So Ji-sub returns to MVs after three and a half years since his last one (ballad singer Jo Sung-mo’s “Mr. Flower”). This time he’s appearing in the music video for the digital single “고독한 인생” (Isolated life) by ”G” (mp3 posted below). The track was released online on August 13.

Part of the interest in the “G project” is that it doesn’t refer to a single artist, but rather intends to become a “brand,” meaning different artists and groups will release albums under the “brand G”; some of the other artists include Banana Girl, Color Purple, and Color Pink. Furthermore, “G” is also the name for the unknown hip-hop artist behind the song, who remains something of a mystery — neither his true name or background has been released in accordance with the “teaser marketing” surrounding his promotional activities.

(Oh, brother. More Zia-esque manufactured madness? Marketing gimmicks, I tire of you. Plus, I don’t get all this kpop-industry cross-promoting confusion — shouldn’t this multiple-artist format make “G” a label, not a project album/group? Whatevs.)

The MV is directed by the same director (Jo Soo-hyun) behind videos for Big Bang, Rain, Jewelry and Seo In-young; the song is written and produced by J@TRAX, who’s produced for artists like Rain and kpop newbs Mighty Mouth.

Apparently there are three versions of the music video in total, to be released in due time. This is the first of them, which includes scenes from So Ji-sub’s upcoming movie with Kang Ji-hwan, A Movie Is a Movie.

Via Segye.com

G and Amazing Soul - “고독한 인생 ” (Isolated life) [ Download ]

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Shinhwa’s Jun Jin is one of the last members to make his solo debut (to date, Eric is the only one left without a solo album to his name, which I don’t believe he’s planning on in any case), and his debut single off his first album is causing a stir — not for the song itself but the 19+ rating its music video earned from the major broadcast stations.

The video for the song “Wa” features young clubgoers dancing closely, casting suggestive glances at each other, and generally giving off what was deemed enough of a sexual vibe to get it slapped with the 19+ restriction. Jun Jin’s management reportedly recommended re-editing the video to earn a less restricting mark, but that suggestion was abandoned because Jun Jin insisted on keeping the original concept and “quality” intact. (You’re going to argue quality for a bump-n-grind club video? Really?)

That keeps the video from being broadcast on KBS, MBC, or SBS; it’s permitted to show 19+ content in the middle of the night, but there are no programs airing music videos in those hours. Cable is another option, but the move cuts down on promotional exposure and airtime.

Probably not the smartest move in promoting a debut song on a debut album for a debut solo artist. Maybe he’s too confident that his Shinhwa ties will carry him to worry about possible negative ramifications, and I’m pretty sure he’ll do fine anyway. But although I find the video totally tame, I also think Jun Jin’s insistence (called “stubbornness” by his manager) is a bit misguided.

Via DongA.com

SONG OF THE DAY

Jun Jin - “Wa.” Personally, I think the song sucks. Which means it’ll probably be a hit, since that’s the way the wind blows. [ Download ]

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• KBS’s new action drama Rivals, aka Kang-jeok-deul or Adversaries, premieres tomorrow. In striving for realism, Chae Rim visited a special attack squad and handled real firearms; Lee Jong Hyuk and stunt actors worked under a special-effects director and shot blanks from real guns. Now let’s see if the story’s any good.
• Kim Dong Wan, currently hospitalized after collapsing in the studio on the 11th, anticipates being released on the 15th, according to management. Reasons for his condition are attributed to stress from overwork; his solo album release will now be postponed until he is completely recovered, probably to early May.
• MBC’s upcoming Monday-Tuesday drama starring Kim Sun Ah and Lee Dong Gun, When Night Comes, is in the final stages of preparation and will soon start filming. The drama follows Yi San and is scheduled to premiere June 16. He plays an antiques-expert playboy with a thing for the virginal type; she plays a fervently patriotic spinster. The two share in romantic-comedy exploits as they search for national/cultural treasures. Kind of an oddly random assortment of details, though I suppose that’s not necessarily a bad thing.



