Heart of The 9

Forever Ur The 1: These 2 dumbasses on TVXQ’s fb event discussing how they should collab...

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:52:00 -0700

Forever Ur The 1: These 2 dumbasses on TVXQ’s fb event discussing how they should collab...:

These 2 dumbasses on TVXQ’s fb event discussing how they should collab to bring a light up YunJae board. I don’t know how TVXQ puts up with that shit. I know neither group likes it. I don’t mind ppl shipping whatever brings them joy as I do the same, but trying to bring it to their attention like that… I don’t respect it. ESPECIALLY this group, after all the shit they’ve been through. I mean, even when they were together, the 2 that are being shipped told their fans to stop mixing fantasy and reality. Just doesn’t get through to them OTL

Speechless, just, nothing to say about this. I might rage too much and do something irrational, I better not see them because I don’t know what I’d do.

fuckyeahsoshi-sone: Girls’ Generation World Tour...

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 13:36:33 -0700

fuckyeahsoshi-sone:

Girls’ Generation World Tour ‘Girls&Peace’ Official Goods

i don't get some of you SONES. blessed enough to be at concerts,(i.e Japan Tour or any other Soshi concerts), yet still complain (OMG,it's not fair they got a second encore /oh,why can't i get those good seats ?) why can't you all just be thankful that you guys made it there ,when most of us couldnt? and you guys are some what arrogant,only replying tweets to those you guys know, most of the time ignoring new SONES tweeting you guys

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 17:07:00 -0700

That’s the world we live in, the haves and have-nots, people who are used to getting certain things will complain when they don’t. I am guilty of that and I don’t deny it, but I am aware of the fact that many fans never get the opportunity. This is not a fandom problem, but a world problem, there is no shortage of first-world complainers on this planet, and nobody can change that. This is not an excuse but an acknowledgement of reality, unfortunately I can’t help it except saying I’m sorry if I offended you.

As for ignoring new SONEs’ tweets, that’s not me, I do my best to reply to everyone whether I know them or not. The only tweets I ignore are people asking for followbacks or asking me to promote them, or in the rare circumstance of Twitter eating up my mentions and I missed their tweets. I think you’re barking up the wrong tree here because ignoring people is not my style and if I ignored you some point in the past, I apologize.

2 years ago you writing about OT9 is believable but right now it's nothing but convenient and ironic.

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 16:37:00 -0700

Please don’t pretend you know everything about me when you actually don’t know anything. I am OT9 since the day I became SONE and I will be OT9 until Girls’ Generation is over. And if you so incline, please enlighten all of us how shipping and OT9 are two mutually exclusive things.

it's raining...: 9Nine.

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 16:40:00 -0700

it's raining...: 9Nine.:

frozenarctic:

Look beyond their fame and success, and see the family with some of the happiest kids ever. Out of the billions in this world, they are nine who have stayed true to themselves and their dreams. But along this journey they have also willingly opened up their hearts to one another, and they stand, hand in hand, as the electric currents pulsing through skin bring nine together as one. Through countless selfless acts, nine have supported each other in ways beyond expectations of the human eye. Not only are they always there to catch the members who stumbles, but they also provide each other with the emotional stability to persevere and continue through their journey of dreams. Nine know their dreams aren’t complete if it’s not shared with every member because their dreams have evolved to include the other eight. Thus a wondrous bond has blossomed and we can’t help but to smile at just how beautiful it truly is. We’re blessed as fans to have given them a chance with our hearts.

Most of us entered the fandom expecting nothing in return. They’re artists after all. How could they possibly give us anything more other than good music and entertainment? But what most of us weren’t expecting was a chance to grow through these nine girls. It’s never easy to understand what someone else is going through, let alone someone most of us have never met before. Yet when they smile, we find ourselves feeling happy for them. With them. When they cry, sometimes salt water stains our cheeks as well and our stomachs twist in knots. Why is that? At first, it may seem extremely confusing and to some, scary even. Have we all gone crazy? But then slowly as time goes by, you feel at ease in this fandom, surrounded by other people who can relate to you better than your real-life friends at times. Again, why is this? Then you realize as nine come together and group hug, as nine call out to the name you have grown to stand by. “Thank you SONE.” is all it takes for you to surrender to all your emotions. And it’s at this moment you experience something breathtaking.

Although they have never said it explicitly or even guided us forcefully to see, on our own accord we realize that nine have allowed us to peak into their bond that is so special. Although we could never truly understand, we’re forever grateful they’re always willing to let us try. To try and pick at all the parts of this beautiful whole which makes them such a unique group. And some of us will even try to look beyond this bond, letting the curious eye attend to minute and seemingly insignificant details. And what did we find? Just another family learning and growing together. Their bond may seem like a complex and even ambiguous puzzle, but sometimes, it’s really so straightforward we underestimate its simplicity. Nine’s bond is just a family. A sisterhood. And family means leaving no one behind, loving one another unconditionally despite their differences. Isn’t that also the ironclad rule that all nine share?

It’s not easy saying you love someone. But to a group of strangers who could never really be strangers to us, we find ourselves uttering those words with more heartfelt feelings than ever. And I can never thank them enough for all that they have given me: The happiness, the life lessons, the laughter and tears. But most importantly, the SONEs who have become like a family to me. And lastly, a raison d’être to cope in this hectic world and a wonderful home to retreat when it all becomes too overwhelming.

I love nine, sometimes beyond what words can convey.

My Bishies: Kids that bash SM, remember this:

Sat, 04 May 2013 14:26:00 -0700

My Bishies: Kids that bash SM, remember this: :

kat-diva:

1. The fashion coordinators aka ‘coordi’ that work tirelessly combing the industry for the latest fashions, following the cutting edge trends, negotiating w/fashion houses, sponsors, and placating whimsical fashion designers. Finding just the right look, just the right pizzazz that will stand out and make their stars shine.

2. Bodyguards that spend more time protecting and guarding their charges than they do with their own families, men that can’t help but get close, and form strong friendships with their charges, but can’t allow themselves to become ‘emotionally attached’ because they need to be ever alert, guarding against the crazed fans, the poisoned water bottles, the tearstained threatening letters, the bloodied unmentionable articles shipped to their ‘idols,’ the surge of mob mentality at airports, fan signing events, or just leaving a restaurant. The ever present paparazzi and fan photographers that sometimes get right up in their artists face, unaware or uncaring of personal space or boundaries.

3. The managers that eat, sleep and attend every event next to their charges. These men must sometimes be part time bodyguard, full time therapist, representing the company, making sure their artists don’t go too far. There jobs aren’t to make their artists happy, it’s to make sure they keep to their schedules, be at every event on time, healthy, presentable, and fulfill their responsibilities. These managers must not have much romance in their lives, because they are the only ones that spend more time with the artists than any one else, including family and friends. That’s why most of the time, the very elite, most popular artists have multiple managers, sometimes 4-6 each, sometimes half in Korea, half in Japan / China (depending on the group).

