Se7en’s appearance at the sub par club, Hiro Ballroom yesterday was a desperate cry for the attention he is used to receiving in the motherland.
But instead of seizing the opportunity, he squandered it by granting the press very little face time which he used to regurgitate some tired rhetoric. His brief interviews were conducted only with the Korean and Japanese press because, he commented, his English requires more work.
After being whisked off to the closed off VIP area, only to surround himself with a choice selection of females, it became clear that Se7en’s investment in the event was limited to alcohol and groupies.
When the soon to debut artist finally took the main stage, it was to recite a brief and obviously rehearsed spiel of easy to pronounce words. And after this attempt to garner hype for his debut, tracks from his new album were played for the crowd via CD, not quite the live showcase we were expecting*. The audience’s reaction was scant, borderline pathetic, to the highly publicized collaborations with Three 6 Mafia, Fabolous, and hitmaker Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins.
It remains unclear how Se7en’s American debut will play out, especially with his lack of confidence and fluency in English. But based on what we witnessed last night, successful integration into the US market seems unlikely, if not impossible.
*Please note that this was based on POPSEOUL!’s expectation. BaseNYC, the promoter of the party stated that Se7en was “hosting” the party.
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its not that bad…, sounds good
the song is actually aight. sounds like something you would hear one of our (American) R&B artist would sing.
But i bet the girls that was surrounded by him were assless hahahahaha
was jinu at the party? if so was he acting all sad? or maybe he was trying to get some rebound booty since his divorce became public? and was Mr. YG there? looking like a possum…
P.S. damn se7en been enjoying the American fatty foods too much huh? his face looks swollen lol and i can tell hes been eating the fatty foods lol cus it look like hes borderline of having some pimples
he should work on his english beforehand. this event & his debut in usa was not planned yesterday. duh…
hmm i went to the party last night, jas is correct, se7en looks like he put on a bit of weight and i commented to my friend that it looks like he’s been eating american food lol. That aside, he looked good anyway. He looked way better in person then in these pictures. He was in the VIP all night surrounded by people so most people could not even see him at all. The party itself was pretty good and Hiro ballroom is not a subpar club if we compare it to other new york clubs. I here clubs in general are a lot nice in places like LA and such. Hiro was nice atmosphere, nice helpful employees and good dj. When se7en took the stage however, it was a bit disappointing that he did not spend more time and that he did not sing at least a song. When up there, he made a comment that he had a lot to drink hee hee. His english sounded great, and i think he quite proficient in english in general more so then some other korean celbrities I ha heard speak, because his accent is not difficult to understand at all. That said, His song sounded good and if it is played in hot 97 people will like it and will not think of who the artist is too much. If people like the songs they will like him, so if he can get them heard and make a decent first video he is in.
… gosh i have a lot of typos
I think thats a rather harsh write up from a bitter sub par media site. Se7en was never said to perform, just host. Also the club and the parties thrown there by the promotion group, are by far the best in the east coast. Sub par females? Care to post pictures of yourselves?
i don’t know about the song… but he’s cute haha
america has a short attention span…they wont wait for his english to get better.
american fans loves fabulous and rodney jerkins and have keen interest what their doing. they would demand seven to have live interveiws. seven wont be protected like the korean press doess. why give songs to seven , when the producers songs will do so much better with another established american artist.
america labels a artist/entertainer instantly. immediate bad press will destroy seven. laughter and jokes will be instant.
after steven colbert comedy episode with rain. rain had no shot.
this is the hard facts. presently, america only wants a asian “jacki chan” type comedy or a chow fat killer…they dony dont want a engrish speaking korean trying to sing their R&B and hip hop music.
this present rush of korean artists will definately make a huge mark and impression. if it backfires, it will really hamper any artist venture into american music for years to come. this flop will also cause any top producer to runaway from any association with any korean artist.
what music wants now is a original artist. an artist that creates his/ her own songs. you can be a fat sean kingston from jamaica, white english chick Natasha Bedingfield from england, little ugly english whiteboy, james blunt….and be a instant star BUT…
korean music presently isnt promoting real musicians and oriniality but instead manufactured mundane recycled pop candy music.
he’s english is probably pretty fobby, you can’t blame him. >.<
And plus,he will get BIGGER in terms of fame because right now america is hit by the korean wave.
@ Jas - That’s what happens when Asian stars come to America- they get fat, hahaha.
BUT THE SONG SOUNDS GREAT. Maybe he can do well here if he gets attention through his music, first.
Ummm… The song was not impressive at all. This is so looks bad on Se7en really if he wanted to show people he could make it he should have sing a song. Seriously, he is already partying like a rock star but fail to make the income. Pretty sad
Seriously, from my own opinion, this song is nothing compared to his other songs like lalala, passion and i know. . . its rather disappointing.
~Wow he sure does look a little chubbier….poor babes need to hang with Paris Hilton and “the gang” if he wants some celebrity networking and media attention haha. J/K!
Nicely put lim33853.
Korean pop, along w/ Jpop is still too regurgitated for American audiences. It works for Asia, but it won’t fly here. They are trying too hard to mimic our pop artists. Anyway, Americans aren’t interested in an Asian version of Britney Spears or Beyonce when we’ve got the originals right here!
If anything, its the niche fans that will buy Asian albums. Anime geeks will buy Jpop and Asians addicted to Kdrama will buy kpop. But really, its not that cool to be an Asian Pop singer in America.
his english isn’t bad at all but i guess he’ll have to learn how to speak without memorizing lines.
he’s lot cuter in that photo than the usual photoshopped ones.
Not looking good in that pic, i can see his pimples and visible pores.. too much partying ?
