It's called the Korean Wave for a reason, and I am drenched. In fact, I am happily drowning in it. Gulping down The Wave, and becoming quite bloated from all the K-Awesomeness! Daebak! I enjoy this experience SO much, I have dragged friends and family into the waters with me and a few of them would be willing to surf that Korean Wave all the way back to South Korea with me. And this process of taking friends who have doubtingly trusted me, and watching them also fall in love with this new found genre of entertainment, I started affectionately calling it K-onversion.
And probably the most important person for me to Konvert was my sister, Suey. We have SO MANY shared passions it is almost eerie, and there was no way she was going to remain unaffected by my new obsession. I introduced her to Kdramas at Christmas time, and shortly after that Kpop. And since January we have talked of little else. Like I said, happily drowning in the Korean Wave here. Also when I say we have talked of little else, it's not that we aren't talking to each other, in fact, we basically have a constant running dialogue all day consisting of songs, music videos, fangirling, reactions, and kpop thoughts for the past five months. It's pretty much the best thing ever. (And work and adult responsibilities so annoyingly get in the way of this constant Kpop Party, it's the worst.)
After about a year of wanting to do a vlog together, but not knowing what to do, we finally found something that we can talk about FOREVER. One week after thinking about it, we decided we would do this thing.... We started a Youtube channel. This very fun, exciting, scary, intimidating thing. We did it. And we both drug others into it. I recruited my dear friend and fellow kpopper, Ryn, and Suey pulled in her daughter, Toto.... and together, we are the Kpop Konverters!!! Jinjja!
Now after a little over a month of doing this thing, we decided it was time to come at least a little public... Like we are totally okay with strangers watching us, but for whatever reason it is super scary letting people closest to us know that we did this... What is with that??? And why do we care when this Kpop Kraziness makes us happy and enjoy life that much more??? I have decided, I don't. Because I love it, it makes me happy, and given the opportunity and time, I'd like to K-onvert you.
So jump on in with us, the water is great, the guys are fine, the music is fun, and the fangirls are crazy. And have fun Catching the Korean Wave! ;)
Here is one of my favorites we have done so far, talking about the group Got7.
Then here is a mashup of something you might be familiar with and G-Dragon's song, Crayon. This is what came to mind every time I listen to this song! I'm so glad we finally made it! Good job Toto on the editing job of this, perfect! Love it so much!
Also... HAPPY SUPER JUNIOR ANNIVERSARY Suey!!!! Five months of Kpop Kraziness!
This week’s theme is: Love – what’s your favorite song celebrating love?
Ugh... do I have to?
As a single sour spinster, I like to pretend I don't think about being love. Because, of course, I do... And it's depressing.
But I will indulge in one song that is sweet and lovey dovey (but only to a point, don't look for saccharine sweet from me... unless you are looking for the bitter aftertaste.)
Believe it or not there was a time that I listened to other things besides Kpop, and it was only 5 months ago... I will go back to those slightly less bright days for this.
Tom Odell, Grow Old With Me... not to be confused with Adam Sandler's Want to Grow Old With You, though I love that one too.
And now to my more loved and usual songs about love that I listen too...
This week’s theme is: Favorite genre – what song do you love from the genre you listen to most?
Bookish Things & More... You are joking me right... you expect me to pick one genre and one song? [Look of utter disbelief.] You might as well ask me which cell is my favorite from the part of my body I use the most. Ugh! Why is this so hard??? Jinjja! But if we go with the genre that I am listening to the most RIGHT NOW, well all I can say is, you asked for it... BUT can I pick one??? [Maniacal laughter] No. Lower your expectations when it comes to my decision making skills. Shall we start with the cutesy one that I have been listening to lots this week... I just love this one SO MUCH. It's adorable, they are adorable, and it makes me happy... It's like the Kpop version of Bruno Mars' Just the Way You Are and it is called Just Right by Got7.
Next up... Fire by BTS. I have been watching this video nearly nonstop today (because it's not on Spotify yet, because the album was just released.) This song just makes me want to throw down! The beat is sweet and the dance is sick! Ugh! I just can't get enough of it right now. You get the dance practice version because I love watching them just dance without all the flashiness because they're pretty LEGIT... but you can check out the real music video, it's pretty sweet too.
And we shall end with the beginning. This song is one of my favorites, well because it was the first favorite in this genre... Ah, Spy by Super Junior... the song the launched a thousand beats of my heart, which has led to my semi permanent loss of sanity. And it doesn't hurt that my men look quite dashing in this video... Nope, doesn't hurt at all.
