K-POP Stuff

Where I put my input about Korean pop music- recs, reviews, fun stuff

[youngjolvr]

Ungjae in Butterfly ♡

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Lee told me to me to do a blog post on moes So this is what this is

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How far BTS has come - their international impact

As someone who has been in the k-pop fandom for a while and someone who was a fan of BTS for a little over 2 years, I have seen them grow in popularity in scales that was unimaginable just a couple years ago.

If you are not aware, BTS is a 7 member k-pop boy group and the members are:

RM/Namjoon (94) - Leader, Main Rapper

Jin/Seokjin (92) - Vocalist

Suga/Yoongi (93) - Lead Rapper

J-Hope/Hoseok (94) - Lead Rapper, Main Dancer

Jimin (95) - Lead Vocalist, Main Dancer

V/Taehyung (95) - Vccalist

Jungkook (97) - Vocalist, Lead Dancer

If you want to read more about them, check out their profile on kprofiles here.

BTS didn’t hit it off right away as some people may think. BTS began their career in June 2013 just like everyone else and struggled like everyone else-slipping under the radar as just one of the many k-pop groups debuting.

Then in April 2015, BTS got their first win on a music show in Korea and they grew from there.  I remember the year 2015 pretty clearly because that is when I became a fan of BTS. And as a person who is constantly on social media and keeping up with the stuff that happens on the internet, I have noticed more people discovering BTS. During that year, I was an incredibly huge fan of reaction channels that reacted to K-pop but there wasn’t that many before this time period. I only watched a few channels like JREKML, 2MinJinkJongKey, and KSpazzing- but then all of a sudden there were these new channels popping up. There was a huge wave of new reaction channels or reaction channels reacting to k-pop for the first time.

Fans like myself constantly asked people in their youtube comments to react to BTS and because of the high demand, they would do it. Of course there were many ways people spread the word about BTS- this was just one of them. But the most important thing is that people found the potential in BTS to make it big and be able to capture the attention of people internationally regardless of the language barrier because music is music.

I would say the main breakthrough of BTS’s international success is when they were invited to the BBMAs last year in 2016. By this time, BTS was already dominating Korea’s entertainment music/entertainment industry, but due to fans’ demand and persistence, BTS was able to be nominated in the BBMAs for Top Social Artist Award and WON. Read more about it on Billboard’s Article here.

And I subtitled their vlog about their experience below:

This led to a huge wave of new fans and celebrities tweeting about them and started a whole new opportunity for BTS to expand.

Fast forward to today, BTS is actively promoting themselves in the US and contributing to the world.

BTS started a UNICEF campaign called #LoveMyself going off of their album name, ‘Love Yourself: HER’, to promote anti-violence. BTS also just recently visited the US because they were invited to perform at the AMAs. While they were here, they were invited to popular shows on mainstream television such as The Late Late Show with James Corden, they did a mini concert at Jimmy Kimmel Live, and they will be on The Ellen DeGeneres Show which will be aired on the 27th of November. And they are in the process of working with an American record label, RED. 

Just from the shows I have listed above, it is probably clearer to you as to how far they have come, if you didn’t know how big they are already. But if you still have never heard of them, I don’t know where you have been because it seems like everyone is talking about them these days (good and bad things, but it’s still attention)

Here is BTS’s performance of their song ‘DNA’ on the AMAs:

BTS also just recently released a collab with Steve Aoki for a remix of their song ‘MIC Drop’

Unfortunately, good always comes with bad. As BTS popularity increases, the amount of new fans increase. Since BTS continues to appeal to international/western fans, there are a lot of fans who don’t understand K-pop or Korean culture so there tends to be disrespectful and inappropriate comments made about them or towards them. And they often don’t know that those are things they shouldn’t be saying/doing.

For example, there have been cases when BTS was in an interview and a question was, “Will you ever start singing in English instead of Korean?”

..........

As someone who is Korean American, I was angered by the question and many other fans were angry as well. It’s not something BTS should be asked just to appeal to more international fans who are not interested just because of the language they sing in. If they change their language, it would take away their identities as Korean K-pop singers. There are probably people who don’t think it’s that big of a deal but being asked to possibly change a part of your identity in order to reach another audience is uncalled for.

ANYWAY-

BTS is clearly killing it in the international music industry game and will continue to rise in popularity. I wish them all the success, but I hope that they won’t run into situations that will make them uncomfortable or hurt during their experience  in the western media because it is very VERY different from Asian media and culture. The new competition, the language barrier, the new criticisms and eyes that judge, and new fans can be very stressful.

So please if you are a new fan, I am personally asking you to please educate yourself on Korea, and the Korean culture/media so you can see the difference between theirs and your own. It’s important to know the weight of your words and inform yourself about what you can say and do without being rude and disrespectful.

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All About Korean Solo Singer-Songwriter: Ailee

A singer-songwriter. A Queen. A powerful singer. A woman who made a name for herself. All of these describe the one and only Ailee (eh-ee-lee)

Her full name is Amy Lee (Korean name: Lee Yejin), but she is most commonly known as her stage name, Ailee. She is currently 28  She is a Korean-American; born in Denver, Colorado and raised in New Jersey. - I really should have taken the chance to get to know her if I had known because she used to attend two Korean churches that I attended when I was younger. Such a missed opportunity Anyway, she attended Pace University, but later dropped out to pursue a singing career like many other artists who believe that university won’t help with their true interests and passions.

