Oddness/Weirdness

I saw the teaser for the group Phantom's first single, "Hole In Your Face" last week and my first reaction was shock.  I'll admit I'm not really fazed by gore or violence in movies or tv but this teaser was definitely a HUGE surprise.  Kpop prides itself on being more innocent and less sexy than American pop so for a Kpop group to debut with this sort of teaser was quite a call for attention.  They definitely have my attention.   Here's the teaser:  There was, of course, a general outcry so they decided to release a clean version:

3 for one! I couldn't resist posting both Dumbfoundead, Aziatix  and IAMMEDIC.  How could I when all 3 songs are so good?  They're also totally different so there's something for everyone.   Plus there's the added bonus of Eddie Shin.  :wipes drool: Dumbfoundead- Are We There Yet Source: dumbfoundead Aziatix- Slippin' Away Source: TheAziatix IAMMEDIC- Chasing Phantoms Source: IAMMEDICTV Oh what the heck... I have to add this song too coz it hasn't stopped being my jam since it came out in the summer: Aziatix- Go Source: TheAziatix

I loooooooooooooooovvvvvvvvveeeee her hair.  My hair needs to look like this eventually.  Gah! Source: Instyle.com, credit where due Esperanza Spalding is a 26 year old upright bass player, Grammy winner, bandleader and singer.

First circulated pic of Rain after he is officially done with boot camp.  All I have to say is "Awwww!!" Source: hongcube @ twitter via @yfrog There's his dad all the way to the right. Edited to add: Source: christianjeong @ twitter Edited to add: Source: riannejade @ twitter You can tell how much hard work he put into boot camp training by the amount of weight he lost.  I'm sure I'm not the only Rain fan that's super proud of him.  Rain fighting!

A little guy-style, like I promised ages ago. Source: guerreisms, streetfsn

1. I love Kpop guys.  JoKwon ALWAYS makes me laugh. 2. This contest should be a blast. Source:  wondergirls ,  Image source: Me

Saw this video last night and promptly decided it's the cutest thing ever.  I love the '60s vibe going on with the Bob Fosse-ish choreography, the black and white set and the extra cute dresses with fur trim. The choreography is adorable and easy to do and I expect to see a plethora of copycat fan videos all over You Tube. The song is great too, and goes hand-in-hand with that '60s vibe... definitely makes me think of  Martha and the Vandellas .  The rap is even good and goes really well with the song, which I was surprised about.  Everything about it puts a big smile on my face.  Great job, JYP and Wonder Girls! Make sure to watch this on full screen in HD for the full experience. Source:  Wonder_Girls , Image source:  koreangirlsgroup

I love me some Kpop but I will admit I am not into the girl groups as much as I am into the boy groups.  This is because most of the girl groups I've come across are too cutesy, using wayyyy too much "aegyo" (click  here  for the definition of aegyo and the perfect demonstration vid).  The male groups usually try to be manly, just maybe not neccessarily manly as it is defined here in the U.S. When the video for "I Am The Best" by 2NE1 came out, I was pleasantly surprised by the song and the group because the whole package was fun, fierce and quirky instead of overly cutesy.  I'm all about fun, fierce and quirky and who wouldn't be?

Omg I cannot wait to see this!! If you have not read this series run, don't walk, to your nearest bookstore or reading device to check it out.  They're officially located in the "young adult" area but they don't read like it. If you haven't ventured into the young adult section recently, you are definitely missing out on some good stuff. Read the synopsis and buy it here.

Siggghhhh... 1. Jimmy Choo, 2. YSL, 3. Jimmy Choo, 4-6. Christian Loubiton, 7. Camilla Skovgaard, 8. Christian Loubiton.  All avaliable  here.

Giovanna Battaglia is one of the hottest stylists in the fashion industry but started out as a model. She's constantly being featured on fashion blogs the world over and is another one of my style icons. Her style is colorful and girly and she's a master at mixing patterns.

Love the song, love the dystopian future-like look and feel to the video and I especially love the surprise ending.  The way the video is filmed in one long take makes it especially beautiful and it fits the song so well. Big Bang's Love Song... Enjoy! Source:  BIGBANG ,  Image source:  mtvk

I love watching a good Kpop dance practice video almost as much as I enjoy watching a group or singer perform a song live.  This way you get to see them in their natural habitat (aka practice room, where they probably spend about 90% of their time) and you get to see the performance straight on with no annoying camera angles.  I mean, I love you KBS Music Bank and others, but really... sometimes I want to slap your camera men. Here are a few of my favorites... Rain first, of course! Hip Song :

When I tell you I've been looking for a complete and clear version of this video for about a year, I'm not exaggerating.  I mentioned it on twitter recently and a very sweet Cloud named @CloudUnite posted this link for me like 2 seconds later.  Rain fans are so awesome. Source: kimkeanasona1 The best parts are his dance break at the beginning and then at 5:19.  A must watch for all Clouds and just ever so unfff.

I've been watching the K-drama "Protect the Boss" or "The Boss" and I haven't laughed so hard in awhile.  Here's a synopsis: After struggling with frequent unemployment and a series of failed job interviews, No Eun Sol ( Choi Kang Hee ) finally lands a job in a law firm as a secretary. Unbeknownst to her, her new boss is a man who she accidentally involved in a fight, getting the president of her new company in trouble. Protecting this secret, she begins working diligently for Cha Ji Heon ( Ji Sung ), the youngest son of a family corporation, an incredibly immature young man with secrets of his own. Through their working relationship, he begins to fall for her. Here's a really cute fan-made trailer for the show: Source: luchiaichigogirl Here's another video that shows just how immature said boss is: Source: TransparentDarkness The drama also has Jaejoong of JYJ fame playing Ji Sung's rival cousin and opposite in personality... h

An early '90s-ish, Jodeci-style slow jam, Kpop style that I've been listening to a lot recently. A friend of mine calls it the sex song.  Make sure to watch it in large screen HD to really appreciate every detail.  Source: sment What I think is hilarious: The slow-mo, beseeching hands and eyes, wind-blowing their tousled hair and clothing shots. What I love: The choreography and the fact that you wouldn't think you'd be hearing this sort of song coming out of their lips.  I also love the fact that Changmin (on the left, mostly) doesn't look like those sounds should come out that svelte body.  Especially love the dance break that starts at 3:27 and the extra special move at around 3:45. After seeing the fancams of them performing this at Madison Square Garden recently, all I have to say is, "Wow!"

Source: Nj.com There was a snowstorm on the east coast this past weekend that kicked NJ's ass. Who knew still having leaves on the trees would make the trees fall down when it snowed?? Craziness right? Talk about power outages up the yin yang. Finally got my power back a few days ago but now I'm waiting for the cable company to get their act together. Mother nature sure can be a bitch. I'll be back soon with more posts.