Monday, October 24, 2005

Asia falls for a girl band of former boys

They strut their stuff and shake their booties as well as any pop band worldwide, and their infectious dance tunes are taking the Asian music scene by storm. But in one crucial respect Lady, the hottest music act to come out of South Korea in years, are not your average girl group.

Shinae, 29, Sahara, 25, Binu, 22, and Yoona, 21, have all undergone sex change operations and used their new, curvaceous physiques to propel them to stardom. Earlier this year, to a frenzied fanfare of television appearances, newspaper interviews and even the odd nude photo shoot, Lady became Korea's first transgender pop group.

And with their debut album Attention flying off the shelves in their native country and concerts lined up in China, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Lady's risqué dance act is blowing a breath of fresh air into the traditionally conservative world of Asian music.

But Lady have come in for scathing criticism from the media, who accuse their record company of manufacturing a pop act whose selling point,they claim, lies in sexual status rather than in musical talent. The girls, however, remain defiant. 'Soon,' they proclaim, 'we'll show everyone what we've got on stage.'

Source: The Independent
Seen on Media News

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