(FT Is)Land Ahoy!

So here's my PLAY! FT Island Concert experience - a review plus some fangirling at the side, haha.

The boys of FT Island arrived in Singapore in the wee hours of the morning on 15th January and headed down to The Max Pavilion after a few hours of rest at the Ritz Carlton.

Even though they had a concert in Kuala Lumpur just the night before, the boys showed no sign of fatigue. In fact, Lee Hong Ki (lead vocals) who was down with a flu, Choi Jong Hoon (lead guitar), Lee Jae Jin (bassist), Song Seung Hyun (guitar), and Choi Min Hwan (drums) showed much enthusiasm and energy on stage, definitely not disappointing the fans who have been waiting for their solo concert for four years.

The banner sign thing fell when there was a storm at like 4am. I almost died hahaha fyi the blue checkered mat was where I was sitting.

But the weather was really nice during the afternoon.

Practically my only source of entertainment - apart from the new friends I made of course.

And after queuing up for some 16 hours (and crazy weather), I finally got to get my first look of the stage.
Compared to many other K-Pop concerts, this one was not as elaborate. The stage setup was simple and there were no fancy props. Simple pyrotechnics, transitions in the form of video footages, and good music were enough to satisfy the fans. An extended stage was included for the members to interact more with their fans.

Clad in comfortable clothing and leather jackets, all five members exuded a rock-star feel representing their unique genre of music. Contrary to most mainstream K-Pop groups, they were comfortable in their own skin and simply sang and played their hearts out – not forgetting their attempts in communicating with the fans in their obviously rehearsed (but really cute) English, where Hong Ki proclaimed his love for band mate Jae Jin, and also for the Singaporean fans. He even shouted a profanity at one point of the concert, “Singapore, you are fucking cool!”

Hongki's pants were quite ugly btw.

They chose one of their greatest hit songs, I Hope, to start off the concert. Following that, they hyped up the crowd even more with other hits like Love Love Love and Hello Hello.

Bringing up the atmosphere were their J-Rock tunes, like Let It Go and their debut Japanese song, Flower Rock, which surely left the many Japanese fans in the audience craving for more.

They then took it a little slower with their trademark ballads. While Hong Ki's husky voice complemented the mood of the songs and he hit all the high notes perfectly, the rest of the members also showcased their vocal improvement through I Confess, a ballad written by leader Jong Hoon. Min Hwan especially awed everyone when he challenged and managed to pull off the most difficult part of the song. I could not help but tear at this part - I don't know why - but I just felt so proud! Sigh maknae's all grown up, and his vocals have definitely matured along with him. And I was sobbing quite uncontrollably by the time it came to the next song, Even Your Tears. It was quite funny though because I was singing along to the song which consisted of lyrics like 'don't cry, I love you' while tears streamed down my face bleahhhh.

It was after the ballad segment which showed Hong Ki's voice faltering a little. He deliberately brought down most of the high notes to a lower pitch which took the thrill out a little – not that it deterred any of the audience which mostly consisted of teens to continue rocking out to the tunes.

Fans knew that the 2-hour concert was coming to an end when the introductory guitar riff of Primadonna (also the name of FT Island fans) was played.
After shouts of ‘encore’ from the 3000-odd audience, the boys came out to perform their last three songs. The concert ended on a high note with Like a Bird. The audience was certainly transported to another island (though not literally). At least, I was - on an island with just me and FT Island playing for me, LOL.

It could have been a perfect experience for the fans if not for the less than desirable sound system, which resulted in extremely low volumes in vocals at times. There was also poor crowd control when fans rushed to the free standing pit causing some of them to fall.

Nevertheless, performance-wise, FT Island did an amazing job and their showmanship proved to us why they are one of the top Rock groups in the Korean music scene.

The next day, the boys had an autograph session at City Square Mall where 500 lucky fans got to get up close and personal with them. One of the fans even wore a wedding gown, catching the eye of the members (and everybody else). They were all smiles and waved occasionally at the crowds.

Stef, Jiaqi and myself failed to be part of the 500 lucky ones and so we went to find a good spot to shoot photos.

 My super stalker-ish photo of Stef.

Stef took this and she says it's nice.

And below is a Minhwan-loves-me-a-lot-so-he-keeps-looking-at-my-camera-appreciation-pictures section:

He really loves me.

After the session we went to Manna Restaurant with some newly made friends which we reckoned they were going to have dinner at. Thankfully we were right.

They were in this room LOL.

And uhm, Hongki's shoes... Haha.

After eating we just stood near the doors of the private room that they were in and omg one of the staff opened the door and I saw Hongki (the angle allowed Stef and I to be the only ones to be able to look inside) so I waved at him. And he waved back.

HE WAVED BACK.

Hahaha I was dying but I had to control myself. And when they walked out of the room to get to their van they were frigging less than a metre away from me. Sigh they are all so handsome really. And Minhwan... Let's just say he made me fall in love with him all over again ❤

It has been almost 2 weeks since my encounter with them but everything's still deeply etched in my mind. And I'll cherish this for a really long time...till my next concert LOL. And that will probably be The Cab's gig on 10th March.

