Thursday 23 June 2011

23 June 2011 The K-Pop Girl Group Spectrum: Where Does Your Favorite Group Fit In?



Can't differentiate the Wonder Girls from the Brown-Eyed Girls? Haven't got a clue how Kara sets itself apart from T-Ara? For those of you who are totally overwhelmed by the number of girl groups who have debuted in the past few years, we've created a helpful graphic for you! The K-Pop Girl Group Spectrum pinpoints the images of the various girl groups along two different axes. Check it out!

 

Classic/Cute:

The undeniable gold standard in this category are SNSD, whose consistently wholesome image has cemented their status as the ultimate "girls next door" . However, even SNSD has started inching their way toward the center of the spectrum lately with some (slightly) edgier and more flirtatious concepts. The newcomers A Pink appear to be on a mission to fill the void left by SNSD with their very cutesy, sugary debut. Will they succeed or eke out their own territory? Both Kara and Secret, on the other hand, are generally considered to have a winsome image but sometimes skirt the line with cute/sexy dance moves, such as the "Butt-Shaking Dance".

Unconventional/Cute:

The most underpopulated quadrant, this category encompasses f(x), the only girl group with an androgynously styled member, whose songs, dances, and attitudes set them ahead of the curve in terms of originality. Then there are the Wonder Girls, whose unique retro charms and dance tunes bring an inventive twist to the K-Pop scene.

We'll add 2NE1 here although technically they are a borderline case: these girls alone rule the gamut of crazy/sassy/fierce that seems to render the cute vs. sexy debate completely irrelevant!

Classic/Sexy:



Both After School and T-Ara possess kind of a sophisticated image that makes it impossible for us to place them in the "cute" category, but in terms of dance moves, costumes, and lyrics, they keep it classy rather than outright sexy. However, SISTAR chooses instead to push the envelope, pairing conventional styling with totally risque dance moves.

Unconventional/Sexy:



The first lyrics you probably heard from miss A were "You don't know me! So shut up, boy!" With those lines, and the chest-grabbing move that accompanied them, they made sure that no one could ever mistake them for another teenybopper girl group. Likewise, both 4minute and Brown-Eyed Girls have earned their place as undeniably sexy girl groups with suggestive dances and scandalous music videos, yet their styling and haughty delivery somehow allows them to maintain some originality. Finally, Rania's whole concept seems to be to up the ante and become the sexiest and most shocking K-Pop girl group in history. Will Korea respond? We will soon find out!

Credit: Soompi

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