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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Hallyu Surfer's Year End Awards - Music Edition

Ack. I had promised myself to complete the second half of my Year End Awards before last week ended but things got crazy and will only get crazier the closer we get to the holidays. So, before the crazies get in the way of my blogging, I'm here to cap off my Year End Awards with more high school yearbook award titles to hand out to our favorite k-pop artists of 2013.

Without further ado, dim the lights, here we go.

MUSIC AWARDS

Most likely to win the lotto, but lose the ticket - Lee Taemin (SHINee)

Aside from being an awesome dancer with killer vocals to boot, this SHINee maknae is also known for his infamous "magic hands" (stop it with your dirty minds, haha). This boy has been known to easily walk away from a broadcast station with mic still in hand, lose his train tickets (twice in the same day!), misplace his passport, and once even returned to Korea bare-footed because he lost his shoes overseas. Can you imagine how fast that lotto ticket is going to go missing?

Most likely to be president - Bang Yong-guk (B.A.P)

Bang Yong-guk for Prez! If only because I'd love to hear the Presidential Address in Yong-guk's signature full bass voice. Also, I'd gladly point out his attempt on social commentary via single "Badman" - about which he, allegedly, had this to say: "I wanted to bring awareness. I feel that there are so many big issues that we should not forget about yet we forget them so easily. I felt that no one else would convey these messages about society if we didn't do it."

Most likely to take over the world - G-Dragon (Big Bang)

He's almost there, isn't he? With endless mentions of Big Bang's leader and rapper in Western media (whether for his music or his fashion), he's probably one of the more recognizable names in k-pop. Once the rest of the world realizes what we hallyu-starved crazies have (that k-pop is not just the amusing novelty of a chubby Asian man doing the horse dance across Seoul to a satirical song about the city's upper crust, with all due respect to Psy coz he's awesome but is not the be-all and end-all of k-pop), you best believe G-Dragon will be leading the pack of Seoul-based artists to really export Korean music, fashion, and cutting-edge trends to anyone else who cares to pay attention.

Most likely to be a Premier Footballer - Kim Junsu (JYJ)

Is there any doubt that were Xiah Junsu not a super successful pop star cum musical actor he'd be a professional football player? Nope. As a soccer enthusiast and captain of the South Korean celebrities soccer team FC MEN, fans have been lining up to watch him, not only on stage, but on the pitch as well.

Runners-up: Kim Hyun-joong (SS501), Yoon Doo-joon (B2ST)

Most likely to win an Oscar - Im Seulong (2AM)

Aside from having a gorgeous voice, 2AM's Seulong has also enjoyed quite an acting career. He started on the small screen in a character role in the drama Personal Taste and has since been in several dramas and movies, for which he has been consistently getting good reviews. In 2012, Seulong won the acting rookie award for his film debut in 26 Years. For his role in the recent drama, The Fugitive of Joseon, Seulong received overwhelmingly good comments, even having overshadowed the drama's lead actor.

Runner-up: T.O.P (Big Bang)

Most annoying but loved - Seungri (Big Bang)

Despite being a rabid Big Bang fan, there are still those days when Seungri will inevitably make my eyes roll at his sheer ridiculousness. At times annoying, most times endearing, there's a reason why GD keeps a tight leash on this kid. How very fitting then that his Twitter bio is a short reminder for him to rein it in a bit, especially on social media: "Once the tweet goes out, it cant be taken back kkkk."

Runner-up: Hwang Kwang-hee (ZE:A)

Most changed since freshman year - Park Bom (2NE1)

It doesn't take a cosmetic surgeon to tell you that this isn't Park Bom's natural face anymore. We've witnessed her transformation from way back when she was still a YG trainee being featured in Big Bang's music video to 2NE1's own debut, and her transformation has been a little short of distracting.

