I don't understand why JLS didn't just go this direction as soon as they debuted instead of teh whole Pop thing. This is a jam and they look so jam doing this. No trying hard to look boy bandy and that. Love it.
Tuesday, 23 October 2012
The Hallyu wave. And why I am drowning in it. Part 2: Drenched in the wave and why I ain't complaining
So now you know my story of how I got into Kpop, I will tell you why I have stayed in the world. There are a number of things I ADORE about K pop as well as things I'm not so crazy about.
Things I am not crazy about are the things like the sexualisation while doing aeygo and the use of white girls and the lack of divesity, the GETTING UPSET OVER THE STUPIDEST THINGS to name a few issues which an amazing website called Seoulbeats often talk about. (Trust me that website is a daily must read. I don't feel right if I have gone the day without reading.)
But I want to talk about the things that have turnt me down right crazy.
1) The visual side of it
The flashy music videos, the crazy bright colours, the amazing and cool (see I'm using words like cool this is what it has done to me!!) costumes, the beautiful people and there chocolate beautiful abs. Everything is done big and when I say big I mean GRANDE. For a while when ever I watched a western video it just seemed well, just plain...boring. Whenever I watched a kpop video there was so much going on with the loud beats, raps, the constant beautiful solo shots, choreography shots to name a few. I felt like I watched the most amazing spectacle in front of me after a kpop. The fact that different bands have different concepts i.e. SNSD with their cute, Sistar with their girl next door sexy, B.A.P with their tough hip hop, rock attitude which I LOVE. YG and their swag dripping swagged out selves. I think you can tell I am a YG stan but seriously how can people be so Gosh damn talented and COOL like really? Look I just said to words I never say in a sentence but there are no other words to describe them. There are just so. damn. swag. All of them to bludclart even Gummy has a swag and she does ballads like...*wipes tear, takes air* Videos like F(x) electric shock and Miss A Breathe got me in a tizzy ( I will not even start on Big Bang and 2ne1 videos for all our sakes) It was loud, brash, colourful, full of attitude, hard to ignore and most of all unashamedly Pop! And I loved ( and still do) every minute of it.
2) The people side of it
By this I mean, the Idols themselves and the fan bases. Watching things like 2ne1 TV and variety shows made me realise how amazing they are. The fact that they can be so sweet and nice and calm and when they get on the stage they are just like POW. Like the heeeellll. Their attitudes are just soo fierce and you can tell they are passionate. True preformers. The whole trainees days thing to their debut stories to the audition tapes and behind the scenes just makes me realise how much they work hard for what they have and seeing so much of their personalities is so nice compared to the every now and then appearances you may get on a TV interviews over here. You build a like... well not a personal attachment but you like THEM. Not just their talent. How family-like the company act appear to be (controversial topic) the fact that they do 'family' or 'town' concerts is such a nice change. Here? You don't even clock acts are with a company. Also with the fanbases, they are such a family like so tight knit and supportive ( most of the time) its so lovely knowing that you are part of one, they are literally like military sections. The fact that if you let slip that you are a K pop fan and you find the other person you hardly know is a k pop fan you act like long lost friends and get lost talking about subjects that seem great to you! It's like you just knoow. Not going to lie sometimes even I'm like woah with some of the fans though.
There are other things as well but I will never stop if I don't stop now. Those are the main things I love about K-pop. Honestly guys if you're not swept up in the wave go and jump in it and explore. You may not like it, you may love it but you certainly will not regret it. Trust me :D.
Things I am not crazy about are the things like the sexualisation while doing aeygo and the use of white girls and the lack of divesity, the GETTING UPSET OVER THE STUPIDEST THINGS to name a few issues which an amazing website called Seoulbeats often talk about. (Trust me that website is a daily must read. I don't feel right if I have gone the day without reading.)
But I want to talk about the things that have turnt me down right crazy.
