The Official Z GIRLS Thread - Asia's Girl Group - Debut on 22nd February with 'What You Waiting For'

[Moruk Laplamiz]

In my opinion, next time they do a tour they should have their own showcase and fansign event. It's better that way, and if they have to show up on a local program, go for the ones with international format like The Voice Indonesia. 

[Moruk Laplamiz]

Z-girls meets MNL48

 

 

[Moruk Laplamiz]

 

[Moruk Laplamiz]

 

[Moruk Laplamiz]

 

 

[Moruk Laplamiz]

That's because Snuper had a career in S. Korea prior to coming to Vietnam, and you know how much the younger generation love K-pop even if it's not the biggest group in the world. 

That's why I think labeling Z-POP is counterproductive for getting the KPOP audience in Vietnam. 

 

However, I think the next audition should get some established names from VPOP groups. LIME is inactive and LipB is on forever hiatus, so members from these groups should join the next Z-POP project to try to gain some attraction in Vietnam? For boy groups, maybe Zero 9 and especially The Air? LOL

[Moruk Laplamiz]

NOOOOO not them please. Ever since the scandal came out, I don't mention them anymore because they don't deserve it. Uni5, Monstar and yes, even The Air would be better people.

 

As for the local audience, they are going a different strategy which is to turn their songs into the local language as you already know. I already fear it's going to be terrible, but we'll see.....they are going to have 3 more albums coming out and maybe the other songs will be better.

 

I get why they are not labeling it K-pop. It isn't and shouldn't be because that's false advertising. That whole pre-marketing in S. Korea...that was confusing, but I suppose that was to get that Korean audience even if they aren't a K-pop group and maybe it helped the groups prepare for live audiences and shows before the tour. 

 

In the Philippines press conference, they mentioned 7 countries, but I wonder if it's the same 7 countries or will they alternate.

U know what? We can't dismiss the possibility that TNT can pull off by reaching a agreement with POPS, and managed to send one of the Z9 member to Z-POP   He has connections in the vietnamese entertainment. But I would like to see The Air joining, even though their skills are not in the highest level.

 

I prefer UNI5 and Monstar to stay where they are, but if joining Z-Boys can gain them new international fans, I wouldn't oppose it. 

 

Very skeptical to the viet song they are planning. Vietnamese is not a easy language to learn, not to mention the plans for 6 other dialect as well. If they let Roy and Queen do the vietnamese, while the rest sing in english, it may work. We'll just have to wait and see. 

 

I think 6 countries excluding Japan.I doubt they will go there. I visited the Z-POP academy site, and I couldn't find any galleries of their audition in Japan. If they ever had one. I wonder how the japanese members were picked, because I can't find any information of any japanese companies working with them. If Japan is not a part of their list, they are missing out a lot, both financially and very good quality promotion places.

Edited April 1, 2019 by 우중 쓰레기

[Moruk Laplamiz]

 

[Moruk Laplamiz]

I prefer Carlyn when she had black hair. The hair color she has now makes her look older than her age..

 

 

[Moruk Laplamiz]

 

Z-Pop’s dreams of ‘One Asia
 
MANILA, Philippines — The Z-Girls and Z-Boys, the newest groups to break into the K-Pop music scene, made their Manila stop last week after touring Vietnam and Indonesia.
The groups form part of the Z-Pop Dream Project, which aims to create and groom global music stars from multiple countries in Asia by using the strengths of the successful K-Pop star creation business. “Z†also stands for Generation Z, or those born in the mid-1990s to mid-2000s, which is the age demographic of their members as well as their target audience

.

While they were trained under the famous K-Pop system, the Z-Pop artists are stirring media attention for being, as The Korea Times puts it, a K-Pop band without Koreans.
 

Members come from seven different countries, including the Philippines. The Z-Girls are Bell (Thailand), Priyanka (India), Joanne (Taiwan), Queen (Vietnam), Vanya (Indonesia), Mahiro (Japan) and Carlyn (Philippines). The Z-Boys are Blink (Thailand), Sid (India), Perry (Taiwan), Roy (Vietnam), Mavin (Indonesia), Gai (Japan) and Josh (Philippines).

