KPOP Girl Groups and Makeup

Red Velvet

BLACKPINK

 I have written about KPOP boy groups from blog #1 to #5, but I also like girl groups. In particular, I like "Red Velvet", "BLACKPINK", "LE SSERAFIM", and "New Jeans" and so many others. I love the songs and performances of KPOP idols, but I also love their hair style and makeup. They change their hair color and hairstyle to match the concept of the song, so that's one of the things I enjoy. When I watch girl groups, I pay particular attention to their outfits, hairstyles, and makeup. It is interesting to see what kind of makeup they wear and what kind of cosmetics they use. I often research about them.

LE SSERAFIM

For example, if I am interested in the makeup on a CD jacket photo, I look up who the makeup artist is. Then I find out what kind of cosmetics the makeup artist uses for the idol's makeup. Finding out how the makeup artists choose the cosmetics to match the concept is very interesting. After that, I look for the cosmetics. If I think I can use the cosmetics, I find a place where they are sold and buy them.

I love wearing makeup and collecting cosmetics, so that's how I enjoy KPOP girl groups.

I visited HYBE INSIGHT

HYBE Office

HYBE INSIGHT ENTRANCE

 I visited HYBE INSIGHT on January 1, 2023. HYBE is a Korean entertainment agency that BTS and ENHYPEN belong to HYBE INSIGHT is a museum in the HYBE office building.

HYBE INSIGHT has many very interesting exhibits. The first was a large display of the certificates and magazines in which BTS won major awards such as Billboard, which made me realize once again what superstars they are. 

The second was a section where visitors could listen to BTS songs, which they usually listen to as a matter of course, in a finely broken-down form. There, each part was broken down into bass, main vocals, chorus, and so on. Listening to them, I could tell that they put so much effort and thought into creating each song one by one. I could feel their love for music by the way they shared such a state of mind with us. 

Playing a rhythm game to BTS songs

the scented section of "Euphoria"

The third was the scented section of "Euphoria," a solo song by JungKook of BTS. The concept behind the song is not shared in detail with the audience, but the concept was conveyed in a way that was easy to understand even for a layman. I realized once again that the people at HYBE, who can express their view of the world even through fragrance, are people with a very rich sense of joy. At the end of the tour, I bought a bottle of Euphoria-inspired scented room spray at the merchandise counter.

All the museum staff spoke English as well as Korean, which was nice. This museum is a very interesting and fun place for KPOP geeks, and I will visit it again and again.

The first Idol group that attracted me: BTS

BTS

BTS is a KPOP idol boy group that debuted in South Korea in June 2013. Their debut in Japan was in June 2014. At the time of their debut, they were told that they would "never be famous." They were rare as a KPOP group to mainly release hip-hop. They were said to be "unsuccessful" because they were rappers dancing and acting as idols. 

Even though they had won some rookie awards, it took them about two years to get to number one on the music shows that were broadcast daily on various stations in Korea. It was in May 2015 that they got their first number one hit with "I NEED U". After that, all of the songs they released reached number one, and they won the grand prize at the year-end awards ceremony in 2016, solidifying their popularity.

As I described in blog #3, I got hooked on KPOP after watching BTS's "Blood Sweat &Tears" music video. At the same time, I fell in love with BTS. Other than that, I also like the song "Mic Drop".　BTS has 7 members with 7 different colors and they are all very attractive. My favorite member of BTS is Suga. I really like the lyrics he writes and his voice. 

I went to BTS's first performance at Tokyo Dome in November 2018. I remember their voice echoed in the spacious venue and their singing and dancing were amazing and touched my heart.

ENHYPEN's First World Tour

ENHYPEN

I went to ENHYPEN's concert on November 15, ENHYPEN is a KPOP idol group that debuted in November 2020. And in July 2021, they made their debut in Japan. This year, ENHYPEN held their first world tour "ENHYPEN WORLD TOUR 'MANIFESTO'" started with a concert in Seoul in September 2022, followed by a concert in the US in October and a concert in Japan in November.

