July 7th, 2010
Best Music Idols: Welcome to China & Taiwan
Here are some famous people in China & Taiwan:
~Bang Bang Tang Lollipop
Lollipop is a Taiwanese Mandopop boyband signed under the label Gold Typhoon. The group consists of six members. Lollipop signed with EMI Capitol Taiwan on December 2, 2006 and released their first solo EP in January 2007. With Gold Label Records' acquisition of EMI Music Taiwan, Lollipop is now signed under the label Gold Typhoon. They currently live together in an apartment rented to them by BBT show host Fan Fan in Taipei, having moved several times since their debut. Under company regulations, they are not allowed to have guests or entertain the fans that sometimes gather outside their apartment. On occasion their neighbors had to seek the police's help in dispersing the fans
Video of Choice:
~5566
5566 is a Taiwanese boy band, part of J-Star. Their name is derived from their original five members (Zax Wang, Jason Hsu, Sam Wang, Rio Peng, and band leader Tony Sun), working in six entertainment fields (singing, movies and dramas, hosting, modelling, commercials, and dancing).
Video of Choice:
~F4
F4 is a popular Taiwanese boy band. The group began in the Taiwanese drama Meteor Garden as F4 with members Jerry Yan, Vanness Wu, Ken Chu, and Vic Chou. They have also attained popularity in other part of Asia, such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea and in the Philippines.
Video of Choice:
~Energy
Energy is a Taiwanese pop rock boy band formed in 2002. The original band consisted of five members, namely Milk, Ady, Toro, Penny and Joe. Toro and Milk left the band in 2003 and 2005 respectively. Xiao Gang joined the band in mid 2007. The band is now officially disbanded since 2009.
Video of Choice:
~Hit-5
For info on Hit-5 (Really hard to find!), go to this link:
Hot Boy Band: Hit-5
Video of Choice:
~Choc 7
Choc7 (超克7, Chao Ke Qi) is a Taiwanese boyband group led by Ah Ben and is the second spin-off group of the Taiwanese variety show Mo Fan Bang Bang Tang (模范棒棒堂). Prior to the creation of Choc7, two groups were formed, Knights of Princess and Elite of Otaku, which battled each other in order to win the available spots in the new to-be-formed group. Eventually, 3 members were eliminated, and 7 were able to advance. The new group name, Choc7 was released in May 2009, a short while before their first EP - Tai Qing Chun was released. The EP contains 3 songs. The first song,Tai Qing Chun was written by their seniors, Lollipop. The second song, Wo Tai Ben was written by Mao Di's older brother, Wang Zi. Lastly, the third song Deng Shen Me was written by Wei Yu.
Video of Choice:
~Top Combine
Top Combine is a Mandopop boy band. The group consists of the members Bird Zhang, Caesar Li, Mars Ma, Kenny Liu, and Tanas Kim. All were professionally trained in singing, dancing, modeling, and language. With the exception of Kim, the other four members of Top Combine were all 2007 contestants from China's top singing competition Super Boy (快乐男声), the male counterpart of Super Girl (超级女声). They debuted in October 2008 with a performance of their first single, "Arrival" (降临).
Video of Choice:
~Tension
Tension is a Taiwanese R&B/Pop/A cappella group that consists of 5 members, signed by record label, EMI Taiwan.
Video of Choice:
~A-One
A-One is a mandopop group created in 2008 under the label Hong Kong Kiss-star entertainment Beijing company (香港Kiss Star娱乐北京有限公司).
Video of Choice:
~The Flowers
The Flowers were a pop rock and mandopop boy band formed in Beijing in 1998. The group consisted of four members: Dà Zhāng Wěi (lead vocals, guitar) Shí Xǐngyŭ (guitar), Guō Yáng (bass guitar), and Wáng Wénbó (drums, percussion). They have since recorded and released six albums, the most recent on September 29, 2007.
Video of Choice:
~Anson Hu
Anson Hu (born 4 July 1983) is a male Chinese pop singer and dancer.
