J.Music: Rest Easy Kim Jonghyun

Hello guys! I know I disappeared for a little bit. It's 2 am and I'm sadden to be back with the heartbreaking news I'm sure many of you already know regarding SHINee's Kim Jonghyun passing at the young age of 27.

Jonghyun was an extremely talented member of the South Korean boy group SHINee since its debut in 2008. For nearly 10 years fans had the privilege of hearing his absolutely amazing vocals, being wowed by his skills and for many, growing up with him and this group.

Following his death, his songs topped music charts as fans consoled themselves by remembering his accomplishments and why they fell in love with him in the first place.

In an effort to keep Jonghyun in my and our hearts, I wanted to write about some of my favorite songs he released as a solo artist. 

'Lonely' (feat. Taeyeon)

This soft, relaxing ballad released earlier this year on the album JONGHYUN The Collection "Story Op. 2" features lyrics regarding a couple telling each other how they feel lonely despite having each other; how they are good at hiding it out of fear of saddening the other even though they long to tell each other. I like this song because the story can apply to anyone. Many people go through feelings of loneliness even though they can be surrounded by people, family, friends. Many who are struggling want to share this hardship but are scared to do so. This is something that affects friends, family members, colleagues, anyone. So share your problems guys, everyone has felt this to some degree at some point. You are not alone. 

'She Is'

A feel good track on the album of the same name released  May 2016. You can feel his passion not only as a vocalist but as a songwriter as well considering he wrote and composed every track on the album. The dance track features funky synth beats and a strong baseline that gives it a R&B feel. It definitely makes you want to move and the MV makes you smile as you can see he is just feeling himself and enjoying his time doing something he loves. Plus, all that yellow can't help but brighten your mood.

'멍하니 있어 (Just Chill)'

As stated in its name featured on the same album as 'Lonely', this song is super chill. It is an easy listening track with funky but subdued guitar, underlying violin and Jonghyun's smooth voice adds some slight R&B, but that's just his style. The song starts out with him stating he is just chilling. He goes on to say that he sometimes wants to be alone in his room, lay down and not think about the things that suffocate him. He just wants chill in his bed, watch TV and old dramas, read comics and disconnect from SNS and the world.  He just wants a day where he can just relax and be Jonghyun. Don't we all need days like that? Make sure to take sometime to disconnect and spend time with yourself. 

'NEON'

From his first mini album as a solo artist, The 1st Mini Album 'Base', Neon is definitely a groovy track that has its hip hop-esque moments. It, of course has his strong vocals and adlibs to die for, but there is alot going instrumentally as well. It features a funky brass line, upbeat synth beats, a sprinkling of harp in there that I always live for, subtle strings and a nice base line that holds it all together. It's a lively bop that keeps the listener engaged and showcases Jonghyun's strengths and talent as a solo artist. 

So these are some of my favorite Jonghyun singles. Honestly, all of his work is extremely well done and fantastic and you should definitely check them out. There are some great gems! 

But on a serious note,

A friend shared something regarding his death that really resonated with me, "The hardest part is realizing that your idols can save your life but you can't save theirs." I just had to stop and think about this because there were many times when an idols music helped me in ways they would never know but I've never thought about if my love of them was enough to help them. 

I really hope his passing calls attention to SM and other entertainment companies and just to people to take better care of their artists and themselves in mind, body and soul. It's deeply saddening that he felt this way and was suffering for so long. It is upsetting that in Korea, a country with one of the highest suicide rates worldwide, it is taboo to share your struggles. It is seen as a weakness and you're expected to just get over it. But as we see time and time again and unfortunately now with Jonghyun, that you cannot just ignore it. It is not something you will just get over. So, if any of you or someone you know is having a hard time, please get help. Help them get help. Please talk to them, talk to anyone, talk to me and don't be afraid to! Listen to them, sometimes all someone needs is to feel heard. Remind them and yourselves that you are some of the strongest people ever because it takes great strength to live like this.  Take care of yourselves and make use of the resources around you. Life is too precious and it's unfair to suffer through it like this. 

Rest in peace Kim Jonghyun. I hope you found the relief you were so desperately looking for. We will always love you, and you will never be forgotten. 

As always, thank you so much for reading. I hope this post helped someone out there.

Jen :)

J.Music: EXO "Electric Kiss"

Hello Hello Hello! Jen here and I'm ready to delve into one of the most popular boy groups in k-pop, EXO.

The nine member South Korean/ Chinese group under SM Entertainment has literally just released (like three hours ago!) the short version of their newest single," Electric Kiss" in anticipation of dropping their first full Japanese album COUNTDOWN at the beginning of next year. It isn't the first time the group has given us something Japanese, we saw the Japanese version of Love Me Right, which will appear on this album. Following a very successful promotional period with their newest Korean/Chinese albums, The War; their Japanese release will be an added treat, that I am looking forward to indulging in.

But, for right now, I'll treat myself to this MV

The MV

 EXO is giving us strong and fierce in this latest drop. It made me think this what they would do once they escaped from that asylum in "Lucky One", fought off all those cops in "Monster" and then saved the girl in "Lotto" and then just continued on their merry bad boyish ways. Though there is no plot they definitely gave us plenty to view, from Suho looking like a beautiful garden spirit, Kyungsoo wrapped up in VHS tape and Baekhyun slaying on a scrapped car and everyone else running through what seems an abandoned city with some really lit lighting. It had similar vibes of SHINee's "Tell Me What To Do." Whats up with k-pop artists and abandoned buildings??  Once again, the cinematography = pristine. It flowed flawlessly from scene to scene of drama and dance, taking us on their journey through that place. 

