first??

yea too bad theres only a handful of good singers
but i rkn good singers without looks wont make it far coz ppl mainlly go for looks~ and a good voice is usually a bonus

well said ^_^ I think that’s the main reason why they can’t make it in the US. There are not very good singers in the US too, but I think you wouldn’t be able to make it for very long.

You are cool. That is all.

good post, i liked this. didn’t know about that episode of bb’s making of, but it’s relevant and i see your point. in g-dragon’s defense, he’s really not meant to be a singer, he’s a good rapper and has charisma as a leader. but that point about his vocals is valid, methinks.

Well, I agree with you on some points CiaoCiao.
But when it comes to music, excellent vocal ability such as Mariah isn’t always what’s favored.
We can look far back in the history of music and admit not all “singers” back then (like now) aren’t that fantastic (and I mean in any/every genre of music).
I think as long as the music/song is appealing to the audience, then it passes, you know?
And besides, this is k-POP. I don’t have very high expectations for k-pop music when it comes to vocal singing ability. As long as it doesn’t sound completely annoying to my ears, I’m okay, lol. This isn’t R&B and opera, it’s k-pop!! Look at Britney Spears for god’s sake!! And Madonna! (they’re not much of “singers” either, but their music is ‘good’ to many people)

this is totally true! i mean, dont say anything hateful to me or whatever, but it is actually true. Sure, there are good singers, but there arent a LOT of them, is there? No.

Yeah, if they go for an audition for American Idol they’ll drop like flies (judging per voice alone.) I imagine Simon (? or whatever his name is) would say “you’re terrible. Not good. Not good at all. Go home.”

@mee - you’re part of the problem.

if people had higher expectations, then entertainment companies would recruit better singers.

Look, I think for a person to be taken seriously as a musician/singer, they have to pack something. while g-dragon can’t sing all that well, his not-so-secret weapon is his ability to write catchy songs. back in the 60’s, no one gave a shit if you had a conventionally good voice. most people would say bob dylan had an appalling voice, passable at best. but he was a genius composer and when you listened to his songs, you got the feeling that he was pouring his heart out. singing isn’t just about technical ability, you also have to make people believe what you’re singing, which gets harder when you didn’t write the damn lyrics. i’m not comparing g-dragon to bob dylan cos god knows that’d be really really blasphemous, but while he’s not a great singer, he makes up for being a decent songwriter, which is waaaaaay more than what i can say for most k-pop singers, who can neither sing nor write songs.

This was a great post.

i respect your opinion and this is actually true, most “popular” kpop artists arent the most vocally talented. however i do disagree with the wonder girls comment. Sohee/yoobin/ and in some cases sunmi arent talented based on your definition of talent, but sun ye and ye eun can definitely sing ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P98OIaQMnvI&feature=related and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RKhqz4gXsk&feature=related are good examples). And in DBSK both Junsu and Jaejoong are awesome singers. In SNSD TaeYeon is very talented although the rest of that group can’t sing to save their life (im sorry but jessica can hold a tune but she isnt great). And regarding bigband, G-Dragon wasn’t meant to be a singer he was meant to rap. Another good example is Kyuhyun and Yesung in SUJU are also awesome singers. Most of these people should of been sololists but companies get more money from packaging them so as long as the entertainment companies get rich from their boy/girl bands we will have to listen to some not so talented people. But what makes kpop not good is not so much the talent but the songs themselves, it doesn’t matter how talented you are if the song is sucks I am not going to buy a cd and will just download the songs I think are good.

I totally agree.
It saddens me to see groups like Wonder Girls, who clearly can’t sing.
And the fact that people actually like them so much..