Video of Choice:
~Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit (traditional Chinese: 飛輪海; Fēi Lún Hǎi) is a Taiwanese boy band that has achieved success in the last five years in Asia and even in Western countries. The group consists of four members: Aaron Yan, Wu Chun, Calvin Chen, and Jiro Wang. They are managed by Jerry Fen's Comic Productions Co., Ltd. and records albums with HIM International Music. They are also managed by WOW Music in Hong Kong. Fahrenheit are often associated with their seniors, S.H.E.
Video of Choice:
~S.H.E
S.H.E is a Taiwanese girl group whose members are Selina Jen, Hebe Tien, and Ella Chen. The name of the group is an alphabetism derived from the first letter of each member's name.
Video of Choice:
~Joey Yung
Joey Yung Cho-Yee (born 16 June 1980) is a cantopop singer and actress from Hong Kong. She is an artist of the Emperor Entertainment Group. She won the "Most Popular Female Singer Award" at the year end Jade Solid Gold Awards in 2003 with the help of her hit, "My Pride" and won the same prize in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 thus emerging as one of the premier Cantonese singers in Hong Kong.
Video of Choice:
~Edison Chen
Edison Koon-Hei Chen is a Hong Kong-based Chinese Canadian film actor, rapper, Cantopop singer, model, record producer, fashion designer, and a pop icon. Chen is also the founder of CLOT Inc., and the CEO of Clot Media Division Limited. His native language is English, he is able to speak and sing Cantonese and Mandarin and also speaks conversational Japanese, which allows him to be a part of multiple entertainment industries around the world.
Video of Choice:
~Li Yuchun
Li Yuchun also known as Chris Lee is a Chinese pop singer and actress who achieved instant fame when she won the nationwide singing contest Super Girl in 2005. She is now working with Taihe Rye Music and released her first album The Queen and the Dream in September 2006. Her second album titled Mine was released in early November 2007, and her third album, Youth of China was released in May 2008. She made her film debut in the 2009 film Bodyguards and Assassins.
Video of Choice:
~Leehom Wang
Leehom Wang (born May 17, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor of Chinese ancestry.
Video of Choice:
Return to the club to visit another place! Also, if an artist you know is not listed, please leave me, MatsukenninoL, a comment on my profile. ^_^
Posted by MatsukenninoL | Jul 7, 2010 10:25 PM | 0 comments
Best Music Idols: Welcome to Japan
Here are some famous artists in Japan:
~Arashi
Arashi (嵐, literally Storm) is a Japanese boy band formed under the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates, which announced the formation of the group on September 15, 1999 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Video of Choice:
~L'Arc-en-Ciel
L'Arc-en-Ciel (ラルク アン シエル, Raruku an Shieru, "The Rainbow" in French), often styled as "L'Arc〜en〜Ciel", is a Japanese rock band that formed in 1991. The group has sold over 13 million albums, 16 million singles, and millions of other units, including videos. They were ranked at number 58 on a list of Top 100 Japanese pop musicians, provided by HMV Japan in 2003, and are among the most influential artists in the Japanese music scene.
Video of Choice:
~KAT-TUN
KAT-TUN is a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates (Johnny's) in 2001. The group's name is an acronym based on the first letter of each member's family name (Kazuya Kamenashi, Jin Akanishi, Junnosuke Taguchi, Koki Tanaka, Tatsuya Ueda, Yuichi Nakamaru).
Video of Choice:
~MUCC
Mucc (ムック, Mukku) is a Japanese rock band formed in 1997.
Video of Choice:
~AN' CAFE
An Cafe (or Antic Cafe) is a Japanese rock band formed in 2003 and signed to the independent label Loop Ash.
Video of Choice:
~The GazettE
Gazette (ガゼット) is a Japanese visual kei-based rock band formed early in 2002, currently signed to PS Company, King Records and CLJ Records.
Video of Choice:
~Dir en Grey
Dir en grey (ディル・アン・グレイ) is a Japanese metal band formed in 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div., a sub-division of Free-Will.
