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loonarii · 6 months ago

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MADE IN KOREA: EP. 1 (my thoughts on the tv show for that british kpop bg sm decided to do for some unknown reason)

So if you didn't hear, SM Entertainment is the latest kpop company to dip their toes into the concept of a western kpop group - we had VCHA from JYP and their show A2K, KATSEYE from HYBE with their show Dream Academy (and I believe upcoming Netflix docu-series?), and now we have 'Dear Alice' from SM with the show 'Made In Korea: The K-Pop Experience'. Unlike the previous two groups, Dear Alice is a boy group, and are specifically all British, whereas the girls of VCHA and KATSEYE are from all over the world. As your local british kpop stan with access to BBC iPlayer (where this show is streaming) I decided to watch and drop my thoughts on the show and see if its any good, basically.

Right off the bat, the pitch to SM was clearly: 'we will make you a new One Direction' - like you can easily pick out of the lineup who is supposed to be Harry and Zayn and so on. It's not a stupid idea because after South Korea, the UK is probably the biggest exporter of music groups beloved internationally, but I doubt whether kpop stans will take to this well. At least they are promoting this on the BBC, directly to the UK, which is presumably their target audience.

They keep calling this whole thing an 'experiment' which it obviously is, but the higher ups at SM seems to be very on edge about the whole thing - after the groups first performance to Heejun (the director basically) she called a fucking emergency meeting with the SM team and the british producers - there generally seems to be a lack of confidence in the success of the group.

In the beginning of the episode they briefly mention (but for the most part gloss over) the audition process for this show, claiming they chose the five boys for their talents in singing and dance. Throughout the episode though it becomes apparently clear though that they (in the nicest way possible) don't really hold a candle to the debuted idols from SM. The whole show is based on this 'make a british kpop group in 100 days' gimmick, but the truth of the matter is you need a lot more than 100 days to become idol level good at dancing and singing - most idols train for 2 years minimum, some upwards of 6. I have no idea why they didn't choose boys with more preexisting skill in the audition process, or just give them longer to train - perhaps there could've been a bootcamp for a month before the going to korea bit to build basic skills - none of the 5 seem to be overly familiar with the kpop industry and it seems that pretty much all of their context as to what is expected of an idol is drawn from the SMTOWN concert they attended before their training began. They came off as quite unprepared, and Heejun's harsh comments to them in their evaluation clearly came as bit of a surprise to them. It is only episode one though, so i think if anything, now they know the level they are supposed to be at.

All of them apparently have a background in theatre or dance in some capacity (one of them is a tiktoker... ok) but only Dexter and maybe Reese struck me as having much aptitude for kpop dancing, but again it is only episode one so I'll cut them a little bit of slack. They struggled a lot with coordination and accuracy, but from my perspective as a dancer myself and kpop stan, the dance they learned to their song 'Feel the Vibe' (we will get to that don't worry lol) was not what I would call hugely difficult?? the members other than Dexter lacked a lot of fluidity but none of them were awful and I think with a lot more training they could be quite good. Olly seemed to struggle a lot with the dance, and there was some chatter from the producers that members could be cut, and if I had to guess anyone right now to be dropped (momentarily, I'm assuming anyone they kick is going to pull a Momo and be brought back) it would be him.

The song 'feel the vibe' is like.. what you would get if you asked an AI to spit out a 'boy group song' - it has a little bit of RIIZE energy so I wouldn't be surprised if this was an abandoned demo of theirs, but it also feels a little kidz bop? lmao? It's fine basically, not very exciting but not totally unlistenable. My main concern is that its quite a high song especially in the chorus, and the boys seem to struggle to hit the notes. Giving them a song that is out of almost all of their ranges is kind of setting them up to fail especially when they had a week only to learn it. Their poor vocal performance also explains why Heejun was so unconfident in this groups success - SM is is the kpop company known for its vocalists, being able to sing like Ningning or Taeyeon may not be necessary to succeed and debut in other big companies, but in SM vocals are crucial. Again they did only have a week, so at the very least potential is there.

They did a lot of b-roll content of them seeing the sights of Seoul, they did a gangnam style bit (god help me) met with Shindong (...), met RIIZE and TEN of WayV etc etc which was cool i guess - i hope this is a mainstay in the series and not just an introductory element.

Overall the show is not boring by any means, if a little cringey at times, my only concern is that the group that will emerge on the other side will not be up to par? I guess we will see.