The non-inclusion of a Korean artist is intentional, according to Zenith Media Contents (ZMC), the South Korean agency that runs the Z-Pop Dream Project. With the goal of “One Asia,†they are going beyond K-Pop — the music genre, culture and industry — and finding the next generation of music idols from other parts of Asia. 
 

 

“Korea is the center of K-Pop but Asia is the center of Z-Pop. Korea is also in Asia but we want to give more chance to artists from other countries,†said ZMC CEO Kang Jun during a presscon at the Teatrino in Greenhills Promenade last Thursday. He brought the two groups to the country in partnership with Viva Communications, Inc. and Glimmer (which is run by TV host Grace Lee) that represents Z-Pop in the Philippines.

 

ZMC is described in the Korean press as an entertainment firm backed by industry experts behind the success of BTS, Psy, EXO, among other K-Pop superstars. Kang himself has over 30 years of experience working in Korea’s vibrant entertainment business. “I belong to the first generation of K-Pop,†he said, adding that it has always been his dream to work with artists outside Korea. “Through the Z-Pop Dream Project, I want to give a chance to anybody who wants to be a star.â€

 

With the help of local partners like Viva and Glimmer in the Philippines, ZMC found the members through open auditions late last year. Kang said that these youngsters made the cut because of their talent, personality and the drive to succeed. “We looked at the whole package,†he added.

 

Most of them have showbiz backgrounds (as models, YouTube stars, band members, etc.) in their respective countries. Take, for example, the Pinoys in the groups. Carlyn used to be part of Viva Records’ Pop Girls while Josh was a member of G-Force.

The Z-Girls and Z-Boys were finally launched in Seoul at the Seoul Olympic Stadium where they reportedly drew a crowd of 7,000 and shared the stage with some of the biggest names in the K-Pop world like Rain, APink and Monsta X.
They already debuted their first singles which are in English — No Limit for the Z-Boys and What You Waiting For for the Z-Girls. 

 

What You Waiting For was composed by some notable names in the recording biz including producers DEJO from Sweden, Abi F. Jones from Britain and singing star-composer Kanata from Japan. Vanya of Indonesia said that they really loved the song and appreciated the fact that the producer listened to their thoughts about the song when they first heard it, and about what kind of music they want next. 

 

No Limit, on the other hand, was produced by Andreas Ohrn from Sweden who swept through the top music charts of Spain, Mexico, Germany, Russia and Korea as well as the Billboard Dance Music Chart. Mavin, also of Indonesia, explained that the song talks about not setting limits on oneself and to always “chase after our dreams no matter how high they go.â€

 

Both groups band together as the Z-Stars in the song Our Galaxy from Korea’s hit-making producer Min Young Lee (a.k.a. EastWest) who has written for Ailee, Girls’ Day, Sistar, Suran and Turbo.
Kang said that in the future, their songs will feature the local languages of the members, a smart move to reach out to more music fans from where they come from.

 

For the Z-Girls and Z-Boys, it’s been a dream come true to be part of this international project. They got to experience professional K-Pop training and meet their K-Pop idols, among others, at the same time, be part of a one-of-a-kind cultural exchange.

 

According to Priyanka of India, “In India, (K-Pop) is becoming more famous than before. Also, we have K-Pop contests every year, like in 2016, I represented India in the K-Pop World Festival in Changwon. That was the first time India got to the finale. India has been conducting K-Pop concerts since five years ago. It’s really big now.â€

 

Carlyn, for her part, said, “We’re all K-Pop fans, so when we heard about the auditions, we really applied. Like in the Philippines, there were 200 of us who auditioned, and only two of us were selected. I am super happy and grateful because we were the ones who were chosen and entrusted with the opportunity to represent the Philippines.â€

 

Fellow Pinoy Josh, who spoke on behalf of the Z-Boys, said, “We feel really blessed, same as with the Z-Girls. Like from Vietnam, they had 500 auditionees also... So, we feel so grateful to Zenith, Viva and all the people behind this. We really love it, especially the concert last Feb. 23 at the stadium and the acceptance of other foreigners was really touching!â€
Referring to their launch, which was graced by Rain and other K-Pop stars, Carlyn gushed that “it was a huge honor to share the same stage as them.â€

 

The K-Pop idol machinery is famous for being competitive as it is stringent and systematic. For four months, they trained in Seoul, from vocalization to choreography, to even how to “manage your gaze†when facing the cameras. They were housed in a dorm and learned to get along and live with each other despite their differences, culture-wise. There was admittedly a lot of adjustment.

