Big Bang on Yoo Hee Yeol's Sketchbook

These boys are killing me. I'm loving this comeback like crazy and I can't wait for the rest of their singles to drop.

Meanwhile, they guested on Yoo Hee Yeol's Sketchbook for the first time ever and continued to slay my feels.

When they came out in all their 2006 glory and introduced themselves as they would have 9 years ago, I was already a ball of feels. And then they had to go and do this beautiful rendition of "Lies" that had me screaming "YAAAASSSS!"

Aside from giving us a glimpse of the past, they boys also did several of their current and semi-current hits.

Here's the full talk segment of the show with English subtitles. Man, I love fans who sub videos for the rest of us who would've otherwise waited for KBS World to release the subbed episode two weeks later.

Also, bonus clip of T.O.P attempting Deulgukhwa's "That's Only My World" on the show. He's overcome by his shyness though and Taeyang had to take over. Tabi is seriously the cutest thing ever.

I know their Happy Together episode has already been fan-subbed, but I need a better copy. The only one I've found was cropped and very low def. Also, I'm now impatiently waiting for their Running Man episode to come out with subtitles. The VIP in me is very much happy.

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You're not ready for this - #BIGBANGisBACK

The VIP in me is cryingscreamingflailing. Big Bang just dropped music videos for their two singles from the M Series of their Made album - "Loser" and "Bae Bae".

I waited three years for this comeback. Am I ready? Yes. And no.

"Loser" has been stuck in my head all week, ever since I found fancams from their Seoul concert last weekend. Now it will never leave. The video is wonderfully angsty and the A+ acting from T.O.P and Daesung has my heart breaking on repeat.

I'm still on the fence with "Bae Bae" but I'm sure I'll grow to love it. The video, on the other hand, is a total trip. And T.O.P just took that high on a whole different level. I'm in love with that freaking alien, God bless his soul.

Now I can't wait for their comeback stage on Inkigayo this coming weekend. May 3, was it? Kyyaaaa! Also, when are those MADE concert tickets going on sale, yo?

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My high is Epik!

You have no idea how much I love Epik High. I do, I really do. Not only are they unbelievably talented, they're also gloriously hilarious. I was lucky enough that my city was added to the list of their stops during their ongoing Epik High Concert Parade and I could not let that opportunity pass me by. And I'm glad I didn't.

The Manila leg of the tour took place last Saturday night, April 18th, in SM North's Skydome. And we had such a blast, my friends and I. Tukutz was hilarious, Mithra was awesome, and Tablo was epic. Watching them perform live was a surreal moment for me. In all of my k-pop stanning life, I never thought it was possible to get to see them live. For one, they never used to tour extensively before. Also, k-pop is huge all over Asia but the Philippines has some catching up to do. My best bet, I thought, was to try to catch them in a nearby country. So imagine my surprise when they announced a Manila date.

Singing along to Korean music is not the easiest thing. Rapping along is a whole other feat. But Filipinos love to sing during concerts and we really did try our best. And believe you me, the crowd would erupt with excited singing whenever the English lyrics came along. So was it any wonder that the loudest singing/rapping happened when Tablo dished out his own version of Taeyang's "Eyes, Nose, Lips"? Every single person in the room was singing along, the whole way through.

After watching all these concerts and coming home with sucky fancams (photos and videos), I do realize I need to invest in a better camera. My Samsung phone can only provide so much. But, nonetheless, here are some photos and videos from the Epik night that was.

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Big Bang drops tour trailer --- OMG

This is really happening! This comeback is real and I can't breathe.

First it was just that teaser poster with headless Big Bang. But then YG just up and drops a tour trailer on our laps like that's not a big deal. And duuuuude. This tour trailer is insane. It's literally the most awesome thing I've seen in years. I don't know how to deal with this, honestly. This is some Fast & Furious shit, if Fast & Furious were directed by Quentin Tarantino

The album isn't even out yet and it looks like they will be dropping singles on a monthly basis starting later this month or on May 1st until September -- so does this mean the actual album doesn't drop till September? Ugh. But in any case, the Manila leg of the Made Tour happens in the end of July, and maaaan, I can't wait.

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Big Bang to embark on World Tour, album still pending

So... Big Bang will embark on a World Tour beginning on April 25 and 26 in Seoul to promote their comeback album. Tickets for the Seoul concert dates will go on sale on April 6 and 7. Hell, even the local concert promoter has already confirmed that Manila will be one of the stops of this World Tour. The concert has been set for either July 30 or 31.