4. Then there’s the drivers, stage crews, make up artists, office staff, marketing directors, producers, music writers, choreographers, back up dancers, directors, stage managers, recording booth operators, cameramen, travel coordinators, lawyers, tutors, and so many more that we don’t even know about, multiplied by hundreds.

When you bash “SM” you’re bashing all of these people! When you cry foul about your artist being over worked, underpaid, malnourished, etc. etc, remember, these young men and women CHOSE to do this! They signed contracts, they are doing it because they WANT to do it. And in return the company invested millions of dollars of training, dance classes, singing/vocal lessons, acting lessons, costumes, fashion, accessories, language training, and so much more.

Does it even make sense, that this kind of effort, work, support, dedication, monetary investment, would be some sort of evil plot to ‘overwork,’ or as I’ve seen recently, the opposite accusation: ‘hide or hold back’ their artists? REALLY? Are you that clueless about how the world works? Have you ever asked your moms and dads what they do for a living, and listened to how many hours of hard work, sometimes forgoing vacations, they have to put in to their careers?

All of these people that work at SM are just ordinary people, helping the few select, the talented, the ‘stars’ do extraordinary things. Yes they do it for money, yes it’s a living, yes it’s a business, but make no mistake, SM are family as well. These people spend the better part of their lives protecting, guarding, managing, dressing, cooking, feeding, driving, accompanying, teaching, coaching, listening, supporting, and fellowshipping.

Before you bash, think about these people, this family, that stands behind your artist. They are there by their sides, behind them, in front of them, long before you were there, long before you even knew who they were. And they will be there long after you leave the fandom.

130326-27 Girls’ Generation Japan 2nd Tour at Osaka Updated...

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 07:51:00 -0700

130326-27 Girls’ Generation Japan 2nd Tour at Osaka Updated (100P)

Full Gallery: https://picasaweb.google.com/116812207282507633645/13032627GirlsGenerationJapan2ndTourOsaka?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Download: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByVSndDFjVXTYWFfZEtvbUNGbDQ/edit?usp=sharing

130319-20 Girls’ Generation Japan 2nd Tour at Saitama...

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 22:47:00 -0700

130319-20 Girls’ Generation Japan 2nd Tour at Saitama (38P)

Full Gallery: https://picasaweb.google.com/116812207282507633645/13031920GirlsGenerationJapan2ndTourSaitama02?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Download: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByVSndDFjVXTWmNsOWU2a0lLZTQ/edit?usp=sharing

[Review] Girls’ Generation ‘I Got A Boy’ Fourth Korean Album

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 04:43:00 -0700

This review is solely my opinion, written from the perspective of a SONE and a self-proclaimed somewhat critical music listener, I am prone to bias and have weaknesses for my favorite band. Take my review with a grain of salt, the most important opinion is your own.

By RageX @HeartofThe9

Introduction
Just 35 days after the release of ‘Girls’ Generation II ~Girls & Peace~’ in Japan, the girls are storming right back to Korea with their fourth full length album ‘I Got A Boy’. I feared if this comeback would be again a rushed effort like ‘The Boys’. My personal disappointment with their last Korean album is not exactly a secret, and ‘I Got A Boy’ will be pivotal in restoring some consistency the group really needed – the level of high quality productions that we’ve been spoiled by their Japanese material. Supposedly this fourth album has been in the works for a long while only to see its comeback delayed, plus the girls have been away from Korea for nearly 14 months. It’s hard to say if the album was rushed under these circumstances, but just like ‘The First Japan Album’, the standard was set extremely high by ‘~Girls & Peace~’ which I listed as one of the best albums of 2012 and consider it one of Girls’ Generation’s best releases ever with no reservations. Though I would never complain about getting 20+ new songs within a month, the more crucial thing here is the album will help answer some important questions about the direction SM wants to take Girls’ Generation, and how this will change and shape their musical identity.

The Polarizing Title Song
Throughout the teasers, the medley preview, and all the pre-release countdown messages, I keep hearing two distinct beats for ‘I Got A Boy’ – 1. a slower, hard hitting, piano-backed beat; and 2. a fast electronic beat backed by what sounds like dubstep inspired synth beeps. Every time I heard it, I wondered how are the producers (courtesy of SM production virtuoso Yoo Young Jin and Genie composers DSign) going to create the transitions in a way that would make sense.

Well, transitions be damned. The first time I heard the song, I just shook my head and uttered “This is not how you make a song”… the “transition” between the two different beats is simply an abrupt stop, with no progression or lead-in whatsoever other than a talking line separating the two different beat patterns. It makes little sense from a musical perspective because it does not establish any kind of flow and it causes confusion to a listener because the switch in tempo is sudden and extreme. The producers apparently loved the two beats so much that they didn’t have the heart to ditch either one, but the end results is nothing like another two-song hybrid mix in SHINee’s ‘Sherlock’. Many listener were probably left in shock and wondering “what did I just hear??” after the first listen - not exactly the ideal reaction to a song that aspires to be a huge hit. The root of the problem is the song is simply too difficult to digest due to its twisted structure and its dramatic change-up in tempo, in fact I would say it’s almost impossible to digest in less than 10 listens. That can be quite a turn off, to fans and non-fans alike, even if the song itself is made up of some really excellent elements. And here I thought ‘The Boys’ was a polarizing song, ‘I Got A Boy’ just took polarizing to a new level.

BUT, with all that said, I love the song for how daring it is, perhaps not in its totality but in parts. I’m a listener that always tries to find bits and pieces to like from every song in addition to gauging the feel of the song from a holistic point of view. And ‘I Got A Boy’ is a winner to me in that respect, it’s like a wonderful brain teaser for someone who loves to solve puzzles. A goldmine of beautiful production elements - chief among them the ultra addictive hook chorus, the thumping rhythmic verses, and add to that the brilliant idea behind the conversational “girl talk” lyrics with mood changes that go hand in hand with the tempo changes. The various elements create a listening experience best described as roller coaster - thrilling, dizzying, confusing. Definitely not for everybody but for those who like roller coaster rides, it’s the coolest thing ever. While some argued that hip-hop is totally not GG’s thing, I don’t see it as a problem because the song is really more of a dance pop/EDM rather than heavily hip-hop. Having a few rap lines does not make the song hip-hop, and though packaged visually as such, I would not categorize ‘I Got A Boy’ as a hip-hop song. What the girls have done is by adding their own style and spin to it, they’ve shown a hip-hop style that is very girly and not the rough and tough kind of hip-hop as we know it. While I feel unsettled with the song’s conception and direction, I have no complaints about its execution as the trackmakers produced the song to a tee and the girls pulled off the song and the difficult choreography quite well.

