Hyorin Appreciation Post
Mother of God. I've got the biggest lady-crush ever on Hyorin.
My favorite quote about Hyorin thus far:
"Korean Beyonce? Please. Beyonce is American Hyorin."
And it's true. She's so amazing she makes me rethink the existence of God. Let's review the facts, shall we?
1) Crazy body. Crazy. T & A* on a Korean girl, what!?!
2) She knows how to move that body. I'm kind of aware that there's another girl in this video, but for the most part the rest of the world becomes fuzzy around Hyorin and the fineness that is the movement of Hyorin's hips.
3) Her face. Look at her face. Her smile KILLS me. And apparently she (and other people in Korea) don't think she's pretty?!? I can kind of understand the ways that her face doesn't fit the Korean 'ideal face' - but it's so beautiful and goes together so perfectly that I don't understand how anyone could complain. I am apparently a sucker for big ol' dingy smiles and pretty eyes, but I'm pretty sure everyone else on the planet is, too.
4) Let's talk about Hyorin dancing some more. One of the most impressive things about Beyonce is that she's a total performer - she dances and sings at the same time, and obviously puts out insane effort to be an incredible performer at all times. Most Kpop idols don't sing + dance all that well, unfortunately. And often times, the ones who dance well don't sing all that well and vice versa. (Speaking of Beyonce,) Please examine exhibit 4 below:
5) You couldn't really tell if that was her voice before, could you? You were kind of like, 'Maybe that's a recording, she couldn't really be singing, right?' WRONG. Hyorin has hands-down one of the best voices in Kpop. Seriously. (You can skip ahead to 1:52 for the awesome if you don't feel like watching her be ADORABLE for the first 2 minutes.)
SHE'S PERFECT, YOU GUYS. PERFECT.
HYORIN LET ME LOVE YOU. <3
Also, this video is awesome. Sistar is pretty great all around, I mean.... I think they're great? Hyorin is in Sistar, therefore Sistar is good. Because Sistar is a little bit like "Starship Presents: Hyorin! and Sistar!" And... That used to annoy me in other groups (Destiny's Child, actually), but Hyorin's light shines so fucking brightly that I really don't care. (I did not understand the brilliance of Beyonce when I was thinking that about Destiny's Child back in the day. My friend Ella tried to explain it to me but I didn't really get it then. I get it now.)
So. I've been surfing around looking for the right clips/pictures/gifs for this post.
And then I came across this:
WHAT. Hyorin with short hair?
/dead
Ren + Balloons = Angry Bunny
I've watched the video in this link at least 15 times today and it has made me laugh out loud every single time. I also wish I could find it on youtube so I didn't have to link it like this - but oh well. You should definitely click through.
HIS LITTLE SCREAM, THOUGH.
HIS LITTLE SCREAM, THOUGH.
Anticipations
SUJU is coming back! Woooo! With Kangin! I'm really happy Leeteuk gets to be on one more album before he's off to the army. Also.... apparently SM is sticking with the "70s porn theme" still (1st with the disco version for Mr. Simple, then with SHINee's laid-back half-naked boys, and now Suju's back with the peace & love hippie version). No complaints, though - SM knows how to make it's fangirls happy.
Even though Suju is who started my huge obsession in the first place, and I'm sure I'll still love the album- I have difficulty anticipating the music too much, since all their singles continue to sound just like Sorry Sorry.... I sincerely hope they mix it up a bit more, but I'm not holding my breath.
I am, however, holding my breath for this morsel of fabulousity which will be debuting soon:
It's JoKwon, Bitches! Fuck yeah! Finally doing dance music like the flamingly gay diva that he is should be making! Yesssssss. God I love diva boys. It's why I'm super partial to Key and Heechul, too. But JoKwon's bitch face is the BEST ever. He's always high on the list of kpop video-stuffs that I force my friends to watch when I'm introducing them to Kpop, even though I don't listen to 2AM at all. Like never.
Anyway, I'm hoping that JoKwon's single-artist debut will rock my socks off in terms of high-energy dance pop. I think the fact that his promo poster claims "100% Daily Value of Endorphins" is a good sign that my wish may come true.