Wow, popseoul hasnt blogged abt se7en for the longest time. Was it a coincidence or was it because i asked for lesser Bi- time and more of se7en and Eric ? Thanks, in any case = )
He is wasting his time in the USA. By the time he is fluent enough to handle a decent conversation, it’d be time to go to the army.
Forget the USA and come back to Asia.
question-
is every korean artist going to do the “peace sign” while they are here in the states
i hope these idiots realize the usa is in war.
“seven, so what does the peace sign mean to you? does it have any connection with the war in iraq”
“yo yo, lets potty in the house! oooh yeeahh! potty time! i like michael jackson dance like, babby! watch me popping! oh yeaah”
give me william hung
Its a bloody peace sign, what utter rubbish are you talking about
I have ceased to believe anything’s that written here, but after reading mHeaven’s input, I’d like to thank that person instead.
Don’t see what’s the big deal is with his face, he still has some of his appeal.
I’m still not sure if I’m rooting for his success in US, but I have low hopes so who cares. However, I can see his song being a hit if he knows how to play his cards right. Good luck
Wow lim33853 - u sound like u really know ur music stuff! Nice to meet ya, from one music fan to another = )
” . this present rush of korean artists will definately make a huge mark and impression. if it backfires, it will really hamper any artist venture into american music for years to come”
Pls tell me u arent referring to JYP and his Wondergirls…..
I actually really enjoyed the song. Its wayy better than this is my year with Fabolous. I cant wait until we can request these songs cuz im gonna OD with hot97 and power 1051 out here in NYC.
That song sounds so rehashed. If that’s all he has to offer America then his debut is going to flop. I mean, its not bad but it’s not great either. It’s okay. If I heard it on the radio I’d probably only leave it on instead of changing stations JUST BECAUSE I know it’s Se7en and not because I’m into the song.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Se7en. I think he’s an awesome singer and dancer, and a lot of his songs are wonderful, like LaLaLa and Passion. But like others have already stated, it’s hard for Asian artists to bring something new to the table here when our Americans have already done it.
And if he’s serious about this, he definitely better start working on his English more if he still isn’t comfortable speaking it on his own and isn’t fluent yet. If not, its inevitable that he’s going to be the brunt of jokes on SNL and Steven Colbert…Really, it’s inevitable anyway when he starts making tv appearances and has an MV out. I hope he has tough skin.
After this…Se7en and Min…I’m a little worried for BoA. I hope her debut turns out much better than this.
But nevertheless, I love Se7en and I think he’s awesome. I wish him the best of luck and I’m still rooting for him.
heard the song. actally not that bad. i feel the production is completely doing a diffrent approach in working se7en voice plus/adding with the music (very us r&b). what he needs now is a hit song to make it, cos at least now i know he has the package (voice, good loooks, good music production, good marketing team) hiro event is a good guerilla/viral marketing i think, at least to spread word of mouth hype first.
ummmm.
i wish the best for se7en.
i think it would be cool to have a korean singer be BIG in america.
meaning that even american people know who he is because mostly korean people in america only know se7en boa and other people. well not just korean. asians
the album’s gonna be decent i think.. he just actually needs to get out there -_-;; and speak english..and actually perform live ^^
im liking the song
sounds a lot a lot like one of the justin timberlake’s song though lol
At least his voice is the same, even if lyrics like “I don’t like them girls” are a little… eh.
He really does seem to have gained weight though. Even just since he appeared for that YG Family performance at… SBS Music Awards (is that what it was?).
sounds like i didn’t miss much last night. he def looks more “American” all fattened up and pimply. it’s better than his skinny picture on the flyer where his huge lips are taking up his face. he’s def a cutie.
…Is this the guy I used to drool over and fight for when it came to “se7en VS. Bi”?………….. Looks like BOTH of them are spiraling down the drain. Sad.
Now there no solo R&B dance boys I can droll over in Korea…
Sigh… if only Big Bang were a bit taller
And as much as I dislike Bi… I think even with his one song with Omarion (”Man up”) and Se7en’s already two songs… Bi’s done a better job. *gags can’t believe I just said that*
-sLaVe
He should stick to asia. It won’t work in the USA. They have Chris Brown, Usher, JT, come on now. Why are korean artists so naive to not see that america, rephrase, the whole western music scene, wants either originality, someone who really EXCELS at R&B pop music? Not someone who can barely speak english and is a watered down rehash of what already has been done before and better. Step your game up Se7en.
sorry: ‘…wants either originality, OR someone who really excels at R&B pop music?’
perhaps he has indeed put on some weight, but in my observations, he’s no longer got the same baby-face of his debut days. remember when he pumped up for one of his albums and painted his face? he was finally going through puberty or something haha.
lim33853, you are awesome. lol i agree with almost every single thing you say. and you’re funny.
well, i am disappointed!
this is not going to be good enough to make a mark in the US market. The song sounds like any other US R&B song…there is nothing special about it. It is not going to be good enough to catch people’s attention. I mean, the song is OK but it is also ordinary. Like some other people have already mentioned, Americans like originality, He needs to bring something new to the table to catch people’s attention. I hope his other songs are more original and that he improves his english. The fact that he wants to debut this year and yet he is still not confident enough to hold a conversation MIGHT be a bit of a problem o.O
Well right america has its singers but that dont mean everyone likes them personally i have banned them from my house its all about Kpop. yes it will be hard to make it but bi and se7en just need to keep pushing it
sounds like normal American songs-well,we;ll see when they album comes out!who knows?may be it’ll be big hit-good luck to se7en!I’m pretty sure his name is kinda cool,so gotta hit the market real soon-hail for se7en!hehehehe-^_______^!
