2NE1 has a new song out! It’s called “날 따라 해봐요/Follow Me” (also translated “Try To Be Like Me”) and it was produced by Teddy. It samples a song called “나처럼 해봐요/Do It Like Me.” I think it’s so funny how I have no clue when stuff is coming out. Did anyone hear about this before today? Oh well! I love having new music no matter what.
This song is fun! I love the beat. Yeah, there is some digitalizing of vocals going on, but whatever. It sounds good. There isn’t a lot of singing; it’s mostly rapping (I don’t hear any Bom and very little Dara). Still, it’s still a pretty solid track. I wouldn’t say it blows everything else they’ve done out of the water, but it’s a song I can imagine myself listening to a lot. I’ve been in an R&B mood so this doesn’t automatically get me dancing, but I feel like it has a good vibe that I’ll be more into a different day.
What do you think? Is this is a good song for 2NE1 or does it sound like a rush job to get their name out this year? I have to admit that I am a bit disappointed that they released a song with little fanfare, and more than that it’s not mind blowing (is that why they didn’t announce it ahead of time?). That doesn’t take away from the fact that I love this group and I always enjoy the music they put out, but it reminds me a lot of “Please Don’t Go” in the sense that it only reaches halfway. It’s not powerful/addictive in the sense that “Fire” and “I Don’t Care” are (even others songs on their mini-album, like “Pretty Boy,” have more appeal to me).
Also, does anyone know anything else about this song? Was it created for a CF? All my info is from K Bites. It’s not that unusual for YG (among other groups) to suddenly put out a song, but more often than not there is a reason for it. Maybe YG just wants us to remember 2NE1.
I come bearing iPhone backgrounds! It’s possible these will work on other phones, but I don’t know for sure. I have a 3G and all of these work on there. For a most of the files I cut down on the colors to save space. You can’t tell when you put them on the phone because the screens don’t have as much color capability as computer monitors.
In order of how they’re posted, there is 1 Big Bang, 3 G-Dragon, 1 Big Bang, 2 G-Dragon, 1 2PM, 1 TOP, 1 GD/Seungri, 1 CL, 1 Seungri.
In the West we have celebrity crushes and in Korea there is the concept of the “ideal type.” Even in the past people looked to Greek gods for the “perfect” form. While most of us know deep down that nobody is perfect, we can’t help pick out famous friends based on traits/qualities we see on our televisions and computer screens. Only a few out there will actually meet, much less befriend, these people… but it’s always fun to dream.
Celebrities in Korea are always being asked who their ideal type is. Guys typically choose someone like YoonA (SNSD) or Lee Hyori, while girls gravitate to guys like Taecyeon (2PM) or a select few male actors.
Who is your ideal type? Why? Is there someone you wish you could be best friends with in the entertainment industry?
To find out mine (and why I chose him) click on the cut!
Alright, so Big Bang is right in the midst of their three-day concert event, “Big Show 2010.” I’m sure most of us have heard about all of the amazing things Big Bang and YG planned to unveil during this time, and all of us who are tied down by location/school/work/time/language/(lack of) money/whatever are hopping jealous of everyone who has good fortune to attend!
Ordinarily, rule breakers are looked down upon, but fan-cammers are my heros. Let’s face it: without them, most of us wouldn’t get early glimpses the awesomeness of concerts!
Today, I take off my hat to whoever was genius and risky enough to record a video of one of TOP’s solo songs. This song has an INCREDIBLE MV that was recorded as well. Looooove. I opened up a text file for any thoughts that might come up while watching, and… I had a lot to say. I usually put any fangirling out in the open, but this video caused me to sink to a new low of rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth fangirlism. Read at your own risk.
I have a feeling this video will be taken down really soon, so get it while it’s still available.
I totally forgot that Daesung’s song, “Cotton Candy,” was coming out today! I’m not complaining, believe me. I love Daesung sooooo much and his voice is amazing. I think it’s so exciting that YG is finally giving him a solo song that isn’t trot. We haven’t seen that since 2006! I’m sorry, but that’s far too long for anyone’s good.
Here are my first impressions of the song:
Omg… This song is way too precious. It’s so CUTE. My immediate reaction is to feel like barfing (jk), but then I realize that it’s kind of nice. It really showcases Daesung’s beautiful voice. I feel like this would be the perfect song for a romantic comedy movie or drama. Can you envision it? A montage, perhaps?
Who else feels like they need to go eat something painfully sugary? Dae, only you can make me feel like that. Well, you and the Food Network.
