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Post by Admin on Sept 9, 2020 8:15:48 GMT
K-pop label JYP Entertainment recently unveiled the all-Japanese girl group NiziU, just a year after seven-member Chinese boy band WayV was revealed by its rival SM Entertainment. Before these, there was the all-American boy group EXP Edition, which made its debut in South Korea in 2017. Entertainment companies use non-Korean K-pop acts such as these to make inroads into overseas markets, but the concept is not universally embraced, with some questioning whether they deserve to be seen as K-pop outfits at all. One example came when NiziU took the Japanese charts by storm with the Japanese-language track Make You Happy. JYP’s founder/producer Park Jin-young was accused of exploiting K-pop’s formula for success to win over the Japanese market. “With its global ascent, K-pop has become a source of national pride for Koreans, so they do not want to see labels taking their music elsewhere,” said Lee Gyu-tag, a professor of cultural anthropology at George Mason University Korea. “Their antipathy toward K-pop bands without any Korean members also stems from fear that these acts might outstrip original K-pop groups. This shows they are not so self-assured about their music and culture.” The professor said the K-pop industry’s Korean entrepreneurs had exported their know-how for success for many years. “Some Koreans also worry K-pop’s creativity might be stolen, but they should remember that K-pop is essentially a mixture of American and Japanese music, which means it is not completely original,” Lee said. “But it did develop some unique features – such as slick choreography, distinctive make-up styles and a specialised training system – and these are already recognised worldwide as K-pop’s competitive edge.” And non-Korean fans may not fully embrace such groups, according to Patty Ahn, a communications professor at the University of California, San Diego, who studies Korean pop culture. Ahn specifically referred to the case of black fans in the US. “Many black fans in the US tend to develop an emotional connection to Korean culture once they get into K-pop,” the professor said. “Their interest in the music gradually led them to take Korean language classes or watch Korean dramas, so when they believe the Korean style has been somewhat removed from K-pop, they seem to feel disoriented and disrupted.” “We will see similar groups as K-pop management companies – which are known for their flexibility – keep expanding,” Ahn said. “They will experiment, take risks, adapt, adjust and try again.”
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Post by Admin on Sept 9, 2020 20:19:28 GMT
NiziU is a 9 member Japanese girl group under JYP Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment. They were formed through the survival show Nizi Project. The name Nizi means “various people carrying different colours like a rainbow will come together as one group and shine a beautiful light”. They will release their pre-debut mini album “Make You Happy” on 30th June 2020.
NiziU Members Profile: Mako (1st place)
Stage Name: Mako (真子/マコ/마코) Birth Name: Yamaguchi Mako (山口真子/やまぐち まこ/야마구치 마코) Birthday: April 4, 2001 Zodiac Sign: Aries Chinese Zodiac Sign: Snake Possible Position: Leader, Main Dancer, Lead Vocalist, Rapper Nationality: Japanese Blood Type: A Official Color: Red
Rio (4th place)
Stage Name: Rio (梨緒/リオ/리오) Birth Name: Hanabashi Rio (花橋梨緒/はなば し りお/하나바시 리오) Birthday: February 4, 2002 Zodiac Sign: Aquarius Chinese Zodiac Sign: Horse Height: 159 cm (5’2″) Nationality: Japanese Possible Position: Main Dancer, Rapper, Vocalist Blood Type: B Official Color: Indigo
Maya (5th place)
Stage Name: Maya (まや/マヤ/마야) Birth Name: Katsumura Maya (勝村摩耶/かつむら まや/카츠무라 마야) Birthday: April 8, 2002 Zodiac Sign: Aries Chinese Zodiac Sign: Horse Possible Position: Lead Dancer, Vocalist Nationality: Japanese Blood Type: O
Riku (2nd place)
Stage Name: Riku (陸/リク/리쿠) Birth Name: Oe Riku (大江梨久/おおえ りく/오오에 리쿠) Birthday: October 26, 2002 Zodiac Sign: Scorpio Chinese Zodiac Sign: Horse Possible Position: Lead Vocalist Nationality: Japanese Blood Type: AB Official Color: Green
Ayaka (8th place)
Stage Name: Ayaka (あやか/アヤカ/아야카) Birth Name: Arai Ayaka (新井彩香/あらい あやか/아라이 아야카) Birthday: June 20, 2003 Zodiac Sign: Gemini Chinese Zodiac Sign: Goat Height: 168 cm (5’6″) – Estimated Possible Position: Visual, Vocalist Nationality: Japanese Blood Type: A
Nina (9th place)
Stage Name: Nina (仁菜/ニナ/니나) Birth Name: Nina Makino-Hillman (牧野仁菜/牧野まきの 仁菜にな/ニナ ヒルマン/니나 힐먼/마키노 니나) Birthday: February 27, 2005 Zodiac Sign: Pisces Chinese Zodiac Sign: Rooster Nationality: Japanese-American Possible Position: Main Vocalist, Youngest Height: 164 cm (5’5″) (from her old profile) Blood Type: O Official Color: Magenta
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Post by Admin on Nov 25, 2020 5:10:39 GMT
NiziU have dropped their music video for "Step and a Step".
In the MV, the JYP Entertainment Japanese girl group go off on a surreal journey climbing stairs and walking through beautiful forests. "Step and a Step" marks NiziU's official debut following the release of their pre-debut mini album 'Make You Happy'.
Check out NiziU's "Step and a Step" MV above, and let us know what you think in the comments below.
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Post by Admin on Dec 30, 2020 3:15:28 GMT
Japanese girl group NiziU has become hugely popular in Japan over the course of 2020, and released their official debut single in December. The Mainichi Shimbun answers some common questions readers may have about the group and its rise to fame.
Question: I've been hearing about this idol group NiziU a lot recently. They're quite popular, aren't they?
Answer: They are. The band's name is pronounced "niju" and it has nine members. The group is the result of a partnership between Sony Music Entertainment Japan and South Korean talent agency JYP Entertainment Corp. to create a Japanese girl group that can perform across the world. Their producer is South Korean singer and music producer J.Y. Park.
Q: They only debuted this year, right?
A: Their official debut was actually in December, but the song "Make you happy" has been streaming since the band's lineup was decided in June. The video's profile was raised by the group's unique dance moves, which make it look like they're using a jump rope.
Q: So their singing and dancing made them popular?
A: The song is popular, but a show following the eventual members' auditions and selection was streamed online and was also introduced on commercial television. It appears the group gradually garnered more fans as they empathized with the determination shown by the prospective members as they competed for a spot, and the advice Park gave the hopefuls.
Q: Is it true they're also going to perform at this year's "Kohaku Uta Gassen" (red and white song battle) on New Year's Eve?
A: They'll be singing "Make you happy." The presence of groups out of South Korea has grown stronger over the years, with the 2011 edition seeing both Kara and Girls' Generation take to the stage, and from 2017 to 2019 Twice were on the lineup card. There could be Japanese groups with a South Korean producer behind them becoming real stars going forward.
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Post by Admin on Mar 28, 2021 22:38:51 GMT
#NiziU #ニジュー #니쥬
NiziU(니쥬) 2nd Single 『Take a picture』 MV
NiziU 2nd Single 『Take a picture/Poppin’ Shakin’』 2021.4.7 Release
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