C’mon guys, get real here. Take a step back and look at this for what it is. The song is at best, average. I’ve heard many unsigned and underground artists that sound much better than this. Is se7en even signed with a major label yet? Kpop industry is going about this all the wrong way. Look at the Japanese music market for example. Alot of the established artists collaborate with American artists all the time and have been doing so for many years now. The difference is that they make the music for the Japanese market and not try to change who they are to accomodate the American market. For example, the Teriyaki Boyz (with Verbal from M-flo and DJ Nigo who created BAPE) just came out with a great collaboration with Pharrell and Busta Rhymes called “Zock On”. Go ahead and check out the video on tube sites. IMHO, this is where you need to start. I believe that reputable artists such as Pharrell would respect an artist more for sticking to their roots and integrating their music with each other. It’s rare to see a Japanese artist try to debut in America (Utada as an exception since she is American) because the music industry is so strong in Japan, which is only second to the US. But anyways, good luck to all the Kpop artists trying to break into the US this year.
in my opinion,
NO korean artist can survive in the US
There are just way too many talented artists in the US.
all the korean artists are … well…
they are nothing compared to those US artists
lets be honest here LOL
How heartbreaking. I hope Se7en can handle all this emotionally. Hwaiting, Se7en!
what happen to his Lalala image?????
my smexay hot flawless skin se7en oppa?
damn,stop trying to change our se7en’s to somebody else’s se7en!yeap,he kinda gain some fats in his face.lolz.
Evercool
“lim33853, you are awesome. lol i agree with almost every single thing you say. and you’re fun
Evercool, you need help.
What did the mommy Korean turkey say to her baby turkey?
Gobble ji mah!
the song’s iight.
not very catchy though.
KIR is absolutely right. the amazing talents of toshi kubota couldn’t break out in america either, & he’s born to breathe soul/R&B! stick to making the music, not breaking the impossible market/cultural conditions. unless god made you genius, yeah.
aw man se7en must’ve been nervous or something. he totally blew his chance by hiding. ditch the honeys and make the money man! XD
his song wasn’t bad though, hopefully he gets more confidence in himself.
the song isn’t bad, he has potential if he surrounds himself with GOOD producers and hides his accent
I’ve never listened to se7en before…yes, lash me as you wish. But this song isn’t so bad. I mean his voice fits well and his pronunciation isn’t terrible and his accent isn’t extremely heavy. The boy can sing better than Rain. But whatever, it’s not my style of music. But I think the song will be well-received by the American audience. But I’m not so sure about America accepting se7en himself.
This is not a good start. If he’s planning to debut in the US, he had better practice his English soon. Why come all the way to NY to interview with the Japanese and Korean press? You could do that in Korea!
Why do Koreans want to debut in the US so much? It’s like, HELLO… There are already a trillion American people who are fighting like mad to become artists here, and they’re pretty darn good at singing too. If you’re not 100% ready, don’t even try. And clearly, Se7en’s not ready.
All se7en has to do is translate “lalala” into english, add a rapper to it, and he has an instant hit!!!
If he can sing korean songs in japanese and chinese, surley he can do one in english.
the music sounds different but nice…..and he looks different but still HOT!
miss info from hot97 introduced se7en on stage. dj spinbad from z100 played his singles~ thats huge
i hope you guys really analize/realize what is happenning in the american entertainment and the technology we live in.
its full access entertainment.
what the us market wants to know is EVERYTHING about the singers. their personalities. the good and even more important the bad. the downfall of britney spears is more important than a great looking guy like fabio/or a model. they have to have a personality ouside of “performing”. the sucess between 2 singers on stage is the personality presence off the stage.
its substance. they need to connect and relate to the singer. people are more attached to spears with her divorce, 2 kid, drug/mental problem more than ever. reality tv.
where is the substance in se7en? the last 10 years where rain dominated kpop, did korea really know rain? maybe koreans didnt want to know, BUT IN THE USA, WE HAVE TO KNOW!
what hyrori is doing would be highly accepted and put hyori to another level if it was in america. she is showing herself at home trying to relate with the real world ala jessica simpson. jessica exploded after her mtv show. not her music, her modeling, whatever… it was the mtv show.
but korea is different. they are reserved. and so are the entertainers, seven and rain. korea doesnt want to know what hyori is doing and she is getting blasted while simspon is heralded.
accept it. korean fans want to see with there eyes.they are interested in only want you see outwardly(maybe thats why koreans are known throughout as the most vain people). they dont want to know the person inside. they could do the worst things,they dont want to know about it. tey dont care. ALL KOREAN MUSIC FANS WANT IS THEIR IDOLS NOT TO GET OLD. thats why we have the biannual girl crazed fan suicides. GET REAL. american and korean entertainment, 2 different worlds.
——————————-
Once, there was 3 koreans who wanted to go to America.
Their names were Bu, Chu, and Fu. Since these names would sound
awfully weird, Bu said, “I’ll change me name to Buck, adding ck
to the end.” Chu then said, “then I’ll become Chuck.” After a
long pause, Fu said, “I guess I’ll go back to korea.”
I don’t think it sounds as dismal as Popseoul is making it out to be. If they were expecting some high energy club banga courtesy of Three 6 Mafia then yes you would’ve been disappointed. In any case it’s a step higher than This Is My Year and the R&B groove suits him really well. These songs all sound average to you guys but come on, we’re talking about a market that threw money at Soulja Boy. And what’s all this about him changing his style? Se7en’s been doing R&B and hip hop/pop since he debuted, I don’t see any difference in tune here.
kylie
March 16, 2008 at 3:46 am
All se7en has to do is translate “lalala” into english, add a rapper to it, and he has an instant hit!!!
——————–
POST OF THE YEAR
YOU ARE 100 CORRECT
lol at se7en.. i don`t get this guy`s appeal… well he does have sexy lips, but other than that i`m not impressed… not even a bit…
IM SO SHOCKED . I HAD HIGH EXPECTATONS FOR BOTH SE7EN AND RAIN . THOUGH IM RAIN FAN BUT I BELIEVE THAT EVEN IF RAIN AND SE7EN ARE RIVALS IN KOREA BUT THEY ARE ON THE SAME TEAM IN USA .