She was a part of an American record label called Muzo Entertainment, but it wasn’t long until she decided she wanted to catch the attention of South Korea. Before she started her career as a singer-songwriter under a Korean record label, she would often post videos on her YouTube channel mzamyx3 and aileemusic, both of which are inactive today, but she was able to get a lot of attention through the YouTube/online community.

Ailee is one of those artists that hit it big pretty much since the beginning. That is just how amazing she is. In 2010, Ailee moved to Korea after auditioning for a South Korean entertainment company called YMC Entertainment where she worked with other popular artists but not yet debuted as a solo artist. She was able to go on a Korean TV show called Singer and Trainee where a singer (Wheesung) and a trainee (Ailee) would do a performance together. And at that show, Ailee also performed solo and did a cover of Beyonce’s “Halo”

There, she was able to showcase to a larger audience on national Korean television on her ability to sing. There, she proved that she will become a very successful artist and that she did.

She debuted in 2012 with her song ‘Heaven’ and did very well. With this song, she won ‘Song of the Month’ and ‘Rookie of the Month’ and then later won ‘Best New Artist Award’ at another award show. That whole year was filled with awards for her and many opportunities on variety shows and singing shows to showcase her singing to further expand her fandom.

Later that year in October, Ailee released a song called “I’ll Show You”. This is the song that many people have discovered Ailee and became a fan (like me). After I found this song, I immediately fell in love with the song and her singing.

Her voice is just so powerful and filled with emotion. It’s so difficult to not be a fan of her after listening to her sing.

This song allowed her to achieve her first win on a Korean broadcast show actually beating PSY’s ‘Gangnam Style’ that week, which is a huge feat. Hell, even getting a first win on the month of your debut is extremely difficult. Even the most popular groups/artists get their first win 2-3 years after debuting.

She then later released U&I in 2013. A couple months later, there was scandal regarding her and some photos, but that was due to scammers and hackers, at which she was not at fault and later got back into the game after a 6 month hiatus. That is when she came back with her music video for ‘Singing Got Better’ to show that no matter what people tell her, she’s going to strive to accomplish the dream. The music and the lyrics talk about how her singing got better after breaking up with a boyfriend because she realized that she’s been giving up her dream just to be a good girlfriend (more about this on Billboard), but I definitely believe that the song has a deeper meaning and relates to what she went through during the scandal and the hiatus.

I would say Ailee has gotten quite a lot of international attention in 2014 after she went on a show called ‘Immortal Songs’ (which is where they set a theme of whose artist’s songs to sing and other singers are invited to sing a cover of that artist. And then the singers compete through audience vote and the winner with the most votes wins and takes the trophy- if you’re confused and have about 2 hours of extra time, you should watch an episode Here’s the Michael Bolton episode where he actually went to watch WITH English subtitles, you’re welcome)

ANYWAY back to Ailee- on one of the episodes, she performed a cover of Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ which caused a lot of traction and got further recognition for her singing. I mean, listen to her performance yourself here!

The next year, in 2015, she accomplished many more things. She hosted her first solo concert and later released her first studio album, VIVID with the music video for ‘Mind Your Own Business’ with a more badass image.

Ailee’s most recent comeback was last year October 2016 with her song ‘Home’

And that seems like a long time ago, but actually since then she sang an OST for a very popular Korean drama called ‘Goblin’ with a song called ‘I Will Go to You Like the First Snow’ And she said that she is currently working on an album and will feature many other popular artists. So her fans, including myself, are really looking forward to the music she will release in the future.

I actually saw her live before in KCON NY 2016 - Day 1 and she was amazing I timestamped her portion of the performance in the video that I captured below

In the middle of one of her performances, there was an equipment malfunction and the music stopped playing, but after a very brief moment of hesitation, she kept going! Until she was told to get off the stage and start the performance over, but that moment was when I had a renewed respect for her as a performer and singer.

She’s just been climbing and climbing in fame, but still maintains an extremely good image. She portrays herself as a sexy, powerful singer on stage, but off-stage, you will find that she is a very innocent, sweet person and makes herself very approachable.

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Interview with a Freelancing Producer/Audio Engineer

The music industry is booming with behind-the-scenes artists and producers that are currently in the works and on their way to becoming bigger influences. People always have to start somewhere whether it’s through getting that degree in college or finding connections of people to start working and get plugged in. But no matter where you start, you always have a chance. I would say David Jones didn’t have a particularly out of the ordinary childhood. Just an ordinary guy who had a passion for music and decided to pursue it and kept going.

1. What are your roots? Where did you come from? Tell me about yourself. - Born in the Bronx, NY. 26 year old. Music's been my escape since before I can remember. 

2. What made you realize that you wanted to become a producer? - My love for music extends from being a little kid. Music was something that would always make me happy for as long as I could remember. As a kid, I used to love just beatboxing & love listening to the details of music. I'd listen to albums & songs & some of my favorite parts would be when the lyrics ended but the instrumental continued. I loved to hear the breakdown in instruments & sounds.

