Very obsessed with G-Dragon's 'Obsession'.

Seriously, GD. Dear Leader pisses charisma. I don't understand a word (of Korean) he's saying, but this kid is one powerful drug. I fantasize about being him, when I'm not pretending to be CL. You will feel cooler just by blasting his songs in your ear. Really, try it. His 眼神 (no direct translation but something like the look he gives off in his eyes) cuts. Beware if you're in the audience when he and T.O.P. take the stage. Slaughter.

Shinhwa fangirlism begins.

New obsession: Shinhwa. I remember these guys from my first foray into Asia in 2002. I have their CD buried somewhere. Kim Dongwan appeared on a recent episode of Strong Heart with Seungri and G-Dragon, and I decided I want to marry someone like him. But I will not be, so instead I have songs like this one to look forward to. Just One More Time (다시 한 번만) off their 9th album, simply titled Volume 9. I listened to it at least 30 times today. Really need to learn Korean.

K-Pop anniversary!

Cause for celebration! Exactly a year ago today, I stumbled upon a video. YouTube recommended one Wedding Dress by some Korean bloke named Taeyang. And well, you know how it goes. Taeyang and the YG family have accompanied me through one difficult but exciting year, difficult because I was still treading water with my thesis but exciting because I finally finished the damn thing and managed to get a job soon thereafter. One year and many CDs and DVDs later, I am an avowed Big Bang and YG fan. Yes, my life is enriched by the fruits of their creative labor. Since I am too tired to celebrate in any spectacular way, let me just repost the video that started it all. And it should be noted that 0'57" was what sent me over the edge. So thug.

Official MV for Big Bang's 'Tonight'.

Score! Re yesterday's post about the MV shown on The Big Bang Show, indeed, YG has released a second version. This one is much improved. I still would like to have seen more cruising in Sin City because how hot would that be? But I love that Daesung got a lead role and played jilted lover. He's got an army of VIPs wanting to cuddle, or make violent love. Anyway, no more talk.

Conspiracy theory about Big Bang's 'Tonight' MV.

Let me be the first to say...

Last night, or 10 hours ago, SBS aired The Big Bang Show, a one hour special of live performances, interview, and a Secret Garden parody. They also revealed an MV for Tonight. Half a day later, this MV has yet to appear in any official form. We know that YG is thinking internationally, even if there are no (public) plans in place for the current album, so it's a bit confusing why he would withhold the video from YouTube when that has been the primary means of international exposure for the group. There is also the issue of conflicting information about the content of the video, namely Daesung's missing bed scene. Yes, word is Daesung plays romantic lead - but the video shown on SBS last night was decidedly unromantic. Similarly, regarding content, as some posters have noted, the song is called Tonight yet much of it takes place during the day.

And a personal note, I was just not impressed. It almost reminded me of the disastrous first I Need a Girl video, though not quite so bad. The content was not cohesive - Las Vegas at night (very cool), day shots at some glitzy neon sign junkyard, and a desert. Yes, all vaguely Sin City, but there was no theme beyond this. (And I'm really not feeling the stylist for this album. Not the biggest transgression so perhaps more on that later.) There are a million possibilities for this song and shoot location, and you're telling me random shots of the boys singing is the best YG can do? This just doesn't seem like a worthy successor to such great videos as Lies (death by pineapple and subsequent incarceration of G-Dragon), Haru Haru (cheesy girl-gets-cancer story line but great tension between G-Dragon and TOP), and one of my favorites, Let Me Hear Your Voice (black and white concept of boys trapped by cityscape). Oh, and how can I forget Tell Me Goodbye, which had nothing to do with Iris, the show for which it was a themesong, but which could have been its own movie.

