Lee Hyori and CL: Four Similarities

May is the month of high profile comebacks. From groups like Shinhwa, 2PM and Vibe to soloists like Ivy and Seo In Young. But this May, the most buzz surrounds the recent comeback of Lee Hyori and the much anticipated solo debut of 2NE1’s leader CL.

As the hype of the upcoming duel for the charts rises, Osen news posted four interesting similarities of the two divas.

The first similarity that sticks out are the titles of the songs both Lee Hyori and CL released. After a three-year hiatus, Lee Hyori came back with her fifth album featuring the title song “Bad Girls.” On May 28th, CL will be performing her first solo debut single, “The Baddest Female,” previously titled “Bad Girl.”

The second similarity is that both singers were and are part of 4-member girl group. Before becoming a mega superstar as a soloist, Lee Hyori was the leader of a popular girl group in the 90s’ called Fin.K.L. CL, is currently the leader of one of the most idolized girl group 2NE1.

The third similarity is that both stars were born in the year of the Ram, albeit Lee Hyori was born 12 years earlier in 1979 and CL in 1991.

The fourth and last similarity has to do with the well known fact that both ladies are fashionistas. Lee Hyori has been known early in her career to take bold fashion statements that are both controversial and admired. CL, who has been known to friends with various fashion designers, will be showcasing her collaboration with Shinsaegae Corp. jewelry brand Chrome Hearts on the 28th of this month.

Besides the aforementioned similarities, it is obvious that both singers are linked with hip-hop music and culture. Because the connection with hip-hop and women singers are scarce in K-Pop, the two divas catch the eye of many fans all over the world.

CL releases "The Baddest Female" MV + single

Following a series of image teasers (1 + 2), CL finally revealed her solo single music video, “The Baddest Female.”

The music video opens with CL dressed in white, relaxing in the backseat of a car as a swarm of paparazzi camera flashes occur in the background. It then launches into a variety of different settings, showing off her title as “The Baddest Female.”
The lettering on her cap as well as her nails spell out “GIZIBE,” the way the Korean title appears to be spelled out. Furthermore, a line in the track references the 2NE1 hit, “I’m the Best.”
As promised, her labelmates G-Dragon and Taeyang supported her by appearing in the music video.
The later scenes of the music video feature more color and patterns such as bright pinks, yellows, blues, and zebra stripes and cheetah spots.
Be sure to support CL’s solo endeavor on sites such as Naver Music and Bugs!
Check it out below:
What do you think of “The Baddest Female”?

Girls' Generation's Taeyeon Explains Controversial Instagram Photo

Girls’ Generation‘s Taeyeon recently explained a photo of her music video set that she posted on her Instagram account.
On May 19, Taeyeon posted “Oooops. Ginger’s hand is a cute hand. My hand is a bad hand. Love & girls, love that girls!! I mean.. guys. So cool! They were pros,” along with a couple of photos.
Taeyeon is snapped a photo with two men in drag and are making a variety of fun poses. 

But in one of the photos, one of the men stuck up his middle finger, which caused a stir among netizens.
Afterwards, Taeyeon explained, “I asked him to do a warui kanji pose and that’s what he did,” and “They’re not bad people. They made the music video set really fun. Because of them, we were able to film as we had fun.”
“Warui kanji” means a “bad and wild atmosphere.”
After Taeyeon made her explanation, a lot of netizens defended her by saying, “Did Taeyeon really have to explain?” “Nothing is wrong with that photo, Taeyeon did not have to explain anything,” and more.

4Minute’s Nam Ji Hyun Experiences Close Call Wardrobe Malfunction

Recently on May 19, on an online community bulletin board, two photos were uploaded under the title, “Nam Ji Hyun, she had a close call during a live show.”
The pictures are the captured images of 4Minute from the recent episode of KBS’s “Music Bank,” which was aired on May 17. In the photos is Nam Ji Hyun during her part of the song. Her bra had been unhooked and part of it can be seen peaking outside her sleeveless shirt. Fortunately, the performance was carried out successfully, but it could have been disastrous for Nam Ji Hyun.
Netizens that saw these images commented, “They need to be more careful with their costumes,” and “It could’ve been really bad.”
Meanwhile, 4Minute is having a great success with new song “What’s Your Name.” 

