Post by Mindy on Feb 17, 2010 4:56:20 GMT -5
Okay then! Chaeha didn't feel like making a post because he's a 루저, so he clarified a bunch of info for me. Just as a forewarning, I didn't take any girl groups into account because that's a whole other monster and my head would explode.
~*~Korean Pop Music Cultural Lesson~*~
So in Korea, with respect to pop music, we can create a fandom spectrum with two ends: "crazy fans" and "general fans." Crazy fans are the ones like us who watch all their TV shows and learn all about them and blah blah blah. General fans are just everyone else. On the fandom spectrum, five groups are closer to the crazy end: DBSK, Super Junior, SS501, SHINee, and FT Island.
DBSK have been around the longest and are definitely the most popular. Chaeha reckons that, regarding popularity, they are kind of like the Korean Jonas Brothers. Their fandom is especially famous for having a lot of psychopaths. Like, think BSB's craziest fan in 1999 or something and times it by 100.
SuJu is like DBSK on a slightly lesser scale. However, Chaeha remarked that SuJu's best days are over. Unless they get their shit together and their 4th album tops Sorry, Sorry, they probably won't again experience the popularity they did last year.
Chaeha doesn't care about SS501 so he's not too sure, but he knows they have a huge fanbase so they probably come next. Their leader, Hyunjoong, is especially growing in popularity, even amongst the general public, thanks to his starring role in the insanely popular drama Boys Over Flowers at the beginning of 2009.
It's a bit hard to say where SHINee fall because they are relatively young (they debuted in 2008), but they are quickly growing more popular. SHINee fighting!
And then there is FT Island. They're a little different because they're an actual "band." Chaeha doesn't care for them either, so it's hard to place them. They are probably somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, leaning more toward the crazy side. They do have some popularity with the general public, but their crazy fans are helping to keep them afloat.
On the "general fans" end, the top groups are Big Bang, 2PM and 2AM. These groups have plenty of crazy fans, but more importantly, they greatly appeal to the general public. If we're counting the entire populace, Big Bang is probably the top group right now. Although they're currently doing activities in Japan, their secret weapon Daesung (aka Perfection) allows them to appeal to music listeners of older generations (age 40+) because he's starring in a variety show that everyone likes.
2AM (2PM's "brother" group - the two were originally supposed to debut as one group) are an odd case. They are going through a sort of transitional period. Before, they were a ballad group and really weren't popular at all. However, they recently released a new minialbum which has a new sound, and they are becoming a lot more popular these days. Leader Jo Kwon is helping to boost their popularity.
So, let's say all these groups are taking a walk down the street. In order of who gets the most head turns by passersby, it's probably like this: Big Bang, 2PM, DBSK, SS501, 2AM, Super Junior, FT Island, SHINee. After that comes everyone else (mostly new groups) who pretty much nobody except close followers of idol pop music are going to know.
You may be shocked that SuJu fall behind 2AM!!!!!! That's because SuJu are in an idle period right now while 2AM are in the middle of promotions. And anyway, 2AM are fresh and new (they debuted in 2008) while SuJu are kinda yesterday's news. Let's all hope for a brilliant comeback with their 4th album!
So anyway, the "crazy fans" groups have plenty of popularity and everybody knows who they are, but the "general fans" groups have more everyday people who care who they are.
Oh and I'm not really sure how any of these groups rank on an Asian-wide scale (lol), but I know that DBSK are HUGE in Japan and I think Big Bang are pretty big there too. And SuJu have lots of fans all over.
~*~Korean Pop Music Cultural Lesson~*~
So in Korea, with respect to pop music, we can create a fandom spectrum with two ends: "crazy fans" and "general fans." Crazy fans are the ones like us who watch all their TV shows and learn all about them and blah blah blah. General fans are just everyone else. On the fandom spectrum, five groups are closer to the crazy end: DBSK, Super Junior, SS501, SHINee, and FT Island.
DBSK have been around the longest and are definitely the most popular. Chaeha reckons that, regarding popularity, they are kind of like the Korean Jonas Brothers. Their fandom is especially famous for having a lot of psychopaths. Like, think BSB's craziest fan in 1999 or something and times it by 100.
SuJu is like DBSK on a slightly lesser scale. However, Chaeha remarked that SuJu's best days are over. Unless they get their shit together and their 4th album tops Sorry, Sorry, they probably won't again experience the popularity they did last year.
Chaeha doesn't care about SS501 so he's not too sure, but he knows they have a huge fanbase so they probably come next. Their leader, Hyunjoong, is especially growing in popularity, even amongst the general public, thanks to his starring role in the insanely popular drama Boys Over Flowers at the beginning of 2009.
It's a bit hard to say where SHINee fall because they are relatively young (they debuted in 2008), but they are quickly growing more popular. SHINee fighting!
And then there is FT Island. They're a little different because they're an actual "band." Chaeha doesn't care for them either, so it's hard to place them. They are probably somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, leaning more toward the crazy side. They do have some popularity with the general public, but their crazy fans are helping to keep them afloat.
On the "general fans" end, the top groups are Big Bang, 2PM and 2AM. These groups have plenty of crazy fans, but more importantly, they greatly appeal to the general public. If we're counting the entire populace, Big Bang is probably the top group right now. Although they're currently doing activities in Japan, their secret weapon Daesung (aka Perfection) allows them to appeal to music listeners of older generations (age 40+) because he's starring in a variety show that everyone likes.
2AM (2PM's "brother" group - the two were originally supposed to debut as one group) are an odd case. They are going through a sort of transitional period. Before, they were a ballad group and really weren't popular at all. However, they recently released a new minialbum which has a new sound, and they are becoming a lot more popular these days. Leader Jo Kwon is helping to boost their popularity.
So, let's say all these groups are taking a walk down the street. In order of who gets the most head turns by passersby, it's probably like this: Big Bang, 2PM, DBSK, SS501, 2AM, Super Junior, FT Island, SHINee. After that comes everyone else (mostly new groups) who pretty much nobody except close followers of idol pop music are going to know.
You may be shocked that SuJu fall behind 2AM!!!!!! That's because SuJu are in an idle period right now while 2AM are in the middle of promotions. And anyway, 2AM are fresh and new (they debuted in 2008) while SuJu are kinda yesterday's news. Let's all hope for a brilliant comeback with their 4th album!
So anyway, the "crazy fans" groups have plenty of popularity and everybody knows who they are, but the "general fans" groups have more everyday people who care who they are.
Oh and I'm not really sure how any of these groups rank on an Asian-wide scale (lol), but I know that DBSK are HUGE in Japan and I think Big Bang are pretty big there too. And SuJu have lots of fans all over.