@mary,
I didn’t ask to be bashed. I just gave an opinion. -_-
Besides, I wasn’t even born before companies started recruiting “mediocre singers”, okay?

well pop music is about being catchy.
gummy, big mama, leena park — they have their own genres. for example, gummy is an r&b artist. i would not consider her pop. i think you need to redefine what you call “pop”.
pop music is popular music aka catchy music. sure, you have some artists who transcend and push the borders — people who create pop songs that last generations. but usually, pop artists come and go because pop artists are essentially just part of what is currently trendy — the pop culture, and that changes constantly.
you’re saying all this about kpop, but this is the truth for pop music all over the world. a pop artist is about portraying what is popular which is why they need to be versatile because as i said before, pop culture changes all the time.
if you appreciate pop, you understand this and you accept the fact that you enjoy music that is simply catchy, but doesn’t have much value.
if not, then you have issues.

my two cents.

MY BEEF WITH CIAOCIAO/why do u always have to pick on idol groups?is it cause it’ll bring more comments for you?u think theirs more singing talent in the US? have u listened to the radio recently?the only thing people want are catchy songs.you are picking on GD. you always seem to pick on him.since GD was young he has always been a rapper.he can also sing but the main talent he has is rapping.he doesnt have to be the greatest singer.why dont u pick out people that are mainly singers?its cause u want a reason to pick on idols.why are you the only writer that has opinion articles and not “real” news?

IS BOA COUNTED AS 1 OF THOSE ARTIST ?
I LIKE TURTLE
I GOT 4 MINUTE LEFT TO EDIT

good article. although i would’ve hoped you actually mentioned ALL the artists in the picture you posted. cause i believe most of them CAN sing. [then again if you happened to call DBSK talentless i might've bashed yo all the way].

anywayz, my beef with kpop is not just about the singing. it’s the quality of songs they sing. you watch inkigayo and put it on mute and you realize, man are they all singing the same songs? esp the girls. it’s either that cutesy move or the sexy move! it’s a little annoying, imo.

=D i agree!

good post. I agree with a lot of what was written.

On the other hand, we are talking about the music biz, and I think it’s pretty much the same everywhere, not just k-pop. I’m not all that impressed with the talents in the US either.

yes, and so what?

sometimes i think that the music industry is not about music anymore.

for me, i have 2 categories of kpop
1 for variety shows/eyecandy/personality/dancing
1 for my mp3 player

the real issue about kpop is the music trend…almost evryone is copying each other so there is no diversity in terms of music…..almost evryone are doing techno music and the music styles are always the same…shows in korea are mostly influenced and dicteated by larger companies so if you are talented but your company is relatively unknown, you will not be able to survive….

well after all it IS a music business so as long as there are crazy fans out to buy catchy music presented by hot idols then it’s fine by their standard. you can pretty much apply that to everything else in life. after all all they care about is money

it’s k-POP, i wouldn’t consider gummy, big mama etc. pop artists.

in reality, dbsk= xiah junsu= versatile, total performer
bb= taeyang = total performer, GD can compose and rap but if he will perform solo, i will be bored watching him
rain= total performer

enough with the boyband already since most of the memebers are not so great singers if you think about them being solo….kpop is polluted with boybands who depend on looks and fanservice…

Great post. I agree. A majority of acts in Kpop can not sing. And to those trying to defend G-Dragon, the writer is focused on vocal ability. Sure, he may have other things going on for him, but singing is not one of them. He/she merely used his story as an example.

It’s pretty sad that in K-pop all you need is a catchy song to guarantee some sort of success. I would much rather listen to a mediocre song with great vocals than a catchy song with sub-par vocals. Though the latter may appeal more initially, I’ll be asking where the proverbial beef is eventually. At the end of the day, I know how to appreciate great vocal skills and that’s what keeps me interested.

Who really cares about GD’s singing voice, i mean seriously he’s rapper, as long as he has flow and rhythm no one really cares. (as long as he doesn’t sing too much)Plus the point of having vocalists in a band is well..they handle the vocals since they can actually sing. Also at least some ppl in kpop are taking the time to improve, unlike (sorry to pick on them) Sohee or most of Suju who’s vocals are crap and haven’t had any improvement. Seriously some idol band (BB,DBSK,etc) u can notice that they have made improvements in singing over their many albums/songs, while others are just happy being mediocre and ride on catchy beats made by an angry gorilla. (WG) and eye candy for fangirls (suju)

aww what a cute article.

kiwistar pretty much took the words out of my mouth there, so what? If you are looking for good singers, there are shit loads of them all over the world. What makes kpop so appealing is everything but their singing, even though there are definitely great vocals within this industry, but the reason that kpop so influential all over Asia, and to Asians overseas, is their looks, on air personality, dancing, interaction, competition, variety shows, etc.

