I will be using examples from Kpop groups, as this is related to popular culture in Korea. If you don't know Kpop groups, feel free to argue for/against with groups from other countries.
2pm:
- most popular members. Taecyeon, Nickhyun (visual)
- Reason they were recruited: Taec originally came as a model. Nickhyun was recruited at a kpop concert he went to in LA.
- Main vocalists: Junsu, Junho.
SNSD (Girl's Generation):
- most popular member: Yoona (visual)
- Part in SNSD: she rarely sings, does many CFs by herself
- Lead singer: Taeyeon.
Shinee:
- most popular member: Minho? Taemin?
- Lead singer: Jonghyun
Super Junior:
- most popular member(s): Siwon (visual)
- Lead singer: Yesung
T-ara:
- most popular:Hyomin, Eunjung
- Lead singer: Soyeon
Secret:
- most popular: Sunhwa (visual)
- Lead singer: Jieun, Hyo Sung
After School:
- Most popular: UEE (visual), Gahi
- Lead singer: Raina
Wonder Girls:
- Most popular: So Hee (visual)
- Lead singer: Sun Ye, Ye Eun
Beast:
- Most popular: Gi Kwang (visual), Yoon Do Joon
- Lead singer: Yoseob
2NE1:
- Most popular: Sandara Park (visual)
- Lead singer: Park Bom
f(x):
- Most popular: Sulli, (Victoria?)
- Lead singer: Luna
What is my argument? That physical appearance matters a great deal more than singing ability for idols. This is not the case for all groups, and there are other talents that the other members have... but I'm going to make the argument that the thing that they "have" that makes them popular, is their physical appearance. This is my overall perception when looking at groups nowadays, particular to Kpop culture. There is typically one person in the group who can sing well. The rest, it's your opinion. There are definitely exceptions, but overall, there is almost always one "good singer" and one "attractive idol". I think there is a difference.
I included a clip of SNSD on a variety show called Happy Together and the reason why I added it is because I'm going to talk about variety shows in my next blog post (hopefully) and the importance of them for idols... and why this plays into the physical appearance aspect. Hopefully.
So what are your thoughts on physical appearance in Kpop culture? Is it the only facet? some of the above mentioned have talents, like Gahee and dance, for example. Did I make a gross generalization? Why is physical appearance important? What role does physical appearance play in American music culture? What does this mean for those who want to be singers vs. an idol? Let me challenge you another way: what role does physical appearance and race make a difference? Is this an aspect of physical appearance or purely racial? Does this apply to American music, as there is less "groups" than in Kpop?
I'll say yes the physical appearance does matter a great deal to idol in creating the popular wave but that is not necessary be the only important point in reasons why the group is being popular.
ReplyDeleteMost fans will at first, like the group because of physical appearance since that is the first thing that we can see and judge people with but this type of fandom is easily swayed cause as time goes by, a person with greater physical appearance will come out. So from my observation, the physical appearance would be the gate for the group to gain the recognition they need in the industry thus leading the other member to be recognize as well. This means that the member with great talent will get the fame they deserve eventually and normally, in fandom, the talent people is the one that ensure the popularity of the group maintain or go higher as fame comes from physical appearance alone can be easily crushed with rumors and scandals.
For me, I usually go for the overall appearance, as long they are physically healthy and can sing. However, some celebrities in kpop may have the looks but don't have the voice, or just below average in singing but have that physical appearance that makes them standout in their own. Physical appearance plays a big role because of physical attraction where both opposite sex or the same sex attract people. For example, when I watched at SNSD in variety show, they are very attractive women, they have looks and voice. But by looking at them individually, for instance, Taeyeon has a very powerful voice but for Yoona, she is just a pretty face with an ok vocal. Same thing goes with Uee and Kahi (Gahi). Kahi, powerful dancer and Uee, just a pretty face and with her honey thigh which I don't see in her. So the physical appearance is way of expressing of a person and that expressing can show sexiness, cuteness, pureness, boldness, shyness, their charismatic is what bring them out. Race doesn't make much of difference however, having body languages show different signs or expressing their appearance as of playing their role in their culture. I think physical appearance also apply in American music. But it seems to me that American group, there are less group in Kpop. Kpop are becoming more and more popular with their physical appearance. All we can do is stare at them and go "WOW..they're good."
ReplyDeleteI think physical appearnaces do matter for celebs and it could be beneficial factors in their carriers. however, unlike American singers I think Kpop singers, especially those groups that are called 'idols' put maybe too much attention on their appearances. I do not doubt that they try hard on their singing skills, however seeing idols on variety shows more than seeing them singing makes me think that maybe once they become famous their singing skills do not matter much. I think idols' dancing skills, their clothes on stage, basically their apperances on tv is what impress me more than their singing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your posts~!
ReplyDeleteNurul: What would you say to those who perhaps don't have the physical appearance? For example, people talked about 2ne1 that they were not a typically attractive group, but they have explosive popularity (sorry I'm biased, I loved 2ne1 and I think they are all beautiful), but that perhaps a marketing strategy was to add someone like Dara to increase the "visual" aspect of the group? If the visual makes them popular first, and then the singing talent come second, is this "right"? "wrong"? Do you think that those with the talent get as much popularity as the visual? Thanks :)
Lisa: Do you think that SNSD without having 9 attractive girls would have worked? Or even without Taeyeon they would have worked? There is Nine Muses, who apparently started off as models and then transferred to the music industry. What is the expectation for singers? Physical appearance is a way of expressing, I agree, like you said, but is it appropriate for singers to use it to express themselves over their voices?