And there you have it... SOME of my favorite songs... Songs I left out... Superman, Mamacita, Oppa Oppa, Growing Pains, Fantastic Baby, BANG BANG BANG, Follow Me, Peter Pan, Dope, Boy in Luv, Don't Tease Me, Mama... to name JUST a few. You really have no idea...
What song makes me want to dance? Seriously? ALL THE SONGS!!!! I dance to everything... I dance to the sound of the ticking clock... it's called a time step! ;) a little tap humor, HA... never mind.
But seriously, that's like asking me what makes me want to breathe. If there is music, there must be dancing! So I have to narrow it down....
Okay.... Here is one, I can't help but move to Love Runs Out by One Republic
Now, it wouldn't be right if I didn't include a Kpop song in this since that is what I am dancing to most of the time these days... I just shared what I have been dancing to all week in the my Speed post from last night, so go check out those videos there... but I got introduced to this song because of dance, and I can't hold still whenever I hear it. 2NE1's I am the Best!
And the last one that I am going to share is one that as soon as I heard it I started to choreograph it in my head (because I couldn't dance in the middle of movie in the theater...). But oh man it is fun!
So I have continued to explore the bottomless pit of Kpop Amazingness this week, a fandom that doesn't have an exit. Something that is causing lifestyle changes that I didn't anticipate. A distraction that has consumed my free time. Entertainment that is both impressive and cultural.
And this week in my Kpop Craze Discovery, I have uncovered two groups that threaten Suju more than BTS... It is quite the feat to do so, so quickly! Let's take a moment to be impressed! (It took about a month for BTS to weasel their way into my musical affections...)
The first of these groups is SPEED.
I was first impressed with this group merely by happening upon a pin of one of their dance tricks on Pinterest.
HOLY HANNAH! How does one get brave enough to even attempt that the first time??? I don't know!!!! But I was amazed!!!! I sent the pin to my Kpop bud, Ryn and she sent me this back!
OKAY!!! Is that not impressive???? They dance in Heelys!!! Jinjja? Wow!
Sadly, that was over a month ago and I kinda just forgot about them. Until this week! I am not even sure how it happened. I think I was listening to some SHINee playlist on Youtube and a song comes on that I semi recognize. I look it up and it's SPEED. So I click on one of their dance practices. (Let it be noted that I actually prefer the dance practice versions of songs because then you get a better view of the actual choreography and skill of these guys without all the crazy camera angles and close ups. Those drive me crazy!!! Let me just watch these awesome entertainers as a whole!!!!)
And here was the dance practice I clicked on... Don't Tease Me
OH! MY! GRAVY!!!!!!! Okay. To say that I love it, well it's understatement. I think I watched that dance 20 more times that night... three more the next morning before work, some more during my lunch hour... and you get the idea! I just love the song alone, but you put that fun choreography and those crazy tricks in there... sigh... I love it...
Here they are practicing those tricks... and where that first pin came from...
Unfortunately, SPEED is having some issues. I don't know all of it, because there isn't much info about them, but they have lost their leader and two other members. I am not sure they are coming out with any more music, which makes me utterly forlorn because I pretty much love what they have done. So they may have SPED their way to one of my favorites, but I think they are already gone... :(
But thankfully, we can still enjoy these videos.
Even BTS loves them and can't help but dance along!
Okay... Let's be very clear, Super Junior is first in my affections and always will be. No Kpop band will ever come close to my Suju men. I am fairly certain Eunhyuk's place as #1 in my bias list is written in permanent ink, with the rest of Super Junior grouped altogether in the #2 and #3 spots. I am an ELF true sapphire blue, through and through.
Now having said that, I decided a little bit ago just to venture outside of my Super Junior comfort zone and explore some other kpop groups. (Because you never know what awesomeness you could be missing unless you go out and discover it.) Now in doing this it felt a little like I was cheating on my guys, but knowing that that was an irrational feeling, I asked my dear friend, and fellow K-obessioner, Ryn, which band I should explore next and she said she was currently digging BTS.
One night after a Kdrama, she showed me a few of their videos. Well to be honest, I wasn't too impressed. They seemed really dark, and not nearly as much fun. They are also a little more hard core, meaning a bit more hip hop and rap influenced, not my usual cup of tea. But then a few days later Ryn showed me their music video of Dope.
I think I watched it ten times in a row... I just loved the dancing SO MUCH. I was so impressed with how precise and sharp and together they were. It was amazing. I of course shared it with my sister Suey, and my niece thought they were sped up during the choruses. But no! They have their dance practices on youtube and they really are that good. (It's a little maddening really.)