Lee Hyori's T-Shirt Causes Controversy

Lee Hyori revealed teaser images and music video title song “Bad Girl” from her upcoming album “Monochrome.” Revealed images show Lee Hyori looking charismatic with her long wavy hair flowing down on one shoulder, wearing a punky outfit that consists of a crop top, denim jacket, and big, bold necklaces.
However, the t-shirt that Lee Hyori is wearing in the revealed teaser image is causing controversy. What looks like a cute character on her t-shirt is really a caricature of a hand flipping its middle finger with “F@&K Off1!” written below it. Although Lee Hyori tried to cover this up with large, bold jewelries, no one can deny what her t-shirt is really saying. The t-shirt seems to convey the “Bad Girl” image of Lee Hyori, but that will not guarantee anything in terms of censorship.
Previously, many other artists have been criticized for wearing clothes with the middle finger drawings and/or characters on them. They often took immediate actions such as public apologies and deleting any available images with such items. 
Meanwhile, Lee Hyori will make her official comeback on Mnet “Lee Hyori Show” on May 21. Her 5th album “Monochrome” will be released on May 22.  

KARA’s Park Gyuri Shares Dieting Secrets In June Issue Of Cosmopolitan Magazine

KARA's bandleader Park Gyuri opens up about her dieting regiment in the June issue of Cosmopolitan Beauty Magazine.
KARA’s bandleader Park Gyuri opens up about her dieting regiment in the June issue of Cosmopolitan Beauty Magazine.
Gyuri, whose face graces the cover of the June issue, explained that beauty is a non-stop pursuit, according to BNT News.
“In order to maintain my figure, besides applying the Denmark Diet, Protein diet and [others] I have to exercise at least an hour a day,” she said.
That exercise typically includes running, Gyuri explained. She says her mother always encouraged her to jog for an hour every day.
Famous for her flawless complexion, Gyuri also revealed her preference for skin products that last an extended amount of time.
The singer assuredly set her followers hearts aflutter on the South Korean talk show “Talk Concert QueeN” earlier this month, when she offered to express her appreciation physically if her new television show “Nail Shop Paris” gets at least a five percent share in the ratings.
“If ratings reach 5 percent, I will give free hugs to fans,” Gyuri said.
The KARA singer’s “Nail Shop Paris” co-star Song Jae Rim doubled down on Gyuri’s offer.
“If the ratings really exceed five percent, then the drama’s four main actors will all give free hugs to 100 people in Myungdong,” he said.
Park Gyuri isn’t the only South Korean celebrity to be included in the June issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine.
The issue also includes model Koo Eunae, Uhm Junghwa, MBLAQ and recent chart-topper Lee Hyori.
Although Hyori’s fifth album “Monochrome” isn’t slated for release until Tuesday, the first single of the album, the jazz-infused “Miss Korea,” has been tearing up the charts both in the US and in South Korea.
The song is currently number three on the Billboard Magazine K-Pop Hot 100.
Other tracks from Hyori’s 16-song album include “Holly Jolly Bus” featuring her pet dog Soonsimi, “Love Radar” featuring rapper Beenzino, “Amor Mio” featuring Park Ji-yong of R&B trio Honey-G, “Go Crazy” featuring comedian Ahn Young-mi and the dance track “Bad Girls.”
Tuesday night, Hyori will also appear in a comeback special on South Korean music channel Mnet.
Entitled the “2Hyori Show,” the special will celebrate the dynamic performer’s return to the stage.
“For this filming, Lee Hyori is preparing a show unlike any regular comeback shows,” a representative from the singer’s label B2M Entertainment told CJ E&M enewsWorld
“You’ll be able to see a never-before-seen special stage only Lee Hyori can do.”