Great article..quit picking on the writer because of the truth…admit it…I like G-dragon as much as the next girl but when it comes to singing…I agree with the writer of this article and I also agree that he and most of the boys in kpop are eye candy. Only a select few actually have real talent. I’m not complaning…I love eye candy.

PS: Great article…keepin coming..I don’t like to read crap…this is great….people don’t like to read the truth because they know it’s true and they can’t take it.

Mariah Carey doesn’t have an appealing voice to me. She shrieks, warbles and does way too many vocal acrobatics that ruin the songs. I never did understand why so many people liked her. Her own label, Virgin, paid her to LEAVE her contract. Anyway, I do agree with this article for the most part. K-pop does have some real stinkers. Korean music has always been about money and power, not talent. Image is also everything. You won’t get very far if you look awful but sing great.

Totally agree, and I’m basically married to Big Bang lol. When I first started hearing Kpop songs in dramas and stuff (before I was into things fully), I had a hard time not laughing every time the music played in scenes. However, I can listen to the same music now and pretty much love it because I have become accustomed to that. Even with Big Bang; when I first heard them, I loved their music, but I thought their voices sounded too unpolished for the type of music they were making. Now I’m unable to hear those little nuances that bothered me originally because I’ve listened to the stuff too much. I have very low expectations for Kpop. But I kind of like that. Before I got into it, I was going deeper and deeper into weird English indie music (honestly, where the person sings so bad it’s good), and that was just boring and unfun to me. I feel light and happy when I listen to Kpop because it doesn’t take itself seriously. Thankfully there ARE talented people out there though, for when I need GOOD music.

G-Dragon’s singing reminds me of like… listening to a family member sing. You know, they sing great, but they’re not meant to make records. I think that’s how I feel about it. I guess that doesn’t stop me from listening though LOL.

But people like Sohee… that’s like me trying to sing LOL. Not pretty.

You know what I actually have discussed this with my friends before.

Its pretty much true that KPOP is not the same anymore.
Yes there is talent but something that was so special about KPOP is gone.

I find myself laughing when fans are overly praising their favorite artists/groups LIVE performances… when some of them just sound like they are talking super fast.

I really think peoples expectations have been lowered.
Don’t get me wrong I do like all those catchy songs these youngins have been bringing out! They are on repeat in my ipod!

Lots of companies in Korea are part of this whole movement of debuting artists that have the look/can dance/ and can kind of sing. It doesn’t matter if your a outstanding singer anymore. Hell, some boys just need to be pretty boys and your set! AFter grabbing some fans on some tv shows your a star!

KPOP isn’t KPOP anymore. KPOP is like the artist being a looker + great personality.. (or great personality as shown on tv appearnaces)

in kpop nowadays, even if you are a good singer but you don’t have a fun personality, no one would buy the album, i mean look at Lee Hyori, she’s not really talented vocally but she’s the queen of kpop coz she’s fun and entertaining………..maybe thats why epik high said the reality of kpop is depressing and saddening…

@hallyu:
You are so dumb. KPop is short for Korean Music, not just the catchy type of song. CPop = Chinese music, VPop = Viet music blah blah lah

And pop culture = POPULAR culture, not POP the music genre culture.

Agree 100% although the no vocal talent thing applies to the entire global music industry. A vast majority of singers can’t sing worth crap. A tiny portion have great talent but aren’t marketted well or their style doesn’t appeal to the masses and don’t become superstars, and the rest who are marketted well end up becoming our Mariah Careys. While the new youth are onto the newest catchy pop releases like crack, people who truly appreciate music for the singer’s talent and the great lyrics are digging into the last century for meaningful music. I’m only 21, but I don’t think I know anyone in my social circle who listens to pop any more due to the aforementioned reasons.