3. What label do you work under? Or are you a freelancer? -Freelancer to do the fullest. In this day in age, more than ever, it's best to be independent. That's not just in regards to music either. I think people should feel that way in multiple practices. Whatever you do. Fashion, Film, Music, whatever - take as many sacrifices & chances to do everything on your own. Save your money, grind, network & use the internet to your advantage. With that said, if an idol of mine like Kanye West heard some of my work & wanted to work out some type of management deal or partnership, my ears would definitely be open (lol).

4. What artists have you worked with? - I've worked with a lot of NY local talents & FL acts. Haven't worked with any major artist, though I do have few connections do to do. I believe timing is everything. When it's time for me to do work on that 1 classic project, it'll happen.

5. What is the process of producing music? -Producing has such a random process. It's never consistent. Sometimes it can start with a simple melody in your head. A melody that you've been humming all day or from earlier in the day. I like to record my melodies to my phone so I don't forget them. Translate the melody into a music program of your choosing with whatever sound your ear loves at the time, then build on that. It can be a fast process or slow one. There's no "right way" of beginning your process to produce. As cliche as it sounds, you just simply need to go with the flow. There's also times where I don't even have a melody. I'll go into the program cold turkey, map out a nice drum pattern & start messing with some BPM speeds (beats per minute). I'd stack samples or other sounds with a midi keyboard, a drum machine or even the typing keyboard as I go.

6. What is your overall experience with producing and having music as a part of your life? - Producing is therapy. No words needed. You speak with sounds. So many different type of instruments. Unlimited ways you can go. Music helped me growing up because I used to have a stutter. Wouldn't even just be producing that helped me get through it. I felt like music & remembering lyrics helped ease my stuttering as a kid in a major way. Wouldn't stutter AT ALL when reciting lyrics. It was like magic to me back then (haha). Music essentially was heaven to me.

7. How long have you been doing this? - I've been producing since the age of 15. Used to use DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) on my mom's laptop at that time. Fruity Loops Studio 5 if I remember correct. Went to college back in 2009. Full Sail University & attended F.I.R.S.T School on the side, for extra knowledge on different techniques. All in all, over 10 years of producing & over 5 years of audio engineering (mixing & mastering music). 

8. Is a there a link to a website(s)/blog(s)/video(s) where people could visit to learn more about you and your work? Please link them below. -Website actually coming soon. It'll be named, www.theWavDoctors.com Will sell sound kits for producers, be a blog for pop culture & various review type videos on albums, programs & other things. I really enjoyed reading his answers after I received them. Unfortunately, I was not able to reach out to him in person because he is someone I was able to contact through a friend, but it was nice to hear from someone who sounded so energetic about what he does. And he just sounds like a chill guy. Would love to see his website succeed and take on some bigger projects in the future!

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Korean Music Scene - The rise in K-pop

When I thought of “music scene”, I immediately thought of the Korean music scene (sometimes referred to as ‘Gayo’/가요’) because it is what I am culturally closer to and what I am most familiar with. I gotta go back to my roots, you know?

As you probably may have noticed, (if you haven’t noticed, you’re either living under a rock or stayed in your own niche of music style -- not that it’s a bad thing, I’m just surprised if it hasn’t caught your eye) the K-pop music scene has been growing rapidly since the early 2010s. Of course, Gangnam Style by PSY had a huge part in bringing more global attention to Korea and K-pop. (But please, Gangnam Style isn’t everything that K-pop has to offer, so don’t act like you know what k-pop is if Gangnam Style is the only song you know, thank you) However, k-pop is a fairly new thing in Korea as well, but it’s a culture that is rapidly going and currently taking over the world.

Let’s start from the beginning: I would say K-pop really started booming in Korea in the late 1980s-1990s. Before then, it was a lot of traditional, folk and trot music because of Korea’s conservative nature.

When K-pop really began and became a genre of music in Korea, I would have to say it started with a boy group called Sobangcha (the word means “Fire Truck” if translated to English) which debuted in 1987. The song that pops into my head when I hear Sobangcha, is their song ‘Last Night’ (or ‘Last Night Story) that came out in 1988:

Since then and even now, people sing it and dance to it all the time. It has even been used as an OST for a very popular Korean drama series, Reply 1988; a modern drama that takes place in that year and depicts the lives of the people living back then.

Since then, K-pop BOOMED in the 1990s. It took over the Korean music industry and took over the music charts. There were boy groups and girl groups appearing more frequently. Some of the popular ones I can name are Seo Taiji and Boys (1992), COOL (1994), H.O.T (1996), S.E.S (1997), Fin.K.L (1998) and much more. (I linked my favorite songs by those groups)

Refer to this blog if you want a list of more K-pop groups from 1980s-2012: http://thevastworldofkpop.blogspot.com/2012/12/list-of-kpop-groups-1980-2012.html

Since then, more groups have been coming out and K-pop groups have been heavily influencing the culture in Korea and now, almost the whole world. Even a lot of people who don’t actively listen to K-pop have heard of a girl group called Girls Generation and a boy group called Super Junior before.

Since 2010 and on, K-pop has only been growing. Now that it’s 2017, there are over 100 K-pop groups that are active right now.

