The Crazy Ahjumma's Cruisin' Playlist

It's that time of year again where the weather begins to warm up, the windows are rolled down in your car, and your Kpop is blasting out into the world.  You know, that time when you get odd looks from other motorists and the drive-thru attendant at McDonalds.  But hey, you don't care, you are a Kpop fan and proud to let the world know. 

Breaking Blog Silence

You were probably all hoping I had quit as a Crazy Ahjumma.  Well, sorry to burst your bubbles guys but I am back.  After 6 months of serious health scares for my son, surgery, more health scares, hospital stays, a trillion & one visits to a plethora of doctors, mostly specialists, lots of medicines, extreme stress & fatigue for all in our home, I am happy to report he is doing better.  He has a long way to go but he is no longer starving to death, that G Tube made a huge world of difference for his little body.  He gained over 10 lbs in the 2 months since his surgery & is doing beautifully.  He still has immunity issues but we'll get there.  I don't want to jinx anything by saying he's out of the woods but he is heading in the right direction for a change & for the first time in months I feel like it's okay to take deep breaths again.  Thank you to all who offered encouragement, support, prayers, love & laughter.  Anytime you want to know more about Liam's journey head on over to our family blog here.



Next THANK YOU so very very very much to K Muse & to Dongsaeng for putting up with this very silent & completely unhelpful Unnie over the last 6 months.  If not for you guys, this labor of love of ours would have died a fast death.  You kept us going & even helped us thrive beyond our dreams.  Which is probably a reflection on how much I am not needed but I don't care you have to keep putting up with me.  I may disappear every once in a while but you people are stuck w me!

It would seem that uri dongsaeng let the cat out of the bag already, for the first time in months, this weekend I sat down & watched K Dramas.  6 hours worth of K Dramas nonetheless!  It was like manna from heaven for my weary soul.  I wanted to watch them over the last few months but A) have been way too busy taking care of my son & the rest of my motley crew and B) couldn't handle the extreme drama, when I had actual real life drama pulling me under.  It was too much emotionally for this mommy to handle all at once.  So I had to take a real break from all things KDrama.  I still had my tunes though.  Thank goodness for KPop!!

When last we spoke, I was supposed to be doing reviews, per episode, of The Master's Sun, but then things got bad around my neck of the woods & I had to stop what I was doing & go into offensive mode for my son's health.  Well on Saturday night I finished off TMS' last 3 eps.  Sigh....where to begin.  First, I am not going to do a detailed review/recap. It's been too long for one of those.

Cliffs Notes version:
He gets his memories back, he pays off her contract w Madame Go, he is still in love with her, she is still in love with him,  BUT she is afraid of herself & of the life she leads & that it could put him in danger, so she tries to leave.  First she helps him solve the whole Hee Joo vs Ha Na fiasco.  Yay.  I thoroughly enjoyed Little Sun's over the top stomachache/appendicitis on the plane.  Seriously so funny!  Then she finds the guy that her spirit hung out with for 3 years while she was comatose and it's him she is leaving with.  She comes back, that age old K Drama plot of a year later (or 2 or 3 or 5 whatever) & they have the happily ever after reunion, after she proves she is good enough for him?  What?!?  I get she has pride & all & I can't completely blame her but really, it irked me.  Just another device to keep them apart until the last minute. Ugh.

Okay personally, I thought ep 16 was boring.  It dragged on & on.  It had it's cute moments of course.  But blah blah blah, it was quite obvious they were just stalling for time.  By episode 17 they picked things back up, about 1/2 way through 17, but eventually.  It had a happy, cute, everything tied up in a neat little bow ending, but it left me underwhelmed all in all, after such great episodes all the way through. I think they should have simply ended it in 16, not pushed for that extra episode, just for ratings.  And yes they kissed & yes it was okay, but once again, underwhelming.  After everything this couple went through & the amazing chemistry they had together, there really should have been a little more umph in that last kiss.

Best part of the ending for me was that his aunt got to be pregnant.  I thought that was incredibly weird but very sweet.  Maybe she'll grow a heart after all.  And how cute were Kang Woo & Little Sun at the end walking the red carpet.  All in all I'll give TMS a standard 8.5.  It had the potential for a 10 but the last 2 eps were hum drum & did not live up to the rest of it.  BUT at least the Hong Sisters didn't pull another Big.  I'd have had to crack some heads otherwise.

And yes, I have finally started watching my Hyun-y, KHJ's new drama Inspiring Generation.  I have only made it through ep 3, so I am looking forward to seeing my man in ep 4 but I have to say the kid they picked to play him young, is awesome.  Major acting chops.  They did a phenomenal job casting him as a young Shin Jung Tae.  I can't wait to dive back in after I get some chores done.  I spent this weekend sick, again & am still recovering bronchitis.  Yes again.  I swear 5 times in less than 2 years on major antibiotics, breathing treatments, codeine cough syrup & steroids I am beginning to think WI is trying to kill me.  O.O

Before I sign off I have one awesome announcement, next month I will be in Merrillville, Indiana to watch BAP LIVE in concert.  And who bought me these tickets?  Well my Captain Awesome, no less.  How great is my guy?!?!?  I didn't even know they were coming here.  I have been so focused on my kids that I hadn't even paid any attention to anything.  So I will be heading out April 19th for a girls weekend w one of my favorite people.  Yay us!  I so totally need this break.  It has been an insane 6 months!!!!!

I have missed all of my fellow addiKts so much & have thought about you daily.  I cannot promise that I will start doing episode by episode recaps again, I simply don't have the time or energy but I will continue to post & talk to you again weekly.  I promise.  And trust me I will talk about KHJ's drama every opportunity I get.  So look for me on Twitter, FB & here.  Sending all my love out into the Blogosphere.

To give you something to enjoy & to help you get moving & smile here is Super Junior_M's Korean version MV of "Swing".  So much cuteness & eye candy!  I am awake now!  Now that's what I'm talking about!

Unnie's Wednes...uh...Thursday Write Up... scheduling conflicts of interest.

Sorry this is a day late guys but I managed to somehow get, not one, but two viruses this week, from my kids.  First a stomach bug, that was fun, (sarcasm) & now I am fighting a nasty little head cold.  It's perfectly normal & rational that, at this very minute, the temptation to chop off my own head is normal, right?  My forehead feels like it's going to explode, my glands are swollen, it hurts to turn my neck & my ears are filled with pressure from the congestion, as are my sinuses.  Needless to say, I have spent most of this week sleeping too.  2 viruses in 1 week, that has to be a record right?  I'm telling you this does not bode well for this next school year, that already we are getting sick.  Sigh. 

So today's Wednesday Write Up will be short. 

Originally, I had planned on doing this yesterday, but my head hurt too much to stare at any kind of computer screen, which is why this would have made more sense yesterday, sorry.  AddiKts, don't forget that Wednesday's episode of The Master's Sun is delayed to Thursday as a special showing of The Thieves was shown on Wednesday, holiday programming for Chuseok.  How The Thieves is more Chuseok related than The Master's Sun is, I haven't the foggiest.  I have the feeling the station felt the ratings would drop so much due to the holiday that they decided to air a different show until more people would be able to watch & keep the ratings up.  Next week they will air episode 14 & 15 on their regular dates & then the final episode, 16, will air the following week on the 2nd of October.  Now here is where I am not sure what is going on.  One site, which now I can no longer find, said that there will be a special behind the scenes/making of The Master's Sun airing the following day but another site, said it was an extension of the show, meaning 17 episodes.  Whether the 17th episode is the special or it's another actual episode & then they will air the special I have no idea.  I tend to believe the allkpop article since I can no longer find the other one.  Guess we'll have to wait & see.  Then the following week Heirs will debut.   

