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Alias
Joined: 24 Jan 2003
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 Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 6:40 pm Post subject: New Korean "Lady" Band |
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They strut their stuff and shake their booties as well as any pop band worldwide, and their infectious dance tunes are taking the Asian music scene by storm.
But in one crucial respect Lady, the hottest music act to come out of South Korea in years, are not your average girl group. They may have looks that many women would die for - but none of these four singers was born as a lady.
Shinae, 29, Sahara, 25, Binu, 22, and Yoona, 21, have all undergone sex change operations and used their new, curvaceous physiques to propel them to stardom. Earlier this year, to a frenzied fanfare of television appearances, newspaper interviews and even the odd nude photo shoot, Lady became Korea's first transgender pop group.
"We love chocolate, shopping and gossip. Mentally we were always women, the only difference being that we changed something physical, simply we are women with an extra scar," one of the girls told Chosun Ilbo newspaper.
And with their debut album Attention flying off the shelves in their native country and concerts lined up in China, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Lady's risqu� dance act is blowing a breath of fresh air into the traditionally conservative world of Asian music. The girls are seeking to follow in the footsteps of Harisu, Korea's most successful transgender singer, whose song "Foxy Lady" is popular from Bangkok to Beijing.
But the group's path to stardom hasn't been entirely smooth. Lady have come in for scathing criticism from the media, who accuse their record company of trying to cash in on the novelty of "sex change stars" and of manufacturing a pop act whose selling point, they claim, lies in sexual status rather than in musical talent.
The girls, however, remain defiant.
"Soon," they proclaim, "we'll show everyone what we've got on stage."
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Gotta tell ya, some Korean guys make pretty nice chicks! |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 6:45 pm Post subject: |
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| 'Lady'? I suppose that's a better name for the band than 'Girlie Men', which would have been my first choice. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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| In terms of openness, Korea has come a long way in the 10 years I've been here. |
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peemil
Joined: 09 Feb 2003
Location: Koowoompa
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| Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 7:12 pm Post subject: |
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| What the hell is wrong with these people? |
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Alias
Joined: 24 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 7:31 pm Post subject: |
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| I don't think there is anything wrong with it. Just curious as to why it seems so popular in such a conservative society. |
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tardisrider
Joined: 13 Mar 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 8:35 pm Post subject: |
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| They strut their stuff and shake their booties |
Sex change, shmex change. They may be women, but, as my grandmother would have said, a "lady" would never act that way. |
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Hollywoodaction
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 10:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Well, they are open to transgenders as long as they look glamorous on TV. I doubt they'd be just as understanding if these gals (well, one is still a dude) lived next door, or if they looked like teamsters from New Jersey. |
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livinginkorea
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Location: Korea, South of the border
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| Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 1:35 am Post subject: |
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| This was out ages ago. I actually taught this in my last hagwon. Big wall of silence then. (tumbleweed blows in the distance) |
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jacl
Joined: 31 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 10:41 am Post subject: |
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| Klady Lang |
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Alias
Joined: 24 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 4:27 pm Post subject: |
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| livinginkorea wrote: |
| This was out ages ago. I actually taught this in my last hagwon. Big wall of silence then. (tumbleweed blows in the distance) |
 Since there are supposedly no homosexuals in Korea I can understand why. |
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Hollywoodaction
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2005 9:06 am Post subject: |
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| Alias wrote: |
| livinginkorea wrote: |
| This was out ages ago. I actually taught this in my last hagwon. Big wall of silence then. (tumbleweed blows in the distance) |
Since there are supposedly no homosexuals in Korea I can understand why. |
Well, they are a bit more aware that there are gay men in Korea, although the subject appears to me as being only touched by the use of stereotypical characters on sitcoms and TV dramas. Nothing yet about lesbians. It's as if they would like to think every Korean women dream of marrying a man (preferably a Korean one). |
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Alias
Joined: 24 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2005 1:01 pm Post subject: |
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| I've heard (from a wagook lesbian) that the lesbian scene here in Korea is pretty much non-existent. |
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Hollywoodaction
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2005 7:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Alias wrote: |
| I've heard (from a wagook lesbian) that the lesbian scene here in Korea is pretty much non-existent. |
That's sad.
A few years ago, my wife and I went to the gay pride parade in Montreal. It was one of the highlights of our trip (you don't see many 6 feet tall transexuals walking around topless in 6 inch heels in Korea). In any case, we saw a few Korean gays there and I couldn't help feeling bad for them because they had to leave Korea to find acceptance and tolerance. |
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