The Song

D.O don't look at me like that plssss

While I don't speak any Japanese, the track gave off of a sort fight song feel. Maybe they are declaring their willingness to fight for their girl. Or maybe they're letting the enemy know they won't go down without a fight. The uptempo track featured an electric brass section, strong bass beats, with what sounds like hard core knocking or perhaps stomping sprinkled in here and there and some clapping effects that drove the tempo along underneath. It was a nice change of pace from the very chill and laid-back island vibes of "Ko Ko Bop". It would not be an EXO track without the smooth talents of the vocal line and sharp and spit-fire raps from Chanyeol and Sehun. I wonder what goodies the full version houses. 

 

The Choreography

Though we missed Lay's presence for this track, we were still given complicated and intense choreo from the group. Decked out in all black athletic and leisure wear, something different from the usually uniformed dancers, the choreography wasn't really a main focal point of the MV. Despite that, it was still high energy, upbeat, sharp, uniform, and so EXO. 

That's all guys! Go listen to the Japanese version of "Love Me Right" if you haven't to get more of a feel for their Japanese drops and I would usually tell you to check out the rest of the album but it hasn't been released yet so we will just to have wait. I'm curious what the other tracks will sound like :)

I hope you guys enjoyed this post and maybe it blossomed a new love for EXO. :)

Happy holidays! Merry Christmas! and Thanks for reading!

Jen. M

J.Music: MAMA and Melon Music Awards

Hellooooo!!! So, what kind of Korean music blog would this be if I didn't mention two of the biggest music awards shows in Asia, the Mnet Asian Music Awards aka. MAMA and the Melon Music Awards aka. MMA.

This is a time in which our favorite Korean groups are awarded for their outstanding achievements in the music industry. There are many awards given in the two ceremonies but some of the grand prizes, the "Daesangs" include Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Best Male/Female "Artist, Group, or Dance" Performance, Best Vocal, Rap or Band" Performance and Best Collaboration. These awards besides the love and support from their fans are the pinnacle of recognition for the artists hard work.

While I love watching my faves achieve such accolades, I LIVE for the performances. The artists go all out with amped up choreo, stage presence, storytelling and much more to make sure those in the audience and those watching from the various countries the shows are broadcast to get the best viewing experience. Here are some of my favorite performances from the shows.

MAMA Performances

Super Junior

This was extra special, considering it seems like forever since we have gotten to see something from this legend of a group. Though not every member is here, it was still an amazing performance and a testament to their talent and skill. #KINGS

EXO

Never failing to deliver a flawless performance, EXO came through with The Eve and Ko Ko Bop. I was definitely kokobopping ALL the way over here in the US to these performances. Also, can we just discuss the disrespect coming from Kai, Sehun and Baekhyun in those outfits. Excuse meeeee?? Where are your shirts? RUDE. Let me just mention how I was ko ko dead at Baekhyun's ahh-oos in Ko Ko Bop. Those always kill me, but like Baekhyun, why??

Monsta X

Monsta X. So many things I can say about this performance but I will say only two things. 1. Vocals. 2. Wonho. GO WATCH IT!

BoA

BoA= Legend. Need I say anymore? Of course she slayed us with her choreography and stage presence and just her everything. I expected nothing less and she delivered that and more. Also, if you haven't heard her song or watch the MV for CAMO, what are you doing with your life? Go watch it right now. :)

TaeMAN

I don't think I will ever tire of watching him perform MOVE. Such beauty, such grace, such sexy. And we got a nice little surprise from Sunmi in the performance.

This was honestly pure disrespect. Like TaeMAN is on whole other level. Visually pleasing, sensual, captivating, just art.

BTS

The intro performed by Hoseok and Jungkook was so #aesthetic and so mesmerizing. The special graphics paired with their dancing was a captivating way to introduce their performances.
I don't think I'll ever get tired of Not Today. It's an anthem and the performance has such high energy, you can't help but feel you can conquer anything after watching them.

DNA!! Outfits on point, dancing was sharp, everything about this was so good! It sounds like a summer hit but I can listen to this all year long and hopefully learn to whistle.

Cypher 4 and Mic Drop = lit. That's all I'll say, LIT.

I could mention so much more. I loved Red Velvet and NCT's performances (go watch those too!) but then this post would way too long and I have more to share. :)

Melon Music Awards Performances

BTS

Only BTS manages to make me feel all sorts of introspective, happy and sad yet hopeful in one performance. The intro, DNA, YNWA and Spring Day were all done so well and definitely succeeded in invoking contemplation and a range of emotions. Seriously, a group made to perform. 

 WINNER

 LOVE ME LOVE ME, and REALLY REALLY are my jams! Such fun and catchy songs. Such bops. You can see the audience members thoroughly enjoying their performance and feeling as good as the songs make you. 

IU

One of the more subdued and one of the best performances of the night, IU calmed everyone down with her soothing vocals. The touching thing she had towards the end of Dear Name just made it more special. (go listen to her newest album if you haven't yet! Ending Scene is my favorite, I might do a post about it. )

Red Velvet

Once again, a great display from Red Velvet. High energy and lively, even the fanboys in the audience can't stay still and the crowd was definitely into their performance. 