The other thing I wanted to talk about was the news that Kim Hyun Joong's latest Kdrama, "Inspiring Youth", has been postponed until next year.  In a move, very reminiscent of the City Conquest debacle, there is apparently a problem with dates, due to Chinese holidays, for the scheduled filming. Because of the mix up, shooting has been delayed, instead they will be airing Jang Keun Seuk's new drama, "Beautiful Man".   Upon reading that this morning I was disappointed, frustrated & yes almost resigned to the feeling it was going to all fall apart like CQ did.  I never should have watched King of Dramas, it all smells like a conspiracy to me.  Someone wants to stop KHJ from being in dramas.  But why?   KHJ who did you piss off?  o.O   So pray, burn incense, sacrifice on an altar, send positive vibes or happy thoughts, sprinkle fairy dust if you need to, but everyone we must work together to get KHJ back on the air in a drama!! 

As a way of saying sorry for this being late I thought you guys might enjoy a couple fan made videos of TMS that I have seen on various friends FB feeds this past week.  As well as the new OST from SIG for the drama.  I also wanted to share this meme that Uri Dongsaeng made after watching last week's TMS cliffhanger.  If you are on Pinterest & want to share it, you can find it here. 

Enjoy have a beautiful rest of the week & I will see you tomorrow for more TMS review. 

Saranghamnida,



No Matter What by Seo In Guk OST for The Master's Sun:

Music Fest for our Monday Therapy {Monday Morning Therapy with Dongsaeng}

How is everyone's Monday going?  Ready for a little therapy?  I don't have a ton to discuss today, but I did find a lot of really fun videos last night that I wanted to share.  As I laid there in bed last night watching YouTube video after YouTube video from that day's musical show performances, it hit me just how fortunate we are right now as KPop fans.  The summer of 2013 has brought us just awesome music, hasn't it?  The music scene in Korea is just exploding and pumping out one hit right after another.  It's difficult at times to even keep up with the amount of awesomeness being poured out onto the music scene.

So this post will just have some of my favorite performances from the weekend.  And maybe some other stuff.  We'll see what catches my attention.  I hope that you find something here that will help you tackle the rest of your Monday and get you pumped up for the rest of the week.

Enjoy!  And feel free to share any of your favorite videos that maybe I missed either in the comments or on our FB page.

Here's the breakdown:  The first group is for my VIPs out there.  Lots of GD and Seungri from Inkigayo and M-Countdown.  Then there's some other performances from Sunday's Inkigayo of groups I like (Teen Top, Nu'est, Henry, and BAP).  Then there's the Japanese version of BAP's Warrior MV that wad just released a couple of days ago.  I know what you're thinking, it's Warrior, we've seen that already, but no, if you haven't seen this version yet, trust me, you'll want to.  It's awesome and amazing.  Watch it fast though - my sources warn me that Japanese videos often don't stick around for long before they're yanked off the interwebs.  (Hey Japan, maybe that's why KPop is so popular around the world and in your country because they're not stingy when it comes to sharing the love and making the music accessible - hint, hint)  And finally, last but most certainly not least, I put up JYJ's new release, "Only One" that they did for the 2014 Asiad games in Incheon.  I already gave my opinion on this video on my FB page, but in case you missed it, I'll tell you here as well what I think about it.  I'm going to put it down below though after the video so as to not spoil it ahead of time.  If you can't find something on this list that you like, then I just don't know what to tell you.  Hopefully there's something here for everyone.  Okay, there aren't any girl groups.  You got me there, but otherwise, I think we covered a good portion of the recent musical gamut.



My thoughts on the JYJ video....

The boys look AMAZING!  Especially my Jae and I don't say that just because I'm biased.  Yeah, of course I'm biased, but he looks absolutely spectacular here.  The song itself is catchy in a "you're never going to get it out of your head if you're not careful and it will drive you insane at some point" kind of way. And the video, oh the video.  Cheesy fantasticness.  If you're going to go cheesy, go all the way I say, and they certainly did here.  One can't help but smile.  It's a happy, cheerful song.  Super duper sugary sweet cheesy goodness.  Enough to warm even the most cynical of hearts.  If this can't make you smile, well, then I just don't know what will.  They definitely tried their best.  I love Korea!

 

Unnie's Wednesday Write Up: Casting Calls & Major Signings

Have I told you guise lately that I feel truly so blessed?  I really do.  I have made some amazing new friendships in the last year, some in person & some virtual, w fellow AddiKts all around the world.  Some have written me letters (emails) of encouragement, some have become great friends that I watch our beloved KDramas with while we live chat at the same time, some that have become "aunties" to my kids & send them treats.  Of course it helps that my kids are just so stinking cute. ;)  I even have my first Official Stalker, as of this week.  Kind of nice being the 'stalkee' as opposed to the 'stalker', for a change.  *giggle*   Of course the dealio is, if she gets to stalk me, then I get to stalk her back.  I look forward to getting to know her better.  She seems like a lot of fun & I like people who make me smile.  Being able to make people smile is a rare & beautiful gift & I appreciate people who can make me smile.  It was one the most attractive qualities in my husband.  He just makes me laugh so often & I LOVE to laugh.  To those of you who started as fellow addiKts but have taken that first tentative step toward reaching out to become a friend I thank you for being so much braver than I am.  Your friendship & your hearts are appreciated.

Well, now that we got all that mushy stuff over, how about we move on to more K Drama news?  This last week 2 big announcements caught my eye & I had to squee over both of them.  And one totally personal announcement for one of those awesome new "K"  friends I've made over the last few months.

Kim Hyun Joong officially cast as Male Lead for Age of Feelings

That's right!  My Kim Hyun Joong, whose latest album "Round 3" has hit the ground and taken flight w hit MVs for the tracks, "Unbreakable" & "Your Story",  has finally made it official that he has nabbed the leading male role in the new upcoming drama Age of Feeling.  Which has also announced that the 2 leading ladies have been cast as well.  I am very excited about this news & yet a little nervous too.  City Conquest broke me of becoming too excited, as they had even started filming & still had the carpet pulled out from under them.  If this goes that route too then I will seriously be irritated & will be flying myself to Seoul, even if I have to stuff myself in luggage.  At only 5'2" (or 156 cm) tall, I should easily be able to squeeze myself into a large suitcase, right?  If this show gets canceled like City Conquest, the people who are responsible better wear shin guards!  That's right I went there!  However, I was sad that he was their 3rd choice for leading male.  But as long as he is the one starring who cares that he was 3rd choice, maybe this will be the defining moment in his career that will make the ones who turned it down regret that choice & everyone will see KHJ shine.  Sending good luck vibes out to my bias, break a leg Kim Hyun Joong-ssi, you're gonna knock 'em dead.