Meanwhile, no one knows when the album is actually going to be released. According to that fabulous teaser poster, it could be any time between April and September. Trust Big Bang to get sold out concerts without even dropping the album first.

YG, gimme the album. NOW.

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EXO wrecks bias lists with "Call Me Baby" M/V

I don't think I've been this excited about an Exo single since "Growl".

Exo released their second full-length album Exodus yesterday and the music video for lead single "Call Me Baby" came out today. And, man, do they slay the song. The vocals are awesome, the choreography is intense, and the music videos are on point. I'm gonna need SM to release a dance practice video. And soon.

I'm happy that there seems to be a more even distribution of lines and airtime in "Call Me Baby". We hear more from Lay and Xiumin in this new track - with vocals that are so on point that it's killing me. We also see a marked improvement in their dancing (coughCHENcough). Everyone, I feel, was given time to shine in the music video but I couldn't help but be distracted by Xiumin's energy, Lay's high notes, Chanyeol's hair, and Jongin's hips that have no chill. That's my bias list, I think. Heh.

My only real complaint is that it had nothing to do with the teasers (aside from the cities used in the teasers spelling out "Call Me Baby"). But here's to hoping they put out a video for "Exodus" where all our teaser-related questions are answered.

Can't wait for them to start promoting on music shows!

Kai and Xiumin killing this move

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So who is next?! Big Bang, Winner, iKON?

YG Entertainment has been teasing us with yet another "Who Is Next?" poster. The supposed date of comeback/debut is on April 1. That's in 2 days and we still have no idea as to who's actually next.

Like everyone else, I'm praying for a Big Bang comeback. It's long overdue. If there's anyone who needs to come out with an album, it's these 5. As a group. It's been 3 years since their last group album. Seriously. I know the members have been super busy despite not having a group album in years (what with all the solo releases and dramas and movies) but still. I need my boys together on a full-length album.

Truth be told, I am looking forward to Winner's comeback and Ikon's debut, but can they please wait until their sunbaes have had their proper comeback?

Also, I'm hoping that even though YG has a penchant for delaying releases, this is not their idea of a stupid April Fool's joke. I mean, it's not our fault for thinking this since, 1) YG is a troll, and 2) the target date is April first.

(Now watch as none of the above groups make a debut/comeback. Oh my lord, if it's someone else on their agency's roster, I'm gonna have to very effectively leave scathing comments on their website.)

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FT Island commences comeback with intense new track "Pray"

Idol band FT Island made their long-awaited comeback with a grittier and more intense full-length album, I Will, which I still have yet to download. The music video for the title track "Pray" was released on March 23 and it is everything I didn't know I wanted to see from the group.

I was pleasantly surprised by the change in their sound and I think I read somewhere that Lee Hongki had mentioned that this is the album where FNC finally allowed them to do what they want… Well then, good for them. And I can't believe this is what FNC has been blocking. I mean, listen to them! This track is glorious and I can't wait to listen to the entire album.

"Pray" sounds a lot like something One Ok Rock would produce, actually. Knowing that Hongki and the rest of the guys are close friends with the Japanese band, well, I guess the Takahiro Morita influence is apparent. And I am loving it.

I Will, FT Island's fifth studio album, was released today.

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Lee Min-ho and miss A's Suzy confirmed to be dating

I don't normally talk about celebrity gossip on here but this is too huge to be ignored. Top Hallyu stars Lee Min-ho and and Suzy Bae of idol group miss A were recently spotted by Dispatch on several dates in London and Seoul. I swear to god, Dispatch will unearth all these secrets no matter where these celebrities go to secretly date.

Just hours after the photos and the rumor went viral, both StarHaus and JYP (entertainment agencies managing Lee and Bae, respectively) confirmed that the two stars have indeed been dating for the past month. And I am beyond pleased that they did not attempt to deny or redirect the rumors. Those only make things worse for everyone involved (coughChoizaSullicough).

I'm sure there will be negative feedback from fans of both celebrities but, so far, I'm glad I haven't encountered anything out of the normal "omg my oppaaaa". And let's be real. How can you complain? Both stars are huge names and they make one helluva good-looking couple. There is that 7-year age gap but Lee Min-ho isn't that old and Suzy turns 21 this year. Shouldn't really be a problem (again coughChoizaSullicough).

Anyway, I wish them the best of luck and may they continue to be gorgeous together. #BaeLee because #Suho or #Minzy just doesn't work for me.