This is the end of my not-very-fangirlish concert post. Will update on Chinese New Year next week! Night everyone! xx

My Top 25 Favourite K-Pop Songs 2011

As the title suggests, this post is going to be about my favourite K-Pop songs of 2011! I was going to stop at 10 but I realised I liked too many. Hahaha. So, in no particular order, here it goes...

1. AA - So Crazy

Definitely one of the best debut songs I have heard so far! The piano intro in front really got me and I really like the raps! The members definitely have good vocals as seen from their live performances. The only thing that I don't like about this song is the choreography. The body waves are so weird and this song definitely deserves a better dance. I'm looking forward to their next comeback in February, I hope they don't change their style!

2. MYNAME - Message

I'd be the first to admit that the lyrics and the meaning of the song are kind of noobish and all, but hey, the tune's really catchy. And I really like the b-boy dancing in the music video. It is just a shame that the only b-boying they do in live performances are Seyong's handstand and backflip. My favourite part of the song is the rap haha JunQ's so cute.
P.S. The 'you got a messaji' part is my current message ringtone. Don't judge!

3. Block B - Freeze

Having roots in Hip Hop, Block B is definitely one group to watch out for. I really like the edge to this song and it stands out from the cute and happy songs that most companies choose as the debut single for groups. Love the stage presence, love the attitude, love the song. And I personally Cho PD did a great job in choosing people for the group - the three rappers have such different voices and it is so easy to tell them apart. I really have high expectations of them!

4. B1A4 - Only Learned Bad Things

I have been noticing B1A4 ever since their cartoon teaser pictures were released because it was really...special. Their debut song, O.K. really got me hooked but it was not until I heard this song that I became a BANA(na). I love the meaning of the song, love the beat, and I love it that Baro is the main character in the music video. The members are starting to compose their own songs and it can be seen from their 2nd mini album, it B1A4. I hope their next work will be more like their first mini album though because there are more genres and it also shows their versatility in tackling different genres.

5. MBLAQ - I Don't Know

No music video for this song but it is my favourite track from their Mona Lisa mini album. It has this quirky feel to it and G.O.'s falsettos never fail to get me. The live performances are really enjoyable as well because just look like they are having lots of fun. Oh by the way I love Cheondung in blonde hair *_*

6. X-5 -Don't Put On An Act

Having an average height of 185cm, these boys really stand out (literally) from other rookie groups. This debut song really attracted me and I really liked it from the first time I heard it. And I liked them even more after seeing them perform it live. Their comeback 'Dangerous' really disappointed me though. It sounds quite bleah and their first performance of the song was a big flop for me. But well I do give them credit for being able dance quite nicely considering their height because most tall people tend to look a little awkward while dancing.

7. U-Kiss - Neverland

I only really started taking notice of U-Kiss when 0330 was released because well, it has a nice piano melody and nice orchestration at the back and I thought it was a brilliant song (until I got sick of it because of the constant replaying). Neverland was released after that and I loved it! A really different image from 0330 but honestly guyliner and songs in a minor key really attract me in K-Pop. Haha I don't even know why. The dance is really nice too and it matches the song really well. I still refuse to call myself a Kiss-Me though...what a stupid-sounding fandom name hahaha.

8. DBSK - How Can I

My favourite song from HoMin's Keep Your Head Down album which was released after the whole DBSK and SM fiasco. Changmin's and Yunho's voices blend really well during live performances of this song and hearing it during the fanmeet last year made me fall in love with the song even more.

9. Miss A - Goodbye Baby

Hands down one of the best music videos in 2011. I love how this comeback had a totally different style to past singles like Breathe and Bad Girl Good Girl. It is by far, to me, the best Miss A song that has been produced and performed. Great concept, great choreography, great song, great year for Miss A.
P.S. The fact that JYP has to mention himself in all his productions still annoys me lol.

10. BEAST - Fiction

Yet another breakthrough for another group, Fiction has established itself as one of the most memorable and best songs of 2011 - from the vocals needed to conquer this song, to the really-hard-to-master penguin dance. This album was also the album that we saw really obvious vocal improvement from Dongwoon, and it was also a great album in all. The songs flow very well and it is one of those K-Pop albums which I can listen to over and over again.

11. BEAST - On Rainy Days

Also from the 'Fiction & Fact' album, here's my favourite track of BEAST this year! This is my favourite performance of this song from them, guess why? (here's a hint: skip to 2:30) The things I love most about this song are the tune, meaning of the lyrics, the ad-libs, the cough just before Junhyung's rap, Dongwoon's part..basically everything. Hahaha.

12. Brown Eyed Girls - Sixth Sense

I tend to prefer songs with attitude when it comes to upbeat female songs, and this song - it's just overflowing with that. The music video is full of symbolism - from the art on the walls, Miryo being chained up with mics in front of her (meaning that she is being controlled to say stuff), etc. BEG are portrayed as fierce and confident women here and it is hella sexy, unlike some other artist *cough* who has a solo release with a different kind of 'pop' *cough* if you know what I mean. And of course, when you think of Sixth Sense, you can't forget the three high notes by Jea, Ga-in and Narsha. Crazehhhh!