That's it!  I know there are so many more; MAMA occurred in Vietnam, Japan, and Hong Kong and the MMA's in South Korea. So many performances! Our faves are so busy. But these are just a few of my favorite performances between the two awards shows. It always nice to see groups and people that you love be recognized for their hard work and for the same reasons you love them. Watch these and the other performances! In fact go watch the entirety of the two ceremonies if you get the chance too. They are all so good and entertaining.  Tell me what some of your favorite performances were too!

Oh! Congrats to our favs who won and who were nominated! 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, 

Jen M! 

J.Music: K-Pop Holiday Songs :) :)

Hello readers! Jen here to wish you all a Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Happy whatever you may celebrate during this holiday season!

SO, the holiday season is my absolute favorite time of year and I LOVE LOVE listening to holiday and Christmas music. Like many artists around the world, some of our fav Korean idols spread some holiday cheer by releasing holiday songs. So I decided to compile a list of these merry beauties for your holiday music consumption. Though some are old and some new, I hope these make you feel as warm, happy, thankful and thoughtful inside as they make me.

1. "Dear Santa"-  Girls Generation- TTS. Done in both Korean and English, making it very accessible for those wanting to spread some cheer. I love this song! Some other great songs from this holiday album are "Merry Christmas" and "Winter Story".

2. "This Christmas"- JYP Nation. A K-Pop idol studded track, it is a perfect tribute to Christmas and some of our favourite groups no longer active all while having fun in cozy pj's.

3. "Miracles in December"- EXO. The title track of their holiday album 'Miracles in December' is honestly one of the saddest holiday songs released by the group; I can't but feel so somber and contemplative when I listen to it.  Holidays are a time to be spent with significant others and loved one but this beautiful winter ballad done in both Korean and Chinese makes the listeners think about lost loved ones or maybe the ones that got away.

4. "Snow Kiss"- Teen Top. A peppy and jazz holiday track with an equally fun MV filmed by the members themselves that showcases the joy and carefree attitude we should have during the holidays.

5. "My Grown Up Christmas List"- Ailee. Our home-girl Ailee coming through with an American classic. The Korean - American singer, dazzling us with her beautiful vocals covering this holiday must have by Amy Grant, helping us get into the holiday spirit. 

6. "For Life"-EXO. Having the same feeling as Miracles in December, "For Life" is another great wintry tune from the group. This is a slow, tender, simple ballad suited for the vocalists of the group with a sweet finality at the end of the MV. Like many holiday songs, it's overall ode to a lover on Christmas. 

7. "Christmas Song"- Cube Nation. Starting off slow and jazzy, the tempo picks up quickly turning the track into a holiday bop featuring many well known artists and groups like G.NA, 4Minute and BTOB who are sure to make you sing or at least sway along. 

8. "First Snow" EXO- Highlighting the vocals of many members who had yet to bless us with their vocal skills. It is a relaxed, subdued holiday song with some bright instrumentals and great guitar that must leave you feeling happy

9. "Wish List"- f(x). Wish List offers up a synthy pop mix for those who may want a holiday song that sounds a little less "holiday-y." Enjoy!

10. "Snow Candy"- Starship Planet. Cheerful and pleasant holiday jingle that sounds so classically holiday you can't help but snap and sway along. This cute song features Starship Ent stars such as K.Will, Boyfriend and Sistar.

11. "The Star"- EXO. A peppier, more joyful song compared to "Miracles in December" on the same album. This song is a pop track with some hip hop elements that showcase the members vocals. A holiday track that I definitely can't sit still to and neither should you. Here is a live version to see some choreography, but the audio track is just as good!

12."Because It's Christmas"- Jelly Christmas. Another entertaining Christmas jingle, featuring some some rapping and beautiful vocals, and playful shots all from VIXX, Park Hyo Shin, Seo In Guk, Sung Si Kyung, and Lee Seok Hoon all wrapped up in a neat little bow for us listeners!

13. "Love, Love, Love" - After School. An amusing holiday track with jingle bells and pleasing harmonies coupled with a heartwarming MV that houses a lovely little surprise at the end.

14. "It's Christmas Time"- B1A4. A festive track, a first from the group, has a feel good production, especially considering the fact it was composed by the groups' own Jinyoung! Give it a listen for some feel good holiday cheer!

15. "Snowing" Urban Zapaka. A jazzy, mature holiday track makes the listener want to light some candles, drink a nice glass of wine and just curl up with a loved one. Wind down your winter evenings with this smooth track.

16. "The Story of December"- Sweet Sorrow. From a lesser know but just as talented group, "Story of December" demonstrates all of the holiday must haves such as jolly trumpets, uplifting melodies and of course, jingle bells. 

17. "On the Snow"- EXO. Perhaps one of my favorite holiday tracks from EXO, it is a lively ballad characterized with all things needed in a holiday song; snaps, ear-pleasing harmonies, strong vocals paired with spirited instrumentals and a peppy brass line. "On the Snow" is soft pop tune that becomes more heartfelt with pick ups during the chorus. Equal parts sugary and silky, the boys sing about a lost winter love and how they want her back. You can't help but enjoy and feel their emotion. 

I could keep naming more but there are just so many! So some others I recommend is everything else from EXO's Special Winter Album 'For Life', everything else from their album 'Miracles in December', everything else from their 'Sing For You- Winter Special Album', other tracks on Girls Generation- TTS 'Dear Santa- X-Mas Album', BTOB's 'The Winter's Tale' EP, and "All I Want For Christmas" - BOM&HI. 