Does race not play a factor in American music? How many Asian American artists are in the mainstream? Is that because of lack of talent? Should the expectation be that they are attractive and then surprise if they also have the voice? Thanks :)
KJ: Good to add about the variety shows. I'll post on that next, so please comment on that as well. Do you think variety shows are important as well? Why do you think the emphasis is on physical appearance and not singing? Do they try hard on their singing skills, or do they focus on variety skills and dancing and acting and CFs and other facets of the industry? Is that a bad thing, for idols (which for me = entertainers not singers) to be well-rounded?
Note: My comment has to be split into two parts since I went over the limit of characters per comment. I apologize for the inconvenience. -.-"
ReplyDeleteI've always been a believer that physical appearance has more value than singing ability when it comes to idol groups in K-Pop. Most of the popular members of idol groups, as Joyce has pointed out, aren't the ones with the best vocals, but rather the prettiest ones or the ones with the most interesting personalities. If the idol happens to have both, which I think is rare especially in the newer idol groups, then whatever company the idol is in is lucky.
Personally, I also think singing should be more important than physical appearance (since I'm also a singer) but sadly, it's not the case for most idol groups. Idol groups nowadays are really more entertainers than singers, especially since dancing and variety show skills are emphasized in order to be successful in today's market.
One of the MANY case examples I can give to support this argument is the girl group 2NE1, which Joyce mentions in the entry. The group consists of four members: CL, Minzy, Bom and Dara. Each member has something that contributes to the musical success of the group...except for Dara. She is the visual of the group, but does she do anything significant when it comes to the group's music? I don't think so. While CL serves the role of fierce leader, rapper and (at times) lyricist of the group, Minzy serves as a supporting singer and best dancer of the group, and Bom serves as the lead singer. However, what does Dara have to offer? She's not great at singing by any means, nor is she an exceptional dancer. Her only redeeming qualities are her physical appearance and her "loveable" personality (which to me is arguable). Even back in the Philippines where she was a celebrity before entering YG Entertainment, she wasn't known for her singing abilities; instead, she became extremely popular for her cute personality and pretty face.
Many idol groups have also recently been relying more on sexual appeal to attract more fans.Male idol groups, specifically, have been emphasizing six-packs or "chocolate abs" to attract female audience. Group 2PM, especially member Taecyeon, is known to strip their upper clothing during performances, further emphasizing the need for idols to appeal with physical appearance. Here is an example of a 2PM performance.
One group that is praised by netizens for having both good physical appearance and performance ability is Dong Bang Shin Ki (DBSK). The group, consists of 5 members: U-Know Yunho, Youngwoong Jaejoong, Choikang Changmin, Micky Yoochun and Xiah Junsu. Breaking the Guiness Book of World Records for number of registered fans, DBSK has captivated K-Pop fans, not only in Korea, but also in Japan and other Asian countries with their good looks and synchronized live performances. Known for being able to do acapella performances of their songs, DBSK, in a way, sets a standard for other K-Pop groups. Here are examples of DBSK's live performances. Example 1 and Example 2
One aspect of this issue that I find fascinating is the reaction of netizens when it comes to the singing abilities of idols. However important physical appearance is, netizens are still critical of idols' performing abilities, especially during live performances. Netizens are known to post "MR versions" of idol performances in order to get a better idea of how idols are performing live. "MR performances" literally mean "music-removed performances," meaning that the background music, through the use of a computer program, is removed from live performances done by idols. Netizens scrutinize artists who perform badly or lipsync in performances, especially those who have intensive dancing included in routines, causing more pressure on idols to have better performances. Here is an example of an MR performance along with the original song for those who want to compare. I find it ironic that while fans put high value on physical appearances, performance ability is also observed, almost as if demanding perfection from idols.
ReplyDeleteHowever, while the visuals of idol groups get to have the spotlight when it comes to variety shows, the better singers of the groups do get more opportunities to sing in OSTs or sometimes even participate in musicals. Xiah Junsu of male group DBSK/JYJ had participated in the Korean version of the musical Mozart and is most recently acting in the musical Tears of Heaven. Luna, lead singer in girl group f(x), also recently landed the role of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde the Musical. In short, singers of idols groups still have avenues available to them to showcase their talents, just not necessarily in the spotlight.
As we have talked about in class, the music industry is not about making music. That is one (I would argue) small facet of the idol groups. The trainees are invested in at a young age, not just to sing, but also to dance, act, work on variety skills, ect. Perhaps that is another issue altogether, but idols are no longer required to even know how to sing. In fact, Kwanghee openly admits that he is a terrible singer and dancer. But yet, he is probably the most recognizable in his idol group.
ReplyDeleteThough YG claims that it does not only look at looks, which is why Daesung says that he even applied to YG in the first place. Of course, Big Mama debuted on their voices, not on looks. So where does Dara come into play? Does YG really not care about looks like they claim? And even if it is so, do they have to conform to the norms of the entertainment industry. Would 2ne1 have made it as far without a visual, in this industry where idols do need the face?
I agree, more and more, the focus is on debuting and not on the singing aspect. Is it unfair for netizens to expect good singing from a "singer"? Also, think of this in relation to physical appearance - when idols gain or lose weight.
Lastly, I agree with the OSTs and musicals aspect, however, is this the best way for them to showcase their vocal ability? And is it fair for those who are actually training to be musical theater performers? I think the problem isn't that they can't find venues to showcase their talent, but are those venues appropriate?