I am, however, holding my breath for this morsel of fabulousity which will be debuting soon:
It's JoKwon, Bitches! Fuck yeah! Finally doing dance music like the flamingly gay diva that he is should be making! Yesssssss. God I love diva boys. It's why I'm super partial to Key and Heechul, too. But JoKwon's bitch face is the BEST ever. He's always high on the list of kpop video-stuffs that I force my friends to watch when I'm introducing them to Kpop, even though I don't listen to 2AM at all. Like never.
Anyway, I'm hoping that JoKwon's single-artist debut will rock my socks off in terms of high-energy dance pop. I think the fact that his promo poster claims "100% Daily Value of Endorphins" is a good sign that my wish may come true.
Fuck You, King 2 Hearts
You're such an asshole, Episode 15. You made me cry. TWICE.
Motherfucking good Korean actresses making me all overcome with national pride for a country I'm not even a citizen of. Stupid mopey heart-wrenching storyline.
Also, Ha Ji Won, I've got a bone to pick with you. Half the time in this show (and in Secret Garden as well) I think you're the coolest fucking thing around. And then you turn on your simpering I'm-An-Innocent-Korean-Girl that your BAMFy self should absolutely despise, and I pretty much want to kick you in the face. Why can't you just be a badass all the time? DO IT.
UPDATE:
FUCK YOU, SHOW! I still had 15 minutes left when I wrote the above bit.
Apparently dead-king Hyung had one more ridiculous tear-jerking moment of romantic nationalism and marriage vows he had to get out. That's THREE FUCKING TIMES, show. THREE. You're supposed to be a goddamn comedy.
Motherfucking good Korean actresses making me all overcome with national pride for a country I'm not even a citizen of. Stupid mopey heart-wrenching storyline.
Also, Ha Ji Won, I've got a bone to pick with you. Half the time in this show (and in Secret Garden as well) I think you're the coolest fucking thing around. And then you turn on your simpering I'm-An-Innocent-Korean-Girl that your BAMFy self should absolutely despise, and I pretty much want to kick you in the face. Why can't you just be a badass all the time? DO IT.
UPDATE:
FUCK YOU, SHOW! I still had 15 minutes left when I wrote the above bit.
Apparently dead-king Hyung had one more ridiculous tear-jerking moment of romantic nationalism and marriage vows he had to get out. That's THREE FUCKING TIMES, show. THREE. You're supposed to be a goddamn comedy.
STARKID
You guys! Omigod! Starkid!!!
I need to write a full post on the amazing day that was Apocalytour, but I really need to finish my finals first. So this is just a placeholder post with pictures of ME AND LAUREN-FUCKING-LOPEZ.
Shit, yall. It was so awesome.
May is U-KISS Month
I've never paid much attention to UKiss. I finally heard a song of there's that I like a few months ago, but it didn't get added to my ipod for continuous play till last week. And now I've found another one to go on there, too. That's usually how I get introduced to a new group - I may know-of/have-heard-of-them, but until one of there songs really catches my fancy, I don't pay much attention. And I think Tick-Tack didn't get me all the way because it was in Japanese. But now DoraDora is here, and I'm all aboard the U-Kiss train. They're gooooood dance videos. ^_^
Also, U-Kiss is interesting because I usually have one true bias in every group, but I'm having a hard time picking someone in U-Kiss. No one is standing out yet. After finals (2 weeks!) I'll try to invest some time, U-Kiss, I promise.
Also, U-Kiss is interesting because I usually have one true bias in every group, but I'm having a hard time picking someone in U-Kiss. No one is standing out yet. After finals (2 weeks!) I'll try to invest some time, U-Kiss, I promise.
Actually. Come to think of it, I've had Neverland on my prominent kpop playlist for months and months. And I like the video. .... Maybe I need a bias to really care.
Also.... May is the month of rediscovering girl-groups. Or perhaps just gaining a greater appreciation for them. But I'll save that for another post if I have time.
