#amkp

[almamaterkpop]

I just want to make sure you all saw this Facebook post from former Kiss member, Jini, back in March:

So it is officially the first half of May, and I haven’t seen any updates... but I can’t be the only one that’s excited!

And if for some reason you can’t remember 키스, they were a group that seemed destined for super stardom with their breakout R&B Pop hit, 여자이니까 (Because I am a Girl), back in 2001. But due to a lot of behind the scenes matters, they disbanded after their first and only album. But fingers crossed because 15 years later, it looks like we just may see some more from the trio!

And as a throwback, here’s my other favorite song by them, “Without You”.

[almamaterkpop]

To our North American followers, Happy Thanksgiving! Art credit: Eugene Song

[almamaterkpop]

Facebook profile pics vs tagged pics... you know it’s true.

[almamaterkpop]

To this day, J’s “어제처럼” (Like Yesterday) remains one of my favorite songs of all time. Since 2000, I’ve been In Love with the song, which also happens to be the name of her sophomore album from which it came.

So you know I’m gonna be extra judgmental when I hear someone cover it. But you know what? These fellas did alright by it. I’m a sucka for harmonies and this trio hit em perfectly. Salute.

Original:

[almamaterkpop]

This isn’t so much old school K-Pop music related as it is K-Pop culture, but whatever. This clip is the only ad campaign that made me want to buy a printer. Samsung took the country by storm with this ad in 1999, starring a relatively then-unknown Jun Ji-Hyun (aka Gianna Jun). This gained her massive exposure and two years later she starred in My Sassy Girl and the rest is history.

Oh and the song is a Fatboy Slim track, in case you were wondering.

[almamaterkpop]

This is such a chill cover of SES’s “I’m Your Girl”. Props to Jikahyun.

I Love it. #AMKP

Original (1997): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpmTLDtr4qY

[almamaterkpop]

"Sexy” is kind of a moving target - what’s hot today may not be so tomorrow. 

Being swole is actually something of a more recent trend for KPOP boy bands as this definitely wasn’t the case in the past.

Shinhwa has always been a group that pushed the edge in KPOP in terms of sex appeal, as I can remember when they dropped the MV for “Only One” back in 2000, all the girls went BONKERS.

Looking back though, them dudes were scraaaawny. They had the build of a bunch of middle school boys who did P90x - no mass, like 2% body fat, but a fair amount of definition. They were basically guys who worked out on a cut and no bulk - ever. but to be fair they were ( and still are) in exponentially better shape than I.

Would this be considered as sexy today? Probably not so much. But the fellas did later bulk up a few years later, and even released a semi-nude album of which I’ll leave to you to find on your own. You can look forward to seeing more gems like this:

“Only One” (2000) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ve6i6qJtliE

[almamaterkpop]

jenniferjchung & tonytmusic have come through with their promise!

They’ve remade one of the most dramatic Pop ballads of K-Pop history. #AMKP

Kiss - “여자 이니까” (Because I’m a Girl) (2001) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzNY6HZ9edo