Initial Impressions of The Album
The rest of the album, unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, is nowhere near as bold and out of this world as the title song. This continues the trend in Girls’ Generation’s Korean discography that title songs and non-title songs have little relation to each other. The worst offender probably being ‘The Boys’ album, with ‘Twinkle’ being the best counterexample that set a tone well resonated in the rest of that album. Thankfully, ‘I Got A Boy’ reigned things in quite a bit, there’s a better sense of continuity here; the transition from ‘~Girls & Peace~’ to this album is more natural, less disconnected and has none of the stylistic yo-yo that happened between ‘The First Japan Album’ and ‘The Boys’. This is pleasantly surprising given that barely a month separates the release of their latest two albums.

Retro Mid-Tempos
The next three tracks after ‘I Got A Boy’ all have some restro inspired sound. The Duffy ‘Mercy’ remake ‘Dancing Queen’ and the Pixie Lott penned ‘Baby Maybe’ both ended up being exemplary “cute” songs fitting for Girls’ Generation of 2013. Despite ‘Dancing Queen’ being recorded in the ‘Gee’ era, it sounds surprisingly classy and mature with Girls’ Generation’s own spin. Even if it isn’t the most remarkable cover, it is still a very serviceable promotion song behind ‘I Got A Boy’, and SM made the right decision withholding its release until now. While ‘Baby Maybe’ took things to the lighter side with its fun “Puts your hands up if you feel like this” chorus, it thankfully stayed clear of spiraling into one of the mindless bubblegums we heard on ‘The Boys’ album, and that makes it an enjoyable and guilt-free listen. The next song ‘말해봐 (Talk Talk)’, also recorded in the ‘Gee’ days, is once again much more ideal for release in 2013 than in 2009. Its Japanese twin ‘Boomerang’ was one of my favorites on ‘~Girls & Peace~’ and was technically the “remake”, but here I feel that ‘말해봐 (Talk Talk)’ is the slightly inferior version - something I thought I’d never say about an original version. The special sound effects on the verses of ‘Boomerang’ are absent on this version, and without the English lyrics in the chorus, the song lost some of its elegance and chic factor. The Japanese lyricists simply did a banged up job, given the choice, I’d go with Japanese version. This section of the album sets a nice contrast to the very in-your-face title track with these solid mid-tempos, and smoothly leads into the next phase of the album.

The Dance Numbers
The trio of dance tracks on this album all share a common trait with the title track, they all suffer some degree of bipolar or multiple personality disorder, though none came remotely close to ‘I Got A Boy’. ’Express 999’ showcases a clear contrast between a grounded and somewhat detached verse to a bright and invigorating chorus. The transition is quite dramatic as well, not for the lack of build-up but for the complete 180 in its mood. The best part of the song has to be its classic instrumentation, giving it some 80s vibe while staying unmistakably modern. Overall a good song but not my favorite here. ‘Look At Me’ unfortunately turned out to be the biggest disappointment of the album. On one hand, you have these very promising rap verses backed by heavy drums and synths, but it follows up with a go-nowhere, staring contest-like “you look at me I look at you” chorus that did no justice to the great opening, leaving you with the shell of a potential good song and nothing to fill in the meaty parts. ‘XYZ’, however, did not falter like ‘Look At Me’. Right from the get go it makes a statement with fierce rock inspired synths reminiscent of ‘Beautiful Stranger’ and ‘OSCAR’. The verses are serious and delivered with ample attitude, and the bridge transition is slick; followed by a chorus that is airy with its catchy ‘Electric Shock’-esque “nanana”s, but never straying away from the song’s inherent edginess thanks to top notch arrangement and clever lyrics (kudos Yuri & Seohyun). That makes the the song the least bipolar and most consistent of the three dance tracks. ‘XYZ’ is easily one of the best non-title tracks on recent Girls’ Generation Korean releases, good enough to rival most of their Japanese material.

The Ballads
The three ballads on ‘I Got A Boy’ demonstrates different qualities and varieties from the ballads of years past. As an R&B fan, I really liked the direction of ‘Promise’. Following the ballads on the ‘Twinkle’ album, R&B is a natural next step for the more mature and grown up Girls’ Generation. The song has classic grooving instrumentation, and the girls delivered excellent harmonies and emotions. The biggest knock on this song is that it offers little imagination, settling for a solid but predictable formula, making it a song I don’t mind listening to but has very little wow factor. ‘유리아이 (Lost In Love)’ is a heartwrenching duet with a minimalistic production, and Taeyeon and Tiffany’s voices are the highlights of this track, kicking things up another notch in terms of emotional engagement. Again, it’s a ballads that’s not terribly out of the box, but one I wouldn’t mind listening to repeatedly just for the knockout vocals. The best ballad on this album, surprisingly sounds the least “ballad-ish”, ‘낭만길 (Romantic St.)’ is an easy-listening ballad to close the album. I don’t think I would be the first to say it reminds listeners a lot of the classic ‘Singin’ In The Rain’, having a whimsical tone and jazzy instrumentation with some brilliant piano usage, I can’t help but have a smile on my face when listening to it. This is the most different Girls’ Generation ballad I’ve heard in recent releases, yet upon first listen, it is undoubtedly a Girls’ Generation song, as their voices simply blend so well with the song. Great job by A&R to find this refreshing track.

Conclusion
It is very difficult to assess what kind of impact a song like ‘I Got A Boy’ will have on Girls’ Generation’s legacy, now nearly 6-year Kpop veterans. The album as a whole is a little difficult to assess as well, unlike ‘The Boys’ and their two brilliant Japanese albums, where I made up my mind about them rather quickly. There is no doubt ‘I Got A Boy’ the album is a vast improvement over their prior Korean album. The quality of the songs have clearly been upgraded, there are fewer traces of lazy production and filler material, and the album as a whole is quite enjoyable to listen to. Without getting into too much details, I am willing to say this is probably the most solid and coherent release under their Korean discography. However, the album is still largely a risk-free investment, almost too run-of-the-mill. When compared to their Japanese albums, a noticeable gap still exists. It’s simply lacking that “it” factor that have made their two Japanese albums such gems and satisfying listening experiences. And that’s just frustrating because you know where their true ceiling is.