Ha Ji Won (Unnie's Girl Crush) signs w UTA

The second announcement for my favorite actress, Ha Ji Won.  Who scored a  major coup this week, when she signed with United Talent Agency, UTA.  Only one of the US's largest & most influential talent agency.  An agency that carries other big name stars, like my ultimate & first ever crush & an incredibly talented actor, that is constantly changing himself into whatever character he needs to be, Johnny Depp.  This is BIG news!  This move on Ha Ji Won's part is being touted as a huge coup for Asian actresses everywhere as this wasn't just a meet & greet for a single project but an actual contractual signing, she now works with them!  This is her chance to break into the Hollywood scene & maybe beyond.  Now I hope & pray that they will not relegate her in to the typical Asian character but will give her real roles & real characters to play that showcase her enviable talents as a first rate actress.  I have to say I may have more than a little 'girl crush' on Ha Ji Won.  She really is my favorite actress.  So everybody wish her good luck too.  Ha Ji Won-ssi break a leg & show those 'Hollyweirdos' exactly what you're made of girlfriend.  You totally got this girl!

Hot Korean Pop Music every Sunday in Austin Texas!

And one more announcement...this one is for a friend.  A few weeks ago she suggested to her boss, at the radio station she works at, that they should do a one hour KPop program on their station, he was intrigued by the idea and asked her to work up the deets.  Excitedly she did & he liked her ideas so he gave her the 7-8 pm time slot every Sunday night!!  How exciting!  She works on the line up & program all week long & then bam!  A hit show every Sunday night.  You guys have got to check it out!  The show can be found, if you are in the Austin TX area on 103.2 The Fix on Mega HD2.  You can also tune in online here.  OR you can use the TuneIn Radio App on your device.  Shout to you Jen!  Bringing KPop to the US!  Kamsahabnida chingu!  This lucky lady is even attending KCon this month in Los Angeles & is hoping to get some time to talk to the KPop Stars.  What questions would you guise like her to ask GD or f(x)? (just examples)  Leave some comments on this blog post, my Unnie FB profile, the TCA FB profile OR you can even go to the Official Fix Kpop FB page & leave them there, don't forget to Like the page while you're there & show your support for our favorite music!  And then tune in Sunday nights to listen & get your Kpop Groove on!  I know Dongsaeng & I will be listening!

That is all for now AddiKts.  I hope you have a fabulous rest of the week.  Look for the next 2 installments in my reviews for The Master's Sun, this Thursday/Friday.  Can I say how much I LOVE this drama.  So perfect!!  Come on Hong Sisters don't let an Unnie down now, pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease?!?!?!?

Saranghamnida,

JUNSU!!! {Monday Morning Therapy with Dongsaeng}

***UPDATED***  Tuesday:  In case you missed it, or because it's worth seeing over and over and over again, here is the replay of Junsu's comeback showcase.  How fantastic was it?!?!  I actually managed to wake up at 3 to watch it and it was so worth the lost sleep.  Soooo worth it.  He was INCREDIBLE!!!  My favorite was the giant smile on his face.  He was just beaming.  This was such a huge victory in a hard-fought, long war and worth celebrating to the fullest.  The significance is not lost on us Xia sweetie.  We are so proud of you and how far you've come!!!  And we wish you the absolute best as time goes on.  Next step - let's get you on TV music programs shall we?  Come on Korea - it's time to welcome him back with open arms.  He's paid his dues and then some.  Don't waste such an amazing talent with petty bickering and dirty backroom music politics.  Not that I have an opinion on the matter ;)  Anyway, crusade talk aside, here's Xia's triumphant return with Incredible...



***Original Post***
I'm choosing to post this a little early because there's a major event happening in less than 6 hours.  At 7PM (Monday) KST, there will be a live streamed COMEBACK SPECIAL for the one and only Junsu/Xia!!!!  His new album has just been released a little over an hour ago, and going along with this release is this very exciting (shall I even say HISTORIC) broadcast.  A broadcast that almost wasn't, but thankfully all got worked out in the end.  And no, I don't want to talk about it.  It still stings a little.  Music world politics messing with our fragile JYJ fangirl hearts.  Big meanies.  I'm just glad that after everything that went on behind the scenes, it's actually happening.  This is HUGE you guys!  HUGE!!!

So yeah, wherever you are at 7PM KST, stop what you're doing and watch this showcase!  Even if it's at 3am like it is for me.  uhhhh...yeah...Junsu love, I will most certainly try my best to be there baby.  I've got it all queued up on the phone ready to go so I'm not blurry-eyed searching for a link at 3am.  Hoping for the best!  Also hoping for a recording later in case I miss the live show.  But I sure hope I don't miss the live show.

Want a little taste of what is to come?  Have you seen the new video that just came out?????  I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love him in this video.  Junsu's dancing is just so...so...so...yeah.  So very very yeah.  I love it.  I can't get enough of it.  There's just something about the way this boy moves.  It's no secret who my bias is, but even I have to admit the great appeal that Jae's fellow group member possesses.  And after watching something like this video, I really appreciate the vast talent held within JYJ (and the former DBSK - AKTF/Cassie4lyfe!).

Okay, enough of my chatter.  Who wants to listen to me drone on when there's fresh JUNSU offerings to partake of???  It's all good guys - I totally get it.  HAWT NEW JUNSU coming up!!!  I promise, it's Incredible!  ;)



Have a wonderful Monday and an XIA-cellent week!  (yeah, I know it doesn't work perfectly, but just roll with it - I'm trying here).

Harmonious Sounds {Monday Morning Therapy with Dongsaeng}

Recently I've been listening to the soothing and soul-mending sounds of my favorite guys singing acapella and other harmony-heavy tunes.  Being a pseudo-musician myself (you know, I was like in choir and stuff in high school hahaha), I have an affinity for acapella and harmonious music.  It really does just speak to me and calm my troubled heart.  Or my untroubled heart.  It's good anytime really.  I don't mean to pigeonhole it into something when the application can be all-encompassing and a great deal more vast than our occasional emo moments.

Right now I'd just like to take a moment and direct you towards some lovely music.  Some is acapella, some not, but all have been playing recently around here and so I thought I'd share.  Because they're pretty.  And we could all use a little more pretty on a Monday morning.

I'll start with some old school DBSK/TVXQ when they were still together.  What I wouldn't give to see these 5 perform live once again.  If I had a bucket list, it would be at the top.  Their voices are just amazing together and go straight to my heart.  I'm only going to post links to these since they aren't "official" vids and that's just my thing.
 
Hug


Why Did I Fall in Love with You

Somebody to Love

Whatever They Say  (in this one, Jaejoong is sporting the craziest hair I've ever seen him sport - I love it in a weird way!)

10 Minutes of more DB5K acapella

and, probably the most beautiful, harmonious song ever by my favorite former 5 - Love In the Ice.  This one has been playing on repeat for days on my phone.  It's been my song of the week and so it's only fitting that I share it.

In addition to the acapella, I've been introduced to some cover songs by group Lunafly.  Do you know Lunafly?  This trio of very talented young men debuted last year.  I'm a bit Yun biased personally, though Sam's accent is killer.  Their own music is wonderful, but these cover songs have been amazing to listen to as well.  Here are a couple few of my favorites



Okay, so I hope these help you get started this morning and give you a lift and/or a boost.  May your week be wonderful and full of beautiful harmonious sounds.  Thanks for stopping by!

Unnie's Wednesday Write Up: The Girls of KPop

Frankly, I don't know what to talk about today guys.  I have been super busy these last few weeks, maybe you guys have been too, maybe not.  The school year is winding to a close here in the Northern part of the Midwestern US.  My kids are moving in on their last 10 days of school, which means school projects, field trips, report cards, testing, spirit days at school.  Which has seriously put me behind in my drama/reality show watching time.  Sigh.  It's so hard to be me.  {{I don't actually expect you to believe that.}}  But while I have been running here & there & helping my kids finish up their school years, I have been listening to a lot of K Pop.  It's really the only thing that is keeping me going right now.  And lately I have been streamlining the girl groups.  I may not have a lot to talk about today but I can leave you with a taste of what I am listening to lately.  I would love to hear who your favorite girl groups of K Pop are to listen to.  Do you even bother with the girl groups or are you all about the hot guys?  If you have some more fun, light hearted, get you up & moving girl group songs to listen to I would love suggestions.  Of course, below are just a few of my favs, but it gives you a taste of what I like, which as we all know; I will listen to anything & everything.  Suggest away guys!  I have an open mind!  I hope you guys have a great week.  See you in my review.