I hope this spreads some special holiday cheer for guys! Share your favorite holiday song from this list, not on list, Korean or not in the comments,  I'd love to hear. 

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

Jen :) 

J.Music: Red Velvet "Peek- A-Boo"

Hello! I hope you guys had a wonderful and plentiful Thanksgiving and I'M SO SORRY I'M SO LATE WITH THIS! But I'm here again to deliver to you another song of the week! I hope you guys enjoy!

Red Velvet is back! Gracing us with their winter comeback, "Peek-A-Boo!, title track on their second full-length album, Perfect Velvet, after their highly received summer drop, Red Flavor.

For those of you don't know or even those who do, Red Velvet is a South Korean girl group under SM entertainment, consisting of 5 beautiful and talented members: Irene, Joy, Seulgi, Wendy and Yeri. Red Velvet never fails to produce fantastic content, wowing us with different concepts each release.
They typically have two main sounds with which they play around, Red" and "Velvet" . Their "RED" side shows off their playful and youthful side. Songs are very upbeat, with super quirky and colorful MV's, and fun, bright instrumentals. For example, Dumb, Dumb, Dumb and Russian Roulette.  The other side is the "Velvet" side. These songs tend to be  R&B, or ballad like, sexy, very soft and subdued. We don't miss out on complex cinematography, and eye catching sets either but emphasizes their relaxed and smooth side, For example, One of These Nights and Automatic (which is my favorite Red Velvet song overall!)

After going after each other in Russian Roulette, the ladies show off their huntress side, taking on other people in particular boys in Peek- A-Boo

The MV
Playing with the duality of their red and velvet sides, the MV delivers a bit of darkness and mystery from preying on delivery boys with crossbows and performing what seems to be some occult practices but it gives us brightness and vibrancy because they are doing so decked out glittering rainbows and dressed in eye-catching blood red ensembles, making them equally gorgeous and creepy. Like always with Red Velvet, we get some twisting and interactive cinematography and cool special effects. But, unlike some of their other MVs this one appears to have a plot. Loosely inspired by films like The Initiation and The Beguiled, the girls appear to live in a sorority style house, where they trick a delivery boy into playing with them, running around displays of their previous male conquests, unbeknownst to him before letting him escape, only to hunt him down again. Then seemingly sacrificing him to some otherworldly forces; all the while aiming to hurt each other and looking fantastic while doing it.  If I'm going to hunt some cute boys, I'd want to look as good as Red Velvet does.

The Song
Peek-A- Boo while still an upbeat dance track, it's less bubbly than this years previous singles from the ladies. Offering a variety of diverse and colorful sounds under a main melody as the women sing and rap about a new love that's like a teasing game. It features a more mature and sophisticated sound from them with twinkling xylophone instrumentals, tinny metallic beats, woozy synth, playful vocals, deep bass drum line and a little bit of brass never hurt anyone all underneath an overarching quirky pop vibe. The haunting, chromatic melody and capturing hook  pairs well with a murderously themed MV reminiscent of 80's B movies. It definitely succeeded in showing off the girl group at their most mature side.

The Choreo

Done in striking all red outfits and dazzling rainbow hues, the choreography showcases Red Velvet's charms with some classic hip/booty shaking and the peeping hand movements showcasing the main point of the song, keeping their eye on the object of their affection. It makes you wanna dance along, despite the fact it might look no where as stunning as theirs. ALSO, lets just address how great Joy looked crawling on that table towards that pizza house. Were you all shook? Because I was.

yasssssssssss joy yasssss girl

Once again, Red Velvet didn't fail to deliver. "Peek- A -Boo", a perfect blend of their two sonic identities displayed their charming and mysterious side. The other songs on the album, Perfect Velvet explored a variety of musical styles from sultry disco sounds, dance-pop tracks, hip-hop with deep 808 bass, to smooth R&B and rhythmic, mellow ballads. There is something for every type of listener, so go check out! I LOVE ALL OF THEM. "Perfect 10" just might have to fight "Automatic" for my favorite Red Velvet song. Also, if you haven't, go and explore the groups previous takes on their Red and Velvet sides, you wont be disappointed.

I hope you guys enjoyed this post! Please comment something you liked in the MV or something you like about Red Velvet or just something in general, I'd love to know your thoughts :) Also, please share with your fellow k-pop/ music lovers! Until next time! 

Jen :)

J. Music: EXID "DDD"

Hello there my lovely readers, Jen here! I am sorry for not updating with some content over the last three weeks but I will make it up to you!


EXID, always ones to toe the line between provocative and flirty is here to save us from the cold with their new winter comeback, "DDD". EXID is a five member South Korean group consisting of Solji, Hani, LE, Hyerin and Jeonghwa formed in 2012, and is currently under Banana Culture Entertainment.

The title track, DDD  (덜덜덜) deoldeoldeol, refers to the trembling  one makes when shivering from the cold; hence why they so cleverly added scenes indicating a drop in the temperature but its not the ladies who have a reason to be shivering. 
The song tells a story of a woman demanding the truth from a cheating lover who trembles or deoldeoldeols in fear before her as she switches between feelings of regret, anger and self-blame. 

