On Wednesday, Dec. 2, Marie Claire Korea finally announced the results of their "2020 Stranger Awards". The "2020 Stranger Awards" is an annual award-giving event to commemorate notable food, movies, books, music, and broadcasts this year. For this year's awards, many K-pop idols were awarded titles. Keep on reading to see who won this year.
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Veteran of the Year
South Korea trot singer Na Hoon A and BoA were both awarded the "Veteran of the Year" award.
Na Hoon-a was given the award for helping in the rebirth of old trot. He debuted in 1997 and is often known as the "Emperor of Trot" and is known for his charismatic personality, powerful voice, and his songs that often talk about romance, nostalgia, family, youth, and more. He was one of South Korea's most popular singers of the 1970s.
BoA, who is celebrating her 20th debut anniversary this year, also earned the title of "Veteran of the Year". BoA is widely recognized as one of the most successful and influential K-pop idols in the industry and is often referred to as the "Queen of K-pop". BoA has achieved breakthrough success in not only South Korea, but in China, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan. She is still actively releasing music and is slaying the charts.
Unnie of the Year
This year's "Unnie of the Year" was given to Refund Sisters, also known as Refund Expedition.
The group was given the award for their numerous personalities in the group. Refund Sisters is a group consisting of all strong women, Uhm Junghwa, Lee Hyori, Lee Hyori, and Hwasa. Uhm Junghwa charmed people with her earnest attitude, Lee Hyori won people's hearts with her "strong unnie" personality, Jessi made people laugh with her Western sense of humor and her honesty, and Hwasa warmed people's hearts with her outspoken nature.
The positive energy the group had is what people loved. The group was awarded the work for breaking the stereotypes of a typical South Korean woman.
Remake of the Year
"Remake of the Year" was awarded to Sik-K, pH-1, Jay Park, and HAON for "GANG (Official Remix)".
"GANG (Official Remix)" is a remix of Rain's old song "Gang". The song has now been reborn into a trendy hip-hop song thanks to H1GHER MUSIC and has topped the charts. pH-1 and Sik-K lead the song with their charming voices and are in harmony with HAON's hardcore rapping and Jay Park's honey vocals. The chorus puts a sophisticated twist to the original lyrics. The song is well-loved by the South Korean public due to the energy they put into the song.
Music Video of the Year
"Music Video of the Year" was awarded to Kim Chang-wan for "Old man's bench".
The music video shows wrinkled hands unfolding rough, leather notes. The hands then take out a magnifying glass over the words "Old man's bench". This is the first music video from Kim Chang Wan in 37 years and perfectly shows the loneliness of the song's message.
Killing Verse of the Year
This award was given to QUEEN WA$ABII for "Hi, baby?". The song features rapper ASH-B.
This song was first featured on the Mnet show "Good Girl". QUEEN WA$ABII shocked fans by twerking and chanting out "Hi, baby?". The lyrics of the rap are simple and catchy. Listeners were hooked with the simplicity of all and were charmed with QUEEN WA$ABII's easy-going personality.
Remix of the Year
"Silverhair Express (Chang Kiha)" by HYUKO and Chang Ki Ha.
This remix was given the award due to how unique it is. Instead of changing the beat of the song, HYUKOH recited a passage from Kim Cho Yeop's novel "If We Can't Go at the Speed of Light". The mingling of literature and the added vocals of Chang Ki Ha has charmed listeners with the story of the song.
Character of the Year
Korean soloist BIBI was awarded "Character of the Year".
Releasing more than 10 songs in just this year alone, BIBI has been credited for the rise of R&B in South Korea. The soloist has gained fame for her unique gestures and facial expressions. She is often identified by the two red dots under her right eye and for her attractive vocal tone. The soloist also has an unrivaled sex appeal that causes her to stand out.
Hidden Track of the Year
"Hidden Track of the Year" was awarded to Oh My Girl for "Dolphin".
"Dolphin", a b-sidetrack from their album "NONSTOP", saw an unexpected rise in popularity this year. The song has a funky and simple guitar riff that has fans hooked on the song. The song slowly made its way to the top 10 of the music charts without any special promotions thanks to its catchy chorus. The song is a comfortable listen that was well-loved by listeners.
Voice of the Year
Na Hoon A was named "Voice of the Year". This is his second award.
Na Hoon A is praised for his legendary vocals and his ability to cause any show he appears in to have a high viewer rating. As mentioned prior, he is the "Emperor of Trot", and is known to have been a role model to numerous popular trot artists in the country.
Performance of the Year
"Performance of the Year" was awarded to BTS for their performance of "Black Swan" on "The Late Late Show With James Corden"
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BTS was given this award for the awards ceremony worth performance they put on. The stage, sound condition, camera work, props, sets, and BTS's ability on stage made the performance perfect. Their stage is considered the best performance of the year due to the amount of artistry they showcased.
Hustler of the Year
Jay Park was awarded this year's "Hustler of the Year".
This year, Jay Park hustled harder than ever for his fans. He released the single "All The Way Up", worked on H1GHER Music's compilation album "Blue Tap", and released an EP with DJ Wagon. He even appeared in "Yoo Hee Yeol's Sketchbook"! The man did not slow down at all this year but still produced amazing quality music with a good attitude.
Newtro of the Year
This award was given to PARKMOONCHI for "We're Cool".
The song was praised for its hip-hop-infused retro sound. The song itself is a refreshing take on two of South Korea's most popular genres at the moment. The melody stimulates people's nostalgia and was well-loved by the public. Even Lee Hyori loved the song!
Do you agree with this year's awards?
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