#idk if i will do this for all the episodes #i just wanted to yap for a bit after watching #made in korea #kpop #dear alice #one direction #british kpop #kpop bg #kpop thoughts

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tinygmusic · 2 months ago

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gamma., Kakao Entertainment, & SM Entertainment Announce Strategic Global Alliance For The Launch of British Boy Band dearALICE

Rosa Gulliver of TINYGMUSIC | November 26, 2024

gamma., Kakao Entertainment, and SM Entertainment today announced the formation of a strategic global alliance for the launch of British boy band dearALICE. This partnership will support the arrival of dearALICE’s debut and lay the groundwork for their global takeover, giving full backing to their ambitious journey to stardom.

gamma., Kakao Entertainment, and SM Entertainment’s alliance encompasses global distribution networks across the US, UK, and Korea/APAC, with global label services ranging across A&R, production, marketing, promotion, brand sponsorships, and global business development, paving the way for a transformative impact on the industry worldwide.

dearALICE is the first of its kind — a boy band formed via a TV show format by two leaders of Korean entertainment, Kakao Entertainment and SM Entertainment, and award-winning British producers and music entertainment specialists Moon&Back Media, the masterminds behind Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor, who introduced global superstars One Direction to the world. The original six-part series Made in Korea: The K-Pop Experience aired on BBC One as part of its prestigious Saturday night schedule with international distribution of the series handled by ITV Studios and offered viewers an exclusive glimpse into the world-renowned K-Pop training process. The show followed five hand-selected UK boy band members as they embarked on a 100-day journey gaining first hand experience training at SM Entertainment, a program that usually spans across years for K-Pop artists. This ground breaking, multicultural format produced an original soundtrack featuring dearALICE, which debuted at No. 1 on the UK 50 Soundtrack Albums chart.

Larry Jackson (Co-Founder & CEO, gamma.), Joseph Chang (co-CEO, Kakao Entertainment; CEO, SM & Kakao Entertainment), Jung Min Choi (CGO, SM Entertainment), Kevin Nishimura (COO, SM & Kakao Entertainment), Ben Cook (President UK & Europe, gamma.) and Russ Lindsay (Co-Founder, Moon&Back Media) came together in Los Angeles to finalize and celebrate the agreement. dearALICE members Blaise Noon, Dexter Greenwood, James Sharp, Oliver (Olly) Quinn, and Reese Carter were on hand for the symbolic kickoff of the ambitious journey to establish the group as an international powerhouse.

Larry Jackson, Co-Founder & CEO of gamma. states, “I have found that it is a superpower in life to embrace the truth of ‘I know what I don’t know.’ I have always been intrigued by the music and culture coming out of South Korea, and to now partner with Kakao Entertainment and SM Entertainment on dearALICE affords gamma. an opportunity to learn from THE BEST in that culture. We are already finding a special creative kinship with Joseph, Kevin and their teams. Our ideations are very much aligned albeit informed by different life experiences, from disparate corners of the globe. The cleverness of creating this show, it premiering on the BBC in the U.K., and bringing this extremely talented group to the world by way of it, was their idea, and we are thrilled to be a part of it. Kakao Entertainment and SM have always been purveyors of true, patient artist development in Korea, and I have deeply respected their approach from afar. Expect to hear a lot from dearALICE in 2025.”

gamma., the artist-first multimedia platform providing creative and business services across all artistic and commercial formats launched in 2023, co-founded by CEO Larry Jackson and President Ike Youssef. It is a modern media and technology enterprise created to revolutionise the way artist-entrepreneurs create, distribute, and monetise their content and brands across a multitude of consumer touchpoints. To date gamma. has partnered with global superstars including USHER, Snoop Dogg & Death Row Records, Rick Ross, Sexyy Red among others.

Joseph Chang, co-CEO of Kakao Entertainment and CEO of SM & Kakao Entertainment, shared, “Our partnership with gamma. represents an exciting step in our ongoing strategy for the successful launch of dearALICE. Collaborating with a label of gamma.’s stature, known for its deep industry expertise and innovative approach, allows us to accelerate our efforts in bringing forward dearALICE to audiences worldwide. dearALICE stands out as a truly distinctive project for our company, blending British roots with the global reach and creative influences of Kakao Entertainment and SM Entertainment. We believe this collaboration will unlock new opportunities for the group to thrive internationally, while also showcasing their ground breaking artistry to music fans across the globe.”

Russ Lindsay, Co-Founder of Moon&Back Media, added, “What an amazing twelve months it’s been for the boys! From being cast in December last year, to experiencing a unique and unforgettable 100 days of K-Pop training with SM Entertainment in Korea, then premiering a 6-part Saturday night BBC One TV series in the summer, followed by the Made in Korea: The K-Pop Experience Original TV Soundtrack EP release and a superb live performance on the UK’s highest-rated entertainment show, BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing! It’s a testament to their incredible hard work and passion that sees them sign a major global recording and distribution deal with gamma., joining a stable with some of the world’s most talented artists and music executives."

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Up next, dearALICE is ramping up to release their official debut single under gamma., Kakao Entertainment, and SM Entertainment by the end of the year.

About gamma.

gamma., founded by CEO Larry Jackson and President Ike Youssef, is a modern media and technology enterprise created to revolutionise the way artist-entrepreneurs create, distribute, and monetise their content and brands across a multitude of consumer touchpoints. Across eight global offices, gamma. serves over 10,000 monthly releases through their wholly-owned technology and rights management platform, Vydia, in addition to working with global superstar artists and partners including: Snoop Dogg and Death Row Records, its catalogue as well as emerging talent including R&B artist October London; mega, a joint venture with superstar USHER & industry pioneer L.A. Reid; a partnership with icon and mogul Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group; a partnership with Rebel Music/Open Shift Distribution, delivering music from rap’s new queen Sexyy Red and burgeoning talent honestav, Lomiiel and Kevin Smiley; French Montana’s Mac & Cheese 5; WILLOW’s empathogen in partnership with Three Six Zero Recordings; 4batz, R&B’s current generational torch bearer; Rich The Kid’s Life’s A Gamble; Santiago, the multimedia project from Russ; and a partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures and WaterTower Music on the soundtrack for the motion picture The Color Purple, among others.

