My Lists: 10 favorite moments from the 2014 MAMA

The 2014 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) took place last week in Hong Kong (again!) and many of our favorite idols and Hallyu stars flocked to the AsiaWorld-Arena to attend k-pop's most-awaited event of the year.

I watched the entire thing with bated breath from red carpet to end credits, and I was a hundred times thankful that they aired it live on local tv - on time and with no extended commercials (unless Mnet was airing commercials too).

While I was happy with most of those who were declared winners that night (i.e. Winner, "Some", "Eyes Nose Lips", Epik High, etc.) there were some disappoints as well (I swear 2NE1 deserved album of the year and the only reason they weren't even nominated was, well, we all know why). Nonetheless, I had a blast watching the show - all 6 and a half hours of it - and I can't wait for it to be available online for a re-watch.

Despite the lineup of artists being noticeably shorter this year, there was still a lot of fun to be had. So here are 10 of my favorite moments - both big and small - from the 2014 MAMA.

(in no particular order)

1. Last Fantasy - Aptly named a fantasy, this stage performance consisted of Ailee disguising herself as Girl's Day Minah's male dance partner. Totally cute!

2. SMTM3 Special Opening Stage - Not even gonna lie, I was beyond excited when I found out Bobby was not just going to be performing "Come Here" but "연결고리 (YGGR)" as well. Bobby hit the MAMA stage and slayed. (And Mino being all excited and proud was just icing on the cake.)

3. Battle of the Century - Indeed, it was. This Block B vs. BTS special stage was the perfect example of a battle done right. The stage highlighted the immense talent of both groups perfectly (and I'm not even a Block B fan). From their dancing (and Jimin's abs - which excited not just Girl's Day Yura and Sojin, but Winner's Seung-yoon as well), their rapping, stage presence, and overall performance skills - everything was on point.

4. IU-Mino Duet - Another star of the night was Winner's Mino, who shared the stage not just with fellow YG artists but also with this year's Best Female Artist IU. It was something I didn't know I needed in my life until it was happening before my very own eyes.

5. Media Wonderland - Seo Tai-ji made a comeback this year and I was looking forward to seeing his performance on the MAMA stage. I'm not a huge fan of "Sogkyeodong" or "Christmalo-win" but I did love his old stuff. And by old stuff, I mean his hip-hop stuff back when they were Seo Tai-ji and Boys. So imagine my shock when U-Kwon (Block B) and Jungkook (BTS) got out of their seats for a planned dance break to cue the start of Seo Tai-ji's performance of "Come Back Home". I was half expecting YG to appear on stage for his signature moves but alas, Vasco (SMTM3) and Zico (Block B) joined him instead.

6. Lee Guk-joo x Jo Se-ho - There's nothing I love more than when non-idols get the spotlight they deserve. And let's be honest, 2014 was the year of Lee Guk-joo. She's just refreshingly awesome. Also, was this the kiss Mnet has been leading us on with all this time?! LOL.

7. Mino x Song Seung-heon - Mino is hilarious. And nothing proves that more than the many shots of him from the artists' sitting area where he always had the best reactions. None of them better than when he feigned (or not?) disappointment when hottie Song Seung-heon chose to give IU his rose. Better luck next time, Mino.

8. Winner x iKON - If having Bobby and B.I sit beside the guys of Winner during award shows is a glimpse into the awesomeness of the YG Family's future, then count me in. These guys are hilarious individually, but even more so together. Simply put Bobby, B.I, and Mino together and wait for the magic to happen.

9. Kai's Dance Solo - Kai, as usual, was breathtaking. While it might take me awhile to get used to seeing EXO as a 10-member group, at least I will always find solace in Kai's dance solos. (For now?)

10. YG Family being a family - I'm just so happy to see YG Family gaining new members because it's suddenly all so refreshing. We might not have 2NE1 at the moment, and Lee Hi And AKMU were nowhere to be seen at the awards show, but having Winner and Double B around seemed to lighten up everyone's moods. Even GD seemed to be more into things this year. The GD x Taeyang stage was one the best we've seen from them in awhile. They seemed more into it and actually put a lot of effort in both their vocals and choreography. Maybe having fresh meat around is making these older sunbaes work harder than usual. Whatever it is, I'm liking it.