Best Hair - Hyoyeon (SNSD)

One of the things that makes k-pop so damn attractive is that they are not afraid of colors, and I love it. So is it any surprise that I'm a fan of the ever-changing hair colors of all our idols? And when Hyoyeon rocked the multi-colored streaks on a blond base (also seen on the many Forever 21 ads that I love) during their promotions for "I Got A Boy," I had a mini freak out. It was glorious.

Best Couple - Trouble Maker

Trouble Maker made a comeback this year, and boy were they sizzling in the video (and the many stage performances that followed). Despite the questionable chemistry, the very fact that they even dared to go this far in a k-pop video was refreshing. In a society that boasts of its modernity and yet clings hard to its conservative roots, the culture that bore k-pop can be quite confusing. We like our idols sexily hip-thrusting to Western-influenced EDM music but God forbid they hold hands with someone of the opposite sex. So, for me, the endless skinship between B2ST's Hyun-seung and 4Minute's Hyun-ah was not just sexy, it was a bold statement that I've been waiting to hear since I started listening to k-pop.

Runners-up: Taemin-Naeun (We Got Married), Key-Eunji (We Got Married), GD-Hyungdon (Infinity Challenge)

Best Teacher - JYP (KPop Star)

Say what you want about Park Jin-young and his endless technical ramblings about half-air-half-sound vocals, scales, and whatnot, but when he pointed out on the first episode of KPop Star 3 that Han Hee-jun (of American Idol fame) not only sounded old-school (because we already knew as much) but why he did, my jaw dropped. As an avid Idol fan, I watched the season Hee-jun was on the show, and not once did any of their judges discuss in detail the problem with Hee-jun's vocals and what he was doing wrong. JYP not only explained why and how, he had matching demos to go with his explanation. Respect, man. Respect.

Runner-up: G-Dragon (WIN: Who Is Next), YG (KPop Star)

Best Dressed Female - CL (2NE1)

With her many fashion forward attempts, 2NE1 leader CL has had quite a number of misses, but when this girl is on target, it's a freaking bullseye. She's not afraid to dress down or up or sideways, and that's what we love about her. There's always a buzz with what she wears, no matter what it is. Funny, then, that the most recent buzz was all about how she didn't bother to wear anything.

Best Dressed Male - T.O.P (Big Bang)

GD keeps getting the fashionista card handed to him, and I understand why. Big Bang's leader is a cut above the rest in terms of experimental fashion. The group's main rapper T.O.P, on the other hand, is more understated and classic - but always flawlessly tailored and gorgeous. Doesn't matter if it's jeans and a hoodie or a Thom Browne suit, T.O.P infallibly looks good. If the clothes does, indeed, make the man, it's no wonder Rolling Stone ranked him among the hottest sex symbols of 2013 despite this rapper's aversion to exposing more skin than necessary.

Best Dancer - Kai (EXO)

There's just something about this kid and his dancing. Every time I watch an EXO video, Kai never fails to stand out. He may be doing the exact same steps as all the other members but he does it with such flair that I'm just sitting here wondering how exactly is his body able to move like that. Maybe it's his ballet and jazz dancing background that helps him because, even though Kai dances with controlled sharpness and precise movements, he is still gloriously graceful.

Runners-up: Taeyang (Big Bang), Taemin (SHINee), Hyoyeon (SNSD)

Best Musician - Kim Jaejoong (JYJ)

It really is unfortunate that JYJ and its members' solo efforts have been relegated to the sidelines of k-pop. I'm not saying they're not still super successful and insanely popular, because they're all that and more. Living legends, all three of them. But imagine if they were given the opportunity to perform their music on programs like Inkigayo, Music Bank, or Music Core? Imagine how much bigger they can become if they are able to draw in younger audiences? It really is a shame because Jaejoong released some of the best rock-inspired singles this year but distribution and fanfare has been limited due to TPTB.

Runners-up: G-Dragon (Big Bang), Jung Yong-hwa (CN Blue)

Best Newcomer - Lee Hi

I am a YG fan through and through, and nothing cements that truth more than the rookies they've been slowly introducing to us in the past year. Lee Hi debuted mid-2012 after her successful stint on talent search program KPop Star and burst into the scene with the awesome track "1,2,3,4." This year, she churned out several more wonderful singles, each one of them highlighting her gorgeously soulful voice. For a girl this young, it's already clear that Lee Hi's future in k-pop is going to be a solid one.

