Running Man Cast Brings 'Boys Over Flowers' To Singapore Fan Meeting; Successfully Concludes Their Race With Fans

Organised by ONE, the 'Watsons RACE START! in Singapore Running Man Fan Meeting' was a huge success. Held at Singapore Expo Hall 2B on October 19, the event saw to a sold-out crowd of more than 3,000 fans. 

Haha, Kim Jongkook, Jee Seokjin, Kang Gary and Song Jihyo were the resident cast members present at the fan meeting. Comprising of four guys and one female, the Running Man team was likened to a really popular drama with the same composition during the opening segment. A video montage of the cast members being depicted as the handsome cast of 'Boys Over Flowers' was shown. The Running Man cast then appeared singing to T-Max's "Almost Paradise", which had many fans roaring with laughter. Haha was dressed up similarly to Gu Junpyo (a character in Boys over Flowers) with the fur on his outfit and pretty Jihyo was definitely Geum Jandi (another character in Boys over Flowers).

Like Us on Facebook :

The fan meeting started off with a talk session and the host congratulated Seokjin on his first solo win in one of the recent episodes. Seokjin commented "Thank you very much! It was my first win in three years" and then followed up with his usual comic dance as the crowd went "Cha cha cha cha cha! Cha cha cha cha cha! You're still alive, Jee Seokjin!" (in Korean)

"I don't want to always win." Jongkook said when the host commented on his many wins on Running Man. He continued, "I want to let them win. I am a generous person", and amused the audience with his comments as he denied his ambitions to win in the variety game show. 

The Singapore event was the first leg of the Running Man Fan Meeting Asia Tour 2013 that Jihyo was featured in and there was much hype about her appearance. Many fans were excited to meet her and of course, Gary on the tour, and hoped to see some dearly-loved "Monday Couple" interactions. There was indeed some couple business that went on in the fan meeting. During the 'gesture game' (it was a charade relay game with selected lucky fans), instead of copying the actions of the person before him, Gary acted on his own and made a heart to Jihyo.

It was real fun watching the Running Man cast and the fans play the game on stage with their expressive body languages. Seokjin was a black hole on his team while Haha was the ace of his. Familiar games seen in Running Man episodes were played on the stage as well. 'Goal In' was the second game and the cast members paired up with a fan and had to kick a slipper into a box with their names. There were penalty boxes with penalties such as 'Couple dance' as well but none of them kicked the slipper into those boxes, disappointingly. 

For the third game, fans were selected to be on stage and they had to dance to Psy's "Gangnam Style" and impress the Running Man cast. Gary and Seokjin were called out to demonstrate the dance for the fans on stage. However, Gary made Jongkook and Haha do the dance as well, and to get back at Gary, the two males danced up to Jihyo. Gary got jealous and confronted Jihyo by saying "sabo", a term used by Singaporeans to mean sabotage, and Jihyo quickly comforted him by saying "I love you". With that, Gary and Jihyo were then made to do a couple dance together.

The fans finally got to dance and the Running Man cast picked out fans that got to play the next game, the "shake off post-its" game! It was hilarious watching the Running Man team paste the post-its on the fans, as they not-so-apologetically sang to "I Am Sorry" while pasting the post-its mercilessly and strategically on places where it would be hard to shake them off. On a side note, Jongkook's team won in all of the games.

The last game of the night was the tug-of-war and the Running Man cast were pitted against the fans. It took 9 fans to beat the Running Man team. The fans that participated in the games were the envy of the audience as they brought home lots of presents such as signed posters, T-shirts, goodies from the sponsors and also, a Polaroid shot with one Running Man cast!

Up next were the live singing performances by all the Running Man cast. Seokjin sang his rendition of the English song, "I Swear" and ended his performance with a corny speech. 

Gary, who is part of Leessang, rapped to the hip-hop duo's hits "You're The Answer To A Guy Like Me" and "Can't Breakup Girl, Can't Leave Boy" before Jihyo joined him on stage for "Turned Off the TV". The "Monday Couple" gave the hip-hop song a different vibe and it was a pleasure to watch the two share the same stage.

"I am Haroro in Running Man, but right now I am a tough guy." Tough-guy Haha performed a remix of "Story of A Little Kid", "You are My Fate" and "Rosa" along with "Busan Vacance" and got the crowd to stand and jump along with him. 

The last of the solo acts, Jongkook serenaded with "One Man" and "Today More Than Yesterday" with his 'mosquito voice'. (as dubbed by fellow Running Man cast Yoo Jaesuk) 

The five Running Man cast members united for the finale and got the audience wild and fans started to jump crazily. The cast members then thanked the audience for their support towards the show and the warm welcome they received in the country.

The fun-filled and engaging 2.5-hours fan meeting ended with an encore stage and the cast members said they will make their return to Singapore soon. Jongkook promised "With Kwangsoo and Jaesuk, we'll be back."

Don't forget to catch new episodes of Running Man every Friday at 11.45pm on ONE (StarHub TV channels 124, 820, 823 and 876 or SingTel mio TV channels 513 and 604)!