 

“That’s a big question (how we’re able to deal with each other). We’re from different countries, we speak different languages, so it’s kinda hard for us to communicate with each other, but then we try to our best to communicate,†said Carlyn. “It’s a funny thing because sometimes we use translating apps like Google Translate, actions, body language, but then some of us can speak English, so we understand each other. But yeah, we have one dream, one goal, that’s the reason why we work.â€

 

And it’s the reason they stand out from other groups, Sid of India said. “We share a special bond with each other because we come from seven different countries. And it’s really innovative, a new feel of how people of different cultures come together and present (music). That’s how we stand out.â€

 

With the “One Asia†goal and the unique line-up, the members believe they have a lot of potential and room for growth because there isn’t any group like them yet.

 

Their big dream is to grow into a global idol band one day, hold concerts around the world, including Korea, and have chart-topping hits. From the looks of it, they’re off to a good start.

 

Meanwhile, the Z-Pop Boys and Girls will be busy introducing themselves to music fans and doing shows in the days to come. These include a special appearance at the CR3W concert, which is headlined by James Reid, Billy Crawford and Sam Concepcion, on April 5 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

 

https://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2019/04/01/1906144/z-pops-dreams-one-asia

[Moruk Laplamiz]

Happy birthday to Queen!  

 

 

 

[Moruk Laplamiz]

Positive article about Z-POP:

 

HOW Z-POP DREAM CHALLENGES K-POP WITH ITS GLOBAL DREAM FOR POP MUSIC

 

It is undeniable that K-Pop has taken enormous strides on the global stage in the past two years. From BTS selling out their world tours in minutes to Got7 being interviewed by the CEO of Twitter, people are starting to realize the worldwide appeal of K-pop. Because of this, people are also learning about the diversity within Asia and appreciating different cultures. 

          

Yet on February 21, 2019, two groups debuted, and they have thrown a new challenge on what people perceive about K-pop and Asian culture. These groups are called Z Girls and Z Boys, formed under Z-Pop Dream, a subset of Zenith Media Contents. But here’s the catch—none of these group members are Korean.

 

Both 7 member groups have people from Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, India, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Z Boys debut song is called “No Limit†and the Z Girls debut song is called “What You Waiting Forâ€. Both songs have a fun beat, positive message, and crisp choreography. Interestingly however, both songs are completely in English.           

           

Jun Kang, co-founder of Zenith Media Contents and Z-Pop Dream (which is based in Seoul) shares his specific goals for his companies. On the Zenith Media Contents Introduction page he says, “We seek outstanding and talented future-oriented people, not biased against race, age, sex, and appearance.†

           

On the Z-Pop Dream page, their mission statement reads, “The Z-POP team now seeks to replicate the success of K-POP and create global music stars from multiple countries by bringing together the KPOP professionals and voting power of the fans!†   

           

The mission statement promotes talent without discrimination, which is clearly a positive ambition. What stands out though is the phrase, “to replicate the success of K-popâ€.

This begs the question—what is “Z-popâ€, and how does it differ from K-pop?           

           

Before exploring the difference between Z-Pop and K-pop, it may be helpful to establish their similarities. First, Z-pop music videos are produced in a similar fashion to K-pop ones. The angled camera movements, fashion, and choreography all reflect the K-pop style. But this should make sense, given that Z-pop Dream’s producers also worked with some of the biggest K-pop groups.

