Best products from r/kpop

The K-Pop

• f(x) - Ending Page - The final track of their new album Pink Tape. This song is the reason f(x) is currently set as my flair. Pretty much any song that has acoustic guitar usually gets a nod from me. I love the harmonies and just about everything else about this song. The lack of a rap part also sold me, I get tired of there being a rap part in seemingly every K-Pop song. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. I really recommend this album it's one of the best I've heard in a while.
  Physical Ablum | Digital Ablum
  
  
• Ladies' Code - Hate You - This is another one that's been on repeat since I first heard it. Has a little bit of the same vibe as Lee Hi's Rose As you might have guessed the acoustic guitar is a contributing factor to my love for this song, but I won't discount amazing vocals, even if the chorus is a mite repetitive. Ladies' Code is easily my favorite rookie group of the year so far.
  
  
• Exo - What is Love - All jokes aside (I'm looking at you nasties) this is one of my K-Pop songs of all time. I think it does this style of music great justice. Physical Album | Digital Album
  
  
• Ailee - U&I - In my top 3 songs of the year so far, maybe even the top (I tend to waffle a bit on this matter). Her whole mini album is done very well IMO and does a great job of showing what Ailee is capable of. Physical Album
  
  
• Miss A - Over U and Lips - Both of these tracks are off of the Touch Mini Album. Lips has been my favorite Miss A song for a while. As for Over U I've been loving this song the last couple days and it's playcount has been steadily climbing.
  Physical Album | Digital Album
  
  
• Lee Hyori - Amor Mio (Duet with Park Ji Yong of Honey-G) - This a beautifully put together duet. My favorite song of her MONOCHROME album. I know a lot of folks avoid ballads because many of them tend to feel a bit melancholy, but I try not to, while I don't like all ballads I have found a lot of great songs by not avoiding them. Physical Album | Digital Album
  
  
• G-Dragon - That XX - Do I.....Do I dare mention acoustic guitar again? This is a really beautiful song, and the Music Video video is just as beautiful. I tend to like most of GD's music. Even the stuff I don't like at the outset tends to grow on me. The man knows how to make good music. Physical Album | Digital Ablum
  
  
• Tiny-G - MINIMANIMO - I think I've stated in the past that this song is super cute and fun. A lot of people didn't like their self titled debut track, but I like it just as well as I like this one.
  
  
• U-Kiss - Standing Still - This is my favorite U-Kiss song that I've heard. Not by much but it is my favorite, and has been on my playlist for quite a while. Physical Album | Digital Album
  
  
• 2PM - 하.니.뽄. (A.D.T.O.Y.) - Another one that has been steadily rising in playcount. I haven't like liked everything that 2PM has put out, but this one I feel is them at their best. Physical Album
  
  
• M.I.B - 끄덕여줘! (Nod along!) - I don't always like the mixing of rap and singing, but I think this song does it very well. Physical Album
  
  
• Crayon Pop - BAR BAR BAR - A lot of people don't seem to understand the buzz around CP (not necessarily those in this sub). Their songs are catchy, and the dances are easy and fun. I think the biggest draw to them is that they don't subscribe to the, "You must show as much skin as possible without revealing everything to be successful" bit that seems to have infected K-Pop as of late. I love that they do their own thing. Physical Single | Digital Single
  
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  The non-K-pop
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• Ikimono Gakari - Kaeri Taku Natta Yo - Probably my absolute favorite song by this J-Pop/Rock Band. There are several different versions of this song. I chose this version from their Ikimono Matsuri concert in 2011 because I think it captures the essence of the song the best. The whole concert is pretty awesome. Physical Concert DVD
  
  
• Ikimono Gakari - Warattetainda - Another of my favorites by them. Sorry the Video is so low quality, had a hard time finding one of better quality. I'd really recommend the whole album this song is from, it's one of my favorites. Physical Album
  
  
• Abingdon Boys School - Down to You - This is the group that Jaejoong's Mine reminds me of. I listened to them a lot when they were first getting started. This song is from their first studio album. Physical Album
  
  
• STEREOPONY - Stand By Me - I was devastated to find out this band broke up late last year, as I just discovered them. This is one of my favorite songs of theirs that I've listening to thus far, and has seen it's fair share of playtime since I discovered it. Physical Album
  
  
• Coheed and Cambria - Mother Superior - I don't think this song will ever leave my playlist. I just love it that much. Physical and Digital Album
  
  
• Ne-Yo - One in a Million - This song caught my attention from watching Dream High. It's the song that Wooyoung dances to in the hallway at the audition and Taecyeon dances to it later on the rooftop. Physical and Digital Album
  
  That about wraps up what I've been listening to lately for me. I'm sure there are a few that I'm missing, but I'll just have to leave it at this (As if this isn't long enough already anyways).
  