So then onto Spotify I went and found them. I still don't like everything they do, but I have definitely found songs of theirs that I absolutely love. And it is definitely the dances that make me love the songs. I could like a song, but it's when I see the dance that makes me LOVE it.
I have also really enjoyed finding Pins of them on Pinterest. Especially of V. V has the nickname Alien, because he makes crazy faces. And these faces are like the spirit animal of my inner secret thoughts and feelings. I instantly felt a kinship to him because of his facial expressions. His expressions crack me up. Here are some of my favorites.
This one is literally one I use daily with students.
This is an expression I use in my mind, of are you crazy?
I just don't even care how I am supposed to feel...
We all have this inner expression!
Self explanatory
This one I just love... appropriate for grading tests, watching youtube, looking at my bank account
Other random things I have found out about them. Rap Monster, the leader and lead rapper (makes sense given his stage name), is actually really smart... like really, really smart. He is better at math than me. I was impressed. Jungkook is the Golden Maknae, meaning he is the youngest member and is impressively good at everything he does... it makes me angry. V's voice is so surprisingly deep! Seriously, where does that depth come from??? Jin is the oldest, but is really too sweet and cute to fit the bad boy image they are supposed to have, and he is really not the best dancer, which gives me hope for some reason. Maybe that they aren't perfect.
Here is one of their "harder" songs that I still like.
So there you have the band that is my second favorite Kpop band. And to go with an ongoing discussion between Suey and myself, would you consider them a boy band even though they are more hip hop sounding???
When I started my journey into Kdrama obsession, I knew it wasn't long until I would have to delve at least a little bit into the Kpop world. It was only a matter of time.
I had heard of Kpop before and knew that the fangirls of Kpop were quite passionate about it (my type of peeps), but I wasn't sure I could really get into it. I love music and all, but could I really get into pop music I couldn't sing along with, or understand???
YES! YES I COULD!!!!
HOLY MOLY!
SUPER JUNIOR OBSESSION
So how did this happen?! Well you know how I LOVE my Kdramas... and as expressed in the last post, She Was Pretty is currently at the top of my LOVE list. And the main reason I love it is because of REPORTER KIM!!!!! Oh my heavens, he is so funny, kind, playful, sweet, adorable, and all together lovable. Like this character is exactly the kind of guy I would love to date!!! AH!!! Love him!!!
Anyway, this lovable character was brought to life by Choi Siwon. So thus was born my new bias. (Bias = Korean term essentially meaning #1 celebrity crush) (See it really is all about the character if you want my love.) So with this new bias, I delve into who Siwon is and what else he is in... he had done a few things but I also found out he was in a group called Super Junior... like a boy band? Certainly he isn't anymore, because isn't he a bit old for that now? I mean boy bands only last like 3 years tops, right? (At least American ones)
Well, I told my friend that introduced me to Kdramas about this discovery, and her sister may have gotten extremely excited about this! This news somehow made Siwon even better!!! Really? How would I know that.... unless I learned about Super Junior...
So I looked them up on Spotify. (I love Spotify!) And I not really knowing where to start in this massive list of songs, I just let it play randomly. A few songs go by... meh... nothing was really striking a chord with me... UNTIL ... SPY came on... I loved... it was so fun! And then SUPERMAN came on... this one is quite a bit different than their usual sound, but again I LOVED IT. Soon to follow were Mr Simple, Sorry Sorry, Mamacita, Devil, Shirt, Swing, Sexy Free and Single, No Other, and pretty much everything else they do!!!!
And then the Music Video Binge began!!! Thankfully at this point, (maybe a day later) Suey was fully ensnared with me in this new obsessive behavior! (Have I ever mentioned how much I love my sister and how much we are alike in our tastes, and behaviors?!!!! I love it. We really are twins separated by twenty years!) OH MY GOODNESS PEOPLE! There are 11 of them! One boy band! Eleven members (used to be 13), been together for 10 years, so half of them are in their 30s!!!! SO THEY ARE MY AGE!!! (Totally legit to crush on them! Yes!!!) AND!!!!! These guys can dance! It looks like so much fun!!! I am a bit jealous having grown up performing in a singing and dancing group as a little girl... they actually get to do it for a living!!! HOW FUN!!!! (I miss performing! And dancing! And audiences, and the excitement right before you go on stage!) And then as I watched more I started to recognize faces and I wanted to get to know all of the members of this group... So I started to look up the individual members, and more videos of interviews so I could get to know their personalities. (Why are their personalities important to me? Especially since I can't understand them??? Who knows... but a body wants to know... and wants what it can't have I suppose...)