I REALLY WANT RAIN AND SE7EN TO MAKE IT . SO I GUESS I AM SO DISAPPOINTED WITH WHAT IM READING NOW ABOUT SE7EN .
WHY HIS ENGLISH IS NOT THAT GOOD YET ? HE HAS BEEN IN THE STATES FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW ! HE IS NOT EVEN CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO TALK TO THE AMERICAN PRESS . SUCH AN EMBARASSMENT !
AND WHY IS HE GAINING ALL THIS WEIGHT ? HE DOESNT EVEN LOOK LIKE SE7EN ANYMORE . HIS HAIR AND OUTFIT ARE DIFFERENT YET IT DOESNT SOUND LIKE HIM . HE LOOKS FAKE .
I HOPE I HEAR BETTER NEWS IN THE FUTURE ABOUT SE7EN . I WISH HIM ALL THE BEST COZ HE IS EXTREMELY TALANTED AND GIFTED . AND HE HAS A GREAT PERSONALITY .
I WILL BE THE FIRST TO BUY HIS CD . I BELIEVE IN HIM AND IN RAIN . I HOPE THEY DONT DISAPPOINT US .
but there is already an asian american r&b artist out now..by the name of asia cruise her video is being played on BET and 106&Park countdown…
It’d be funny if he actually does get more attention that some of these Debby Downers have been saying. I thought the song isn’t bad, what little I can make of it from the crappy recording, sure, sounds just like all the other R&B hits, but that means level of quality is there at least. If it doesn’t work out, it’s still the experience and growth he’s gained to be a better artist. He doesn’t have all his eggs in this one basket, an artist always creates music regardless if it’s going to be released or not, I’m sure here are Korean songs up his sleeves, or somebody out there is writing them for him.
Listening to the song.
At least he can pronounce “girls”
and doesn’t say “girrrs”
LOL.
I’ll still be anticipating his debut.
Because I honestly think he’ll be successful,
out of all the people debuting in America.
se7en is pretty hawt, not that much but love his song tatoo, he did gain a lido weigh but he still hawt, like bi rain
The song sounds pretty good.
Honestly, I don’t like Se7en. I prefer Bi, but that’s not what we’re talking about.
The song could make it here, I believe. But they are seriously strict here about their beats and etc. If your beat isn’t what they are looking for, they’ll find you a new beat. (One that probably sucks)
Unfortunately, rap/hip hop music has went to crap. (NOT ALL, BUT MOST MAINSTREAM) So this makes things difficult for Asians bringing their music here. The pop phase has passed..(I miss it so much!) He really does have to be seriously prepared for this, otherwise he could screw it up really bad.
Hmm…the song is okay, but it won’t be a chart topper. If he does debut with this song he’ll probably get i dunno, a couple weeks of attention like what lim33853 said, the US has a really short attention span. The thing is, in the US, you have to release several really good albums in a row, or have a unique side in order to stay famous for years.
The music industry in the US is also already so infiltrated that it is extremely hard for anyone to make it big and stay famous.
I want Se7en to be successful, but with this song, there’s nothing out of the ordinary, there’s nothing to differentiate him w/ the other R&B/hip hop artists.. he’ll be out of everyone’s minds within weeks. People will have moved onto other and better things.
and about his weight thing, yeah…he has been eating american food. haha it looks like he’s gain 10-15 pounds. I like the old Se7en better
Yes, Se7en has gained a little weight. He needs to gain a few more imo. He looks good. I don’t like scarecrow looking men. So what if Koreans are trying to break into the American market. Who says Beyonce’ and Britney are originals? They just do whatever the music companies tell them. If fold music was all the rage, then they would be folk artist. At least Koreans love pop and R&B so much that they work extremely hard for it by studying several languages, traveling extensively, and putting up with racially infested criticism. If bearing all that isn’t genuine passion and enthusiasm for R&B and pop music I don’t know what is? Can you say that about Beyonce’ or Britney? NO. R&B and pop music isn’t confined to America. It is the music of the world and anyone can partake in it and fall in love with it just like Se7en and Rain. Oh but it’s OK for America to take from other cultures like wearing the popular kimono inspired blouses that are HOT for women now. Or the millions of Asian restaurants that non-Asians eat at everyday in the U.S. licking their chops away. Shiatsu, Thia Chi, popular Asian inspired home decor, fortune cookies, China Town, Jackie Chan, fung shay, martial arts that little Billy and Timmy attend after school, origami, the wok, the insanely popular fish ponds everybody’s getting in their yards, Honda, Toyota, need I go on? I can. All of these things are so American, they are almost American as apple pie, yet they are not. Yeah, it’s OK for America to take from other countries and rape their culture and slap an American label on it and claim it for their own, but they won’t share with anyone else will they?
I wish Se7en and Rain the very, very best. They deserve success. They are 2 of the hardest working entertainers around. I don’t see them sitting on their fat asses chowing down on cheese curls and Popeyes, HELLO Britney and Beyonce’.
i’m so proud of mmyy se7en ahah i can’t wait.. it sound pretty tight too.. ahha
is that se7en?
lim33853
You better preach, boo.
why is everyvody so disappointed? What you hear one song, which you can freakin barely hear, and you peopel go off saying its hecka bad and he can’t make it? Give him a break. Wait till he REALLY debuts and then judge him. He wasn’t there to sing, he was there to host. it does say that he’s HOSTING it and having a mini concert. And for the looks, why does it matter? As long as people like his music, the face don’t matter. Look at Sean Kingson, Neyo, John Mayer, James Blunt, etc. They aint that great looking but there definitly successful and people love their music, not there face. So stop hating because you hear one bad audio of his song and that picture which i must say is really good. At least we get to see how he looks like now then waiting for his debut when they put makeup and photoshop everything
I want the skinny Se7en-
!