  EDIT:Here is a link to the first time I did this

Without knowing specifically what you're looking for in skincare, I'd say that the best introduction/gateway drug to AB are sheet masks! They're so much fun, and there's a lot of variety. Some much-loved kinds are Innisfree, Etude House, TONYMOLY, My Beauty Diary, Beton's Snail/Bee line, these Donkey Milk masks, etc, although there are a ton of brands out there. From there, you'll probably be hooked for life can expand your horizons to lots of other products! It's overwhelming at first but it is so much fun.

AB has a huge focus on moisturization and sun protection, and is largely based around maintenance/prevention. It has a lot of steps but honestly that's 50% because it's worth doing, and 50% because it's just fun to do (and no, you don't have to do them all). Skincare isn't treated as a luxury or "pampering" in places like South Korea, but rather something that everyone (even guys!) just do (a great side effect of this is that it means most products are considerably cheaper than Western counterparts). I recently travelled there as well, and I can just say that it's really a refreshing environment to be a part of, especially since here in the West skincare is often seen as something you only do if you have "problem skin."

Honestly, I would browse the sub a bit if you're interested! They're one of the most knowledgable and welcoming communities I've found on Reddit, if not the internet in general. Here is a relatively recent Holy Grail thread to get you started (that's actually where I started!), and here is a Best/Worst megathread!

*You can skip this if you want, but if you're curious, my current routine (note: this is not necessarily product recommendations, this is just what I personally am currently using) uses 2 cleansers (called "double cleansing") - one oil to get the makeup and sunscreen off, then one foaming to wash the oil off - followed by a toner, then a Vitamin C serum, a BHA, an AHA. Then I go into a first essence and this oil because it's awesome, followed by essences (Snails are a big hit in AB for their regenerative and calming properties, for example; I also like Galactomyces for "whitening" (read: brightening/skintone-evening) properties). Then I finish up with a sheet mask if I want (SO many good kinds), spot treatments, moisturizers (still looking for my holy grail). If it's nighttime, I'll sometimes use a sleeping pack (1, 2) for extra hydration. If it's daytime you HAVE to wear sunscreen, period - that's one of the biggest things AB promotes. Some people will wear it even if they're not going outside at all that day. Anyway, sometimes I do the full routine, sometimes I only do 1-2 steps of it, it really depends on how I'm feeling. Like I said, it seems like a lot, because it IS a lot - I mean, does anyone really need this much stuff to have nice skin? Probably not, no. But I do it because I enjoy* it, and it makes me feel good. After years of hating my skin, it is almost like a little meditation to treat it so nicely.

And yeah, most idols will do the whole shebang. Here's a bonus video of SNSD Yuri going through her nighttime routine.

TL;DR: Buy some sheet masks and go from there! :P

Nichkhun (2PM) recently did an interview (translation by @Daffodil0624) and his answers both warmed my heart and made me feel kinda sad. lol, this one though:

>Nichkhun: I will just keep working. If I meet a great person or great opportunity comes, I will reach for it.

>Reporter: Is it because you are concerned how your fans would feel?

>Khun: Not really.😂 I am close with my fans. They even told me to have a girlfriend. 😆 Some fans told me to get married and have kids. They wanted to see my babies. 😆Ultimately my fans understand that if I am happy, they are happy. It's not like I will disappear after I get married.

>Reporter: So at your age, your fans are not possessive anymore if you get married? 😂

>Nichkhun: My fans are the ones who should get married. You guys are not young anymore. 😂😂😂

--

Last week I was like, "even though I'm interested in Link's Awakening, I probably won't get it because Destiny 2 shadowkeep is coming up on oct 1st", and then a couple hours later amazon shipped my preordered copy of Link's Awakening... that I'd preordered during E3 and totally forgotten about lmao.

