it just a little more. His gags are so chilly, it’s not funny (laughs).
(※ At this time, Kikwang was having his solo photo shoot session so he wasn’t at the interview session)
Yoseob:  Junhyung,  please say this properly to Kikwang when he’s here in front of your eyes (laughs).
Dongwoon:  I think more than Kikwang hyung, Doojoon hyung’s humor sense is the problem. Previously it was funnier but now ever since he had drama filming, it has gotten worst.
Doojoon:  No, Kikwang is the one who has the problem, more than I do. Conversely, in the group the one with the most humor sense is Dongwoon. Even when I see him, I learn from him and I’ll work hard.
Dongwoon:  I wish Kikwang hyung would upgrade his selca skills a little. He’s really bad at it (laughs). He will send me 5-6 photos and ask 「I’m going to upload on Twitter,  which is nice?」. And I will say 「This and this, if you retouch it, it’ll probably look good」as an advice.
Doojoon:  I will say something to Yoseob-goon. I hope for an upgrade in human nature! I hope you don’t hit me any more than this. I’m so tired of it my patience is at its limit (laughs).
Yoseob:  Doojoon, you violated the rule of lying during an interview (laughs). Um, a member I’d like to upgrade? Dongwoon is a really good friend. If you need the need to upgrade yourself,  notice it yourself, because he’s a friend who works hard, I hope he continues in that state of always trying hard.
─ How about love/relationship? Was there any upgrade from before?
Junhyung:  For this, I don’t know if it’s possible to upgrade or how to, but I think I’m more discreet than I was before.  This could apply to things outside of love too but (in) growing up, (it makes me) think about something properly first before acting on it.
Yoseob:  When mentioned about love, it’s a little hard. Of course I’ve never properly dated in the past but the idea of meeting someone itself now is so hard and I’ve come to realize how precious that is.
Dongwoon:  When I was a student, I had a girlfriend but I had no money so that was a huge problem, but now, I have money to spend on a girlfriend but I don’t have one. This is a dilemma.
─ The song to be released Japanese single is a song coupling with Junichi Inagaki’s 「クリスマスキャロルの頃には」. What were your thoughts in listening to the original song?
Junhyung: It’s an extremely unique song.  To make it in BEAST’s style, how to re-arrange the song, it was a serious problem.  The goal was to save the original song’s atmosphere as much as possible but to still finish it in a way that fit today’s era.  I’m already curious about the thoughts of the people who hear it.
─ There is less than a month left to Christmas, what is everyone’s ideal Christmas?
Kikwang: I want to experience a warm Christmas in a warm/tropical country like Thailand.
Junhyung:  I want to spend a wonderful Christmas with my friends at a place where people crowd. But obviously this year I’ll be working too so it’ll just be an empty dream (laughs).
Dongwoon:   When I was young, my parents or my school teacher would dress up as Santa and give out gifts. Back then I truly believed that Santa existed so I didn’t know about the make up/dress up. Now that I’ve grown up, I hope someone would dress up as Santa and appear in front of me. Lately I feel like my purity is lacking….
Junhyung:  So cute (laughs).
Yoseob:  When the snow falls on Christmas, it’s romantic.  It’s a dream to spend Christmas with family and friends in a meadow that’s filled with snow. It’s identical to a scene from a movie, it’s cool right?
