Let's try this again!
I was very proud of myself for getting out my "welcome to my world (pt 2)" newsletter this morning. But it turns out that not every subscriber was added to my ghost account for some reason. So let's try this again shall we?
Welcome to the new home for Notes on K-pop. You can read my official intro message here.
If you're previously a paid subscriber, please check your account to ensure whatever settings you want are still correct. If something's an issue, please email me: tamarhermanwrites@gmail.com.
I wasn't planning on sending out another edition today, so I'm going to use this time to clear out my reading/viewing/listening suggestions from the past few months that I've been hoarding for future usage. I hope you enjoy!
What I've been writing:
The Rose Are in Full Bloom - SPIN
Kiss of Life is back with a vengeance on their mini-album. - Rolling Stone Korea (Available in both English and Korean)
Blurbed (G)I-dle's "Queencard" and IVE's "I AM" for NME's Best of K-pop songs of 2023
The Best of K-pop in 2023, Reader's Choice
What I've been reading:
Bow down to our new music-tech overlords - Water & Music -"While music and tech have always been tightly intertwined throughout history, the concept of music-tech as a vital investment category has emerged only in the last two decades, with significant momentum bubbling up in the last five years."
That Podcast & BTS' Relevance to Korean Diaspora - Jae-Ha Kim - "This could have been an interesting topic if they had addressed their own implicit bias as well as the obvious question: Why is it that when white European performers choose to sing in English — even though their native language isn’t English — no one accuses them of tapping into an already-saturated market of songs performed in English? We know why."
Netmarble sells 6% stake in BTS label HYBE in block deal -The Korea Economic Daily - "Netmarble holds a 12.1% stake in HYBE after the deal, according to its regulatory filing on Tuesday. The game developer remains the second-largest shareholder of the music label, following HYBE founder Bang Si-hyuk with 31.6%."
To-be Kakao CEO to meet with employees ahead of company revamp - Korea JoongAng Daily -"Chung is targeting a serious corporate makeover for her company, which is currently knee-deep in a myriad of scandals related to inner friction and alleged stock manipulation during its attempt to takeover K-pop agency SM Entertainment."
The Memories that will disappear with Hakjeon - Dolpin - "'Hakjeon', which led the Korean small theater culture in the early 90s, will close its doors next March. "Due to ongoing operational difficulties, we have decided to close the theater by March 15th next year, the 33rd anniversary of Hakjeon," said Kim Sung-min, the director of Hakjeon. Hakjeon was founded by singer Kim Min-ki, who wrote and sang 'Morning Dew' and 'Evergreen Tree', as a stepping stone for artists who would grow up to become big stars. If your friends aren't familiar with Hakjeon these days, let's take a look at its significance in the history of Korean pop music, along with some of its most iconic artists." (Note: It seems like it may not close but TBD as people try to save it.)
Fanfiction After AI - What does fan culture reveal about the risks of asking our computers to do our storytelling for us? Zora Zine - "Fans remind us that to create an active community around art is to let them become creators in their own right, without bounds and restrictions."
What I've been listening to:
OKKYUNG LEE : KOREAN POP SONGS BLACKLISTED IN THE 70'S UNDER THE MILITARY DICTATORSHIP
This was my UPROXX ballot for 2024. It's not really reflective of what I thought was the best absolute perfect music in 2024, but more stuff I wanted to be considered. I didn't realize my ballot was going to be out there publicly so... whoops.
What I've been watching:
