Synopsis:
"K-Pop Now! takes a fun look at Korea's high-energy pop music, and is written for its growing legions of fans. It features all the famous groups and singers, and takes an insider's look at how they have made it to the top. In 2012, Psy's song and music video ""Gangnam Style"" suddenly took the world by storm. But K-Pop, the music of Psy's homeland of Korea has been winning fans for years with its infectious melodies and high-energy fun. Featuring incredibly attractive and talented singers and eye-popping visuals, K-Pop is the music of now. Though K-Pop is a relatively young phenomenon in the West, it is rapidly gaining traction and reaching much larger audiences thanks in large part to social media like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Top K-Pop acts get ten million to thirty million hits for their videos the Girls Generation single ""Gee"" has over a hundred million views! In K-Pop Now! you'll find: Profiles of all the current K-Pop artists and their hits A look at Seoul's hippest hot spots and hangouts Interviews with top artists like Kevin from Ze:A and Brian Joo A look at the K-Pop idols of tomorrow. You'll meet the biggest record producers, the hosts of the insanely popular ""Eat Your Kimchi"" website, and K-Pop groups like Big Bang, TVXQ, 2NE1, Girls Generation, HOT, SES, FinKL Busker Busker and The Koxx. The book also includes a guide for fans who plan to visit Seoul to explore K-Pop up close and personal. "
Review:
"Having written about Korean pop culture and lived in Korea for more than a decade, Mark Russell is uniquely qualified to talk about K-pop." --Shin Hyun-joon, research professor specializing in modern Korean music at Sungkonghoe University
"It's an enjoyable and informative read which strikes a good balance between out-and-out fandom and critique, and can be warmly recommended." --London Korean Links
"With K-pop being the most talked-about product coming out of Korea today, Koreans and non-Koreans alike ask: So what is K-pop? Between the covers of this book, you will find the closest thing you can get to an answer. This is a comprehensive and timely guidebook on K-pop by someone who can describe and explain it better than any other I know, by a Western expert who has been following K-pop more closely and with more passion than Koreans." --Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times Korea Correspondent
"K-pop has breathed new life into global pop music, proving that catchy, hummable tunes never go out of style. And Mark Russell, with his long experience and in-depth knowledge of South Korea's music scene, has written an engaging and comprehensive account of how K-pop took over the world." --Steve McClure, former Billboard magazine Asia Bureau Chief and publisher of McClure Music News
"The experience of looking at yourself with someone else's eyes always brings up special emotions. Sometimes it reveals the parts that you want to hide so bad that you forget about them. Sometimes another point of view creates an opportunity for positive discussion and a new interpretation. Mark has been watching and studying the changes to the Korean music scene, finding the exquisite spots where many boundaries--neither inside nor outside--cross, and moving from one such spot to another. His views are both systematic and professional, and yet he never loses balance or his sense of humor, always presenting stimulating points of view." --Cho TaeSang; Director of Byul.org
"This book provides rare insights into the personalities and inner workings of the fascinating world of K-Pop. Mark Russell not only explores and explains this vibrant musical phenomenon--he provides a window onto a trend that is shaping popular youth culture throughout Asia and the world. K-Pop Now! is an essential read for everyone who wants to understand the evolving popular tastes in this vital part of the globe." --Gwen Robinson, Financial Times Southeast Asia correspondent
"Mark Russell knows the South Korean entertainment industry inside and out. He writes about Korean pop with expertise, warmth and infectious enthusiasm. Russell gets both the trends and the context. He's a delight to read." --Dr. Jeffrey Gedmin, President and CEO, the Legatum Institute
"Mark Russell understands popular Korean music as well as anyone, Korean or foreign, and his latest effort doesn't disappoint. K-Pop Now! gives an honest, fascinating account of the development of the K-pop machine, and is written with obvious enthusiasm for the subject. Mr. Russell goes beyond the boy bands and girl groups, and is as comfortable discussing Cho Yong-pil as he is 2PM. Korea's star is rising, thanks in part to its music industry. If you want to know how that industry works, who the main players are, and what the future holds for them, look no further than this book." --Daniel Tudor, former Korea correspondent for The Economist and author of Korea: The Impossible Country
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