I'm OK...

Song of the day: I'm OK by BoA [click here to listen]

I woke up this morning and "What song will I update today?" and I thought I was just going to have to skim through my kpop playlist and grab a song at random so long as I hadn't already blogged about it, but as I was make breakfast, this song randomly popped in my head. I realized that today was absolutely beautiful and life really is amazing, so what better song to play than a song talking about everything being "OK"?^^

I forgot how I heard of it, but when I first listened to this song, I was so excited...and I think it was because of the tropical feel the song had, it gave me a positive vibe. This is the perfect song to listen to...well ANY time of the day, to be honest. I've had this song on repeat for the past hour or so (no like), it just has such a positive mood to it...and now after listening to it how many times, I'm so tempted to walk around campus at school today and give me high-fives and compliments to random people (*sighs*, if only it were all that simple lol) but, really, this is an amazing song in all aspects. If you're having a bad day...listen to this. If you're having a good day...listen to this. It's quite inspiring...and her voice is truly amazing!

One Step More...

Song of the day: One Step More by Sweet Sorrow [click here to listen]

I'm not sure if I mentioned this in one of my earlier posts, but if there's one genre of korean music that can transform an absolutely horrible day into the most lovely, it's korean indie.

Since I recently discovered k-indie, I've taken quite a liking to acoustic melodies. And I spent all of yesterday cleaning my room to my "indie" playlist. This song has a bit of a jazzy/pop feel to it, but you still get the fun, peaceful feel that a lot of indie songs provide. I'm sure I've posted about some already and I know I'm going to blog about more in the near future, but if you happen to like songs like this, I recommend other groups like Standing EGG, Urban Zakapa, and maybe even 10cm. These artists are great for listening to when you want to grab a cup of coffee or tea and just relax ouside a small coffee shop, and I'm sure if springtime were made into music, it'll sound like this!^^

Ready Or Not...

Song of the day: Ready Or Not by SHINee [click here to listen]

This has the funnest beat to listen to when attempting to clean your room lol. It gets me hyped up, I end up playing around with random items I find on my floor.^^

So there's a little...situation in regards to this song by Shinee. Apparently Sean Kingston released a version a few months ago in the middle of summer that caused a lot of heated debate between Shawols (Shinee fans) and non-Shawols (or those who didn't necessarily know about kpop in general) and people started bashing Kingston's version stating that he plagiarized and that Shinee should sue or something should be done. However, I don't think any of that is necessary. Just like Ke$ha made a demo song entitled "Run Devil Run" and Snsd's company bought the beat, everyone went around the video commenting about how Snsd stole it...WAIT, NO Ke$ha stole it...WAIT, NO! they both stole it! and it was just really chaotic. Basically, no one -- Ke$ha, Kingston, Shinee, or Snsd stole anything from anyone -- it's a matter of their company labels buying the beat from the original artist and using it. I just wanted to clear that up because many people seem to be misinformed and they're receiving the wrong misperceptions in regards to either artists due to the menacing way a lot of the fans are handling, or trying to handle the situation.

[click here to listen to Sean Kingston's Ready Or Not] Note that the beats are highly similar, so for people to argue about who's version is better doesn't quite make sense when they're both nearly the same. I'll probably never understand psycho-fans or anti-fans...ever.

Shard...

Song of the day: Shard by Epik High [click here to listen]

Epik High is one of those groups that you listen to one of their songs, and that leads you to another one of their songs which is better, and that leads you to another one of their songs which is even better than the last, and it just keeps getting better and better until you realize this is just one EPIK group with a load of amazing songs!

Shy Boy...

Song of the day: Shy Boy by Secret [click here to watch/listen]

This song is seriously one of the cutest girly songs I've ever listened to and enjoyed.^^ I don't know much about the group Sistar but they're very popular in the South Korean pop culture scene. This song has a very 50s-60s feel to it (reminds me of Grease!) and I think that's why I love it even more ..... probably because that's what one of my favorite movies.^^ A lot of songs these days are very similar with techno/rave beats embedded into the background, but this song is extremely different in that aspect; even the music video incorporates nearly every 50s element with the poodle skirts and polka dots and hair bows - GAH I just love everything about this video!

