Tag: Jae says…

Will K-pop’s BTS or Blackpink get Grammy nominations finally? Boys’ single, Dynamite, and girls’ debut album ought to help

Jae-Ha Kim

The South China Morning Post recently interviewed me to chat about BTS and the upcoming Grammy nominations: “If BTS aren’t nominated this time, it’s not because of their lack of talent,” said Jae-Ha Kim. “All it will mean is that the Grammys are as clueless as they were in 1989, when they handed the trophy for best hard rock/metal performance to Jethro Tull, rather than Metallica.”

Korean-American in Chicago & Beyond

Jae-Ha Kim

If you read the Sunday paper (Chicago Tribune), you may often see a piece by Jae-Ha Kim, who interviews celebrities about their favorite and dream places to travel. Her pieces are titled Go Away With… and the name of the celebrity, which has included Tupac Shakur, Rachael Ray, Britney Spears, Kunal Nayyar, Andi Dorfman, Phil Collen, Joe Morton, Iliza Schlesinger, Lucy Walsh, and Angelique Kidjo.

Beyond funny horse-riding dance, PSY’s ‘Gangnam Style’ is sharp commentary on South Korean society

Jae-Ha Kim

South Korean rapper PSY’s “Gangnam Style” video has more than 200 million YouTube views and counting, and it’s easy to see why. No Korean language skills are needed to enjoy the chubby, massively entertaining performer’s crazy horse-riding dance, the song’s addictive chorus and the video’s exquisitely odd series of misadventures.

PSY’s Gangnam Style’s U.S. Popularity Has Koreans Puzzled, Gratified

Jae-Ha Kim

“People are surprised — bewildered, really — at PSY’s popularity abroad,” says Susan Kang, chief evangelist for Soompi.com, the mammoth online site dedicated to Korean pop music. “You have people saying, ‘We have all these beautiful guys and girls that have tried to break through to the U.S. market with little success. So why PSY?’ But of course they are embracing it to the fullest, and it’s causing a renewed interest in and respect for his music.”