I was like a sponge, soaking in as much information about this group as possible... Shocking myself by learning all the members' names (and how to spell them, because if I can't pronounce them correctly it's the least I can do to learn how to spell them) and being able to recognize them within days. It has now been 14 days... and I'm fairly certain I can recognize individual voices. (I go all in when it comes to fangirling.) And the obsession doesn't seem to be dying down... My Kdrama watching has been put on the back burner, Super Junior now stolen my main focus.
My goal now is to learn all of their dances, because they look like such fun and when a song comes on I want to be able to dance "with them". Suey and I have already discussed going to their next world tour concert, which will probably be in LA. But it probably won't be for awhile since 5 of their members are fulfilling their required military service for the next two years... :( And even if a sub group comes to perform I want to wait until Siwon, Eunhyuk, and Donghae are done because they are my favorites...
Speaking of Favorites... Suey wanted me to do my Top 5 Super Junior Members... So here we go!!!!
#1 Siwon
Siwon will always be my number One because of Reporter Kim... the end. But he has the most expressive face! I love it... There is a trend in all Super Junior music videos, a lot of them start with a close up of Siwon's face... It's kinda funny. He seems to always be there for his fellow members whether it is to comfort or break up a fight, or cheer up, or entertain. He seems like an incredible friend. (Which, can I say, comes across in She Was Pretty!) He is handsome and adorable, there is a difference and he is both! He's my fav!
I am not going to give the rest of my top 5 numbers because... well because it is quite fluid at this point... (and I'm indecisive)
Eunhyuk
Oh Eunhyuk! My favorite dancer! I just LOVE this guy! The members of Super Junior always tease him about being the ugliest member... I just want to say NO WAY!!! This GUY!!! UGH! He is such an amazing performer! He might not be classically handsome the way Siwon is, but there are moments when he performs that he just takes my breath away because I find him so attractive! I think it comes from his confidence, his skill, and his charming personality. When he dances he has this punk attitude and style that I love to watch. Eunhyuk also seems so sincere and sweet, I just can't help but love him! So if anyone says you're ugly, I'll fight them for you Eunhyuk Oppa!
Donghae
This one kinda snuck up on me. Yes... he is very attractive, but he is kind of a quiet one, and because I am cursed, I tend to like the outgoing charming ones. The vibe I got from Donghae was just quiet, and maybe even a little cockiness... OH MY NO! He is quiet, yes. The strong silent type, but he is just a big ol' softy, and is quite sensitive and humble. I am so glad to be wrong again! Ah! He is so endearing with strong sincerity. And then with the members he is so fun! I can see him being a contender for Siwon's number 1 spot if Siwon wasn't locked in.
Leeteuk
Oh Leeteuk! Leader of Super Junior... because he is the oldest. He is 32... He doesn't look 32... Gosh... I wish I looked half as good as he does! This guy is super charming, which you know I have a weakness for... Ugh! He has my favorite smile! That dimple! He has one of the best smiles! Oh man, I love smiles.
Kyuhyun
The first time I heard him sing A cappella I was floored! He has my favorite voice in the group! He is also the evil maknae (meaning the youngest in the group) and loves to give the other members a hard time and pranks them. I love it!
Here are the rest of the members I love them too! I'd love to meet anyone of them. But I would probably just stare awkwardly and tell them thank you over and over again since that is pretty much the extent of my Korean at this point.
Thank you for enduring my gushing! Isn't it amazing that because of the internet in two weeks I can go from not being able to tell them apart to knowing their names, what their personalities are like, who is singing, and who is missing... Crazy! Hopefully I will soon be able to say I know their dances! I am loving this new group!!! Do you have Kpop groups I should love as well??? Or should I just love on these guys some more??? ;) I think I shall!!! :) PROUD TO BE AN ELF!!!!
I love discovering new music! I do! I will sit on my uncomfortable stoop in front of Spotify clicking on song after song for hours without realizing it. I also love when TV or movies harmonize the feelings they are trying to portray with the perfect song. Music can make or break a film for me. Music, it has an incredible power.
SO in my first ever edition of Discovering New Music, I give you Active Child.
