Come Tuesday, K-pop will finally be associated with Singapore in a, well, giant way.
Not only are the Singaporean-Korean girl group Skarf making their official debut in Korea, they have also nabbed a one-year endorsement deal with Giant Hypermarket, a major retailer chain in Singapore.
Skarf are the first K-pop act to consist of two Singaporeans, Natasha Low and Ferlyn Wong, and two Koreans Jenny and Sol (their agency refused to reveal their full names), who are aged 17 to 20.
The girls now go professionally by their single monikers - Tasha, Ferlyn, Jenny and Sol.
Skarf are the brainchild of Singapore-owned entertainment company Alpha Entertainment, which also has offices in Korea.
Alpha's stable of casting directors and managers hail previously from SM Entertainment, famed for making the careers of top groups like Girls' Generation and Super Junior.
Fittingly, the first teaser for Skarf's music video, Oh!Dance, was released on National Day.
But will Singaporeans go wild over a partly home-grown K-pop group?
Mr Bernard Chia, 51, merchandise and marketing director of Giant Hypermarket, admitted that he was taking a risk with the "substantial investment" he made with Skarf.
He declined to reveal exact figures.
Giant sponsored a K-pop gig by boy band Shinhwa and is sponsoring the Wonder Girls concert next month.
But with Skarf, it has bought exclusive ownership.
Mr Chia told The New Paper: "We have exclusive rights over Skarf when they are in Singapore. It's one of the biggest deals we have ever signed (considering that they are untested in the market).
"This is the first time we are investing this much to own a group and the reason is because we want to support the two Singaporeans in Skarf.
"If they were all Koreans, I would rather spend the money on something else.
"It's apt that we signed the contract on National Day as I hope in the future when Singaporeans think of K-pop, they'll think of Singapore."
Mr Chia revealed that Giant will also be bringing the girls back to Singapore on a as-yet-undisclosed date for their local launch.
Perks for Giant customers will include invites to closed-door events and complimentary tickets to concerts involving Skarf by means of a lucky draw.
He said: "Our big consumer base now consists of mothers who have children who are K-pop fans.
"And this K-pop craze is getting out of hand.
"Since tickets to K-pop concerts are expensive, this is a good way for parents to provide a way for their kids to attend the events without paying for it.
"These teenagers will grow up, becoming our future (customers) as well.
"We are certainly looking forward to a renewal of contract next year if all goes well."
Mr Chia was one of the 30 VIPs who were invited to Skarf's hush-hush private showcase held at Resorts World Sentosa in June.
Tasha and Ferlyn had flown to Korea for their training last year and that was the first time they performed in Singapore.
Mr Chia watched the quartet perform two songs. He thought they were still raw and it would thus be unfair to compare them with their peers.
However, after meeting them, he was particularly impressed with Tasha.
Said Mr Chia: "I'm not being biased, but the two Singaporean girls really stood out. I guess the two Korean girls were just more shy.
"Tasha and Ferlyn were much more confident then Jenny and Sol.
"Tasha was the most outspoken. She spoke very good English and she came across as very professional and carried herself very well.
"Looks-wise, as they are all young, they have nice figures. My dream is for them to become one of the top three girls groups in Korea."
Two years ago, Tasha, 19, had accompanied her friend to the Singapore leg of the JYP & Alpha Asean Region Audition, which saw more than 3,000 wide-eyed hopefuls slug it out for a shot at K-pop stardom.
Auditioned for fun
But she auditioned for fun anyway and along with Ferlyn, 20, scored a contract to be part of Skarf.
Tasha, whose grandfather is Mr Sunny Low, the owner of the renowned Sunny Low Dance Studio, comes from generations of dancers.
She had just completed her studies at Fuhua Secondary School when she signed the seven-year contract with Alpha.
Ferlyn, on the other hand, was a second-year Temasek polytechnic student when she signed up. She might complete her studies in Korea.
So how did the name Skarf come about?
S stands for Singapore, K stands for Korea and the word "scarf" means that the group will perform music that can be "worn comfortably" by anyone.
With Oh! Dance, Skarf plans to step away from the electronic pop sound which is all the rage in K-pop and take on a different approach with its "warm and bright" songs.
Korean singer Jung Yeob and composer Eco Bridge, who make up the production team Honeydew'o, are the composers behind Skarf's debut track.
The 15-second teaser video shows the four members standing in a forest shrine on a stage decorated with flowers. It is reminiscent of first-generation female K-pop idols such as S.E.S (Sea, Eugene, Shoo) and Fin.K.L (Fin Killing Liberty) from the 90s.
Oh! Dance is slated to be released on various digital music sites on Tuesday.
Skarf made their debut stage performance last Saturday on Korean television channel MBC Music.
Some local K-pop fans TNP spoke to said that while they are "breathless with anticipation" over Skarf's debut and will definitely support them, they are sceptical as to whether they can rival popular acts such as Girls' Generation.
Student Alec Tan, 16, said: "I'm so excited about Skarf. I think any K-pop fan would be.
"Supporting them whole-heartedly is a given, but I don't know if they will be as great as Girls' Generation. After all, Koreans have the upper hand as there is plastic surgery involved.
"But apart from looks, the singing and dancing is crucial. If Skarf excels in both, they could make it big."
Said 15-year-old student Jess Har: "I've seen the before and after photos of Tasha and Ferlyn, and am very impressed by their transformation.
"When they come out with an album, I'll definitely buy it."
[email protected]
Get The New Paper for more stories.
Watch RazorTV's interview with Natasha and Ferlyn on learning the ropes of being a K-pop star last June.