K!Drama Update
First, I'm watching 4-5 dramas right now. That's a bit much, even for me. Second, I .... I made a spreadsheet. To track my drama watchage. Because 1) I love spreadsheets. 2) I love spreadsheets. 3) I wanted to know how many actual hours I'd spent immersed in Korean.
Don't believe me? Good. Because I wanted to give you a screenshot anyway:
Yeah. I'm up to almost 600 hours. And that's not counting the new ones, or shows that I've only watched partially, or random episode viewings (I'm sure Coffee Price would be up to 10 or so if I were counting miscellaneous episode viewings). This is also why the majority of them have pretty high scores - if it's a crap show I abandon it pretty quickly. I also stole my ranking system from www.dramabeans.com - Seems really necessary separate How-Good-I-Actually-Think-The-Show-Is from How-Much-I-Enjoyed-The-Show. They are almost always different.
SIX HUNDRED HOURS. There are only 720 hours in a month. If you take out 6 hours a night for sleep, that only leaves you with 540 hours. I like to think that I've effectively been a silent member of Korean society for over a month now. I'm also curious to see how high that number climbs before I actually go to Korea.
Did I mention I'm planning on actually going to Korea now? NEW LIFE PLAN. After I finish Grad School (still one horrendous year left) I'm planning to go teach English in South Korea! For Real! I'm pretty fucking excited. I think it will be really fun, and I've always been an advocate for Americans getting (the fuck) out of America for a while. And while I did do a little exchange program in Paris in undergrad, I always thought that was kind of paltry since it was only for 3 months. I'll teach in Korea for at least a year, and actually the real number I've got in my head is 2 years. We'll see how it goes, I suppose :D
Maybe I'll go more into that later, but for now I feel like cataloging/reviewing the new shows I've been watching: Which will mean almost nothing to most of you. Hurrah!
ROOFTOP PRINCE (Airing now!)
This shit is funny, y'all. Time travel is a silly business, and so far this show is handling it really well. I like most of the characters so far, and all the little interactions they're building up. I'm excited to see the main pair progress, and I'm really actually intrigued by the mystery stuff - I want to know whodunnit, and I want confirmation that the dead body is who we think it is.... This is the one I really anticipate/wait for each week. Also, I'm becoming more of a Micky Yoochun fan every day.
FASHION KING (Airing now!)
I'm started watching this for Yoo In Ah, and while he's awesome in it and just as manly-cute as ever, I'm definitely getting into the story. This is only of only a few dramas where I can't decide which of the male leads I like better, or which I want the main girl to end up with. The girls are who I have problems with. I'm not a huge fan of Yuri yet, although I think she's doing a decent job with the bitchy character she's been given. Shin Se Kyung is also probably a decent actress, but I can't how much of a pushover she is - I really need her to vent and bitch somebody out really soon here. But also, like, WOAH look at the drama going on in that promo picture. So. Intense.
KING 2 HEARTS (Airing now!)
I've been kind of on the fence about this one... I'm watching for the actors - how can you not love Lee Seung Ki and Ha Ji Won? But I was pretty luke-warm about the writing and the characters... Ji Won's character seems really inconsistent - being a total BAMFy one minute and disturbingly shy and reluctant the next, and she hasn't really sold me on that bipolar thing yet. And Lee Seung Gi's prince was such an asshole I had a hard time relating to him. Also I find the bad guy just really annoying. The show, and Fashion King also, is also peppered with really bad English. And really bad English acting. I have an unrealistic (given the size of my thighs) dream of going to Korea and becoming an actress who could actually act the 7 lines they need English speakers to say. Sorry that was a tangent. K2H may have finally caught my attention with the last episode, in which some completely unexpected things happened, and I think I'm finally interested in the characters and how they'll deal with there new circumstances.