Wonder Girls’ Sohee Wows Her Fans with Unedited Photos

Wonder Girls’ member Sohee is receiving admiration from her fans with the unedited photos taken at a photoshoot.
Recently on an online community bulletin board, two photos were uploaded under the title, “Absolutely sexy Sohee. Her photos at the pictorial photoshoot set revealed!”
In the released pictures is Sohee wearing an adorable pink outfit including pink shirt, a pair of shorts, and wedges. Despite her relatively short height, Sohee shows off an incredible body proportion with her beautiful long legs.
Netizens that saw these pictures admired, “She would have no problem debuting as a professional model,” “Sohee has the best proportion among all girl group members,” and “Any pictures taken of Sohee always look like a cut from pictorial.”

Rainbow to Make Another Return with a New Bouncy Single

Rainbow will be making a quick comeback with a new album.
Following its recent comeback in February with its studio album Rainbow Syndrome – Part 1. Tell Me Tell Me, the group will be releasing yet another studio album, Rainbow Syndrome – Part 2.
With this, Rainbow is also set to join the K-Pop war that will continue into June.
The group originally planned to release the album later in the year. It, however, decided to return earlier than planned as its single Tell Me Tell Me has suddenly seen a surge in popularity in recent days.
It will thus aim to continue the streak with a new comeback, adding to the bounciness of Tell Me Tell Me with yet another bright summer song.
Rainbow is currently putting the finishing touches on its upcoming album.
Photo credit: enews DB

7-member girl group TURAN to make their entrance into the Kpop scene

A new 7-member girl group will be making their way into the K-pop scene and they go by the name, TURAN!

TURAN consists of Chae Eun, Leekyung, Saebin, Hanbi, Lian, Ryuji, and Elisha, who have been training for the past two years. The group introduced themselves through their album jacket photo, further grabbing the interest of music lovers.

Although it seems like their chances are slim in standing out amongst other idol groups, their agency says that these girls have talent that will carry them through.

Star Pro Entertainment stated, “As it is no longer a mere idol war but a battle of girl groups who winby talent these days, rookie group ‘TURAN’ will also become a girl group that receives love and gainssuccess with their talent.”

TURAN will film their music video on the 20th and make their debut next month!

Girls’ Generation’s Yuri thanks fans for her popularity award from the ’49th Baeksang Arts Awards’

Girls’ Generation‘s Yuri gave her belated congratulatory speech for her popularity award which she was unable to give in person at the ’49th Baeksang Arts Awards‘.

Yuri shared, “I will definitely repay the love by showing a better side of myself. Please look forward to me wearing a pretty dress next time. I thank you and love you.”

Yuri won the popularity award for the TV category at the ’49th Baeksang Arts Awards’ earlier this month but was unable to accept the award at the ceremony due to her busy schedule.

SONEs congratulated her commenting, “Congratulations on your popularity award, Yuri”, “It’s nice to see Yuri making a name for herself as an actress”, and “Yuri shines brighter than her gold plated award.”

HyunA reveals she didn’t cry on ‘M! Countdown’ upon returning to the stage after her recovery

4minute‘s HyunA shared her thoughts on returning to the stage after being hospitalized.

HyunA stated, “I stood on stage again after ten days. I was so happy and thankful to win #1 with my members. As much as a lot of people worried for me, I will work even harder. Thank you. Also, I was so joyful yesterday that I kept laughing uncontrollably. I didn’t cry.”

HyunA returned from her hospital stay, fully recovered, to reunite with her group on ‘M! Countdown‘ andwon the #1 title for their second consecutive week with “What’s Your Name?“. Although HyunA looked like she was shedding tears upon the win, she came forward to explain that she was instead laughing in happiness.

Is Suzy working too hard?

It looks like Suzy may need a well-deserved break!

She’s definitely one of the busiest celebrities around, juggling numerous CF shoots, drama filming, and her music promotions all by herself. She was recently captured looking quite exhausted at a hotel lobby. Usually, Suzy has a bright smile for anyone’s camera, but in the photo she looked tired and unable to summon the energy up for her usual sunny demeanor.

As the model of 22 different brands and the main character of ‘Book of the House of Gu‘, Suzy just can’t find a break. Hopefully, when her drama is over, she’ll get a nice, long vacation to re-energize!

