2013-06-19, 16:45 | Link #1 |
Augumented Paranoia
Join Date: Nov 2003
|
Sex appeal and JPOP:does it even exist
KPOP has been taking the asian community by storm and Japan has failed to build proper shelters for the Korean wave. One problem they are facing is that KPOP is aiming to improve the sex appeal of their artists. Especially with girl groups, compare something froom After School's comeback album to anything from AKB48 and notice the difference in qualty of the sex appeal.
So I brg to ask this question, does Japan understand what sex appeal is anymore because this part of the rise KPOP's popularity
__________________
|
2013-06-20, 00:52 | Link #3 | |
Augumented Paranoia
Join Date: Nov 2003
|
Quote:
But really, Japan never noticed about the shift in Pop Music, nowadays it's all about sexy slick black leather or jazz inspired music among all things.
__________________
|
|
2013-06-20, 06:07 | Link #6 |
Augumented Paranoia
Join Date: Nov 2003
|
And how well is that selling? Without the "election" system, the J-Idol industry would collapse to KPOP's style which is aimed at making their girls feel "sociable" types. Compared to the J-Idol industry aimed at "Secret Gardens". Seriously, Japan can do much more than Korea since they are less hindered by something like MOGEF.
__________________
|
2013-06-21, 11:59 | Link #7 |
seiyuu maniac
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Tokyo, Japan
|
The problem is not that Jpop has no sex appeal in it (it's more like the sex appeal thing has came and gone for Jpop already with rise and fall of stars like Namie Amuro, Hamasaki Ayumi etc), it's really because the Japanese music industry are reluctant/no desire to expand overseas because they have no incentive to do so as traditionally their domestic market is so big that they didn't have to care about overseas business (same thing for their other industries like electronics, anime etc).
Here's a good summary of Jpop industry, including reasons why it fails against Kpop in the world market: http://factsanddetails.com/japan.php...d=705&catid=18 The two money quotes are really these: What's important is how to disseminate it globally. When I ask young people in China why Hanryu idols are so popular in there, I always get the simple reply: "Because they come here." “In contrast, K-pop stars are less shy about stepping out of their country. To be frank, they are all too eager to promote themselves. Sometimes, it seems they are willing to go anywhere in the world for even the opening of an envelope, as long as it is an opportunity for more publicity and the price is right. Indeed, K-pop acts tour Singapore more often than the Japanese, with popular groups such as Girls' Generation, FTIsland and Beast having recently performed here. Kpop artists will easily take any opportunity to go overseas to promote themselves, you never hear Jpop artists do this though.
__________________
|
2013-06-21, 13:00 | Link #8 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Los Angeles, California
Age: 39
|
Quote:
Besides, Japan has a weird understanding of sex appeal. case in point: AKB48, young cute girls in high school uniforms. . . See, the Japanese managers and agents Don't Care about other markets. They just care about the Japanese market. . .and that's a big problem. They don't take what's working and try to work that into what they're doing in Japan. Thing is, POP music in Japan is going through a rough patch at the moment, mostly it has a lot to do with distribution. They don't take much advantage of online sales as much as the west does. That and they market the POP stars to very niche audiences you get the young boy for the 12-16 year old girl crowd, and the sexy Koda Kumi types for women of all ages under 26 or so pretty much. Thing is, there really isn't much talent, or rather incentve to produce a lot of talent. A lot of the creativity goes into creating quick hits that can garner some popularity, and zero in on their demographics. They like things to be safe and will do the same formula ad naseum , ad infinitum. It's a lot worse than in the states. . .also a lot of the producers who make tracks for/with artists are just told to produce the same, corny boring stuff. . . JPOP's success has nothing to do with sex appeal or not, because there have been groups that had sex appeal, but their music ...sucked. AKB is barely tolerable(to Japanese people. . .I can't stand their songs) because they're all really cute, and they have the momentum behind them. . . Not many new artists have really come up. So you get K-POP which has a great scene due to the fact that Koreans are really critical about the music they listen to, they get into it and hate the kind of junk that JPOP execs tell their producers to put out. I know a few Japanese EDM producers who produce songs for the big labels on the side and pretty much use a pen name so that they won't be associated with the stuff they've worked on. Right now, JPOP is a a rough spot and is not getting better My Sources: Me living in Tokyo for Five years and getting into the music industry there. . .getting to know various A&R's at some of the large record companies there. . . I've been to MANY "new talent" showcases, and the talent/songwriting there is atrocious. It's pretty much the result of execs trying to "play it safe" (a trademark of Japan pretty much) and not change anything. . .taking the "if it isn't broke don't fix it" way too far. to the point where "it's broken but I still don't want to fix it" mentality. The issues with JPOP in Japan is a lot deeper than "Sex appeal" Also, the financial crisis has hit Japan harder than people realize. . .making the execs try to keep things "safe" The music industry in Japan is frankly about 10-15 years behind the rest of the world in pretty much all areas.(lets not get me started on JRock. . .yeah it's THAT bad right now.) Imagine a whole industry of Kyary Pom Pom type music. . .with really bad rock mixed in here and there. . . Oh and. . .Koda Kumi. . .I mentioned her for a reason. . .youtube her Last edited by CJ_Walker; 2013-06-21 at 13:09. Reason: grammar and spelling what? |
|
2013-06-21, 14:25 | Link #9 |
Kimo-kimo-ii~
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Avoiding people.