I watched ep 254 of I Live Alone (Simon Dominic), and his parents are so fricking cute. He and his family in general are so wholesome, and now I feel like I understand where he gets certain traits from.

In life-related things, my mom is coming to visit me this weekend! This is the first time we're really going to spend a whole weekend just the two of us. Since my dad passed away 3 months ago, it's a good way to get her away from home and maybe get her mind off all of this for a little bit.

As for K-pop, I'm going to use this time to once again scream from the top of my lungs SUPPORT VOISPER ON MAKESTAR! They have 6 days left and have yet to meet their goal. Thankfully, a few more people have contributed over the last couple of days, but they still have 7% (~$400) to go. If you want to learn a bit more about them, af-fx-tion wrote up a short summary about them in their Makestar Roundup post.

Also, the short MV version of Jaejoong's first Japanese single, Sign, was released!! He sounds so amazing. (Can't wait to see the Your Love MV, as well~) Please support him as he makes his solo debut there! He's had to endure a lot with not being able to promote in Japan, and after 9 years, he's finally getting to release music and promote on TV. I'm so incredibly proud! Here's a link to his Amazon Japan artist page that show the 3 versions of his single, if you are interested in supporting him. :)

So I found the inspiration they mention in their video description: Listen to it here: http://www.amazon.com/Jutti-Meri-Jandiye/dp/B002YGZXWI

The original song (the wedding song?) is not as similar as the one above, are there any Pakistani/Indian(?) people in here that can shed some more light on this? Anyway, it is based on a popular song played a lot in Pakistan in the early 80's. Haven't found any translation of the original lyrics so can't comment on that, but I found a blog post mentioning the original (if I'm not mistaken) song: http://taimur.org/2010/07/03/kala-doria/

Best song so far in 2014, I'm loving this, catchy and fun!

Unfortunately it's just all up to what company they're with. The ironic thing about the Japanese music industry is that most of the companies are just Japanese imprints of global conglomerates -- for example, Warner Music Japan is who handles TWICE and they're actually quite progressive in their approach compared to, say, Sony Music Japan -- so you'd think they'd be smarter about it.

> I'm assuming by your comment that even if I could purchase the deluxe album, the DVD would probably be region-locked to Japan?!

Yes, but if you play it on a computer it should be fine. DVDs in Japan also aren't subtitled in other languages like K-pop releases tend to be, so keep that in mind. I just looked for EXID's limited edition album and the only place I can find it still available is Amazon Japan, which you should be able to place an order internationally there but it's a little convoluted lol (if you're interested I can PM you instructions or you could Google a guide to buying from Amazon JP from abroad).

I can't really explain the gatekeeping stuff tbh. I've always thought it's out-of-touch older generation Japanese CEOs who don't understand the Internet or the fact that more than just Japanese people will be interested in Japanese artists and/or Japan-only releases, but that's a more benign take on the whole thing.

I use the UltraPro comic bags. They come in a few different sizes (I use the current size but that's because I do have a small comic collection as well), but they're acid free and archive safe. For signed albums, since I don't actually look through them that often, I end up "folding" them in the bags similar to what this person does. Keeping them tight like that helps prevent rubbing and wear.

You might be interested in the works of Suk Young Kim from UCLA

https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=29375

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA5rG7l1ang

Also this from a professor at UC Berkeley:

https://www.amazon.com/K-Pop-Popular-Cultural-Economic-Innovation/dp/0520283120

"K-Pop: Popular Music, Cultural Amnesia, and Economic Innovation in South Korea seeks at once to describe and explain the emergence of export-oriented South Korean popular music and to make sense of larger South Korean economic and cultural transformations. John Lie provides not only a history of South Korean popular music―the premodern background, Japanese colonial influence, post-Liberation American impact, and recent globalization―but also a description of K-pop as a system of economic innovation and cultural production. In doing so, he delves into the broader background of South Korea in this wonderfully informed history and analysis of a pop culture phenomenon sweeping the globe"

Try buying it off of Yahoo JP Auctions! They have a lot of middleman service like BUYEE. I used them before. It should be much cheaper! DxDxD is such a good album.. But the art is terrible. Idk what the stuff inside it is like.

Oh yea or you can just use Amazon JP. They ship international.

The album is quite expensive in YEN not in USD. 4,480 Yen lol. I wonder if it has a dvd or something..

