May 31, 2014

Eye Candy Saturday - Jonghyun



I was very happy doing my (almost) weekly "Girl Crush Saturday" segments, but I really wanted to feature some hot guys too. Then I thought that I could just make a guy version, but it would be a bit too much for me to incorporate every week. The perfect solution came to me earlier this week when I realized I could just do a joint segment, featuring guys some weeks and girls others. So today for the first time, I will be sharing some yummy pictures of my second ultimate bias, none other than SHINee's Jonghyun. I just love this talented dork so much, and I want him to be have everything and anything he wants in this world. He's been my bias for over a year now and although he might not beat the record of After School's Nana or Infinite's Sunggyu, he's definitely a strong competitor.


May 28, 2014

Infinite Is Most Certainly My One And Only "Last Romeo"


Infinite is back. Infinite is back. INFINITE IS BACK. 
Sorry, I just had to get it out of my system. Anyhow, I am really excited that Infinite are finally back, especially after last year's (sort of) disappointments. I actually did like Man In Love as a song, but I wasn't too fond about the concept, and Destiny didn't really do anything for me either, unfortunately. However, when I saw the teaser photos and video for Last Romeo I knew I was going to like it a lot better.


May 25, 2014

Song of the Week #14

Wax - Coin Laundry


I heard this song like yesterday and loved it instantly, and that doesn't happen everyday. I'm not so sure I fully understand the video but that doesn't matter when the song is as good as this.

May 24, 2014

Girl Crush Saturday - Eunyoung



Does anyone here know about Two X? No one? I didn't think so. In that case then, it's my duty to enlighten you about this two year old group and their greatest asset Eunyoung. They are signed to the same label as Mblaq, but that didn't really help them at all in becoming relevant in the music industry, and they have not had a comeback since February last year which is a tragedy. Their debut song Double Up was surprisingly decent but then Ring Ma Bell was released and killed every little piece of potential that there was. Anyhow, I came across the group's maknae on the show Romantic & Idol, and fell in love with her cute and charming personality. I've also seen her on All the Kpop, which further enhanced my love for this talented young woman.


May 23, 2014

EXO's Kris: A Backstabber Or A Hero?

It's been some time now since the bomb dropped: EXO member Kris has filed a lawsuit against his company and is now most likely no longer a part of the group. There's been absolute chaos in the kpopsphere, especially since the EXO fandom is so big, and it seems everyday there's a new article popping out with another inside story. I just wanted to rant about whole situation and what I make of it, but the only ones that truly know what's going on are SM, Kris and EXO themselves, so these are all just my opinions. 


As of today, nothing has yet been fully decided (as far as I know) and SM claims they still haven't gotten in touch with Kris. EXO's very first concert is tonight and there's nothing that indicates that he will participate in it. What I've gathered while looking through articles is that he filed the lawsuit because of either bad conditions, management problems or money issues, or a combination of them. There's been reports of him having serious problems with his health, that he's been treated unfairly by SM, and that he's just not liking being an idol. No matter the actual reason, I think it must have been pretty severe since he actually has decided to go through with filing a suit in order to terminate his contract. SM has had their fair share of lawsuits in the past so in that sense it's not as much of a surprise because the entertainment industry is really shady and quite brutal too, and if you're not willing to put up with whatever gets thrown at you from time to time then it's not for you. I'm not defending SM or any other company because I know they can be horrible and there needs to be rules and restrictions to protect the idols and entertainers, but it's still a choice you make when you sign with them. I'm pretty confident SM is heaps better nowadays than years ago, and I do think JYJ and their lawsuit did have a big impact on the company, but I also know just how overworked EXO are right now. For some of the members the hard work might pay off because they genuinely enjoy performing and doing activities, but idol life is certainly not for everyone. Some groups have to work for years before they reach a status when they can have long breaks and rest while still having promotions from time to time (SNSD for example), and I think it all ultimately comes down to patience and willpower. I've read several times that Kris initially joined SM to become an actor, and has been upset he hasn't been able to do any acting at all outside of EXO. He also went missing for a long time (well, he went back to Canada) and people were speculating of his whereabouts and whether he would return to Korea at all. Apparently promotions for Wolf were postponed because of him, so for anyone who's been following him over the years it might not be too unexpected that he's now decided to jump ship. Because of his non-Korean nationality people have also talked about SM's unfair treatment of foreign idols, which I think is a justifiable argument, but that has also improved significantly since Hangeng's lawsuit way back in 2009.

