28 | August | 2012 | BTOB UPDATES

1. BTOB

Cube Entertainment’s new group BTOB, short for “Born To Beat”, surpassed everyone’s expectations with its debut. In competition with an avalanche of other skilled K-POPidol groups, BTOB made their first international mark when they were selected to headline the Korean music showcase at Asia’s biggest music conference, “Music Matters Live 2012,” in Singapore alongside a veteran group of K-Pop’s biggest names, including hip-hop couple Tiger JK and Yoon Mirae. With the support of Korea Creative Content Agency and the Ministry of Culture, BTOB heated up the stage at Clarke Quay in Singapore with their powerful performance and vocal skills on May 24. The group confirmed their rising popularity during their first live showcase at Bugis Junction when they garnered thousands of fans without the help of any previous promotional activities in Singapore. The boys continue to perform with management group seniors and label mates BEAST, 4Minute and G.Na for “Cube United.”

2. EXO

SM Entertainment knows a thing or two about placing their artists at the forefront of the global music market. With a to-die-for K-pop performing artist lineup including TVXQ, Girls’ Generation, Super Junior and Shinee, the publically traded music/entertainment conglomerate debuted brother groups EXO-K and EXO-M simultaneously in Korea and China. SM planned to simultaneouslyconquer two of Asia’s most avid music markets with EXO-K concentrating on promotions in Korea, while EXO-M takes on the China market. The twin groups’ popularity is growing fast, having surpassed 10 million in album sales with their debut effort, “MAMA.”Other notable achievements of the boys include hitting number eight on the Billboard World Albums Chart and hitting number two on China’s Sina Album Chart.

3. D-UNIT

YMGA’s DM, produced his first idol female group D-UNIT. Eschewing rocking cutesy outfits, the girls mesmerize fans and casual music listeners alike with their in-your-face, hip-hop style. Member Ram is a younger sister to T-ara’sBoram and Yoojin was a trainee at YG Entertainment for nearly two years and boasts exceptional singing skills. The nine-track, LP album, “Welcome To Business,” which was released on August 2, proves they’re not your typical K-POP girl dance group. Their title track, “I’m Missing You,” is a collaborative effort with DM and KUSH, the latter being best known as the mastermind behind BIGBANG & 2NE1’s biggesthits.Ram also contributed her composing skills in four tracks: “Crush,” “Sleep Late,” “Anniversary,” and “Before The Weekend Comes.”

4. JJ Project

JYP Entertainment, home to an ever-expanding roster of artists, including Wonder Girls, 2PM, miss A, 2AM, and G.O.D., debuted their new male duo, JJ Project. The duo was formed with the objective of becoming the modern day Deux. Deux was a massively popular, first generation K-Pop group and contemporaries ofSeotaiji and Boys in the 90s. The duo released their debut effort, “Bounce,” on May 20 which was composed and penned by the renowned J.Y. Park. It is a unique mix of hip-hop, rock, and electronica coined “Hip-Rock-Tronica.”

5.MYNAME

One of Japan’s oldest and most influential music and entertainment conglomerate, Yoshimoto Kogyo, signed their first K-Pop artists, MYNAME, to their label for good reason. The group was assembled by former Fly to the Sky member Hwan Hee under his management company, H2 Media. MYNAME has shown the skill and versatility to work with various genres of music that far outpaces the boys’ experience. The group debuted in Japan with “Message,” and blew by some of the biggest K-Pop names on Tower Records’ K-Pop Hit Chart, ranking No.1 immediately upon release.

6. B1A4

B1A4 was special since the beginning even in the way the boys were first introduced to the internationalfan base casted as cartoon characters. The group released its first EP album titled, “Let’s Fly,” in April, 2011, and has released five more mini albums since that time. The leader Jinyoung composed and scripted “Baby I’m Sorry,” which was their first title track from their first LP “IGNITION.” The group was named rookie of the year last year by various Korean media outlets giving credence to their rapid rise to fame.

7. A Pink

Seven-member girl group A-Pink was selected as the “Top Rookie Group To Lead 2012” by a music program poll last year. The group emphasizes lively and cute charms and targets age groups from 10 to 50. The “A” stands for “best,”while “Pink” stands for “girlishness.” A-Pink is a label mate to Billboard K-Pop Hot 100 chart-topper Huh Gak at A Cube Entertainment. The girls pocketed this year’s “Special Newcomer Award” at the Asian Model Awards and “Rookie of the Year” award at the Seoul Music Awards.

8. A-JAX

DSP Media’s rookie boy group A-JAX has been tagged as the next generation of K-Pop to lead the “Korean Wave.” DSP Media has produced top artists such as Kara, SechsKies, Click B, and SS501. Their latest hit, “ONE 4U,” a visual-pop genre that mixes European baroque metal’s intensity with dance performances. The song grabbed lots of attention for its over-the-top music video. The agency says they spent $42,000 dollars just on the CG production for A-JAX’s debut music video. In the video, the boys transcend time and space, while displaying their masculinity. On August 9, the boys dazzled the stage of Japan’s biggest music festival“A-NATION.”

9. BOYFRIEND

SISTAR’s label mate BOYFRIEND is already a sensation in Japan. The group was created to target the core Japanese market that eats up highly talented, fresh-faced boy bands. Members and twin brothers Youngmin and Kwangmin created a buzz even before their debut as child actors in TV commercials. Ahead of the group’s official debut, the group held a showcase event at the Budokan in Japan on June 30, which pulled in a total of 40,000 attendees in four days. The group officially debuted in Japan on August 22, after signing with BING Entertainment, and plans to tackle the industry with large-scale projects and promotional activities.

10.VIXX

Jelly Fish Entertainment’s first idol group, VIXX presented its second single, “Rock Ur Body,” produced by the hit-maker Shinsadong Tiger. Jelly Fish houses such famous artists as Park Hyo Shin, Sung Shi Kyung, SeoIn Gook, and Brian.Member Ravi flaunted his scripting skills on the group’s track “UUUUU.”VIXX debuted with “Super Hero” on May 24 and became the first K-pop group invited to “OTAKON,” an Asian animation cultural event held in Baltimore, America. In 2010, X-JAPAN’s Yoshiki and Sugizo were invited to the event where, the following year, Chemistry performed.

Credit: billboard.co.kr

via: lolli