kpop recs for meg
first things first, you should know that the bestfiction comm @ lj is the ultimate go-to for kpop links, so always check there first, but if you ever can't find anything/are confronted with a dead link, don't hesitate to ask me bc i'd be more than happy to hunt down/upload anything for you. also, for your reference, this lj user uploads caps from pretty much every kpop mv to ever and explains who's who in each one, which i found to be incredibly helpful when i was first starting to get into the swing of things.
anywho, these are my recs to get you started, based on the four or so months i've spent immersing myself in little else but korean pop music (it should be noted that i am undoubtedly leaving many people's faves off this list and it is definitely not meant to be comprehensive in any way. i'm relatively new to all this myself and have plenty left to learn/discover):
01. wonder girls ( profiles) i'm guessing that since once upon a time you saw them live you have some idea of what they're about, but basically, these are my forever girls, everything they do is perfect and i couldn't pick a bias if i tried. their wonder world and wonder party albums are the most fun you will ever have, so be sure to dl those asap. :) also, the wgworld tumblr has some helpful links listed here for your reference, just in case you're ever interested in watching subbed vids/their movie/etc. (definitely check out these videos of the girls talking about their favorite things because ugh, presh: yubin, sohee, sunye, yenny, no lim because she hadn't joined the group at this point.)
02. snsd/girls' generation ( primer) initially i sort of sidestepped soshi (one of the biggest names in kpop, ik, ik) because i was almost - almost - too lazy to get to know the members of such a relatively large group. in my defense, i think it is kind of hard to immediately grasp who's who in a nine-member group no matter how diligently you study their music videos, but i found that this comprehensive post, lengthy as it is may be, was extremely helpful in helping me get acquainted with the girls individually, which was so worth it in the end because ugh, THESE LADIES. i have such a thing about extended, surrogate families and these girls are just THAT for each other. they seem to have achieved such a camaraderie with one another which i think is pretty awesome given how ferociously this industry tends to pit women against one another. that post i linked you to pretty much covers all the bases in terms of which music videos/songs you should check out (personal favorite might be 'hoot' because whoo, delightful retro romp! same goes for 'paparazzi'.) (also, no pressure, but member tiffany hwang is kind of the most delightful human and u shud liek her 2.)
03. miss A ( primer) labelmates with wonder girls, i feel like these girls don't get the attention they deserve from their management considering how intensely fabulous they are. their first full-length album (a class) and subsequent mini-album (touch) are certified GOLD and chock full of hits but they only seem put out a single or two per release which seems like a waste (though i don't claim to know much at all about how record labels go about their business). definitely check out their 'good-bye baby' and 'touch' mvs because god, so fucking good.
04. brown eyed girls ( profiles) these girls are sort of a force of nature, they are so astoundingly talented. their music videos are particularly noteworthy (check out 'abracadabra', 'sixth sense', and 'cleansing cream'). member miryo has also put out an excellent solo album titled 'MIRYO aka JOHONEY'. if you like what you hear of the group as a whole and are interested, i highly recommend you check it out.
05. 2NE1 ( primer, which doesn't include their latest, 'i love you') these girls are the b e s t, and if you need anything more than this mv for their single fittingly titled 'i am the best' to convince you of that fact then i don't know what to say to you t b h. (also, you should def check out the 'HATE YOU' mv, which features animated incarnations of the girls riding around in a baby pink jeep/range rover-type vehicle and saving the world from destruction at the hands of some upstart gent, which, ya know. n__n good, v. good.)
06. big bang pretty much the only guy group i have a vested interest in. gabriella is probably the one to go to for recs for these guys though. (can you tell i'm getting sleepier and consequently lazier as i go with this? i am dreadful.)
07. secret (profiles) actually just got into this group because of their delightfully noir-ish comeback, 'poison', which appeals to, oh, just about all of my sensibilities and you may or may not have seen all over my blog recently.
08. f(x) ( primer) are responsible for 'hot summer' and 'electric shock', both of which have been stuck banging around in my head for months upon months.
other people/groups that i'm not necessarily super duper passionate about but that are definitely worth looking into are KARA ( primer, which doesn't include their latest release - 'pandora'), rainbow ( primer), hello venus ('venus' mv), SHINee ('lucifer' mv, NOTE THE HAIR), and actual disney princess IU ( primer).
and that's about all i've got in me at the moment. like i said, this is far from comprehensive. it's really just me trying to push my absolute faves on you. :3 mostly the business of stanning kpop groups/idols seems to involve aimlessly youtubing until you unearth some gems that become the catalyst for your complete undoing. :)))) on that note, i'll leave you to your own devices. if you need anything else though, just holler!