Kimura Takuya is amazed by SNSD’s beauty

Japanese group SMAP’s Kimura Takuya, who was previously revealed to be the ideal man of some of the SNSD members, revealed his feelings on seeing the girls for the very first time.

The top class actor/singer appeared on a popular Japanese radio program, “Stop the SMAP,” on the afternoon of January 6th, and chose SNSD’s “Gee” as the opening track for the show.

He went on to state, “At last year’s year-end music programs, I saw SNSD and KARA for the first time. SNSD’s beauty in real life… wow, it was amazing!”

Kimura Takuya fans commented, “I heard that SNSD’s Yoona was his fan, I’m so jealous!” and “Yoona might cry tears of joy if she heard this.”

source: allkpop

Netizens buzz over JYJ Yoochun’s lyrics for “Untitled Song”

Although their album has yet to be released, a specific track from JYJ has been garnering a lot of speculation.

“Untitled Song Part 1” was composed by member Yoochun and features lyrics expressing his experience under SM Entertainment.

A segment from his lyrics state:

“In 2003, we finished our first match after months of rehearsal
By 2004, we were the rookies of the month
But unable to be satisfied with all of the rookie awards,
We began desiring for more
In 2005, we advanced into Japan
Thought it would be as easy as Korea
But after selling only 4,000 copies of our first single
Our confidence dropped to the floor
We couldn’t even speak Japanese,
Every day consisted of pacing between our dorm and the company
It was an imprisonment under the disguise of what’s best for us
Excessive loneliness, tears, and anger
We said those were what turned us into one,
That no matter what would happen, to never disband..
But I’m going to turn my back to you, since you already changed”

While it’s clear that Yoochun was recounting his frustrations with SME, netizens have been puzzling over whether or not the song was an indirect statement involving TVXQ as well. Jaejoong’s lyrics for “Pierrot” received similar attention, but an interview clarified that the song was about ”the reality of the education system“.

source: allkpop

4minute enlists the help of Nichkhun’s brother for “4minute’s Mr. Teacher”

Nichkhun’s older brother, Nichan, has become a hot topic amongst netizens lately after arriving in Korea on January 5th.

Originally a VJ and MC in Thailand, Nichan is visiting Korea to ‘teach’ the 4minute ladies for their new E Channel TV show, “4minute’s Mr. Teacher.”

The reality show aims to prepare 4minute for their international advancement by teaching them different cultures and languages – the kicker lies in the fact that these tutors are hot, pretty boys from Thailand, Japan, Taiwan and many other locations. Nichan was chosen to be the group’s Thai teacher.

As he waits for his first broadcast on January 19th, Nichan commented, “I’ll not only raise awareness about Thai culture, but reveal stories about my little brother, Nichkhun, as well.”




source: allkpop

Pictures of T-ara’s Eunjung knocked out captures interest

A four-set picture of T-ara’s Eunjung completely knocked out from exhaustion has been an amusing topic on the internet as of recent.

Four pictures of Eunjung were taken at the set of ‘Dream High’, all of which are of Eunjung in heavy deep sleep mode, tired from the lack of sleep from filming the drama.

In December of 2010, T-ara made an appearance on MBC ‘Light Good Day’, and while member Jiyeon was getting interviewed, poor Eunjung was seen sleeping in a chair in the background with her neck completely cocked to one side. Other photos were said to be taken by fellow T-ara members, their ooordis and managers.

Eunjung is currently filming as one of the main actors in the new drama, “Dream High”, alongside miss A’s Suzy, Kim Soo Hyun, IU, and 2PM’s Taecyeon and Wooyoung.


source: allkpop

Oricon predicts KARA to be the number one breakout artist of 2011

A survey in weekly publication Ori☆Sta asked 500 members of the Oricon Monitor Research committee who they felt would get their lucky break in 2011, and K-pop fans will be pleased to hear the news.

Coming in at number one was none other than star rookies KARA, a Korean girl group whose famous “butt dance” even had Miura Haruma shaking his behind. Second place went to Shoujo Jidai, better known by Korean fans as SNSD. Both KARA and Shoujo Jidai dominated the end of 2010 with their catchy tunes, knocking off a six-year record and stealing the titles of highest-selling newcomers on the Oricon year-end charts.

Third place went to AKB48’s sister group SKE48. SMAP came in at fourth, and flumpool came in fifth.

Do you think 2011 will really be KARA and Shoujo Jidai’s year?


source: allkpop

SHINee’s “Lucifer” plagiarized by a Serbian singer?

