So UNIQLO has only one store in the United States- the one in SoHo. aaannndd Big Bang came out with some stuff.... like some hoodies and t-shirts. UNIQLO retailed the Big Bang line in all 825 of their Japan stores on February 5, but within 15 minutes, every single Big Bang item was sold out. UNIQLO also started selling Big Bang items in the UK.
That they're selling in the UK and US is pretty crazy since they have never performed or promoted in the states of the UK. But they're doing really well- sold out pretty quickly and their album is even on the American billboards! They were also #9 on iTune's Pop Albums chart (hellokpop).
Big Bang is taking part in the hallyu movement with their album and clothing line! People on iTunes definitely love them.1550 Ratings and 5 stars. Everyone should check them out ;)
Last week I wrote about JYJ, how they have the largest official fan base in the world, and their contributions to the Hallyu movement. JYJ's fans put together a petition against unfair "restrictions in their music promotions and television appearances" in Korea (source allkpop) . Because SM Entertainment (the company they used to belong to) is one of the largest and most influential entertainment companies, there is no surprise that JYJ's media time decreased- whether it be that TV stations did not want to get on the wrong side of SM, or that the media giant took their own action.
The effects of the restrictions on JYJ manifested itself in multiple ways, but the one I want to highlight is the petition. The petition from the fans is not just any kind, but one that has been translated into 10 different languages (Korean is not one of them...). Though this may just be a testament to how intense the group's fans are, that this campaign has been translated into Turkish, Spanish, French among others ultimately shows how far JYJ has reached with the Hallyu movement.
Even their fans recognize the Hallyu movement and that they are a part of it. Under the Purpose of the Petition, the first sentence says, "We the international consumers of the Korean Wave [...]."
I think it's amazing that the petition was translated into so many languages. While it obviously shows that JYJ's fans are very dedicated, it's cool to think that Korean music has touched various other cultures.
So the hallyu movement seems to be going strong- so strong that someone composed a medley of some of the most popular Korean songs from 2010 into an orchestral piece.
The songs used are the following:
1. SHINee – Lucifer
2. SHINee – Ring Ding Dong
3. Super Junior – Bonamana
4. U-Kiss – Man Man Ha Ni
5. T-ara – I Go Crazy Because Of You
6. BEAST – Shock
7. Big Bang – Haru Haru
8. FT Island – I Hope
9. Wonder Girls – 2 Different Tears
10. BEAST – Mystery
11. 4Minute – HUH
12. T-ara – Bo Peep Bo Peep
13. KISS – Because I’m A Girl
14. 2AM – I Will Never Let You Go Even If I Die
15. DBSK – I Believe
16. SNSD – Gee
Even if you haven't heard half of these songs, it's pretty cool sounding... And it's even cooler to know that there are 16 different (Korean) songs in a 6.5 minute piece.. performed by the Nanyang Polytechnic Chinese Orchestra. They're even using some traditional Chinese instruments! Korean music seems to be popular in a lot of different ways these days! Hallyu movement is going strong :)
Something that has recently come up again and again is the controversy about Korean entertainment companies forcing their artists to sign unfair contracts. The most well-known would be the SM Entertainment and DBSK (Dong Bang Shin Ki or 동방신기) conflict. You can read about their unfair contract terms on Allkpop; however, the end result was that the group split. DBSK was internationally renowned and even has the largest official fan base in the world- making it into the Guinness World Record book. The group played an important part in the hallyu movement/the Korean wave, which is an increase of popularity South Korean culture throughout the world.
Recently, more artists, talents, actors, etc., have been taking part in the hallyu movement, going overseas to promote the Korean culture. I think that the hallyu movement is pretty cool and also very important for the Korean economy. It is also just amazing when people from other cultures (Irish, Indian, Lithuanian, etc.) come up to me and ask about a Korean artist. However, that such international artists like DBSK has split because of an unfair contract is not the way I want the world to see the Korean music industry. Granted, this issue caused a great deal of conflict, but what came after is also something worth noting.
The three who protested created a new group called JYJ and has actually come out with their first English album. In the spirit of their old group, they are continuing to expand their reach and contributing to the hallyu movement. They collaborated with Kanye West and Malik Yusef for their song Ayy Girl:
The other two, Yunho and Changmin stuck with SM Entertainment and has just come out with a new song. Here is one of their live performances:
Before they split, they came out with Mirotic, which was a huge hit in Korea, winning them album of the year.