For those arguing that the appeal of K-pop, etc are the other aspects of it besides vocal ability: you’re just the types of mindless lemmings the industry relies on for its sales. I often hear adults say modern music is garbage. Sadly, to a vast degree, they’re absolutely correct and people just love eating up that garbage.

You know, it’s funny how I find so much similarities between kpop and hiphop. Few people who understand hiphop insideout, rap about how hiphop is dead and all the bs, while it is the best selling genre of music out there and only getting more popular each day. Same thing with kpop, some of you people who are “experts” at kpop saying how it isn’t what it used to be, while kpop is getting more popular than it ever was in Asia. People need to step back and see only a minority of people out there (like you) are unsatisfied with how industry is nowadays and realize it is not as bad as you make it to be.

“Take Mariah Carey’s voice. She was born with that voice, and then she had some voice lessons, and of course, her voice improved into the status that it is now. But the fact of the matter is, her voice was always fantastic to begin with.”

i think i get what you’re saying, that people gotta have the talent to start with

but dude. hate to break it to you but there are many proper TECHNIQUES to singing (like breathing, diaphram work, transitions etc). you may have talent, but voice lessons are DEFINITELY necessary to nail the right techniques otherwise you still wouldnt sound as good. no one is born with a flawless voice man. and again, talent and skill has to be developed. its just like learning to walk then run man. everyone has the ability to learn to walk, but some people learn it faster and then those who have that innate thing, develop their athleticism with trainings and things like that.

i think the way you put things across - it makes it sound as tho attending voice lessons is not a very good thing. truth is, its NECESSARY.

In terms of vocal talent, kpop IS pretty bad.
Actually, even though I’m Chinese, I regard cpop as even worse.
I cannot stand to hear Mandarin rap, I can’t ever take it seriously.

But sometimes people just want to sit and listen to mindless catchy tunes instead of the soulful passion filled ballads of talented artists.

And it isn’t the minority who think this way. A lot of Koreans I know are embarrassed of their country’s mainstream music, and I can’t blame them.

EDIT; But I do think DBSK is incredibly talented live, especially their acapella sessions.
;o

Singing is basically the use of vocal techniques. Any voice can sound great as long as someone masters the techniques. Some people learn it slower than others… if that is what you call talent, then yes, if someone learns the techniques faster than the other and masters it faster, then I guess you can consider them more talented. So, I don’t fuly agree with you that some people are born with the voice.

About Kpop lacking in talent nowadays, I don’t know, have you checked Shinee out? Cause those boys can SING. On the other hand, I agree with some of the other idol groups you mentioned… their singing is pretty average at best. A certain Kpop idol group to me is no better than an elementary school choir.. and that is cutting them some slack.

Remember CSJH? They are no where as famous as the female idol groups nowadays but they are SO TALENTED. Same with Shinee, they deserve more fame as well.
But that’s the music industry for you. You don’t always win with talent, you need the right songs and marketting strategies. But at the end of the day it’s music listeners who have the final say. If we like a group and consider them talented, we should support them instead of blindly worshipping a group that has only pretty faces.

^ uh, the fact that it is mainstream, because majority likes it. Unless you live in Korea, you can’t really understand how their pop culture works, people are commenting on this with reference to the American music industry which is obviously more advanced.
A lot of Koreans you know eh? does a lot mean half of the Korean population? bleh.

@ TAIYOU. idk, about older people and saying modern music is rubbish. from what i hear, some of the olden bands were ‘rubbish-y’ too. there are good singers in each generation - just different music styling.

@ JESS. totally agree with you on the techniques part.

but i guess now the expectation is not just on pure talent in vocals but also dancing and persona and style which are factors that would appeal to the audience personally.

and vocal talent without personality is just … robotic. eheheh.

but definitely, good vocal skills SHOULD be the core/ basic expectation of all/most k pop singers/groups.