A way you can tell that K-pop has been growing rapidly is a very popular K-pop convention called KCON. KCON is where K-pop fans of various groups come together once a year at around and inside a huge concert arena where you get to hang out with K-pop and pop-culture influences such as YouTubers, actors, singers, and idols, listen and dance to K-pop music, and then later attend a huge concert where multiple K-pop groups perform. KCON started in 2012 in Irvine, California but then quickly spread across the country and the world over the years. KCON is a huge event and is a huge part of international K-pop culture. Many people go and look forward to this event and always sell out.

So far, KCON has taken place in:

Irvine, California

Los Angeles, California

Newark, New Jersey

Saitama, Japan

Jeju Island, South Korea

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Chiba, Japan

Paris, France

Mexico City, Mexico

Sydney, Australia

You may already have guessed...yes I have attended KCON before and I attended KCON NY in 2016 (It was Newark, NJ, but KCON NY sounds cooler, so they called it KCON NY) which took place at the Prudential Center. The tickets sold out quickly and it was filled with so many people.

And YES I did film my experience there. Some of the conventions are split into 2 days with different groups attending each day, and I bought tickets for both, so I have a series that consists of 2 long videos:

Day 1

Day 2

There is even a Klub KCON where they rent out a club so people can go clubbing only to K-pop songs, but I was not able to attend.

It was cool to see so many people that have the same interests tightly packed in a little space. I could relate to almost everyone there and even people who didn’t know each other talked about who their biases (favorite member/group) are and who they chose their outfits after.

People were dancing covers and singing everywhere and there was a stage where K-pop idols interacted with the fans. There were even tents set up with different K-pop merchandise and different Korean food/beauty companies.

It was Korean culture and K-pop all over the place.

If you want to learn more about KCON, this is their website here.

And there is one more thing that I have to mention here and can’t skip over: the first K-pop boy group to win a BBMA award. Yes. The Billboard Music Awards. BTS (방탄소년단) is and was the first K-pop boy group to win a BBMA. Earlier this year, BTS won the Top Social Artist Award at the BBMAs against artists like Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez by a HUGE landslide. BTS was able to get over 300 million votes thanks to all the fans worldwide.

Read more about this on Billboard’s website here.

Korean pop culture is definitely influential and is not only popular in South Korea, but also the whole world. I definitely think K-pop’s international popularity will continue and appeal to more audiences.

Who knows, maybe you’ll even become a K-pop fan in the future, if you aren’t already ;)

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How It Sounds: FT Island’s ‘Take Me Now’

FT Island is a band like no other. There are not many bands out there in the Korean music industry and there are even fewer bands who create songs in the rock realm, so I think they are very unique.

They have been around for quite a while. They debuted back in 2007 and they are still making music today.

There are 5 members (learn more about them on kprofiles here):

Jonghun (90) - Leader, Guitarist, Keyboard, Bassist

Hongki (90) - Main Vocalist

Jaejin (91) - Bassist

Seunghyun (92) - Rapper, Vocalist, Guitarist

Minhwan (92) - Drummer, Vocalist

Now this song...I was completely blown away when I listened to it for the first time (which was two days ago and it’s just so amazing that I HAD to write about it)

It’s definitely not my usual taste in music, but I am the type to enjoy an array of different musical genres, and this song just hits me really hard every time I listen to it.

I recommend having the lyrics on (click on the CC button) to have the English translations

Pretty insane, huh?

Now, I really do see this as a piece of art and there are so many things they did with the sounds and instruments to maneuver the way the music should be heard.

They don’t take long at all to get into the heavy instrumentals. They quickly build it up and go all out for a lengthy part of the beginning. But what I found is, the lyrics throughout the song are emphasized the most. The relationship between the lyrics and the sound of the music is the most important part of this piece. They are definitely correlated.

As soon as Hongki comes in with “Before I lose my mind, Before I’m lost in lies”, the sound of the instruments are immediately pulled away. This is definitely done deliberately to put focus on the lyrics because this causes the listener to give all their attention to Hongki’s voice and what message he is trying to get across. It is also obvious because when Hongki is finished with singing that line, the instruments come on at full blast once again, and this keeps going throughout the first and second verse.

Then, the pre-chorus is what is most ear-catching because this is when the instruments are repressed the most. Again, more emphasis on the lyrics. But this is also used to make the song more interesting to listen to because it adds a different tone and layer to the overall sound of the song. The slowed-down pace is also used to make the lyrics more sentimental. “No matter how I yell, I can’t see. Now matter how I shout, I don’t hear an answer” are very sad lyrics. Not only does this part encourage more emotion and sympathy from the listener, it also puts more impact of the beat drop when the chorus starts. This impact would not work if the pre-chorus had the same heavy instrument sound like the beginning of the verses because there would be no shock value. Also, after the line “I don’t hear an answer”, he goes up a half note while singing “Oh” and as he is doing that, his voice is layered. This is associated to the “shout” part of the lyrics. The way they sing represents the words in the actual song.

I also believe that the harmonies in certain lines are there to emphasize its importance, as well. For example, when Hongki sings, “Where is the truth?”, “You” (during “I don’t need you”) and “I will find an answer” you can hear an apparent harmony line sung by other members.

The whole song is laden with half-step notes and that makes for a more catchy and musically appealing song. It’s more addictive and is effective to make the listener sing along. The chorus is also mostly in English which would probably make it easier for more people to be able to relate to the lyrics and sing along. Using the sound and lyrics to have everyone be able to understand the emotions and what the artist is trying to convey in any song is extremely important.