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My Lists: 15 favorite songs from the second half of 2014

Yes, yes. I forgot to write up my list of favorite songs for the second half of 2014. As I've said in my last post, I got super lazy last month and into the new year. So here I am, trying to squeeze this post before the first month ends completely.

As was with the first half of 2014, the second half of the year was just as kpop-filled and my playlist just kept getting bigger and bigger. And so, without further babbling, here are my 15 favorite songs from the second half of 2014.

Apink - "Luv"

Taemin - "Danger"

Super Junior - "This Is Love"

Sistar - "Touch My Body"

Winner (Mino Solo) - "I'm Him"

Taemin - "Ace"

Kara - "Mamma Mia"

BTS - "Danger"

Masta Wu (ft. Dok2, Bobby) - "Come Here"

Beast - "12:30"

GD x Taeyang - "Good Boy"

Epik High - "Happen Ending"

Hi Suhyun - "I'm Different"

Winner - "Empty"

Epik High - "Born Hater"

What were your favorite songs from 2014?

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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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BOBBY X MASTA WU X DOK2

I can't believe this is happening. I seriously can't seem to wrap my mind around this new YG hip-hop project. Mind. Blown.

Many speculations were made regarding YG's second hip-hop project. When they first announced Bobby, no one was surprised. Literally, no one. Bobby's popularity blew up when he won Show Me The Money 3. Now, he's not just YG trainee and future iKON rapper Bobby. He's SMTM3's champion Bobby.

When I was in Seoul last month, I would hear his version of "연결고리 (YGGR)" at the most unexpected places. He's everywhere. So, it's to no one's surprise that YG is milking as much as he can from the most recent man of the hour (almost quite literally, too, as he was named one of Korea's Men of the Year by GQ Korea).

As for the other two guys on the project, people were offering random guesses, most of them so far off the mark. No one was prepared for this.

Combinations criss-crossed so many ways, some of which were plausible, others not so much (like some saying that YG would troll real hard by announcing himself as the final member- HAHA!). Some offered the very obvious - and therefore not real - Bobby-Mino-B.I. Some unrealistically wanted CL on the team. I personally wanted a Bobby-Mino-T.O.P collaboration. Alas, none of these are anywhere near the truth.

Although, I read someone say that because YG announced Bobby first, that clearly meant the last two on the roster were probably huge names. And, indeed, they are. It seems Masta Wu is coming out of hiatus and all it took was some Bobby. They've also managed to take Dok2 on board.

I really shouldn't be surprised about Dok2. Many people also thought he could be a possibility. But because most also thought that a YG project meant all-YG artists, the idea of having Dok2 in the team was a pipe-dream. However, this is not Dok2's first time collaborating with a YG artist, and Bobby was on Team Dok2 and The Quiett on SMTM3, so I have no real reason to be this taken aback. But I am.

For real, December 2nd can't come any sooner. With the announcement of all the rappers on Project 2, I am officially hyped. Not sure why, but I'm hoping half of the song is in English. Also, while I'm still loving GD x Taeyang's "Good Boy", I'm hoping this new track is nothing like that one. I want an actual hip-hop record and not another club banger. Knowing Masta Wu and Dok2, it will be. I'm so ready for a really good beat.

Who's excited? Gaaahhh. And as they would say, "Put your 1llionaire hand signs up. Sorijilleobwaaaa!"

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Currently Watching: She's So Lovable, Liar Game, Mix & Match

I'm itching to get this entry out of the way because I need to get started on the finale of She's So Lovable. Also, lunch. I'm starving.

So without further ado, here are the shows that are still keeping me very busy.

1. She's So Lovable - Despite the ick factor of dating your dead sister's ex-boyfriend, I must say I'm loving this show. Krystal has definitely climbed some steps up my list of favorite idol-actors. Rain is effortlessly gorgeous. And L, though definitely the weakest link among the 3 leads, is still owning my heart. Shi-woo is such a wonderful character and I hope he survives this heartbreak and stay by Se-na's side, even as just a friend.

Although I love the show, it isn't perfect. It's far from it. There have been a lot of things that made me want to throw a rock at my screen, mainly how Hyun-wook kept his relationship with So-eun a secret for the longest time and would've actually gone all the way to Boston just to keep Se-na from finding out. That was such an ass move and I'm sort of glad Jae-young was just as big an asshole to out Hyun-wook's secret. Also, in the recent episode where Hyun-wook's father decides not to learn anything from fighting with Hyun-wook for the past 3 years and is trying to keep him away from the girl he loves. Like that's gonna keep the balance in your screwed up father-son relationship.