The MV

Like their other MV's, we were blessed with aesthetically pleasing cinematography. The flickering between red and blue lighting provided heavy contrast that played off the lyrics and gave the video an old school 80's feel. Besides the aesthetics, each member played a role featuring a different side of the woman: Hani was flirtatious and coy, LE showed off her domineering side, clad in patent leather and hot pink stilettos, Jeonghwa is alluring and seductive, and Hyerin is cute and fashionably chic.

Though not the focus of the video, the choreography accentuated with form fitting athleisure wear,  is playful and enticing with slow, sultry movements. Featuring some well timed hair flips, and some special attention to the derrière, it definitely grabbed the viewers attention. 

The Song

The groups' own LE partook in the writing and producing of the song, giving us a retro but modern, electro-pop feel with powerful a bass line and wailing synths. Though not able to participate in the MV and promotions due to an illness, Soliji's vocals are not missed, featured on this single and other tracks on the album. Vocally, the song does not disappoint with Hani and Jeonghwa' s light and teasing tones playing off of Hyerin and Solji's deeper, powerful ones, emphasizing the emotional flip flopping of the main character in the lyrics.

DDD is a sexy, confidant song that leaves the listeners also feeling sexy, empowered, confidant and definitely wanting more. Check out the rest of the album and their other songs, they never fail to disappoint.

I hope you enjoyed this post and I look forward to next time!
Jen :)

You're Black, Why Do You Even LIKE K-pop?

Yeah.. yeah I'm serious.

More than once have I asked myself why I still fuck with South Korea after seeing some of the shit they they pull. I've known people who stopped caring for Korean music and pop culture in general after realizing how racist they were and not even apologetic about it. Which ya know I can't really blame them either. Sometimes it reaches a point where it's just like 'I've had enough.' I like kpop because I like the music and depending on the artist do I care for the lyrics. And that's what has kept me going. For artist that have made racist remarks or even have taken part in racist sketches that often make fun of Africa and contain black face, I've stopped supporting. At the end of the day it's just that simple for me. For example Super Junior members have been known to do things like back face (Super Junior Controversy) and after I found that out, I was pretty much done with them. I stopped following anything in relation to them and no longer support them or their music. These are just my feelings about it, so I decided to ask some fellow black women (I don't know many if any at all, men unfortunately) who listen to kpop, some questions and see see what their take was on kpop. So I asked them a few questions.


B: Why do you like kpop? 

S: I like kpop because I do lol, I just came across it when I was in 8th grade. I listened to music all the time, and I watched anime and telanovelas like crazy so when I saw it in a tab under Naruto on YouTube and I clicked I was instantly in awe!! Lmao the boy groups in particular I should mention I def was one of those boy group loving teens lol B2k, Back Street Boys, NSYNC, B5 ect.

J: It allows me to connect to a part of my family I don't know a lot about. But I mainly love kpop 'cause I love music. I don't care so much for the lyrics of the songs, I care more for the sound. The melody is more important to me. You can interpret a lot of what the artist was feeling from it and there is more room for your interpretation and your emotions to stem from a melody.

B: How do you feel about cultural appropriation?

S: Cultural appropriation is always a hard ass topic because the difference between it and appreciation is often up for debate. I personally believe credit should be given where credit is due. I used to actually feel excited when I saw artists doing things in homage to black culture and music but it quickly became frustrating when I saw some Asian fans claiming and belittling the influence of black culture. I saw a lot of fan arguments about this and it became even more upsetting when big artists didn't address these issues but tried to dress it up and claim it as their own. That's what really pissed me off in the end. Like as a black fan that likes kpop I already feel as if I didn't belong at times. I wasn't white or Asian so I was never welcomed. And just when I found something that verified we had an existence, it was quickly tossed aside. I started to feel numb to it all I had a really hard time enjoying the music for a while. It sounded so good, I saw my cultural influences, but it supposedly wasn't for me that's hard to deal with. So initially I was all about boycotting certain artists but as I continued to observe more and more I switched to educating artists and fans not aggressively but I'm a fact checker I just drop the links to music and articles about sound and style origins. Lol you can lead a horse to water but you can't force them to drink or some shit.

J: I don't think it's cool. I think it can be hurtful, but can be an opportunity for growth. When people appropriate something unknowingly or by accident it can be a learning opportunity, and a chance for them to gain new appreciation for something different from themselves. When people do it knowingly and they couldn't care less to learn about the culture they are appropriating and choose to stay ignorant that bothers me the most. This is someone's culture, this is what makes someone who they are it isn't there for you, like when it's cool and convenient and for you to disregard when it no longer is useful to you. 

B: How do you feel about seeing artist you like appropriating black culture?

J:  I feel like I almost never notice if they do. I think most of the groups or solo artists I listen to haven't and if they have, it was acknowledged and apologized for. I know some have not, and I know for some, they are forced to do certain things and it's shitty on their higher ups parts. I know that a lot of idols and hip hop artists over there see whats done here by black artists for hip hop music and try to emulate it to the tee. Rap and hip hop is a part of black culture and everyone should be able to participate in a genre of music if you like and you;re good, but I don't wanna watch your MV or hear your lyrics and it seems almost mocking or like you tried so hard to be hip hop that you thought to you had to "be black".

B: What are you thoughts on some of them doing things like black face, and wearing confederate flags?