Saranghamnida,



The perfect getting ready for summer music, keeps this Unnie focused & On Task for her crazy family & helps her to handle the withdrawals from K Dramas.

The Girls of KPop:




























<


That ought to get you going...have a great week guys. Love Me! ^_^

Here She Goes Again {Monday, er, Tuesday Morning Therapy with Dongsaeng}

Over the weekend I developed a new crush.

Obviously, the groundwork was laid beforehand, but this weekend was when it all came together and BOOM, crushville!

Who has caught this ahjumma's attention this time?  I'll give you a clue.  It's not just 1 person, but 7.

When I first met them they were these funky, weird pirates and I was kind of just like "meh".  At some point they were also these rival gang members I think?  Other times they have been gushed over by several friends and their pictures plastered all over my screen.  Through all of that though, I somehow managed to just turn a blind eye.

Then something in me clicked over the past week or so.  I found myself playing the "pirate" song.  Over and over.  For days.  It was my go-to song.  I then did something that I haven't done in a long time - I put on an internet radio station.  Most of what I heard was music that I already own (hence the long break I've taken from this particular form of music deliverance), but then a few new ones snuck themselves in there.  One of which was a song from these 7 guys that I hadn't heard before.  And I loved it.  And then, click.  It happened.  It finally dawned on me that, "hey, there's gotta be something here.  I think I really like these guys."

After that it was a bit of discovery work before finally coming clean to my already-obsessed friends.  Once the cat was out of the bag, a flood of pictures, music, and information started coming my way.  I have the best enablers ever I must say.  Anywho, so I started to listen to lots of music.  I started learning who was who.  Then I started the ever-important process of choosing a bias.  After watching this interview, I got it.  My bias that is.  Anyone want to guess?

First I should probably ask if you've figured out who my new crush is.  If you clicked on the link above, you have.  If you call yourself a BBC, you probably have, though I know I have been slightly vague, so if you didn't, it's okay.  I won't tell BBC headquarters and make you turn in your membership card or anything.

Okay, class, all together, let's say who we think it is out loud.  Ready?

Go.

{I feel like there should be a dramatic drum roll or something here.  Insert in your imaginations a dramatic drum roll, please.}

If you answered BLOCK B, you are correct!  {Now insert into your imaginations balloons and confetti dropping dramatically from the ceiling and a lot of cheering and clapping.}

I really like their sound.  Most of the time.  There's one or two in there that I'm not too fond of, but they're still young yet, so I'll let it go.  They are getting better with time, so I have high hopes for them.  You know, if they manage to stay together.  I sure hope I didn't just stumble into another DBSK/JYJ thing here.  I have a tendency to do that.  Well, I did it once if you want to consider that a tendency.  And that one happened for me a couple of years after the break-up so...you know...doesn't totally count.  Honestly, as I am still new, I really can't even tell you for sure what is going on there with the Block B sitch.  I heard about it as it was happening, but since I wasn't in to them, I didn't pay a whole lot of attention.  I know that they were fighting their management company legally and that lots of people were freaking out because that's just how the DBSK mess started.  I haven't heard much since then.  I am assuming that all activities of theirs are still at a stand-still.  I could look it up I suppose and actually be informed before I talk about it.  I didn't mean to bring it up though, it just kind of slipped out.  Okay, okay...my OCD senses are tingling and I can't let it go.  BRB.

Alright, I'm back.  And here it is, the Cliff Notes version.  I was wrong, it isn't their management company that they're fighting, but their agency.  Some of the complaints lodged against the agency are serious, like a whole ton of money being stolen by a MIA CEO.  And the fact that they also have not been paid in like a year.  Wha???  If you want to read it for yourself, here's a link.  Agency

A couple of days after the announcement of the lawsuit was made, another story came out about a couple of the members removing "Block B" from their Twitter IDs.  You can read that one as well if you so desire.
What the Tweet?

The latest news (at least on allkpop) is that last month they quietly celebrated their 2nd anniversary.  And yes, sad to say, the legal battle continues and activities have ceased.  Quiet

Now, I'm all depressed.  I was so excited but now I'm very worried that all my excitement will be for naught.

And it begs the question...

Okay, what this pity party needs is some music to cheer us up.  Here are some videos from Block B for us all.  We have to end on a positive note and not be all mopey.

Now, I'm about to throw a lot of videos up here.  Some will be the official videos.  There's one that is the dance version.  Then there are some from various music programs.  Watch all, watch some, it's up to you.  I just wanted to make things easier by having a whole selection here for you.  There are more online obviously, but I think this will get you off to a good start at least.

Since the list is extensive, I'll go ahead and say goodbye now and then leave you to it.  Hopefully I was able to spread some Block B love here today.  Even if it's Tuesday and not Monday, I wanted to help start your week off with maybe a new sound, or for those that aren't new to Block B, a sound that you hopefully enjoy.  Have a wonderful week!  I will be back with some Nine reviews at some point.  I'm like an old jalopy (car) with these reviews.  I get started and then stall.  Start again.  And stall again.  Sorry.  Seriously life can be a major spoilsport when it gets a hankerin' to be.  I'd just like to point out that I used both "jalopy' and "hankerin" right there.  That's my cue to exit.  When the inner hick starts coming out, it's time to go.  Go watch some dramas or something.  Y'all come back now, ya here?



 
P.S.  Did you think that I forgot to tell you my Block B bias?  Hahaha.  Nah, just wanted to see if you were still paying attention and stretch out the suspense all dramatic-like.  If you've come this far though, I suppose you have earned some resolution to the suspense.  And it is.....

...






...






...







...







....

B Bomb

  (though PO and UKwon sure are trying hard for the honor as well)

I even created a Pinterest board for the BBC in me.  That's when you know it's really serious.

Let's Give this a Serious Go {Monday Morning Therapy with Dongsaeng}

Hello and good day to you all!  How have you been since we were last together?  My apologies for once again falling off the blogwagon.  I spent a good deal of my week doctor hopping trying to get to the bottom of whatever this is that is keeping me from my daily life, including time here with my favorite addicKts talking about my favorite things.  Time not spent whiling away a day or two in transit and waiting rooms was spent sick in bed and/or playing catch up for the time spent sick in bed.  Life is fun sometimes, isn't it?  I don't mean to complain, really I don't.  This is neither the time nor place, nor is it really in my nature to be all gloomy.  So my apologies if that's how it comes across.  No, I just want you to know that the reason I've been kind of missing in action a lot lately is all because of me, not you.

Before I get started officially, I wanted to send a quick cryptic message to one of our most favorite and special readers.  Not even sure if she'll see this or not, but on the off chance that she does, we just want our dear friend to know that we are thinking of her and sending out all the love we can as she faces a heart-breaking loss in her life.  See, being a friend of TCA has its benefits.  You can get cryptic messages written just for you.  Membership has its benefits, no?  ;)

Now for the main show.  Since I slacked off last week, I didn't get to share these with you personally.  I'm sure they're not new by any means to you anymore and I'm incredibly late to this party.  Like embarrassingly late.  Well, like a week late I suppose.  I lost my invite and got the day wrong and now I'm standing on your doorstep with a bag of chips in hand ready to party.