I think this is a fun song, but I doubt it will crash charts. However, since it’s Daesung, I fully expect it to get some good attention. I wish I could see this song be performed live at Big Bang’s concert! I’m sure it’s going to be a great experience. This is such a sweet song that you know an audience will eat up like… cotton candy. LOL!
Movie reviews: ‘My Boyfriend is Type B,’ ‘I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK’ & ‘My Mighty Princess’
Back in October I watched nine Korean movies in a short span and I posted about six of them. I already had the reviews written for the other three but I never posted them! I’m swamped with school so it actually works out that I never put them on the blog. I feel bad whenever it’s been a week and there’s nothing new… such neglect!
Keep in mind that it’s been a few months since I’ve seen these!
My Boyfriend is Type B, I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK, My Mighty Princess
- My Boyfriend is Type B: Starring: Lee Dong-gun, Han Ji-hye
This is another movie that definitely-definitely-definitely showcases a toxic relationship. Things become resolved by the end, but it’s almost painful to watch the unbalanced giving-and-taking that goes on among the main characters. It’s all on the basis that the boyfriend is “type B” (although he’s cheerful and carefree, he’s also selfish and arrogant) and the girlfriend is “type A” (she’s typically earnest and compassionate). The boyfriend is AMAZING one second (there is one scene in which he avenges his girlfriend at school and I absolutely laughed my head off–Lee Dong Gun is a good actor), and then he turns around and unforgivingly makes his girlfriend suffer. All of his inconsiderateness is balanced by an almost split-personality considerateness in the next moment. It’s very hard to watch, since you know this really happens in relationships sometimes. When the movie finished, I was feeling better about the movie, but I still felt put-off by the cruelty the boyfriend showed (whatever his reasons!) so often. It was an entertaining watch, however. Just make sure you turn off your brain before tuning in. - I’m a Cyborg But That’s OK: Starring: Shin Min-a, Rain/Jung Ji-hoon
After watching this movie, I discovered that it was directed by the same person (Park Chan-wook) who did the “vengeance trilogy” (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance). I can say that it wasn’t that surprising to find that out. I haven’t seen the whole trilogy yet, but from what I HAVE seen, the general essence of Cyborg was similar. There was a certain macabre, ironic humor to it that was unmistakably the same. That being said, it was definitely of a lighter nature than the trilogy. Mental illness is rather caricatured, making serious maladies like schizophrenia seem almost child-like and amusing. However, it was all done in way that rather played on most people’s misconceptions of such things.An interesting thing about this movie was how absolutely blurred reality and imagination were. I didn’t quite get this concept straight away, but something I read after made me go, “OH! So that’s what that was!” Sometimes it was clear that a scene was construed by a character, but in the next moment you’d be wondering how a bunch of sick patients got to be so alone (the answer is that this is very unlikely). Anyhow, I’m not going to give away the whole movie, but it was really interesting and well done.
I have to say Rain did excellently, and I’m surprised that he hasn’t done more roles like this. I do have to say that his kissing is basically the same in his acting experiences, though, so don’t expect this to be an exception (LOL if you get what I’m saying).
- My Mighty Princess: Starring: Shin Min-a, Oh Joo-wan
I loved this movie through-and-through. My only complaint was that it had some transitional issues (it went from happy and lighthearted to serious and dramatic in zero to none), but everything else made up for it. I hesitated to watch this because it seemed a bit dry from the synopsis, but my new found love for Shin Mina had me pressing on. HOMG. I love watching things in which you can’t realize what relationship you really want to happen, and you can’t even figure out which one WILL happen. Plus, the characters were all so interesting and fun. The direction of the movie was a huge twist for me (I didn’t see it coming; it seemed like a simple rom-com forever), but I enjoyed it sososo much. CUTE ENDING! This has to be my favorite movie I’ve seen in a long time.
If you want to see the other reviews from October, I’ll give you the links below:
100 Days With Mr. Arrogant, The Beast and the Beauty, My Little Bride
My Tutor Friend, He Was Cool, 200 Pound Beauty
I just bought some new earphones/earbuds and I was kind of peeved with the quality so I wanted to do a quick review. I think most music addicts can attest to the extensive use of earphones of some type, so I figured I’d share some thoughts (although this isn’t my most expansive review ever). I’m really looking for something that sound good and lasts, so please feel more than free to leave your own opinions about what’s worth spending money on and what’s not.
- Ink’d:
I’ve been getting these ever since one of my iPod’s original earbuds died. I just wanted something cheap I could pick up at Target, so I went for the “Ink’d” Skullcandy in-earbuds. The sound the comes out of these things is PHENOMENAL. Everything is crisp and clear and beautiful. The only trouble I’ve been having with them is that they break like crazy. I’ve probably owned fifteen or so pairs of these over the past two years. I don’t know how typical that is for cheap earphones, but to me they never last long enough. It seems like every time I need a new toothbrush I also have to pick up more earbuds. The usual problem is that one side will stop working and then the next side follows shortly after. You’d think I’d branch out more if they break so often, but every time I have I’ve been so disappointed with the quality. Nothing has yet compared to the sound quality-price ratio of this particular earphones yet.