CITY HALL (2009)
I just started this yesterday, as there were no updated episodes of the new shows, and I figured I couldn't go wrong with a Hong Sisters drama that starred Kim Sun Ah. And so far, I'm not wrong. It's not as zany as I was expecting (but perhaps because I've only been watching newer Hong Sisters' stuff), but it's still really well written and Kim Sun Ah is just as funny as I was hoping she'd be. Also, she's not dying of cancer, which is what was happening the last time I got to see her. I like her much better this way. (<--)
UNSTOPPABLE HIGH KICK (2006)
This is totally different for me. UHK is actually a Korean Sitcom - so only 25 minutes or so, and there are over 100 episodes. But it's pretty classic, and it (and it's sequels) jump-started a lot of careers, so it's fun to see all these people just starting out. I was mostly interested in the second and third iterations, but when I found out the first one had Jung Il Woo in it, I just couldn't resist. So far he wins my Korean Actor Emmy for being fucking incredible in absolutely everything I've seen him in. So far, it's fun. Light-hearted. It's kind of nice to watch something without all the angst inherent in all the other dramas (save City Hall, that one's pretty damn fluffy, too).
Um, Yeah, Again.
I wonder how many times I will post a live performance of this song by the time the year is out.
My guess is MANY MORE TIMES.
F*CK.
GD's feeling some swag, and it's got me feelin' GD more than usual. Also I just want to hug him in his flowy flowy Brian Boitano shirt, is that so wrong?
My guess is MANY MORE TIMES.
F*CK.
GD's feeling some swag, and it's got me feelin' GD more than usual. Also I just want to hug him in his flowy flowy Brian Boitano shirt, is that so wrong?
BANG BANG BANG
UNF. So Amazing.
They are SO. AMAZING. LIVE.
I'm just sit here and grin and dance through this video and about shit my pants in excitement of the prospect of actually getting to see them LIVE this year! (AND because GD is releasing his 2nd solo album over the summer, which only promises to be every kind of awesome.)
TOP's rap in Bad Boy?!?
Everytime Daesung hits that ridiculous note in Fantastic Baby?!?
GD ALL THE TIME (but especially that very last bit in Lie when he goes off all crazy-awesome)??!?!?!!?
I. LOVE. THE. INTERNET.
Thank you for bringing me Big Bang, internets, thank you so so much.
New (K) Pops
B1A4,
I love you so much, despite your videos. Or rather, I'm waiting patiently for this one to suck me in. Because I hated Beautiful Target the first time I saw it, and now it's one of my favorite kpop videos ever. So perhaps "Baby I'm Sorry" will subconsciously make me love it in just a few days time. But for right now, it's a little overly-auto-tuned (especially when I know Sandeul doesn't need any auto-tuning to make him sound amazing).
It does take a pretty long journey - starting out all sad and moody, and ending in a dance party... hmmm. I do like the sentiment there. DANCE to fix your life. GodDAMMIT it's already working. I'm already starting to like it more. Bah. You ultimately win me, B1A4. (And you didn't have to fight me on any of your outfits, they're all amaaaaazing, and I'm sure Gongchan's blonde hair will make me love it pretty soon here.)
EXO,
I don't really understand if you're real yet. There've been SO MANY TEASERS and promo videos and "prelude" videos.... I'm not sure if I'm supposed to think of this as the real thing yet. Is this all of you? I know there are thousands of you, but maybe this is all of you in your EXO-K incarnation?
Anyway, regardless of my confusion, I have to continue to give props to SM Entertainment for really knowing their craft. Damn, ALL of you are unbelievably gorgeous (and I'm sure plenty of money was spent making you that gorgeous, silly koreans and your plastic surgery), and this is a spectacularly produced video. You also know that I don't give much of a shit about a plot... All I really want is the dancing and the pretty boys, and I appreciate that you don't distract from those things. And that ridiculous shake your hands in your pants dance is pretty fucking hysterical.
I was really planning on ignoring you, EXO, because there are just too many of you (the full group, with EXO-M and EXO-K is 20+ members, I think).... but.... but.... well. I won't purposefully ignore you anymore.
