Ailee, Hyorin, Baek Ji Young, ALi and others to perform on 'Immortal Song 2's 'rival match'

The best vocalists of Korea will be coming on the rival special of KBS 2TV's 'Immortal Song 2'!

A broadcast insider told Star News, "The 'Immortal Song 2' that's being recorded today at Yeouido is a rival match that features the singers from previous 'Immortal Song 2', including Baek Ji Young, Ailee, Bada, and Moon Myung Jin."

The line-up for the rival special is Baek Ji Young, ALi, Jung Dong Ha, Ailee, Rose Motel, Jo Jang Hyuk, JK Kim Dong Wook, V.O.S, Moon Myung Jin, Bada, and Hyorin. 

Since it's an all-star rival special, there won't be a featured legend. The singers will instead be singing songs of famous rivals starting from the 1960s to the 1990s. Every singer will be going against each other, and the highest score will win.

The broadcast will air in early January. 

source:allkpop

Jung Joon Young becomes the first person to get dunked on '1 Night 2 Days'

Jung Joon Young made history on the latest episode of '1 Night 2 Days' by becoming the first member to endure the 'cold water punishment' on the newest season!

The punishment, which dunks an unfortunate cast member in a large body of water - preferably a very cold one - is a '1 Night 2 Days' tradition, and viewers were relieved to see that it has carried over into the new season!

Despite his pleas of suffering from a 'salt allergy' (?), the unfortunate singer became the first cast member to enjoy the cold soak.

source:allkpop

Joo Won feels sorry for T.O.P and Kang Dong Won's fans when he hears he looks like them

Actor Joo Won had been known for quite some time now for strongly resembling handsome celebrities Kang Dong Won and T.O.P.  He addressed this topic on tvN's 'Taxi' when he made his guest appearance on December 16.

When Joo Won had to personally introduce himself and his filmography on the show, he did not read a part of the script that referred to his resemblance to Kang Dong Won and T.O.P.

Kim Gu Ra pointed this out and asked whether he did not like hearing that he looked like them.  Joo Won explained, "My nickname in high school was Kang Dong Won. Kang Dong Won was really popular at the time for his movie 'Temptation of Wolves' so I benefited from it."

He moved on to talking about T.O.P, saying, "I first heard I looked like T.O.P during KBS 2TV's drama 'King of Baking, Kim Tak Goo' . . . Whenever I heard I looked like them, I felt sorry towards their fans because I thought they would think, 'How in the world do they look alike?'"  

Do you think he resembles Kang Dong Won and T.O.P?

source:allkpop

How Does EXO Stack Up Against Seniors TVXQ and Super Junior?

Two years after their debut, idol group EXO is on a steady advance.

On December 9, with the release of their mini album “Miracles in December” and their title track “Christmas Day,” EXO has taken over all of the major music charts. Even before the official release of the album, the pre-orders numbered around 400,000.

With their steep upward climb, EXO, from the label “second year rookie group,” has quickly become “K-Pop’s leading group.” News agency Daily Sports’ recently made a ranking of the top ten most influential entities in K-Pop, voted on by authorities in the industry. Following SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, Melon, and G-Dragon, comes EXO, in 5th. After G-Dragon, who was in 4th, EXO is the second most influential singer/group.

This past November, at the “2013 Mnet Asian Music Awards” held in Hong Kong, EXO was awarded ‘Album of the Year,’ the biggest award of the night. Earlier this month, they also were voted ‘Best Group’ at the 2013 Chinese Music Billboard Newcomers Awards.

According to Ilgan Sports, how does EXO hold up against their seniors TVXQ and Super Junior?

>First, does EXO’s popularity surpass that of their seniors?

One way to see the power of a group’s fans is through album sales, and in that respect, EXO has definitely surpassed their seniors. With their latest album “Miracles in December,” the pre-orders numbered approximately 400,000 copies. 

If this is combined with their earlier album “XOXO” (including the repackage), their album sales would reach 1,300,000. This leaves the group in second place in the dust by a whopping 1,000,000 sold album copies. Moreover, each of EXO’s four albums this year have made it onto Gaon’s top 10 music chart with their numbers of album sales. EXO achieved all of this even in the midst of an album recession, beating out TVXQ’s “Mirotic” with 300,000 albums sold. The 300,000 was a record that no one thought could be beat, but EXO proved everyone wrong.

