FORBES Korea recently released its annual 2013 Power Celebrity Top 40 list, with K-pop sensation PSY topping the list, reports soshified.com.
Into its 10th year, the magazine uses the same criteria as US Forbes’ Celebrity 100 list to publish the annual Korean ranking based on the celebrities’ income, influence and popularity.
But what caught people’s attention is that coming in at the No.2 spot is Girls’ Generation (SoShi).
It shows that the nine-member group, who had topped the 2011 and 2012 list, is still the most influential girl group in South Korea despite barely any group activities or promotions.
The only exception was when its sub-unit TaeTiSeo, comprising Taeyeon, Tiffany and Seohyun, promoted its debut mini album Twinkle in May. Otherwise, the girls were mainly busy with their individual activities.
Yet, they still remained the advertisers’ darlings. They have the most number of endorsement deals out of the list of the 40 celebrities in 2013, with 32 TV advertisements.
On another note, many happy returns to Taeyeon (second from left), the leader and main vocalist of the group, who turns 24 on March 9.
All about love
KIM Tae Woo, the former lead singer of the now-defunct K-pop boy band g.o.d. (short for “groove overdose”) that used to be popular in the 2000s, has recently released his fourth mini album T-Love, reports soompi.com.
It is said that Kim experimented with new genres in this five-track album, that includes Oppa, a duet with Megan Lee, a contestant of MBC’s reality singing show Birth Of A Great Star.
Check out the MV for the title track Cosmic Girl, featuring actor Lee Dong Wook and Yoon So Jung, the first runner-up in the 2007 Asia Korea Supermodel contest, at www.youtube.com/user/tsoul.
Hello, it’s Nu’est
URBAN electro boy band Nu’est, which stands for NU (new) Established Style and Tempo), has recently released its second mini album Hello, reports dkpopnews.net.
The quintet, one of 2012’s K-pop best rookie groups, has also released a special edition album The Moments that includes a DVD and a 200-page photobook of pictures taken in Australia and the US.
The five-track mini album also includes Just A Little Bit (which features pop pianist Yoon Han).
Check out the MV for title track Hello, which features a kiss scene between member JR and actress Nam Bora, at www.youtube.com/user/pledisnuest
It’s 10cm
TALENTED K-indie acoustic duo 10cm, which comprises Kwon Jung Yeol and Yoon Cheol Jong, is back with a new mini album, titled The 2nd EP, reports allkpop.com.
It is said that the group, who shot to fame with the single Americano in 2010, is named thus due to their height difference.
Showcasing a “light and happiness” concept, this album is said to have been released in conjunction with the duo’s recently held solo concert Fine Thank You and You? in Seoul.
Although they had planned to release just one track, they decided to gift fans with five songs, including two that they couldn’t add to their full-length album.
It’s not goodbye
FIVE-member K-pop rookie girl group Exid, which only debuted in February last year, has also jumped on the sub-unit bandwagon.
Its sub-unit Dasoni, comprising its two best vocalists Solji (who was a former member of female ballad duo 2NB) and Hani, recently released its debut single album Goodbye, reports koreaboo.com.
This album comprises the digital single Goodbye and its coupling track Common Words as well as their instrumental versions.
Meanwhile, netizens are giving this sub-unit the thumbs up for their powerful vocals as well as the equal distribution of lines between the duo.
Check out the MV for Goodbye at www.youtube.com/user/ ABEntworld.
Of love and loss
J-ACTRESS Maki Horikita will play the titular role in Mugiko-san, a new movie by director Keisuke Yoshida, who is said to have worked on the storyline for seven years, reports nipponcinema.com.
Mugiko (Horikita), who works in a shop selling anime merchandise and who aims to be a voice actor, goes to live with her brother after her father’s death.
Meanwhile, her terminally-ill mum Ayako (played by Kimiko Yo), who has abandoned them since young, shows up one day. However, not long later, she passes away.
Mugiko makes a trip to Ayako’s hometown to lay her ashes to rest and discovers that the latter is well-loved by the townsfolk. Mugiko’s mixed feelings about her mum dissipates and she starts to see the latter in a new light.
Source: NewStraitsTimes