NU'EST
Expletive expletive expletive expletive. WHY IS KPOP SO AMAZING. I am CONSTANTLY impressed and continually falling in love. Seriously. I'm watching this video for the first as I write this... fuck it's SO GOOD and they're SO PRETTY. I knew that one of them was already getting shit for looking too much like a girl, and HOH MY GOD.... seriously. It's almost impossible to believe he's a dude. You'll know who I'm talking about as soon as you see him. Anyway, I really like the vibe and groove of this whole video - and i appreciate they've got a rapper who is perhaps a native English speaker... sounds good. Okay. This post was going to be longer, but I now have to go do some Nu'est research. ^_^
I love you so much, despite your videos. Or rather, I'm waiting patiently for this one to suck me in. Because I hated Beautiful Target the first time I saw it, and now it's one of my favorite kpop videos ever. So perhaps "Baby I'm Sorry" will subconsciously make me love it in just a few days time. But for right now, it's a little overly-auto-tuned (especially when I know Sandeul doesn't need any auto-tuning to make him sound amazing).
It does take a pretty long journey - starting out all sad and moody, and ending in a dance party... hmmm. I do like the sentiment there. DANCE to fix your life. GodDAMMIT it's already working. I'm already starting to like it more. Bah. You ultimately win me, B1A4. (And you didn't have to fight me on any of your outfits, they're all amaaaaazing, and I'm sure Gongchan's blonde hair will make me love it pretty soon here.)
EXO,
I don't really understand if you're real yet. There've been SO MANY TEASERS and promo videos and "prelude" videos.... I'm not sure if I'm supposed to think of this as the real thing yet. Is this all of you? I know there are thousands of you, but maybe this is all of you in your EXO-K incarnation?
Anyway, regardless of my confusion, I have to continue to give props to SM Entertainment for really knowing their craft. Damn, ALL of you are unbelievably gorgeous (and I'm sure plenty of money was spent making you that gorgeous, silly koreans and your plastic surgery), and this is a spectacularly produced video. You also know that I don't give much of a shit about a plot... All I really want is the dancing and the pretty boys, and I appreciate that you don't distract from those things. And that ridiculous shake your hands in your pants dance is pretty fucking hysterical.
I was really planning on ignoring you, EXO, because there are just too many of you (the full group, with EXO-M and EXO-K is 20+ members, I think).... but.... but.... well. I won't purposefully ignore you anymore.
NU'EST
Expletive expletive expletive expletive. WHY IS KPOP SO AMAZING. I am CONSTANTLY impressed and continually falling in love. Seriously. I'm watching this video for the first as I write this... fuck it's SO GOOD and they're SO PRETTY. I knew that one of them was already getting shit for looking too much like a girl, and HOH MY GOD.... seriously. It's almost impossible to believe he's a dude. You'll know who I'm talking about as soon as you see him. Anyway, I really like the vibe and groove of this whole video - and i appreciate they've got a rapper who is perhaps a native English speaker... sounds good. Okay. This post was going to be longer, but I now have to go do some Nu'est research. ^_^
Fantastic Baby
I approve. I whole-heartedly approve. And I am all kinds of behind the concept - I keep on thinking of it as an uber-fierce version of Safety Dance... BigBang leading the revolution against those who want to stop the music, those who want to stop the breathing, those who want to stop the DANCING.
DANCE, DANCE, DANCE, DANCE, DANCE. Fantastic, Baby.
However, I do feel like y'all left Seungri out a bit. I mean, he still got his little say in, and his first outfit was dope. But then I think you all felt a little sorry for not making is part bigger, so you appeased his ego by letting him take his shirt off and surrounding him by sexy ladies in cat suits who can't keep their hands off him.
Taeyang got decent face time, and I feel like he was the motion in this video (despite the buddha/monk shot). Without him it would have been a bit static for the first half. Also, he should always wear that metal arm thing. Amazing. Maybe not the neck tattoo, though.
Moving on.
WTF. Seriously. How amazing is this picture. How do they come UP with this shit? And how do they convince TOP to wear it? I literally laughed out loud in glee when that shot came on. Anyway, I totally dig the blue hair. And I like that if they know they're going to have to layer the clothes on him anyway, why not use the kind of outfits that already do that? Mostly this just made me REALLY want someone to come up with a ridiculous K-drama rom-com where TOP has either come from or is going to georgian England/Europe... ... OH MY GOD. Someone PLEASE make T.O.P the first asian Mr. Darcy. Dear god. He would be PERFECT.