Here DVD vers
Here CD only

You can set the site to english and sign up in english.

Another idea for anyone who is interested in organizing their photocards is a Polaroid photo album! The size of those mini Polaroids happens to be exactly the same as most photocards. I don't have a huge collection but I got one of these and it's really cute and easy. (Amazon link for the one I have, there's quite a few out there)

LOL if you want to speak at least conversational Korean with the ability to construct sentences correctly and properly as well as know the right usage of grammar and honorifics, don't use K-Drama/K-Pop!

I recommend this book called "Korean for Beginners: Mastering Conversational Korean". It's a short book with only a few hundred pages but by the time you finish you will have an in-depth understanding and knowledge of how to speak/write/understand/converse in Korean.

You can do self-study with this book (it's what I did), but if you want to improve more, you can go on English-Korean student exchange forums to converse and learn with native Korean and English speakers.

http://www.amazon.com/Korean-Beginners-Mastering-Conversational-Included/dp/0804841004

Honestly, headphones all the way. A quality pair of earbuds for outside use though, I use noise-isolating cones with them too. They sound pretty great but does anybody have suggestions for something better?

If you need a transcription for whatever reason:

> [Pre-order notice for ARMYs in the US and Canada ]

> Online pre-order of [LOVE YOURSELF: Her] is now available at Amazon for BTS fans in North America. Suggested retail price is USD $21.98 per CD and S&H is free for Amazon Prime members.

> Release Date : 2017.09.18. 5AM (EST)

> 1 CD (Random) + 100p Photobook + 20p Minibook + Photocard (Random 1 out of 28 photocards + 1 Special photocard in limited quantity) + Special Stickers + Folded Poster

> * This is the official release and will be counted for Hanteo/Gaon/Billboard Chart.

Love Yourself: Her on Amazon

Here's the link to BigHit's tweet about this, and here's the link to the Amazon page where they're selling Her. It's for a random version, comes with a poster, and is available via prime shipping in the USA and Canada. You'll receive it on the day of release if you order it!

Personally I'm hoping they'll release a 4-CD set for this, it's a great deal. Considering how big their fan base is in the North America and how cost prohibitive shipping prices for kpop merch can be, this is a really smart move.

These ones are around $14 on Amazon, are these right?

Because I'd love to get some decent ones as well...not only for concerts, but maybe for migraine days at work... :-D

Infinite has a 2017 Season's Greetings that would be nice, I know I'd like it lol. If you want it here by Christmas though you might be paying a lot for shipping. edit: I found it on Prime :)

There are a couple US stores that sell kpop apparel, one of them is MunkyPop. I've ordered from them before, their stuff is really comfy, good quality.

There's also ebay. You could get some photocards, posters, maybe a lightstick? There's a variety of stuff there, but again you'd need to consider shipping.

Officially confirmed by SM Entertainment!!

1. The International Stores That Count For Both Billboard and Korean Charts :
   
   Amazon :
   
   Allegro version : http://smarturl.it/Amazon_EXO_Allegro
   
   Moderato version : http://smarturl.it/Amazon_EXO_Moderato
   
   Andante version : http://smarturl.it/Amazon_EXO_Andante
   
   SM Globalshop : https://exo.smglobalshop.com/
   
   Target : http://smarturl.it/Target_EXO_Allegro
   
   Deep Discount :
   
   Allegro version : http://smarturl.it/Deep_EXO_Allegro …
   
   Moderato version : http://smarturl.it/Deep_EXO_Moderato …
   
   Andante version : http://smarturl.it/Deep_EXO_Andante … 
   
   Barnes and Noble :
   
   Allegro version : http://smarturl.it/Barnes_EXO_Allegro
   
   Moderato version : http://smarturl.it/Barnes_EXO_Moderato
   
   Andante version : http://smarturl.it/Barnes_EXO_Andante

The political impact of kpop is so fascinating to me. Have you read The Birth of Korean Cool? Its not perfect, but still its really interesting.

Euny Hong wrote "The Birth of Korean Cool".

You should read it and it will give you a very clear idea about what areas and sources you can explore.

There's only one official listing that counts for Billboard right now, the other sellers with the different versions/sets are third party. I assume we get a random version? Tbh I am not sure how it will work but I ordered anyway

Here is the mobile version of your link

I got these ones! (recommenting without shorted URL)