Special thanks to ONE for inviting KpopStarz.com to cover 'Watsons RACE START! in Singapore Running Man Fan Meeting'.

Writer: Eileen C. | Photo Credits: ONE

K-Wave Stateside: K-Pop Stories in American News (Week of October 14 - October 20)

EXO and Girls' Generation are at the Top When it Comes to Ranking

Popdust had an article regarding about who is at the top when it comes to boy groups as well as for the girls side. EXO and Girls' Generation are at the top due to their popularity in the other Asian countries as well as their endorsements. Congratulations to this two! The ranking was done by Korean media outlet "Dispatch."

Like Us on Facebook :

Nine Muses Releases Their MV for "Gun"

Popdust covered Nine Muses MV for "Gun" which they gave three cheers for sexiness and that it has a similarity to Rainbow's 2010 hit "A." They also explain further about how all of the ladies are beautiful.

U-Kiss Dongho Leaves the Group

Popdust covered the issue regarding about U-Kiss's 19 year old maknae Dongho leaving the group because he grew tired of the celebrity lifestyle; he wants to live a normal life. The article covered that the grueling career was impacting his health as well as stamina. Dongho will be missed by the fans even though it will not really impact the group overall. Finally, the article explains about other K-Pop stars that have left such as A Pink Yookyung, Ahream from T-ara, and just recently KARA's Nicole when her contract is over.

Website Blog That Features K-Pop Fashion Trends

SBWire featured an article about a popular blog that is getting a lot of hits. The name of the site is Kfashionista and it is a fashion blog that provides the latest in K-Pop style fashion. The website is Kfashionista.com and it is a source of everything Korean in the style of all things Korean and let's viewers comment on the style. So if you want to know the latest trends, go to this site and look as well as comment about the style.

Psy and Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) Has Recorded a Duet Together

Fuse had an article regarding about Psy and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler having a duet. The article further explains that Psy cried in middle school when he listened to Tyler's song, "Crazy." At this time, there is no information about the song that they did a duet on.

IU Lands Number One Spot on the Billboard Charts

IU's new album "Modern Times" are hitting the billboard charts and twelve of her tracks are listed on the list. With IU's new album reaching the top of the leader board, fans are feeling about how far IU has come and how mature she has changed from her last album. Congratulations IU and for her track, "The Red Shoes" being number one for the tenth week!!

K.Will Dethrones IU with his new Album

So after spending two weeks straight at the top of the leader board, IU has been dethroned by K.Will for his new mini-album. K.Will has quickly rose to the top since his comeback and is making himself the biggest male soloist in K-Pop. Other news that was mentioned on the Popdust article was about T-ara and how they are doing well with their song "Number 9." Great job to K.Will and T-ara!!

YG Entertainment's Pursuit For The Perfect Collaboration

Earlier this week, news surfaced via an interview provided by PSY to the Italian magazine L'Uomo Vogue that he had recorded a collaboration with Aerosmith's lead vocalist, Steven Tyler. Upon hearing this news, I must admit to having a very mixed reaction, considering that just a week before PSY was spotted with Canadian pop star Justin Bieber, providing commentary on Bieber's diligence in the recording studio. The first image that came to mind was a mash up of the elevator scene from "Gangnam Style" with Aerosmith's innuendo packed hit "Love In An Elevator". What would compel YG Entertainment to look towards a veteran hard rock star like Steven Tyler for a collaboration?

Within the past year, YG Entertainment has repeatedly brought American artists in for collaboration, as well as to create the appearance of future projects. The parade of stars has ranged from Hollywood A-list celebrity Will Smith, hip hop luminaries Missy Elliot and Snoop Dogg to Sky Ferreira, a vocalist who was virtually unknown outside of indie pop conneisseurs. As more American pop and hip hop artists appear on stage and in the studio with YG Entertainment's talent, it becomes apparent that YG wish to become the leader in the race to conquer the Western Kpop market.

Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with two music producers whom are based within the United States. Both producers consistently work with Kpop artists, as well as JPop and American Pop vocalists. Each producer provided feedback that K-pop performers generally have some of the most limited involvement in the production process, when compared to pop musicians worldwide. The production process is heavily driven by the entertainment companies with exception given to artists like G-Dragon whose production skill and songwriting technique allows the opportunity for almost full creative licensing. With wide ranging musical taste and innate musicality, G-Dragon has effectively sidestepped some of the traps that other artists have fallen into in terms of poorly executed collaborations.

Like Us on Facebook :

G-Dragon's "Coup D'Etat" not only serves as the culmination of a lifetime of musical experience, the album also demonstrates the unlimited possibilities of collaborations, if the song selection and artist are well matched. When news broke that G-Dragon would be collaborating with Missy Elliot, netizens and industry insiders reacted in two ways: either the eclectic nature of both artists would lend itself to a song that would reflect their music brilliance or the collaboration could serve as yet another failed attempt for a hip hop/Kpop collaboration, much in the vein of JYJ's "Ayyy Girl".