What did you all think of GD's newest video, Michi Go?  Personally, while I liked it and watched it repeatedly, it's not my favorite ever of his.  It is fun and catchy though, even if a wee bit repetitive and kind of jarring if you're not in the right frame of mind (or maybe age bracket).  Still, it's GD.  I am hopelessly under his Dragony powers.  Sigh.  Even if there were many close-up shots of giant feet getting picked at.  Gag. (I have a foot thing, don't mind me).  And what a special surprise to see YG hyung Se7en make a cameo appearance.  It was like seeing a ghost from beyond the grave - you know, the military service grave.  Since Se7en is now serving his MS time and all.  Ah, Se7en...you and I have some major catch up to play in the next two years before you come back.  I look forward to getting to know you better so that I am all ready to welcome you back properly.



Another video that came out was SHINee's Why So Serious.  Okay.  So I have a choice to make here.  Do I tow the Shawol line and gush about how awesome this song and video are, or do I tell you what I really think, thus possibly alienating some?  After all, I think we all know how "passionate" netizens can be.  And yes, by "passionate" I do indeed mean "batcrap crazy".  Since this isn't a normal "fan" site though, I think we can all be mature enough to discuss this like rational human beings, right?  Well, let's give it a shot.



I love and adore SHINee.  I love their music.  Musically they are probably my number 2, right behind Big Bang.  Their music always makes me smile.  It makes me happy.  But this song from the onset bothered me.  A lot.  Just the concept of it.  Okay, more specifically, the title.  "Why So Serious".  Really?  We all know that GD ripped that one off of the Joker first for Crayon.  You hear that phrase and can't help but think of Crayon.  I'm sorry.  It's just true.  You can't deny it.  This bothers me because it then makes it seem like SHINee (read "SM" as I don't point fingers at the artists in this case) is just hoping to ride the GD wave of success.  It makes them seem like cheap copycats when in fact, they definitely do not deserve that.  They are in their own right absolutely amazing and deserve to be recognized for their originality and talent.  This just leaves a bad taste in the mouth that I don't like to see attached to a group I adore so much.  And let's talk numbers.  Now, I don't know all the ins and outs.  I'm absolutely 100% positive that this decision was not made lightly or happily.  I know that if they had seen a way around it, they certainly would have gone for it.  But the fact still stands that it just feels so wrong that Jonghyun was not in the video.  If you will recall, he was recently injured in an automobile accident.  Due to his ongoing recovery, he was unable to appear in the video.  Now, I am not a callused monster.  I am very glad that he is resting and recovering.  I certainly don't want to see him come back before he is all better.  We've seen how that goes in the past with people (actors, singers, what-have-you) being sick or hurt and returning back to work far too soon and just making their health worse.  I am glad he is taking the time he needs to get better.  And if that meant missing shows and appearances and the like, I wouldn't have any bit of problem with that.  But a video?  Again, I'm sure there is a very good and valid reason behind it, but it just doesn't sit well that an entire music video was shot without one of the members.  Was there really no way of delaying it just a bit?  A show/performance/appearance is one thing, but a video?  A video lasts a long, long time.  It's not like he's gone for 2 years doing his MS.  He hurt his nose.  Unless, of course, his injuries are more serious than they are letting on.  I suppose that's always a possibility.  I won't even give voice to the other thoughts swirling around in my head about what could be going on behind the scenes.  I will just assume that what we are hearing is the truth, the full truth, and nothing but the truth.  If that's the case, well, then, it seems odd that they couldn't wait a bit longer for him to recover before shooting and promoting.

Now, despite all of that, let me just make clear that I still like the song, these two things excepted.  It's cute.  It's catchy.  The four boys did a great job.  I liked that they were dressed better and that their clothes and appearances were less distracting.  So the video isn't entirely memorable (except for the glaring missing member), but it's not bad.  Lots of close ups of cute boys singing.  For most Shawols, we don't ask for much more than that, do we?  In the spirit of full disclosure, I should mention that I am not like most Shawols.  While I love the music, I'm not all fangirly for SHINee.  I don't know why and I don't know if this is a permanent affliction (I have decided that Onew is my bias, at least for now, but I'm still not gaga for any of them in that way), but I'm okay with it for now.  In fact, I'm actually quite pleased to like a group solely for their musical product and not all the rest of it.  I'm good with it.  I'm great with it.  Sorry if that makes me the odd-one out.  I don't know if I can legitimately call myself Shawol.  I don't even have a SHINee Pinterest board.  I know, right???  Crazy that.  So for me, I was kind of just meh on the whole video.  I can tell you however, that my full Shawolic friends were CRAZY for it.  Taemin especially was getting a lot of love from them, the true Shawols.  And Minho.  And Key and Onew too.  They appreciated all the screen and sing time that Taemin had.  Cool.  I'm happy they were happy and I am therefore going to assume that this was pretty much the case and consensus across Shawoldom.  So congrats boys on another great release!  I look forward to hearing the rest of the album.

SHINee's been busy promoting their new album on the airways.  Here are three performances on the major music shows from the past few days.  As an extra bonus, the Music Core and Inkigayo both also feature the song SHINe in addition to Why So Serious.

Music Bank 26 April

Music Core 27 April

 Inkigayo 28 April


And finally, before I sign out, just a quick note about GD's on-stage injury during his first Osaka concert over the weekend. It's supposed to be a minor injury and he's supposed to be just fine. I hope that is truly the case and he makes a full and speedy recovery. Lots of love to both he and Jonghyun! Be careful out there guys - your fans hate to see you hurt!

Have a great week addicKts!  Thanks for stopping by!

Oooh! Shiny! {Monday-Was-a-Holiday Morning THERAPee with Dongsaeng}

Time for this week's Monday Morning Therapy.  We're going to ignore that it's actually Tuesday.  See, yesterday was yet another Monday holiday here in the States (President's Day).  This meant that the kids were out of school and the husband was off of work to round off his 5 day weekend, so we went out and partied all day.  Movie, candy store, mall and Grandma's house.  What a day, ay?  Notice how there just wasn't any room for blogging there?  :(  Sad, but true.  So, instead, you get to start off your Tuesday with me.  Hopefully for many this is your first "work day" of the week like me, if not, well, then, you know, Tuesdays can be rough like Mondays sometimes.  And even if not, any day is a good day for a little something SHINY.

Or, shall I say, SHINee???

That's right!  SHINee released their new album last night.  Now, I haven't even heard this yet, that's how new it is.  If you're a Shawol, you've PROBABLee heard it a million times after staying up late waiting ever so PATIENTLee for its release (I heard rumor that it was a tad TARDee in its arrival, but don't have confirmation on that and would hate to start such UGLee rumors).  There are two versions of the video that I'm going to include here - the official video and then the dance version.  Which do you prefer?  Let us know (enter shameless plug for validation here).