"Let's talk cherry blossoms..."

I stated a few weeks or so ago that sometimes I'm going to select a random day to blog about something that interests me in relation to South Korea aside from the music. So today I'm going to talk about cherry blossoms!

A cherry blossom is the flower of any of several trees of genus Prunus, particularly the Japanese Cherry, Prunus serrulata, which is sometimes called sakura after the Japanese (桜 or 櫻; さくら).
However, although cherry blossoms originate in Japan, today I'm going to discuss the origin of the flower/tree and how it's influenced the culture of South Korea ... afterall, S.K. is the main focus of my blog, right?^^

Topic of the day: Cherry blossom [click here to view source]

"Hanami" is the centuries-old practice of picnicking under a blooming sakura or ume tree such as the image of the tree pictured above. The custom was originally limited to the elite of the Imperial Court, but soon spread to samurai society and to the common people as well. Under the sakura trees, people had lunch and drank sake in cheerful feasts. Hanami festivals celebrate the beauty of the cherry blossom and for many are a chance to relax and enjoy the beautiful view.

In relation to South Korea, cherry blossoms were introduced to the culture during the Japanese rule. The festivals continued even after the Japanese surrendered in WWII, but have been contentious, and many cherry trees have been destroyed because they were seen as symbols of the occupation. However, South Korea is still well-known for their cherry blossoms. There has been considerable confusion about the origin of the cultivated Japanese cherry trees and the differences between them and native Korean trees. To elaborate: certain trees at Seoul's Gyeongbok Palace were cut down to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Japanese surrender in World War II. Although Cherry blossoms are already indigenous to Korea, Japan had planted trees on sacred and offensive locations in the Palace. Once the offending trees were cut down the festival continued with the indigenous trees. The cherry blossom festival at Gyeongbok Palace is one of a number of such festivals across Korea and is prominently advertised to tourists.

So, in addition the pop culture - music, fashion, k-dramas and tv series - travelling to South Korea can also indulge any nature-lovers (me being one of them) by visiting parks dedicated to cherry blossoms and perhaps having a small lunch under the shades of these trees.

The Boys...

Song of the day: The Boys by SNSD [click here to listen]

SNSD just released this song a few days ago and I must say that I wasn't even planning on listening to it. To be frank, I don't really listen to many of the "cutesy" girl groups in kpop (I tend to stick more to the hardcore girl groups like 2ne1) but when I saw their music company SM uploaded a teaser for this, I watched it out of pure boredom and somewhat curiosity. Much to my surprise, the 34-second teaser looked interesting and I grew excited to watch the full music video.

So when I finally watched it a few days later, I have to say I was impressed. I really love the tune (although many people seem to be bashing on the song and the video) and in addition to this song, there are a few others I listened to and I'm probably going to blog about in the near future.

Hands Up...

Song of the day: Hands Up by 2PM [click here to listen]

Now I know what you're thinking: You just did a song by 2PM and now you're blogging about another one?! But I couldn't help it; their songs have been stuck in my head recently lol. I'm just gonna say that although I'm not much of a partier, this song makes me want to go clubbing with a large group of friends out in Hollywood. It just makes me feel good!

So if you plan on throwing a party any time soon or just want to make it seem like you're getting invited to all the hottest parties of the year even though you're really not because you refuse to make friends, play this song loud in your room and dance around. It's awesome, really.^^

Abracadabra...

Song of the day: Abracadabra by Brown Eyed Girls [click here to listen]

I don't really know much about this group, in fact this is the only song of theirs that I've listened to, but I like it. It has a very pop feel to it; and the video is ... interesting, to say the least.

I can honestly say that kpop (or anything korean, at that) is very easy to get hooked on compared to apop (american pop music). The music videos are awesome filled with colors and outfits I only wish I owned, the beats are always fun to dance to, and all around the music makes me feel excited and happy; the only thing I don't like aobut korean music is the fact I can't sing along ... because I don't understand what they're saying unless I look up the translations lol.

Back 2 U...

Song of the day: Back 2 U by 2PM [click here to listen]

Now I know I just updated a few minute ago, but both of the songs (Before U Go and this one) have been taking turns being stuck in my head this week lol so I'll just blog about both while I'm here.