And now, for the main event. It's as if the conversation in the planning room for the video went something like:
"Yeah, I think Fantastic Baby will be our high-concept, fashion video. What do you think?"
GD: "ME. ME ME ME. I will be ALL the fierceness. I will have ALL the hair colors. I will wear ALL the outfits."
I'm so glad he spoke up. Pretty much every new shot of GD had me gasping in awe. Sometimes from he concept shit as much as the swag - even if the ego is a little ridiculous. That Tim-Burton-esque opening shot? With the suit? And the cane? And the POWER cords, feeding the music, FLOWING FROM GD's HEAD. Because he's the brains behind all this shit. GAH. I <3 him so much.
And then there was GD's plastic face mask thing. Complete with hoop necklaces.
I usually think GD walks the impossible line between being the cutest boy on the planet and the sexiest person I've ever seen, but GEEEZ. Something about the metal and the neck and the back of his neck and the fact that I can't see his eyes... for the entirety of the video he's planted firmly on the sexy side of that line, but these shots just KILL ME.
And thus ends my rant. Go watch the video, it's the shit.
CRUSHING IT.
Big Bang, you've absolutely obliterated the Kpop tropes/boxes with a Groove SO SMOOTH it makes me all woogey inside.
I have no time to actually write this post today, but considering that my day has been made bearable, nay, enjoyable solely because of the release of this video, how could I neglect to post something (especially when I haven't posted here in so long)?
I Fucking Love This Song.
Out of all the teasers, I assumed that this would be my favorite from their new album, and they'll have to explode my brain with one of the other four songs to change that. (Update: it's still my favorite. By far.)
And while I put the video up there, it's more about the song for me- that underlying groove that just makes you sway your shoulders and bob your neck/chin. It's got this phenomenal jazzy mellow vibe that just puts me in an utterly pink cloud of happy. It's a song that makes me dance casually as I walk, whether there are people around or not. Which makes the video pretty goddamn apropos, right?!? How GD starts down the sidewalk in that first scene, that's ABSOLUTELY how I react to this song (although with admittedly less swag, and hopefully more tasteful jacket choices).
This song has the same kind of sick groove that Baby Goodnight has, but amped up just enough to really make you want to move. Preferably up against someone else. I am often awkward when it comes to sexy-partner-times-dancing, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have any problem if this song was playing. (And Hurrah! I will have an opportunity to test this theory on March 22 - JKPop night in Seattle.) Especially if a certain person would magically appear and deign to dance with me, but I don't think they're going to read this and grant that wish, but HEY MAYBE, RIGHT?
And since I'm obviously in a sexy mood, let's all groove to Baby Goodnight for a minute before I resume my spaz about Bad Boy. Mmm, yeah. I'm all over GD's hair in this one.
ANYWAY. Back to the awesome that is Bad Boy. Let's look at this video again for a second. They're very obviously prepping for a world-tour / introducing-themselves-to-America, complete with music videos shot in Brooklyn to prove it. (Blue was also shot in Brooklyn, and I'm curious if all their videos from this album will be from New York.)
Also, the style is WAY outside the Kpop standard (although Big Bang often is recently): very little choreographed dancing (although the way they do handle their synced dance scenes is MASTERFUL, no?), a real place for a set instead of a hyper-lit set, and most importantly, A DIFFERENT GIRL FOR EVERY MEMBER. (In the KPop world, this is completely shocking, and I have no doubt that Simon and Martina will devote a full minute and a half to this feature next Monday. Update: okay, so it was only 3 seconds...)
The only Kpop specific aspect still intact, and that which may be a little difficult for American audiences to swallow, is the clothing. GD pretty much looks like a freakshow. I'm sorry, that jacket is ridiculous. Even if it does make me want to pet him (like I didn't already). The others are all mostly passable, with only little accessories of WTF (really, did you need a life-size bedazzled skull to complete that outfit, T.O.P?), but for the most part they're not going to raise too many eyebrows.