A female Serbian singer by the name of Jelena Karleusa has been caught in a plagiarism controversy over her song, “Muskarac koji mrzi zene.”

The song was first revealed on YouTube, and fans immediately discovered that it might be a plagiarized version of SHINee’s hit, “Lucifer.” The song rearranged and divided different parts of “Lucifer”, but kept the overall melody and beat in tact, making it more like a translated version of the exact same song.


The problem lies in that the song is available for free download on the singer’s official homepage, leading many to exclaim that distributing a plagiarized song is an act damaging to the original composer.


This isn’t the first time SHINee’s songs have been plagiarized by international artists. Last August, a Cambodian group was found to have plagiarized “Ring Ding Dong,” leading SM Entertainment to step up and take action.

Netizens that viewed the video left comments such as, “We haven’t even reached a conclusion on the Cambodian plagiarism, why do people keep plagiarizing SHINee’s songs?,” “It’s exactly alike,” and “It’s almost like she’s saying, ‘Hey guys, look! I plagiarized!” A portion of the netizens also brought up the similarity between KARA’s “Lupin” to Jelena Karleusa’s “Insomnia,” leaving comments such as, “Since KARA copied her song, she’s copying SHINee’s song.”

On January 7th, regarding the controversy, SM Entertainment officials stated, “On January 6th, we confirmed with our U.S. publishers that the song is an infringement of copyright. We will be taking joint action.”

Check it out below:



source: allkpop

After School’s Noh Lee Young draws attention with official photo & musical prowess

When it was announced that After School would be adding a new member to its ranks for its impending comeback, many kpop fans were reluctant to accept a yet another addition to the originally five-member girl group. After making her debut through After School’s year-end stage at the MBC Gayo Daejun however, ninth member Noh Lee Young silenced any doubts about her talent with an impressive electric guitar performance.

Although the performance showcased her musical skills, it wasn’t long enough for fans to catch a close-up glimpse of her face. Today, Pledis Entertainment has given the public its first look at Lee Young with the release of her first official photo. On top of praising Lee Young for exuding an innocent charm, fans have been delighted to discover that Noh Lee Young is not only skilled in the electric guitar but also five other instruments, including the drums and piano.

After Kahi’s solo debut in February, Lee Young will be joining After School as the ninth member in their group comeback this March.


source: allkpop

“We Got Married” announces final broadcast date for ‘Adam Couple’

After announcing that the ‘Adam couple’ were concluding their run on the show, representatives of MBC’s “We Got Married” have revealed the final broadcast date for Jo Kwon and Ga-In.

The representative revealed, “This week’s episode, scheduled for January 8th, will not feature the Adam Couple. The episode will consist of only the Jung Yonghwa and Seohyun couple, and the Nichkhun and Victoria couple because there is not enough footage for the Adam Couple. Their last broadcast date will be on January 15th.”

The producers are currently in the final stages of editing the couple’s last segment.


source: allkpop

GD&TOP wins “M.Countdown” for Jan.6th, 2011 + other performances

It was pretty close, but in the end, there could only be one winner!

For the second consecutive week, GD&TOP grabbed 1st place for Mnet’s “M! Countdown” on January 6th, 2011. IU was very close, but we’re sure that they’ll be going head-to-head once again next week!

Check out the videos of the win and the remaining performances below.


GD&TOP



















source: allkpop

F.CUZ says they “Wanna Be Your Love” on “M. Countdown”

After a shocking comeback with “Midnight Sun” late last year, the boys of F.CUZ are finally kicking off their follow-up promotions for “Wanna Be Your Love” through this week’s “M. Countdown.”

Created by hit composer ‘Assbrass‘ and written by Rhymer and BIZNIZ, the song is about a man’s shy confession of wanting to be more than friends.

The colorful outfits and their unique accessories were all hand-picked by their stylists from European shops to add a friendly look to their image.

Check it out below!



source: allkpop

SECRET returns with “Shy Boy” on “M. Countdown”

SECRET made an impressive comeback today with the help of some of the biggest names in the industry.

The group showed off their powerful vocals through Mnet’s “M. Countdown“, and marked the first day of their official comeback with “Shy Boy.”

To really boost their ‘retro’ concept, the girls have enlisted the aid of choreographer Kang Ok Soon, who drew inspiration from musicals such as “Legally Blonde” and “The Thing About Men.”

Their agency, TS Entertainment, revealed, “Choreographer Kang Ok Soon took part in the group’s intro comeback today. Many musical actors have come together in support of SECRET’s comeback, in order to create a true musical-like stage for the girls.”