WOWOWOWOWOW Truth!! you are heeeeeeeellllll harsh,im sure the popseoul ladies are just as handsome as anyone else on this website, I for one love their blog, even though i dont agree with eveyrthing they say its so much fun!!! and dont call them a sub-par media site, that’s just nasty. I didn’t really feel the song they posted, but im loving one of the other songs that i heard!! but yes iam a lil dissapointed in him, why the hell cant he speak engrish properry yet?? neway love the popseoul keep it up!!!
Penguin, I love your name, how cute.
Se7en is actually one of the most handsome men I’ve ever seen in my life. I just adore those chiseled features and luscious lips! I think he can stand to gain a few pounds. He was scary skinny. Now he’s got more color in his face. He looks healthier.
well….people love se7en in asia but it’s going to be hard for him to make america love him….i love him though!….hope at least he makes it through!
i was there. actually se7en looked better than that pic and his songs were good. when he spoke he didnt have much of a thick accent. i understood him. i have my doubts bout him, but after hearing his songs, i think he’ll make it. there were many ppl who werent asians there supporting him. yeah, he was in the VIP section most of the time so it was hard to see him and actually interview him.
I agree with Orchid889. Seriously, since when have Americans favored originality? Most of the songs I hear on the radio (when I do listen to it anymore) are on the same level or worse than Se7en’s new song (which I admit is boring). For instance, “This is Why I’m Hot” is a thousand times worse than this song yet it became big. I still have no clue why anyone would listen to such a repetitive and ridiculous song.
Also to lim88388:
“what music wants now is a original artist. an artist that creates his/ her own songs. you can be a fat sean kingston from jamaica, white english chick Natasha Bedingfield from england, little ugly english whiteboy, james blunt….and be a instant star BUT…” - You think these people are original? I really don’t see how their songs are any more “unique” than Se7en’s. In addition, Sean Kingston and James Blunt can’t even sing. Sean Kingston sounds like he has nasal problems and is on crack, and James Blunt sounds like a teenage boy going through puberty mixed with the voice of a grandmother.
“where is the substance in se7en? the last 10 years where rain dominated kpop, did korea really know rain? maybe koreans didnt want to know, BUT IN THE USA, WE HAVE TO KNOW!” - This is not necessarily true. I think Koreans do want to know a lot about pop stars, or else pictures of their family members would not be online on forums and where ever else. Also, not every person has to be Lindsay Lohan or Paris Hilton or Britney Spears. Justin Timberlake is successful but we don’t know that much about him, do we? Also using the examples you used before (ex. Kingston, James Blunt, and Natasha Bedingfield), the paparazzi doesn’t go crazy over them (Ok, maybe they focused a bit on James Blunt when he was actually popular). Not every artist has to open up their entire personal life in the United States.
” is every korean artist going to do the “peace sign” while they are here in the states
i hope these idiots realize the usa is in war.” This is the most irrelevant thing I have ever read in my entire life. And you know, Americans care so much about the war that they can’t even bare to see a peace sign.
I also don’t see how Rain (who I actually don’t like) lost his chances after being mocked on The Colbert Report. Colbert makes fun of anyone, and I think if it did anything, being mocked of only gave Rain more attention.
Does this surprise ANYONE? From what I can see, the vast majority of K-pop stars are quite unable to think for themselves and make decisions for themselves. They are paraded around like puppets by their managers and handlers. They are ill-prepared for any kind of success outside of Korea but their handlers constantly tell them how BIG and RICH they will be in the States and they believe it. Because they are big and rick in Korea. Because they can’t think for themselves. You know, Europe also has a thriving music industry. I wonder why Korean pop stars are so hell bent on “making it” in America. When they fail they will cry that Americans don’t like Asians. They will pull out the race card. Just wait and see.
Sorry, I meant lim33853.
I used to hate him so much bc I was a Rain fan. Now, I feel sorry for him more bc he has less chance than Rain. Rain is venturing into an easier field to break into, acting. I dunno. I wish both luck though.
the song is pretty good, imo. though i think he’s learning the wrong english. it’s so ghetto. all i can hear is, “i like them girls…” i think he needs to hang out with some white people (no offense). but maybe the reason he’s not speaking in his engrish, is because his engrish is like “wannabe gansta” english…”ya know wha i’m saying?”
cherry_o:
Fo shizzle.
The song’s alright, sounds like every other song; nothing special.
He’s not doing that bad to me. He just needs to work on his English a bit more. Check out his other song w/ 3-6 Mafia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dOKAZIceX0
Yeah, it’s OK for America to take from other countries and rape their culture and slap an American label on it and claim it for their own, but they won’t share with anyone else will they?
====================
this reminds me of that special that vh-1 had on for black history month and it had all these oldschool artist on there talking about how whites stole their music like elvis people want to claim that hes the king of rock n roll when in fact he was going to the bars and clubs in memphis stealing black musician’s style and songs! yeah America loves to steal from its own kind (meaning its fellow citizens)
cherry: how dumb was ur comment? he needs to hang out with white people to get a better accent? oops my bad your right all black people sound alike with their ghetto talk. girl your such a genius!!! IDIOT! yeah take se7en to the south and have him hang with some white people maybe he can pick up their redneck talk. “BILLY JOE U BETTER GET IN HERE AND EAT THIS DARN NAGGET PORKCHOPS AND BEANS!”
hm…. Okay. I am disappointed he didn’t try to play with the crowd more (what I’m guessing from reading the post) and I really hope he becomes more confident with his English…even if he is not that great he should at least try but he is going to hold parties in others cities so…can judge too much yet imo
The song’s okay.
