Baby V.O.X is a popular Korean pop group. Their name stands for "Baby Voices of Expression." The group was formed in 1997, initially working for SM Entertainment, one of Korea's biggest record companies. After the flop of their first album, three of the original five members were replaced, and their second album, titled Baby VOX II, was a much bigger success, hitting #7 on the Korean pop charts.
Baby V.O.X has gone through several image makeovers through the years, focusing on a "cute" image in their early years (apparent in their video Ya Ya Ya) but transitioning into a starkly different, hipper, sexier, more mainstream, and more internationally appealing image in later years. Their first release under DR Music, titled Ooyoun, marked the transition point between the two styles.
Their album Ride West, released in April 2004, featured songs in English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, as well as appearances by well-known American hip hop artists, such as Tupac Shakur, and Jennifer Lopez. The music video for the album's feature song, Xcstacy, was done both in Korean and English, featuring expensive luxury vehicles and well-dressed, highly preened divas, apparently in emulation of the "Bling bling" style of hip-hop videos popular in the United States during the late 1990's and early 2000's. However, this release was accompanied by controversy as to whether their current managing group, DR Music, could legally use Tupac's material in the recording, with Tupac's repesentatives claiming that DR did not have authorization.
The "sexy" Baby Vox: Lee Heejin and Kan Miyoun in a 2004
KBS broadcast of "Xcstasy"
As of 2004, the members of Baby V.O.X were:
- Kim E-Z (김이지; 金倚珍 or 金丽芝¹), rapper
- Lee Heejin (이희진; 李姬珍 or 李喜珍¹)
- Sim Eunjin (심은진; 沈恩珍)
- Kan Miyoun (간미연; 簡美妍)
- Yun Eunhye (윤은혜; 尹恩惠)
¹Multiple sources give differing versions of the Hanja versions of these names.
See also
External links
Last updated: 08-25-2005 17:28:13