If you only extract the lyrics, the lines and words can be used for any song in any genre but what makes this different is the way he sings through the notes, the emotion he conveys, and the desperation in his voice when he sings. This song is very focused lyrically because the sound of the song was built around the words; the message.

[korean-pop-stuff-blog]

Kpop “Feel Good During a Drive” Playlist

I put together 9 kpop songs that would be great to play during a car ride. I’m always in my car alone and it’s very boring and eerily silent when there’s no one else there, so I ALWAYS play music in the car no matter how long the drive is.  I could have made this list 100+ songs, but I picked out the most recent, best ones from my fave kpop song list.

You can access this playlist on youtube here.

I think this playlist would be perfect to play during a car ride and it also offers a variety of vibes that you can experience because sometimes you want to save yourself from boredom, but sometimes you also want to chill and relax.

1. Lee Gikwang - What You Like

I love to play this song because this song is very upbeat and it is extremely catchy. It’s one of those songs that you hum or bop your head along to. I love that the song pulls back at the end. It resolves very nicely which allows for a smooth transition into the next song. The lyrics are also very cute because the lyrics are directed to the listener as if he is singing the song to them so it’s very engaging. I am actually a huge fan of Gikwang and the group he is from, which is Highlight. This was his very first solo song/album so it was very exciting to hear what type of music he could release as a solo artist. I have been obsessed with this song since it came out and I am definitely not going to get tired of it any time soon!

2. BLACK6IX - Like A Flower

This is also one of my absolute favorite songs that I have been listening to non-stop lately. The instrumental is quite amazing too, so I also recommend checking it out (here is a link to it). This song is really good to play when you want to listen to something easy to the ear, but also upbeat. The sound almost melts into the ears and gives a feeling of slipping into another world. But then in the middle, it goes into a trap beat and one of the members raps and breaks you out of that entranced state for a moment. Playing this song makes me feel cool while I drive for some reason. Maybe it will have the same effect on you (which you won’t know until you try it) I actually found this song while I was browsing for more kpop songs to listen to (as if I didn’t have enough already) and I came across this one. This group is very new and this is actually their second song, but I have heard of them before because I actually checked out their first song when I saw it on a chart for a Korean music broadcasting show. They caught my interest, so I will definitely be looking forward to more songs like this because it is very different from what I’ve heard. 

3. Jung Yong Hwa - That Girl (Feat. Loco)

We’re continuing with the upbeat music theme, but this song is different because it builds up with Loco’s amazing rap then the chorus right after. This song just has so many different colors and textures. It’s just a FUN song. The chorus is also very easy to sing along to or at least hum along to. I would be surprised to hear if you DIDN’T do a little dance while listening to this song. I came across this song while just clicking random songs in the recommended column and I looked at the thumbnail and went, “Oh! I know who that is!” because he is the main singer in a group called CNBLUE which I am semi-familiar with. So I wanted to hear what type of music he could offer if he goes solo. And I am quite impressed and intrigued.

4. AKMU - Dinosaur

I love this sister and brother duo so much. They are just such talented singers and composers. This song is absolutely amazing just like all the other songs in this playlist. You would be very surprised when you go through the different parts of the song. In the beginning, you would think that this song would be very laid back and acoustic, but then they slowly add EDM effects into it, and then the CHORUS. There are so many ups and downs in this song; parts that are silent and slow and parts that are full of combinations of sounds. This song is a very easy listen and is the type that you would play with the windows open while the breeze flows through the car (obviously most favorably in the spring or early summer). Their voices also harmonize very nicely (like for all their songs) which is so satisfying to listen to. It’s impossible to not be in a good mood while listening to it.

5. One - Heyahe

Okay, time to lay back on this one. It’s an easy listen, but unlike the other songs in this playlist, this song is the one to play in order to calm down and get engulfed by the music. When this song comes on, it’s time to let go. This song just puts the listener in a peaceful state of mind. It’s nice to take a break from roaring bass blasting through the speakers. My friend made my listen to this song a few times and I actually didn’t like it at first because I was not the type of person who likes laid back, chill music, but my taste in music changed since that time, so I love this song now. It’s best to be more open to different types of music.

(Tumblr doesn’t allow more than 5 videos in a post, so I’m going to have to hyperlink the songs instead- at least they open up in a new tab. Also, bless gifs)

6. NCT 127 - Cherry Bomb

Speaking of bass blasting through the speakers, that is exactly what you get when you play this song. So if you like to roll down the windows or feel the car rattling after every beat, this is perfect for you. If you don’t like loud ringing in your ears, then this is a song you should probably skip. If you haven’t noticed already, I LOVE this song and I love to play this in the car too. It’s a weird and interesting song. I didn’t like it first listen either, but I love it now and this happened to the rest of my friends, so obviously this song has the ability to grow on people. You should give the song a few listens before making an opinion about it. And for those non-Korean speakers out there, the “If you’re happy and your know it, clap your hands” line should be familiar to you, and “I’m the biggest hit on the stage” is constantly repeating over and over again, so this song is the perfect song to scream sing along to.

