BACK2SCHOOL KPOP SPECIAL [Pt. BEAST]

there's just something so irresistible about guys who know how to DANCE, isn't there :] hence, i present to you BEAST - a 6-member boy group, fairly new, only having been in the asian music scene for only about a year.


but ever since they toured asia this summer their popularity has reached an all-time high... already they've been featured in numerous chinese, japanese, singaporean, malaysian, filipino (YES), and even thai magazines and interviews... and have been especially recognized for their dance talents. for instance, they were invited to participate in this recent Japanese showcase that featured notable dancers from all over asia, and even superstar Omarion himself personally sought out the boys and had them dance alongside him during his Korean showcase this summer - a FREAKING HUGE honor for the boys, after having said time and time again how fond they are of Omarion & B2K :']

here's their music video for the song we featured, Say No/Take Care Of My Girlfriend:



if i'm allowed to say so, this is an all-time favorite of mine, not only cos of its catchy chorus ("SAY NO NO NO NO NOOOOO!!!!"), but cos of the LYRICS! the idea behind the song is that this guy's best friend has started dating his ex, and though he tells him, "go ahead, i'm okay, just make sure you treat her well," behind his back he's begging her to come back to him....... call it selfishness, desperation, stubbornness, weakhearted-ness.....just.... the way the song itself was written was really appealing... especially the second verse:
"She can't drink much; she hates the fume of cigarettes...she hates being alone, so just be with her always...and make sure you always remember her birthday..."
...not even sure why i had told him all of this...
DKFSKDKFAHJSFUSDUISHSKJFSD T____T

anyways, let me just share with you a few clips of them and their mooooves :Q___


("Shock" is another one of their songs; really addicting as well... so yes, we'll definitely be playing it some time later :D)
(BTW keep in mind the fact that when they perform, they dance AND sing at the same time...... and they do it oh-so-damn-well too k..)

some of their pre-debut stuff... (cos it's the predebut stuff that really show off the rawest of their talents :O)




mmkay, that's enough fangirling from yours truly.. will be back soon with more from our first show ;]

BACK2SCHOOL KPOP SPECIAL [Pt. 1]

yayy it feels good to be back :] :] hope you guys enjoyed our summer k-pop showcase this week... we know we did :D we've got a ton we wanna share, so let's get started :]

they say "save the best for last," but i can't help myself :P... here's Big Bang and their new Japanese single Beautiful Hangover:



the group's back after a long hiatus (too long T__T), and have yet to release their comeback album in Korea... so far they've been intensely busy with solo projects, and projects in Japan, but most of all, it's like they've just disappeared off the face of this earth :[ :[ summer 2010 was so badly deprived of Big Bang awesomeness that i personally have high HIGH expectations for their comeback... but it's all good, cuz we all know that when Big Bang comes back, they COME BACK full throttle :] :] it's bound to be a good one...

... and in the meantime, YG Entertainment has been doing a beyond-amazing job keeping us preoccupied with other goodies... first off, check out Taeyang's comeback release this summer, I Need A Girl (with pretty Dara from 2NE1, aaaand the mastermind himself G-Dragon :O)...



...and i need to share with you guys this dance version of the song, cos seriously, it's too cute...TOOCUTE :]

(gossh.... he needs a girl, people..... helllloooooooooo... *waves arms furiously*)

...and as if that wasn't enough to make your knees buckle, there's TOP and his new single Turn It Up:



(...see what i mean when i said GQ x Lady Gaga x Snoop Dogg x Timbaland??? SERIOUSLY T____T)

it's about time TOP came out with this single, which was supposed to be released like last december (along with his solo album... but yeah, still waiting T__T) he was known to be incredibly busy with other projects though - over the past year during Big Bang's hiatus he was involved in the making of a very anticipated film Into The Fire (a movie documenting the experiences of 71 student soldiers during the Korean War), which received alot of praise both in asia AND in Cannes :O definitely a huge honor for the young rapper (yes, i shall emphasize "young"... maaan, he's only like what, 24 years old, and already a highly respected individual among the seniors of the entertainment industry!!)

if you guys are really curious, here's the trailer for the movie:


i haven't seen it yet, but i've heard nothing but good things from friends AND the internet :] :] so it may really be worth it to check it out :] (btw, there were also rumors circulating that the film is actually being considered to be a nominee for the next academy awards event... HOWAWESOMEISTHAT?!?!)

....ehhhh. i wanted to post more stuff, but due to time constraints (and i mean homework and essays and all that jazz -__-) i think i'm gonna end it here... please keep checking back for more updates k ;] have a good one!

