How I fell in love with Kpop
(and KRock, and music from the homeland in general)
On a recent road-trip/moving trip/epic adventure across the country in which my fellow Logan Girls were definitely, definitely my enforcement squad - I may have force fed some of my girls a decent amount of Kpop. I realize that I usually ruin my favorite song by 2 paragraphs of explanation in my fangirling (yes completely with Kermit fails and squees - don't worry I wasn't always driving). But they did manage to listen to the majority of a decent amount of tracks on our... 16 hours from Eastern Texas to Indiana.
So when I started compiling a predictably glutted mix-tape* for one of said Logan Girls who voiced further interest, I realized that I really had no idea where to start! I could pick favorites (that would take forever, I could assemble by genre or type of group, or make “mood” playlists (which I did for a different Logan Girl) or I could start at the beginning.
It’s been an interesting process to see how exactly I became increasingly more impressed (and therefore obsessed) with KPOP and related genres. So that’s what you’re getting. A verbose timeline of how I stumbled upon what I love. Purists and KPOP aficionados will probably cringe at some or all of this list. A lot of the BIG names in KPOP don’t show up on this list- or if they do - not until later. I have a soft spot for the underdog and a stubbornness that wills me to dislike something “just cause everyone else is into it.” I like to think I’m not a trend follower - but alas… it is true.
So here's my modern bastardized liner notes - for my Kpop mix-tape:
How I found Kpop
What I Loved
And What I love now...
Brace yourselves.
*(Okay SUV - let's be honest, sadly it's not a real mix tape because it's 1. Not on an actual cassette and 2. (As anyone who has seen Cuban Fury (I can't believe I just admitted I saw that ridiculous movie with the hilarious Nick Frost) knows - A mix-tape is nothing without hand-written and properly illustrated liner notes.)
Prologue:
I did NOT know that Kpop was “A Thing”. I had left the Philippines waaaaaay too early for the “Hallyu Wave” to hit and my childhood was filled with badly dubbed Japanese Anime (the super kiddie version - and also Voltron and Samurai Pizza Cats.) I had vaguely heard of Psy’s imfamous Gangnam Style somewhere after voraciously consuming episodes of Faith and City Hunter and somewhere after Heartstrings with the CN BLUE boys. (Explain to me why didn’t just hire ALL of CN BLUE to play the onscreen band? The other two boys hardly got any lines and not much screen time. They also looked really awkward with their instruments- sorry guys! And all four members of CN BLUE are talented actors as well as performers!)
1. CNBLUE: 외톨이야 (I'm A Loner)
How I Found It: I'm not 100% sure why, but I ended up watching Heartstrings where CNBLUE lead singer Jung Yong Hwa plays a moody college student who's more into hanging out with his wildly popular rock band than you know, dealing with adult-y life stuff. His fellow bandmate, Kang Min Hyuk (who P.S. is killing it as a lead in The Entertainer/Tantara) plays the hyperactive and besotted drummer who falls in love with the school's ice princess.
I always want to know if the actors are really a triple threat (although in Korean entertainment that's often more of a safe bet than in some other markets). So I went to the google and discovered that Min Hyuk and Yong Hwa are part of this awesome Kpop-Rock band called CNBLUE.
Like most Kpop acts their name is wildly confusing, even when you find out that it stands for "Code Name: Blue (Burning, Lovely,Untouchable, and Emotional) which is supposed to describe each of the four band members. If you want a decent background- go to the infamous Wiki...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNBLUE.
Over time their sound has gone from infectious pop-rock to more classic rock with a sign of mild angst to a more interesting full sound with this slightly '70's orchestral sound (I mean this, mostly, in a good way.) Part of this is due to a transition that some of the more senior Kpop/rock groups are going through where their music labels are trusting them more with original work and orchestration and relying less on the sort of machine-made sound produced by the in house composers/lyricists.
Over time their sound has gone from infectious pop-rock to more classic rock with a sign of mild angst to a more interesting full sound with this slightly '70's orchestral sound (I mean this, mostly, in a good way.) Part of this is due to a transition that some of the more senior Kpop/rock groups are going through where their music labels are trusting them more with original work and orchestration and relying less on the sort of machine-made sound produced by the in house composers/lyricists.