The worth of ‘I Got A Boy’ the song will be debated for years to come, some people love it, some hate it, some may change their minds, and some won’t. Personally, the best analogy I can conjure up for this song is that it is a very beautiful abstract painting, it has plenty of wonderful details and nuances, it is brave and fearless, and it throws the rule book out of the window. But ultimately, it is still an abstract painting, that aspect of the song, plus the fact that the girls themselves knew beforehand it will get mixed reactions, doesn’t sit well with me. As artists and producers, you simply don’t set out to make a hit song while aiming for “mixed reactions”. Good pop music shouldn’t require the listener to listen to the song over and over, study its lyrics and structure and have their brains picked about why things were done in such unorthodox ways to enjoy it - good music should just be enjoyable with no strings attached. The risk taking was commendable, but at the end, the song just never really gave itself a chance to be widely adored by listeners casual or serious. I don’t know what SM’s intentions were, but given that they have been constantly accused of playing things too save, I have to give them points for trying, and that’s not such a bad thing even if the results aren’t 100% satisfactory. Consider this, the search for Girls’ Generation’s musical identity just went off a wild tangent, I suppose the search continues.

Tracklist (my favorite tracks in bold):
01 I GOT A BOY
02 Dancing Queen
03 Baby Maybe
04 말해봐 (Talk Talk)
05 Promise
06 Express 999
07 유리아이 (Lost In Love)
08 Look At Me
09 XYZ
10 낭만길 (Romantic St.)

Overall: 7/10

Hi, since you went to the concert, can you tell me if they aired CM's VCR (with YeonHee in the coffee shop) before his solo? He sang a chinese song instead of Confession so I was wondering if they still aired his VCR just like they did in Seoul. I was dying to see the full video of it because no one filmed it in Seoul. Thank you, I hope you had fun :)

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 02:26:35 -0800

Yes they did air that VCR, it was a lovely VCR I have to say :D

What Does 'I Got A Boy' Mean for Girls' Generation's Musical Identity

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:35:00 -0800

This is a email conversation I had with a real friend of mine about ‘I Got A Boy’. He is not a SONE, but he loves Sunny, and he’s very familiar with Soshi’s music catalog and is very knowledgeable about music in general. So I linked him the MV and ask him what he thinks of this concept and the risk SNSD took with ‘I Got A Boy’. Nothing he said below means any ill towards SNSD, he’s not trying to put them down but only making an honest opinion. I found his observations quite interesting and valid.

“I have absolutely no idea where this new direction will lead SNSD, and i won’t even attempt a guess. But here are my current thoughts on them: IMO (pre-1st Japanese album) they used to have a more consistent sound. But while i was sampling their latest Japanese album i kept asking myself, “Is this their sound now? What is their musical identity?”. This before their Korean comeback, which now made that question even harder to answer. Or the answer is simply, “i don’t know”. I’m all for creativity and pushing the envelope but a group that has been around for this long should have a clear musical identity by now, a staple sound. (SISTAR is a good example of a group that’s established a consistent image and sound over a relatively short time period, stuck to it and found success.) But i look at SNSD now and i don’t feel i know who they are as a group (anymore). I should know SNSD better than i know SISTAR but i don’t. If i think of the most obvious thing, their image of 9…all that does is scream “gimmick”, because it says nothing about them musically. Now with this latest single and concept, it seems the message is, “we can do that (HipHop style) too!”. And although i do think there’s some good in it, unfortunately i feel this move for them specifically is mostly bad. I say this because it feels like a step down for them. Not that HipHop as a style is below them but because this was never their forte/image, and now its like they know they’re slipping in popularity and reacted by following/chasing what lesser/younger/newer groups are doing instead of just doing what SNSD should be doing. And this brings it all back to the question i’ve yet to see answered with conviction: “What is SNSD’s musical identity?”. Again, i don’t know and maybe they don’t know either. If they did, i believe that’s what they’d be producing, instead of reaching for a foreign concept.”

Right after the song was released I see many people saying SNSD is able to adapt to and carry out any concept successfully. And I don’t disagree with that, they’ve definitely taken quite a few different concepts and made the most out of them. But I can’t help but think, the flip side of “being able to do any concept” is that “they don’t have a concept at all”. And I think that’s what the above passage is saying, their musical identity, even 5 years after debut, is still kind of a mystery due to the fact that it’s shifted so many times. It’s certainly entertaining, but is that a good thing for such an established artist to actually not have a more concrete identity?

When I first discovered SNSD, I really liked the fact that they did not rap, did not have a designated “token” rapper (still doesn’t), and no forced rap lines in songs just so one or two members can have lines, and I liked that they generally didn’t touch hip-hop at all. I’m not opposed to this new direction and I’m not shocked that they eventually came to hip-hop. I’m all for change, but is any change a good change? I think the answer is no.

I’m still on the fence about IGAB even though I have an overall positive impression of the song itself. So what do you think? What is SNSD’s musical identity to you now? Are they a dance/pop group? A bubblegum group? A hip-hop group? A “do-everything” group?

Minimalist » snsdmembers This is awesome.

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 02:04:17 -0800

Minimalist » snsd
members

This is awesome.

all your onions: [TRANS] Music Critics' Reactions to Gee

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 02:26:00 -0800

all your onions: [TRANS] Music Critics' Reactions to Gee:

You may not think it, but Gee wasn’t hailed as the juggernaut of a cultural phenomenon it would become when it was first released.

These are the first reactions as soon as Gee was released on January 5th. Before every man, woman, child, young and old were doing the crab leg dance. Just goes to show that they’re not always right.

This song really makes me cringe. I am completely disappointed.

Personally, I felt like it was not impressive at all for having waited 10 months for it. After hearing the teaser and then the full, the disappointment is definite.

SNSD’s first album itself was… I guess their title track [Gee] just can’t appeal to the general public, just like “Into the New World”.

They announced that this “Gee” was meant to specifically target the general public but it’s childish and clumsy. That makes it different from “ITNW”.

Why would they write lyrics like that? The “Gee gee gee gee baby baby” part is nice but it only comes a few times, and . This doesn’t seem like much to show for 10 months’ work. Bbanjjak Bbanjjak just sounds harsh to my ears.

This is worse than “Rock U” and “Pretty Girl”

Even if SNSD have a bad song, they’ll probably sell at least 50,000 albums since they have so many obsessed fans.

From the point of view of someone who thinks “Rock U” was better than “Pretty Girl”, this song is even worse than “Pretty Girl”. Especially when you think about how long they spent preparing this song.

As expected, Wonder Girls songs have a much better feel to them.. this song [Gee] doesn’t have that addictive sound..

It’s a simple difference in concept. JYP keeps innovating and SNSD has nothing but just acting cute.

I really liked how they [E-Tribe] wrote “U-Go-Girl” so why did they screw up SNSD’s song like this?