The finale aired last night and my download is almost complete. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to how they close the show.

2. Liar Game - Lee Sang-yoon is love. So much love. He was adorable in Angel Eyes but he's super hot in this one. Shin Sung-rok, too. And despite Nam Da-jung being my least favorite character in the drama, Kim So-eun is so pretty.

The show is intense and is getting more exciting as we move along the rounds of the game. I'm not proud enough to admit that there have been times when they talk so fast about strategy that I'm left not knowing what the hell just happened. So I have had to rewind a couple of times just to make sense of the subtitles.

Right now, I'm not loving how idealistically naive and dumb our lead girl is. Here's to hoping for some character development as the show progresses. We can already see how she's affecting Woo-jin, I only hope some of his smarts rub off on her too.

3. High School Love On - I'm one episode behind. But so far, still good. Woohyun is owning me, as usual. His heartbreak is my heartbreak and I just want to reach into the screen and give him a hug. Well, him and Sungyeol both. Those boys need a break, and each other. To hell with that woman who does not know the basics of being a mother. She's not being a good one to either of the boys when she'd throw Woohyun away so she can be a mom to Sungyeol. In what logic is that even remotely right?

I need to catch up on this before the new episode comes out this weekend. Since several of my shows are ending this week, I might have some time again.

4. Cantabile Tomorrow - Admittedly, I'm super behind on this show. I think I'm only midway through episode 2. So I have a lot of catching up to do. I'm hoping it gets better as it goes on. Right now, the only thing keeping me from giving up is Joo-won and his pretty hair. Oh, also Go Kyung-pyo. Sooo cute!

5. We Got Married - Jjongah couple will be the death of me. I'm really liking the slow progress between the two of them. They're not suddenly super lovey-dovey and Jong-hyun is still really awkward, but visibly less so than he was at the onset. Skinship has slowly been increasing and I love how easy Jong-hyun laughs these days. He's visibly more comfortable around Yura and he's starting to really come out of his shell. It's apparent not just during their dates but also during his interviews.

Jae-rim and So-eun on the other hand are, well, out of hand. Skinship on this end of the spectrum has been insane and Jae-rim is such a sly character. It's absolutely wonderful to watch. But then you also start to question the sincerity since they had only just met. There's no build up, no actual progress, because they started at 0 and sped right to 180 kph.

6. Mix & Match - Honestly, I shouldn't be surprised with the way YG delivered iKON's final lineup. He simply wanted to make people think it wasn't just a battle for 7th between the new guys. Which, admit it, made things a little more exciting. And I really can't complain. I voted for Chanwoo.

Sadly, I also voted for Hongseok. I think my friends were genuinely surprised that I didn't vote OT6 + newbie. I voted 2 old Team B members + Chanwoo + Hongseok. I sincerely feel like Hongseok was a victim of cruel editing, how they made him seem like someone who didn't work hard and like he didn't get along well with the original guys. Which, of course, was obviously not true based on the insane skinship he had with Bobby and Jinhwan in that adorable cuddle pile-up they had going on during OT9's sleepover. Also, he also seemed very close to Hanbin. I'm really hoping YG keeps him around.

Otherwise, I'm fine with the final members. I am such a Bobby fangirl. I absolutely love Junhoe's voice. And Chanwoo was a favorite from the start. Honestly, the best thing about Chanwoo being in iKON is the cuteness explosion between him and Bobby. Kid’s a potential hyungwhore.

Now, my only wish is for iKONTV to happen. Seriously. I need this to tide me over.

I still have several downloads of current dramas that I haven't started on. Maybe now that Lovable and Mix & Match are over, I'll have some time for them. On my back burner are Modern Farmer, Bad Guys, and Misaeng.

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iKon's official 6th member and new maknae

Well, things just got interesting. YG is making fans go crazy by announcing Chan-woo first. This makes people think it wasn’t just a battle for 7th between the new guys. I can’t complain. I voted for Chan-woo.

/Honestly, the best thing about Chan-woo being iKon's 6th member is the cuteness explosion between him and Bobby. Kid's a potential hyungwhore./

Who’s ready for tomorrow’s finale? I’m sure as hell not.

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EXO at Incheon Airport

Chanyeol, Chen, Sehun at Incheon International Airport (20141026)

Sometimes life hands you a box of chocolate. Most times, these chocolates are handed out to others and you feel spurned. And okay, fine, also begrudgingly happy for them.