As Spotify states, "Active Child is the electronic-meets-choral project of musician Pat Grossi." I first heard Active Child while binge watching one of my guilty pleasures, Reign. Reign does an amazing job of coupling a period show with contemporary music. I LOVE the songs that are featured on the show! I have discovered so many new artists from this show, and I am sure I will talk about more of them later! Anyway, Active Child! The song that was featured on Reign was Johnny Belinda... here have a listen.
Beautifully haunting. It has such an ominous feeling to it, but is still so melodic. It's perfect for a nice somber mood. I love it.
I naturally began to listen to his other songs. And I came across this song!!!
Do you recognize it? AHH!!! I did! Change the voice to a female one... accompanied by Abnegation, a choosing ceremony, and Tris! This song was on the Divergent soundtrack! (I told you, I have a thing for soundtracks!) Ellie Goulding does a cover of Active Child's Hanging On for Divergent to transition from Tris's kitchen to the Choosing Ceremony. AHHH! I love music!
Here is Ellie Goulding's version.
Which one do you like better? I love them both! DON'T MAKE ME CHOOSE!!!!
So there is a little sampling of Active Child. I love his style, it's not mainstream, which is great for you hipsters out there, but it's beautiful.
Here is one from his new album Mercy. (He kind of sounds like Sam Smith here to me...)
Do you have any new to me music you'd like to share?
There I was, about to embrace the reality that I was actually going to see Josh Groban in concert, and as I exclaimed my excitement to my sister, BAM!!! What in the world am I doing on the ground? Why am I in the splits? Wow, my knee really hurts! Yep, that’s right; I fell in the entrance to the Josh Groban Concert. (Proof I am willing to forsake my well-being to see Josh.) Graceful Megs, Graceful. If this was any indication of the rest of the night, it didn’t bode well. But no worries, the rest of the night was FANTASTIC! After an awkward clambering to my feet and an embarrassed inspection of my knee, my sister and I found our seats on the floor, wandered around, purchased my souvenir T-shirt, and anxiously anticipated the beginning of the show.
Have you ever noticed that anticipation has this ability to slow down time? (If scientists want to harness time travel, they should really study anticipation, I swear it’s the secret.) The half hour in between ELEW’s performance and Josh’s entrance was excruciatingly and tediously slow. Why is that half hour even necessary, Josh? It’s painful.
Finally, there he was, on the center stage behind us, and angels were singing… No wait, that was Josh singing! That pure melodic male voice! It does dangerous things to a woman’s knees, and mine were already weakened by the fall. I could try to describe Josh Groban’s concert to you, but there really are no words that do it justice. Incredible. Fantastic. Amazing. Wonderful. Remarkable. Marvelous. Mediocre words to describe that man’s astounding talents. He can sing, play the piano, play the drums, and is charismatic. He has this spontaneous wit as he interacts with the audience that has me laughing in my annoying giddy little girl giggle. If I wasn’t standing, I was sitting on the edge of my seat, tapping my toe, swaying to the music, and maybe drooling a little.
One thing I love about Josh is the dude can really sing. Nowadays, famous singers don’t really have to be able to sing, electronic mixing does it for them. There are so many who when you hear them live, you start twitching and cringing because they are pitchy and off key. Not Josh. He was spot on like always. Even with his running up and down the stage, aisles, and “gaps”, he is never breathy, but strong in his air support and energy. This concert wasn’t about gimmicks or special effects, but about Josh singing. I am in awe of this man’s gifts and talents.
My sister qualified my coming with her in that I had to be a true fan with her by screaming, clapping, and in exuberance. She had no need to worry about my exuberant screaming! Josh’s energy and skill had me being the scream-leader in the arena. She was surprised by how loud I truly could scream. I just wanted Josh to know I was having an unbelievable time ;). Especially loud screams erupted from me when he sang one of my favorites, Machine. AMAZING! By the end, Josh had rendered me a little croaky.
I only had a few regrets from the evening. 1) He didn’t fall madly in love with me by the end of the night. Really Josh, I would make a great girlfriend! I have done long distance relationships before and since I am a teacher I could tour with you in the summer. Plus, I am apparently very fun to tease, which you are good at. 2) He didn’t play Hidden Away. What’s up with that? I love that song and would have loved to hear it live, but oh well, I love you still Josh. 3) The night had to end. I wish I could go with him to every concert he does, because I don’t think I would ever get tired of listening to him sing. I wonder how I get the job of being his wardrobe mistress. I would rock that job! (plus that makes the whole girlfriend thing easier ;)
Star struck, thoroughly entertained, slightly drooling, groupie, Grobanite sighing off! Josh, you are not a hero, you are not an angel, but in my eyes you are!
