Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
KARA‘s sales in Japan for their latest single, “Electric Boy“, represent a disappointment, which means SNSD now has company.
“Electric Boy” placed second on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart, and I thought that maybe it would have staying power, but so far it has sold around 70k units, which is about half of what they pushed during their last release.
I bring this up because KARA and SNSD are neck and neck in the Japan market, and both are showing downturns in popularity with their latest releases. However, while SNSD released a remake of one of their old Korean songs, KARA came out with a new single, which is arguably even more concerning for them.
I guess the litmus test of all this will be how SNSD’s new album fares. Groups like SNSD/KARA will be fine if their hype in Japan gets turned down a notch, but I do wonder what this would mean for newer K-pop groups trying to debut in Japan and for the groups already struggling there.
![[Review] [Music Video] Girl’s Day – Expectation](http://www.asianjunkie.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/timthumb.php?src=/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/GirlsDayExpectationGroup-575x323.jpg&h=125&w=272&a=c)
That song was garbage so maybe if they didn’t try to maximize profits with shit music their sales wouldn’t have been so bad.
http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/agrees-your-argument.gif
It’s not like their other music that sold were masterpieces.
:o
Kinda sad to read this. It’s not that I absolutely love Kara or anything like that (although I would want all of them in my bed) but I loved how they were determined to promote there in a legit way, learn the language and adjust their shit to Japan – and therefore shat on everyone else.
Didn’t listen to the song – maybe Oppasapervert is right and it just sucked monkey balls.
THIS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ti6OFUZxv0Y
It’s just not very Kara like to be honest. Their last single Speed up ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miN-_clBG5g ) had 126k sales at the one month mark which is almost double this single as it was a better song plain and simple.
Also Japan usually holds out for the album if you look at the wiki sales totals.
The song wasn’t very good, so this was to be expected. SNSD’s new song sounds atypical of their Korean music so maybe it will do well.
Maybe the Japanese consumer is holding out for the album release instead of buying SNSD’s remakes, because it did exceptionally well even with half the tracks being their older Korean material.
That was before this whole Hallyu Wave thing hit the wall.
Or the Japanese realized that Kara is lame and ugly girls
Shut your whore mouth
What did I do?
Lame I can understand because it is pop music but ugly come on.
HOW DARE YOU SPEW SUCH BLASPHEMY!!
Telling the truth?
You did not just say that!
Oh yes I did
Seriously? Not even this?
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5zahxUHye1ry0b4wo1_250.gif
@ Tap
It doesn’t do anything for me
Y U NO LIKE KARA?
It’s hard to cheer for a garbage group
Mute the music, enjoy the bitches.
Cum on! You’re a guy, you should know this.
So you don’t like any idol groups, right?
The song sucked. It just wasn’t as good as their other stuff so people didn’t buy it. Hopefully the next one will be better.
Ugh, just heard the damn song, and I’m not surprised. Even their past crappy songs still shits on this one. Hopefully they’ll able to make it up with the next single since they do have a history in Japan,….unlike those other groups of ladies. Regardless of their popularity. Ooooh I just threw major shade did I? http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3zr5zCUw51rpua0v.gif
i think japan kinda needs kara and snsd cause as whimpy as they are, they are still ten times better than shit kb4 whatever girls. that said, kara and snsds singles have been going downhill so its no surprise sales have been as well. mister and mr.taxi were glorious, paparazzi and electric boy not so much
They’ll never be better than AKB
shinee, superjunior, and boyfriend seem to be doing okay though.
fangirls
Curious to see how their next releases do, actually.
http://blog.mjohnso.com/post/35291694569/karas-japanese-jukebox-hits
^ What do you think of this ;_;
and and.. sales in Japan have been dropping for many groups this year
http://aramatheydidnt.livejournal.com/4414189.html#comments#comments
what more of the new kpop groups whos trying to debut there..
It deals with the past and why KARA was/is successful. I agree with it. I’ve always said that’s why they were able to put themselves on par with SNSD in Japan.
What I’m talking about is just observing a trend and posing a question.
Music sales in Japan has been spiraling down for a while tho
(except for AKB)
Akb 48 aka Waifu Bait 48
Not by half.
Isn’t Japan going into a recession
lol, kara … you’re not DBSK.
Their new album that’s out next week definitely won’t sell as much as their last one (which sold 740k).
Same for SNSD too.
Maybe it’s the end of Kpop.
People are getting bored it. It’s generic, all the same and very “fake”.
Kpop idols are not “special” in any way, so maybe it’s just the audience shifting their desire to other means.
For example, I’m over idols and into solo artists now.
Like Korean adults then. :o
I dunno why but Japan promotions never do a thing for me musically excluding people like Boa and DB5K. Most other groups I feel its a waste but maybe they make some money there.
Agreed. It’s very rare that I really really like a Japanese release. It’s usually pretty eh. Loved Girls’ Generation’s first Japanese album though, it was fuckin’ fantastic with the exception of the recycled Korean tracks.