S: (Mashed the 3rd and 4th question together) The world is s racist and prejudice place. Brown and black bodies are constantly portrayed negatively in media even in Africa prejudice ideas and colorism lead to classism. This standard and portrayal of brown and black people often translate through the media. So black people have a very negative reputation. Korea was pretty closed off for a while what they know of black people is mostly from media representations. Even though a few black people live in the country even fewer Korean people have actually met a black person in person let alone a foreigner. So when I see the black face and the confederate flag or even when they dressed BIGBANG in gang colors during Bad Boy. These are all displays of their ignorance. The stylist's ignorance the fan's ignorance and the artist's ignorance as well as the company there are so many hands these things go through before they reach the internet. So there is no excuse other than people thinking this shit is acceptable. With the world wide fame of kpop and the internet making it more

easily accessible for fans to voice their opinions there is a lot of progressive movements to remove these videos. But the problem starts at the root. The stylists need to Google the shit they put on people for the world to see. And the top producers need to reevaluate their regulations on what passes. Maybe initially kpop audience was the Asian populace but as kpop has grown so has their fan base and they now have a much more diverse audience. So they need to cater to that audience in some way. They don't have to completely change up the genre, but respecting people is given. South Korea is such an advance country when it comes to technology, the artist and producers must be able to Google what can be seen as offensive and avoid it. Why wearing feather headdress painting your skin black and sporting certain fashion is offensive is literally like 2 taps and a swipe away.

J: Black face is never okay! I feel with Confederate flags that's a lack of knowledge of our history. I feel if you're gonna wear something regarding another country and you're in the public eye, research it to avoid potentially getting in trouble or offending people. I don't think they're doing it with malicious intent, but that doesn't mean its okay, or cool to wear. What the hell are they doing with Confederate flags anyway???

B: Has this changed your views on Korea? Or Korean culture? Why or why not?

S: My views on kpop have changed. I can't say if its positive or negative but I have a new set of standards that I listen and view kpop through. These artists ,producers, actors and dancers are people. The thing with people is that people make mistakes and people often learn from their mistakes. I'm not perfect and neither are they. However, on that same note I practice what I preach I exercise caution not to step on toes when I indulge in another's cultures and I'm expecting artists to do the same, it's really not that hard. It has to be a set and willful change. Just like how idols push that they too are people so are the fans respect is a mutual thing. I'll forgive once maybe twice, but continued and repetitive disrespect people don't stand for. Some people don't even tolerate it the first time.

J: It hasn't changed my views. If I find an artist or a kdrama truly offensive, I'd stop watching or

listening, you lost a fan. I won't write it all off, these things provide a different perspective on life. I like learning about people and different societies and how we' re connected as well. Music is definitely one of ways we are. We go through the same emotions, some of the same problems, same joys and I can understand that through a song or a movie regardless of country or language which I think is wonderful. I definitely can't judge an entire country and it's people off of bad actions some of their artists in any sense of the word do or else I'd be screwed as an American if others were to do the same cause we do some messed up shit here and we're soooo ethnocentric.

I thanked both ladies for answering my questions and it just left me wondering how many other's felt the same way or completely different than us. What would it take for the artist we admired so much to realize some of the things they said or did was hurtful to quite a large number of their fans. Personally my views have changed slightly well for one I don't listen kpop as much as I used to, and I think that's okay. At the end of the day how you react to these things that happen within the things you love is up to you. You do what's right for you and your mental health. Although.. it would be nice if I could stop seeing things about black face. That would be great..

J.Music: Taemin "MOVE"

Hello there! It's Jen here to give you guys my song of the week. I think I have a great suggestion, "MOVE" by Taemin.

As I hope many of you know Taemin is a member of South Korean boy group, SHINee under SM Entertainment. Like many artists in the K-pop industry, he has branched out into solo arena and blessed us yet again with his 2nd Solo Album, MOVE. With Move, the title track of the album, he did not disappoint. Taemin released 3 music videos, each one offering something different. I of course, watched all 3.

MOVE # 1 MV:

The first MV is our introduction to the song. Giving us a sort of 90's pop vibe, it features gorgeous cinematography, cool graphics, a grungy aesthetic in the set and obviously beautiful choreography, but I'll touch upon that later. The song itself presents an electronica feel with intimate, yet subtle drops in the instrumentals, and a dark, driving bass that keeps the song moving. I didn't forget Taemins' vocals! Slay me, it fit this perfectly. An edgy, very seductive and sensual song. Definitely something put on and dance to, definitely something you could lose yourself in.

Move #2 Performance Version

With the performance version of the MV, the viewer is given a chance to focus more on the choreography since I know we were captivated by how nice Taemin looked dancing in rain in the first one. This song did not skimp in the dance department, but since when does Taemin ever disappoint? The choreography here was very simple but required so much finesse. He did not wow us with complicated movements, but with those that were fluid, very smooth, and very controlled. I am all about the subtle hip rolls. This added to appeal and complimented the sensuality of the song. Also his choice clothing in all three MVs added to choreography as well. His billowing shirts, tight, form fitting tops, slim track pants and wide-legged trousers not only broke gender norms a bit but allowed us to really see how precise his movements are and showed off the long lines of his GREAT dancer's body. We a got taste of Taemin's dancing style too, MJ-esque no? For those who are into dance, this gave us everything and more.