T-ara’s Qri, Boram, and Soyeon sub-unit in Japan to be named ‘QBS’

Last month, we reported that T-ara would be debuting another sub-unit in Japan. Now, more details have been revealed.

According to the official webpage of T-ara’s Japanese label, EMI Music, the new sub-unit will be aptly named ‘QBS’ which stands for the initials of members Qri, Boram, and Soyeon.

Their debut single is titled “Like the Wind” and it’s scheduled to be released on June 26. It will come in two editions, a normal and limited edition. Both editions will include two tracks, “Like the Wind” and “Like the Wind” instrumental version. The normal edition costs 735 yen (approximately $7.23 USD) and includes special stickers in a plastic case while the limited edition costs 1500 yen (approximately $14.76 USD) and comes in a special paper jacket with special stickers, and a DVD containing the music video for “Like the Wind”.

A few weeks after the debut of ‘QBS’, T-ara will release a new Japanese single titled “Target” on July 3.

D-Unit excited for their first fan meeting!

With their first fan meeting ahead, the girls of D-Unit expressed their feelings about the exciting event.

D-Unit posted to their official me2day on the 17th, “Hello, this is Zin! [Drum roll]. Tomorrow is the day we finally have our fan meeting. Many of you should come and [mangshik shake]! D-Unit shake! Drink a lot. Hehehehe.”

The idol group held their first ever fan meeting on the 18th at 2PM KST for nearly three hours, and it seems the girls were pretty pumped up about the event beforehand.

They became baristas for the day and personally created drinks for their fans.

Fans commented, “A barista event is unique,” “A fan meeting I really wanted to go to,” and “The drinks made by D-Unit must’ve been delicious.”

Can you believe it’s already been over 9 months since they debuted?

T-ara’s Soyeon, Boram, and Qri preparing to form subunit in Japan

T-ara N4 gave a hint that the other members were preparing another subunit.
On April 22, the T-ara subunit held a press conference at Gyeonggi Goyang Art House, and Jiyeon revealed, “The rest of the T-ara members Soyeon, Boram, and Qri are preparing another unit in Japan.”
She added, “The current T-ara N4 members had a hip hop stage in July at the Japan Budokan concert. The concept of T-ara N4 began then and after the concert, we told each other that we’d go on stage again if we had a chance. We’re practicing the T-ara N4 song, of course, but we’re also working with the other Japanese unit on T-ara’s new song as a full group.”

SECRET shout “YooHoo” on ‘Music Core’!

SECRET have returned with ”YooHoo“, which has been topping music charts.
“YooHoo” is composed by the producing team Kang Ji Won and Kim Ki Bum, who are also the masterminds behind the group’s previous hit singles. SECRET teamed up with zanybros for their MV in Saipan, promising another video worth replaying over and over!
Check out their comeback performance (which includes “Only U“) below!

T-ara N4 to perform on ‘Dream Concert’ stage with 30-member samulnori band

T-ara N4 will stand on the ‘Dream Concert‘ stage with a 30-member samulnori (traditional percussion music from Korea) band for a very special collaboration between new and old.
Because their song “Countryside Life” is a fusion of electronic hip hop and traditional Korean percussion, Core Contents Media decided to bring on a 30-member samulnori band onto the stage. They revealed, “‘Countryside Life’ is a song that crosses over electronic hip hop and Korean instruments, such as taepyungso, gayageum, kkwaengwari, janggo, and daegeum. They’ll be filling up their stage with a samulnori team on the 11th at the ‘2013 Dream Concert‘.”
Sounds like an amazing collaboration. Are you looking forward to their performance?

Hello Venus practicing hard before their comeback

The lovely ladies of Hello Venus are set to make their comeback with “Do You Want Some Tea?” on May 2.
With 5 days remaining before their comeback, the ladies took to their official Twitter to share that they’re practicing hard.
While sharing the above photo, they wrote, “After watching ‘Wonderful Mama’, we’re starting practice. Just 5 days left“. They also wrote that Hello Venus will be hold an event on their official fan cafe on Sunday evening (April 28) at 7PM KST.