Video of Choice:
~Alice Nine
Alice Nine (アリス九號) is a Japanese visual kei rock band, formed in 2004 and originally signed to PS Company, a sub-division of Free-Will. As of 2007, the band is signed to both PS Company and King Records in Japan, as well as to German label CLJ Records in Europe
Video of Choice:
~Aya Hirano
Aya Hirano (平野 綾) born October 8, 1987 from Aichi Prefecture, Japan, is a seiyū and J-pop singer who has had roles in several anime, visual novels, and TV commercials in Japan. She is contracted to Space Craft Produce, a branch of Space Craft Group for her seiyū career. For her singing career, she is signed under Lantis.
Video of Choice:
~Ayumi Hamasaki
Ayumi Hamasaki (浜崎 あゆみ, also 浜崎歩) (born October 2, 1978) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and former actress. Also called Ayu by her fans, Hamasaki has been dubbed the "Empress of Pop" due to her popularity and widespread influence in Japan. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she moved to Tokyo at fourteen to pursue a career in entertainment. In 1998, under the tutelage of Avex CEO Max Matsuura, she released a string of modestly selling singles that concluded with her 1999 debut album A Song for XX. The album debuted atop the Oricon charts and stayed there for four weeks, establishing her popularity in Japan.
Video of Choice:
~Gackt
Gackt Camui (神威 楽斗) born July 4, 1973 is a Japanese musician. Usually referred to by his mononymous stage name (often stylized as GACKT), he is known as the former vocalist for the now-defunct band Malice Mizer and for his current career as a solo artist. Besides Japanese, he has performed in English, Korean, Cantonese, and Mandarin.
Video of Choice:
~Miyavi
Miyavi, birthname Takamasa Ishihara (石原貴雅), born on September 14, 1981) is a Japanese recording artist and entertainer. He was the guitarist for Dué le Quartz which was active from 1999 to 2002, and the guitarist for the supergroup S.K.I.N., which was active in 2007. Miyavi is active in the current visual kei and mainstream rock scene in Japan.
Video of Choice:
~Hey! Say! Jump
Hey! Say! JUMP is a J-pop group under Johnny & Associates, made up of ten members. Hey! Say! JUMP is considered an expansion of the original Hey! Say! 7. The name Hey! Say! refers to the fact that all the members were born in the Heisei period and JUMP is an acronym for Johnny's Ultra Music Power.
Video of Choice:
~Hikaru Utada
Utada Hikaru (宇多田 ヒカル) born January 19, 1983, known by her stage name Utada in America and Europe, and sometimes referred to as Hikki (ヒッキー) in Japan, is a Japanese-American singer, song writer, and producer; active in Japan.
Video of Choice:
~Kinki Kids
KinKi Kids (キンキキッズ, KinKi Kizzu) is a Japanese duo consisting of Koichi Domoto and Tsuyoshi Domoto under the talent agency Johnny & Associates. Although the members share the same surname, they are unrelated and the only relation they have to each other is that they both hail from the Kinki region, hence their name.
Video of Choice:
~Maaya Sakamoto
Maaya Sakamoto (坂本真綾) born March 31, 1980 in Itabashi, Tokyo is a popular Japanese singer-songwriter, actress, and seiyū. She made her debut as a voice actress in 1995 as the voice of Qawool Towles in the anime series El Hazard, but is more well known for her role as Hitomi Kanzaki in the hit anime series The Vision of Escaflowne. She released her debut single Yakusoku wa Iranai, in collaboration with Yoko Kanno under Victor Entertainment on April 24, 1996.
Video of Choice:
~Morning Musume
Morning Musume (モーニング娘。) is a Japanese girl group, whose act generally revolves around singing and dancing to upbeat melodies. Sometimes referred to as Momusu (モー娘。), they are the lead group of Hello! Project, which is masterminded by Naoki Yamazaki and managed by producer Tsunku, who composes nearly all the lyrics and melodies of their songs. Currently, they hold the record of having the highest overall single sales (of a female group) on the Oricon charts
Video of Choice:
~NYC Boys
NYC is a Japanese boy band formed by three members in 2009. NYC Boys was formed on June 7, 2009, to promote the FIVB World Grand Prix 2009, an event that began on July 31 and ended on August 23, 2009. They performed the theme song "NYC" in Tokyo and Osaka before each game.