Check it out below!






source: allkpop

Dal Shabet debuts on “M. Countdown” with “Supa Dupa Diva”

The six girls of Dal Shabet have finally made their debut on today’s “M. Countdown“, after headlining for weeks as the brainchild of hit composers E-TRIBE.

Their title track, “Supa Dupa Diva,” has already been topping a few charts since its release, and it’s looking like they may be able to fulfill their desires to become the industry’s trendiest divas, as expressed by their lyrics.

Their agency, Happy Face Entertainment, commented, “The girls have shown off everything they’ve been preparing for with their first broadcast debut. They’ll be continuing to work hard on their future appearances in order to live up to their fans’ expectations”

Be sure to check out their ‘point choreography’ (aka, the ‘zzanggu dance’ and ‘mermaid dance’) below!




source: allkpop

B2ST’s Ki Kwang completes his first shoot for “My Princess”

B2ST’s Lee Ki Kwang has finally filmed his first episode for the new MBC drama, “My Princess.”

Recently, the drama’s official me2day posted the following message: “Ki Kwang filmed as the assistant chef at the Royal Court, and was finally able to meet with ‘Princess-nuna’.”

To elaborate on Ki Kwang’s character, a representative explained, “Lee Ki Kwang completed his first filming for the drama, and his role is a unique character who doesn’t hesitate to call Kim Tae Hee, ’Princess nuna’.”

Apparently, Lee Ki Kwang’s character is a good looking man who has a sweet personality; he is someone who is able to attract the ladies, even during his kindergarten days. However, he later got tired of being popular and decided to enter the army early. It was when he ate a bowl of ramen made by a senior officer that he became interested in the world of food and flavor.

Stay tuned for updates on this intriguing character!’

source: allkpop

Co-Ed is embarrassed of their stage names

The members of Co-Ed made an appearance on Mnet’s “Beatle’s Code” and updated fans on their recent whereabouts, as well as honest thoughts on their activities as a group.

The topic of their unique member names came up, leading the members to reveal, “Truthfully, we’re not satisfied with our names. Sorry, CEO! Our faces get so red with embarrassment whenever people call us by our stage names. We’re actually really curious to see what name our new member, Seo Eun Gyo, will be given.”

MC Kim Jong Shin continued the interview by asking, “Lately, your labelmates T-ara have been doing very well. Aren’t you jealous?”

Without hesitation, Co-Ed replied, “We’re definitely jealous, but we will catch up to T-ara within two to three months.” When asked why specifically two to three months, they replied, “We’ll be making our comeback then!”

The full broadcast can be seen through Mnet on January 6th.

source: allkpop

B2ST to return with encore concert, “Welcome BACK to BEAST Airline”

B2ST has announced that they will be embarking on an encore run of their highly successful “B2ST Airline” concert!

The announcement was put up on the morning of January 6th through Cube Entertainment’s official homepage and through B2ST fancafes as well.

The concert was a huge success last year – it was hyped successfully through clever marketing, and the boys delivered impressive performances. It was even picked as the #1 concert music fans wanted to attend, according to a concert ticketing website.

Unfortunately, only 10,000 fans could attend the first concert, but B2ST plans to give fans another opportunity to catch the event through their Asian tour. Titled, “Welcome BACK to BEAST Airline“, the boys will kick off the tour with a two-day concert at Seoul’s Olympic Athletics Stadium on February 18th and 19th.

Details on the rest of the concert dates have yet to be revealed, but international fans are queuing up for tickets to the Seoul shows.

Stay tuned to allkpop for further updates!

source: allkpop

SNSD’s Seohyun meets her mother-in-law on “We Got Married”

It’s one of the hardest meetings a girl will have to make, but SNSD’s Seohyun took a deep breath and tried to deliver a first impression that would do her husband proud.

For MBC’s “We Got Married“, Seohyun and her ‘husband’ (CNBLUE’s Jung Yonghwa) travelled to Busan recently to meet his family. In an effort to make a positive first impression, Seohyun tried her best to learn the provincial dialect and certain gestures indigenous to Busan, in addition to showing a bigger appetite than normal.


The couple was greeted by Yonghwa’s mother upon their arrival, and visited a sushi restaurant for a meal.

Their meeting, and whether Seohyun received a passing score as a ‘daughter-in-law’ can be found on the episode scheduled for December 8th.

source: allkpop

GD&TOP’s “Don’t Go Home” banned on MBC

Big Bang’s GD&TOP were hit with another ban, this time from MBC for their track, “Don’t Go Home“. The broadcasting network blacklisted the song on January 5th under the reason that the song was ‘unfit for public broadcast.’

