There are a lot of parts of the kpop world that even experts are confused on. Here, we help you clear things up. If you have a question you want added here, send it to us!
What is the difference between Versions A, B, etc. of a kpop photocard?
Some albums come with more than one set of photocards. This means that there is more than one possible photocard you can get for each member. For example, if you buy two copies of EXO-M's MAMA mini-album, you have a chance of getting Luhan Ver. A (photo) in one album and Luhan Ver. B (photo) in the other album.
What are definitions of common kpop terminologies (ex. oppa, noona, maknae)?
Here are some commonly-used terms in the kpop fandom: Sasaeng: Korean term for "stalker"; used to describe a "fan" of a group/artist who follows them around, sometimes causing physical injuries to other fans and sometimes the idols themselves. Bias: A term fans use to address their favorite group member, or "bias group" for favorite group. "Ultimate bias" is also used to refer to their favorite idol in any group. Jjang: Korean word for "best" Ulzzang/Uljjang: Korean word for "best face" Ship: Short for "relationship"; used to describe a fictional relationship that a fan thinks should happen OTP: Acronym for "One True Pairing", or someone's favorite ship (see "ship" above) MV: Acronym for "Music Video" Oppa: Korean term for "older brother" used only by girls; also used towards older male friends or an older male lover of theirs Unnie/eonni: Korean term for "older sister" used only by girls; also used towards a female friend of theirs who is older Hyung: Korean term for "older brother" used only by boys; also used towards a male friend of theirs who is older Noona: Korean term for "older sister" used only by boys; also used towards older female friends of an older female lover of theirs Dongsaeng: Korean term for "younger brother" used by both girls and boys; also used towards younger friends Maknae: The youngest member of a group Shikshin: The member of a group who is the food animal, eats way more than anyone else and is always hungry for more Aegyo: Super cuteness! When someone does something super cute. Sunbae: Someone in a higher grade than you at school or has more experience than you at work; senior Hoobae: Someone in a lower grade than you at school or has less experience than you at work; junior
What is the difference between lead/main and other positions in kpop groups?
Main Vocalist: Said to be most talented vocalist in the group, may not have many lines but gets all/most of the high notes Lead Vocalist: Sings the most lines of all the members Main Dancer: Similar to main vocalist, the main dancer is said to be the most skilled dancer of the group, usually gets the most solo/breakdancing parts Lead Dancer: Usually the person who is in or near the front a majority of the time Visual: The 'best face' of the group Maknae: The youngest member of the group
How can you tell if a photocard is official or if you're being scammed?
Obviously, if they came directly from the company in an album, then it's official. However, people have asked if ordering them online off eBay or other sellers will result in obtaining a fake card. First of all, there are multiple ways to avoid this. Look at the picture the seller is giving you. Then, look at the same picture on Google or, better yet, if you know someone in person who has the card, ask them to examine it while looking at the picture online. If the card is fake, there will often be slight differences, such as placing of the picture on the fake one. The placing may be too far to one side and will, therefore, be easy to see that it was printed on manually rather than in the factory with the official ones. Official cards also, if they have round edges, will often have specks that stick out of the corners, from which you can tell it was made in a factory. If it has round edges but no specks, it is likely fake. There are many videos and sites that will help everyone to their best ability to prevent people from getting scammed. You can find many of these sites through a quick search engine entry.
What is the difference between singles, mini-albums, albums, and repackaged albums?
A single is one song that is not part of an album as has its own artwork for promotion. A mini album, also called Extended Plays, EPs, is an album with a few songs, including usually one title track. They typically include around 6-7 songs. A full album (or just an album) is a regular full-length album, featuring 10 or more songs and typically 1 or 2 title tracks. A repackaged album is a new version of an album, typically released about two-three months after it's first version without any other song promotions in between. The repackaged version includes the songs on the original version as well as more songs, including another title track.