7. Wanna One - Energetic

This song is cool because it starts off as a slower song with piano chords and then it builds up to a beat drop at the chorus. Of course beat drops are amazing and they magically make a person hyped up. The song is titled “Energetic” for a reason. This song makes the listener energized! This is for when you find that your car ride is getting stale. This song is a perfect pick me up (Ha, get it “Pick Me Up”? Kpop stans know what I’m talking about- okay lame joke). No one wants a boring car ride and with this song, it’s impossible to have a boring car ride. Everyone was listening to this song and group, and I thought I would jump on the bandwagon and it was one of the best decisions of my life. So maybe it’s time for you to jump on the bandwagon too.

8. Sunmi - Gashina

This song is a nice change from the rest of the songs because Sunmi has a different type of voice from the rest of the artists in this playlist. She definitely went for the synth pop sound for pretty much the whole song which could make for a fun experience during a car ride. This is also another song with a beat drop. Beat drops for the chorus is such a fun way to get the listener more engaged and into the song because it makes the ears perk up and go “Wow that was so unexpected but also amazing!”. I came across this song also by browsing various korean artists and songs in the recommended tab. When I first came across this song, it was love at first listen and I couldn’t wait to get the song on my phone just so I can play it in the car.

9. MONSTA X - Newton

I thought this song was perfect to end this playlist because they’re even on a road trip in the music video! This song was intended to be a summer song, so this is one of those songs that you play blasting through the speakers while driving down the street with the windows rolled down. It just puts you in a good mood. It’s a kid-friendly, fun, happy song. I’m a huge fan of Monsta X and their music and this was quite different from their usual releases. It’s refreshing to listen to an artist that is musically versatile.

Well, I hope you like this playlist and I hope you enjoy listening to it during your next car ride whether you are the driver or the passenger. And don’t hesitate to play it with other guests in the car! I’m sure they’ll enjoy it too. This playlist is also perfect to play when you’re sitting at home doing nothing. It’s a nice way to put yourself in a good mood. I listen to most of these songs when I want to cheer myself up after being in a “meh” mood. Music is good for the soul.

Thanks for listening with me!

[korean-pop-stuff-blog]

Day6 Concert - EveryDay6 Concert July REVIEW

I had an opportunity to travel to Korea for the second time this past summer from June to August. While there, I had to snag the chance of attending a kpop concert in its motherland to see if it would be any different from a kpop concert in the US (and also because it is about two times cheaper in Korea)

One- or should I say, two- of the concerts I attended were both days Day6 had their July concert on July 29th and 30th of this year (2017) in Seoul, Korea.

Before I go any further, I think I will give a brief introduction of this band (yes, and actual korean pop BAND)

Members

(if you want to learn more about the members, I suggest that you check out their profile on kprofiles here)

Sungjin (93) - Leader, Main Vocalist, Guitarist

Jae (92) - Lead Vocalist, Rapper, Main Guitarist

Young K (93) - Lead Vocalist, Main Rapper, Bassist

Wonpil (94) - Lead Vocalist, Pianist (keyboard, synthesizer)

Dowoon (95) - Vocalist, Drummer

Day6 is a little different because they are a band, but just like other kpop idols, they are signed under an entertainment company. However, unlike other kpop idols, they do not do choreography.

For the year of 2017, Day6 decided to release 2 singles every month of this year and hold a concert once every month.

I had the honor to attend one of these concerts for the month of July, and for both days at that.

It was interesting compared to other kpop concerts I have experienced because kpop group concerts are more about watching people dance and perform which requires me to pay more attention the performers. And in kpop group concerts, there is just tracks playing in the background with the idols singing, and sometimes lip syncing because it is hard to sing and dance and dance at the same time. But a band setting is more relaxed and they play their own instruments and sing with their raw voices with no vocal backup.

I totally enjoyed the whole concert and every single song was amazing. The audio was great as well, which is hard to achieve at many concerts (at least in my experience)

On the first day, I was in the standing section with my friend and on the second day, I was on the second floor with my friend. Both were nice and there were pros and cons to both. The standing section is more fun to be up close with the members and jump and move around, but it was tiring after a while and it was hard to see the other side of the stage where the other half of the members were. The seated section has the best view and people were seated the whole time so it was more relaxing. I was able to see the performances much more clearly and all of the band members.

The band members were interactive with the crowd as well which made the experience just that much fun. For instance, they asked us if we’re having fun, they told us to drink water so we don’t get dehydrated, they got off the stage and walk into between the crowd, they made each section scream to see which section could scream the loudest, etc. And of course there are official fan chants all the fans have to do in certain parts of the song, just as a way to sing along and encourage the band performing (fan chants apply to all other bands/artists/groups in Korea)

We had to buy wrist bands that light up and use them as light sticks and they have light settings, so that was fun to play around with.  Even though I went to the concert as a fan, I still didn’t know every single song, but they became easy to sing along and the fanchants became self-explanatory after a while, so I did not feel left out at all.

Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to film during the concert BUT I was able to sneak some footage the first day. The security was much more strict on the second day probably because of the amount of footage that was leaked online the previous day so I was not able to get anything on the second day.

If you want to see all the footage I filmed and posted, I have it in a thread on my twitter here.