And with that I'm going to leave you for today.  I don't really have much to chat about, especially since I am just barely awake and the old gray matter is still dozing off up there.  Have a fantastic week.  And to those waiting for my FBND ep 12 review, it's on its way and will be here.... oh well, would you look at the time.  I gotta run!  ;)  Thanks for stopping by!  <3

More Baby Love {Monday Morning Therapy with Dongsaeng}

Good Monday morning.  It is indeed a fabulous Monday.  I have a monster headache that kept me up a lot of the night and a Little Popper home for day 2 of a stomach bug.  But, I will not let that get me down or sway me from coming here and sharing some love with you all to help you through your Monday as well.  No siree!  You're going to have to do better than that Monday!  (*Please note:  Just so we're clear, Monday, this is not me issuing you a challenge.  I know the force of destruction you are capable of.  I would never be so foolish as to tell you to "come at me bro".  I am merely trying to portray a stiff upper lip for my dear readers.  Please, for the love of all that is good in this world, please go easy on me.  Just let me maintain some of my dignity and street cred, even as I cry "uncle" in your wake).

Okay, so let me just get the obvious out of the way first for today and give you proper warning.  It's going to be yet another Jaejoong related post.  You're either cool with that and cheering or groaning in despair and clicking the little x to shut me up.  Hey, what can I say?  It's just been a Jae kind of month.  First with the single track pre-release of "One Kiss", followed by the release of his first solo album "I" and MV, "Mine".  After that it was his birthday and then his fan meet/mini concert.  Toss in the fact that he's the world's most gorgeous creature and you can see why he's come up a lot lately here.

Forgive me for a moment while I just have a mini rant.  Mini.  Not big.  I have to get this off my chest though because it has really been bothering me.  I just want to know why, when he has topped the charts for 2 weeks now, why he has not been able to appear on television music shows like Music Core or Inkigayo?  Okay, that's a rhetorical question there.  I know why.  And it really infuriates me.  It's so not fair.  I know that no one that can do anything to change it will ever read this, but if they did, I would want to let them know that it sure isn't painting them in a very good light in the world view.  Guess what Shady Dealer Dudes and Dudettes in The Industry?  Like it or not, Korea and KPop are appearing on the world stage.  More eyes than ever are turned in your direction.  You think that things like this won't go unnoticed or ignored?  We see what's happening.  We don't like it.  We can't do much about it, but for being so image conscious when it comes to public appeal, you're screwing up here.  It's wrong and petty and needs to just end.  Now.  No, not now.  Yesterday.  No, not yesterday either.  4 years ago.  LET IT GO!  Move on.  Let these young men continue unhindered in their careers.  As their popularity increases, it just makes you look worse.  They've paid the price for their audacity to stand up for themselves.  No, you know what?  For the sake of argument, let's say they were 100% completely in the wrong (they're not, but let's just say that).  Even if they were 100% in the wrong 4 years ago for breaking away, ...seriously?  4 years later we still have to be playing these childish games?  Guess what?  These 3 guys aren't going away.  They are not fading into obscurity as you hoped.  They're here, they're loved by many, and they're going to keep finding success despite your petty attempts to stop them.  Let. It. Go.  Chill.  Move on.  Enough is enough. Rant done.

Ahem...sorry, where was I?

Ah yes, the marvelously talented, impeccably beautiful, Perfect Personified, Kim Jae Joong.

As I mentioned, he held a two day fan meet and mini concert in celebration of his first solo project as well as his 27th birthday over the weekend.  Now, I'm a stay-at-home-mom.  I didn't have the luxury of attending it myself obviously (trust me, you would have known if I had been there as I would have never shut up about it...ever), but others did and they scored some fancam moments.  A quick little search of our addicKtion lifeline/dealer, aka YouTube, nets some lovely gems.  Today's prescription will be some doses of clips from this event.  Take as needed and repeat as many times as you want in a 24 hour (or longer) period.




This is a cute little clip where Jae calls Junsu while on stage. Cute! My understanding, and correct me if I'm wrong here, is that this is from the first night and on the second night he called Yoochun. These three...seriously so adorable! I just love them all.

P.S.  Yes, there are plenty of other videos available out there of other songs from the album.  But since I love him so much and want to support him in whatever tiny ways I can, I'm only going to include the two songs that are already publicly available.  Hate me all you want, but there it is.  Which reminds me...I'm hoping for a very special package to arrive anytime now!  My album and JJ poster is on its way.  My fellow Jae-obsessed friend already had hers delivered on Friday, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it is going to be in my little hands and ringing in my lucky little ears very, very soon.  Today would be great.  Would really help perk up this Monday, don't you think?

And that's it for me today.  The headache is demanding no more screen time from me at the moment.  I hope that you all have an absolutely wonderful Monday and week.  May your day and week be filled with great dramas and toe-tapping music.  May a smile spread wide on your face at at least one point in your day.

 

Dangling the Carrot {Monday Morning Therapy with Dongsaeng}

I know I've teased you with this before, but today?  Today I mean it.  Honest.  Cross my heart.  Pinky out and ready to seal the deal.  Today's post will be blissfully short.  You know by now maybe that I tend to ramble.  And babble.  And go on and on and on and on and on....  But today I have some catch up to do.  See, I didn't finish my reviews last week (GASP!) so I'd like to spend my blogging time today righting that wrong.  The injustice of it all and all.  Too bad too because, wow!  Did I ever have something spectacular to talk about today.  Oh well.  Guess it will just have to wait.  (*snicker snicker* Do you think anyone bought that?).

I do have a little to share though for our weekly dose of Monday Magic Cure-All meds.  I had hoped to put this up last week but it didn't come out until late that night.  So yes, it's been out a week and maybe, just maybe you've already heard it, but just in case....  Did you know that Jaejoong of JYJ released a track from his upcoming solo album last week?  The song is called One Kiss and it's from the Mine album, which is set to be released on the 17th of this month.  This song is amazing.  Granted, I am incredibly biased, but still, amazing.  It's a departure from JYJ's normal more, oh I don't know, R&B style?  This one is rock.  Oh yeah.  Jae goes rock.  And I love it.  Ever so much.  The first night the song came out I listened to it on repeat all night long, my phone under my pillow.  Anytime I stirred that night, Jae's voice would lull me back to a happy and peaceful slumber.  It was beautiful.

Also last week, a teaser was released for the upcoming video associated with the album.  Forgive me for a moment here while I shock you all and say something that might be construed as negative.  Now, before you get all up in arms, I will say that the teaser did get me excited, and there were a lot of really cool things about it in those 42 seconds, but....  Is it just me or did it REEK of Twilight?    You know, as in sparkly vampires? Specifically the soundtrack for the Twilight movie?  Not that it's the same soundtrack, just the sound was a tad reminiscent of the movie.  For me.  But what do I know?  I'm just a suburban mom sitting at her desk dungeon with obviously too much time on her hands.  How about I just say this?  I am so over the whole vampire thing.  The teaser was AWESOME in a lot of ways, and I'm still so excited for the 17th (3 days BAY-BEE!), but I was a little "meh" about the vampire thing.  I have high hopes still that the video and song and entire album will totally ROCK SOCKS!!!  I am keeping the faith and trusting in my Jae, my HERO, to pull it off, even if, *shudder*, it's a vampire theme.

And there.  Done.  No really.  I am going to leave it there and get to work on playing catch up today.  You're free!  Enjoy the Jae candy and have a fantastic Monday.  May you be healthy (seriously, EVERYONE is sick right now - what the heebie jeebies?) and happy and able to chase away any of those pesky Monday blahs.  It's going to be a great week - I can smell it.

Tah tah and we'll see you next time!
Adios!

{Monday Morning(ish) Therapy with Dongsaeng} American K-Pop?