Video of Choice:
~SID
Sid (シド, Shido) is a Japanese rock band, currently signed with Sony Music Japan's Ki/oon Records label. They have a broad fan base and are still rapidly gaining popularity.
Video of Choice:
~Tackey & Tsubasa
Tackey & Tsubasa (タッキー&翼) are a Japanese idol duo from Johnny & Associates. Its members are Hideaki Takizawa (滝沢秀明) and Tsubasa Imai (今井翼). Takizawa, nicknamed "Tackey" (sometimes spelled as its literal romanization, "Takki" (タッキ)), is best known for his drama works, and Tsubasa for his dancing ability. They have also been musically successful with hit singles such as "Venus" and "Yume Monogatari". Their works are produced by Avex Trax.
Video of Choice:
~YUI
YUI (born March 26, 1987), is a Japanese singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actress. She is currently signed to Studioseven Recordings and attached to the talent agency Stardust Promotion.
Video of Choice:
~B.I. Shadow
Kento Nakajima (中島 健人)Was born on March 13, 1994 in Tokyo, Japan. He acted with Fuma Kikuchi, and Misaki Takahata on Scrap Teacher and he was filming in the Japanese Drama Koishite Akuma☆Vampire Boy with the main character and band member Yuma Nakayama. He is also a member of Nakayama Yuma w/ B.I.Shadow.
Fuma Kikuchi (菊池 風魔) was born March 7, 1995 in Tokyo, Japan. He acted with Kento Nakajima, and Misaki Takahata on Scrap Teacher. He is also a member of Nakayama Yuma w/ B.I.Shadow.
Hokuto Matsumura (松村 北斗) was born June 18, 1995 in Japan. He was the last to join B.I. Shadow before Kouchi Yuugo.
Kouchi Yuugo (高地 優吾) was born on March 8, 1994 in Japan. He won in the contest in School Kakumei, the possibility of starring in a regular-show, but instead of that he form part of B.I. Shadow and debuted as Nakayama Yuma with B.I. Shadow.
Video of Choice:
Return to the club to visit another place! Also, if an artist you know is not listed, please leave me, MatsukenninoL, a comment on my profile. ^_^
Posted by MatsukenninoL | Jul 7, 2010 8:17 PM | 0 comments
Best Music Idols: Welcome to Korea
Here are some famous people in Korea:
~SHINee
Shinee (샤이니, stylized as SHINee is a contemporary R&B South Korean boy band Formed by SM Entertainment in 2008, they made their debut on May 25, 2008 on SBS's Popular Songs with their promotional single, "Nunan Neomu Yeppeo (Replay)" ("누난 너무 예뻐 (Replay)", lit. "Older Girl, You're So Pretty (Replay)"). The group consists of Onew, Jonghyun, Key, Minho, and Taemin.
Video of Choice:
~DBSK/TVXQ
TVXQ (often stylized TVXQ! or TVfXQ), an acronym for Tong Vfang Xien Qi (東方神起), is a South Korean boy band quintet formed under SM Entertainment in 2003. In South Korea they are known as Dong Bang Shin Gi (동방신기); they were later introduced in Japan as Tohoshinki (東方神起, Tōhōshinki) under the Avex sub-label Rhythm Zone in 2005. Their name translates as "The Rising Gods of the East".
Video of Choice:
~SS501
SS501 (pronounced as Double-S 501 or Deo Beul E Seu Oh Gong Il in Korean) is a South Korean pop music group under management of Daesung Entertainment, also known as DSP Entertainment. The name of the band is a combination of the alphabet and numbers that have special meanings in them. The first “S” stands for “Super”. The second “S” is an abbreviation for "Star". The number 5, 0, and 1 means "five members united as one forever". Their official fan club is known as "Triple S".
Video of Choice:
~F-CUZ
F.Cuz (Korean: 포커즈, pronounced as 'Focus'), is a South Korean boy band managed by CAN&J's Entertainment. The group made their debut on January 8, 2010 with their first single, "Jiggy".
