MANILA, Philippines - The invasion of Korean pop culture in the Philippines is unstoppable. Aside from the popular Korean telenovelas we watch on local TV every day, Korean music has also taken center stage. It has dominated not only the airwaves but also the music channel either to promote an album or a concert. Filipino music enthusiasts, especially the young generation, are always there to support their idols.
One of the most recent K-Pop boy bands that visited Manila is NOM (No Other Men), a four-male group from the southern part of Korea. The boys were here a few days ago to meet and greet their fans, and had a series of shows in some SM Mall branches in the metropolis and nearby cities.
Formed in 2010 by mentor-producer JeongMin Lee (head of JMStar Entertainment), he auditioned at least 5,000 male applicants but only accepted 50. After more than a year of training and hard work, only four were left to be part of the group. They started performing in Japan, China and other Asian key cities before they were launched in their homeland.
In September 2013, South Korea witnessed the maiden live performance of the new sing-and-dance sensation named NOM that took place at KBS Music Bank. Since then, the lives of the young individuals were never the same again. That same year, NOM was awarded as the Best New Artist by the Korea Culture Entertainment music industry. So far, they have released three albums (Noona is Pretty, You It You! and Wootgijima!), all produced by JMStar Entertainment, and all were sold out.
According to their manager Lee, the word NOM is actually an abbreviated form of “not normal.” “What we really meant is that these young boys are extraordinary and musically talented. As they grow up, they will be recognized with their talent and music. The people will love them as long as they continue performing,” he explains.
The first member and the leader-choreographer of the group is Ain (A In Kim), 20, a certified dancer. He was the grand prize winner in a national dance contest. He is s Street Dance student at the Seoul Arts College and plays basketball.
K (Hyeong In Kim), 23, is the main vocalist and enjoys archery. He goes to Sejong University taking up Vocal Music. Yohan (Jeong Hwan Kim), 22, is the lead vocalist and plays drums and piano. He studies at Kookje University. The fourth member is Youngki (Chung Seok Bae), 24, and plays soccer. He’s also a good dancer. He’s a dance major at Sejong University.
Aside from singing and dancing, the four are also honing their acting. For the past two years, they have been undergoing personal acting lessons. Sometime next year, the boys will be seen in a TV drama series. Helping the group conquer the local music scene is Young Cho (younggm386@gmail.com), a Korean who has been in the Philippines for more than 20 years.
After that successful series of SM Mall shows last week, NOM will be back next month to release and promote its album in the country.