This is what I think. YG is teasing us and will actually unleash a second, and official, MV that will be much improved and subsequently rock the world. This accounts for the delay releasing on YouTube. Forever a master of hype, he knows that the Big Bang fandom is abuzz from last night's show. The K-Pop universe is on edge. They're no longer waiting for Big Bang to exert its dominance; it's now just a matter of how crushed the competition will be. After a 2+ year wait, it's hard to believe that this would be it for crafty promotion efforts and that Big Bang will simply slip into the usual music show promotions like the mere mortal idol groups. YG knows that fans are crying for more, some literally, and tension is building over the missing MV. He'll hold out long enough for this issue to generate noise and then - BAM - hit us with a superior MV, with Daesung getting his knickers off, or something like that. Fans will be so stunned that we will immediately sing praises of Big Bang and declare once more that YG is in fact a genius; lesser idol groups will whither at their own imperfections and mourn their inadequate management; and overseas non-fans will curiously click the 'featured' YouTube video like I did back in the day and suddenly be opened to a whole new world of wonderfulness. And we will see Daesung in a bed scene.

So, am I right? Wait and see. Of course, this could be a massive fail of a guess on my part. In which case, bring out the next video!

UPDATE: I didn't watch all of the Big Bang Show last night so I missed this bit of news. There is a very brief shot of GD rapping in English on the Tonight set. English version? (In which case I'm not buying another CD.) End the suspense already, YG, and wewease the secwet wideo!!!

Keone Madrid + Mari Martin + Vinh Nguyen = AMEN!

And how did I forget to share this?!! I LOVE it, seriously. This is how you put your talents to work for God. Nothing else to say, except to explain that it's choreographed by Keone Madrid, who is part of that Movement Lifestyle/YG collective. His partner, Mari Martin, also plays a role. Music: Where You Are by Deitrick Haddon and We Need You by J.R. Support!

Big Bang.......what a tease.

This teaser for Big Bang's new Intro track and album has been out for a few days but for some unfathomable reason has not made it to my blog. Amended. Yes, went into schoolgirl convulsions when it first popped up on my Youtube. Hello, folks. Big Bang, in Vegas, sporting styling shades, at night. Am now counting down the hours until SBS airs its first special on BB. Word is their newest MV will be released. And if I read right, another one of GD and TOP's tracks off their album is also getting a video. But that one will just have to be leaked in time as it's all BB promotions for the moment.

So, exhibit A - teaser. Exhibit B - my latest editions. I really did not intend on buying these right away. In fact, I didn't even think the BB album would be out in HK. But I was cutting through Causeway Bay this afternoon, by way of Victoria Park, and there happens to be an HMV conveniently located next door. Took the opportunity to boost BB's overseas sales. I actually was going to buy Seungri's album but decided on the other 2. Alas, the only reason was because I need to eat lunch this week. Sidenote, it's one of the albums being sampled in the store so there's a wall of fresh copies. And, for the record, I'm not the only HK fan excited about this release. Three girls, who are well above 10, gasped when they saw the new album and remained huddled around the discs for some time. Doing BB proud.

Exhibit A:



Exhibit B:

Arden Cho and Gerald Ko sing love.

This is perfect.

Break it down, Seungri.

Baby Seungri. Such a cute kid. Maknae's trying, real hard. But he's finally breaking through, down, wherever. Big Bang now has 5 bonafide stars.

Big Bang is Back.......almost.

Travesty. Haven't posted in ages. As a student said on Monday, "Who blogs?! That's so sad." Well, I'm a sad, old woman then.

So what have I been watching (always an appropriate question)? Too many things. Burning Flame III, Last One Standing, Rosy Business, 7 Days in Life, Autumn's Concerto. Currently in my DVD player is Autumn's Concerto (after having, excuse the pun, burned through Burning Flame III several times). My passion for Vanness Wu has been reignited. That show is truly one of my favorites, which reminds me I have to finish a review for it one of these days. However, also on my radar is Big Bang's Korean comeback. It's been 2 years and 3 months since they rocked Korea with an album. Luckily I did not have to wait that long as I had yet to start my steamy affair with K-Pop. In honor of my current eye and ear candy, a picture.

 

"Fingers up if you own a mad six pack."