Girls Generation The Boys

I will be making tonight’s blog very short. It is NEW YEARS EVE and this boy is going out like the song say’s. I leave you with Girls Generation’s  “The Boys”  English version. Stay safe everyone.

 Until next time,

    festus

Sistar 씨스타 So Cool 너무 멋져요

   A group that is no stranger to the Kpop music charts is “Sistar”. Their name is a combination of “sister and star”. This 4 member group made their debut in June of 2010 with “Push Push”.  Sistar  씨스타consists of (from left to right) Kim (Dasom  다솜) who is the maknae of the group. Next we have Yoon (Bora  보라) followed by Kang JiHyun  (Soyou  소유) and lastly the leader Kim HyoJung  (Hyolyn 효린).

  I would like to talk about their kpop song called “So Cool”  너무 멋져요. The song speaks about a girl who has been treated badly by her boyfriend. How he does what he pleases. When she finally realizes that the world is half men and there is no other girl like her, she wipes her eyes. She now knows she would rather be a glamorous single instead of being part of a miserable pair. That being “hot” is one thing but being “cool” is better. The music is upbeat fast pace and very danceable.

   The sets in the video are of a small performance stage and their dressing room. Simple, but they work. Because it’s not the sets that anyone will be looking at, it’s the ladies. The dance routines also are very basic as choreography goes. Again, I think it’s the ladies with their skin tight short dresses that are the focal point.  When all is said and done, this song will get stuck in your head.  Along with the music there will definitely be the visuals. You can see this one and other great videos on my Youtube channel.

  Until next time,

     festus

Girls Generation 소녀시대 Dancing Queen댄스 퀸

 

  Girls Generation 소녀시대has recently released a song/video called “Dancing Queen” 댄스 퀸 which is from their up and coming album “I got a Boy”. The production of this song/video was done in 2008.  SM Entertainment has had the courage and confidence in these 9 artists to keep it in their back pocket so to speak. Yesasia now has the new release.

  The opening scene reminds me of their video “OH” where they are each doing their own activities. Then they come together to view a time machine Yoona 윤아 has pulled from a package. It then turns to a scene that is reminiscent of an American Drive-in from the 50s & 60s. Complete with old time Juke-box and Yuri 유리 on skates as the waitresses from that time. They added a piece of modern times with a brief appearance of a DJ.

  The dance starts with the ladies in a Praying Mantis stance with swivel hip moves to accompany a very addicting dance beat.  We have the girl’s standard line and V formations with more hip action. They even throw in a “Saturday Night Fever” move and also introduced a new slow fist movement called "the cat dance" that may become the song’s signature move. You can then add a touch of aegyo from each of them and it’s a wrap!

  The song itself speaks of a young girl’s encounter with a dancer on stage and how it changed her destiny to become that “Dancing Queen”. How she admired her sexy lines and moves. How she could trust her body to feel the rhythm of the music. The vocals themselves which starts with Taeyeon 태연 have a bluesy sound that compliments the addicting beat. As always, each lady does a solo bit along with the great harmonies their known for. This song has quickly moved to the top of my list.  I’m sure you’ll find yourself moving your hips to the beat!!

Until next time,

   festus

Taeyeon

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Please enjoy this beautiful rendition of  "O" Holy Night" from Girls Generation’s Taeyeon.
   festus

2NE1 투애니원 I Love You 당신을 사랑합니다

  

  In this blog I want to talk about 2NE1. They are the group that brought me to K-Pop with their song “Don’t stop the music”. They had their debut in May of 2009 with the song/video named “Fire”. This powerhouse 4 member group has been going strong ever since.  The leader in a group is most times the eldest but not in this case.  Lee Chaerin (CL 씨엘) is the leader followed by Park (Bom 봄) then Park Sandara  (Dara다라) and the maknae Gong Minji  (Minzy민지).

  They have produced an album every year since their debut, and have a large repertoire of songs and videos to their credit. They even had their own television series and are now trying to break into the American music scene.

  The newest digital release is a ballad type song called “I Love You” 당신을 사랑합니다. There are combinations of soft and slow or fast and powerful that for the most part works well. I would have liked a softer ending but I’m not the artists performing it. It talks about a new love and the uncertainty of giving your heart away. The frightening thoughts of trusting they won’t destroy it. There are the games of absence or the ones that can cause jealousy that bring doubt and pain.

  There is a variety of settings and dress that are very conservative by 2NE1 standards and lean more towards elegance than any other of their works. There is only a few seconds of dance in the video itself but a complicated dance routine accompanies the song for live performances. Another one for my top 20. The “Blackjacks” out there can only hope there is more to come in the near future.You can see a acoustic version here or different videos of theirs on my Youtube channel.

Until next time,

    festus

Kara 카라 Orion

  This time I would like to talk about an old favorite. I’m speaking of Kara  카라. There are five members, starting with the leader Park (Gyuri) 규리 followed by Han (Seungyeon)  승연 , Goo (Hara) 하라 , Jung Yong Joo  ( Nicole 니콜) and last but not least is the maknae  Kang (Jiyoung)  지영.

  Their new song/video release is called “Orion” from the album “Electric Boy”. It is uncharacteristic of their previous works. It has beautiful set designs. The main set looks like an old brick walled factory that was painted white and converted into a home with Victorian furnishings. It is very elegant.  Even the lady’s attire is not typical Kara. The ladies look stunning in the conservative feminine dresses and sweaters for most of the video. There are also some nice bright gowns in a few of the scenes, keeping with the purity of white in the background.

 The song itself is a beautiful ballad. It talks about a love that is separated by time and distance. How little things like a phone conversation, no matter how muffled or even being cut off can ease the pain of not being together. How we keep abreast of the others life in whatever way we can. The one thing I didn’t understand is where she says she cannot tell him of her love for him. Is it culture or a forbidden love? I think this one will rank amongst my top 20.

    Until next time,

      festus