Korean Music Awards 2012 – Mark’s Predictions

Ah, awards shows … those wonderful events that remind me I should never, ever start to gamble. Because I would lose. I would lose badly.

Nevertheless, I will try to make a few predictions about what I expect to happen at the Korean Music Awards next week. Or at least say who I think should win, which isn’t the same thing. (Note: On the off-chance I actually guess well, I am totally going to edit this point and make it look like I was confident about my choices from the get-go).

Don’t forget you, too, can predict the winners here. Vote early, vote often. The winner gets the compilation CD 1999-2009 Here, Now, Our Music Collection.

Album of the Year
Idiotape – 11111101
The Black Skirts – Don’t You Worry Baby (I’m Only Swimming)
Yi Sung Yol – Why We Fail
✓Chang Kiha & The Faces – 장기하와 얼굴들
Jeong Cha Sik – 황망한 사내

Chang Kiha is on a roll, with plenty of good press to go with his catchy, popular retro-rock. Plus he hasn’t won a KMA since 2008 and never won this category. Seems like a good year for him to win the big prize.

Song of the Year
✓ 2NE1 – 내가 제일 잘 나가
Meta Wreckx – 무까끼하이
IU – 좋은 날
Yi Sung Yol – 돌아오지 않아
Chang Kiha & The Faces – 그렇고 그런 사이
Cho Deok Hwan – 수만리 먼 길
I had a Turkish dude in my Spanish class who knew the words to this song. It was everywhere last year. The video was slick and fun, with some really splashy design. It may be mainstream K-pop, but it is still the song of the year.

Artist of the Year
10cm
Park Joo Won
Yi Sung Yol
✓Chang Kiha & The Faces
Cho Deok Hwan

Nothing brilliant to say here. Chang Kiha is the man.

Rookie of the Year
40
Bye Bye Badman
BG Salon
✓Neon Bunny
JTong

Neon Bunny had a solid CD with Seoulight. Good pop music.  Lots of catchy songs, like “Long D.” Plus a well-done, minimalist video (by the Dark Knight Film Festival) for “Come a Little Closer” helped make a good statement — fun and light, but also with more that a bit of languid and torpid, like Pet Shop Boys’ “Being Boring” (and later in the video, full of muscly dudes … also like a Pet Shop Boys video).

Best Rock Album
✓The Moonshiners – 푸른밤의 Beat!
Yellow Monsters – Riot!
Chang Kiha & The Faces – 장기하와 얼굴들
Jeong Cha Sik – 황망한 사내
Cho Deok Hwan – Long Way Home

I mostly give this one to the Moonshines on the “It’s their time” criterion. While rockabillly is not my favorite genre, they’ve been getting better and playing hard for quite a while now.

(Aside: Has it really been 12 years since I first interviewed Son Kyeong-ho? I first met him when he was in the long-disbanded band Wonder Bird. Yikes, I feel old).

Best Modern Rock Album
The Black Skirts – Don’t You Worry Baby (I’m Only Swimming)
Goonamguayeoridingstella – 우정모텔
✓Nunco – Murder’s High
Yi Sung Yol – Why We Fail
The Koxx – Access OK
Huckleberry Finn – 까만 타이거

Nunco’s Kkamakgui has been a vital part of the Korean music scene for a decade now, helping to fuel the passion for Korean classic rock that has invigorated a lot of big bands. Plus, that’s a lot of SNU in one band … dangerous to vote against.

Best Pop Album
✓10cm – 1.0
Linus’ Blanket – Show Me Love
Song Sung-Jae – 비의 비가
IU – Last Fantasy
Neon Bunny – Seoulight
Chung Won Young – 정원영

I could see this going in any number of directions, but 10cm deserves something, and this seems like the best slot for them.

Best Dance & Electronic Album
f(x) – Pinocchio
✓Idiotape – 11111101
Trampauline – This Is Why We Are Falling For Each Other
W&Whale – Circussss
Kayip – Theory Of Everything

I like a lot of W&Whale, but not so much their last album. Trampauline is nice, light pop. I don’t know Kayip well at all. Idiotape may not be the danciest album from last year, but it gets the Radiohead-fan votes to take this one.

Best Rap & Hip Hop Album
Defconn – The Rage Theatre
Deepflow – Heavy Deep
Monsoon Nui – Monsoon Nui 3
The Swings – Upgrade 2
Simo & Mood Schula – Simo & Mood Schula

Er … No Erik B. and Rakim here? I’ll avoid embarrassing myself and skip this one.