I alluded to this topic last week in my KCon report.  Today I want to delve a little deeper in to it and hopefully begin a discussion.  This may become a heated discussion.  That'd be fun.  We haven't had too many of those here before.  Okay, so we've never had one of those before.  It seems that we're pretty much always in agreement.  Oppas are hot, dramas rock even when they suck, and KPop is all that and a bag of chips.  This one maybe will spark some debate.  I normally don't like debate, but I'm really curious to get everyone's input on this one because it intrigues me as a concept.

So, when I was at KCon I attended a panel discussion with Simon and Martina of Eat Your Kimchi fame and some other people from the world of KPop.  The topic was on the rise of foreign influence in K-Pop.  One of the panelists goes by the name of "Chad Future" and is trying to break into the industry as an American KPop artist, or A-KPop.  He's not Korean.  He's not Asian.  He is a white guy that wants to be a KPop star.  Interesting, huh?  He argues that KPop is not just a culture anymore, that it is a fully developed genre in its own right and therefore the field is now open for anyone to jump right on in and call their stuff "KPop".

Hmmm.

Maybe you can well imagine the conundrum I face with this.  I too am a person of European, not Asian, descent trying to make a spot for myself in this K entertainment world.  Except it's a little different as I'm not out there calling myself a Korean blogger.  Well, not exactly.  I guess sometimes it kind of sounds like that when I explain to people that I have a blog about Korean pop culture.  I sometimes feel like one of those people that we used to call "wannabes" - you know, like the scrawny white guy who acted like he was black or Latino or something other than what he was?  It was always laughable and seemed to border on (or even cross the line fully into) offensive.  But is it?  Should we stick to our own native cultures or try to bridge the gap?

Obviously I'm all for bridging gaps.  Why can't I enjoy a certain type of program or song because of where I happened to be born?  Does me being an "outsider" invalidate my opinions?  Our world is everyday shrinking thanks to the technologies that allow us to communicate across borders and miles like never before in our history.  I have virtual friends all over the world now.  I wish I lived in a more diverse area and had the opportunity to mingle in person with many different cultures other than my own.  Yet at the same time, I can appreciate wanting to maintain ones own culture and preserve it.  Our culture is part of what defines us.  I have my own culture that I associate with - though it doesn't have much to do with my genes as much as my lifestyle.  I belong to a faith that has a very strong community and its own unique culture.  It's something that I treasure.  Not that I avoid extending myself outside of that culture, but I'll admit, it's usually easiest just to stick with the known.  You don't have to always explain yourself when you do, say, or act differently than what is considered the "norm".  I see geographical or genetic culture the same way.  People tend to stick with people that share the same culture.  It's easier and takes less effort.  It's familiar and comfortable and part of what makes us us.  But obviously we need to extend beyond those borders and share ourselves and learn about others too.  We're all part of this human race and have just as much in common as we do differences.  Probably a lot more similarities than differences.

Okay, I can see myself going down the Kumbaya road here which is not what I'm trying to do here.  We all know the rhetoric - we're all human, we should all get along and embrace each other...yadda yadda.  That's really not where I'm trying to go with this.  The real question posed here is, is KPop a genre like unto hip hop, rap, country, whatever and therefore open to any and all to participate in in whatever way they see fit regardless of where they hail from?  Or is KPop a cultural thing that should stay exclusively in the Korean community with us outsiders remaining just that - outsiders looking in?  We can look and appreciate and support to our hearts content but don't try to create a sub-genre such as American KPop?  Remember, we're not talking about a KPop artist reaching into the foreign market (though that is part of it, just not the part I'm currently focused on at this moment), but a non-Korean entering the KPop industry as a KPop artist.

Before you decide, first, if you haven't yet heard it, listen to Chad Future's song Hello.



Okay, now, if you didn't see the video and the non-Asian face, would you assume that this was a KPop song?  I think I probably would.  It sounds like KPop.  Could I distinguish this from American pop?  Well, I'm no music expert, but yeah, I think I would have to say that if I heard this without knowing anything else about it I would probably not tag it as American pop.  Is KPop unique enough and distinct enough to be a genre in its own right?  I just don't know.  I would initially argue that no, KPop is such an all-encompassing blanket term.  There's KPop that sounds like hip hop.  KPop that sounds like R&B.  KPop that sounds very pop.  It's all over the board.  One group can have an album where every song is a different genre sound.  Can something like that be its own genre?  What makes KPop Kpop?  The fact that it comes from Korea/Korean artists and is popular, or is there a specific, unique sound/quality that makes it KPop regardless of where or who it comes from?

That is the question as I see it.  And it's a difficult one to answer.  It is intriguing though and thought provoking and a question that I would suspect that we will have to answer at some point as this world shrinks more and more and the borders and bounds are constantly pulled and pushed this way and that.  We have Korean artists making English albums specifically for an American/International audience.  We have Psy breaking down barriers and getting played on American radio.  We have collaborations between American and Korean music professionals.  There are all kinds of crossovers beginning to take place.  It's only a matter of time I suppose before this A-KPop becomes bigger.  As a KPop fan, I guess I would have to say that as long as KPop stays pure to what it is, whatever that "is" is, I'll be happy.  I don't, for example, want to see Psy immediately release an English album.  Except that I loved Junsu's English album.  Ack!  Mind-bending and thought provoking!  Am I over thinking this?  Probably.  But as KPop becomes more globally recognized and appreciated, I think it will quickly become something that we think more about.  And as people like me jump into the pool and start swimming around, will we be welcomed into that pool or asked to leave?

Either way, I would hope that we will continue to respect each other and the cultural gems that we each have to offer.  And like the idea of A-Kpop or not, I would have to say that I like this guy's sound.  He was fun to watch perform at KCon.  It was cool to see people of all ethnic backgrounds up on stage with him.  He had one African-American woman singing in one song and it nearly brought me to tears that there was such a diverse cornucopia of people gathered together, singing and sharing a message of unity.  Cheesy much?  Yes, I am.  I don't think you appreciate that I really have grown up unexposed to multiculturalism and it's something that I crave for myself and my children.  I love to learn about other places, people and cultures.  I wish I was fortunate enough to have friends from all over the world surrounding me on a daily basis.  I would LOVE that!  I love all my friends regardless of where they come from, but where they come from isn't very varied where I am.  At the same time, my biggest fear of the Hallyu wave hitting Western shores is that it will become too Western and will lose its way.  There's a reason why I choose KPop over Western music.  If KPop loses itself as it tries to conform and enter foreign markets, then we will have lost something special.  Will A-KPop kill K-KPop or add another level to it?  What about Spanish KPop?  Or Indian KPop?  Where do we draw the line?  Does fusion destroy too much of the original until the original is no longer distinguishable?  Can we liken A-Kpop to say Taco Bell?  Taking an unique cultural, in this case, cuisine, and Westernizing it so much that it is no longer recognizable to its origins?

What do you think?  What is your initial reaction to the idea of American KPop?  What about when you stop to think about it?  Does your opinion change or stay the same?  Please share - I'd love to hear what you have to think about it.

And that's all the philosophizing I have for us today.  How about a little music to see us through this Monday morning?  Epik High released some MVs this weekend.  This was my first exposure to them, and I really liked this first video in particular because it was so off-the-wall bizarre and fun.  And made me think of Halloween which has always held a warm place in my heart as it is my birthday (though this year I'm hitting a milestone that I'd rather not hit, so Halloween is about to get booted out of its warm spot in my heart).  Anyway, if you haven't seen it yet, or even if you have and want a giggle to start your week off right, here's Epik High's "Don't Hate Me".