This group of seven was born from an audition program I enjoyed watching two years ago. I have been rooting for them since their debut, but this was their first offline concert in Japan, as they were unable to tour because of Corona.

I had seen them many times before on TV and You-Tube but was looking forward to seeing them perform in person. As I expected, the members were exciting at the concert and their singing voices echoed through the large venue, which was very moving. Their singing and dancing were both excellent, and I enjoyed the show from beginning to end.

During the concert, they spoke mostly in Japanese, both in greetings and comments. I was happy to see that they had studied a lot of Japanese.

I would like to go to their concert again when they come to Japan.

 

How I got hooked on KPOP

BTS

BTS

I first got hooked on KPOP idols when I saw the music video for "Blood Sweat &Tears" by BTS. This song is the title track of BTS's second full-length album "WINGS" released in October 2016. The music video currently has 900 million views.

BTS

 

 I love the world created in this "Blood Sweat &Tears" music video.  I have watched it so many times. The Japanese version expresses the song in a completely differently way compared to the Korean version. They make music videos differently even though they are basically the same song, and both are very nice. I prefer the way the song is expressed of the Korean version.

I like Renaissance paintings, so the Korean version reminds me of Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper, which is why I like it. There is an atmosphere in this music video that reminds me of being in a painting, or like being in a different world. And the costumes of the members are very nice. Each scene of this music video is so attractive to me.

ENHYPEN

ENHYPEN, which was created through an audition by the same producer as BTS, is a little bit similar to BTS. I especially love the way their songs “GIVEN-TAKEN” and “DRUNK-DAYZED” are expressed in the music video. ENHYPEN has been depicted with the vampire concept since their debut song, and the two music videos for these songs are exactly inspired by the vampire concept. The stage set and costumes have a retro atmosphere that I love.

 

BTS (방탄소년단) '피 땀 눈물 (Blood Sweat & Tears)' Official MV

JAPAN SHOWCASE of BLANK2Y

 On June 30, I went to a showcase for a KPOP boy band called BLANK2Y. 

This group has a member who came from an audition show I enjoyed watching two years ago. To my chagrin, he didn't get to debut on that occasion, but he did successfully debut with another group this past May. I have been a fan of his since his appearance on the audition show, so I was very happy that he came to Japan right after his debut. 

I went to the photo session and autograph session the day after the showcase and the following week. For the photo session, they took two-shot photos of us. I posed with the members through an acrylic barrier because of the Corona epidemic.

Then, " BLANK2Y 1st MEET & LIVE TOUR" started in September, and on September 29, the members wore uniforms of CD store clerks and personally handed us their products, took pictures with us, and signed our polaroids. I was able to see them up close, chat with them a bit, and was surprised at how beautiful their faces were. 

Then I went to their live concert on October 1. I enjoyed the live performance, which included both cool and upbeat songs. We also participated in a photo session held on the same day. Since they do not have many fans yet, they told me in Japanese, "It was nice to see you again”.

I would love to go see them when they come to Japan again.

This is the music video of their debut song.

Fan meeting of VERIVERY

 

On June 22th, I went to a fan meeting of a KPOP boy band called “VERIVERY”. This was the day of their debut in Japan. VERIVERY had already debuted in Korea in January 2019. They are so creative, as they make not only their own songs and choreography, but also videos of themselves. What I most like about them is their songs. Their songs always make me feel comfortable. I always listen to them when I take the train. 

In the show, the most impressive part was when the members, who are good at singing, sang a Japanese song called “Dry-flower”. I went to their concert for the first time and was very impressed with their singing and dancing. I was delighted that they made the effort to remember a Japanese song, which is not their mother tongue. 

After the end of the show, all of the members of VERYVERY came to the exit to see us off. This is not something that every group does. I was able to see not just their awesome performances but also their kindness and hospitality. 

Then I went to their autograph session a few days after the show. I got their signatures on their CD jackets and we had a brief communication. I had a great time talking with them.

                                                                                

Audio:　Talk about VERIVERY

Talk about "Fan meeting of VERIVERY"