I think what most people are upset about, and that includes me too, is the fact that he has completely abandoned his team right in the middle of promotions and before their concert. I don't really care about why he wants to leave and whatever his reasons might be I'm sure they're understandable, but to do this right now makes me quite mad to be honest. I don't blame him for wanting to leave SM, but I do blame him for letting down his teammates in this important time. In Korea, being a teamplayer is much more positively looked upon than being on your own, and if you're in an idol group it' essential to work together. I was part of a theater production myself recently, and if there was one member missing from the group it made it so much harder to rehearse. It didn't matter if that person had a particularly important role or not, it still made a difference. We even had to delay the premier by a week because one person was absent during the final rehearsal. Imagine having planned and rehearsed an entire concert, only to have to redo everything because one member decides to leave at last minute. This puts an enormous pressure on not only the remaining members, but also on all the staff. As it has been reported, the lawsuit was supposed to take place before the promotions for Overdose even started, but the tragic Sewol ferry accident put it on hold up until now. My question is why he couldn't do it even before that, so that this giant mess could have been avoided? I feel extremely sorry for the rest of the group, whom I am sure of are battling health issues and other problems just as much as Kris was, but are still holding up for each other and the fans. Actions do have consequences, and although his personal life choices should be respected, I have little respect for someone who acts without thinking of what happen afterwards when so many people are directly affected by their decisions. As for the fans, I would say they are quite divided right now. If I was a big EXO fan, I would most likely be devastated, and it would be really hard to pick a side. That's what fans do though, they pick a side and stick to it like glue. When the original lineup of TVXQ broke in half, the fans did too. I'm sure there were some who continued to support both parties but I also think it's natural to feel more sympathy towards one side. Personally I feel a bit torn in the question, because on one hand I do support his decision if that's what makes him happy, but I also think he handled it very irresponsibly.

So what happens next? As for any chance of Kris coming back, I'd say it's extremely minimal. The way it's been handled by SM so far shows no signs of a return, and I think that was the original plan too. His absence will not affect the group as a whole all too much, but for EXO-M it's a bit different. Kris was the leader after all, and he did play a big part in their Chinese activities and promotions. He spoke up when no one else did, answered all the big questions and contributed to many laughs with his goofy personality. He will be missed, and he will leave an empty space in the M-unit. I'm sure the group will be fine, but it's clear they have been disappointed and upset, as you would expect. If I were them I would be furious actually, to have been working so diligently for so long to have one member ditch last minute and mess everything up. I have experienced similar things myself, and those are the kind of selfish acts that really make me angry, when everyone is working under the same conditions too. Like I said previously, Kris has made this decision for himself and for his well-being, and I respect that. I don't know exactly what caused him to want to leave so badly and I will probably never know either but if he becomes happier and healthier by doing so than that's great for him. However I will not defend the consequences that his actions have caused, and I still think the timing for the lawsuit was irresponsible and selfish and should be criticized.  Let's just hope this is the first and last time EXO looses a member, don't you think? I'm not sure the EXOtics can survive another loss.


May 19, 2014

EXO Is Out To Give Fans An "Overdose" With New Album


EXO continues killing it on the charts with their newly released mini Overdose, and being the loyal SM stan that I am, I had to give it a listen. Of course, I loved XOXO to bits, but you just never know with the consistency of SM groups. I had less than favorable thoughts about the MV for the title track, but one can always hope that the rest of the album makes up for it, right?

May 18, 2014

Song of The Week #13

Nell - Tokyo



You can never go wrong with some Nell, right? Also, the live version of this song is like a thousand times better than the studio one, and that says a lot because the studio version is practically perfect.

May 17, 2014

Girl Crush Saturday - Krystal


While big sister Jessica has a huge female fanbase, I've always found little sister Krystal far more interesting. She is just amazingly pretty, talented in many areas and has a cute personality. People have been bashing on her for being "rude" and "two-faced" but she is just really shy as a person and isn't very good at showing emotions. I think it's also really unfair because if she was a guy, no one would criticize her at all (VIXX' Leo is an example of this). However, I really like Krystal, and I loves her in Heirs even though the drama itself was awful.


May 16, 2014

The Strangest of Names - Fanclubs



JYP's latest heartthrob boy group GOT7 recently announced their official fanclub name via a YouTube video, and it's horrible. However, it doesn't really surprise me because in general, most fanclub names are quite questionable. As I eagerly await the reveal of EXO's (and poor f(x)) fanclub name, I thought it would be interesting to go through some of the more odd ones out there. And believe me, there's a lot of them.


May 15, 2014

Kara Adds New Members And EXO Looses One?




What in the name of sanity is going on right now? Nothing makes any sense and I'm just sitting here desperately trying to put the pieces together. First of all there's Kara, a group that has been going on since way back in 2007 and has had an enormous success in both Korea and Japan. They recently lost two members in Jiyoung and Nicole, both of whom have gone oversees after they left. This came as quite a shock for the fans, and although I could understand the members, it was a shame for such a stable group. I've written about this in another post and how it would be a terrible idea to add new members to the remaining three, but that doesn't seem to stop DSP anyway. They've releases two videos so far of potential members for the group, who will be competing in a reality show for a position in the group. I can't seem to wrap my head around the fact that it's actually happening, because literally nothing good will come out of it. Fans are already in rage, and leader Gyuri even had to post an apology to try to calm things down. For a group that has been in the business for such a long time with the same setup of members. Adding new ones at this point would really mess up the group dynamics. It wouldn't be Kara anymore at all. The new girls would also get so much hate for "replacing" the older ones, and if their popularity has faded a bit in the last couple of years, it sure won't stop with these changes either. I think it would just be better to disband the group and have them do individual activities, because I feel like there's really nothing left for them at this point. It's sad, yes, but it would be the best decision to make.