Overall, the song is amazing, the video is beautifully choreographed (both dancing and camera-work), and they boys look like they're pretty fucking ready to blow the American pop charts. I'm almost positive they made an English version of the video, too - there are a couple of times where GD's mouth doesn't line up with the Korean, and I assume it's because they're using shots from the English version. Get ready Amercia, Big Bang is coming (seriously, they're doing a world tour with shows in the U.S.), and you're all going to fall in love with T.O.P. And that's fine with me - because you'll think GD is a weirdo little girly boy pretending to be Lady Gaga, and that means I can keep him all to myself. <3 <3 <3
I have no time to actually write this post today, but considering that my day has been made bearable, nay, enjoyable solely because of the release of this video, how could I neglect to post something (especially when I haven't posted here in so long)?
I Fucking Love This Song.
Out of all the teasers, I assumed that this would be my favorite from their new album, and they'll have to explode my brain with one of the other four songs to change that. (Update: it's still my favorite. By far.)
And while I put the video up there, it's more about the song for me- that underlying groove that just makes you sway your shoulders and bob your neck/chin. It's got this phenomenal jazzy mellow vibe that just puts me in an utterly pink cloud of happy. It's a song that makes me dance casually as I walk, whether there are people around or not. Which makes the video pretty goddamn apropos, right?!? How GD starts down the sidewalk in that first scene, that's ABSOLUTELY how I react to this song (although with admittedly less swag, and hopefully more tasteful jacket choices).
This song has the same kind of sick groove that Baby Goodnight has, but amped up just enough to really make you want to move. Preferably up against someone else. I am often awkward when it comes to sexy-partner-times-dancing, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have any problem if this song was playing. (And Hurrah! I will have an opportunity to test this theory on March 22 - JKPop night in Seattle.) Especially if a certain person would magically appear and deign to dance with me, but I don't think they're going to read this and grant that wish, but HEY MAYBE, RIGHT?
And since I'm obviously in a sexy mood, let's all groove to Baby Goodnight for a minute before I resume my spaz about Bad Boy. Mmm, yeah. I'm all over GD's hair in this one.
ANYWAY. Back to the awesome that is Bad Boy. Let's look at this video again for a second. They're very obviously prepping for a world-tour / introducing-themselves-to-America, complete with music videos shot in Brooklyn to prove it. (Blue was also shot in Brooklyn, and I'm curious if all their videos from this album will be from New York.)
Also, the style is WAY outside the Kpop standard (although Big Bang often is recently): very little choreographed dancing (although the way they do handle their synced dance scenes is MASTERFUL, no?), a real place for a set instead of a hyper-lit set, and most importantly, A DIFFERENT GIRL FOR EVERY MEMBER. (In the KPop world, this is completely shocking, and I have no doubt that Simon and Martina will devote a full minute and a half to this feature next Monday. Update: okay, so it was only 3 seconds...)
The only Kpop specific aspect still intact, and that which may be a little difficult for American audiences to swallow, is the clothing. GD pretty much looks like a freakshow. I'm sorry, that jacket is ridiculous. Even if it does make me want to pet him (like I didn't already). The others are all mostly passable, with only little accessories of WTF (really, did you need a life-size bedazzled skull to complete that outfit, T.O.P?), but for the most part they're not going to raise too many eyebrows.
Overall, the song is amazing, the video is beautifully choreographed (both dancing and camera-work), and they boys look like they're pretty fucking ready to blow the American pop charts. I'm almost positive they made an English version of the video, too - there are a couple of times where GD's mouth doesn't line up with the Korean, and I assume it's because they're using shots from the English version. Get ready Amercia, Big Bang is coming (seriously, they're doing a world tour with shows in the U.S.), and you're all going to fall in love with T.O.P. And that's fine with me - because you'll think GD is a weirdo little girly boy pretending to be Lady Gaga, and that means I can keep him all to myself. <3 <3 <3
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