Hyunseung:  I want to rent a large room somewhere and spend it talking with colleagues. But hearing what Yoseob said, spending it romantically doesn’t seem like a bad idea.
Kikwang:  Even though we speak of our dream-like Christmas, reality is we’ll spend it with the members  (laughs).
Yoseob:  Spending Christmas with the members, there is something like that (that we wish for) for us: There’s nothing at all, nothing scheduled (laughs)
Dongwoon:  Even if we had schedules, it’ll be joyous~.  More than that, it’s lessons that are tougher. Actually, towards the end of the year because of things like Gayo Daesang we receive a lot of lessons.
Doojoon:  Nah, it’s joyous even during lessons. What’s harder is Christmas 2 years back when the six of us gathered to watch a Christmas movie and cried.
Yoseob:  Ah~ That was hard. Crying in the dorm near Konkuk (laughs)
─ These days, the members are faithfully promoting on your own. Please tell us what you’d like to challenge next.
Yoseob:  For now, expectedly it’s boxing! I’ll enter a competition and have my eye on the gold medal!
Kikwang:  I went to watch a musical JYJ Junsu was in. During curtain call, everyone in  the audience stood up for a standing ovation and as I saw that and clapped, I had goose bumps.  At that moment, what all of the actors were actually feeling, I want to try that.
Hyunseung:  I have an interest in acting. I want to try a character that absolutely does not listen to anyone else.  Don’t you think it’ll be fun if I acted?  But not as a main job, I think there’s too many eyes surrounding that pays attention to it. But I think it’s not a job that is as simple as you think it would be.
Dongwoon:  For me, I want to try being either on an eating show/broadcast or a show that themes on travelling worldwide. Walking backpack in Southeast Asia, I like that.
Doojoon:  Like Dongwoon, I’d like to try being on a show that goes travelling.
Yoseob:  There, there’s that Junhyung fishing show right? (laughs)
Junhyung:  That’s right! Not just broadcast but it’s my dream to be on the cover of 『Fishing News』holding a fish I caught in my hand (laughs).
─ Your goals as a group?
Dongwoon:  If it’s a dream in Japan, it’s definitely Dome tour.
Doojoon:  With many people filling up Dome, I want to create the best stage.
Kikwang:  Japan, Korea, doesn’t matter where, I want to experience many performances
Junhyung:  That’s right! That is the biggest goal for us.
Hyunseung:  I want to spend a good time with the members for a long time.
Yoseob:  Our theme is to happily challenge any work we do.
Kikwang:  When people hear BEAST, 「They have the skills, they look happy, they’re cool, and they’re professional singers」For people to have that thought, we’ll work hard.
Doojoon:  This is us but next year too we ask for your continuous support!
We had an interview with BEAST when it was about one year since they debuted and, the way they would nod their heads and agree 「yes, yes」 while listening to the other members’ answers left a deep impression on me. I felt that you guys were close and even seeing you after a long time has passed, that feeling hasn’t changed. It became quiet in the middle so I was wondering, are they sleeping? So I checked everyone’s faces but they weren’t sleeping, instead they were listening to each other intently. This deep relationship, the unshaken trust between the members, these are the things that BEAST needs to protect. Also, because of this trust, they’re not afraid of any changes, and they will continue to evolve.
Credit: a8sun  (SOURCE), @KongKongXD (JP-KR), @yongjunna (KR-EN).
Completed with help from @yongjunim