Liked that one and want to see their other new one?  Here's "Up".




Is it just me or does it have an MC Mong vibe to it in the chorus?  I was definitely getting feeling some "Circus".  Don't know Circus?  Well, here ya go.  It's an older one - pre MC Mong scandal - but was a huge hit in its day (you know, 'its day' being allll the way back in 2008) ;).



I hope those help get you through your Monday and get your week started off right.  Happy Monday and may your week be filled with wonderful dramas and good things galore!

Saranghae!

Unnie's Wednesday Write Up: KPop Breakthrough?

So I was supposed to have this up yesterday...it would seem I totally forgot it was Wednesday all day long, I kept thinking it was Tuesday still.  Usually I think I am one day ahead not repeating the same day.  So I apologize if there were AddiKts out there looking for a WWU & finding nothing.  I didn't forget you I just forgot the date.  But here it is Thursday & I am still getting you a WWU, a day late but there it is.

Last night, just before I went to sleep, a friend posted on FB that they had heard Gangnam Style on our local radio station.  I was so jealous.  Which is irrational, as I don't actually listen to local radio all that often anymore.  Usually only in the car & only on short trips.  I don't see the point of plugging in the iPod just for a run up the highway to the grocery store.  Which makes my jealousy of her hearing it & not me, irrational.  How can I hear it on the radio when I hardly listen to the radio?  I think it was because she is not the only friend to have heard Psy Oppa on the radio recently, as you all know Gangnam Style has reached viral popularity, all across the US.  Never to be left out of the fun I was determined to hear it too, while I was checking email & FB & getting some personal paperwork done (ie school stuff for the Monstrosities) this a.m., I turned on Kiss FM from Milwaukee on my computer to listen live.  After only 45 minutes there it was.  Omo!!  I felt so satisfied to hear it on local radio.  I felt like I was part of the cool group, finally!  And if you know me in real life, then you know, I am one of the least cool people around.  Just a big geek pretending or wishing I was cool.

But it got me to thinking.  What is it about Psy's song that has all of America gaga?  I honestly LOVE the song.  It's fun, it's catchy, the MV is funnier than heck, it's full of energy & of course it's Psy so that is always a + in my book.  I first started listening to Psy Oppa's music last winter after I watched the YG Family Strong Heart special Episodes.

{ROYALACES} 120327 YG Family Special on SBS... by YGSRASubs

I LOVED him the most on the show.  He was so funny & they showed video from one of his concerts & the energy level was so high I had to check him out.  What I found was sincere talent, energy, fun, humor & it was clinched the man rocks!  If you haven't been a fan of Psy until Gangnam Style you have really missed out.  He has his own Official YouTube Channel so check out his older stuff, you won't be disappointed, I promise.

Now one of my other friends today said she was kind of getting tired of Gangnam Style & I silently agreed with her but then we've been listening to it longer than most of the US.  We've been on board & fans before rapper T Pain tweeted his admiration.  And one of my other friends created a Meme for Pinterest that we all had to pin immediately...

Source: Uploaded by Bonstaceus onto Asian Music on Pinterest

Don't get me wrong I still love the song.  I still love Psy!  Two unchanging constants!  I think Psy is a musical  genius!  And this has gotten a lot of K Pop lovers very excited that K Pop seems to have broken through to mainstream US music.  Although, I don't think "broke through" is a sufficient enough term.  I think a better way of putting it would be that Gangnam Style took that line between K Pop & US Pop & blew the dang thing to smithereens!  Wasted it!  Destroyed & annihilated it!  Left nothing more than a scorch mark in it's wake!!

But do I think K Pop has truly made it's way into the US music scene?  Eh....  I'm still waiting.  Psy's song is fun & memorable, especially because of the video.  But I can see Americans still looking at KPop w/ wary eyes.  I think GS has definitely firmed the foundation for more KPop to trickle through.  But do I think America has embraced it fully?  If you judge by the fact that BigBang's 2 US concert dates sold out completely in less than an hour each, then yes.  However, then you have to remember those 2 locations LA & New Jersey, have a much heavier concentration of Koreans & Korean Americans.  I know that there are people coming from all over the US to those 2 concerts, because I am one of them.  And I know that there are people coming from other countries, including South America, to see those 2 concerts as well.  So I am in no means saying that no other races like K Pop or that a K Pop mix into the US music scene is impossible.  I think if it's going to happen it's going to happen anytime from here on out.  Because of previous  attempts laying the ground work, SuJu, GG, WG, & now Psy.  Even when Girls' Generation came to the US with their hit song, "The Boys", during their appearances on Live & David Letterman they sang it in English.  Which is great but again, that was a change I thought they could have done without.  That is not K Pop.  That is a KPop group singing in English.  I think, to date, Psy's break through has probably had the Most Power in its Punch.

KPop's popularity has reached global proportions.  And I am so incredibly happy about it.  But I want to make sure that K Pop stays K Pop.  I LOVED the fact that Psy said he would not be doing an English version of GS.  I was so proud of him!  Stick to your roots Oppa!  What makes K Pop so popular, so awesome, so distinct is that it is Korean.  Not Korean American or American.  If/When K Pop makes it here I want to know that it is in fact still K Pop.  I don't want the US music industry to change it & I don't want the K Pop artists to change their style, their sound or soften their stance on what they are willing to do.

I think with more & more Americans like these two crazy ahjummas pitching K Pop & introducing it to people little by little they will open their ears & hearts to the K Pop Phenom.  They are just so uncomfortable w/ things that are different.  Change & differences make them nervous because it is so unknown.  And while I would hope in today's world, we would finally be getting past that kind of prejudice this proves that fear is still there.  So my fellow AddiKts it is up to us to kindly & lovingly educate the English world to understand that music is still music no matter language it is heard in.  Music is mathematical after all.  And mathematics are universal aren't they.  So help spread the K Pop love.  Don't be afraid to tell people you love K Pop.  Don't be afraid of what they think.  Do NOT let fear guide your choices or decisions.  Embrace the difference & educate those around to understand that it is our differences that make us interesting & unique.  IF the people in your life cannot love & accept you for all your idiosyncrasies then they are not your real friends.  Real friends love you because of your differences not in spite of them.  Unconditional love embraces all differences.  Whether it be color, language, religion or music taste. :)

This is my KPop/KDrama message for my WWU this week.  Again I apologize for being so late.  I hope you come back next week for more of my viewpoints.  No idea what I'm going to talk about yet.  Mostly because I have no idea what weird path my brain will have gone down by then.  I do know that dongsaeng & I have a couple of extra articles coming next week. We talk about Chuseok, which is September 30th this year, & we are going to do our first ever product review!  Squuuueeeeee!!!  That's right, a Korean based Cosmetics/Skin Care company contacted us & sent us free stuff so we could review it here on TCA!!!  We are so excited to say we've been using the products a month & our review for the company & it's products will go up next week.  In return they will advertise our blog on their website.  How cool is that!?!?!?!

Well have a great week AddiKts!  Sending you all lots of love & KPop...enjoy the MV below while you wait for the first of our DFR's to go up later tonight & tomorrow.  It's the latest from Changmin & Yunho from TVXQ!!!  Enjoy the eye candy & the hot beats & the awesome dancing & singing.  Unnie Loves TVXQ.


{{AND YES!!  I can AND DO like groups other than YG based groups & KHJ.  Bunch of "Smart Alecs" notice my substitute of the other A word I wanted to use there. Hmmm-mmmm...}}

Saranghamnida,