I have to admit that I don't know as much about 2PM as I would like, but the songs I've heard are very good--this being one of them. I'm pretty sure I'm going to blog about them once more in the near near future because yet another one of their songs have been stuck in my head. In general, they're a really decent band; they get a lot of hate from "fans" for no reason. I just don't understand why when all they do is make music and perform.

Before U Go...

Song of the day: Before U Go by TVXQ [click here to listen]

A lot of times, the song I blog about is based off of what was playing in my head when I woke up or was stuck in my head throughout the day. In this case, the song was Before U Go. TVXQ was a group of five; however, due to some complications with the company and whatnot, they're now a duo made up of U-Know Yunho & Max Changmin. I would really love to find out more about this group as a whole. Sometimes I feel bad because I only find myself listening to these two and not bothering to look up music in the past that they did as an entire boy band because of the fact that I discovered them after the break up. So maybe I'll spend some time looking up songs and their band's history and whatnot to get a better understanding of their situation...

Anywho, I seem to have went off on a bit of tangent, but back to what I was saying! I don't have much knowledge of this group but, from what I've heard, I certainly enjoy their music so far. They have very nice beats and live performances, as well! Contrary to popular belief of this being a "love song" due to the beat (a lot of people have said this sounds very similar to Take You Down by Chris Brown which is in fact an R&B love song) this isactually quite depressing: a story about a man who had his heart broken in a relationship. Sighs, so sad. Yet, still beautiful!

Wake Me Up...

Song of the day: Wake Me Up by Zico from Block B [click here to listen]

I recently discovered the k-rap artist Zico and I must say that I absolutely love his style. He has a certain swag in the way he raps and carries himself. I also must add in that I love his voice (excuse the small moment of fangirling) but I do believe he's one of those artists that can make people easily like him without really doing much ... which is actually kind of difficult to do lol.

This song is relevant to me not only because I need someone to wake me up to start each day, but also because ... well actually that's it, I just need to wake up lol and I love how slow the melody of this song is--simplistic, beautiful, and refreshingly relaxing. Also, while we're on the topic of this song, he covered it from a singer by the name of Goapele [click here to listen to the original version] and, personally, I absolutely love both versions! It's the same beat yet two completely different styles that are both wonderful to listen to!

Ah, WAKE UP, people. Everyday is a new day!

Baby Good Night...

Song of the day: Baby Good Night by GD&TOP [click here to listen]

Ironic that the song of the day is dealing with the night lol. Now I'm reconsidering putting 'song of the night' instead seeing as though it's nighttime now lol. But in addition to this song being relevant merely because of the fact that the moon is shinging brightly outside my window ... I love this melody. I was dancing to it the other day and just couldn't get enough. Oh, and not to mention the fact that I love the melody--it gives off a somewhat romantic-sultry tune. Goodness, it makes me want to sip on red wine near a fireplace in a log cabin in the middle of a forest as it snows outside the window. See what I'm saying? It's absolutely lovely!

Free Love...

Song of the day: Free Love by Epik High [click here to listen]

I would like to just add in that Epik High is by far one of my favorite k-artists. I discovered this group not too long ago and I abso-so-so-SO-lutely love every song I've heard. No joke or exaggeration here.

They're so versatile when it comes to making music. They have music I can listen to when I'm sad, when I'm angry, when I'm excited, when I need something calming, when I need something upbeat and, like this song of the day, when I need something 'feel good.' Epik High is easily my No. 1 when it comes to k-rap and I'm beginning to think they're about to be my No. 2 in general when it comes to k-music--SHINee being my No. 1 of course.^^ I won't be surprised if their music ends up taking up half of my posts on this blog lol.

Don't Stop the Music...

Song of the day: Don't Stop the Music by 2ne1 [click here to listen]

YES, another music post on 2ne1 (they're just that awesome.) Now I know people probably would've expected me to post a ballad song or a song with some type of soft, slow melody because of the current gloomy weather here in California; however, I will not allow the cold breeze of fall to affect my morning music routine ... well, maybe some times, but not today!