Da Mouth

There's just something very empowering about mixed-gender groups, isn't there? We like have Black Eyed Peas, Evanescence, Flyleaf... bu there's not too much of them in the Asian music scene, so hallelujah for Da Mouth :)

Here's the MV for their song Rock It:

There's clearly this big resemblance to BEP's "Boom Boom Pow"...which isn't a surprise, I guess, since they have been time and time again dubbed as C-Pop's very own "Black Eyed Peas"...

The awesome thing about them though is their multi-cultural makeup:
- MC 40 is Canadian-Taiwanese,
- Harry, the male vocals, is Korean-Taiwanese-American,
- DJ Chung Hua is Japanese-Taiwanese, and
- Aisa, the female vocals, is Japanese (who sings in Taiwanese -- pretty darn cool, huh?)

If you guys are wondering, MC 40 (the one holding the hat in the above picture) was raised in Vancouver, and is the one who writes most of the band's lyrics. Another FYI about him: he's apparently considered the best and fastest rapper in Taiwan :O

Tokyo Jihen

Hey guys! We ended last week's show with a crazy unique track by Tokyo Jihen (otherwise known as Tokyo Incidents), a Japanese band whose style is characterized by a fusion of jazz and rock (and some freaky squeaky vocals). The front[wo]man is Ringo Shiina, who created the band after she decided to quit her solo career.

The song we featured for you, Osca, actually grows on you after the few million times you play it... I could not tell whether she was speaking Japanese, or English, or any other human language for that matter, but the fact that it's so weird makes it soooo cool :)

Anyways, here's the randomly peculiar music video for the song:

I also have to admit, their lyrics (English translated LOL) don't make any sense whatsoever...here:

That deep red Osca Alfa wins us over running the whole distance

I partook of true charisma – that’s a surface wave

With sorrow blazing down in Obli, I’ll hurry on

Pretending to be straight through divine Providence, I’ll stir things up again...

... Now the unmasking as the sign is peeled away; don’t cry out

Maybe a partner, sista OSCA

Now crossbreeding if heterogeneous – that presence

Um, yeah. What do you guys make out from that?!?

Anyways, a HUGE thanks to my friend KY for introducing them to me... and after I got over the whole bizarre-ness of their image they're now a hot fave of mine x] they've got quite a few other good ones out there -- check out Dynamite below:

Okie dokie, that's it for now :) Have a good one people xoxo

Lee Hyori's new MV

As promised, here is Lee Hyori's new single Swing, with rapper duo Leessang.

...freaky, isn't it?! Especially that clown!!!!!!! It's so un-Hyori... nevertheless we think she really manages to pull off this emo and eerie vibe... what do you guys think?

(PS you can read the meaning behind the video here on Allkpop)

Big Bang: The best thing out of Asia since tofu and Pokémon

Good evening, guys, it's Bianca again. HAHAHA I think I have waaay too much time on my hands but it's Big Bang, so it really REEEEEALLY couldn't wait :D :D :D

We played tonight an English song off one of their older Japanese albums; here is Number 1:

btw, that chick dancing with Taeyang (guy in the shades) is [an American-born] Filipino... ohhhh yeahh, representttt... xD

My introduction of them on air was a complete FAIL... I was foaming at the mouth due to terminal fangirlgitis, making it hard for me to talk properly. So just let me try again:

They're 5 talented, award-winning guys from South Korea, and like I said about 248894594 times earlier, they're the top idols not only nationally, but all over Asia as well: Thailand, China, the Philippines, and Japan especially, where they've recently won numerous awards (and if you don't believe me, see for yourself here). AND, they've also won the heart of the notorious Hollywood blogger himself, Perez Hilton, who has been on a rave about their newest hits, which is pretty darn cool, since this means exposure to a much bigger, international audience :] They're famous as a group, but as individuals too... as a matter of fact, Big Bang as a band has been on a long hiatus until today, since each member has been pursuing their own projects: acting, solo albums, collaborations, mc-ing, theatre, reality/variety shows...

... and they're among the original Asian pop culture trend setters as well. They were some of the ones who started the whole hip-hop image during the first few years of their career, donning labels like Bape, Nike and Phenomenom. Later they helped foster the preppy-punk trend, with skinny jeans and converse sneakers... and now they've adopted a more "mature" style, sporting high-end names like Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Balmain, Dior, McQueen... and ALOT of John Galliano & Jeremy Scott.

I also want to add that they're the ones who started the whole "colorful", "electric", "quirky" concept among mainstream Kpop artists... which is not a surprise, since their front man is basically Lady Gaga in a grown Asian man's body >< (but more about him later). It's pretty evident in this video, which is actually a newer hit than the previous one. Gara Gara Go is a Japanese single they released last year, and I guess was a kinda transition from their toned down image to a more vibrant & flashy one. Check out the MV below:

They are said to return to South Korea this summer with their newest album, which is BOUND to be an amazingly awesome comeback. It's been a long time since they've last appeared in the Kpop music scene together as a group, mainly due to their activities in Japan, but they've slowly disappeared from the limelight there as well.

