This year, the high profile South Korean boy band, Big Bang, will make their very first world tour titled ‘ALIVE TOUR 2012′ through Live Nation, performing in 25 cities throughout 16 countries including Asia, North America, South America, and Europe.

Big Bang was formed by YG Entertainment and debuted in 2006. The group consists of five members: G -Dragon, Taeyang, T.O.P, Daesung, and Seungri. Unlike many other bands, they do not have an eye-catching appearance, but they do have enough talent to be famous and have changed audiences’ attitudes. Each member has impressed audiences with their talents, can sing and rap well, compose music, dance, and act.

Representing Asia-Pacific, Big Bang emerged to the bigger world audience as a nominee for Best Worldwide Act winner of 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards (EMA) held in Belfast, Northern Ireland. There, apart from Queen, Big Bang was the only winner not from North America.

Live Nation has conducted world tours for Madonna and U2, and Big Bang is the first Asian group with whom they have teamed up. Live Nation is currently a promotional agent for K-pop singers in one to two regions in America and Europe.

Alan Ridgeway, Live Nation’s president, said that he is very happy to work with YG Entertainment and Big Bang to show their work to worldwide K-pop fans. He hoped this world tour would be a good starting point for the Korea branch they established last December, and they expect it to contribute to the K-pop fever expansion.

To prepare for the tour,  Laurieann Gibson, who is a well-known director, choreographer, actress, and creative director, will be taking the lead position as director for ‘Alive Tour 2012′. She is known for directing Lady Gaga’s ‘The Monster Ball Tour’, in addition to choreographing “Poker Face”, “Judas”, and “Telephone”. She has also worked with top stars like Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Beyonce, and Katy Perry.

Leroy Bennett will be the stage/lighting designer, and Ken Van Druten will be the sound director. Bennett has previously worked with Madonna, Paul McCartney, and the Eagles, while Druten has worked with Eminem, J-Jay, and Linkin Park.  The visual contents producing team, Possible Productions, will also prepare for Big Bang’s world tour.

YG Entertainment expressed in their press release, “We are in the process of preparing the world’s best concert with the best production team to equal the anticipation of the world fans who are waiting for the first concert they will get to meet Big Bang… With the newly released album and the starting of the world tour, you will be able to confirm Big Bang’s maturity and skill.”

Image Courtesy of    http://www.flickr.com/photos/koreanet/

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When you hear the words “Asian Culture” you may immediately think of animated cartoons and kimonos, but with the growing overseas popularity of the asian pop music scene, this is the time to rethink our perception of Asian cultural output.

When we talk about music, it is no longer the traditional zen-like tunes we should be associating but gorgeous, young people singing catchy songs and dancing like most can only dream they could dance. Japanese bands are well-known among anime fans, video gamers, and cosplayers worldwide.

The hit game Kingdom Hearts’ songs were sung by a Japanese singer, Hikaru Utada and both her Japanese and English versions of the songs were popular outside of the Asian hemisphere.

Korea also has their fair share of pop stars. They have the same catchy, upbeat tunes and dance moves as J-Pop, but have not been as popular as J-Pop in the United States in the past. Now they are giving Japanese artists a run for their money. Not only are they touring around the world, but they are also singing in Korean, Japanese, and English.

The biggest K-Pop band to take hold of American fans is SMEntertainment’s Girls’ Generation, also known as SNSD (So Nyuh Shi Dae). Their first album debuted in 2007 and took Asia by storm. Now this nine-girl band has swept through Australia, France, Japan, and the United States. While in France, fans protested the sold out show and were awarded with a second concert to accommodate them all.

Performances in the United States have not been as big, but hundreds of fans have shoved their way to see them perform on David Letterman’s late night talk show and Live! With Kelly. Even if they were unable to make it inside to see the girls’ performance, they waited eagerly outside just to catch a glimpse of and perhaps an autograph from one of the group’s beautiful members.

Girls’ Generation’s newest album, “The Boys,” has made it to number two on Billboard’s World Album Chart and has led the group to labelled “a world-class group” by David Assogba who is in charge of the groups album distribution in Europe.

This all-girl group is the first of possibly many Korean bands to hit it off in America. With a large number of Asian culture fanatics in the United states, they could do very well in touring the North American continent. Within the past year, a K-Pop music store opened in Gurnee, Illinois and Asian languages are becoming a popular field of college study.

Even high schools have clubs that center around Asian culture and who can ignore the numerous conventions centered around anime, manga, and cosplaying. Instead of focusing on Japanese culture, now is the time for Korea to enter the mix.

If you are still in the dark, take a look at other Korean bands at SMEnterainment’s Youtube channel, SMTown.

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