I go to Korea and I get a 5-second glimpse of BTS. Meanwhile, my friend goes to Korea and right out of the plane, bam!, EXO. And she has video and photo proof. UNFAIR.

You know how long the walk is from the arrivals gate to the airport exit? That takes enough time for people to pull out their phones for a few pics and a video. You know how short the walk is from a car parked by the pavement to a salon's front door? Too short.

Can you imagine the amount of screaming I did the moment I saw her message on Kakao Talk at like, 6 in the morning? My trip was just 2 weeks ahead of hers. How does she get so lucky to be at the airport when a bajillion idols were coming home from the 2014 MBC Korean Music Wave in Beijing? I have incredibly bad timing.

Again. UNFAIR.

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Belated Mini Freak Out

So I saw BTS last week.

This is so random and I don't even have proof, but I swear to the k-pop gods I saw the boys of Bangtan last week. I was with my friend in Seoul for about 10 days and on Wednesday last week, we decided to walk around Garosu-gil before heading to Samseong-dong to meet a Korean colleague of mine.

I had turned to my friend and said, "this is the time you need to keep your eyes peeled for celebrities." My friend doesn't know a lot of Korean celebrities, she's only watched a handful of dramas, and the only k-pop stars she knows are those who have guested on Running Man. "Tell me if you see anyone who remotely looks like a celebrity," I had said.

We were in and out of shops before we stumbled upon a group of both boys and girls with gigantic DSLR cameras with lenses THIS HUGE with them. But because they were not just a gaggle of high school girls, I had easily dismissed them with a "hmmm... maybe they're a photography club."

A PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB???

It wasn't till we had walked passed them when I suddenly turned about face and said to my friend, "or you know, they may very well be sasaeng fans." And as soon as we started walking back towards the crowd a huge black celebrity van parks by the pavement and the doors open. I kept thinking to myself, "Oh my god, who is this? Who is this? Do I know them?"

With my eyes wide open, I waited with bated breath.

The first guy stepped out of the car but I did not recognize who it was. Maybe it was the group of fans right in front of me, maybe it was the crazy thumping of my heart, but my facial recognition skills were going haywire. Another boy stepped out and he had hair as bright as the sun. I remember thinking to myself, "Nope, G-Dragon isn't blond right now." I was remembering precisely the god-awful curly brown 'do he sported during Paris Fashion Week and this wasn't it. "Who's blond? Who's blond right now?"

Then it struck me. I finally looked away from the hair and moved down to the face and I immediately recognized Rapmon. I'm not the biggest BTS fan, but for the past few months their music has been on my playlist more and more and I've been repeatedly cussing myself out for thinking Jungkook is the cutest thing ever (because that kid is a baby). And so the moment I realized it was BTS in front of me, I was completely out of it. So much so that the only one I really and thoroughly saw was Rapmon. And by the time I had gathered my wits, all of the boys had already walked into Franck Provost and it was over. I didn't even really see Jungkook. I mean, I saw him, but I didn't see see him.

I was so out of breath that my friend was just laughing at me and trying to take a picture of my spazzing out. Which is why we decided to park our things at the nearest coffee shop, which happened to be Hollys Coffee. We were seated at the second floor, right near the windows, and we noticed that an event was about to take place across the street. A store opening is my guess.

There were bodyguards in suits with walkie-talkies on hand by the entrance, and several civilians waiting at the sides with their camera phones at the ready. Up at Hollys Coffee, there were several guys and girls with huge DSLRs also parked by the window. I had no idea who to expect to show up for the event.

Unfortunately, I'd never find out. As it were, we were already late for our dinner schedule as we had originally intended to go to Samseong-dong via the subway. With a disappointed heart, we cabbed our way out of Garosu-gil to head over to COEX.

But, man, what an experience. Just randomly seeing k-pop stars on the streets is not something that happens to me all the time. Or like, ever. Good times.

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K-Pop Bit #1

CNBLUE arrived in the country earlier today for their Can't Stop World Tour and Jong-hyun is looking fine. That haircut was long overdue and this new short 'do is gorgeous. I can't believe I'm not watching the concert tomorrow night.

On the other hand, I'm all set for Seoul and we leave in 3 weeks. This is what I gave up a bunch of k-pop concerts this year for. It'd better be worth it. I'm going to make it worth it.

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YG Battle Round 2: Mix & Match

Here we go again. I say bring on the tears, because why fight the inevitable?

So through the new YG-Mnet reality survival competition Mix & Match,YG will be debuting their next boy group iKON. iKON. That name sucks, but then again, Winner isn't any better a name either.