But his English… I mean, why are they so adamant about his debut if even he says his English “isn’t so good yet”… WHAT? He’s debuting in AMERICA. His managers will speak to him in Korean maybe, but no one else will CARE. In my opinion, they need to perfect his English–and not like slang. Like actual English. >.>;
I love Se7en, though. I wish him the best, but really… I can sing songs in perfect Korean, but if all I can say is “hi”, “what are you doing?”, and “my Korean isn’t that good”, then I’m going nowhere fast.
Cherry_o: Okay… I’m Black, my English is just fine. Thanks. He just needs a tutor; a better tutor that will allow him to learn a larger vocabulary. He could also try reading some books in English too. … no one ever thinks of books. T.T;;
WOW he didn’t even mingle with the crowd and he’s sposed to be the host? How lame of him! I hope this popseoul entry gets back to him so he doesnt make this same mistake again
The song are not that bad.
he
It’s interesting. I tried to read everything that was posted here and I couldn’t do it. (It’s just so negative!) It sounds like most people want all Asian artist who try to make it in mainstream American entertainment to fail regardless of what they put out there!! How can you speak for all of America? Sure, I don’t believe that song should be the lead single of his American debut, but it wasn’t and it isn’t the worst song I have ever heard. Ultimately what it boils down to is how Se7en and the people around him handle his PR. I could almost guarantee that if that song made it to the radio it would do pretty well (of course, some smart Se7en fans requesting the song enough times to be put in regular rotation would have to happen).
As a non-Asian American*, I would like to believe that as a country we are interested in what our entertainers offer us, not what the look like!! (I played this for a few friends who have never heard of Se7en. They liked the song and were incredibly impressed to found out he was Korean.) I concur with statements like “what music wants now is a original artist.” However, there will ALWAYS be people looking for a “newer”, “better” version of something already out there. You can’t fault Se7en for going with a formula that had been know to work!
I agree with Leigh. Don’t be so negative guys. Just wait and see. I really hope he’s successful though. And it’s not like his English totally sucks. A good handfull of people in YG have excellent English (Teddy, Danny, Perry, Masta Wu, Tae Yang and T.O.P to some extent.) so he must have picked some of it up along the way before he got to the states…
0.0 I read that as “Se7en fails to impress at the WHITE PARTY!!!”
…and conciquently had a brain meltdown at Se7en going to the gayest party of the year before reading the title again and calming down a bit
*is still in shock*
Even though this report is critically negative Its true!! this is a wake up call for se7en and his production company.
Its going to be a smooth decent downward if Se7en doesnt get on the ball. Americans don’t need Korean popstars that copy Usher or ChrisBrown. If Se7en came here to the US with the smooth dance tracks and a taste of pop/r&b/hiphop that has brought him success elsewhere he would make it. As it stands now Im saddended as a fan, dissappointed as a press person and worried for any Korean (asian) who is after.
Its like they want to be made fun of. Im also miffed about the Q&A session .. they should have had more time for press or at least gave numbers out. The Japanese media left cussing in japanese you know.
Se7en’s english was fine though when he first got there. He was speaking english saying how exhausted he was and such.. then he gets to the green room and then all of a sudden when the press speaks korean so did he.. its like DUDE you are in NYC this is your time to bring it? Why didnt you?
He didnt have to be so humble and as much as I thought the production crew did a good job they need to get off their high horses and realize se7ens press is helping him not hindering. Next time they need better press protocol!
—
You know, Europe also has a thriving music industry. I wonder why Korean pop stars are so hell bent on “making it” in America.
—
this baffles me too. Especially as the dollar is losing value compared to Euro (1.60 = 1 US dollar) the banks crashing everyday, the cars that get 20 miles to the gallon if you’re lucky - etc.
Although, it is true, americans don’t like asians - unless they can laugh @ them. (can’t tell the difference between a malaysian, cambodian or korean - they’re all chinese, etc)… and I don’t think the current ppl here will be so happy about the thought of foreigners coming here to make money and split (esp when they aren’t make the sales they’d like to).
*IF* obama gets to be president, you have to give the “system” a couple of yrs to get used to faces of the “others”
*making
eh, and all the other typos.
Anyway, Se7en seriously needs to lose weight. He has hammy pouches ~ and that only looks good on hamsters.
the difference, which is huge, compared to kingston,blunt and natasha is that they are songwriters. they created those songs and the the people want to hear them. it doesnt matter about the production, press, tv, radio, or how they look,dance… no onecan do nothing about it. when the songs went out there was no stopping it. it was very good original infectious songs. like i said all 3 are ugly but they created those songs.
seven cant write 2 words in a verse of a song. he is not a musician at all.
2 words for you. and this group will popup if he gets alittle famous. if he doesnt get somewhat famous, at least there wont be any jokes on him
MILLI VANILLI-
music voice recording can be easily be autotuned by present computer tchnology. his voice will have absolute no accent at all. they can easily hide that. and the american public knows this as well. BUT when the lights start beeming on his face and he has to answer questions from the hip…the public is going to claim he didnt even sing without the aid of the recording studios.
2 words MILLI VANILLI, and then maybe these 2 words
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkV3ZopffKI&NR=1
he sings live and does interveiws
1 thing i hope it leads to, even though i know it wont, is that this failure will encourage korean music corps to start promoting/spending money for more musican based artists. korean artists/bands that create their own songs and play instruments. instead of a 14 year old kid starting to learn to “pop” and look at the mirror, he would choose to play the guitar, keys, computer based music. instead of dancing, maybe they will start to learn how to write songs. but business wise the korean exec are really suppling the demand. korean public wants the michael jackson imitation, lip sincing, and dance moves with matching mini skirts.
Personally, I have nothing against Rain or Se7en. They are both obviously good at what they do or else they wouldn’t be where they are now.