To be honest, all the songs sound the same.. and the reason behind that is Brave Bothers.. I’m getting sick that repetitiveness in songs..

Maybe it’s because songs these days only want to sound addictive.. I’m already sick of how they endelessly repeat the same words.

They’re just trying too hard to be “The Next Big Thing”

Results

Released January 7th 2009, number one within the next week… and thus began its reign of terror on every chart and measure imaginable.

Over 100,000 copies of the mini-album were shipped to stores. Sales analyst company Hanteo reported sales in excess of 30,000 copies within the first 10 days of its release.

It broke the record for longest-running #1 on KBS’s Music Bank, beating the 7-week record previously set by Jewelry in 2008. “Gee” achieved its ninth #1 on the show on March 13, 2009.

so soshii is finally doing SMP ^0^ the song is missed up even more than catch me and rising sun >< but still light and catchy <3 so is this SMP girly version <3 i love it <3 this soshi is a soshii i would stan forever =P

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 19:40:00 -0800

I can’t say this is a “classic” SMP style, it’s lacking certain familiar elements like a heavy & organic drum beat as well as orchestra/rock-metal influences and it doesn’t have the same epicness feel. That’s not to say it isn’t epic, it’s just different, it’s hip-hop influenced and it’s on the trendier side using electronic synthesizers instead of live instrumentation. By the same reasoning I would not call Catch Me a classic SMP song either.

But I like the direction they’re going with this. This is like the opposite of how TVXQ’s sound evolved, they went from the disarray that was Tri-Angle/Rising Sun to something very polished and whole like Mirotic. While the girls are going from something very traditional pop Genie/RDR/Mr.Taxi to something very crazy like I Got A Boy.

K-Pop Whispers:: I Got A Boy

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 19:33:00 -0800

K-Pop Whispers:: I Got A Boy:

kpopwhispers:

Before I begin, let us all take a moment to read a comment from a fellow Sone:

“This is why many international fans will never experience the true beauty behind kpop. The main reason being the language barrier. The song is a conversation between the girls about a boy. That is why the song goes…

I just want to add that all of this lyrical genius was made possible because of the mastermind that is Yoo Young Jin. Other than that I agree with everything else.

2012 Ten Best Albums for Music Lovers (Part 2 of 2)

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 01:47:00 -0800

By RageX @HeartofThe9

Continuation from 2012 Ten Best Albums for Music Lovers (Part 1 of 2)

Introduction
It’s that time of the year, as I reflect back on 2012, another year of Korean pop music (in some instances Japanese music by Korean artists) is almost behind us. The year went by in flash and it felt like only a few months ago when I wrote “My 2011 30 Best Kpop Songs”. I thought about doing a Top 30 song list again, but to be honest, there weren’t enough songs in 2012 that truly inspired me to do it. So I decided to pick my personal ten favorite albums and write about why you should definitely give them a try if you enjoy listening to great music.

With Kpop “idol” group music becoming very stale, I think it’s time we give more recognition to the lesser known, independent, and truly talented artists that have put out some really excellent music this year. Sure, there are big names on this list, and they’re on here partially because of my bias and other factors, but I must stress that that popularity doesn’t always correlates with quality and creativity, and the work of the smaller acts I’ve included here are particularly noteworthy. If you already follow them and heard their album, great. If not, this will be a great opportunity for you to discover some new music, so don’t miss out. One or way another, hopefully you won’t be disappointed.

Keep in mind that I definitely haven’t heard every single record released by all Korean artist this year, so I can only formulate my opinion based on what I have heard. There were many worthy releases in 2012, but I could only choose ten, so here they are, in no particular rank or order:

BIGBANG - Alive / Still Alive (special edition)

Released: 2.29.2012 / Format: Full Length Album / Genre: Hip-Hop, Electropop / Producer: G-Dragon, Teddy, YG

While BIGBANG had great releases in 2011, it seems like the boys returned with a stronger sense of purpose this year after some tumultuous times with various member scandals and personal troubles. ‘Alive’ is the product of a lot of creative genius, some true earworm know-how, and great marketing on YG’s part. Stylistically it’s more dispersed than BIGBANG’s previous release ‘Tonight’, but every song here has a purpose; from the haunting ‘Haru Haru’ throwback ‘Monster’, to the ultra swag urban R&B ‘Bad Boy’, to the get-up-and-dance ‘Fantastic Baby’, all of them tell a bit of story about who BIGBANG are and why they’re so “avantgarde” in the industry. The release is consistent and flows well in continuous play despite the various little experiments and tampering on GD and Teddy’s part on how far they can stretch themselves while still staying unmistakably BIGBANG. Depending on your taste you may find some tracks more attractive than others but none I would consider filler and all worth a listen (some repeated listens). This is a perfectly accessible pop album that I wouldn’t hesitate recommending to someone new to Kpop and especially western music listeners.

Tracklist (my favorite tracks in bold):
01 Intro Alive
02 Blue
03 사랑먼지 (Love Dust)
04 Bad Boy
05 재미없어 (Ain’t No Fun)
06 Fantastic Baby
07 날개 (Wings)
Special Edition Tracks:
01. Still Alive
02. Monster
03. Feeling
08. Ego

Girls’ Generation II ~Girls & Peace~

Released: 11.28.2012 (Japan) / Format: Full Length Album / Genre: Electropop, Dance / Producer: Various, SM Japan, Universal Music Japan

Ok, I will choke this up partially to my bias, but know that it was not only my gut feeling but my legit love for it as a music listener to call it one of the best pop album releases by a Korean idol group this year. For those who just want the skinny version of my recent review, ‘~Girls & Peace~’ is a colorful and dynamic collection of really excellent pop music, it has variety, it has fun, it has edge, it has emotion, it has strength, and it gives the listener all that without sacrificing the album’s coherence or Girls’ Generation’s identity. And this time, it threw us a couple of pleasant curveballs unlike the slightly monotonous ‘First Japan Album’. The overall production is slick and polished, and the delivery is competent; it more than lived up to the standard of Girls’ Generation’s “Japan sound”, and continues to set itself apart from their “Korea sound” - a disconnect I’m personally not fond of (subject to change pending ‘I Got A Boy’ comeback). I was not only impressed with the quality of the songs (any album will have a quality song or two), but also the quantity of good songs, all of which are purposeful and earned their place on the album (refer to my review for song by song breakdown). All together, they showcase what Girls’ Generation, and possibly what any Korean girl group in Japan, are capable of at their very best. My only concern is that this great album may end up being quickly forgotten due to the girls’ looming Korean comeback after such short turnaround.