Epik High's performance was livened up as well by the presence of Mino, Bobby, and B.I (plus Yoo In-na!). And just seeing them all there in the audience was nice. Every time one of them won, you can see how proud and genuinely happy they were for each other. Ultimately, the night ended with a glimpse of our YG family posturing for a selfie (groufie?) with Taeyang trying to be seen from the back by jumping as high as he possibly can.

I've found I've always enjoyed MAMA stages the best, so now that it's over, I guess all I have to look forward to are the year-end music festivals from the 3 big networks. And then it's a whole year to go until the next MAMA. Hopefully, they find a new location for next year's show. I mean, Asia is a big place. Macau is done. Singapore is done. Hong Kong is done, done, and done. Somewhere new, please?

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My Lists: 15 favorite k-pop songs from the second half of 2013

Looks like the second half of 2013 was filled with a whole lot of black, white, red, and gray.

And just like that, we're in 2014. My obsession has yet to wane and I don't see it going anywhere in the next few months, so I forge ahead.

In many ways, 2013 has been a very memorable year in k-pop. There were several songs released this year that are still on my "Favorites" playlist and are still on constant rotation. As I did 6 months ago for the first half of 2013, I've listed down my favorite songs from the second half of the year that was.

Without further ado, and in no particular order, here are my top 15 favorite songs released after July 2013.

miss A - "Hush"

Kim Hyun-joong - "Unbreakable"

B.A.P - "Badman"

B2ST - "Will You Be Alright?"

f(x) - "Rum Pum Pum Pum"

G-Dragon - "Who You?"

Seungri - "Let's Talk About Love"

Jung Joon-young -"10 Minutes Before Breaking Up"

IU - "The Red Shoes"

T.O.P - "Doom Dada"

SHINee - "One Minute Back"

2NE1 - "Missing You"

Exo - "Growl"

SHINee - "Symptoms"

G-Dragon - "Crooked"

So here's looking forward to yet another year of awesome music. Ciao!

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My Lists: 11 Hallyu-related merchandise in my growing collection

I probably own more Hallyu-related merchandise than I'd care to admit, and I've probably spent way more on these things than I should have... It is an addiction that is hard to quit, but I comfort myself in the fact that at least it's not, you know, drugs and alcohol. Ha.

Just walking around Seoul - or almost any Asian city, for that matter - will bring you face to face with a whole lot of merchandise being endorsed by Hallyu stars. Even in my own city, 4 hours away from the K-Pop capital, you will see local and Korean brands alike being endorsed by these celebrities almost everywhere. In almost every mall, there will be an Etude House and a Face Shop outlet. Nature Republic and Tony Moly are everywhere as well. We have Caffe Bene and Hollys Coffee and Tous Les Jours. You'll find Shin Min-ah and So Ji-sub on huge billboard advertisements for Giordano along almost every major highway. 2PM's Nichkhun can be found on Bench billboards. Super Junior's Donghae and Siwon, alongside Lee Min-ho, are also endorsers of Bench. They're everywhere.

So, is it any surprise that my own bedroom is filled with stuff that bare the faces of these celebrities? Or, perhaps, that I own things because of its connection to a certain popstar? Well, let me count the ways... of my growing insanity.

1. JYJ/DBSK Posters - I have a friend who gives me these things, I swear. She was nice enough to let me have her DBSK Mirotic poster and to gift me with the NII JYJ poster she got from her last trip to Seoul.

2. SHINee Mouse Pad - This was free too! I got this from Etude House as a free gift for spending so much in their store. I still haven't found use for it but, you know, it's kinda nice opening my closet to find the boys of SHINee smiling brightly at me.

3. Super Show 5 Bag Tag - Again, this was free. I swear it! The tag came for free along with my concert ticket to see Super Junior's Super Show 5.

4. Random Big Bang Memorabilia - I'm starting to feel real good about myself, because again, most of these were free. The Big Bang collection cards and the Big Bang photo was given to me by the same friend who gave me the posters above. The G-Dragon bookmark I got for free off a shelf of free merchandise at Lotte Cinema in Vietnam. The only thing here I actually paid for was the Big Bang concert ticket. Ha.