The only thing I really have to say about both of them though, is that I don’t really like the whole Korean “Gansta” Hip-Hop/Rap. I’m not saying this to seem mean or say that Korean singers don’t fit the image. That’s not at all what I’m saying. It’s just that I like Korean music because of what I don’t get to hear in America. We don’t necessarily have their style of music, and that’s what I love about it. It’s different.
When I hear singers like Se7en singing “Gansta” Hip-Hop/Rap or whatever you want to call it, I’m not impressed or anything because I hear it all the time here already. I mean it’s great that they are rapping and everything in Korea because at the same time they’re bringing a part of America’s Hip-Hop culture into Korea. But otherwise, hearing them sing it here is just sort of annoying, when we’ve honestly already “heard it all”, at least here in America. I guess why some people don’t see his song as “original”, well because it simply isn’t. Feel free to disagree, this is only my opinion.
try not to be rude but then se7en looks U-G-L-Y
cause he sings like jae joong which that is totally not
cool he sucks
like i used to like his songs but anit no more
haha se7en is gettin chubby when they said he was gonna gain 10kilos i thought they meant somewhere else not his face
can’t blame him for not wanting to speak english, the media and stakeholders will prob bash him for his “fobby” english
i advise se7en fans to go to shenyuepop, however se7en haters should stay here and read popseoul
I watched the youtube video of his intro at the club and it was horrible! He said a few words and ducked through a throng of people on the side of the stage. If you’re really serious about debuting, then mingle with the crowd, talk to people, dance! Let people see you getting excited about your own music, instead of hiding out in some vip room. He needed to be more involved in the event, after all he was the host.
Boy, you really do hate seven quite a bit lim, don’t you? She’s probably a Popseoul sidekick.
All of you critique little problems with the way Korea entertainment industry runs. How they all take shortcuts and make cruddy music and the such for quick appeal to their customers. But hell, with people like you constantly whining and moaning about how the industry and singers aren’t doing enough with their alloted time, I’d be taking shortcuts to shut all you annoying twats up as well. Give respect or a bit of slight appreciation for these people who dedicate their lives to entertain us. But of course, in order to possibly remedy the fact that your lives are so insignificant compared to the stars that we criticize, we all must make it our utmost task to belittle and subdue these people. It’s people like you lim, dumpling and the rest of you pessimistic fellows who seem to form anger and spite out of thin air. If I could get angry as easily as you guys do over petty issues like “his english sucks!” and “his music sucks!”, hell I’d be the ****ing Devil.
You expect to come to “POPSEOUL!” to hear about all the “what’s poppin in Korean entertainment and style” but what do we hear? Little petty comments filled to the rim with writer biases. Now I can’t even tell whether I’m hearing the straight up truth or what some fellow with endless supples of angst, behind a computer wants us to hear. I’ve got enough BS to deal with in real life. Let’s keep it that way Popseoul.
And let’s all take it from Popseoul. they must be run by a group of insecure group of people. Who else but Popseoul to deem girls on their “sub-par” looks yet at the same time take disgust at the face that Korean actresses and singers alike decide to revert to plastic surgery to enhance their looks. I guess the only way we could possibly satisfy Popseoul is if we all died off and let them live out their insecure, arrogant little lives in peace. Only then could we possibly make do without their constant nitty-bitty bickering with anything slightly deficient or threatening to their own pathetic lives. Only from Popseoul people. Only from Popseoul. And maybe lim too.
I think he won’t be a total failure but neither total success.
But his song doesn’t catch my attention at all.
It sounds just like another love american song.
I agree with whoever said American have SHORT ATTENTION SPAN, they won’t really care about some new singer if the singer doesn’t have a point to catch their attention.
I wish him well though, he is talented but the market is killing the artists.
If anyone else is in the mood for a bit more optimism and happiness, shenyuepop.com. Because I’m sure we all have enough negativity and BS to deal with in this world, besides some people whose occupation is to create even more negativity.
lim33853:
You know i agree with you completely as far as the whole “musician” thing is concerned. I bet there are many talented people in Korea who will never get a chance because they don’t look the part or can dance. That’s just the narrow minded Kpop scene, and probably why the industry is suffering. Japan has underground rap to hiphop to rock all the way to heavy metal. They should learn something from their neighbors.
Jak:
Uh, the very first line in shenyue’s article is that none of them were actually there. Kinda makes it less credible than those sites who actually had press members there.
KIR:
Right. Because unbiased reporting based on fellow sources who went to the event is far worse than blatant biased reporting.
“The audience’s reaction was scant, borderline pathetic, to the highly publicized collaborations…”
“only to surround himself with a choice selection of sub par females…”
“But based on what we witnessed last night, successful integration into the US market seems unlikely, if not impossible…”
Another thing, Japan’s underground music industry isn’t anything unique. South Korea, the US, Europe, and the rest of the world all have the same thing. Music undiscovered and relatively dormant is “underground”. 50 cent before his debut was “underground” rap. Your not making a point. Because you decide to listen to “underground” Japanese music and fail to look at “underground” Korea music, I’m sure Korea and hell, the rest of the world just needs to “learn something from their neighbors.”
ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww…..he looks so ugly in that picture!!!!!
what’s up with all this bashing on his looks? so what if he seems a bit “healthy” and his skin doesn’t seem so ghostly white and blemish-free! do you seriously think men have such perfect skin without a layer of makeup? geezus..he looks normal!