           

Second, they are similar in their presentation. On Z-Pop Dream’s Youtube channel, there are videos of the groups doing activities—from busking in Hongdae to cooking Korean food. Each group has the traditional Korean-bow greeting that they say at the beginning of most of their videos. ZBoys say, “Gen Z- Hello, we are ZBoys,†while ZGirls say, “What you waiting for- Hello, we are ZGirls!† Overall, their Youtube videos present a similar atmosphere to a K-pop group activity, both in the actual video structure and content.           

           

Third, the Z-Pop groups follow the same group hierarchy as a K-pop group. Each group has the designated leader and maknae, visual, etc. and these relationships are evidenced by their interactions in their videos. For example, in one of the ZBoys’ videos they get each other gifts to celebrate their debut, and they call the youngest “maknae†almost the whole time. 

           

Despite these similarities, there are some clear differences between Z-Pop and K-pop. The most obvious difference is that none of the Z-Pop members are Korean. In their Youtube videos, the members share stories about their culture and discuss cultural differences in a refreshingly open-minded way. Occasionally they speak in their native languages, but they primarily speak in English.

           

Because Z-Pop is not just Korean, it also gives the groups a different atmosphere. Because the groups are so global, it seems to make them more approachable. Sure they are nervous about their debut which not everyone goes through in life. But they also are trying to learn Korean and trying to have healthy cross-cultural friendships. Given the diversity in the world, learning another language and coming across someone from another culture is likely to happen.

 

Thus, maybe this is the goal of Z-Pop Dream. Maybe it does not matter whether or not it is like K-pop—maybe all that matters is the connection it brings to the audience. Yes, the company is based in Seoul, and yes their Youtube videos have Korean subtitles, yes their videos follow the K-Pop style, but it can mean more than that.

           

By presenting such global groups, it can remind the world how truly diverse it is. Showing videos of the groups having fun together even though they are from different countries sends such a positive message to people. Not only can people feel represented and appreciated by an individual member, but they can also see the joy of cross-cultural friendships. Hopefully, Z-Pop Dream is here to stay to show the world the greatness of global outreach.

 

Source: 24hrKpop

[Moruk Laplamiz]

I like it better when they are performing at malls or schools. It means they can interact close to their fans. In my opinion, next time they are touring, they should have a showcase and fansign event, like KPOP groups does when they travel overseas. They don't need to go on dozens of shows, where only two members just talk in their native language and the rest are just ackwardly silent. 

[Moruk Laplamiz]

[Moruk Laplamiz]

Zenith really sucks at promoting ZGirls. It seems to be no planning at all, and the girls just get thrown in some random programs.

 

Not to mention the girls are overworked. They look so tired recenly and this effect their performance and health. Bell is already sick.

 

Despite having decent fans from Indonesia and Philippines, those markets are not profitable. Do u wonder why Kpop groups always go to Japan or focus domestically? Because that's where the money are.

[Moruk Laplamiz]

 

 

 

 

 

Take good care of your health and hope u recover quickly!

[Moruk Laplamiz]

Carlyn said in this interview, their next tour will happen once they finished recording their album. And they will travel to different countries. Hopefully these are Japan, Thailand, Taiwan and India perhaps. All these countries has strong music markets, especially Japan which is the the 2nd largest in the world. 

 

[Moruk Laplamiz]

I hope Mahiro and Joanne gets close. Ofc, everyone of them should be close to each other, but sometimes you have to confined with one personally

 

[Moruk Laplamiz]

 

[Moruk Laplamiz]

They are learning korean and english and that means they going have activites in Korea 

 

Edited April 5, 2019 by 우중 쓰레기

[Moruk Laplamiz]

Final performance in Philippines

 

 

[Moruk Laplamiz]

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IherqkbmIY[/media]

When they return to Vietnam, I hope they will get to perform on VHeartbeat and a guest appearance on V Weekly and KingLive. 

[Moruk Laplamiz]

ZStars were interviewed by Barangay LS 97.FM radio station, and Carlyn said they will tour the 4 remaining countries where the members are from, after they finish recording their album. They need more than two songs when touring. 

Edited April 5, 2019 by 우중 쓰레기

[Moruk Laplamiz]

Queen looks like a mix of Joy and Hyuna

 

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[Moruk Laplamiz]

 

 

Confirmation that they are visiting the 4 remaining countries