This morning I woke up in a rather excited mood. This is the perfect song to listen to when you're feeling good and just want to dance and get hyped up ... I mean, just read the title!

Give It To Me...

Song of the day: Give It To Me by UKiss [click here to listen]

I have no clue why, but this song has been stuck in my head literally all day. It's very upbeat and is the perfect song to listen to when you're home alone and choose to dance around the house instead of cleaning your room or finishing your homework ... not that I've that before.

What A Girl Wants...

Song of the day: What A Girl Wants by 4Minute [click here to listen]

I love this song! Although I tend to stay away from the girly-cutesy songs because they tend to be repetitive and stay in my mind for hours despite the fact that I don't want them to stuck in my head while at your school, I actually enjoy this song very much. It has a fun beat to dance around the room to when cleaning, plus their outfits in the video are amazing!

So, it was very random what happened to me this morning and the story behind why I chose this song for today. I signed onto Youtube to choose a song of the day and actually had no clue which one I was going to blog about; before searching for one, I had a message in my inbox so I checked it. Much to my surprise, it was a message from someone I replied to nearly seven months ago! I commented on a Nicole Scherzinger song called Baby Love feat. Will.i.am talking about how similar the instrumental of the chorus sounded to 4Minute's What A Girl Wants [click here to listen to Nicole's song if you're interested.] Well she replied back asking me what 4Minute was and I explained to her how it was a girl group that sang kpop (or korean pop) songs.

Long story short: She messaged me yesterday talking about how she was looking through her inbox/replies and saw my reply and that I basically was the reason why she got into kpop and now she's obsessed. So I feel special and thought that was a very interesting story to tell. I love getting people into new genres of music that they wouldn't normally take an interest in!

"Let's talk Kimchi..."

Since I'm so in love with korean culture, I may sometimes select random days to make a post of anything that I'd love to blog about in relation to korea - not solely the music - because there are so many beautiful things about the culture far beyond what our ears can comprehend!

So, aside from the music, something I've taken quite an interest in when it comes to korean culture is the food. Growing up in a Nigerian home, it's very easy to not become "disgusted" (for a lack of better words) by the sight of certains food eaten in other countries since I've been exposed to a variety of dishes already. One thing I'd like to mention is kimchi. I'm sure anyone that has any sort of knowledge of korea knows about kimchi; but, if not, here's the jist:

Topic of the day: Kimchi [click here to source]

Kimchi is a traditional Korean food. It is a pickled vegetable that has been fermented. There are various types of vegetables that can be used, but those often used are cabbage and radish. The basic ingredients are then mixed with onion, garlic, squid, scallions, oysters, sugar, salt, red pepper and ginger then is fermented in low temperature.

In addition, here are some interesting facts in regards to kimchi if you need anymore convincing as to why you should eat it.

• Kimchi can boost immunity (it's like the Iron Man of foods...)
• Kimchi can launch metabolism 
• Kimchi can help to prevent cancer
• Kimchi can be used to prevent diseases caused by viruses (such as gastric disease)
• Kimchi is also low in calories ... so you can eat up without sizing up!^^

Basically, if you plan on traveling to korea anytime soon, don't just spend your money on the awesome albums of SHINee or 2ne1 or Big Bang etc., make sure you try some of the delicious food as well! Kimchi will be waiting for you!

Supa Luv...

Song of the day: Supa Luv by Teen Top [click here to listen]

I woke up with this song stuck in my head. Interesting. I'm sure I'm not the only person, but sometimes I just get in these moods where the only type of music that would satisfy how I'm feeling currently is something upbeat and poppish (not sure if that's a word, but I'm definitely using it as such) so this song is absolutely perfect to get hyped up and dance to!

I Don't Care...

Song of the day: I don't care by 2ne1 [click here to listen]

I woke up this morning feeling a bit down (maybe it's because yesterday was extremely busy and I ended up going to bed at two in the morning for whatever reasons) so I'm not in the greatest mood right now. However, despite my gloominess, I don't want to let anything affect my day. The lyrics to this song are relevant to my situation lol, so it's basically the perfect thing to listen to when trying to get my mood up!

If something bad happens to you, just sing "I don't care!" and move on to better things.^^