What’s more surprising is that EXO’s music rating, which has always been a weakness for their seniors, is high. Their songs “Christmas Day” and “First Snow” are currently number one on different music charts, and another of their songs is also near the top of the charts. There had been the view that male idols at SM have somewhat different tastes in music as their Korean fans, but EXO has, again, broken that view.

If there’s something else about EXO that sets them apart, it’s their performances. TVXQ has the number one ticket power in Japan, Super Junior has the widest distribution of fans in the world, and EXO has amazing performance power. One official at a performance agency said, “Just looking at their global scale fandom, and their popularity in China, EXO is already top-class. As they’ve only had one full album so far, their repertoire for concerts is a little limited, but as soon as they come out with a second full album, they will be able to start doing world tours.” 

Officials at SM said, “Starting with this year’s hits ‘Wolf’ and ‘Growl,’ we’re looking at nearly 1,000,000 album sales for EXO’s first album. They have had a really special year, with explosive popularity both at home and internationally. They are worthy of the name ‘album king.’” 

>What is the true nature of EXO’s popularity as seen by experts?

EXO is the ‘perfect product’ created after much trial and error by SM. They far surpass the level of the average idol, and the exceptional planning by SM also led to the formation of a powerful fandom.

Composer Park Hyun Joong said, “SM’s artists each have their own flavor, but in EXO’s case, they give off a strong feeling of creating popular music. Their hit song ‘Growl’ was created by Shin Hyuk, who worked with Justin Bieber, as well as other international composers. The members are also exceptional in their singing and performance. They’ve evolved past the level of the average idol.”

Kim Tae Kyu, a music critic, also talked about EXO’s popularity: “The space for an idol group to satisfy teenage fans had been empty. We needed a group to carry on after Seo Taiji, H.O.T, TVXQ, and Big Bang, and EXO has filled that void for us. SM’s fandom management system has also grown a lot. They now expertly plan for and consumerize teenage contents.”

What do you think? How does EXO compare to the older groups like TVXQ, Super Junior, and Big Bang?

source:soompi

FTISLAND’s Lee Hong Ki Suffers Injury and Will Need 6 Weeks to Make Full Recovery

FTISLAND member Lee Hong Ki recently suffered an injury after he slipped on an icy road, inevitably placing his activities on hold for the time being. 

On December 16, FNC Entertainment explained Lee Hong Ki’s injuries in detail, “On December 15, Lee Hong Ki went out to dinner with the staff after finishing filming for TV Chosun’s ‘Hundred Year Bride.’ That is when he dislocated his shoulder and suffered fractures to the face when he slipped and fell on an icy road.”

According to sources, Lee Hong Ki will need six weeks to make a full recovery. While Lee Hong Ki receives treatment and rehabilitates, there will temporarily be no filming taking place for “Hundred Year Bride.” 

The FNC Entertainment family concert originally scheduled for December 28 and 29, will also be postponed until next year due to Lee Hong Ki’s unexpected injuries.

source:soompi

Heechul and Son Dam Bi Display Their Close Friendship on “Human Condition”

Super Junior member Kim Heechul and singer Son Dam Bi recently demonstrated how close they were to each other on the latest episode of KBS 2TV’s “Human Condition.” 

On December 14, Heechul was picked up as a surprise guest and joined 2PM member Taecyeon. 

While in the car, Yang Sang Gook asked Kim Heechul carefully, “You’re close with Son Dam Bi right? I really liked her as a fan” which caused Kim Heechul to call her up on the spot. 

He greeted her in an adorable fashion over the phone asking, “Where is my woman?” and she replied, “In China!” as well as addressing him “My man” in return.  He then asked her if she knew the program, “Human Condition,” and informed her that Yang Sang Gook was the same age as them. She sounded surprised as she repeated back to him, “He’s the same age as us?!” 

Despite being crushed with her response, Yang Sang Sook also greeted Son Dam Bi saying, “Hello Son Dam Bi! It would be nice to grab a meal just as a fan of yours” to which Son Dam Bi agreed. 