5. Jang Geun-suk Notepad - I probably should be embarrassed to admit that this was one of the very first things I bought in Seoul on my first visit there about 2 years ago. It was our first day in the city and I found a store in one of the subway stations selling K-Pop stuff and I bought this and a CNBLUE one (that I brought home for my sister).

6. Miniature Pig-Rabbit - I was addicted to the drama You're Beautiful. So when I found out that an actual-sized Pig-Rabbit was ridiculously expensive for a stuffed doll, I found this miniature one (the kind you hang from your cellphone or bag) and bought it for a very small fraction of the real doll's price.

7. Baby Radish Doll - I don't even know what to do with this doll but I was in love with the drama Rooftop Prince and wanted my own Yi Gak. While it is beyond impossible to have your own Yoochun, the Radish Doll was quite easy to buy. Ha.

8. Fake Elstinko Cap - Many K-Pop stars wear Elstinko snapbacks but the person who stands out in my mind whenever I remember these caps is actress Song Ji-hyo from variety show Running Man. Both she and Haha wear these caps all the time. I can't afford actual Elstinko, but this was a very cheap knock off I got from a market in Vietnam.

9. Beauty Products  - Whether it's Jang Geun-suk for Nature Republic, SHINee for Etude House, Kim Hyun-joong for The Face Shop, JYJ for Tony Moly... I'm there. I love Korean-branded beauty products and I'm thankful that they're really affordable. I once dropped ₩100,000 (roughly $100) at an Etude House branch in Myeong-dong and came out with a ginormous shopping bag. That was last year, and I still have unopened products in my closet.

10. Big Bang's Alive EP - I actually had my friend buy this for me in Seoul last year because they didn't have it here at that time and I had to have it ASAP. Sure, the metal casing is now rusted.... But it's still kinda awesome. The album itself is awesome.

11. G-Dragon's One Of A Kind EP - I was in Seoul towards the end of last year and found this awesome store in Myeong-dong that sold all these K-Pop stuff. My sister ended up buying a CNBLUE album and some Big Bang socks (T.O.P and Daesung). I bought this G-Dragon mini-album, as well as some Big Bang socks (T.O.P and G-Dragon). We ended up getting some free cellphone charms because of our purchases.

I've been a K-Drama fan much longer than I've been a K-Pop fan, but look at all these crap I've managed to amass in the past 2 years. Good lord, can you imagine me 5 years from now? Aigoo.

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Major Lazer's Korean version of "Bubble Butt" features GD&TOP

After much anticipation, Major Lazer releases the Korean version of the Diplo produced track "Bubble Butt" which features both G-Dragon and T.O.P of Big Bang. Others who feature on the song are Bruno Mars, Tyga, and Mystic.

While I'm not feeling the song (because I've had it up to here with ass references in my hip-hop), I'm just happy being able to hear T.O.P again. It's been ages (a year or so is a long time in Hallyuverse) since Big Bang has come out with a new album and they've already announced releasing a single before the year ends. November, if I'm not mistaken. I am already beyond excited.

Meanwhile, this is not the first time artists from YG Entertainment have worked with American producer Diplo. They have already previously collaborated on tracks "Knock Out" from GD&TOP's Volume 1 album, and "Coup D'etat" from G-Dragon's most recent full-length album.

Listen to this song and let me know what you think in the comments.

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My Lists: 10 favorite Big Bang music videos

Big Bang, one of my all-time favorite k-pop boy bands, celebrated their 7th year anniversary last month and are still going as strong as ever. Maknae Seungri just released his second EP Let's Talk About Love on the same day as their anniversary and has been promoting his single "할말 있어요 (I Have Something To Say)" aggressively. And leader G-Dragon is currently in the process of releasing his 3-part solo album Coup D'etat, his second full-length project.

In celebration of the boys' hard work and ingenuity, here's a list of my favorite Big Bang music videos as of today. And by this, I mean these videos are not necessarily my favorite songs by Big Bang, since a handful of my favorite tracks don't have music videos. Rather, my basis for making this list all boils down to the music video itself. Whether I like the storyline, the choreography, the cinematography, etc. It's all about the aesthetic here. Also, this list includes music videos done by solo/sub-unit projects from the group.