1) The visual side of it
2) The people side of it
By this I mean, the Idols themselves and the fan bases. Watching things like 2ne1 TV and variety shows made me realise how amazing they are. The fact that they can be so sweet and nice and calm and when they get on the stage they are just like POW. Like the heeeellll. Their attitudes are just soo fierce and you can tell they are passionate. True preformers. The whole trainees days thing to their debut stories to the audition tapes and behind the scenes just makes me realise how much they work hard for what they have and seeing so much of their personalities is so nice compared to the every now and then appearances you may get on a TV interviews over here. You build a like... well not a personal attachment but you like THEM. Not just their talent. How family-like the company act appear to be (controversial topic) the fact that they do 'family' or 'town' concerts is such a nice change. Here? You don't even clock acts are with a company. Also with the fanbases, they are such a family like so tight knit and supportive ( most of the time) its so lovely knowing that you are part of one, they are literally like military sections. The fact that if you let slip that you are a K pop fan and you find the other person you hardly know is a k pop fan you act like long lost friends and get lost talking about subjects that seem great to you! It's like you just knoow. Not going to lie sometimes even I'm like woah with some of the fans though.
There are other things as well but I will never stop if I don't stop now. Those are the main things I love about K-pop. Honestly guys if you're not swept up in the wave go and jump in it and explore. You may not like it, you may love it but you certainly will not regret it. Trust me :D.
The Hallyu wave. And why I am drowning in it. Part 1: Toe in the KPOP ocean
So, I am going to talk about my view of THAT genre of music. K Pop. People have asked me how I got into K pop so why not? By the way the grammar is probably going to be disgusting. So tired but need to get this out my system :P
I have been meaning to get back on writing for a while and I am finally doing it and what other worthy subject is there to talk about than K-pop. Okay, so you are probably wondering how me, Coco, who loves RnB, Hip Hop, and Grime among others can get into KP but let's not stereotype let's establish one thing: Good music is good music. Doesn't matter what genre, country person it is from if its good? Its good. Don't get me wrong I have heeell of a lot of love for my UK scene but I like what I like. The fact that there are people (including many I know) are prepared to dismiss music because it's; Rock fan: "Hip Hop. Ew" or Hip Hop fan: "It's rock man -___-" (or insert any genre and genre fan) or "I don't understand what they are saying" (BTW there IS translation websites tut.) or "But they're white why are they trying to act black (by rapping and dancing well e.g....)" is beyond me to be honest. You're missing out on gooood shit man.
Anyways, my journey into Kpop or dipping my toe into the k pop ocean started when a side suggestion of the most random video I was watching on Youtube came up last year/beginning of this year some time. I've always admired oriental people, I think they're swag is off the hizzy and the fact that they can wear bin bags and still look swagged out ( yeah I said it) than the average person is a one of life's great wonders so obviously when I saw a thumbnail of picture of four HOT girls I obviously clicked that shit. Don't act like you don't click on the thumbnails of dirty looking photos HA! This thumbnail led me to the discovery of Miss A - Breathe.
And I have never looked back. If you look back on the blog, I quickly posted the video of these girls and said if I remembered correctly "say what :O" (I couldn't write what I really felt as I was in Media lesson) but those 3 words and that emotion basically summed up my feeling. What I felt was pure joy, admiration, entertainment and most of all shock. How can these oriental girls be singing some mad catchy song and be pulling out these fierce reggae inspired tunes? Anyways, safe to say I watched that video and the music video and could recite that dance and a couple lyrics after about 2 weeks of watching it non stop EVERYWHERE. But my infamous curiosity was poking at me and I did a lil bit of the good ole Google and found out they were a "K Pop" group ooh okay I thought, if this is what Korean music (btw gangnam style is on the radio, how nuts!?) is then I am SOLD.
So my poking my head through the door into the KP world led me to my second song - the classic 'Gee' by Girls Generation or SNSD. When I say I loved that song even though I was 2/3 years slow on the uptake of that song, that is an understatement. Gee was my muthaf*ckin Jam. Time went by, and after telling my friend that I liked Korean Pop music instead of getting the 'Coco are you serious roll eye' that I was expecting I got a AAAAHHHHHHH SO DO I. After that, no more dipping my toe into the KP ocean, this girl literally THREW me in it. She showed me different songs groups. I was in a ditzy. A new culture, new music, new scene, new way of doing things in one of the countries I admire was making my head whirl but in a good way. Like the way you it does when you see your bias. My friend said to me "Have you seen any boy bands yet?" "Nah I'm still high off Miss A, Sistar, SNSD, and the rest" I think even one time she showed me her biases and I have to say the HAIR and the "gay" looking outfits, make-up etc was a bit like woah, okay but it interested me more than put me off. However time went by my interests went on to other things, or become not there at all.