This picture shown below is the set-list of the concert ↓

A lot of their songs are upbeat and uplifting so they just put you in either a really hype mood or a good, serene mood. ‘Colors’ is a slow jam so the concert started off on a mellow note. Then they came in with ‘I Wait’ and ‘How Can I Say’ which are some of their more popular songs and more upbeat, but not yet uplifting. Then after they talked for a bit, they got into some of their exciting songs. I noticed that they categorized the songs according to their mood and separated them by talking in between. Overall, the concert was a nice experience, there was a nice diversity of songs and styles they performed which prevented the concert from getting boring, and it was even more fun to have my friend there to experience all of this with me.

One moment that really stuck out to me in ‘I Smile’, Sungjin has a solo part in the middle of the song where all the music just cuts out and he’s just belting out his beautiful voice. It was amazing and the whole crowd was silent in awe as he sang. And right after that part, the music just comes in all at once which excites the crowd once more. The whole thing was an emotional roller coaster, but in a good way.

Another legendary moment was when Dowoon and Wonpil sang together and harmonized. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. Not just because of the harmonization, but also because Dowoon doesn’t sing that much since he is focused on playing the drums. But Wompil mentioned that Dowoon practiced so he can sing and play the drums at the same time just for that performance. I thought that was so amazing and I was surprised to hear how nice Dowoon’s voice was. He needs to sing more often!

The members also talked in between a few songs and made it a very casual environment as well.

It was cool to see how their sound would differ from their music videos/official audios to their real sound, and I would say they are pretty much identical so I thought that was amazing. Every single member could sing too, and a group of talented people who can sing and play an instrument is not an easy feat.

Day6 is amazing and I definitely encourage you to check them out. They are very well-recognized in the kpop community and even non-fans are familiar with the name. They started at the end of 2015, but they have already come a long way. 

If you want to check out their music, here are music videos of some of my absolute favorite  the songs that were performed during the concert:

‘I Wait’

‘How Can I Say’

‘Congratulations’

When I look back and think about how I spent $100 for each night I saw them perform, I have no regrets. I would totally go to another one of their concerts again in the future, hands down.

[korean-pop-stuff-blog]

[ALBUM REVIEW] B.A.P - Rose

​Group Info: 

B.A.P is a 6 member boy group that debuted in 2012. They used the Hip-Hop sound early in their career but later adopted more qualities from Pop, Rock, R&B, EDM, etc. They have at least one song for almost every genre. They are known to switch up concepts and they are very good at it. They are an extremely versatile group and are often respected by the K-pop community.

​The Members (if you want to learn more about the members, I suggest you check out their profile here):

Yongguk (90) - Leader, Main Rapper

Himchan (90) - Sub-Vocal, Rapper

Daehyun (93) - Main Vocalist

Youngjae (94) - Lead Vocalist

Jongup (95) - Main Dancer, Vocalist

Zelo (96) - Lead Rapper, Lead Dancer

​‘Rose’ Album:

'Rose’ was released in March 7, 2017. It is a 3 track mini-album with the songs 'Dystopia’, 'Wake Me Up’, and 'Diamond 4 Ya’. Even though the album is only a collection of 3 tracks, it still shows how diverse and versatile B.A.P can be in their sound. This album is also very personal and important for the members.

1.  ​ ​Dystopia

This is the first track in the album. Dystopia is one of the songs where they utilize their Rock sound. It’s actually one of my favorite songs

This is Dystopia with Korean, Romanized and English lyrics.

2. Wake Me Up

Wake Me Up is their title track for this album and is a good representation of their Synth Pop/Pop/Hip-Hop sound.

This song is the reason why the album is so personal to the members. Before this song and album was released, Yongguk (the leader of the group) went on a hiatus because he was having a hard time with his anxiety and consistent panic attacks. This is the first thing B.A.P released as a group after Yongguk’s return, and the song/music video is definitely reflected by Yongguk’s situation.

In order to understand this better, you should watch the music video that they made for this song. I strongly suggest you click the Closed Captions [CC] button to turn on the English translations to have a better understanding of what the song is about.

As you can see, the music video is very much about mental disorders and conforming to society. Some of the mental disorders that were depicted in the music video are depression/suicide, body dysmorphia, panic disorders, anxiety, personality disorders and psychopathic tendencies. 

Then the end shows an awakening/revolution of the people coming together which revolves around the title of the song and the lyrics 'Wake Me Up’. It also shows that moral support is important for this awakening to happen. A lot of the lyrics reflect the two sides of our being like “Wake my other self within me” and “I converse with the new me”. 

This song is also very important for the k-pop industry because mental health is not discussed at all in Korea. These issues are actually very much repressed in Korea’s society, so this song is very revolutionary. Mental health disorders are very prominent in Korea today shown in suicide and depression statistics in Korea being one of the highest in the world, but no one really addresses the issue. This album review posted on Billboad also praised B.A.P for bringing awareness to this topic: http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/7720997/why-bap-wake-me-up-kpop-bands-most-personal-accomplished-single

B.A.P was very brave for dedicating a whole music video to focus on these issues and allowed people to realize that no matter who someone is and what their status is, mental health disorders effect anyone.

3. 'Diamond 4 Ya’

This is the last track in this album. This song is a good representation of B.A.P’s R&B/Pop sound.

This is a lyric video of the song with Korean, Romanized and English lyrics.