Furthermore, I woke up this morning to the news of EXO member Kris supposedly trying to terminate his contract with SM. I thought it was nothing but a stupid rumor at first because it made absolutely no sense at all, but apparently it wasn't. Am I surprised then? Yes and no. For some reason I've always had a feeling that Kris felt a bit misplaced in the group and with being an idol in general, not because of anything specific really, but he never struck me as idol material. I've also seen him look and seem a bit uncomfortable and fed up in interviews, so if there was anyone who I think would leave the group, it would probably be him. However, I didn't expect this to happen in the middle of their promotions. EXO had their comeback like what, a week ago, and now he's filing a suit? The timing is so off which makes me really suspicious of this whole thing. Obviously he must be really desperate to get out, but to do so when they practically had their comeback last week and have an upcoming concert in the near future makes no sense at all. I respect his decision, and I don't think he would so this unless he has great reason to, but I think it's a bit disrespectful towards the rest of the group to go through with it right now. I guess only time will tell what will happen, but I really hope SM can sort this out so that no one involved will get hurt or hated on. I wish the best for Kris and for the rest of EXO, and once again send all my anger towards SM and their worthless treatment of their idols.

What an interesting week so far, right guys? In other news though, Kim Woobin is single again and Infinite will release their second full album on May 21st, so not only bad things have been announced so far! 

May 13, 2014

After School Is Ready To "Dress To Kill"


Can you believe I almost missed that this was coming out? It's not really that surprising though, because it hasn't been promoted a lot in Korea (obviously, since it's a Japanese album) nor on various international Kpop-sites, but I am a big After School fan so there was no way I wasn't going to listen to it. Pre-release singles "Heaven" and "Shh" were both amazing, and I am seriously liking this new sense of direction they have taken recently. Additionally, they were both produced by Shinichi Osawa, a Japanese DJ who is absolutely huge. Having gone through some major changes in the last few years, such as losing the group's core Kahi, it's not so strange that the music have also changed a lot.


May 12, 2014

Rate the Look - EXO's "Overdose"



This post is about 1 month old now, as I wrote it in the beginning of April, prior to both the album and video release. I had initially planned to release it as soon as the MV was out, but as you all now that didn't happen until very recently. So, what was I to do with this pretty much finished review? It felt a bit awkward to post it anyway, so I just kept on hold until the time was right. And that time is now, ladies and gentlemen.

May 10, 2014

Girl Crush Saturday - Eunjung


As if there was ever any doubt. I can't even remember when my love for T-Ara's Eunjung began, because it feels like it's always sort of been there. With some of my biases I can actually pinpoint the exact moment where I became a fan of them, but not with Eunjung. She is just an overall very talented performer and she can sing, dance and rap well on top of being absolutely gorgeous on both the in- and outside.


May 9, 2014

Beautiful B-Sides Part 3: Hidden Treasures From The Boy Group Island


Well friends, we have finally made it. This is sadly the third and final part of my "Beautiful B-Sides" segment, and we have arrived at the last stop on our journey. I've been really looking forward to this particular part, since most of my favorite groups are male and I have a better knowledge of their music. Not to say I follow every single boy group out there, but I do actively follow at least 5. I do fear this post is going to be even longer than the previous one, but I am not sorry and neither will you be after reading it.


May 7, 2014

The "Overdose" Takeover Has Begun Everyone!



It's almost midnight and I should really go to bed but I just watched EXO's new MV (a bad decision really)
and I had to write this piece while I still have all my initial thoughts in my head. They actually already had their showcase quite a few weeks ago and were just about to release the album and single when the tragic ferry accident happened. EXO-M has actively begun their promotions in China, but everything has, as you know, been put on hold back in Korea. However, now it seems that things are slowly going back to normal, and so EXO's new material was finally released.

May 6, 2014

Beautiful B-Sides Part 2: Girls Bring The Flawlessness Out!


Yes! It's finally time for the second part of this amazing segment, if I may say so myself. One of my absolute favorite things to do is to discover new songs both by my favorite groups and other ones whom I might not listen to otherwise. You would probably be surprised at how many fantastic non-promotional songs there are, hiding on various albums and mini albums. As I spoke of in my previous post, there are often instances where the title track just throws you off completely from listening to the rest of the album, but you shouldn't be scared at all! It's when you decide to give it a chance anyway that you discover the most amazing songs ever.

I'm afraid this post is going to be pretty long, but it's full of great material so I figured it would be alright anyway. Let's begin, shall we?


May 4, 2014

Song of the Week #12

Miss A - Love Alone



This song is just so good. Like seriously. And it's all in English as well which is fantastic because I can actually understand what they're saying.

May 1, 2014

Rate the Look - BTS' "Just One Day"


I initially wanted to do this with their "Boy In Luv" comeback, but I was a bit late. However, not much time has passed since then and they all pretty much look the same, so I figured this would work just as well. 
Also, this is the first male group to feature in this segment! You thought I was only going to judge the ladies, huh? In my defense I will say that not many boy groups have been active these past months. It's truly been the ladies' year so far!