Best R&B & Soul Album
40 – Got Faith
Boni – 1990
Sung Hoon – Lyrics Within My Story
Soulstar – Rebirth
All That – Love Me

And I’ll skip this one, too. Sorry.

Best Soundtrack
✓The Crucible (도가니)
Leafie, A Hen Into The Wild (마당을 나온 암탉)
Late Autumn (만추)
The Man From Nowhere (아저씨)
Re-encounter (혜화,동)

That’s a prediction purely based on how the movies resonated with critics. It was an important movie in Korea last year, and I bet the critics would like to honor it.

What’s the deal with The Man From Nowhere? Didn’t that come out in July 2010?

Best Jazz Album
BG Salon – 습관의 발견
Jangeun Bae – Last Minutes
Jangeun Bae & Jean Oh – Is This All The Love You Have?
Youngjoo Song – Tale Of A City
Ji Young Lee – Closer To You
Choi Sun Bae – A Trumpet In The Night Sky

I have too many bad jazz memories from my time in Korea (except for Moonglow, that club was awesome … and All That Jazz in Itaewon on a good night). So I will symbolically boycott this category.

Best Crossover Album
A friend once told me, “‘World music’ is just any kind of music not good enough to have it’s own genre.” I think that’s about how I feel about this category.

Best Jazz & Crossover Performance
Park Joo Won – 슬픔의 피에스타
Youngjoo Song – Tale Of A City
Jun Kim Trio – Unconstrained
Choi Sun Bae – A Trumpet In The Sky
Jisun Choi – Up

Best Rock Song
Downhell – 너만이즘
Lowdown 30 – 아스팔트
✓Apollo 18 – Sonic Boom
Yellow Monsters – Riot!
Chang Kiha & The Faces – 그렇고 그런 사이
Cho Deok Hwan – 수만리 먼 길

Now this is an interesting category. A lot of good rock songs last year, apparently. Apollo 18 and Chang Kiha both had good years. Yellow Monsters are on the rise. Lowdown 30 is a bit hit-and-miss for me, but when they are on, I quite like them.

So doubtlessly Downhell or Cho Deok Hwan will win.

Okay, that was just cynical. But I will overcome my cynicism and boldly predict that Apollo 18 takes this year’s Best Rock Song prize.

Best Modern Rock Song
The Black Skirts – Love Shine
Goonamguayeoridingstella – 남쪽으로 간다
Bye Bye Badman – 노랑불빛
Yi Sung Yol – 돌아오지 않아
The Koxx – 12:00
✓Huckleberry Finn – 빗소리

Huckleberry Finn has changed a bit over the years, but they’ve always been one of the best Hongdae bands. In a year when the “modern rock” songs are underwhelming, they should be able to take the top prize.

Best Pop Song
10cm – 그게 아니고
UV – Itaewon Freedom
Song Sung-Jae – 멀리서 (feat. Kim Ji Hye)
✓IU – 좋은 날
Neon Bunny – 북극곰
Urban Zakapa – 그날에 우리

I like Neon Bunny, but “Polar Bear” (북극곰) is not my favorite song of hers. “Itaewon Freedom” is amusing the first time you hear it, but there comes a point when parody of bad music melts into just being bad music. 10cm is doing well now, having just had a solid run on the charts. But I just have the feeling the judges are going to go really pop with this and give it to IU.

Best Dance & Electronic Song
✓2NE1 – 내가 제일 잘 나가
f(x) – 피노키오(danger)
Trampauline – Little Animal
Infinite – 내꺼하자
T-ara – Roly-poly

I guess if I am going to say “I’m the Best” is the best song of the year, I have to say it is the best song in its category, don’t I?

Best Rap & Hip Hop Song
GD&TOP – 뻑이가요
Deepflow – Welcome To The Club
✓Meta Wreckx – 무까끼하이
Verbal Jint – 좋아보여
JTong – 구구가가

Despite my less-than-expertise in Korean hip hop today, I’m going to predict Meta Wreckx wins this … if only because I appreciate a bit of ’90s-style retro rapping. Not a lot of frills or flourishes, just a guy on a microphone. But I would not be surprised if GD & TOP won, too, through sheer celebrity power.

Best R&B & Soul Song
40 – Zodiac
Boni – 기다릴게
Sung Hoon – A Song For You
Soulstar – 하나만 빼고
Junggigo – Blind

Pass!

Okay, those are my wild guesses educated predictions. I promise to have more coherent thoughts next year. I’m usually ambivalent at the best of times when it comes to awards for art. But anything that gets more people interested in more good music makes me happy, so I’ll play along. Best of luck to everyone nominated!