Tracklist (my favorite tracks in bold):
01 FLOWER POWER
02 Animal
03 I’m a Diamond
04 Reflection
05 Stay Girls
06 T.O.P
07 BOOMERANG
08 Oh! -Japanese Ver.-
09 ALL MY LOVE IS FOR YOU
10 PAPARAZZI
11 Girls & Peace
12 Not Alone

K.Will - The 3rd Album Part.1

Released: 10.11.2012 / Format: Mini Album / Genre: R&B, Ballad / Producer: Kim Dohoon, Wheesung, etc., Starship

I’ve long revered K.Will as an outstanding Kpop balladeer with one hell of a voice, but his previous material always struck me as being a bit too “typical” Kpop balladry. But this release ‘The 3rd Album Part.1’ was a real eye-opener for me, and made me feel bad for even categorizing K.Will as “typical”. In terms of production and its ingredients, this album reminds me a bit of Ailee’s ‘Invitation’, benefiting from the great work by the some of the same producers that crafted Ailee’s album. But instead of being a show-stopping force like ‘Invitation’, this album impresses upon its listeners with effortless delivery of its easy-going vibe, thanks largely to K.Will’s superior vocal range and ability project emotion. ‘Butterfly’ is about as intense as it gets on this album, then the album just kicks back with a series of wonderfully soothing R&B inspired jams, all of which have some kick and unique qualities to them to stay clear of snoozefest zone at all times. This partially owing to the great rap features in the middle of the track order (‘나가면 고생이야 (Come To My Crib)’, ‘환상 속의 그대 (Hey You)’). ‘The 3rd Album Part.1’ is a sophisticated and coherent release, the material represents a welcomed change of pace for K.Will, because it will surely shed some light on this very underrated singer.

Tracklist (my favorite tracks in bold):
01 술래잡기 (Closing My Eyes) (Intro)
02 Butterfly
03 이러지마 제발 (Please Don’t…)
04 나가면 고생이야 (Come To My Crib) (Feat. Beenzino)
05 환상 속의 그대 (Hey You) (Feat. Choiza of Dynamic Duo)
06 You’re So Beautiful
07 Bluffing

Primary and the Messengers LP

Released: 10.31.2012 / Format: Double Album / Genre: Hip-Hop, R&B / Producer: Primary

Primary is the producer behind Amoeba Culture, the agency that houses marquee Korean hip-hop groups like Dynamic Duo and Supreme Team. While unknown to most Kpop listeners, avid followers of Amoeba hip-hop are huge fans of Primary’s work, and for good reason. This album is yet another great example of producer project albums being the hidden gems of Korean music today. They are more cutting-edge, less restricted, with no watering down of creative vision to appeal to the masses. The result is usually some of the most innovative music you will find. Don’t be fooled by the double album’s hip-hop label because you will be hard pressed not to find at least a few genuinely enjoyable songs, regardless of your music preferences or background. The release features a whopping 23 artists to deliver styles as diverse as any, including funk, jazz, soul, R&B, rap, and hip-hop ballads, but strangely stays as consistent and cohesive as any. You have many songs that don’t sound alike but at the same time feel like they belong together. This was made possible because everything is strung together by Primary’s liberal and brilliant use of live instrumentation throughout the album, giving each track an unmistakably “real” sound - it’s easy on the ears and easy to grows on you. If you’re unsure of where to start with this seemingly massive “underground” release, start with ‘Mine Tonight’, ‘? (Question Mark)’ or ‘High End Girl’ and be pleasantly surprised by how pop-friendly this album actually is. While the album is overflowing with great beats, great melodies, and great vocal/rap performances, the highlight of the album comes in the form of a simple rap track ‘독 (Poison)’ featuring E-Sens, who delivers a breathtaking soliloquy against the backdrop of a piano, strings and light drums. In essence, ‘Primary and the Messengers LP’ is a masterpiece of an album, it is like a gift from Primary to all the music fans out there who are tired of the redundant and unimaginative sounds of Kpop.

Tracklist (my favorite tracks in bold):
Disc 1:
01 요지경 (Kaleidoscope) (Feat. Supreme Team, Yankie, Mellow)
02 Happy Ending (Feat. Jinsil, Gary)
03 말이야 (Mean) (Feat. Garion)
04 만나 (Meet) (Feat. Zion.T)
05 멀어 (Away) (Feat. Beenzino)
06 Love (Feat. Bumkey, Paloalto)
07 씨스루 (See Through) (Feat. Gaeko, Zion.T)
08 Mine Tonight (Feat. Jinbo, Dok2)
09 입장정리 (Poison Theorem) (Feat. Choiza, Simon D)
10 하이엔드걸 (High End Girl) (Feat. Deez)
Disc 2:
01 2주일 (2 Week) (Feat. 리듬파워)
02 ? (물음표) (Feat. Choiza, Zion.T)
03 축하해 (Congratulations) (Feat. Dynamic Duo, Jay Park)
04 I’m Back (Feat. Yankie, Double K, G.O)
05 Playboy’s Diary (Feat. Junggigo, Dead’P)
06 Interlude
07 독 (Poison) (Feat. E-Sens)
08 3호선 매봉역 (Line 3 Maebong Station) (Feat. Paloalto, Beenzino)
09 Outro
10 거기서 거기읾 (Bonus Track) (Feat. Dynamic Duo, E-Sens, Boi B)

Younha - Supersonic

Released: 7.3.2012 / Format: Full Length Album / Genre: Rock, Ballad / Producer: Various, We Alive

Before IU, before Juniel, and before even Ailee to a degree, there was Younha, the supremely talented singer-songwriter and instrumentalist. After achieving success early in her career and establishing herself as a standout talent, Kpop took off with a focus on group-based dance choreography, relying on visual elements and shock value instead of tried and true musical talents, and really left the likes of Younha to be forgotten. Legal struggles with her former agency only made things worse, and she has fallen out of the spotlight in recent years. I’m guilty of never having been a fan of pop rock and never truly got to know Younha before, so when I came across this album, I was curious, even skeptical. But I am thankful I did. If I felt bad for ignoring K.Will all this time, ‘Supersonic’ made me feel even worse for ignoring Younha. A truly fitting title, this album is enormous, in ambition, in sound, and in vocals. It is one of those albums that has the power to make a listener take the genre a little more seriously. When you listen to it, you’ll not only be blown away by the explosive instrumentals and Younha’s vocal prowess, but by how overwhelmingly liberating and uplifting it sounds (‘Run’, ‘Supersonic’, ‘Set Me Free’). These days, I have a habit of sampling albums with eyes closed and nearly napping, and while I was sampling ‘Supersonic’, one song literally woke me up and made me look for its name - ‘소나기 (Shower)’, by far the most exhilarating performance by Younha here (just watch this). The album changes pace a few times, going from the more traditional piano/strings driven ballads (‘기다려줘 (Wait for Me)’) to the more intense guitar riff laden rock pieces (‘Rock Like Stars’, ‘Driver’), and Younha consistently delivers ample attitude and emotion in every phase. ‘Supersonic’ is simply expert in what it does, it has a clear identity and doesn’t try to be something it isn’t, combined with Younha’s well documented abilities, you have one of the most remarkable albums of this year, and what a way for Younha to announce her return to the scene.