In related news, viewers were excited to catch a preview of the location for Yang Sang Gook and girlfriend Cheon Yi Seul’s couple date on “Human Condition.” 

source:soompi

Actor Lee Dong Wook and Infinite’s Sunggyu Spotted Filming "Running Man"

On December 16, photos of the filming of SBS’ “Running Man” were posted on an online community. According to witnesses, actor Lee Dong Wook and Infinite’s Sunggyu will be appearing as guest stars on the episode.

According to representative of Sunggyu’s agency, Woollim Entertainment, “[Sunggyu] is filming for ‘Running Man.’ He is currently filming in Jeonju, but we do not know the details of the mission.”

In accordance, a representative of Lee Dong Wook’s agency, King Kong Entertainment, also confirmed saying, “It is correct; he is filming for ‘Running Man.’ He finished filming in Pohang, but we have not confirmed where the next filming location is. We do not know the details of the episode’s concept.”

The two stars are creating much anticipation from fans since they made an appearance on the show earlier this year.

Meanwhile “Running Man” airs every Sunday at 6:10 PM KST on SBS.

source:soompi

Yoo In Na Shares She’s Stressed with Her “Man from the Stars” Character

Yoo In Na feels the burden of her next project.

On December 16, the cast of SBS’ upcoming drama “Man from the Stars” flocked towards the broadcast station’s building in Mokdong for the drama’s press conference. Jun Ji Hyun, Kim Soo Hyun, Yoo In Na, Park Hae Jin, Shin Sung Rok, and PD Jang Tae Yoo were some of the cast and staff that were present.

Yoo In Na will take on the character of Yoo Se Mi, who is a friend and acting rival of Hallyu star Chun Song Yi (played by Jun Ji Hyun). This will mark her third time playing the role of an actress in a drama in the last two years. The other two dramas she acted as an actress were “The Greatest Love” and “Queen In Hyun’s Man.”

“It’s been my third time taking on the role of an actress,” says Yoo In Na. “However, the characters for each drama definitely have different charms. If the prior two roles incorporated my cheerfulness and cuteness, this role is rather far from it.”

She continued, “I’ve been receiving stress because I have to portray her dark and gloomy character. However, whatever the role, I can’t ignore it because I’m an actress. I’ve thought a lot that if I’m not able to fully execute the character, I must work that much harder. I’ve thought long and hard in order to be fully immersed into my character Yoon Se Mi. Please look forward to it.”

“Man from the Stars” premieres on December 18.

source:soompi

EXO Members Truthfully Answer About Their Ideal Types

On December 16, EXO’s Luhan, Chen, D.O, and Baekhyun appeared on SBS radio program “Two O’Clock Escape Cult Show” and each member revealed their ideal types.

When asked to pick a Korean celebrity that closely resembles his ideal type, Luhan answered, “I haven’t seen many [celebrities] so I don’t have one yet.”

Chen replied, “I don’t have an ideal type in Korea. I like a person who has a pretty eye smile.” D.O agreed with Chen as he responded, “I also don’t have a celebrity as an ideal type, and I also like a girl who looks pretty when she smiles. However, instead of preferring a girl who has a pretty eye smile, I prefer a girl who looks beautiful while smiling in general.”

Baekhyun was the last member to reply. He said, “Han Ga In is my ideal type. Her skin is great, and she has a beautiful nose.”

source:soompi

Joo Won Doesn’t Want to Do Variety Shows Anymore

On the December 16 episode of tvN’s “Taxi,” actor Joo Won revealed that he no longer wants to do variety shows.

While talking about his run on KBS’s “1 Night, 2 Days,” he said, “I think I was just having fun. I was supposed to make the viewers laugh, but instead, I think I became a viewer myself, and just watched everyone else have fun.” He continued, “And because of that, I felt really sorry whenever we’d finish shooting. Like I didn’t do my fill,” and when asked if he would do variety shows again, he said he wouldn’t.

Catch “Taxi” on Mondays at 7:50pm (KST).

Joo Won also recently appeared on JTBC‘s “Witch Hunt” with Kim Ah Joong to promote their new movie “Catch Me.

source:soompi