Runners-up: EXO, Kang Seung-yoon

Biggest Flirt - Henry Lau (Super Junior-M)

Anyone who was able to watch the "What's Your Name?" episode of Happy Together on KBS would know what I mean. Henry was adorable and utterly hilarious on that show, much to fellow Super Junior-M member Kyuhyun's chagrin. Them girls had no idea what they were in for.

Class Clown - Key (SHINee)

A lot of people are put off by Key's strong personality, but I love him. I find him hilarious and hella endearing. Even his Instagram account is a goldmine of funnies. I start laughing the moment he starts laughing even if I have no idea what he's laughing about. It's a good thing then that the producers of We Got Married keep guesting him on the show. It doesn't matter if he's hanging with fellow SHINee member Taemin and his wife (APink's Son Na-eun) or with his '91-line friends Nicole (KARA), Mir (MBLAQ), and Jinwoon (2AM) with his wife  -- Key just cracks me up.

Runners-up: Jo Kwon (2AM)

Biggest Dork - Shinhwa

No one can rival the epic dorkiness of this ahjussi idol group. I couldn't even pick just one of them. They are all dorks of varying sizes and 4D-ness - and Shinhwa Broadcast is all the better for it. I don't think I've ever gotten through an episode without cracking my sides laughing. Sometimes it gets to the point where I find it hard to take them seriously as a singing group. Ha.

Runners-up: T.O.P (Big Bang), Onew (SHINee), Yesung (Super Junior), Amber (f(x))

Winning Moment - SHINee's win at the 2013 Melon Awards

Was there anything more touching than the moment SHINee took to the stage to accept their Best Artist of the Year Award at the recent Melon Awards? None of us were prepared for the amount of tears the boys collectively shed. At one point, Key had to move Jong-hyun's mic away from him because everyone could hear his angry sobbing. Eventually, the boys of SHINee were not the only ones with tear-streaked faces in the arena, Shawols and the EXO hoobaes were crying right along with them. After all of SHINee's hard work, releasing 3 albums this year, the win felt so deserved.

Runner-up: Ailee's Top 10 win at the Melon Awards

Hottest Freshman - Kang Seung-yoon

Honestly, back when I watched Superstar K2 almost three years ago, I would never have thought that I would love Kang Seung-yoon as much as I do now. I kept an eye on him though when he got signed by YG, feeling slightly confused as to why a guitar-playing alterna-pop musician would join a primarily hiphop-centric agency. Fast forward past his short stint as an actor and finally to his official debut as a solo singer, I am pleasantly surprised by how much I loved his first track "Wild and Young" and I am happy he stuck to his singer-songwriter roots. This boy can sing anything though. Needless to say, after winning alongside the rest of Team A in WIN: Who Is Next, I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for his second debut as part of YG's newest boy group.

Prom Queen - Lee Hyori

The queen came back this year, not only with all-kills on the charts, but with the good news of marrying her musician boyfriend Lee Sang-soon (the two had a quaint little ceremony in Jeju-do on September of this year). There's no denying that Queen Hyori is not only super pretty but sexy as well and she showed up at this year's Mnet Asian Music Awards looking like a hip-hop goddess.

Prom King - G-Dragon (Big Bang)

Despite Big Bang not having any group releases this year, G-Dragon sure had a busy 2013. In January, he embarked on a 4-dome tour of Japan and followed that up with his first solo tour of Asia. And then in September, he released his second full-length solo album Coup D'etat which featured both Korean and international artists like Missy Elliott, Sky Ferreira, Diplo, Bauuer, Zion.T, and Lydia Paek. A total of 7 tracks from this new album charted upon release. 2013 was clearly GD's year, being recognized for his music and style both at home and abroad. Unlike our Queen, our King did not get hitched this year, but he did start an adorable bromance with comedian/entertainer Jung Hyung-don.