Good thing Bobby and B.I, along with eldest Team B member Kim Jinhwan, have secured spots in the group. Now it’s up to the 3 remaining members, plus an additional 3 trainees, to battle it out for the last 4 spots in the group. Sooo cruel. Which means, iKON is a 7-member group and 2 of them will not be debuting.

Good lord. These poor kids. As long as Junhoe is able to grab a spot in the group, I will shut my mouth. If not, I will cry. Seriously.

Leading up to the show's premiere (the first episode aired in Korea last night), YG released a Team B digital track called "기다려 (Wait For Me)" which is now available on iTunes. As much as I love Bobby, B.I, and Junhoe, isn’t this track too early? It’s practically nipping at the heels of Winner’s debut. Way to steal their thunder, YG. You couldn't wait until after the show for this to drop?

The last time I went through this insanity, during WIN: Who Is Next?, I swore that that was the last time. But who am I kidding? Mix & Match is now on Mnet's YouTube channel and you know I'll be watching that, even though it's unsubbed. This is going to be my downfall.

Crossing all my fingers and toes so hard that Junhoe makes it all the way. His is the only singing voice, of the 3 younger vocalists who are without a spot in iKON, that I truly love. But you know, the 3 new trainees are adorable too and they could prove to be some serious competition. This makes me nervous. Here's to hoping leader B.I won't be giving them too much trouble though.

Still... Junhoe, fighting!

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Warning: Taemin's "Danger" Ahead

Taemin dropped his debut solo music video for "Danger" late last week, and the mini album ACE followed suit just earlier today. And good lord is it everything I never knew I wanted from this kid. While last week saw mostly Winner in constant rotation on my music player (I'm still addicted to their album), looks like this week will see a massive amount of the SHINee maknae.

There are so many things to love about the album and the accompanying music video. One: the very fact that Taemin is proving to the world that he's not just SHINee's main dancer anymore and that he has very much earned the title of singer and that he deserves this. Two: that even while many complained about his going solo before Onew or Jonghyun, Taemin broke out into the solo scene with an outstanding single that is sure to rocket through all the charts. Three: Taemin is showing us that he's no longer that 14-year-old kid who loves steak and burgers and frequently loses his stuff if not glued to his hands, he's an adult (but sorry, sweetie, seeing you shirtless still makes me feel like I should be kneeling in a confessional box even though I'm not Catholic).  And lastly, that Taemin is clearly in his element, singing and dancing the way he wants to, and being able to pay homage to his idol in an obvious Michael-Jackson-inspired track via lead single "Danger." Even the music video, a few fashion choices aside, is fantastic..

Aside from the title track, each and every song on the mini album is golden and are the kind of songs I've always imagined Taemin would do were he to ever go solo. The sexy pre-released track "Ace," with lyrics penned by DBSK's Changmin, is a favorite. It throws back to SHINee's own "Symptoms" and I can very well imagine it being sung by the entire group, but nonetheless Taemin totally rocks it solo.

Taemin has already performed his new songs on several stages this past weekend, including Inkigayo, Music Bank, and a SMTown concert in Seoul. Sadly, as is the SM Tradition, these were mostly lip-synced because that's the way SM just does things to avoid mistakes during initial debut/comeback promotions. We all know that Taemin, along with the rest of SHINee, can very well hold their own during live performances. It doesn't matter how intense the choreography is, Taemin can hit those notes. So, hopefully, as we go into the second week of promotions, we get some actual live performances from it. I'm so excited for this, you guys.

I never realized how huge a fan of Taemin I was until this solo thing happened. I've always considered SHINee as one of my Top 3 k-pop boy groups, but I was never really sure of who my SHINee bias was. With this solo though, it's kind of looking like he very well might be my bias. (But then there's a huge chance I'd feel the same way if Onew or Jonghyun make their solo debuts.)

Gaaahhh. I might not be Kim-Jonghyun-level of going gaga over Taemin, but I'm pretty damn close. (I'm not even kidding with how much Jonghyun is fanboying over their maknae, this is him in a nutshell. He's been tweeting so much in support of Taemin and it's super sweet how he declared himself the president of the Taemin fanclub. I heard he cried when he first watched the "Danger" music video.) But see, we all feel like proud parents here. I might not have been there since the beginning, but after falling in love with SHINee, I've watched a boatload of videos on YouTube and got a crash course on the group. So I've seen videos of Taemin as a kid. And now he's all grown up. I'm feeling kind of verklempt right now.

Lee Taemin, fighting!

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