Why I Like It:
Yong Hwa, MinHyuk, along with lead guitarist and possessor of a beautiful baritone, Jong Hyun, and accomplished bassist, Jung Shin have always been about forging their own sound - even when the American reviews continue to compare them to Maroon 5. Even if I'm not 100% in love with everything on their albums, I have deep respect for artists/performers that try to produce their own unique sound and work- even if they're not always successful at it.
Also, They're fun! They're all talented actors and variety performers as well, and have continued to expand their skill. I'll gush more later- this is hardly the last CNBLUE song you'll see on this list. This song is really a “I’m a loner, and you’ve left me - so I’m going to take this second chance I’m given and join a band and make music with my broken heart- kind of song, if the music video is any indication
Where'd I'd Rate It:
On our grading scale of:
No - Meh - Decent - Pretty Good - Good - Awesome
Pretty Good. It's fun, I always give props to a video with an actual storyline or an attempt at one. It's one of their earlier works which is a bit fluffy. But still totally good for a roadtrip.
2. CNBLUE: 그래요 (Yes)
How I Found It: Once I started rabidly inhaling everything CNBLUE I found that they had a history in Japan (in fact their label basically dumped them in Japan with a stipend and a assignment to make something of themselves. With little language skills they busked on the street and held guerrilla concerts to make ends meet. It’s a pretty crazy story and my respect for them rose. Whatever you may say about Kpop, I have feel there’s a certain admiration for a bunch of kids who figured out to feed themselves far away from home with little language skills just by making music. JungShin, the maknae (baby of a group) spoke in an interview about how after he was tapped to replace the former bassist - how he felt such pressure to respect his hyungs (older brothers) as musicians that he would practice until his fingers blistered and popped - and then he’d put superglue on to seal them and keep working. Now that’s dedication. Sadly I no longer have the link to said article - so take that all with a grain of salt- horrible academic that I am- not citing my sources!
Why I Like It: The song is peppy and fun to listen to - I base a lot of my preferences on if they make good driving music or working music for the costume shop and this track is rather motivating. I found the youtube video of the live acoustic version- and I might like that even better. Jung Yong Hwa has such a great leading man voice, but lead guitarist and second lead vocalist, Lee Jong Hyun has a gorgeous baritone that’s like butter on your ears… which… on second thought isn’t really a good metaphor - what I mean is it’s very, very yummy. At least to me.
Where'd I'd Rate It: Pretty Good A great listen, but not super overplayed on my list.
3. CNBLUE: 사랑c은 비를 타고 (Love is in/follows the Rain)
How I Found It: I am always curious to see kpop-rock acts play and sign a capella. The abuse of editing and auto tune is rampant in every country’s industry, so anytime I can hear an artist unplugged or a capella I jump at the chance to see their true skills on display.
Why I Like It: Here Jong Hyun once again takes the lead with a melancholy number about how rain reminds him of a lost lover. It could easily slide into the underscoring for a moody Austen film- but that’s me…
Where'd I'd Rate It: Good I’m a sucker for melancholy songs and I like this one even when I’m in a good mood.
4. 2pm: 외톨이야 (Beautiful -Korean Version)
How I Found It: Ok, let me say this right off the bat- 2pm are RIDICULOUS. I love them because they’re ridiculous. I started looking for their music because they were hilariously adorable on Running Man (which you NEED to watch if you haven’t already: https://www.dramafever.com/drama/3970/Running_Man/
) Their music turned out to be … everything I loved about ‘90’s boy bands. Catchy, a little sexy, and a lot of ridiculous. I love song and dance musicals, so you know I’ve got ZERO problem with synchronized singing and dancing - even if it does occasionally look silly. It’s definitely harder than it looks, haters.
