By: LazerKim Kim Hyun Joong as a singer has been performing and hosted a lot of concert events since the time he was still with his group SS501. I guess all my readers are well aware that this blog is 100% Kim Hyun Joong bias, as you may read my heading “All About Kim Hyun Joong”. But this time allow me to bend a little from our usual topic since I would like to share my opinion pertaining concert production and concert performer which obviously Hyun Joong is in that category as a Kpop solo singer.
When I was in college, I used to be a concert goer with my friends that I seldom missed. During my time, please don’t ask when, LOL, lip sync was never been done, therefore all I watched from those concerts were purely live singing with live bands and all. When I started working in a stage production, I have seen the changes in the production set ups specially in producing concerts.
Back in time singers do some simple dance movements but unlike the hard choreography we see done by the Kpop stars. Back in time there’s already this lip sync which usually done if in case the singer loses his voice before the actual performance which actually happens but apart from this reason, singers basically performed live specially singing with the band.
Before I move on, may I ask, why do we watch concerts or live performances? Well for obvious reasons concerts and any type of shows are a part of entertainment. We do attend to concerts mainly for fun, and to be entertained right? Or maybe out of curiosity specially if the performer is new to us, but it still boils down to a common ground and that is to be entertained. We may have opinions and views how the show went through, but the question after watching is, “was I entertained by what I saw and heard on stage?”
Being as artist, there’s only one common goal that they have and that is to entertain their audience. To aim for perfection in performance may be a different story but still artists are on stage basically to entertain, period. As audience what we see and what we hear is important of course, but each one of us have different taste in what we want to see and what we want to hear. In the Kpop world of the present generation, concerts are becoming visual and concert producers lean on a higher degree on what the audience can see right with their own eyes.
It was Kim Hyun Joong who introduced Kpop to me, as I have watched him performed his first album Breakdown, I was very impressed that he can sing and dance at the same time not to mention the stamina he got seeing from the choreography of Breakdown is not a joke. And the further I go watching other Kpop idols I can’t help say to myself, time had really changed. Nowadays lip sync among the performers is quite acceptable in producing concerts or shows seeing from the choreography done by the singers.
For me, it doesn’t matter at all whether the singer has to lip sync during the show specially on songs that they have to dance. The important thing for me is to be entertained and that is basically why I attend to concerts. Now that I have an idol Kim Hyun Joong that I have been following, I would like to see him in person and this now shall be my purpose of attending to his concerts, I want to be a part of a memorable event. I want to see him dance, sing and I want to hear him talk and how he entertains his fans. It wouldn’t matter whether he lip sync or not since I have listened to him singing live and a live band to justify his ability in singing.
I would probably have the same opinion if I happen to come across other idol group by chance to see them perform live on stage, it will only be then would I ask myself, “was I entertained?” And the question, “was I captured by the idol group?”Just the same I wouldn’t care whether they sing live or not. So maybe nowadays I would bend on giving a degree of appreciation on what I see. Now if the artist sings live with that heavy dancing and singing flat, then I would prefer to see them sing in lip sync. I don’t see the necessity of singing in full two hour show with such heavy dancing being performed, well this depends on the artist stamina on how long he can hold on in performing live.
In every show we watched, directors and choreographers make sure that there should be a good balance in the show repertoire from the opening down to the finale. A careful planning has to be done to prevent dragging boring period within the entire show. There has to be a good combination of upbeat and ballad songs and has to be arranged to create different moods within the show and not to end up having monotony within the entire show. With the type of show which Kpop idols performs there are numbers in the show that can be appreciated by visual, and these numbers are songs with heavy dance choreography that performers needs to lip sync instead of singing it live, but not all.
Nevertheless, ballad songs and some songs with light movements I believe are being sang live. So I think this is alright. It’s humanly impossible to sing and dance live in series of dance numbers while singing in a two to three hour show. Although this also depends on the artist’s stamina. Do you think Madonna, Micheal Jackson and other veteran singer dancers in the Hollywood did their concerts all in live within the entire show of two or three hours?? There are parts in the entire show that needs to be lip sync, whether we accept it or not. Artist are just like any ordinary human, not everyone has that strong stamina to do two things at the same time. This is just a matter of being realistic.