Video of Choice:
~2NE1
2NE1 (Korean: 투애니원; pronounced "To Anyone" or "twenty-one") is a South Korean girl group created by YG Entertainment. First appearing in a Cyon commercial campaign with Big Bang for LG Telecom, their debut single "Fire" was released on May 6, 2009. On May 17, 2009 the group debut with their first single "Fire" on SBS's Inkigayo.
Video of Choice:
~Brown Eyed Girls
The Brown Eyed Girls or B.E.G. (Korean: 브라운 아이드 걸스) is a South Korean girl group managed by NegaNetwork (Korean: 내가네트워크). The group consists of four members: Jea, Ga-in, Narsha and Miryo. Since debuting in 2006, the group has risen to popularity through a number of hit singles, beginning with 2008's "L.O.V.E."
Video of Choice:
~2PM
2PM is a South Korean boy band, originally a seven-member group, but currently consisting of six members due to sudden withdrawal of leader Jaebeom following an Internet controversy in September 2009. They are managed by JYP Entertainment. The current members are Junsu, Junho, Nichkhun, Taecyeon, Wooyoung and Chansung.
Video of Choice:
~2AM
2AM is a South Korean four-member ballad boy band under JYP Entertainment. The members are Jinwoon, Jo Kwon, Seulong, and Changmin. 2AM is one of the two subgroups branched out from the eleven-member (before Jaebeom's departure) boy band One Day, the other being 2PM. They officially debuted on July 11, 2008 on KBS's Music Bank, performing their debut song "This Song". They won their first Mutizen at Inkigayo on February 7, 2010 with "Can't Let You Go Even If I Die".
Video of Choice:
~Big Bang
Big Bang (Korean: 빅뱅, Japanese: ビッグバン), commonly stylized as BIGBANG, is a South Korean hip-hop boy band. The group's formation was chronicled on the television series Big Bang Documentary, from July to August 2006. The show was also aired online on GomTV and on MTV Korea. Initially a six-member group, one member dropped out during the airing of the show before the official debut leading to their current line-up of G-Dragon, T.O.P, Taeyang,Daesung and Seungri.
Video of Choice:
~Super Junior
Super Junior (Korean: 슈퍼주니어), often referred to as SJ or SuJu (슈주), is a popular boy band from South Korea formed by SM Entertainment in 2005. With a total of 13 members, they are the largest boy band in the world. The group consists of Leeteuk (leader), Heechul, Han Geng, Yesung, Kang-in, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Donghae, Siwon, Ryeowook, Kibum, and Kyuhyun. The only Chinese member, Han Geng, was chosen from three thousand applicants via auditions held in China by SM Entertainment in 2001. As of 2010, only 10 members are active, due to Han Geng's ongoing lawsuit against SM Entertainment, Kibum's pursuit of other interests, and Kang-in's leave of absence for mandatory military service. However, the remaining members have insisted that they are still part of the group.
Video of Choice:
~Battle
Battle (배틀) is a Korean boy band that debuted on December 17, 2006 with the release of their first single "Crash". They are most popular for winning the reality show, Let's Coke Play! Battle Shinhwa! The group includes Ryu, Tae-hwa, Lio, Chris, and Hwi-chan. Shin Ki-Hyun, who was picked by Shinhwa's Eric, departed the group in 2008.
Video of Choice:
~Hwayobi
Park Hwayobi (February 11, 1982), more commonly known as Hwayobi, is a South Korean R&B singer.
Video of Choice:
~S.E.S
S.E.S. (Sea, Eugene, Shoo), (Hangul: 에스.이.에스) was a popular K-Pop girl group that signed with SM Entertainment. Lasting from 1997 to 2002, they were viewed as the female version of boy band H.O.T., another SM group who also enjoyed phenomenal popularity during the same years.
Video of Choice:
~Kangta
Kangta (강타) (born October 10, 1979) is a South Korean singer, first known as the lead singer the boy band H.O.T. (High-five of Teenagers). Kangta, his stage name, is the symbol for great hit in Hangul.
Video of Choice:
~Beast/B2ST
Beast (비스트, stylized as BEAST or B2ST) is a boy band from South Korea that consists of six members, under Cube Entertainment. The group was originally known as B2ST, an acronym for Boys to Search for Top. However, their name was changed to BEAST (Boys of the East Standing Tall) a few days before debut. They released their first mini-album Beast Is The B2ST on October 14, 2009.