Tracklist (my favorite tracks in bold):
01 Supersonic
02 People
03 Rock Like Stars (feat. Tiger JK)
04 Run
05 No Limit
06 소나기 (Shower)
07 우린 달라졌을까 (Would We Have Changed) (with John Park)
08 Set Me Free
09 크림소스 파스타 (Cream Sauce Pasta)
10 기다려줘 (Wait for Me)
11 Driver (feat. Jay Park)
12 Hope

Concluding Remarks
2012 has been an interesting year for me, I don’t think I am alone in saying I’ve been tuning out a vast majority of Kpop and especially all the new acts that’s been flooding the industry. Kpop, as a whole, has been slow to adapt to the changing environments, with fans and music listeners becoming more sophisticated and picky about music. For me, the trend is twofold, while I have become less interested in “mainstream Kpop”, it has forced me to venture out and try to find new and interesting music, from smaller acts or acts I haven’t paid enough attention to. Looking back at these ten albums, it’s clear that the Korean music industry is still young and growing, but it shows potential and it definitely shows that they’re capable of churning out excellent and enjoyable music. While a new talent like Ailee is really exciting for Kpop, artists like Younha and K.Will showed us that Kpop never really lacked talent in the first place, and with the more daring and adventurous creative forces like Primary and Clazzi, hopefully some of their work this year can become catalysts to drive Korean pop music forward in 2013 and take it to the next level where they can take advantage of the opportunities Psy created for them on the international stage. That’s a wrap, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed my list and Happy New Year!

2012 Ten Best Albums for Music Lovers (Part 1 of 2)

Sat, 29 Dec 2012 00:01:00 -0800

By RageX @HeartofThe9

PSY - 6甲 (Six Rules) Pt.1

Released: 7.15.2012 / Format: Mini Album / Genre: Hip-Hop, Dance / Producer: Psy, YG

Do I even need to explain why this should have a place on any kind of “best of” list? The strength and impact of ‘Gangnam Style’ alone is deserving enough, but this EP isn’t here purely because of one song. Make no mistake, this is a top-notch release through and through. While we’re all familiar with Psy’s most enthralling style - the highly energetic and motivating entertainer (think ‘Gangnam Style’ and ‘Right Now’), this album shows Psy’s range as an artist and that he’s no one-trick pony. None of the tracks are “shy” in typical Psy fashion, they swing from blaring rock-inspired uptempos (‘청개구리 (Blue Frog)’, ‘Never Say Goodbye’) to more mellow takes in hip-hop balladry (‘77학개론 (Year of 77)’, ‘What Would Have Been’). Psy presents various sides and flavors of his style, all of which come across as his classic self, unwavering in the many years of ups and downs he’s experienced. The album makes great utilization of features, every song besides ‘Gangnam Style’ has featured a great vocal (Sung Si Kyung, Lena Park, Yoon Do Hyun) or rap partner(s) (Leessang, G-Dragon), adding depth and contrast the songs so the album is not a Psy rap/scream-fest all the way. ‘Gangnam Style’ not only overshadowed the rest of this album but the rest of Kpop, but to say that one song made this album does not do much justice to this great release.

Tracklist (my favorite tracks in bold):
01 청개구리 (Blue Frog) (Feat. G-Dragon)
02 뜨거운 안녕 (Passionate Goodbye) (Feat. Sung Si Kyung)
03 강남스타일 (Gangnam Style)
04 77학개론 (Year of 77) (Feat. LeeSSang & Kim Jin Pyo)
05 어땠을까 (What Would Have Been) (Feat. Park Jung Hyun)
06 Never Say Goodbye (Feat. Yoon Do Hyun)

TVXQ - Catch Me / Humanoids (repackage)

Released: 9.24.2012 / Format: Full Length Album / Genre: Electropop, R&B / Producer: Yoo Young Jin, Kenzie, etc., SM

Producing for one of Kpop’s most successful and longest tenured groups is no easy feat. You have huge expectations and reputation to live up to. It’s a no-win whether you tinker with their pre-existing sound or not. ‘Catch Me’ is the result of such dilemma, and it’s in my opinion the best anyone can do after something as mindblowing as ‘Keep Your Head Down’. As a duo, TVXQ re-established themselves via the ‘KYHD’ album with heavy sounds of SMP and thick flavors of R&B. To lead producer Yoo Young Jin’s credit, he did not attempt to outdo ‘KYHD’ and ‘Before U Go’, because that would be futile, but instead going a different direction with the trendy but brilliant ‘Catch Me’ and the more elegant and laid-back ‘Good Night’. The production is rich and makes notable use of the contentious dubstep, but in all three applications (‘Catch Me’, ‘Viva’ and ‘Here I Stand’), the dubstep are constructive rather than destructive. Admittedly, this album tries to be more of a mainstream solution versus their prior album, moving away from the predominant SMP/R&B sounds to a more diverse offering of hard electronic (‘Humanoids’, ‘Gorgeous’), rock (‘I Don’t Know’, ‘Getaway’), ballads (‘How Are You’, ‘I Swear’) and cheerful uptempos (‘Like a Soap’, ‘Dream’); and it’s successful for the most part even though it loses some consistency. Instead of calling it a tone down, I see this more as a change of direction, and it serves up many quality tracks despite some obvious lows. The key takeaway is, TVXQ is always masterful in the delivery of their material regardless of style, and that is solid grounds for a memorable release.