This is not their first hit (their careers have been fraught with “controversy” in the Korean media and you see a lot of ups and downs with their music.) and you see a definite growth (like almost all of my other favorite groups) as the boys matured in their sound and slowly took possession of their style as artists. As part of the infamous JYP label, there’s a certain amount of cheese that goes with their style, thanks to the grumpy-mentorship style leader of their label-maker, the infamous Park Jin Young. They are the partner group to “2am” which is a four man Boys2Men kind of soul/R&B group. While 2PM gets a lot of heat for being more sexy or funny/completely crazy than having actual talent, the guys have branched out on their own and it shows over the course of their careeers that they’ve made a considerable effort to grow in their music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NRuyFmyzls
Why I Like It:
Re: above. They are FUN. Their music is good bouncy fun music. Some of their stuff that’s more balladesque is a bit blah, but a lot of their new stuff has some real interest to me. They DO have this sort of almost broadway-story feel to a lot of their music and their videos usually crack me up. I appreciate that in true boy-band fashion everyone has a turn. Also, I’ve found that this song (about a girl whose beauty inside and out heals a man’s wounds...aaaaw…) is one of their Japanese hits (because everyone goes to Japan first) that they re-released for the Korean market. The video is their ballad version, which is less dancey- but shows off vocals more. Correction - the featured video above is their usual Korean/Japanese dance version - the below video is the ballad version which is... well just as wonderfully kinda cheesy in a different way. And yes. I love it.
Where'd I'd Rate It:
On our grading scale of:
No - Meh - Decent - Pretty Good - Good - Awesome
Decent. It's fun, But I’m saving my favorites for later. Maybe that’s a bad move… This video link though… can we talk about that choreography? Omo...shakes head.
5. Shinhwa: 외톨이야 (Venus)
How I Found It: If 2PM are the resident senior class clowns of KPOP, then Shinhwa are the alumni who everyone fawns over when they decide to come back to visit. They’ve been successful in the business A LOT longer than most Kpop groups- especially large ones - who last a couple of years usually breaking up when a younger group comes on the scene or the members have to go off to their mandatory military service. It says a lot about a group if they can not only stick together through general adversity and maturity, but also stay abreast of current music trends. I don’t know a lot about Shinwha - I came across them when they went head to head with 2PM in a variety show and proved they’ve still got it. But any group that sticks it out like that reminds me a little of the Logan Girls and endears my affection just a little bit more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qWVQMbmk2U
Why I Like It:
This is a straight up dance-club number about a girl so gorgeous she’d make the angels weep. There’s not a lot TO the song, although the lyrisct employs a variety of descriptors to talk about just HOW amazing and gorgeous this girl is. The guys all take their turn belting and dancing their hearts out about her.
Where'd I'd Rate It:
On our grading scale of:
No - Meh - Decent - Pretty Good - Good - Awesome
Pretty Good. It’s one of the mid-range hits??? And one of the first ones I heard. It’s catchy- and I like that. Their music video doesn’t make a ton of sense - but definitely looks like a bunch of execs sat in a room and said”
“You know what will look cool? Let’s shoot it mostly in black and white- and have a bunch of black and white chess board imagery!”
“Yeah, and let’s throw in some weird steampunk in there!”
“Oh yeah, and a beautiful foreign girl running away from them!”
“Oh, and let’s have all the guys, but especially, Eric - cause you know, he can act- look all tortured and forlorn.”
“Let’s have them all dance with masked people.”
“Ummm, why exactly?”
“It’ll be like.. The Venus is hidden from them.”
“Oookay…”
Sometimes I’m pretty easy to please.
6. CN BLUE: Run
How I Found It: Cause I started checking itunes and youtube and google in general for anything new by CN BLUE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmPmCckMUrI
Why I Like It:
For some reason, I think CN BLUE’s Ear Fun is one of my favorite albums they’ve put out. There’s this very…’60’s effervescent pop-rock flair to the entire album, especially on Run and my following two picks - Hey You and In My Head. While their following album (RE: BLUE) speaks to my inner angst and was on replay constantly, this is the album that I put on when I got for a run (or a stumble, as I like to call it.) In particular I like that this song expresses some very common emotions - feeling stuck and frustrated and not really knowing what to do about it and just wanted to RUN somewhere - and it’s not necessarily a song about love or lost love.
Where'd I'd Rate It:
On our grading scale of:
No - Meh - Decent - Pretty Good - Good - Awesome
Good. In particular, look for some great drumming by Kang Min Hyuk. Yes, some of it’s pretty standard, but the kid can play (and also other instruments, and also sing, and be a lead in dramas, and have a comedic side. It probably doesn’t hurt that his dad is a music teacher when he’s not running the family restaurant.)