The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in New York, London, Miami, Nashville, Lagos, Johannesburg and Dubai.

About Kakao Entertainment

Kakao Entertainment is a global entertainment company affiliated with the leading Korean tech company Kakao Corp. Kakao Entertainment combines the full spectrum of the entertainment industry value chain, across its Music, Story, and Media businesses. Kakao Entertainment's music business has an unrivaled distribution competitiveness with a library of about 120,000 songs and production capacity which releases 1,200 new tracks every year, and "Melon" leads the industry as Korea's No. 1 music streaming platform. By operating a multi-label system, Kakao Entertainment is not only producing music IPs for various artists such as IVE, but also strengthening its global business in cooperation with K-Pop IP powerhouse SM Entertainment. Its Story business operates “kakaopage” and “Kakao Webtoon,” two leading mobile content platforms that provide users with an offering of over 80,000 story IPs, both domestically and abroad. Together, these platforms retain Korea’s most extensive library of original content. It also operates “Radish” and “Tapas” which provide leading online fiction and webtoon content to English-speaking audiences. Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, Kakao Entertainment’s global footprint spans across Korea, Japan, North America, Greater China, Southeast Asia and India and is expanding rapidly. Kakao Entertainment's Media business boasts a diversified video production capability for mobile, TV, and film with 80 top Korean creators and 160 globally beloved Korean celebrities under management.

About SM Entertainment

SM Entertainment stands as South Korea's No. 1 entertainment and media group, leading the way in international markets with its unique and innovative production and training system, coupled with unparalleled overseas marketing strategies. As a trailblazing entity, it has cultivated a galaxy of global K-Pop superstars, solidifying its status as a premier industry leader. SM Entertainment is dedicated to every facet of the music business, meticulously orchestrating album planning, production, distribution, promotion, and artist management. Leveraging a wealth of accumulated expertise, it sets the standard for excellence in each endeavor. The company manages artists, including, but not limited to: KANGTA, BoA, TVXQ!, SUPER JUNIOR, GIRLS’ GENERATION, SHINee, EXO, Red Velvet, NCT U, NCT 127, NCT DREAM, NCT WISH, WayV, SuperM, aespa, GOT the beat, RIIZE, and more. SM Entertainment has established a global network through overseas subsidiaries in the United States, Japan, as well as other countries, owning various affiliated companies such as SM C&C, KEYEAST, DearU, SM Brand Marketing, etc. Furthermore, by creating the unique concert brand called SMTOWN, the organisation has successfully hosted shows in major cities worldwide, continuously setting new records in the concert business. SM Entertainment is growing as the world’s leading entertainment company, and as the pioneer of K-Pop and the creator of an unrivaled system, it continues to produce today’s most prominent K-Pop acts.

About Moon&Back Media

Moon&Back Media is a partnership between Nigel Hall, Dawn Airey and Russ Lindsay borne out of a longstanding relationship at the highest level of the global television industry, where the three multi award winning founders have been launching talent, creating IP and producing / commissioning the world’s most successful television shows for over three decades. LA-based Asylum Entertainment Group invested in Moon&Back in 2024. Utilising Nigel’s exceptional creative prowess, Dawn’s global experience in traditional television and digital exploitation, Russ’s extensive knowledge of IP creation and marketing, and their combined relationships with the very best broadcast talent, they have combined their unique skills once again. Hall’s success is highlighted by his work as former Head of Light Entertainment at ITV, creating hits like Celebrity Stars in their Eyes, You’ve Been Framed and Saturday Night Takeaway. Later, Lindsay – who, as co-founder of UK-based talent agency James Grant, had been managing top-tier talent – pulled in Hall to forge Syco Entertainment with Simon Cowell. As Managing Director, Hall co-created, formatted and executive produced the two biggest formats in the last 20 years: the UK and global versions of The X Factor and the Got Talent franchise. Through Hall’s stewardship, The X Factor spawned local versions in 56 countries while Got Talent currently airs in more than 190 international territories. Lindsay also co-founded Talent Bank, which bridges the entertainment industry’s preeminent talent with a sophisticated network of digital broadcast platforms. Airey’s television career is punctuated by her roles as Controller of Arts & Ent at Channel 4, CEO of Channel 5 and Managing Director of Sky Channels and ITV Productions. Drawing on immense experience in the global digital space, Airey also served as SVP of Yahoo! and CEO of Getty Images.

The series executive team includes BAFTA-winning Executive Producer and format creator David Hall (Deal or No Deal, The Greatest Dancer, The Chase), music industry executive Ben Karter (Taylor Swift, The Script, Westlife), Series Editor Nadia Dyer-Collins (Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win, I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here) and Emmy-nominated show runner James McKinlay (America’s Got Talent, X Factor)’.

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