Hello Venus want to know “Do You Want Some Tea?” on ‘Music Core’!

The beautiful ladies of Hello Venus have returned to ask you all “Do You Want Some Tea?” with the release of their mini-album and MV!
Their new title track is composed by the producing duo Iggy and Yongbae, who are also behind the hit songs Orange Caramel‘s “Lipstick“ and Ailee‘s “Heaven“. The song is a pop dance track with a sampling of the classic tune “Variation on the Kanon“.

T-ara N4 talk about their competition

May has been the month of girl group comebacks, and T-ara N4 revealed they’re ready to take on the competition during a recent interview.
T-ara N4 shared, “As T-ara’s first subunit, we prepared a lot. Maybe because we were really nervous, we have a lot of regrets concerning our debut stage. But since our debut single ‘Countryside Life‘ features traditional music, we think a lot of adults listened to it and like it. We practice hard, so we hope that people of all ages can enjoy our music. We will become a T-ara N4 who works harder.”
When asked about their rivalry with 4minute and SECRET, the group shared, “It feels good that we have the opportunity to promote with our sunbae groups 4minute and SECRET. Even back in 2009 when we made our debut, rather than competing with other groups, we worked together and focused on improving. We hope to win-win together, so that girl groups can be more of strong force in the entertainment industry.”

SPICA make their first appearance on ‘Immortal Song 2′

SPICA transformed Lee Moon Sae‘s “[Into the Deep Night]” into a vibrant, girl group dance song on the May 4th installment of ‘Immortal Song 2‘.
The girls made their first appearance on the show and it didn’t take long for them to perform as they selected to be the first performers of the night. The girls stated, “It’s more nerve-racking than our debut; even more so because it’s our first appearance. We prepared this stage with a lot of joy, so we hope you enjoy it with us.”
SPICA started out slow, and then flipped the song 180 degrees. Despite their lively performance, Kim Tae Woo took home the final win.

Girls’ Generation’s Tiffany returns home to Los Angeles

SONEs in Los Angeles might have to turn on their Girls’ Generation radar because Tiffany has arrived in LA!
Tiffany updated SONEs on Girls’ Generation’s official SMTOWN page where she wrote, “home sweet home ♥ I’ll go back home for a little bit and come back (; ps. GO DODGERS !! ke”, and shared a selca of her returning to her hometown. As many of you know, Tiffany grew up in nearby Diamond Bar, California and many of her family members still live in the greater Los Angeles area.
If you’re near Los Angeles, Tiffany will be throwing the ceremonial first pitch for the LA Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on May 6. The game begins at 7:10PM PST local time, so you should be in your seats by 7:00PM if you want to see Tiffany throw out the first pitch!
Welcome home, Tiffany!

Nine Muses continue to drive fans ‘WILD’ with additional teaser photos

Nine Muses unleashed their sexy album jacket and have now treated fans with additional teaser photos to get you ‘WILD‘ for their comeback!
Nine Muses shared on their official Twitter, “Nine Muses’ official comeback project ‘OH! 9 Project‘ Part 4! Nine Muses’ ‘WILD’ album jacket BTS cut unveiled! Kyung Li and Hyemi show off their lean figures while donning white shirts~ 5/9 ‘WILD’! Please look forward to it!” Kyung Li and Hyemi are seen going from sexy to cute while wearing the same white shirt together.
Stay tuned for the continuation of the ‘OH! 9 Project’, which consists of daily teasers up until their comeback on May 9!

SISTAR’s Bora to celebrate Children’s Day as special MC on ‘Dream Team’

SISTAR‘s Bora will celebrate Children’s Day (May 5th) in Korea as the special MC on ‘Dream Team‘.
Bora was previously given the moniker ‘athletic idol’ on the program by showing her athleticism as she won multiple rounds of games. Thus, the ‘athletic idol’ was invited to the show once again as a special MC.
During the filming, the team arrived at an elementary school and played with children through various challenges. Bora also couldn’t just watch by the side lines and showed the other contestants how it’s done by entering the game as well.
Catch this episode on the 5th at 10:25 AM KST!