1. "Haru Haru" - This song and this video is practically an institution in the Big Bang fandom. The song is an anthem, and rightfully so. Yet, no one can deny that this music video helped push the popularity of the song. In an industry where bright colorful sets and costumes dominate, this subdued video deviates from that and shows us a more sentimental and poignant side to Big Bang.

2. "Always" - Not exactly a video that would come to mind when one thinks of Big Bang, but I've always enjoyed it because it shows that playful side of the boys. Nowadays, Big Bang's image is so swagified that we tend to forget how the boys started. Watch them play around and goof off with each other around Hawaii in this fun summer video.

3. "Where U At" (Taeyang) - It's a simple video and yet it's one of their most captivating. It's Taeyang plus two dancers (choreographers Shaun Evaristo and Lyle Beniga) dancing in an alley - or rather a studio set made to look like an alley. How much simpler can it get? But watch and allow the awesome choreography, and Taeyang's precise execution, to blow your mind.

4. "Wedding Dress" (Taeyang) - Okay, for one, the choreography is awesome. This is yet another work of art by choreographer Shaun Evaristo. And we all know Taeyang is an amazing dancer. But also, everyone who has ever seen this video will know what I'm talking about when I say, "How is it possible for two guys to want to propose marriage to the same girl? Are they both dating her at the same time?" Kidding aside, show Taeyang some love and watch this video. He sure needs it. And maybe a hug, too.

5. "Baby Goodnight" (GD&TOP) - I like artsy music videos that give us symbolism and euphemisms, and this GD&TOP music video gives us exactly that. Plus, it also plays with imagery. Right when you think the boys are trying to get it on with their respective ladies, they switch it up on you and show you that they're actually being really sweet and gentlemanly. Never mind that the boys end up sexually frustrated, it's still awesome.

6. "Tonight" - I'm not sure what it is about this video that lures me in. Maybe it's the bright lights of Las Vegas. Maybe it's how sexy Daesung is looking in it. Or maybe it's broody T.O.P - but then again, that's his default... I'm really not sure why, but I really like this video. And the song too. Damn, Daesung's hot.

7. "Bad Boy" - Excluding the obvious "it was shot in New York City babyyyyyyy," this video is gorgeous. My NYC-addiction aside, what I love most about this video is that it has that perception of being a one-shot film, when it's obviously not. It just feels like it is with the way everything was seamlessly edited together, with the guys flowing from each other's scenes so effortlessly, and then coming all together to do the dougie. Or 5 different versions of it, at least.

8. "Monster" - Dark and brooding, that's the feel of this music video. Not everyone liked it, but I did. The storyline is not as clear cut as some would've liked, but my take on it is simple. The 5 guys are projects of some government agency or secret organization and they were mutated, hence monster. But maybe the organization realized their mistake and wanted to hide all evidences of the monsters they've created and so they start setting explosives to the lab from which our monsters now try to escape. "I love you, baby. I'm not a monster."

9. "That Xx" (G-Dragon) - On paper, the song seems quite straight forward. It's GD singing about a girl who's blind to the faults of her lover. He cheats, he doesn't care about her, and everyone knows about it except the girl. Friends warn her about him, but she's just blindly in love. And GD wishes she'd realize this and go to him instead. But in the video, towards the end, we see that the man the girl is with is GD himself. So now it changes our take on the song. GD isn't just singing about some random asshole the girl is dating, he's singing about himself being the bastard and hoping the girl would smarten up and leave him. Which, in the video (but not the song), she does.

10. "Crooked" (G-Dragon) - This is GD's newest single and music video, and I made this list specifically with this video in mind. The song may not be as catchy as all his other songs, but I'm sure after several more listens, it will be. The video though... it's beautiful. GD fancies himself a punk youth in England, roaming the streets of London. Going to bars, starting fights, running down alleys... letting us know how pained he is. I'm not sure how much of the song translates into the video, but nonetheless, its aesthetic is undeniably pretty.

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