–
on a whole separate point, i heard some videos of some of the suju boys and was shocked that they could sing (you know bad rep). i mean. Kyuhyun, ryeowook, donghae, yesung, siwon, leeteuk, eunhyuk are decent singers. kyu and ryeo especially - ryeowook is probably pitch perferct.

lol..yeah,i agree dat those talented singers are underrated..
but i dun think u shld use GD as an example to compare with..
everyone knows his role in Big Bang is being de rapper,not a singer..
he doesn’t even like to sing in de beginning..
u shld make a comparison with those who debuted as singers..

i’m waiting for the day that kpop will be ruled by bands. why? because that’s when REAL musical talent (playing instruments, creating original music, REAL live performances, good lyricists, great vocals) will come into play and appearances are thrown out the door.

^I believe mainstream is mostly just overzealous fanboys/fangirls. You have to realize that not half of the Korean population is into idol groups, or Kpop for that matter.

You know, I think the fact that DBSK is so huge is that they have almost no rival groups who are as talented as them. That is why I love Shinee. Give them a few years and they are going to catch up to their DBSK seniors. THAT is the kind of advancement Kpop needs nowadays. Not all of this idol fluff who just look pretty and can’t sing to save their lives. Kpop entertainment agencies needs to start training their singers properly and give them proper singing lessons before debutting them.

and btw my comment was aimed @ e.l.f

LOL mariah carey kinda sounds annoying to me..
singing is not about “oh, i’m born with this thing” or something.
it about technique and how you breath and what not.

i agree with the wonder girls comment,
i mean, i like them and all, their songs are catchy
but some members voices make you question
wouldn’t they have improved by now?
ultimately, it is mainstream music,
most of the time its based on looks then talent.

Being a Big Bang fan, i can see what your saying

But like, i remember Yunho’s singing voice was not so good,
when DBSK debuted and now its great..

I am more than agree with you. I’ve made this kind of article in my blog, but it seems that people who read my blog are just too close minded.it’s sad, i know.kekeke.

I am not deaf and i know that wondergirls cannot sing. they cannot freaking sing! ask them to sing acappella and i really want to hear their voices. kekeke. their voices can scared the neighbors’ cats.hahahaha.

as for shinee, i do think they can sing, especially onew. he has a very strong and stable voice like junsu. i never heard them out of tune. and dont get me wrong, i love jaejoong the most out of DBSK members, but i have to admit that junsu never sing out of tune. I’ve heard my lovely jaejoong and changmin sang out of tune.hiks.
however, when they sing acappella, damn..my jaw is on the floor. they sound awesome together, even with micky. yeah, micky. hahh..the only one member of DBSK who i think the least member who can sing. i am sorry micky fans~

love jaejoongggg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

’s funny~ & while she is my absolute favourite~ BoA comes into this catagory.

Sure she can sing now.. but she wasn’t a SINGER. I feel a SINGER is someone who is born with it. She was taught to sing. It didn’t come naturally & how she has progressed.. but in that sense i don’t feel people are qualified as SINGERS because they have been taught to sing. Even Younho falls into this catagory!

I don’t contest their talent NOW, but i totally feel you on this CIAOCIAO!

but i think pop in general- All over the world- is the same. Attractive, moderate voice, some dance skill. Of course others excell in all regions, but mostly these people are popular because they were produced as an image & marketed anyway.

The thing i like about kpop, is that it seems far more sincere. These guys WORK hard. They train. They always promise to work harder in the future.. US popstars don’t say things like that.. it’s so different!

Even though the majority of groups that are in now in the kpop world aren’t outragiously talented, they do have that ‘it’ factor or *something* about them that is so likeable!

well, not a fan but i just feel sad for Ye Eun and Sun Ye b/c they’re constantly accused for having no singing talent just b/c So Hee’s is SO BAD that it is obstructing audience to see theirs.

