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?
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.
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.
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 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.)
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!"
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.
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.
FINALLY.
At midnight last night (KST), YG Entertainment dropped Winner's debut music videos one after the other. After nearly a year of delays and holding back, the new YG boy group finally have their official entry into the k-pop industry. And the fans, myself included, are beside themselves.
The album, 2014 S/S, is a collection of songs written by the members of Winner alongside YG producers and co-trainees B.I and Bobby and is now available on iTunes.
I have yet to listen to all the songs, but based on the two title tracks, this ought to be really good. Both tracks are softer and more melodic than what I'd expect from a YG group, especially as lead singles. It's obvious that they've tried their best to not sound like Big Bang too much. Which is a very good sign.
I, for one, am excited for the boys to begin their music program promotions. I haven't heard of news about their television debut stage yet but their first official stage will be the AIA Real Life Festival Concert happening at the end of the week at the Jamsil Olympic Stadium alongside fellow YG artists and Lady Gaga.
Now I better scuttle off to listen to the album on repeat.
It's been over a month since Taeyang released his new album RISE containing hit track "Eyes, Nose, Lips" and, to be really honest, I'm still not over how awesome this song is. It's an amazing contemporary R&B track with a haunting melody and an addictive hook. It's no wonder the song is everywhere.
In a smart marketing move, YG is not only accepting cover entries for an "Eyes, Nose, Lips" cover competition, they've also released 3 (so far) YG Family covers from Akdong Musician, Tablo, and Lydia Paek. Each one of these covers are awesome in their own right and despite changing up the lyrics - adding rap verses, or totally changing the song into English and just keeping the basic foundation of the song's hook - they've all just succeeded in making me fall in love with the original version even more.
Brother-sister duo Akdong Musician put their own spin on the song and the results are fantastic
Epik High's Tablo angrily rewrites the song and churns out a purely English rap version with Taeyang joining in on the song's bridge and outro
Quest Crew member and YG producer and artist Lydia Paek puts out the same song minus the angst
I've been listening to these covers on repeat. They're awesome and, for covers, all quite unique. They took the original and spun the song on its feet and made it their own, without forgetting that they're all homages to Taeyang's awesome single.
As a testament to how awesome this song is, several different Korean artists have also come out with their own covers. Eric Nam's version (video posted below) is, by far, my favorite. I've ripped the audio from YouTube and I listen to it on repeat. K-pop groups 2BiC, BTS, and Topp Dogg have also uploaded their own renditions onto YouTube. Even Korean YouTube-star and guitar prodigy, Sungha Jung (a frequent YG collaborator) has released his own guitar cover of the song.
Solo artist Eric Nam loves the song so much that he came out with 2 different covers, the English version posted above and a live Korean version
Now I'm off to watch more covers from fans all around the world. VIPs rock!
Psy just dropped new single "Hangover" featuring Snoop Dogg and, obviously, there will be people dissing and hating it. Not everyone will like it and, I'm almost 100% certain, it will be compared to "Gangnam Style" from here on to infinity. It shouldn't, but it will.
Do I like it? Yes. Do I love it? Not yet. Do I like it more than "Gangnam Style" and "Gentleman"? I'm not quite sure. But I will say this, I think it was definitely a huge risk and a brave move on Psy's part. Was it a smart move? I think so.
More than the song though, I think the video is something worth talking about. I love the video.
You know what I think is awesome about the video? Even though the song is 90% in English and features Snoop Dogg and is clearly Psy’s attempt at making the Western world understand him, the video is still one of the most Korean-looking videos I’ve ever seen in my life. And I've seen a lot of them.
Twerking dancers aside, there was a whole lot of Korean culture to ingest. Soju bombs, chowing down on ramyun at convenience stores (GS25 cameo), Korean drinking etiquette, old-school barber shops, noraebangs, disco pang pang at the amusement park, jjajangmyun at a billiard hall, and more soju till the sun rises. All these are things I’ve learned about Korea after years of kdrama watching and two visits to Seoul -- but Psy and his team were able to squeeze them all into a 5-minute video. Plus, it had awesome cameos from Big Bang's G-Dragon and 2NE1's CL. Daebak.
Being highly YG-biased, I have to admit that 2NE1's pending comeback is the only girl group comeback I care about. I have nothing against SNSD, but I am quite impartial to most of their members and their brand of music.
It's been years since 2NE1's last full-length album. Years. So allow me to express my utmost excitement for this album to drop. TONIGHT! Finally.