Move #3 Performance Video Duo Version

In the third MV of MOVE, we get another chance to see the choreography, this time with his female dance partner, Sugawara Koharu. This is not Koharu's, a Japanese choreographer, first time working with Taemin, having worked with him previously on his Japanese solo release 'Goodbye'. They teamed up once again for MOVE and we were blessed with moves executed with fluidity, power and charisma. You can definitely see the great chemistry between the two.

SO, there you have it. My music recommendation of the week, MOVE by Taemin. Taemin showed us he is definitely TaeMAN now. Check out the rest of the album, it is fantastic and so Taemin! Also, check out Goodbye and his other Japanese releases, great gems. I hope you guys enjoyed this post and I look forward to sharing more Jen's jams and talking to you more.

KDrama Review: Fight My Way: Fighting!!!

Hey there fellow reader, it's me your inconsistent writer Brandice here with another k-drama review review for you, because who doesn't like a decent Korean drama review. 

Fight My Way was a refreshing new drama for me. It stared Park Seo-Joon as Ko Dong Man who was a former Taekwondo player, his best friend Choi Ae Ra who was played by actress Kim Si Won. Together they were good friend with Kim Joo Man who was played by Ahn Jae Hang and Baek Seol Hee who Song Ha Yoon acted as. The four of them were 'The Crazy Fantastic Four.' 

Fight My Way was a fighting drama literally and figuratively. Ko Dong Man (Park Seo Joon), after a fixed Taekwondo match when he was younger, struggled everyday with a job he hates as well as love. That is until he finds MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). Choi Ae Ra (Kim Si Won) wants more than anything to be an announcer and is sadly stuck working at a department store. Kim Joon Man (Ahn Jae Hong) and his girlfriend of six years Baek Seol Hee (Song Ha Yoon) struggled with their relationship while they work together at a home shopping network.

This drama is about the life of young adults just trying to make a living, but living their best life. It's about the external and internal forces that drive them and push them forward. At times it was high stress to watch Ko Dong Man's ex-girlfriend come back into the mix or the the other girl that was interfering with Baek Seol Hee and Kim Joon Man's relationship, as well as when you found out the

secrets of these guys Choi Ae Ra were dating before finding her true soul mate.

There were a couple of twist in this drama, well okay no there was like, one big twit that kept me heavily invested in the landlord's story line. She was oddly enough, very important to the story. 

What I liked about the female lead Choi Ae Ra, was that she wasn't one of those female leads who just sat back and took shit. She would beat someone up if they messed with her. She was loud, opionated, and never held back, always speaking her mind. That was refreshing and I appreciated it and lot since many of the drama I have watched in the past, made me feel that not many female leads were like that. Well don't get me wrong there are some, but not many like her. Her friend Baek Seol Hee was kind of different from her, she tolerated everything until the last straw and she wasn't very confrontational at all and I think that's what made them a good pair. Choi Ae Ra reminded me a little of myself. 

It's kind of hard to give y'all a synopsis of the drama without giving it all away. 

When Ko Dong Man finally picked up MMA I was actually very excited. I was over here like, "BOY IT'S ABOUT TIME! KICK SOME ASS!" It in all honesty made me want to learn how to at least box ya know? Of course I don't really see myself doing that anytime soon. Fight My Way made me wnt to do the things that I loved even if I knew there would be or might be setbacks

Remember what I said about figurative fighting? That was this drama. Fighting constantly for the people you love and the things you wanted to do. The true struggling in friendships and intimate relationships. A little bit of suffering from depression seemed to be thrown in their as well and understanding the value of yourself. It was about an adolescent struggling and very much appreciated. Overall I give this drama 4.5 G-Dragon heads out of 5. I didn't see many flaws with the drama the only thing I wish was different was the ending between mother and daughter. That' a spoiler for I won't give much away. 

I know that sometimes life can be a true struggle, but I know y'all can do it! 

FIGHTING!!!!!!!

Remember to check out Fight My Way onViki or DramaFever!

Hello!

Hi there readers! My name is Jenielle and I am new to this blog. I will be contributing to the content here but in various ways besides just k- drama reviews. I'm looking forward to showing you guys bits and pieces of my k drama life!
     Jen 🙃🙃

Song of the Day

If I could have hair color like anyone from kpop it would be Hyuna, I feel like her hair is always a new color. Like that one time it was that greenish color or twas it more of a turquoise? Whatever it was cool. Today's song of the day, is drum roll please.
"ROLL DEEP" by Hyuna featuring Ilhoon from BTOB
Hyuna as you all probably know is from a group called 4Minute. She was in Wonder Girls for like a hot second and then Troublemaker (is that even still a thing?) and then she was in 4Minute and as far as I know she's gone solo and is now doing her own thing. So this song Roll Deep by her is one of my favorite songs by her, some of my friends don't like her, nor her music. I do have to say not all of it is great, but this song is pretty darn great. I

haven't been listening to her music for long, but let's just say that... I don't hate it. And I think all of her M/Vs are hella interesting.
Below are the English translations, don't know if there completely accurate :)

Roll Deep (잘나가서 그래) by Hyuna ft. Ilhoon from BTOB

Hyuna: 

There’s never anyone who doesn’t know me

Wherever I go, they wanna touch me

Look, this was always my swag

If you have a problem with that, just give them water

Ok now good, yes good

(Queen’s back, if you don’t know, shh)