I have to agree with you 100000%. I love listening to K-Pop but when you pay attention to vocal talent, there’s unfortunately not much out there in the K-Pop industry. Still though, the music is nice to listen to so in the end, somehow the girl/guy groups with looks and no vocal talents seem to win.

i’m just glad FT Island is not included in that collage…hehhee

don’t underestimate US pop stars they train just as hard as Korea do because remember american is hard to break into and stay so they work just as hard. globally music is not the same i wish we have more fantastic singers mariah is still awesome leona duffy jordan sparks are big and have great voices so does gummy big mama

funny how you mentioned mariah & whitney bc yes, they did have awesome voices but not anymore! their voices have deteriorated. (i was a huge mariah fan ’til she did a whole 180 & her voice got all airy & cracky)

i understand where you’re coming from, but it’s like that anywhere you go. i feel the same way w/american singers. i always ask myself, “how did he/she become a singer/famous?” obviously, it’s not all about having natural, pure talent. it’s all about appeal(whether it’d be music, dancing, image, concept, etc.), marketing & timing.

& i have to disagree w/you on the whole improving thing. i’d rather have them go 4rm bleh to better to show that they’re actually making an effort, rather than witness the mariah/whitney fiasco of voices 4rm too much partying, smoking & druggin up.

& yes, kpop singers work harder than the u.s. singers. trust me on this…

i was thinking the same thing, its sad that the people with the natural talent for singing are being overlooked for pretty little boys and girls, i was only attracted to kpop cos i like rainbows and the colors fascinate me but i definitely do not consider them as real talent or listen to them on my ipod. with the exceptions of a few songs, they are better to watch than listen.

I understand what you’re saying but you’ve basically narrowed music talent to just singing ability. Talent encompasses many things in music whether it be writing ability, rapping & even performances.

Kpop may be filled with mediocre artists but they have great marketability, this is how the Hallyu was able to propel to other countries, it is the Kpop we know today.

I’ve listened to the songs of Gummy and Big Mama and they are usually soulful power ballads. At first I’m blown away by their vocals but then I’m knocked down by boredom. The problem with Kpop not being dominated by talented artists is that their management companies assign them pathetic songs. Mariah Carey didn’t achieve her success merely by the talent of her voice, she had brilliant songs to back her up. Just imagine if Gummy if received a song like “We Belong Together” (Mariah Carey Version), she wouldve had the the chance to showcase her powerful vocals & to appeal to the general public.

yeah u’re right
but sadly all gasoo who take a lot of attention
and popularity are those who have a great appearance not from their vocal.
appearance>vocal

@ ….

“My beef with Ciaociao”
LOL

i agree with LAUREN there. i spent years listening to western music but kpop hooked me because of they seem a lot more sincere. i like that the artistes show that they are passionate about what they are doing.. some of those western stars rub me off the wrong way, and quite a few are diva temperaments. even the ones that cannot sing =.=

just wondering tho. how do you define/qualifies what separates a person from being a ‘born a true singer’ from someone who has been taught to sing? imo, any being when born knows nothing and has to be taught from scratch. potential and rate of progression is based on talent :p
–

mariah’s pipes are back in condition recently again tho. her runs and her songs are incredibly hard to master.

So the Super Junior members are going to have a voice like Mariah Carey
OH GIVE ME A BRAKE!

It depends how you define “vocal talents”. Really, singers like whitney houston, mariah carey have fantastic voices, but that again is subjective. Some people don’t like opera-y voices. Some people like R&B style, they go for singers like rihanna and craig david. Some people like pop/rock, they go for justin timberlake or linkin park. Similarly, in the K pop industry, some go for dbsk/shinee type of vocals (admittedly they do have good vocals) while others go for yangpa’s type of voice. You can’t generalize like that and say there are no talents in the kpop industry! (G-dragon’s more of a rapper than a singer anyway)

Oh PUH-LEASE! You could say the same thing about all artists from any country! Look at the states! Not even half of their “Top” artists can sing that well! And Britney Spears is just a joke!
In the entertainment industry in every country, it’s based mostly on looks! At least, most of these artists CAN sing, even if they’re not the best!

That was a good post…and a lot of bloody comments….I couldn’t read all of it but I will say my point any ways….

I agree with ‘kiwistar’…music biz (now-a-days) is not ‘just’ about music…I mean entertainment companies drive more groups that have no/exceptional vocals into the music industry…HOWEVER their main focus will be on their looks/personalities which will guaranty them a lot of merchandise sales….Don’t have any beef with K-pop because it happens in every music company around the world…TRUST ME!!!