This is the second ban this week for the duo, as it follows the ban of “Knock Out” from all three public broadcasting networks.

YG Entertainment representatives spoke with Star News and revealed, “We expected ‘Knock Out’ to be banned from the three networks, so we will be re-submitting the songs, but MBC banning ‘Don’t Go Home’ has come as a bit of a surprise to us.”

They continued, “We’ve retorted that there is nothing wrong with the song, as it was even accepted by KBS and SBS. As much as it is hard to understand why MBC would find it unfit for broadcast, we believe that MBC has their own reasons, so we will respectfully re-submit it for an evaluation.”

When asked why they believed the song was banned, they answered, “We feel that T.O.P’s rap was a part of the problem, but we’d like for them to interpret the lyrics as is. When we re-submit the song, we will not be editing any of the lyrics.”

T.O.P’s lyrics state:

“I don’t like awkward settings
Why is the sound of the clock ticking so loud?
All I can hear is the sound of swallowing spit
Look baby, all I want is to greet the morning with you
A secret party for just us two before the night comes to an end
But you’re like Cinderella, you try to go home when the clock hits 12
Being alone makes the night so long
Call in to your parents, don’t try to act tough
S.O.S, advancing seems so far
Oh! wait a minute, why am I like this?
Am I drunk, I’m so dizzy, I’m falling asleep.”

source :allkpop

SECRET’s Sunhwa cuts her hair for “Shy Boy”

SECRET’s Sunhwa has revealed that she cut her hair for the first time since she was six years old for the group’s “Shy Boy” comeback promotion.

Another preview of their abum jacket pictures has been circulating amongst netizens ever since they were revealed on the morning of January 5th. Sunhwa, who’s been seen with longer hair ever since her debut, has opted for a shorter cut to fit with the album’s new cutesy concept.

Representatives of TS Entertainment revealed, “For ‘Shy Boy,’ Sunhwa has decided to undergo a transformation. She’s always kept long hair ever since she was little, and it’s her first time having short hair since she was six.”

SECRET will be releasing their single album on the 6th.

source : allkpop

Who are the most expensive CF stars?

On January 5th, TV Report released the data results they’ve compiled from various advertisement and model contracting companies in order to find the most expensive celebrity figures of 2011.

The data they’ve published were updated as of January 2011, and consists of appearance and contract fees paid to singers for year-long contracts.

So who are the most expensive CF stars?

According to the results, Rain and Big Bang were classified under ‘Special A Class’ in the industry, and are both worth $1 million to $1.5 million USD.

2PM, SNSD, Lee Hyori, and 2NE1 were placed in the $800,000 to $900,000 USD sector, while BoA followed at $700,000 to $800,000 USD.

Lee Seung Gi, Kim Hyun Joong, Jay Park, Super Junior, JYJ, Son Dambi, and the Wonder Girls placed at $500,000 to $600,000 USD.

2AM, CNBLUE, KARA, 4minute, MBLAQ, and After School (excluding UEE) are worth a minimum of $400,000 USD. After School’s UEE exceeds that amount.

IU, FT Island, Seo In Young, and SECRET were revealed to have been in discussion for $200,000 to $300,000 USD.

Of course, the true worth of a star cannot be determined by numbers, but the numbers give better insight into the commercial aspect of the stars.


source: allkpop

KARA receives top star treatment from CF deals in Japan

KARA’s worth in Japan has skyrocketed, as they’ve been receiving numerous love calls from major Japanese CF companies.

The girls will be leaving for Japan on January 7th for their Japanese drama, “URAKARA,” which begins airing on the 14th. They’ll be promoting in both Korea and Japan for the next three months to continue their streak of success.

Requests for interviews, broadcast appearances, and CF deals have been flooding in nonstop since January, and representatives revealed that KARA would be filming for CFs in addition to filming for their drama while in Japan. Representatives have further stated that they wouldn’t be rushing to choose CFs, and will select endorsements that would best fit KARA’s image.

The girls can be seen gracing the cover of most of the major Japanese magazine covers for January and February, further adding to their ‘image’ of success. Due to the influx of interest, KARA has also been receiving the treatment of top stars, despite only being rookies.

KARA’s Japanese representatives commented that the group’s success in the drama, broadcasting, and CF industry have exceeded all of their expectations.

source: allkpop