~*~

And just like that, I've finally ended my Year End Awards. It's been quite a year in k-pop and dare I say I'm looking forward to what's in store for me in 2014. On the top of that list is the official debut of Winner (Winner TV has been awesome so far, by the way). I need a Big Bang comeback asap. Also, an actual 2NE1 album would be great.

If I don't get to blog before then, happy holidays everyone! xoxo

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My Lists: 10 favorite male dancers in k-pop

Dancers never fail to make me swoon and, luckily for me, there are a bajillion awesome dancers in k-pop. Whether popping, locking, or breaking - these guys definitely have it going on. So, today, I'm going to introduce to you my 10 favorite male dancers in k-pop... And believe you me, it took incredible discipline and self-control to limit myself to 10. But without further ado, here we go.

Jay Park - The best b-boy in k-pop, Jay Park has been representing his crew AOM loudly and proudly. A former member, and leader, of 2PM, Jay has since found his niche as a solo performer and doing all Jaywalkers proud. No one does tricks quite like he can.

Hoya - Infinite's Hoya is a beast on stage, and a veritable quadruple threat. Not only is he a singer, rapper, and actor; above all else, he is a dancer. The boy has got the right moves and he flaunts them as he should. So precise, so clean, and yet utterly graceful, Hoya is always a pleasure to watch.

Kai - He may be the youngest on this list, but EXO's Kai could probably dance circles around half of the members of Super Junior, his hyungs and sunbaenims by years. Having trained in ballet and jazz dancing at an early age, Kai's dancing is notably graceful and smooth.

Taemin - I'm in love with the way this boy moves. Even as the youngest member of SHINee, Taemin has proven that he brings so much to the table than just aegyo. He's the group's best dancer and has the vocal chops to boot. A born performer, this boy is going places.

Donghae - I am hugely Donghae-biased, so don't even contest this. Ha. Seriously though, I love Donghae and the way he dances. He's not as stylistically awesome as Eunhyuk, but his moves are always clean and smooth and easy. Like, he just flows. I love it.

Eunhyuk - He is easily Super Junior's best dancer. He's an expert at popping and locking and he does it with such finesse. It really is no wonder that he always takes to the front of the SuJu formation when it's dance break time.

Taeyang - Big Bang's best dancer is a little fireball. Always full of energy, Taeyang quite literally bounces around on stage and it's clear how much he loves performing. So it's a good thing that he's not all energy without the moves to back it up. Taeyang knows how to move his body and it's always awesome to see him working choreography. I'm quite tired of the dougie and the cat daddy, but when Taeyang tackles actual choreography, good lord.

Rain - Before he became the huge pop star that he is now, Rain began training to become a backup dancer. He'd always second-guessed his vocal abilities and would often tell JYP that he'd rather just dance. His confidence was always in his dancing. It's a good thing, though, that JYP pushed him to sing because I melt at his voice too. Now, whenever Rain takes to the stage to sing and dance, I'm a puddle of goo.

Junsu - Not only is he one of the best singers in k-pop, Junsu is also one of it's best dancers. I don't know what it is about him, but a single hip thrust from him has me hyperventilating. The boy is sexy, damnit. So am I excited that he has a second solo album dropping soon? Hell, yes.

Yunho - Good lord, this man should never stop dancing. Back when DBSK had 5 members, I was always so torn between Junsu and Yunho, never quite sure who to look at when they danced. But while Junsu's dancing is sex personified, Yunho is a whole lot of technique, style, and sex. Ha.

Honorable Mention: Jo Kwon - Because 2AM is a ballad group, Jo Kwon isn't given enough time to showcase his dancing abilities. And when he does, it's usually in comedic girl group dances or in Kkab Kwon mode. Which is just sad because the boy is actually very technically gifted. Just check out this pre-debut dance video with Jay Park.

Who are your favorite dancers? 

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