Honestly though…good post…Keep them up!!!

don’y compare mariah to many artists here mariah mostly wrote her own music that is why she was so famous (she is known for her songwriting ability and she still has a great voice) i agree it does depend on what kind of music you prefer not all kpop artists could sing (wondergirls) not all american or british artists cold sing but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t any left

are you effing kidding me?
KPOP is loaded with good singers.
the part that impresses me the most about KPOP and in comparison to the american music industry is that almost 100% of them sing so well..

SM artists live are better than on CD.
G-dragon is ridiculously talented.. esp. as a producer. he writes music……. umm yeah. that must count for something!

sorry if i was too caustic in my last post..

this did make me think about all the packaging that goes with the artists though.. like what actually draws me in.. it’s not just music but a lot of other things as well.

like image..
or their reality shows…

K-pop stars complain all the time about poor album sales, but how do you expect me to spend $20+ on a CD of crap vocals?! I’m a fan, but I’m not deaf either.

LOL. I don’t want to write a essay on you article. Those two sentence sum it up perfectly.

“k-pop is entertaining” That’s why I think of them as entertainers not singers. It helps me sleep at night.

haha you make very excellent points. kpop is entertaining, nothing more. i was actually really happy this summer that brown eyes did so well with their comeback. i think naul is the most sincere and talented artist in the korean music industry.

i gotta say though, sunye and ye eun are not bad haha. i’m a shameless WG fanboy x]

i think its a matter of opinion.

but the entertainment industry always like pretty beautiful cute people.

i think GD should not be used as an example here. GD mainly raps and occasionally sings but that doesn’t make him a singer…he is a rapper.

@ stupid molly
kpop is the abbreviation for korean popular music. go back to school, kid. jpop = japanese popular music. jrock = japanese rock music, etc, etc, etc. way to make yourself look like a complete and utter fool.

I definitely think that you have a point when you say that most of the korean pop stars out there have little, if not, no talent. All of the artists you mentioned that can’t sing for crap (like Sohee of WG) seem about right. However, you seem to have a picture of DBSK at the beginning of this article, with the other kpop artists. DBSK are not only one of the most talented group of singers in Korea, they’re undoubtedly one of the most talented group of singers IN ALL OF ASIA. Inparticular, Hero Jaejoong can sing amaazzzinglyyyyy, and it’s a pretty well known fact. And as for DBSK- I mean, c’mon, they SPECIALIZE in accapella! I think next time you should make sure you’re not generalizing artists just because they’re really popular. DBSK are popular, and talented.

stfu ciaociao lolz…

g-dragon has been a rapper in YG since he was 12. many rappers in YG are exclusively rappers too. if you haven’t noticed, he’s a designated rapper in the group. NOT singer.

i think you missed the point that many kpop stars not just singers. there are rappers (exlusively rappers i mean).

IMO you could have picked Sohee from the wondergirls as a better example. and broaden your definition of ‘kpop stars’ as well. what about the kpop rappers? rockers?

oh it’s ciaociao again…figures she/he’d choose GD as an example. same person who named GD the worst rapper.

I’m not surprised.

RIGHT ON SEOUL SISTER. YOU GO TELL THEM!

Yes, I agree, but that applies to just about every music industry out there, hon! It’s not just Kpop!

I agree so much with Bugs.

I don’t see Kpop artists as just singers, but as all-round entertainers. The ones that don’t have “talent” as you claim, are usually skilled in some other aspect. Like your example of G-Dragon. Sure he can’t sing, but again, its because YG didn’t pick him for his singing ability, but for his rap and his songwriting. So you can’t just say that just because he’s not a good singer, doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve to be in the business. Also, your whole point that GOOD singers should be the ones to debut..there’s usually a reason why they don’t, for example (and going back to Big Bangs Documentary) So-1 had good vocals, there’s no doubt about that, but YG didn’t want him to debut..why is that? because he knew that he wasn’t ready to be thrust out into the entertainment world. In conclusion it’s not just that ‘pretty faces’ beat out ‘good voices’ but that one is more prepared to face the hardships to come.

nowadays it’s more about looks then talent.