|
I'll take your word for it. I personally find a lot of sex appeal in Japanese music. Everything they make seem to be tailored just for me. The Korean aesthetics actually doesn't sit well with me and I find no appeal in them at all. Guess it's people like me the managers and agents are targeting. Though I guess outside of Japan, people like me are in the extreme minorities.
|
2013-06-22, 00:24 | Link #11 |
seiyuu maniac
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Tokyo, Japan
|
They actually do - but like other Asian countries they tend to use their own system. IIRC online music sales for their domestic flip phones (pre-smartphone boom) had surpassed CD sales 3 years ago, but now they've hit stagnation due to the transition to smartphones which don't share their old system and Western digital music systems, streaming or download to own, aren't exactly playing nice with them except for itunes. Also instead of Youtube they partner with local channels like Gyao etc, so all these little things adds up to become huge road blocks to international expansion.
__________________
|
2013-06-22, 12:28 | Link #12 |
Augumented Paranoia
Join Date: Nov 2003
|
And this is going to cause Japan to flounder even more. This may lead to them being culturally dominated.
And yes I know about Koda Kumi but whrre is the new blood to continue her sex sells legacy?
__________________
Last edited by asaqe; 2013-06-22 at 15:42. |
2013-06-22, 20:42 | Link #13 | ||
今宵の虎徹は血に飢えている
Join Date: Jan 2009
|
Quote:
Extreme minority is what you call fans of say...bagpipers or something. Quote:
If korea's culture is to be outward looking to reap foreign money, that's good for them. If Japan's industry profits off mainly from their own people, who are you to stop them from doing so? People outside Japan who are fans of Japanese stuff know how to get them thank you very much.
__________________
Last edited by Cosmic Eagle; 2013-06-22 at 21:41. |
||
2013-06-22, 21:42 | Link #14 |
Banned
Join Date: Apr 2013
|
I don't think males are listening to any KPOP boybands. As for KPOP girlbands, most fans are either young males and preteen girls who wants to be like them.
There's nothing wrong of selling sex but it only wrong if you aimed it at wrong audiences. No 20+ women wants to listen to girlbands and I've been Girls' Generation concert last year and I don't see women among the fans. Only young men. Even if they actually come to the concert, they just filled the back row seats and let the fanboys take front row ones. |
2013-06-22, 22:28 | Link #15 |
Senior Member
Artist
Join Date: Mar 2010
|
Majority of Korea's mainstream Pop portrays a more western feel; a more mature, and cool look. As Japan is more on cutesy, and youthful. Making K-Pop a more "like home" feel for those who follow current Pop music in America; a familiar sense really. In terms of Western sound influence. K-Pop's music structure is very similar to ones you hear in current American Mainstream Pop, as Japan tends to take influence more on Swedish Pop, and America's Classical/early Pop sound (not big band or Orchestra, but 60's-90's and early 2000's). Both have there unique tastes as they mix there own styles to there scene, but people who are more exposed to current or primary listens to American Pop would gravitate more towards K-Pop in terms of Sound, Style, and Appearance.
Last edited by Afternoon Tea; 2013-06-23 at 15:00. |
2013-06-23, 00:08 | Link #16 | |
Augumented Paranoia
Join Date: Nov 2003
|
Quote:
But on the LN issue I would rather discuss it at a GA thread since it would be more appropriate
__________________
|
|
2013-06-24, 20:11 | Link #17 |
MSN, FNP-C
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Ontario, CA
Age: 34
|
And it's actually hitting the boy bands as well. I was randomly browsing some videos that was basically baggin on the sex appeal of KPOP and how that's wrong and whatnot and that it's getting to be a problem with the boy bands. The issue isn't really with the boy banders taking off their shirts and stuff, but boy bands are now incorporating a male character that looks female, or has some sort of feminine side to him (not necessarily gay...yet ). I don't know specific band member names but there's one in Shinee or however you spell it, this might just be my opinion but Zelo from BAP kinda is leaning toward that, and some pics of Super Junior are showing it as well.
__________________
|
2013-06-27, 04:09 | Link #19 |
Wanderer of the Mist
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: The River Lethe
|
I'm sure Japan does understand this issue but if i'm not mistaken Korea has alot more control over the lives of their mainstream musicians (with all their training and life managing), so i suppose they get more of a choice on who makes it big compared to japan. Well that's my guess
__________________
|
Thread Tools | |
|
|