Tracklist (my favorite tracks in bold):
01 Humanoids
02 Catch Me
03 Here I Stand
04 인생은 빛났다 (Viva)
05 Destiny
06 비누처럼 (Like a Soap)
07 I Don’t Know -Korean Ver.-
08 꿈 (Dream)
09 How are You
10 Getaway
11 I Swear
12 Gorgeous
13 Good Night

BoA - Only One

Released: 7.22,2012 / Format: Mini Album / Genre: Electropop, Dance / Producer: BoA, Various, SM

A BoA comeback is something to mark the calendar for if you’re a Kpop fan. Her last release ‘Hurricane Venus’ received mixed reactions, but she returned this year with an admirable effort in ‘Only One’. The title song offers you a look back in time, to early 2000s Kpop and BoA’s early days, when things didn’t rely on fancy synthesizers, heavy electronic beats and over-stylized concepts to earn your adoration, it is pure nostalgia to fans of BoA hits like ‘Number 1’ and ‘Atlantis Princess’. For a light and nimble (by today’s standards) song like ‘Only One’, the way BoA injects her raw energy into the vocal and dance delivery makes this unassuming song epic in the most subtle ways, positively bursting with youthful spirit. The rest of the album is a mixture of solid dances songs and ballads, though nothing groundbreaking here, all benefited greatly from BoA’s trademark confidence, turning a few rather run-of-the-mill dance tracks into truly enjoyable ones (‘The Shadow’, ‘Not Over U’, ‘The Top’), and turning promising ballads (‘Hope’, ‘Mayday! Mayday!’) into truly moving ones. The abundance of beautiful melodies throughout the album makes up for simpler arrangements, and that’s not a bad thing at all considering this release is purposely restrained rather than overwhelming. Overall ‘Only One’ is a stunning album despite its brevity, thanks largely to its stylistically refreshing qualities.

Tracklist (my favorite tracks in bold):
01 Only One
02 The Shadow
03 네모난 바퀴 (Hope)
04 Not Over U
05 The Top
06 Mayday! Mayday! (너에게 닿기를 간절히 외치다)
07 One Dream (Feat. Henry of Super Junior-M & Key of SHINee)
08 Only One (Inst.)
09 The Shadow (Inst.)

Clazzi - INFANT

Released: 1.17.2012 / Format: Full Length Album / Genre: Electronica, House / Producer: Clazzi

For those who aren’t familiar, Clazzi is the leader and producer of Clazziquai Project, an experimental group comprised of DJ Clazzi and vocalists Alex and Horan. ‘INFANT’ is DJ Clazzi’s first solo project, featuring vocals and raps from a wide range of artists. True to the producer’s roots, this is the most experimental sounding album on my list, but I feel compelled to give it some well deserved attention because it is a marvelous piece of work. Even though the album is purely electronica, nothing on it resemble the electronic dance sounds of “traditional Kpop”, instead it aims to please the electronica and house lovers out there (myself included, having been a trance/techno listener before). The album avoids the clichés and overloaded productions of typical idol electro-dance, opting for a more relaxed atmosphere, giving the listener a fresh, and dare I say, more tasteful take on electronic music. Some songs will not be all that accessible to the mainstream, focusing mainly on beats and synths with diminished vocal presence (‘40 Nights’, ‘Star Child’, ‘Loving You’) - like music you hear at lounges and clubs, while a few other songs will be somehow work their way to become total earworms (‘Where’s Dance’, ‘How We Feel’) . I must say the mood and the audience must be right for this album to be truly appreciated, because there is really not much “pop music” ingredients here. But none of that should take anything away from this distinctive and exceptional album.

Tracklist (my favorite tracks in bold):
01 Bad Girl (With Whale Of W&Whale)
02 Love&Hate (With 이승열 / Rap MYK)
03 Where’s Dance (With 진실 Of Mad Soul Child)
04 40 Nights (With 현송&수륜 Of THE KOXX)
05 Star Child (With Christina / Rap MYK)
06 우리 변한거잖아 (How We Feel) (With Seulong Of 2AM)
07 Can Only Feel (With 김완선)
08 Loving You (With 장우혁, 현아 Of Urban Zakapa)
09 Sexy Doll (With 코타&주비 Of SunnyHill / Rap MYK)
10 Crazy For Love (With Christina)
11 우리 변한거잖아 (How We Feel) (Remix Ver.) (Bonus Track)

Ailee - Invitation

Released: 10.16.2012 / Format: Mini Album / Genre: R&B, Ballad / Producer: Wheesung, Kim Dohoon, etc., YMC

If there is one new name in 2012 that you should absolutely remember, it is Ailee. She is one of those rare pure vocal talents that makes you think “Kpop would be so much better if there were more Ailees”. Her debut ‘Heaven’ set the industry, and me, on alert, so expectations were high for her next release and she more than followed through with a high quality album in ‘Invitation’. Few singers, even experienced ones, let alone rookies, have voices so powerful and palpable for such a wide range of styles, plus the ability to will their way to your heart like Ailee does. And it all comes to life in ‘Invitation’, taking you through a thrilling ride of gorgeous down-tempo R&Bs (‘폭풍속으로 (‘Storm’, ‘My Love’) and spunky uptempos (‘I Will Show You’, ‘Shut Up’), then engulfing you in emotional serenades (‘Evening Sky’, ‘Heaven’). Listening to the album feels like Ailee is holding you in her palm and making you absolutely spellbound with that gifted voice, because her vocal delivery adds extra layers of richness to the songs, it’s truly captivating. All in all, ‘Invitation’ is a perfect example of the harmony that can be achieved when A&R pushed the right buttons and backs up rare talents with solid production, and everything just came together beautifully. The songs on this album have been, and will be, on repeat for a while for me.

Tracklist (my favorite tracks in bold):
01 보여줄게 (I Will Show You)
02 폭풍속으로 (Storm) (feat. Verbal Jint)
03 저녁 하늘 (Evening Sky)
04 My Love (feat. Swings)
05 Shut Up (feat. Simon D)
06 Heaven

Continue to: 2012 Ten Best Albums for Music Lovers (Part 2 of 2)

kinkielass: “are you a trainee?” | trans cr:...

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 14:48:30 -0800

kinkielass:

“are you a trainee?” | trans cr: 西游字幕

“Are you a trainee?” lmaoooooooooooooo

theres this oniontaker dude now O_o is he like back or another dude or what? didn't he vanish!

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 23:20:09 -0800

It’s the same oniontaker as before, he did vanish but I think he’s kind of back, but not in full swing? I’m not sure.

OPPAA!! loolz what u think of dancing queen? me LUV it and thank god it ddnt ruin the original cuz that iz ome of my favzzz,anyhoo when boomerang was leaked i knew SM had this retro tendency for GG and now am sure <3 twinkle was the time of my life<3 and i got a boy is continuing from there <3 they look GORGEOUSSSS and the song sounds like a JAMMMM!!! kyaaa!! for the 2 ep of MBC-GG CB show i can handle not seeing them till the end of the year!

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 23:18:18 -0800

It was good, I always liked Duffy’s Mercy and I think they did a decent job staying true to the original. The dance is cute and totally reminds me of Chocolate Love. And yes, combine Dancing Queen with Boomerang, and Chocolate Love, I think SM had a retro idea for them back in 2008-9 but changed their minds lol. Anyway I can’t say anything about I Got A Boy right now, just like Paparazzi, I’m not going to make any judgement based on 20 seconds of teaser. 1/1/2013 couldn’t come any sooner though :D