• Lee Hana of the film Le Grand Chef and most recently in musician Jung Jae Hyung’s latest music video (see Song of the Day, below), follows her role in last year’s mania drama Merry vs. Daegu Battle in the upcoming KBS drama Woman in the Sun, also written by Merry scriptwriter Kim In Young. She’ll be acting alongside Kim Ji Soo (who makes her TV comeback after four years); the drama will follow currently airing Three Dads, One Mom.
• Last year, new pop group 8eight seemed poised for instant success, but faded fairly quickly out of the public eye after lots of hype. The trio says they’ve learned from the failure of their first album, born of an overly hectic schedule where they’d attempted too much, too fast: “We’d rushed through recording and our television debut, so the weak points were plain to see.” They’re now looking optimistically to their second album “Infinity.”
• Kim Haneul likes the comparison to her abrasive On Air character Seung Ah, and embraces her new nickname combining her real name with her character’s: “Kim Oh Seung Ah.” How is her character like herself? They’re both addicted to working out and have a love of sunglasses. For the past three years, she’s exercised three hours daily — sounds like someone’s got a bad case of exercise bulimia. (And no, I’m not being flip. That degree of fanaticism is very likely unhealthy.)

 
SONG OF THE DAY

Jung Jae Hyung - “Running,” whose video features Lee Hana. [ Download ]

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Seriously, if there’s one thing Korea knows how to do right, it’s branded entertainment. They did it with the Anycall series (Anyclub, Anymotion, Anyband), and many of their commercial ad campaigns and music videos are high-profile and large-scale, practically like mini-movies in and of themselves.

This time, the male cosmetics line Black ‘N Jean has tapped adorable rising star Jang Geun Seok, currently paining me as the unemotional Chang Whe in fusion sageuk drama Hong Gil Dong, as their brand model. And they’re sparing no expense for what basically amounts to a glorified hair-product commercial, bringing in kpop hitmaker Park Jin Young, aka JYP, to write the song that Mr. Jang sings himself.

The song, “Black Engine,” is a play on the cosmetic line’s name, and is described as hip-hop electronica; it showcases Jang Geun Seok gettin’ his groove on while acting cool and sporting a variety of funky hairstyles.

The guy is totally adorable, I get it. And he’s obviously rocking the young hip urban thing, which is why it’s interesting that he’s made his name starring in historical dramas. Here’s the MV for the campaign, which officially launches the 28th:

Via Star News, Mk.co.kr

Black ‘N Jean home: http://www.blacknjean.co.kr/

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Eternal Morning, the project group between Epik High’s Tablo and producer Pe2ny, just released its first album and its first single, “White” — which has just gotten slapped with a 19+ (adults only) rating from the three broadcast networks. (Which effectively curtails the video’s airing on mainstream television.)

The restricted rating comes because of the last scene in the video, which (SPOILER!) features the main character hanging off a crane and falling, suggesting suicide.

The group’s label, Woollim Entertainment, defended the work, saying, “The music video has a high artistic quality to it. We don’t have plans to apply for ratings reevaluation by editing the video and devaluing its merit.”

The album went on sale on the 4th, titled “Soundtrack to a Lost Film” and sold its entire first printing of 10,000 copies in just the first two days.

Here’s the controversial video itself:

My two cents? I can see why it was restricted, and perhaps not unjustly so. It IS a little shocking. But I’m pretty sure that’s the point.

Via IS Plus

SONG OF THE DAY

Eternal Morning (Tablo & Pe2ny) - “White.” I find it vastly interesting that given Tablo’s reputation for eloquence, his side project consists of almost entirely instrumental music. I get that the concept is that it’s the “soundtrack for a lost film,” but it IS kinda ballsy to step entirely out of the zone that’s earned him so much of his acclaim. I’d describe the album as dark, slightly morbid, haunting, and complex. But you be the judge. [ zShare download ]

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The Dear Cloud music video that Kim Jae Wook, aka Coffee Prince’s Waffle Sun Ki, had agreed to appear in for free (because the band members are his close friends) has come out, along with the band’s first album. Watch the video below.

The MV is for the main track off the album, “얼음요새” (Ice Fortress), and I’d mentioned earlier that I wasn’t quite sold on the band’s music based on preliminary listens. But now that I’ve had a chance to listen to the album in full, I’d say Dear Cloud is a band to keep an eye on.

The music can be generally described as melodic rock, but it demonstrates a bit more range than that mere term. At times moody and mellow, some of the songs sound similar to indie rock bands Adult Child or Bluedawn, while others have a stronger edge and are more in the vein of Nell or Peterpan Complex. Listen for yourselves…

 
SONG OF THE DAY

Dear Cloud - “얼음요새” (Ice fortress) [ zShare download ]

 
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