Mia…reading your account regarding the press at this event reminds me of Rain’s press-con for his LA concert. i felt the same way about Rain’s ppl being so guarded and difficult about giving enough press time. here’s a guy (Rain) who’s not even that well known in the states but who’s being so snobby about giving the press more personal time. they’re there to help him not hinder him but yet he and his managers were acting as if he was so hot he didn’t have time for the media!
se7en is the best!
yo his english sounds sexy!! popseoul yall some haters for real! check this video out and the lil clip at the end that song sounds hot
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ax10X7J1dFs
I agree with kylie–
I don’t really care about Rain or Se7en…But today, I went to the movies, and I saw a preview for the movie “Speed racers” with Rain in it. I heard some people saying in the audience, “Ohhh, i wanna watch that” and etc. Even though I have never really shown any interest in Rain before, I was really proud of him at that moment.
I don’t know if they’re going to make it or not, but I wish the two of them the best. :]
daoud:
Hey if you want to take second hand reports over first hand accounts, whether or not they be biased, is your preference. Of course you’re assuming that these secondhand reports are based on “unbiased” reporting. Way to go.
Also you don’t seem to get the point. I said the Japanese music industry has a great RANGE of popular selling music starting from underground all the way to hiphop, pop, rock, and heavy metal. I never mentioned that the underground scene was unique in any way. Nice assumption. You missed the point genius. The American music industry and the Japanese music industry are unique, that’s why you see Korean artists trying to break into those markets.
“Americans don’t need Korean popstars that copy Usher or ChrisBrown.”
EXACTLY!! Finally, another voice of reason.
This has NOTHING to do with K-singers being…KOREAN. It has EVERYTHING to do with them being massive copycats of American music (and not rock or pop even, but only hiphop/R&B which is soooooo played to death in the States). I’ve said this before and I can say a hundred more times: Why do they think they can wow Americans by coming over here with music that WE ALREADY HAVE?
Take Utada from Japan…her “big” all-Enlish debut was hailed as the debut of all debuts from Asia. And what happened? She bombed profoundly. Why? Because she isn’t talented? No, that’s not why (clearly, she’s talented). Because she’s not cool, hip and stylish? No, that’s not why. Because she’s Asian? No, that’s not why. Because she’s not attractive? No, that’s not why. The reason she bombed was because she didn’t present ANYTHING new. Her record was a rip-off of every pop singer to come on the American scene in the past 15 years.
Stop playing the race card. This is not about race. It’s about K-singers regurgitating music that we already have and expecting to knock our socks off with it.
Instead of stars from Asia trying to become successful here in the USA, why don’t Asian-Americans who are already accustomed to the language and culture try to break-through in our music industry???
Wouldn’t that make more sense???!
There are plenty of Asians HERE who have talent.. instead of sending them off to Korea, why not set them up in this country to become successful??
It all seems kind of back-wards to me….
They are taking Korean-Americans to Korea, while sending Koreans to America……. hmm. Why?!
Why can’t Asians HERE try to break out into the music scene? I don’t get it!
Why do Koreans need to become American when we already have plenty of Korean-Americans who could probably do a better job!!!
And anyways, I’ve seen it way too many times, people who move here and aren’t that well-adapted DO tend to gain weight and become corrupted….
these posts i wrote was definately my opinions…however i thought and some agree, that they were backed by facts and occurances of the present condition in american and korean music today
i never said anything about sevens looks/gained weight. actually he looks 20x better than james blunt, natasha and definately needs to gain alot more weight to look like sean kingston. my point was that music today crave songwriters and songs from the heart, not manufactured hyundai models.
i was talking about the present condition of american music. the koreanamerican posters with the same veiwpoit as i, have a good understanding of the differences of america music of today and sevens background in kpop. i beleive, alot more that sevens management. american music isnt all about the looks of an artist but the creativity.
my other pt was that, hopefully the condition of korean music would change. hopefully a korean boy/girl would change course and learn how to write the next “your beautiful”/james blunt or “no one”/aleisha keys etc. korean music isnt leaning toward that direction and most importantly isnt giving the money/support/acceptance for that kind of music making.
they want 10-suh in youngs, while a possible non attractive 12 year old korean girl who wants to be the next aleisha keys is turned down and thrown away.
@ Spin
Oh, give me a break. Asians can’t tell apart other Asians, either. I have seen evidence of this numerous times. When my Japanese friend visited the U.S. he was constantly pointing out “Japanese people”. Those “Japanese” were Koreans and Chinese. I told him over and over that we don’t have many Japanese people in my city. Only those who work at travel agencies or the embassy. And my Chinese friends can’t tell Koreans part from other Chinese–sometimes they can tell apart Japanese, but only sometimes. I have had Cambodian co-workers who can’t tell apart Chinese, Koreans and Japanese to save their lives. Sometimes they can pick out Vietnamese.
This is NOT an American phenomenon. You’re trying to create a drama and paint an unfair picture of Americans.
Who says he’s copying Usher or Chris Brown??? Se7en has always had his own style and even though these songs are Americanized I can still recognize it. His voice already distinguishes him from other artists. I’m not saying he’ll be totally successful but you all shouldn’t be so pessimistic. Usher doesn’t even sing that much anymore and Se7en and Chris Brown are nothing alike. God I hate when people accuse one artist of copying another like there can only be one or two American R&B artists in the whole entire world.
“There are plenty of Asians HERE who have talent.. instead of sending them off to Korea, why not set them up in this country to become successful??”
Because Korean-Americans are friggin smart. Their parents (immigrants) come over here and work their asses off to send their kids to private schools and Ivy League universities. Those kids are becoming doctors, lawyers, and businessmen. They actually have something going for them and don’t need to make crappy hiphop music.
I think se7en is better off with being hella successful in Asia, rather than being a semi-flop in America.
And in general, I dont think asian artists can do that well in an American market. When I hear stories about artists like BoA and se7en etc. that are planning to break through the American market, I dont expect them to do as well as they had hoped.
Side note: he has definitely gained weight.
^^^also b/c korean-americans probably know the reality of the music industry here rather than some ideal that the koreans have.