Rekindling my love for Kpop, was done through Psy. Yes Psy. I was on Youtube about to watch one of my fave comedians (DavidSoComedy <--that guy man) and saw a parody he did. I'm not usually one for parodies but I thought this is David So Comedy so its going to be hilarious. I was right of course and my curiosity poke came back and I decided to look up the original.That led me to the infamous Gangnam style obviously like the rest of the world K-pop or not, fell in love with the tune and I had the horse dance on lock after a day, at this point I was drenched in the wave but still able to hold on to a rock or "reality". So I decided to type in Kpop into Tumblr tag search. One guy, unfortunately I do not remember his name said my back has stopped hurting after watching G dragon One of a Kind proof GD is a God so I decided to look at that up it was either that or That XX. Let's just say that was the wave that pushed me into the middle of the sea.What I saw was some of the most amazing creations I have seen in my life. I literally got a headache beause I was trying understand what i was seeing, GD in One of a Kind literally made me fall in love. No joke. I don't think I have been the same since LOL. Now GD is my ultimate bias in the K-pop world and in real life. Soo, again my curiosity stick kept prodding making me and I delved deeper into the ocean eventually finding Big Bang, 2ne1 and the rest of YG and learnt about the Kpop industry.
That is more or less, maybe I missed out some details of my journey into Kpop but those are the changing moments I remember of getting caught up in the Hallyu wave.
And to be honest, I am still not out.
I have been meaning to get back on writing for a while and I am finally doing it and what other worthy subject is there to talk about than K-pop. Okay, so you are probably wondering how me, Coco, who loves RnB, Hip Hop, and Grime among others can get into KP but let's not stereotype let's establish one thing: Good music is good music. Doesn't matter what genre, country person it is from if its good? Its good. Don't get me wrong I have heeell of a lot of love for my UK scene but I like what I like. The fact that there are people (including many I know) are prepared to dismiss music because it's; Rock fan: "Hip Hop. Ew" or Hip Hop fan: "It's rock man -___-" (or insert any genre and genre fan) or "I don't understand what they are saying" (BTW there IS translation websites tut.) or "But they're white why are they trying to act black (by rapping and dancing well e.g....)" is beyond me to be honest. You're missing out on gooood shit man.
Anyways, my journey into Kpop or dipping my toe into the k pop ocean started when a side suggestion of the most random video I was watching on Youtube came up last year/beginning of this year some time. I've always admired oriental people, I think they're swag is off the hizzy and the fact that they can wear bin bags and still look swagged out ( yeah I said it) than the average person is a one of life's great wonders so obviously when I saw a thumbnail of picture of four HOT girls I obviously clicked that shit. Don't act like you don't click on the thumbnails of dirty looking photos HA! This thumbnail led me to the discovery of Miss A - Breathe.
And I have never looked back. If you look back on the blog, I quickly posted the video of these girls and said if I remembered correctly "say what :O" (I couldn't write what I really felt as I was in Media lesson) but those 3 words and that emotion basically summed up my feeling. What I felt was pure joy, admiration, entertainment and most of all shock. How can these oriental girls be singing some mad catchy song and be pulling out these fierce reggae inspired tunes? Anyways, safe to say I watched that video and the music video and could recite that dance and a couple lyrics after about 2 weeks of watching it non stop EVERYWHERE. But my infamous curiosity was poking at me and I did a lil bit of the good ole Google and found out they were a "K Pop" group ooh okay I thought, if this is what Korean music (btw gangnam style is on the radio, how nuts!?) is then I am SOLD.
