Can someone explain to me the definition of Kpop because I thought was like- Used to be just popular music but eventually turned into a term for stuff that came from Kpop idols - So like it’s not really the same as what “pop” is for other countries???
I’m confused and want to understand the lingo about Kpop and what counts as Kpop since my sisters into it and I don’t really get it
what do you think makes someone have good stage presence? do you think it's something that can be taught or something one just naturally possesses?
i read your answer to the other ask. and re. super m, i like lucas. don't get me wrong. he's very much a hong kong beauty that i love (sm is really missing out by not putting him in more editorials).
but in terms of stage presence, he isn't a standout to me? maybe that's because he's in a group with, in my opinion, two of the best performers (taemin + kai). i put him in the same category as baekhyun. like you mentioned, he doesn't stand out but makes up for it by screaming. but for lucas, he's not the best rapper or vocalist and isn't given a lot of lines.
also, what do you think about nct's infinite concept? this is a bit random but wanted to group together since we're talking about nct members. nct2020 was a whole mess for me (as someone who absolutely LOVED nct2018 concept wise and thought maybe, hey this could work). watching nct2020, it seems... asjhdakjhlgds for a lack of better words. like if i was a member and wasn't taeyong/mark/ten/lucas/doyoung, i would be :/ there's definitely a reason why sm pushes them the most because they're just better in capturing the audience. the other members feel like glorified background dancers.
in my personal opinion, stage presence is how well a performer can convince the audience that they are alive, and that they belong there. the stage is an artifice. it isn’t real, nothing you do on it is real, all performance is just that: performative. a human being’s natural state is not on a large platform being stared at, obviously anyone put in that situation is going to find it difficult to act in a natural way. why do you think people hate public speaking? why stage fright is a thing? those of us that can make it over that initial hurdle of being looked at have dual challenges; we as the audience know this whole scenario is fake; what makes it real is our willingness to be convinced that it is real, and the performer’s ability to make us believe that it is real. a huge part of this is making their bodies move and respond in a way that we recognize. this includes making facial expressions. it also includes exuding the confidence that you belong on that stage. that we should be looking at you. this is no place for timidity or nervousness. yes, i do think this is something you can learn, it’s acting and anyone can learn to act. do some people have an advantage over others? absolutely, it's the same with any skill. are there some people that despite being on stage for years never learn? also yes. i don’t think it's a ‘you have it or you don’t’ scenario, like with all reductivist binary statements, it belittles the effort of the people that work extremely hard to get where they are. this is the fallacy of mozart***; those with a high level of natural talent cannot coast by just that talent alone - a true artist is dedicated to pushing their own boundaries and skills regardless of what others deem you as. no one is born a genius, but we all have predispositions that, if applied cultivation, can become fully fledged ‘genius’ level skills.
i’m gonna put the rest of my responses under a cut because i got extremely deep in the weeds on that one, whoops.
i can totally see why lucas and baekhyun would fall into the same category for you, that's valid. obviously a lot of how effective someone’s stage presence can be is pretty subjective. my standards have a slightly different skew than the average kpop fan, since my life has been working and making performance for over a decade. yes, lucas doesn’t have the same presence as taemin or kai, and yea he's not the best rapper or best vocalist by far, but i think he carries himself extremely well despite that. he's got advantages from the start; he’s the tallest in the group and he’s pretty, but the few times that he is in center i am absolutely paying attention to him. ‘im the other one chilling with them other ones’? no idea what the fuck that means but i absolutely believe him. honestly i can't even remember any other parts of that song. if sm ever decides to give him more parts i think we’ll see a uptick in his skills. he really knows how to work a camera; his expressions and body language are already really strong and he exudes confidence like an overeager puppy.
i think nct’s infinite concept is ridiculous and a bit disrespectful to the original members who’ve done the lion's share of the work building the brand. obviously i understand why sm did it, when you have an established brand that you can keep plugging new members into you essentially never have to take the risks involved with debuting a new group ever again. plus with nct’s whole.....new culture + technology thing, they’re primed for any of the weird awful tech updates that are inevitably coming in the next decade. no shade on the girls in aespa, i just find the idea of debuting a girl group with overly sexualized ai robot versions of themselves into a world where the boundaries between idol and fan are already constantly violated uhhh...........distasteful. to put it mildly. i also think the concept is disrespectful to the new members that constantly get added in; because they get added into a system that has a clear working structure based on those original members, who are going to be in every iteration ever. because they’re the proven selling points. at least when you debut a totally new group you’re giving those idols a clean slate. any of the new nct boys will never really have a chance to truly establish themselves outside of that context. plus they will forever be plagued by exclusionist stans. if you’re lucky and charismatic and pretty like lucas you might get the chance to get beyond that (he made it to superm after all), but for pretty much everyone else? anon you said it not me.
*** i know this is not actually what the mozart fallacy is. hence the wording change. but as far as i'm aware there isn’t actually a name for this phenomenon so i'm calling it like how i heard it first described, which was using mozart as an example.
mmm jus a suggestion but maybe when learning svt members go by unit? i feel like it would be the easiest way! :D im also here to help hehe hohoooooooo
Ooo that is a good idea! That actually was really helpful with NCT as well. Thank you for the help! Trust me we will probably reach out in frustration when we put out minds to it and really try to learn them. Look at that gif. What a cute bean!
JIN: Favorite Vine?
RM: Are you a leader or a follower?
SUGA: Favorite nickname you’ve been given? Why?
JHOPE: Would you rather have amazing dancing or singing skills?
JIMIN: Are you ok with your height or you’d prefer to be shorter/taller?
V: Favorite art out of the Seven Arts? (Architecture, Sculpture, Painting, Literature, Music, Performing, and Film)
JUNGKOOK: What’s your greatest talent?
SUHO: What role do you have in your group of friends?
KAI: A brand you would like to model for?
D.O: Are you more the calm type of person or the hyperactive one?
BAEKHYUN: From 1 to 10, how clingy are you?
CHEN: How loud is your voice?
SEHUN: Would you rather date someone shyer than you or more outgoing than you?
CHANYEOL: Does your voice match your face?
XIUMIN: Which animal do you physically resemble to?
LAY: What language would you want to learn?
JACKSON: What sport do you know you would suck at? Why?
BAMBAM: Favorite meme?
JB: Soundcloud or Spotify?
JINYOUNG: How good of a student are/were you?
MARK: Where do you wish you would have been born at?
YUGYEOM: Celebrity you would like to be best friends with?
YOUNGJAE: Are you allergic to something?
HEECHUL: Who’s the funniest person you know (can be a celebrity)?
SIWON: What position would you have if you were working for the government?
SHINDONG: What’s your type of humor?
EUNHYUK: Song that makes you dance as soon as you hear it?
DONGHAE: Do you think your personality matches your physical appearance?
YESUNG: What would have to happen for you to snap?
LEETEUK: Do you wanna have kids someday? How many?
RYEOWOOK: Do you have a contagious laughter?
KYUHYUN: Have you ever suffered an accident?
TAEMIN: Let’s say we met a year ago, and just now we’re comfortable around each other, are you the same person i met a year ago?
ONEW: Are you more of a sexy person or a cute person?
KEY: From 1 to 10, how sassy are you?
JONGHYUN: Would you rather write songs or books?
MINHO: Are you competitive for the right things or for everything?