[INT] 131122 SMART MAGAZINE INTERVIEW





CHECK! BEAST’s Q&A that tells you about their fashion and their honest sides
As a group as well as individually, with their multi talents and personalities, they are widely active -BEAST.
From the fashion item they’re interested in, to their motto, an individual questionnaire!
Q. Fashion item that you’ve been liking lately?
Doojoon: Clothes, Coat.
Hyunseung:  Lately I like shoes, leather pants. If you wear the right kind of pants, regardless of what you wear above, it will look good. Rather than the clothes, I think pants are the most important.
Junhyung: Watches. Men watches.
Yoseob: Jacket!!
Kikwang: Leather fabric clothes. It’s really cool-looking and it’s warm.
Dongwoon: Sunglasses. Because you can hide your no-makeup face.
Q. A fashion item that you’d like to buy now?
Doojoon: Coat.
Hyunseung: None. If I really have to choose, sunglasses. I don’t usually match well/fit sunglasses but lately I’ve been wanting to use it.
Kikwang: Earrings, watch.
Dongwoon: Shoes
Q. When coordinating, something you pay attention to?
Doojoon: The unity of colors.
Hyunseung:  Doing it naturally is the most important, I think. Clothes that matches you.
Junhyung: Nothing excessive.
Yoseob: Harmonious balance.
Kikwang: Overall feel.
Q. Brand(s) that you like?
Doojoon: Givenchy, Balenciaga.
Hyunseung: Saint Laurent, Acne, Alexander Wang, Balenciaga, H&M.
Junhyung: I don’t have much concern towards brand as long as they look good.
Yoseob: Nike, Adidas, many street brands.
Kikwang: Givenchy, Chrome Hearts, Balmain, for street brands… There’s a lot.
Dongwoon: Givenchy.
Q. Something you must have in your bag?
Doojoon: Notebook, handphone.
Hyunseung: Wallet!
Junhyung: Handphone, earphones, wallet.
Yoseob: Card!!
Kikwang: Earphones.
Dongwoon: Earphones.
Q. Who do you think is the sharpest dresser out of all the members?
Doojoon: Junhyung. He knows the trend well.
Hyunseung: Kikwang. He naturally digests it. He doesn’t try too hard, he chooses things that suit him well. Because he works out, when he puts on the outfits, the line is good.
Junhyung: Dongwoon. He’s tall and he looks like a Westerner.
Yoseob: Junhyung. No matter what he wears, it suits him.
Kikwang: Junhyung. He coordinates his outfits well.
Dongwoon: Junhyung. He has sense when it comes to things like accessories so he does well.
Q. Please tell us your favorite cologne.
Doojoon: KENZO.
Hyunseung: It’s a secret~! I’m sorry. The scent belonging to only that person is important….
Junhyung: None.
Yoseob: I don’t like cologne!
Kikwang: Givenchy.
Dongwoon: Balmain cologne.
Q. What do you want the most now?
Doojoon: A break.
Junhyung: A great car.
Yoseob: A break!! Sleep!!
Dongwoon: Being able to meet my friends.
Q. Something you’re hooked onto lately?
Hyunseung: I’ve been hooked onto darts!
Junhyung: Fishing.
Yoseob: Boxing!!
Kikwang: Soccer, learning how to compose/produce.
Dongwoon: Building/properties??
Q. What do you do during your day off?
Doojoon: Game, soccer.
Hyunseung: Really rest, or meet my friends and talk.
Junhyung: Work (composing/producing).
Yoseob: Boxing!!
Kikwang: Watch TV, watch movies, work out.
Dongwoon: I don’t go out. I play games and sleep.
Q. Please tell us your motto.
Doojoon: Be strong and bold.
Hyunseung: Be natural!
Junhyung: Work hard, play hard.
Yoseob: The victory in ring is decided outside the ring.
Kikwang: Always happily, do your best! There is nothing (no work) that requires you to give up!
Dongwoon: It is the darkest before the sun rises up.
Credit: @sua (SOURCE), @KongKongXD (JP-KR), @yongjunna (KR-EN)

Saturday, December 21, 2013

13.12.20 SBS Gayo Daejun reveals first performers list


2013 SBS Gayo Daejun reveals the first performers list on 20th December. 

Performers for this year Gayo Daejun include Lee Seung Chul, JYP, Lee Hyori, Dynamic Duo, Baechigi、Brown Eyed Girls、G-Dragon、Taeyang、K.Will、KARA、Girls' Generation、SHINee、2PM、2NE1、f(x)、4minute、Secret、BEAST、Rainbow、CNBLUE、ZE:A、miss A、Girl’s Day、Nine Muses、Apink、EXO and etc。 

Some special performances which have been revealed include Lee Seung Chul's collaboration with Idol groups' vocal line, Lee Hyori and CL's collaboration and etc. 

2013 SBS Gayo Daejun will air on 29th December at 8.45pm KST.


cr: dkpopnews 

Thursday, December 19, 2013

13.12.18 Music Bank to hold a year-end special show


Music Bank year-end will be broadcast on December 20th. The show will present many special performances with the awesome line-up: SHINee, EXO, B2ST, Infinite, 2PM, Miss A, Sistar, IU, KARA, VIXX, Ailee, K.Will, Dynamic Duo, 4Minute, Crayon Pop, Apink, Girl's Day, Nine Muses, M.I.B, AOA...

And there will be special collaboration stages, let's have a sneak peak:



*Romantic Christmas: 2PM Woo Young - Miss A Suzy, IU - B2ST Kikwang


Woo Young, Suzy, IU, Kikwang will gather and have a special performance. The theme will revolve around love stories and its romantic Christmas atmosphere.

* Lovely Christmas: VIXX, Girl's Day


2013 Rising stars VIXX and Girl's Day will stand on the same stage and turn into sexy couples, presenting thrilling performances. Girl's Day will also transform into lovely Noel Girls and show their cute charms

*Merry Christmas: Capture your ears and eyes from begining to end

MCs of the show Park Seo Jun and Sistar's Bora will present a youthful idol couple, beside Kingston Rudieska band and Dynamic Duo will heat up the stage with their performances

This special episode will be broadcast on December 20th at 6pm kst. Don't miss it!

cr: dkpopnews