7. CN BLUE: Hey You
How I Found It: See previous entry. Sometimes I think it’s like when the boys get bored, they just watch old movies or something. They have been quoted as being heavily influenced by classic rock and Brit-pop-rock and this song definitely shows it. The music video itself looks like something out of a Monkee’s episode (although more “cool” and less ridiculous.) with definite nods to ‘60’s TV. I don’t know that it’s Korean ‘60’s TV, but it most certainly looks familiar on this side of the Ocean.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZYuZ5DIvn4
There’s just something very swanky about this song that has your head bobbing along and making you want to get up and dance. This tune reminds me of that scene in That Thing You Do where the Wonders suddenly have people interested in their music and flocking to buy records.
Where'd I'd Rate It:
On our grading scale of:
No - Meh - Decent - Pretty Good - Good - Awesome
Pretty Good. Extra props for a fun music video and solid music all around.
8. CN BLUE: In My Head
How I Found It: Another from the Ear Fun album
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbIjifrHjc8
Why I Like It:
This is a more classic rock number on the album, and while it on the surface doesn’t seem like anything spectacular, for some reason it really does stick in my head (sorry, bad puns are unavoidable, here.) The music video is very “we are a cool rock band” but at the same time really puts the focus on the guys and their performance which is a nice change. I believe this was a crossover for the Japanese market, which generally seems to prefer a lot more straight up rock and dancey tunes from the Koreans - something I noted from CN BLUE, 2PM, and Big Bang’s records.
Where'd I'd Rate It:
On our grading scale of:
No - Meh - Decent - Pretty Good - Good - Awesome
Decent. It sticks with you, but on my overall scale, very listen-worthy but not standout.
9. Juniel: 일라 일라 (illa illa)
How I Found It: Juniel is under the same label as CN BLUE (FNC) and the guys have gone on record saying they consider her to be a hoobae (junior in the industry) of theirs. FNC is generally known for aquiring bands and singer-songwriters. Juniel fits nicely into that category and I'm interested to see what kind of growth she has as an artist. She already has at least two albums out (I haven't checked in a while) and has done some work for drama OST's, I believe.
Why I Like It:
While Juniel has a more soprano-girlish voice that isn’t always my style (I tend to prefer mezzos, altos, and baritones), I do like her clean and innocence sound. This is a peppy song that reminds me of summer evening drives. Also, you can see CN BLUE's support as Min Hyuk (of the adorable "eye smile") features in her music video for the number.
Where'd I'd Rate It:
On our grading scale of:
No - Meh - Decent - Pretty Good - Good - Awesome
Decent. I wouldn’t want it on constant repeat.
10. Never the Strangers: Bago Mahuli ang Lahat. (Before it’s too Late.)
How I Found It: After inhaling so much Kpop so very quickly, I started to feel a little guilty that I didn’t know much about what was going on in the music scene of my homeland. After exploring the minefield of youtube, and combing through a lot of OPM (Original Pinoy Music) with a candy-coated sound - I found these guys. Honestly, they are still quite “indie” as it’s rather hard to find a lot about the band online. They came back from a year hiatus with a new album - and I think new members as some of the previous members had some Visa issues, if I remember correctly. (Again, take that with a grain of salt.)
A Filipino-Canadian/American(?) group with a distinct indie feel, I loved their mix of “earnest guys singing in the local cafe to utterly silly (they wrote a song that as far as I can perceive from the video, is all about escaping from zombies.) I recommend the entirety of their self-titled debut, but I’ll highlight a few on this list.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncVIXs8q_Zc''
Why I Like It: This piece doesn’t explore anything terribly new when it comes to songwriting (betrayal, the vocalist begging the girl to come back and apologize before it’s too late and things are ruined forever), but there’s something so endearingly honest about the delivery.
Where'd I'd Rate It:
On our grading scale of:
No - Meh - Decent - Pretty Good - Good - Awesome
Pretty Good . I’m sure there are more wildly talented musicians, but I really like the combination of the steady drum/bass beat with the overlay of piano. Bad stage blood aside - I like the feel of the video as well. It’s not as slick as some highly produced music videos and well, I kinda like that.
NEXT TIME: 10 More Songs, ten more rambling anecdotes about my blooming love affair with a whole new area of music. Stay tuned (yes, the bad puns never end.) I promise I'll get to AiLee and the awesomeness that is she and Amber teaming up...and of course the infamous BIG BANG.
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