So my poking my head through the door into the KP world led me to my second song - the classic 'Gee' by Girls Generation or SNSD. When I say I loved that song even though I was 2/3 years slow on the uptake of that song, that is an understatement. Gee was my muthaf*ckin Jam. Time went by, and after telling my friend that I liked Korean Pop music instead of getting the 'Coco are you serious roll eye' that I was expecting I got a AAAAHHHHHHH SO DO I. After that, no more dipping my toe into the KP ocean, this girl literally THREW me in it. She showed me different songs groups. I was in a ditzy. A new culture, new music, new scene, new way of doing things in one of the countries I admire was making my head whirl but in a good way. Like the way you it does when you see your bias. My friend said to me "Have you seen any boy bands yet?" "Nah I'm still high off Miss A, Sistar, SNSD, and the rest" I think even one time she showed me her biases and I have to say the HAIR and the "gay" looking outfits, make-up etc was a bit like woah, okay but it interested me more than put me off. However time went by my interests went on to other things, or become not there at all.
Rekindling my love for Kpop, was done through Psy. Yes Psy. I was on Youtube about to watch one of my fave comedians (DavidSoComedy <--that guy man) and saw a parody he did. I'm not usually one for parodies but I thought this is David So Comedy so its going to be hilarious. I was right of course and my curiosity poke came back and I decided to look up the original.That led me to the infamous Gangnam style obviously like the rest of the world K-pop or not, fell in love with the tune and I had the horse dance on lock after a day, at this point I was drenched in the wave but still able to hold on to a rock or "reality". So I decided to type in Kpop into Tumblr tag search. One guy, unfortunately I do not remember his name said my back has stopped hurting after watching G dragon One of a Kind proof GD is a God so I decided to look at that up it was either that or That XX. Let's just say that was the wave that pushed me into the middle of the sea.What I saw was some of the most amazing creations I have seen in my life. I literally got a headache beause I was trying understand what i was seeing, GD in One of a Kind literally made me fall in love. No joke. I don't think I have been the same since LOL. Now GD is my ultimate bias in the K-pop world and in real life. Soo, again my curiosity stick kept prodding making me and I delved deeper into the ocean eventually finding Big Bang, 2ne1 and the rest of YG and learnt about the Kpop industry.
That is more or less, maybe I missed out some details of my journey into Kpop but those are the changing moments I remember of getting caught up in the Hallyu wave.
And to be honest, I am still not out.
Monday, 15 October 2012
Woah.
Alright,
I am so sorry I haven't been posting for a while last couple of months have been... a whirlwind to say the least and my energy to do AN-EE-THING has just gone but my recently acclaimed passion (and slightly creepy obsession - yep, I'll be the first to admit) has completety taken over my mind and reminded me about my love for music + opinions again so fingers crossed I'll start writing again. Aand I bet you're wondering what the thing was right, well.. I've been swept up by the Hallyu wave and the current is *pret-ty* strong.
Damn you Kpop.
And all your gloriousness.
Tuesday, 7 August 2012
#PressRelease: KINGS OF THE CITY - "No Guts" EP
Kings Of The City are a Blues/Rock & Roll and Hip Hop Band from London, UK. In the last few months they have toured with Maverick Sabre, performed to a crowd of 20,000 people in Trafalgar Square, received radio support from Radio 1 and BBC 1Xtra, TV support from The Box, Q, Flava and Channel AKA and hit over half a million views for their videos on youtube.
The first of many videos forthcoming from the EP is "Mad Men"
A track marking the band's take on the London Riots one year on.
The No Guts EP is available now from bandcamp (free for those who want it, you can also donate whatever you wish for the EP) with a full release of the double EP on iTunes in late September.
http://kingsofthecity.bandcamp.com/album/no-guts-ep
No Guts EP Tracklist
01 The Devil
02 Forest of Babylon
03 Haribos
04 Mad Men
05 Dust at the Heel of Horror
The artwork for both installments of the EP is by Reuben Dangoor, an artist best known for his internet viral smash "Being A Dickhead's Cool" and more recently work with Labrinth's first signing, Etta Bond.http://reubendangoor.com/
Kings Of The City headline Jazz Cafe, Camden with support from Obscene Locals and Dub Ratz, September 14th. Event info: http://www.facebook.com/events/159453947512837/.
Follow Kings Of The City on Twitter @Kingsofthecity
Wednesday, 1 August 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)