MTV Buzzworthy Blog › Wonder Girls

Annyeong! (As "Arrested Development" fans know well, that's Korean for "Hello.") I'm Sam Lansky, music writer and K-pop neophyte, though I'm rapidly getting sucked in to the glittering, glamorous world of Korean pop, which is gaining traction with Stateside audiences.

But are American listeners really ready for the high-octane sonic explosion that K-pop is packing? In this week's "Pop Think," I'm exploring whether K-pop is all hype, or whether the invasion really is imminent and why K-pop fans are devoted beyond compare.

K-pop group 2NE1, Credit: Getty Images

2011 was a huge year for K-pop, not just in Asia, but globally. K-pop superstars Girls Generation released their single "The Boys" last month in both English and Korean to rave reviews, while MTV Iggy crowned fellow K-pop A-listers 2NE1 the Best New Band in the World this week (after Diplo lauded 2NE1 for their innovative style), and will.i.am announced his intention to turn them into global superstars. Meanwhile, Wonder Girls are gearing up for another crack at U.S. success, after their crossover attempt in 2009 with a spot supporting the Jonas Brothers on tour ended with their debut single, "Nobody," peaking at No. 76 on the Hot 100 (making Wonder Girls the first Korean group to ever enter the chart). Due in 2012 for Wonder Girls is their own movie on Teen Nick and an entirely English-language album, helmed by major hitmakers such as Darkchild and Claude Kelly. They've even hired Beyoncé's choreographer and Katy Perry's stylist to give their image a boost. The industry is taking note: Billboard launched the Korea K-Pop Hot 100 chart in August 2011 to document sales, which Silvio Pietroluongo, Billboard's director of charts, called "a milestone event."

It's no surprise that K-pop is picking up speed: As a form, if I can generalize, it's breathtaking, packed with irresistible pop hooks that get stuck in your brain even if you don't speak Korean, meticulously synchronized choreography and uniformly high in production values. It isn't just a sonic form; it's visually arresting, too, where the videos and performances play as much a role in staging the spectacle as the music itself does. K-pop functions at breakneck speed, integrating influences from glacial European house music, the sultry sounds of American R&B, and J-pop's hyperactive electro-crunch. Pop this dizzyingly innovative hasn't been seen since the heyday of Britain's Girls Aloud, another group lauded for their creativity and eclecticism. K-Pop groups are frequently large in numbers, too, with some groups featuring upwards of a dozen members, which makes their skill with dancing in faultless simultaneity all the more mesmerizing.

+ Read more about K-pop's crossover after the jump.

Read more...

Related Content JoJo Is The Undisputed Queen Of The Well-Chosen Pop Cover Song, Follow Buzzworthy On Twitter

Tags 2NE1, Girls' Generation, K-Pop, MTV Iggy, Pop Think, Super Junior, Super Junior-M, TVXO, Wonder Girls

BoA, I loved you before your MTV Buzzworthy Blog interview, but you had me all over again at "iced coffee" and "noodles" -- two things we BOTH LOVE DEARLY. Also, your Wonder Girls-style hair is bona fide BANGIN'. And since you don't have a driver's license, I will happily chauffeur you around Los Angeles in exchange for dance lessons.

Also, I will manage to overlook the fact that you, BoA, DO NOT LIKE SNACKS (!??!?!??! IN WHAT WORLD DOES A HUMAN BEING NOT LIKE SNACKS????) because I love "Eat You Up" so much. Wait, how can someone with a song called "Eat You Up" and lyrics like "So yum yum" NOT LIKE SNACKS?

Find out more about the Korean electro-pop crossover in this Buzzworthy Blog exclusive, and watch her "Eat You Up" video after the jump.

Read more...

Related Content Watch BoA Perform 'I Did It For Love'

Tags BoA, The 5, video, Wonder Girls

Well, you already know the first VERY IMPORTANT THING about the Korean girl group Wonder Girls, and that is that...

1.) THEY'RE OPENING FOR THE JONAS BROTHERS on the U.S. leg of their Jonas Brothers World Tour 2009 (along with Honor Society and Jordin Sparks!)

2.) Wonder Girls are from South Korea, and they're one of the biggest groups in all of Asia. Like Jonas Brothers-famous in Asia. But don't worry uniglots -- Wonder Girls also sing in English.

3.) Their biggest album to date is The Wonder Years, and their biggest singles are "So Hot," "Nobody," and "Tell Me." They should be releasing "Nobody" as their first U.S. single this month.

4.) Wonder Girls, like 2PM, are part of the JYP Entertainment empire, founded by singer-songwriter/ producer/ entertainment mogul Jin Young Park(or JYP), who's a legend in the K-pop kingdom.

5.) The Wonder Girls sound is part R&B, part pop, with power hooks (they covered Pussycat Dolls' "Don't Cha" early on in their career). They're sexy-cute (so watch yourself, Nick!), stylish, and their look is pure retro-nuevo modern-day Motown. Think throwback mod minis to go with their R&B Aguilera-style power hooks. Winehouse without all that wine.

Anyway, Wonder Girls actually aren't strangers to U.S. at all, and their Jonas tour won't be their first trip to America -- they made a special trip to MTV headquarters in New York City and gave an exclusive performance for their fans at MTV Iggy. (And Buzzworthy snuck in! They were phenomenally fun! And so glittery! And so adorable!)

+ Watch Wonder Girls' exclusive MTV Iggy performance of "Tell Me," and watch their "Nobody" video, and get their tour dates, and get more Wonder Girls at MTV Iggy!

Wonder Girls Jonas Brothers 2009 Tour Dates:

Sat, 06/27/09 @ 07:00 p.m. Rose Garden Portland, OR

Sun, 06/28/09 @ 07:00 p.m. Tacoma Dome Tacoma, WA

Mon, 06/29/09 @ 07:00 p.m. General Motors Place Vancouver, BC

Tue, 06/30/09 @ 07:00 p.m. General Motors Place Vancouver, BC

Fri, 07/10/09 @ 07:30 p.m. Allstate Arena Rosemont, IL

Sat, 07/11/09 @ 07:30 p.m. Allstate Arena Rosemont, IL

Sun, 07/19/09 @ 08:00 p.m. Nassau Coliseum Uniondale, NY

Mon, 07/20/09 @ 07:30 p.m. Nassau Coliseum Uniondale, NY

Tue, 07/21/09 @ 07:30 p.m. Nassau Coliseum Uniondale, NY

Fri, 08/07/09 @ 07:30 p.m. STAPLES Center Los Angeles, CA

Sat, 08/08/09 @ 07:30 p.m. STAPLES Center Los Angeles, CA

Sun, 08/09/09 @ 07:30 p.m. STAPLES Center Los Angeles, CA

Sat, 08/22/09 @ 07:00 p.m. Philips Arena Atlanta, GA

Tags Jonas Brothers, Nick Jonas, Wonder Girls