My scale is different, you can’t touch this

You’ve heard it, it’s Red

Even my friends get jealous of me, I know

I’m always alone here

On top of the chopping block, I know

Chew me up when I smile

I don’t care, I don’t care at all

I’m OK, my place is still the same

More jealousy and envy makes trouble, I know

Actually, a little dangerous

You and you, I am me, hey

Like this, like that, it doesn’t matter

You are you, I am me

Like this, like that, like this, like that

It’s all because I’m the best

It’s because I’m pretty

It’s because they’re all jealous

Baby I’m bad all day

It’s all because I’m the best

It’s because I’m pretty

It’s because they’re all envious

Sorry, I’m a dope girl

Ok now good, yes good

You can’t touch me Don’t touch me

Ok now good, yes good

You can’t touch me Don’t touch me

Ok now good, yes good

You can’t touch me Don’t touch me

Ok now good, yes good

You can’t touch me Don’t touch me

Ilhoon:

It’s because I’m the best

It’s because you’re not

The answer is simple

It’s because you don’t get attention

I’ve never had these four things:

Time, likeability2, fear, fat

I’m like a made-up character since I was born

People around me massage me with jealousy

Oh it’s still the same, she’s still the queen

I have everything but height

But they all open the door for me

They call me fake,

saying I’ve never been real

But HyunA, who you can’t even hold hands with?

She’s like my sister to me

Hyuna:

You and you, I am me, hey

Like this, like that, it doesn’t matter

You are you, I am me

Like this, like that, like this, like that

It’s all because I’m the best

It’s because I’m pretty

It’s because they’re all jealous

Baby I’m bad all day

It’s all because I’m the best

It’s because I’m pretty

It’s because they’re all envious

Sorry, I’m a dope girl

You can’t touch me Don’t touch me

I don’t care, I don’t care at all

I’m OK, my place is still the same

You can’t touch me Don’t touch me

Like this, like that, like this, like that

It’s all because I’m the best

It’s because I’m pretty

It’s because they’re all jealous

Baby I’m bad all day

It’s all because I’m the best

It’s because I’m pretty

It’s because they’re all envious

Sorry, I’m a dope girl

Ok now good, yes good

You can’t touch me Don’t touch me

Ok now good, yes good

You can’t touch me Don’t touch me

Ok now good, yes good

You can’t touch me Don’t touch me

Ok now good, yes good

You can’t touch me Don’t touch me

HYUNA(현아) - '잘나가서 그래 (Feat. 정일훈 Of BTOB)' (Roll Deep) 

Side note: It wouldn't let me grab the video from YouTube so I ended up downloading it and then uploading it. Haha.. ^^''

Song of the Day

Cooking it up G-Dragon style.

I decided to start of with my favorite artist and my ultimate bias. I know you all know who he is, but just in case you don't I'll give you a little more information. 

G-Dragon also know as Kwon Ji Young was born August 18, 1888. Haha okay let me stop myself right there, I'll give basic facts instead of his whole life story. 

So G-Dragon, is in a group called BIGBANG. The fans are commonly known as VIPs. He works for YG entertainment and I've been listening to his music since I was... 16. So not that long, well okay it's been 6 years. 

Pretty sure my ovaries exploded when I saw this

I've listened to all of his albums with BB and solo and while I may not like all of the songs I like 90% of them, and I think he's a great musician. 

My favorite song by G-Dragon is "Who You" also titled (니가 뭔데). When I first heard this song I like, automatically fell in love with it. I loved the video too. There was something about the music and the rhythm that I really enjoyed. I loved his voice and his rapping within the singing. So because I'm not a native Korean speaker I had to go find out if the song that I liked so much had lyrics really worth knowing so I went out to go find the English translation. 

WHO YOU by G-Dragon

English Translation: 

Baby I love you, I say this but

I don’t feel good at all

I want you I need you, I sing but

I don’t know why I feel bad, who you?

Congratulations, you already are meeting someone new

I hope it works out, althought it’s a bit early

If you’re happy, that’s all I want

But I keep getting angry, baby who you?

Du du du du du du du du du du du du du

oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Du du du du du du du du du du du du du

oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Baby I miss you, why do I keep thinking about you

I can’t meet someone else, I don’t want to

Whether I love you or hate you

I can’t determine, everyday I’m still confused

I don’t know why I feel bad, who you

You keep showing up in front of me with your arms locked to his

This isn’t right, are you kidding me?

Oh my? Enough is enough

A pair of dirty flowers bloomed by the street

Instead of the expensive purse that I couldn’t get you

Instead of shoes I bought a pillow, wet with tears

uh why are you happy while I’m unfortunate

Who you

Du du du du du du du du du du du du du

oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Du du du du du du du du du du du du du

oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Baby I just want you back

I want you back I want you back

Baby I know it’s too late it

just too late it’s just too late

Baby I just want you back

I want you back I want you back

Baby I know it’s too late it

just too late it’s just too late

I pray for fight, pray for a break-up

I always pray for you to come back to me

Every neighborhoods every streets

I visit and tell people that you two aren’t doing well

So lame and loser-ish, I’ve always been a loser

I didn’t know, you’re the same, you bad girl

I will treat you better, will you meet me?

I won’t bother you, will you please come back to me?

Baby I hate you Baby I loved you

Ma baby hate you

Baby love you du du du du du who you?

Now I don't know what it was exactly, but there was something I could connect with when I heard this song. I don't know if these translations are COMPLETELY accurate, but it was still kind of hitting me. Like it was some real shit and yet it was sung with such upbeat music. I don't know but, GD you got me!