But does that mean one can’t dream to become a singer if you’re not born talented? Can you not work hard, train hard, and practice to become a “talented” singer?

I feel that your perspective of “talent” is eschewed and lacking. And you have limited your analysis to idol groups, which has a different concept that does not focus on singing. There are MANY talented singers in Kpop, you just need to know where to look.

tsk tsk, thats so ture.

Actually I think only So Hee is the only one who’s vocally challenged on WG. All the rest show that they can sing at least a little.

I agree with calgirl. There are definitely many talented singers in kpop but the companies all group them with mediocre/pretty singers cuz its the easiest way to make money

i guess g-dragon was picked because he had a talent in music, just not necessarily singing.

WOW. i never thought id say this.

esp since i love seoulbeats and everything.

but this article absolutely sucked. I understand where you were coming from, but Ciao Ciao, you didn’t even get your point across properly. You went on and on about Gdragon.. and etc etc.
where nothing was actually relevant.

most useless article i have ever read.

CiaoCiao, while they shouldnt be famous because they can’t sing, you shouldnt be on seoulbeats cause honey, you can’t write.

is it really kpop you have beef with? ..or just GD?

you take time out to write a long article abt the lack of singing talent in kpop..only to use GD as your example (and turn it into a GD essay)?!
you’re telling me gdragon (a designated RAPPER for BB) was the BEST example you could come up with to get your point across? pls..

Yes i can agree with you but i can hear that you’re really a fan or Mariah Carey LOL!

you’re just listening to the wrong artists man.

ITA. I think SM does put out some great talents though (except SNSD). DBSK is really very talented imo, Jaejoong and Junsu both have great voices, Changmin’s is unique, not as controlled, but great too. SHINee is very good vocally too, imo, esp Jonghyun and Onew. Key’s getting there. (Minho doesn’t do anything eh? -_-)The Grace is good, so is BoA

@hallyu
sorry kpop stands for korean POPular music
not korean pop music

Like other have mentioned, the Korean music industry has blurred into the entertainment industry as a whole. And what bothers me is that singers who do have talent are overlooked for the idol groups, especially females. CSJH the Grace, Kim JiEun, Lena Park…

i love the last line “I’m a fan, but I’m not deaf either.”

To say that most kpop artists/groups have little/no talent (in singing) is a bit over-generalised and maybe, a bit too harsh. Whether someone was born with a ’singing’ voice or is just an average singer is irrelevant to being talented. It depends on how their vocal abilities is utilised for that matter. Like in your example, Mariah Carey may have ‘the voice’ but, how she utilises it in her songs is really what makes her stand out - like some of her earlier songs which were powerful ballads, which I thought clearly articulates her style and talent.

As for the kpop music industry, most of these entertainment companies (SM for example) seem to ‘throw’ songs at their artists/groups, without giving much thought on what may be their best style/genre for their vocals. Rather, they aim for marketability and idol status (and/or what’s ‘in’ or ‘catchy’ at the moment) - especially, larger idol groups, such as Super Junior and Girls’ Generation. To date, most of their songs are bubblegum pop music and generally appeal to teens, who aren’t as concerned over talent, but are more insistent on idol status and looks. In which I think is the trend at the moment in the kpop music industry.

It’s just a matter of taste! Good post by the way.

it’s great to be a born singer.

but there’s nothing wrong with those people who had to LEARN to sing, but ended up becoming really good singers.

not everyone can be a mariah carey.

(And isn’t G Dragon’s job to rap and compose?)

dude/chick everyone doesnt have to sound like mariah carey, if that was the case we wouldnt have greats like janet, micahel, prince, the freaking beatles. your logic is illogical.
p.s. i prefer softer voices like sohee, sunmi, g-dragon, etc. compared to screamers like mariah.

agree. they stress to much on looks. Koreans need to get off their high horse.