I'm trying my very hardest to restrain myself from blabbing on... but this definitely won't be the last time you'll hear about them. They've got a lot of good mellow songs as well; and as solo artists they've also got a lot of awesome stuff. All this next time, I promise :]

BUT, since we featured him on our show today, I guess I might as well just extend my Big Bang spiel a tad more xD ... we played for you a mind-blowing collabo between the East and West... BB's frontman G-Dragon and the man Flo-Rida himself in a remix version of Heartbreaker. There's no music video for it, but I'm giving you the track nonetheless, just because it's so fricking awesome:

The original song without Flo-Rida does have a music video though, where GD's very bold and unique style really shines... he's known as one of South Korea's top fashion idols, and has been both commended AND criticized numerous times for his rather outrageous originality (well, original in the context of Asia, since many parts of it are still so conservative... G-Dragon's image, in my opinion, is basically one of the first attempts to break through those traditional barriers, which is why he has been the center of some really bad controversies this past year. You can read some articles from Korea Times that provide more details here and here.)

But anyways, here is his Heartbreaker MV:

It's so weird for me to see him all extreme like this... during BB's earlier years he had SUCH an innocent look going on because of his baby face:

... and now, 3-4 years later, it's like...

And if that isn't enough, check out the many hairstyles he's adopted throughout 2009... he's gone from grease monkey to Goku to Shirley Temple to Spock in a single year HAHA ^^

His style I guess is certainly shocking, but more appalling especially to Asian society... Nevertheless he really is a musical genius, and one of those very few Asian pop stars nowadays who actually have the guts to go against mainstream expectations and pursue what he pleases. And apparently even Nick Carter thinks so :) :)

(and OH YEAH, before I forget, he's also a record producer himself, and the original songwriter for most of BB's tracks. He was also the producer/songwriter for 2NE1, personal mentor, and personal stylist as well. (Scroll down to see our earlier post on 2NE1.) Both Big Bang and 2NE1 are under the same agency, YG Entertainment, which is why they are very closely affiliated. So I guess it's no wonder leader CL gives off a very G-Dragon-esque vibe...)

Arrighty, I know this was a fairly long post, but I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did :] we'll be posting up more stuff later on... or at least, we'll TRY to, considering the upcoming exams. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, guys xoxo

Lee Hyori

Hellooo, it's Bianca. I've got this huge lump of guilt lodged in my throat right now because I KNOW I NEED GET STARTED ON MY IR ESSAY(S)...but I guess this persistent temptation to post something up got the best of me. Oh well, what to do :) :)

Anywhooo, here is who I have for you today: the superstar diva of South Korea, missus Lee Hyori. Here's the vid of her song we featured last Saturday, Toc Toc Toc:

(I couldn't find a good quality video with English subtitles :( sorry)



I don't know about you guys but I'm not such a big fan of her singing or dancing... however it's undeniable how gorgeous she is:

... if only we can all look like that when we're 30. Sigh.

She's been in the music scene for quite a while -- she is a former member of a girl group Fin.K.L, which disbanded in 2002 and she's been going solo ever since. She's one of Korea's top A-list celebrities, and asides from singing and dancing she's been the face of numerous endorsements, starred in dramas, and countless variety shows. I personally love her when she's off stage, cuz that's when her down-to-earth self comes out :D I sometimes watch her on this Korean reality series Paemilliga Tteossda ("Family Outing"), this show where a group of celebrities leave the comforts of the big city and take on lives in the countryside, and she's hilarious. Check this out this short snippet from the show (where she's being all goofy with her own rendition of a Korean pop song, and the rest are basically giving her a hard time; telling her that because she's 30, and one of the oldest in the group, she's embarrassing herself and everyone else by acting this way lol):

(btw, if you guys can, look online for full-length episodes of this show with English subtitles; it's really, REALLY funny :D)

At the moment, her long hiatus is slowly coming to an end, and she will soon be coming out with her newest album :) She was actually in the States, consulting different producers about this project, so it's bound to be pretty impressive. I'll update you guys as soon as her newest MV comes out, so stay tuned for that.

She was also involved in a celebrity Adidas campaign during her stay in the US, which was pretty cool since she got to work alongside huge names like Ciara and Snoop Dogg. You can view the original article here, and check out the pictures below of her rocking some Adidas wear for a Cosmopolitan Magazine photoshoot:

Arrighty, that's it for today. Have an awesome second-to-last-week-before-exams-start week :] xoxo