And this is their performance of the shortened version of the song:

Although this album is very short, it is one of my favorite albums. I fell in love with it right away. All the songs are outstanding and the meaning behind the album just makes it that much better. In my opinion, all of the songs are extremely catchy. I may have the unpopular opinion by saying that I absolutely loved ‘Wake Me Up’ first listen because I have talked to people who weren’t too impressed by it (Like this individual who wrote this review on allkpop: https://www.allkpop.com/article/2017/03/mv-album-review-bap-rose-wake-me-up) But I, on the other hand, absolutely love it and I sing along to it all the time. 

I’m actually going to give it a 5/5 on this one. I personally don’t see anything wrong with any parts of the album and I am in love with it. Hopefully, you will fall in love with it too!

Overall, ​B.A.P really appeals to people who enjoy various genres of music, so if you like any of these genres, you should definitely check out more of their music. They put a lot of thought into the music they release and they are extremely talented. Vocals, choreography, and performances are all very impressive.

(They came back with a new song/album recently with the song 'Honeymoon’ and the album 'Blue’.If you want to check out Honeymoon as well, click here)

[korean-pop-stuff-blog]

~24K Intro and Song Reviews~

Today I will be introducing a group called 24K (two-four k) and their songs ‘Still 24K’ and ‘BINGO’.

24K is currently a 7 member boy group under Choeun Entertainment. The group composes, writes, produces and choreographs their songs.

The Members (if you want to learn more about them, I suggest reading their profile on kprofiles here):

Cory (90) - Leader, Main Vocalist

Kisu (91) - Main Vocalist

Jeonguk (93) - Rapper, Main Dancer

Hui (95) - Rapper, Vocalist, Dancer

Changsun (96) - Vocalist

Jinhong (98) - Vocalist, Dancer

‘Still 24K’ and ‘BINGO’ were both released in the second half of 2016. They are not 24K’s most recent songs, but ‘BINGO’ is their title track of their first full studio album.

These two music videos are part of a series- they not only related to each other video-wise, but also in context.

For some background info, 24K has gone through many struggles. Ever since they debuted in Sept. 2012, members have left and joined. After their song ‘Superfly’ one of the members decided to become a solo underground rapper, and another member got a shoulder injury. These events have pushed them to go on a hiatus for about a year from 2015-2016. However, after this hiatus, they have once again started to release music and made a comeback. 

‘Still 24K’ and ‘BINGO’ are their way of expressing that they were able to make it through all their struggles.

You MUST watch them in order because they are connected. They tell a story! (Turn on the Closed Captions [CC] on the videos for English translation of the lyrics) ‘Still 24K’

This is an EDM-pop song and the video itself is very cinematic, so it is an entertaining music video to watch. Also, the choreography is on point and who wouldn’t enjoy some good dancing?

PLOT: In the beginning the music video shows a preview of all the future events. Then the actual story starts in a jewelry store while the whole group (gang in this case) is there. Jinhong brings a girl along with him (assuming she is his girlfriend in this story). After seeing the amount of valuables in the store and the vault, they create a plan to infiltrate the store and steal the jewelry. However, the group later discovers that Jinhong’s “girlfriend” was kidnapped by another gang after receiving pictures of her on his phone. Then they go back to the store to get what was left in the vault because they will trade them in for the girl. The two gangs stand off to do the exchange- To Be Continued...

As you can see in the lyrics throughout the whole video, it is all about how if things don’t go right, it is still possible to get back on track and continue to success. In this case, it is called “Still 24K” because 24K is expressing that they are still themselves after all the things they have been through. They could have disbanded during the hiatus, but they continued instead. Even though this song is directly about them, 24K made the lyrics more general so the listeners can also get empowered to overcome obstacles. ‘BINGO’

This is an EDM/trap/pop song. This music video is cinematic and it is a continuation of the story from ‘Still 24K’

PLOT: The video starts with a recap of what happened in ‘Still 24K’ then it continues the story. The two gangs stand off to get the girl back. Jinhong gives them the bag of gold then the girl gets released. HOWEVER, the girl starts laughing upon release and a member of the group (his name is Kisu) comes out and reveals that he’s been plotting against the group the whole time. Kisu teamed up with the girl to get all the gold themselves. He was the one behind taking pictures of the girl to make it look like she was kidnapped. And, of course, the rest of the group is shocked. Kisu’s gang shoots and kills the rest of the members and happily takes off with the girl and the gold.

The lyrics in this video is more about the outcome rather than the process. The lyrics of the last video was about enduring the hardships and slowly getting through it, but the lyrics of this video is about exclaiming the success that was achieved. For 24K, this song means that they succeeded to stay together as a group. “B-I-N-G-O” is their expression of saying that there was a positive outcome. I really commend 24K for this 2-part series because they were able to execute showing the conflict, the process and the resolution through their song writing and plot of the videos. That takes a lot of talent! In my opinion, the songs are very good and I enjoy listening to them. I am OBSESSED. I also think the choreography is amazing and it is so fun to watch them perform. I hope 24K continues to grow as artists and popularity.

(Watch their newest M/V here if you want to hear more from them)

- Grace Lee / peppy210 -

[korean-pop-stuff-blog]

Hello!

Welcome to my blog about where I will put anything about k-pop Things from song recommendations, song reviews, album reviews, news, opinions on events, etc.

Hope you enjoy what I have to offer!