I am not gonna be a judge to any Kpop artist, I would appreciate what I can see from them as performers. The question whether I get my satisfaction to be entertained as the audience is my own prerogative since we have different taste, and we have different views. Whether an artist lip sync or not it does not matter to me, I’m just in search of total performer to entertain me. Period. Am I here to defend or make excuses for the Kpop idols? Absolutely not. I’m just simply expressing my thoughts about lip sync which is now being done in the shows, concerts by the Kpop idols or any concert star in general regardless from what country.
I have watched a video clip with different case of a Korean whom I have known to be an actor and lately he’s now included among the Kpop solo idols. Every time he sings which mostly are ballad songs, he was always singing flat, and he doesn’t even dance while singing. Although I accept that since he’s singing for his fans, I can’t just help feeling sorry for him because he was well criticized. Then eventually he end up singing in lip sync but still his fans appreciate him.
There’s another opinion that says, Kpop idol are simply visual singers, that producers tend to lean on the looks of an artist which is very much well considered than talent. I have mentioned in my other articles that businessmen and producers provides the public’s desire, which I have already tackled. In human reality, whatever is pleasing to our eyes that turns to be attractive for us is the most salable ones specially to impulsive buyers. Just the same in showbiz, the more good looking an artist is, the better, then talent can be acquired and developed. This is another showbiz reality for some artists which I give space since they do develop in time.
Now let’s start facing reality, majority of the Kpop idols has the looks, specially the male artists. But I don’t see them as zero in ability, I believe they did undergo rigid training before they were able to reach the limelight. Then I could see a tight competition among the idols that now they were able to penetrate the global showbiz industry. The competition now is not within Kpop among themselves or within the Kpop community but among the local stars overseas!
Kpop idols are becoming competitive. Are they to be blamed? Of course not, they were merely being promoted overseas and they were acknowledge and well accepted. It’ no longer the question whether they are good or not so good in their ability being an artist but the demand of the overseas general public. The changing time and trend includes the showbiz community. Are the businessmen and producers to be blame? I don’t think so, they are just providing the public demand with the goal of earning of course.
I’m saying all of these because Kim Hyun Joong is one the hottest Kpop solo idols. I have noticed some are being critics of the Kpop, and these critics are from the overseas. Are the competitive Kpop idols becoming a threat to the local showbiz industry? I would think so!! Once the Kpop penetrated a country it is very likely that one day you’ll be surprised how salable artists are from the Kpop. It can not be helped with the changing time and trend no one can ever control the desire of the general public and you can not control the businessmen and producers who provides the public desire.
Kpop critics tend to turn on anything that may perceive negative to Kpop that sometimes can be annoying to those who believes in the Kpop. Well, who cares what they may say everyone is entitle to their independent choice. But the more they criticize, the more Kpop are likely to get to its uncontrollable popularity boost and admit it or not they are on their way to penetrate the entire globe!! If I were these critics, might as well go with the flow give yourselves a chance to appreciate the Kpop music, it’s so tiring to contradict you know!! And I’m telling you, try Kim Hyun Joong too, you’ll never regret it!!!
And forget about the stereotype of watching a show, that everything has to be perfect because there is no such thing as perfect. Just think about enjoying instead of judging! Well, that’s the entire essence of entertainment, for you to be entertained at your choice of artist. Why else would you brag about this lip sync thing if you know the artist has the talent since you have heard his music I’m sure, before attending a concert, then expect the concerts would be visuals. Although not all songs within the concert are lip sync anyway, only those parts with hard dancing, if ever an artist does it. I don’t see any problem with that, except if you just want to be a critic, then I regret that they’re missing the fun!!
And with that I’m done with my daily dose for today. Before I go I would just like to mention, a new blogger ANGEL OF THE EAST, has a new article, check it out! Times like this, the more we want to read about Hyun Joong that can keep him closer to us even during his absence.
We may have different opinions and views, but for me Kim Hyun Joong is the total performer that filled my desire for music and arts in dance that I kept craving for to watch my Concert Star….
LazerKim here writing
Photo credits as tagged, Ms. D, thanks!
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