Sunday, June 30, 2013

A Touch of K-Pop: June '13

Another month, and I feel like so much has been happening. Mostly I’ve just been surviving through the return of about every single girl group I don’t care too much about, but dutifully watching each and every new MV, just to make sure there isn’t something out there that will suddenly change my mind and turn me into a fan. After many wasted hours, verdict: nothing yet.

However, there is a new boy on the stage that has captivated my eyes, my ears, and my heart – and he isn’t even Korean. I’m talking of course about Chinese-Canadian member of Super Junior-M and now solo artist… Henry! 



I'm trapped! I'm trapped!

He’s a baddie. I mean, he’s a cutie. I mean, the song is perfection and I didn’t stalk Youtube for weeks just to catch up on every possible stage, live performance, piano version, violin version, or acoustic version for nothing. His song “Trap” is pretty much the catchiest thing I’ve ever heard, completely suits his voice, and for all the debate out there, I don’t mind at all that he shares his debut with SHINee’s Taemin or Super Junior’s Khuhyun.




Watch this video and just try not to sing along, or cheer on for SM’s former dungeon-dweller. I’m ridiculously happy to see that he’s been doing relatively well on the charts. It gives me hope in humanity. Or at least, for the part of humanity that listens to Henry. Have my standards dropped any? No, I just love Henry.

More on Teen Top, 100%, Daesung & Seungri, Wonder Boyz, and... Block B?




Fandom Updates

I’ve become a hardcore Teen Top Angel. Yeah, it still embarrasses me. Go back two months of these posts and you’ll find me declaring with absolute certainty that I only like one song of theirs, and the rest are crap. Well, you know some of their songs are crap. They even say it’s crap. Actually, they’re trying to say “Clap” but, well, they’re Korean you know. L’s and R’s can be a little confusing. I can let that slide. 

Do I need to add anything about Teen Top here??

About a month ago I was still fighting this growing obsession. Then I became privy to some some information about how I could watch a full 2 hour concert in Japan from last June… *coughs* These kids are great live! They may not all be the best of the best, but I did watch the concert 3 times through. I’ve also been watching the variety show Teen Top Rising 100% featuring Teen Top and their Top media hoobaes 100%. It’s not always the best thing, but then who cares when you’re watching your biases having fun and goofing around like normal boys most of the time.

What also helps - 
Watching their winning performance from Immortal Song 2







What’s Old




A newly discovered special stage from Daesung and Seungri, from waaaay back when. Thanks to my mom who’s been putting her new computer and newly acquired internet services to excellent use! Daesung, oh that hair… Oh that bib. You are lovely.


What’s New

I’ve got my eye on a new group: Wonder Boyz. According to internet sources, they made some sort of debut last year, but I never heard of them until they came out with “Tarzan” this month. Now, I initially wrote them off because to be honest, it’s a little bit annoying to listen to the chorus over and over and over. Did you know the song was about Tarzan? I think the song’s about Tarzan. However the rap melodies are fabulous, incredibly catchy (a feat! considering the chorus), and the MV extremely well done. Artsy almost, with its comic book theme. And stalker dude. 


Hey, who's that dude on the right? 

So I hung around and watched some live versions. You know what? They even have a guy who doesn’t look like an idol. He looks like a normal, dude. Someone who looks like he might’ve been picked first for talent over looks. Shocker! I’m genuinely impressed. 



Family Debates

Between myself, my mom and my husband we have come up with the nearly fool proof way to choose your Top 5 Kpop groups in order. The standard? Go ahead and pick who you think is in your Top 5. Use whatever method you think will work. Choose by musicality, fangirlish-ness, live stage charisma, quantity of favorite songs, general cuteness, etc. But to make the ultimate test, go one by one and ask yourself, “If someone gives you tickets to see both of them perform, but they're on the same night, which one would you choose?”

I had to make some adjustments.

  1. Bigbang
  2. Block B
  3. Beast
  4. BTOB
  5. Teen Top 
Became…
  1. Bigbang
  2. Block B
  3. Beast
  4. Teen Top 
  5. BTOB.
Yeah, if I could see Teen Top in concert over BTOB, sorry BTOB.

Prioritized Thought of the Moment



Henry….


I'm trapped!  I'm trapped!  


NO. I mean, my actual thoughts for now (and probably for the next week)...





Asdfghjkl;’……………………………… Block B comeback???!?!?!?!

Sounds like something's going down in Japan!? For possible hints, read here


Other option is that it's just Kankan media play, and all they've got is a few signed CDs to troll the BBC fandom. Guess we'll find out sooner or later...

6 comments:

  1. Oh gawd, that Daesung vid >_< trot again xD though when it comes to Dae & VI, I prefer that other one, if you see which one I'm talking about :p Ooooh Daesung imnidaaaa~
    And I'm trapped as well :x Taemin-ah siiigh

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd seen a lot of these hilarious trot vits - yet somehow, only ever pictures of Daesung's "bib" so I don't know how I missed it. xD

      Spent another hour last night watching Henry fancams. From years and years back. Aiigo he's always been a cutie!

      Delete
  2. I remember when Wonderboyz debuted, and i completely ignored them because I thought they were an off shoot of Wonder Girls, and wasn't particularly interested, lol. Turns out, they've got nothing to do with Wonder Girls. But then a little while ago, Eat Your Kimchi posted the Tarzan video on their blog, and I found that I really liked it. And then i forgot all about it until right now, so thanks for reminding me. I had every intention of looking more into them until I got distracted by LC9, who are my new favourite rookie group.

    I have a friend whose ultimate SuJu bias is Henry, which is difficult when Henry's never around, lol. So he was pretty happy when Henry came out with a solo album. I think he still sounds young, and he has an English song on his album that would sound better in Korean, but i'm glad they've given him the chance. He's incredibly talented.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought they might've have something to do with the Wonder Girls too at first - oh these Kpop group names, they're more and more generic (or more and more creative and, interesting.. it's either/or lol).

      I can only imagine how hard it must be to have Henry as a SuJu bias. I'm not a huge Suju fan though so Henry's all I got. For now though he's just standing as a bias alone. His voice is still a little young. Very good for "pop" and I have no problems with him in that genre, especially Trap, but I can't wait to see him age and mature (if he gets that chance in his career).

      Like you, I'm also very iffy on English songs. I know he can speak/sing it well - it's just that I like my pop music in a language other than English, so I'm rarely impressed by English versions of songs in Kpop.

      Delete
    2. With Henry's English song, it's just that the lyrics are very generic and lame, and it would be better if I couldn't understand it. I actually wonder if he wrote it, because it seems pretty bad for a professional song writer to have written. But then, if it was a Korean song writer writing a song in English, maybe it would be that bad, lol

      Delete
    3. That's why I dislike English lyrics. If Korean lyrics are cheesy, at least most of the time I won't know it - and you can generally tell when a song's lyrics will be lame.. I only look up my favorite songs from groups I suspect will have better material to offer in the words department.

      Delete