YG has officially released all teaser photos for the new album entitled Crush, as well as the track list. Apparently, CL had some hand in writing lyrics for some of the songs and I am looking forward to hearing what a CL-penned track might sound like.
Also, this comeback comes hand-in-hand with a world tour and I need to find a way to get a hold of tickets without totally killing my bank account. I kinda want to be close enough to the stage to be able to see what they're wearing, but not close enough to regret the insane financial setback a month later. HA.
You know what would make this year even better? Winner's debut, a Lee Hi comeback, and a Big Bang comeback. Aaaaaahhhh. And maybe for the YG Family World Tour to head in this direction (not gonna happen, but no one said I need to be realistic when wishing for things).
Here are the Crush teaser photos and the track list.
Merry Christmas fellow k-pop fan! I bring you good tidings to put a smile on your face. YG just recently partially announced concert dates for 2NE1's 2014 World Tour, including a pit stop in Manila on May 17th - which also happens to be the 5th year anniversary of the 4-membered girl group. Earlier today, Sandara Park tweeted in Tagalog letting her Filipino fans know of the good news.
"Our concert in Manila will be on May 17. That day is very special as well because it’s 2NE1’s 5th anniversary!!! Yeah! Let’s celebrate!" she announced.
This is exciting for Filipino Blackjacks who have yet to experience an actual 2NE1 concert on domestic soil despite Sandara's eternal popularity in the country she once called home (The Party: 2NE1 doesn't count as it featured many different local artists and the girls only performed about 7 songs - for which Blackjacks had to pay an exorbitant amount for).
We have 5 months to go before the concert, giving us ample time to save up for those coveted concert tickets. Here's to hoping they won't cost an arm and a leg to purchase. I'm crossing my fingers for all of us!
2NE1 is scheduled to hit Manila on May 17, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Last Friday night, I had arrived home late from work and was beyond tired. But I forced myself to stay up long enough to cast my vote for WIN: Who Is Next's final battle. Soon after hitting send on my KakaoTalk account, I fell asleep.
At a little after midnight, I woke up with a start realizing I had not even had dinner yet. But my top priority was to find out who was announced the winner and YG's new boy group. Team A won.
I'd be lying to myself if I said it was the expected outcome. The thing is, it was and it wasn't. As I've mentioned before, I think the show was made in a way that Team A would be announced the "Winner" after the 3-month period. Although, fan-voting could've changed the flow of things.
Team B has a strong fanbase, both in Korea and internationally. Most of the people I know in real life who watched the show as religiously as I did were all Team B supporters. At one point, I had to teach them how to vote via KakaoTalk and I soon regretted that decision, knowing that they'd be voting for the other team when I wanted Team A to win.
When the criteria for the final battle was announced, I thought to myself, "This was made for Team A to win, how obvious." I mean, we have three fantastic songwriters and lyricists in Team A and the battle's categories were as follows: 1) original composition, 2) dance, 3) same song, different arrangement. That's basically giving the groups the mission to create two original songs - except in the third category, a track was already pre-produced by Teddy Park, YG's main internal producer. This was a game designed for the first team to rule. Their only weakness was the second category - dance.
However, even then, I could not have just sat back and relaxed, assured of a Team A win. The fight and the passion were strong in the younger team, and also in their fans. B.I and Bobby most especially. So despite being beyond happy that my boys won last Friday night, I was in tears as I watched the raw version of the final episode, and was again in tears when I had to re-watch it with English subtitles.
I was surprised, actually, that I liked Team A's dance routine more than Team B's. Team B, while technically gifted and just awesome overall, lacked a certain je ne sais quoi to make them stand out. Yes, they were awesome, but they weren't different. What I loved about Team A's performance was the fact that you knew they had come to terms with who they are and what they are limited to. It seemed as if they understood they couldn't out-swag Team B, so they went down a different route and turned to their creativity and ingenuity to compete in a field that wasn't exactly their forte. And it worked. Kudos to Lee Seung-hoon for that awesome choreography.
While I have nothing but praises to give Team A in terms of their songwriting capabilities, I was beyond impressed with the emotions that the boys of Team B poured into their original composition "Climax." Bobby's rap alone already had me in tears (the second time I watched it, with the subtitles, of course), and by the time B.I took to center stage with his own verse, I was ruined.