Video of Choice:
~MBLAQ
MBLAQ, (엠블랙, an acronym for Music Boys Live in Absolute Quality) is a South Korean quintet boy band created by Korean pop R&B singer Rain under his label J.Tune Entertainment. The group debuted in October 9, 2009 at Rain's Legend of Rainism concert. On October 14, 2009 the group released their debut single album, "Just BLAQ", which topped various on-line and off-line music charts in South Korea. The group then released their second single Y in May 18, 2010.
Video of Choice:
~Lee Jun Ki
Lee Jun Ki (born April 17, 1982, in Busan, South Korea) is a South Korean actor, model and singer. He rose to fame as Gong-gil in The King and the Clown. As of 2007, Lee is one of the top screen stars in South Korea. In August 2009, Lee Jun Ki was appointed an ambassador for Korea tourism by the Korea Tourism Organization.
Video of Choice:
~T-ARA
T-ara (Korean: 티아라; Korean pronunciation: [tʰiara]) is a South Korean girl group formed by Mnet Media in 2009. Before their debut, there was a high level of interest in the group as they were called "Super Rookies" and had been training for three years prior to debut. Originally a five member group, they released their first song Good Person for the Cinderella Man OST in April 2009. In June 2009 members Jiwon and Jiae left the group, ruining the original plans for debut. The next month, T-ara regrouped to become a 6 member group and released their debut single "Geojitmal" (Korean: "거짓말" lit. "Lies").
Video of Choice:
~F(X)
f(x) (Korean: 에프엑스) is a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment in 2009. The name is a play on the mathematical notation for function, with "f" signifying "flower" and "x" representing the female's double X chromosome. The quintet consists of leader Victoria, Krystal, Sulli, Luna, and Amber.
Video of Choice:
~After School
After School (Korean: 애프터스쿨) is a South Korean girl group. They're from Pledis Entertainment. The group had their public debut alongside label mate Son Dam Bi in 2008. The group eventually made a proper debut on 17 January 2009 with the first single, "Ah!". Later that year, Uee joined the group, and After School released a second single, "Diva". Their official fanclub is called "Play Girlz". In the fall of 2009, Soyoung left the group, which led to the addition of two members— Raina and Nana. The group then released "Neo Ddaemunae" (Korean: "너 때문에", "Because of You"), which became their first chart-topping single. In March 2010, After School released their 3rd Single called "BANG!" with the addition of 8th member, Lizzy.
Video of Choice:
~4 Minute
4minute (Korean: 포미닛) is a South Korean girl group created by Cube Entertainment in 2009.
Video of Choice:
~Girls Generation
Girls' Generation (Korean: 소녀시대; 少女時代) is a popular nine-member South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment in 2007. The members are, in order of announcement to be in the group, Yoona, Tiffany, Yuri, Hyoyeon, Sooyoung, Seohyun, Taeyeon (leader), Jessica, and Sunny. They are commonly referred to as SNSD, the acronym of the group's Korean name So Nyeo Shi Dae or So Nyuh Shi Dae.
Video of Choice:
~Children of Empire (ZE:A)
ZE:A (Hangul: 제국의 아이들), also known as Children of the Empire, is a South Korean 9-member boyband formed under Star Empire Entertainment. The group debuted with their EP Nativity and lead single, "Mazeltov" on 7 January 2010, alongside their showcase performance five days later.
Video of Choice:
~U-KISS
U-KISS (Korean: 유키스) is a seven-member South Korean boy band formed by NH Media in 2008. The members include Alexander, Soo Hyun, Ki Bum, Kiseop, Eli, Kevin and Dong Ho. The name of the group stands for Ubiquitous Korean International (Idol) Super Star.
Video of Choice:
Return to the club to visit another place! Also, if an artist you know is not listed, please leave me, MatsukenninoL, a comment on my profile. ^_^
Posted by MatsukenninoL | Jul 7, 2010 8:15 PM | 0 comments