Contrary to the forecast of naysayers, "Niliria" proved its relevance and foundation in American hip hop, when G-Dragon and Missy Elliot premiered the song at KCON 2013. The premier of "Niliria" in Los Angeles created another pinnacle point for Kpop in the United States, joining PSY's performance of "Gangnam Style" at Rockefeller Center in 2012. However, unlike "Gangnam Style", the song has yet to receive radio airplay on American hip hop or pop stations.

"Gettin' Dumb", a collaboration between Will.I.Am with 2NE1's CL and Park Bom, released in April 2013 theoretically should have been a chart topping party anthem along the veins of Will.I.Am's songs with The Black Eyed Peas. Perhaps, it was the song title but the song was received with mixed reactions and did not reach its true potential. In complete juxtaposition, the stage performance of 2NE1 and Snoop Dogg for the Adidas Unite All Originals concert demonstrated the complete talent of all artists and served as a reminder about the hip hop roots of YG Entertainment.

With PSY anticipating a well received comeback, why would he choose to collaborate with Steven Tyler. Steven Tyler demonstrated a unique capacity to recognize an unprecedented opportunity for collaboration in 1986 with Run DMC's cover of Walk This Way and is without a doubt a legendary rock figure. With "Gangnam Style", PSY reached audiences in varying age demographics, from those who listen to Justin Bieber to their parents who reminisce about their teen years. If this collaboration maintains the same ear worm quality, there may be positive results.

What do you think of the upcoming collaboration between PSY and Steven Tyler or other collaborations within YG Entertainment?

[News] Psy to collaborate with rocker Steven Tyler of Aerosmith

[News] Psy to collaborate with rocker Steven Tyler of Aerosmith

Psy has revealed that he will be collaborating with Steven Tyler of legendary rock band Aerosmith!

Recently, at an interview with Italy’s L’Uomo Vogue for the October issue, Psy dropped the big news saying, “The big secret is, I just finished recording my next song with a legendary artist, Steven Tyler from Aerosmith.”

He added, “When I was in middle school, I literally cried when they were singing ‘Crazy’ or ‘Amazing’ or whatever. They were my lifetime role models, and now I am collaborating with Steven Tyler. I love my life.”

Psy said he revealed the huge piece of information because he really appreciate being on the cover of Italy’s L’Uomo Vogue magazine. Psy also became the first Korean artist has ever made the cover of this magazine.

[News] G-Dragon, Psy & Justin Bieber, The Meeting of Brightest Stars

[News] G-Dragon, Psy & Justin Bieber, The Meeting of Brightest Stars

The top musicians of this era met in one place.

Scooter Brown, a famous producer who discovered the talent in Justin Bieber, revealed a picture taken with G-Dragon and Psy.

Yesterday, Scooter Brown posted on his Twitter, "Much respect to my friend" along with two pictures. In the pictures, G-Dragon, Psy, and Justin Bieber are posing together for the camera. Many were curious of why they had met up.

Photo Credit: Scooter Brown Twitter

[News] 2NE1 to serve as honorary ambassadors at 'KBEE 2013' in London

[News] 2NE1 to serve as honorary ambassadors at 'KBEE 2013' in London

The members of 2NE1 have been appointed honorary ambassadors for 'Korea Brand and Entertainment Expo 2013 (KBEE 2013),' which will take place at Old Bilingsgate in London from November 4th to 6th.

Taking place for the fourth year, KBEE is co-sponsored by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy as well as the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. It is also supervised by KOTRA and KOCCA. KBEE is held annually overseas with the purpose of creating the largest Hallyu trade fair, cultural and industrial fusion, and place of cooperation.

This exposition will spread the economic effects of Hallyu by showing the Korean model of a creative economy through one-on-one interactions between participating businesses and potential buyers. A total of 47 businesses are participating. The fair will also have a Psy hologram concert for the first time overseas.

It was smart of them to choose 2NE1 as the honorary ambassadors as the group is widely popular on an international level. They are even on close terms with globally influential figures, such as producer Will.i.am and fashion designer Jeremy Scott.

The girls' appointment ceremony to become ambassadors for 'KBEE 2013' is scheduled to take place on the 10th in the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency's main building B1's international conference hall.

[News] Scooter Braun shares Instagram pictures with Justin Bieber, G-Dragon, and Psy in Korea

[News] Scooter Braun shares Instagram pictures with Justin Bieber, G-Dragon, and Psy in Korea

Justin Bieber flew into Korea on the 8th for his upcoming performance in Bangi-dong's Olympic Park on the 10th for his first concert in Korea. It didn't take long for him to meet up with Psy, who had also flown into Korea recently, and G-Dragon as all three are on close terms. Justin Bieber and Psy's manager Scooter Braun was also present and revealed pictures on Instagram as proof of their get-together.

In the above picture, Justin Bieber, Psy, and G-Dragon are casually posing together like old friends. Scooter Braun wrote under the picture, "This is trouble."

In the below picture, Scooter Braun posed with G-Dragon's latest album 'Coup D'etat,' which was given to him as a present from the singer himself. Scooter Braun wrote, "Much respect to my friend G-Dragon for the gift."