It doesn't help that Team A went first and their song was about, not just the hardships of their own group, but of all eleven trainees, and how they all had to "Go Up" no matter the outcome of the show - needless to say, I had feels up the wazoo. These boys are a family. All eleven of them. And while I can't blame YG for doing this and pitting them against each other, it is sad that in order for them to reach their dreams, they had to step on the dreams of their own brothers.
On the other hand, because of how the show was designed, YG now has a clear grasp of what their market wants way before the boys even debut. And the boys now have a solid fanbase, as was clear in episode 9 where the boys held a fanmeet at Times Square, where 3,000 fans showed up. That must have been a first, given that they were just trainees at the time.
The final episode ended with everyone crying. And I don't just mean the eleven boys. Their families were in tears. The fans in the audience were in tears. Even YG himself was in tears. And everyone watching from their homes were in tears. You're lying if you tell me you watched the entire thing without bawling every other minute, and especially at the end when the guys were trying to balance between controlling their own emotions and comforting each other. Although they didn't quite succeed in biting back their tears, Lee Seung-hoon especially.
With the finale of WIN, it seems like the future of YG is looking strong. For years, they've relied heavily on Big Bang. Although Psy is doing very well now, what with his international career, for the longest time YG's biggest moneymaker was Big Bang. Even with the addition of 2NE1 in 2009 and Epik High in 2011/12, no one could overtake the popularity of Big Bang and its individual members.
Now though, especially with their signing on of young talents off of survival programs like KPop Star and Superstar K, the future of YG is not hinged on the success of Big Bang anymore. Winner will do great. And when the time comes that Team B is given the opportunity to debut, and they will, we already know that there's a huge fanbase waiting for them. Add that to the fact that Lee Hi has been doing very well, and that everyone is waiting for the debuts of Akdong Musician and Bang Yedam, it's safe to say that YG will remain in the top tier of agencies in Korea.
Having said that, can we please all take a moment to appreciate the maknae line (KPop Star line) of YG? These kids are not only adorable, they are freaking talented.
As a self-proclaimed YG fan stan, I've been keeping up with reality-survival show WIN: Who Is Next and my feels are currently all over the place.
Let me start off by saying that both teams are incredibly talented. To be honest, they may already be at par with the Big Bang members when this sunbae group first debuted. Both teams are mind-blowingly good and to have only one of them debut and the other disbanded will emotionally kill me. But these are the rules YG has put into place and one can only wish that they're just trolling us.
Team A killing it and still losing during their first battle
Now, while I think both groups could debut right now and make it big in the k-pop industry, I have a clear bias for Team A. And, honestly, I think the show was made in a way that Team A would be announced the "Winner" after the 3-month period.
Both teams, as I've already mentioned, are plenty talented - but while Team A has stronger vocalists, Team B has aggressive rappers and are better dancers. Team B may also have better teamwork. Which is not to say that Team A lacks in the dancing and rapping departments, because they don't - and I adore Team A leader and rapper Song Min-ho... It's just that, well, Team B rappers B.I and Bobby are just insanely good. Vocally, though, Team A's Kang Seung-yoon and Nam Tae-hyun just slay it all the time.
It now really all boils down to audience votes. So it's curious then that while Team B has been winning all the challenges and battles (according to the judges on the show), Team A just won the first round of audience voting. Why? Maybe because the show was edited in a way where we just feel more for Team A.
The guys on the first team are generally older than the members of the second team. And there's that sense of "if they don't debut now, it might be too late for them later." And half of the Team A members are already semi-famous. Kang Seung-yoon via talent survival show Superstar K2 and his already established solo career, Lee Seung-hoon who brought YG himself to tears on talent survival program K-Pop Star, and Song Min-ho via the Channel A drama series K-Pop: The Ultimate Audition(2012).
It also doesn't help that we find the boys of Team A struggling every single week to keep up with the young'uns. This makes them more human in our eyes and not mere characters on a show. We all know that nothing captivates an audience faster than an underdog story, especially when the underdogs are a fiery group of adorable Asian boys with more than enough talent to make it big in the entertainment industry. They have everything to lose and we just want them to win.
It's also very telling that while I can name each and every Team A member, and give you their designated role in the group, I can only name 2 out of the 6 members of Team B: B.I and Bobby. Why is that? Again, I'd blame the show's production and editing. We're made to feel for Team A, and it works like magic. I care so much about those boys that I'm actually sad when Team B performs so well.
However, in this recent episode, where the teams were given the mission to cover Tamia's "Officially Missing You" (Team A) and Justin Bieber's "Baby" (Team B), I had to disagree with the judges' scoring. Again, they gave Team B a higher score. Team A was off by 6 points. BUT! As opposed to previous weeks where I honestly found Team B repeatedly outperforming Team A, this last battle, I thought, belonged to Team A.