I’m a heavy user of earphones, so it’s possible that I wear these out faster than the average person with good reason. I constantly use them on my laptop, wear them while doing chores/doing homework and fall asleep in them. If we’re calculating things, I might use these between 60-80 hours a week (yes, I may have a problem).
As far as comfort goes, I’d say these are pretty good. I like in-ear earphones because the sound doesn’t “escape” into your environment. The sound goes directly into your ears and once you’re used to them you almost forget they’re there (I sadly have tried to pull out them out before when I wasn’t even wearing them, if that indicates anything at all for you). These earbuds come with small, medium and large replaceable squishy-ear-things (I have no idea what they’re called; they’re what cushions your ear and keeps them in), so they’re good for almost anyone.
I normally buy Skullcandy “Ink’d” in-earbuds at Target for around $17. They aren’t particularly inexpensive, but for the sound quality I think they’re worth it. I only wish I didn’t need to buy them so often.
- Smokin’ Bud:
After my last pair of Ink’d earbuds failed me, I decided to see if the more expensive earbuds of the same brand would be better quality. I frankly was most concerned about whether or not the exterior was improved upon. Before opening the package, you can see that there is more detail on the part you put in your ear. Aside from having more visual detail, there is more to the product. The “Ink’d” earbuds are just plastic, but the “Smokin’” buds have a rubbery protective piece that encases the cord. I think this is a good idea because it gives more support to the part that will be in/around your ear. This rubber piece also lists which side is which (right and left), something that is missing from the “Ink’d” style. Another feature for the “Smokin’” type is a volume slider midway through the cord. I’ve never had much of a need for something like this, but some people might find it handy.
Unfortunately, I’m not that happy with the sound quality of these earphones. I would have never imagined that more expensive earphones in the same brand of the “Ink’d” style would lack in this area! Perhaps I just have a “lemon,” but for now I’m simply believing this is normal. I’m sure few people would actually notice the difference between the two types, but I have because I just switched from my still faltering “Ink’d” earphones. Instead of having a crisp and clear sound quality, everything sounds slightly like it’s in a tunnel. It’s not terrible, but it’s enough to bother me.
I was able to purchase the “Smokin’ Bud” earbuds for a little less than $25 at Target. They’re usually $30, but for some reason the extremely adorable pink ones were discounted. Was it a coincidence? Perhaps I really do have a glitchy pair. Please let me know if you’ve had a better experience.
I’m jumping the gun by writing a review for these because I just opened them, but I’m extremely disappointed! I don’t want anyone else to buy them when they could just get the cheaper version for $8 (or more!) less and have a better experience.
I think next time I purchase earphones I’ll go for a different brand, but there is nothing worse to me than crappy quality sound. As I previously mentioned, I use these things to death, so I want them to be worth the money. Do you have any recommendations for me? Do you go through earphones as fast as I do? I can usually make them last three months or so, but this time I barely made it to two months (although if we’re being completely honest, I used them throughout finals so they probably got extra use). I hate wasting money, so I’m looking for a way to prevent this from happening in the future.
I’ve really been addicted to HyunA’s solo single “Change” today. It’s really funny! The lyrics crack me up. Therefore, I did the only logical thing I could think of: I made a really kitschy background! I don’t know if anyone will use it, but whatever. Do you like the sparkle magic?
Step step swagger~ Is there any song you’re inexplicably into right now?
Here is part two of my top twenty Kpop songs of 2009. For the first part go here.
I realized the theme of part two is definitely “this isn’t the BEST _.” I guess once you get past your top ten there are reasons why things aren’t in the top ten! Still, these are all songs I couldn’t keep away from for all of 2009. There is a reason for that, so stay tuned (or rather, keep reading) if you want to know what they are. I also included some runners-up so check those out at the end.
I don’t really know how to start off this post… I guess I will just tell you it’s “free backgrounds that feature actors, musicians, and dramas that relate to Asian entertainment” time! I’ve made all of these for one reason or another over the past few years. I thought I’d share them with you. Some of the dimensions are old but this is FREE time so I won’t bother about it. Enjoy! (Please note that I have some kind of obsession with putting G-Dragon on my desktop. I certainly have.)
I think it goes without saying that you shouldn’t claim these as your own. I don’t know why you would, but lol.