Team A's cover of "Officially Missing You"
I dozed off halfway through Team B’s performance, but Team A’s cover of “Officially Missing You” was captivating. They played to their strengths and it was awesome. I was honestly surprised by how the judges scored them.
Team B's cover of "Baby"
People may disagree with me on all of this, but bottom line is: as ruthless as it may be, YG has played this game well and we're all on the edge of our seats waiting to find out who their next boy group is going to be. While I'm hoping (and voting) that Team A wins... Can't we just have one super group with all 11 of them in it? Or, can't we have B.I on Team A? Ugh. Fangirl feels. I have them.
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.
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.
I just saw the pilot episode of WIN: Who Is Next? on Mnet's youtube channel. For non-YG stans, WIN is a new 10-episodic reality survival show on Mnet that documents the debut of YG Entertainment's next boy group. In the same way the debut of Big Bang was documented in a reality show, WIN shows us the road to the debut of YG's first new boy band in 8 years, dubbed WINNER.
However, unlike Big Bang's debut, WIN seems more cutthroat and aggressive. While G-Dragon and the rest of the boys of Big Bang competed for a spot to be a member of the group, with Jang Hyun-seung eventually being cut from the Big Bang roster (he's now a member of the boy band Beast under Cube Entertainment), WIN's premise is having two set teams fight for the right to debut. Should the team beat out the other team, based on audience votes, they debut in 3 months. The losing team may face member changes, another 4 years delay in their debut, or be totally dropped from YG. The stakes are higher for the 11 trainees and this excites me.
While we have some familiar faces on the show (i.e. Kang Seung-yoon of Superstar K2, Lee Seung-hoon of K-Pop Star - both members of Team A), there are a handful of new and interesting trainees whom we will be getting to know more of throughout the course of the show. I'm not sure how much of an advantage Seung-yoon and Seung-hoon's team have on the show, despite already having made names for themselves, seeing as how they seem more like the underdogs in this early stage of the competition. While I give mad props to Team A's vocals, the younger guys on Team B seem to have an edge when it comes to teamwork and rapping and dancing skills, which CEO Yang Hyun-suk has clearly acknowledged.
Seems like I'll be keeping close tabs on this show. Not sure which team I'm rooting for yet, but we'll see how it goes.
WIN: Who Is Next? airs every Friday night at 10pm on Mnet, with a replay at 11:20pm on tvN. Episodes are subsequently uploaded onto Mnet's youtube channel with English subtitles for international fans. Catch the first episode below.
YG Entertainment has been releasing still after still in promotion of CL's solo debut. While I'm a huge 2NE1 fan, I'm hesitant about CL going solo. (Note: Die-hard CL fans should probably stop reading at this point.)
Sure, CL might have what it takes to make a successful solo project. She raps, she dances, she sings - she's got crazy stage presence, to boot. She's not called fierce for nothing. But there's still that niggling feeling in the back of my head that's half-scared that they might treat this in the same way they treated G-Dragon's "One of a Kind" promotions (i.e. too much swag and overblown self-confidence). Which is not to say it doesn't work for YG artists as a whole, because if there's anything YG does better than the rest of them, surely it's swag. But where GD is an established solo artist and songwriter in his own right, CL is not.
So when I see GD strutting his shit like the mofo that he is, I believe it. I accept it. I like it. Whereas with CL, I'm always on the edge - not quite sure if she's being honest about who she is an artist, or simply wanting us to believe she's the baddest female this side of Korean hip-pop without sufficient credentials to back it up.
Now, if they tone down on the vainglory, that might make the whole ordeal less overbearing. In which case, I'd actually be looking forward to the project. CL may not be my favorite YG artist, but she sure does have her charm, especially when she's not trying to bulldoze me with her fierceness. Having said that, CL fighting!
ETA: The video just came out. And while it would probably take several listens for me to warm up to the song, I am quite liking the video. There's a lot to be said about the video but I, for one, am liking the choreography. And the styling. Although the concept is lost on me. It's a mishmash of several things we know CL likes. From futuristic Jeremy Scott fashion, to the 90's Aaliyah-inspired midriffs and baggy jeans, to sleek and elegant couture. It's Adidas and Balmain all rolled up into one bombastic video. Which can be kind of jarring placed side-by-side but somehow works because it's CL.