13. JS & Hyuna - Trouble Maker

One of the most controversial songs and music videos, and also one of the most anticipate comebacks (following the hot kiss during MAMA) of 2011, is this sexy dance number by Hyunseung and Hyuna. I personally like the whole concept of this song - it's different from other K-Pop songs, and it's well, daring. Hyunseung is really suited for concepts like these and he somehow has this groove for songs like this. I still think that Hyuna doesn't have that kind of mature sexiness for this song but it's not her fault since she's so young. But in any case I still love the song and I like the performances a lot.

14. 2NE1 - I Am the Best

When it comes to being badass, not many can hold a candle to 2NE1. I Am The Best is a very empowering song and the music video just shows all sorts of badass from the four girls. Also a song that a DJ should spin during K-Pop clubbing events, this song is excellent at bringing up the atmosphere. I remember screaming my lungs out when they performed this at last year's Korean Music Wave - fanchants, the 'bombaratata's, everything. This is the K-Pop cult's anthem!

15. 2NE1 - Ugly

Also from 2NE1, here's my favourite song from them! The lyrics are full of meaning and I think that it is an excellent song to jam to. The music video doesn't full make sense to me - it's very badass for a song which portrays low self-esteem but I guess that's 2NE1's style. By the way I love all their tops in the music video. And one day I'm going to play with glow-in-the-dark paint too.

16. FT Island - I Confess

My favourite track from their 'Return' mini album. Written by leader Jonghun for Primadonnas, the meaning of the song is so sweet and...it's a perfect confession song. Heh. All the members sing inside as well, which is a bonus. The tune's really sweet too. And the song means a lot to me. So, yeah. I love this song. Gonna hear it live soon and I absolutely can't wait! Hehe.

17. FT Island - Like the Birds

Although this is a remake song, FT Island truly made it their own. Seunghyun and Jaejin are not the best at rapping but their rapping is really adorable hahaha. I love the build-up of this song - how it starts out as a soothing acoustic piece and slowly gets more exciting to something 'jam-worthy'. I can't wait for 15th Jan! And of course their next comeback!

18. Big Bang - Cafe

So when I was listening through all six tracks of their 4th Mini Album for the first time, my chain of thoughts was "mhmm, nice, nice, nice, nice, nice, HOLY I LOVE THIS SONG!" Hahaha. It's something you wouldn't really expect to hear from Big Bang but they absolutely nailed it! I especially enjoy their live performances of this song. Just like what the song title says, it sounds really Cafe-ish with all the falsettos in the song. Ah after listening to this song I think I'd like a cup of Cappuccino brb!

19. Big Bang - Stupid Liar

Released in the Special Edition album which I bought because of the cool packaging. At first I felt that it was just an 'okay' song but after a few listens I realised that I really like it! I never liked auto-tuned voices but GD's auto-tuned voice is really nice LOL I don't even know.

20. Big Bang - Love Song

The best songs of 2011 definitely must include Big Bang's Love Song. It also is one of the best music videos - known for its one-take filming. Another thing that makes this music video special is its black and white concept. And the lyrics are so sad! Aiyo 'nuff said, I just absolutely love this song - probably my next favourite Big Bang after Haru Haru.

21. Nam Woohyun - Time

One of my favourite tracks of Infinite's first full length album and this obviously has to go on this list because it's...Woohyun. Lol yeah I'm biased like that. But anyway, I really love Woohyun's voice and he did amazing in this performance. The melody and lyrics of the song match really well and he expresses it perfectly. The song still pulls at my heartstrings even after so long oh Woohyun will you sing this to me? Hahaha!
P.S. The last four are all by Infinite. Haha yes I'm biased like that.

22. Infinite - Can U Smile

Their follow-up song after Nothing's Over. Having a very different feel from all the previous songs they promoted, I really enjoy the laid back feel of the song. I really like how this song showcases all of their vocals even though Sungjong and Sungyeol still have really little lines T_T

23. Infinite - Be Mine

The song which brought Infinite's popularity to an all time high - Be Mine! Still retaining the Infinite edge and essence to this comeback, it is probably one of their most 'pop'-ish songs - and you know lots of people like it when Infinite was able to win #1 on M!Countdown with this song.

24. Infinite - Paradise

Definitely one of my favourites from them, Paradise! When the music video came out, it seemed like a comeback in which they wouldn't be dancing - since the music video doesn't have any dancing, and it is also a relatively slow song. Once again, however, Infinite impressed me with their very first live performance of this song. For some reason I really love the dance (it's not the hip thrusts lol), I don't even know why. Maybe it is just the fluidity and their execution of the dance.

25. Infinite - Voice of My Heart

My favourite song of Infinite and probably one of my top K-Pop favourites ever. What I love most about this song is that every member gets to sing a substantial number of lines and not like just one phrase or something. It has a beautiful melody and beautiful lyrics. And it never fails to touch me. I really do want to hear this song live really badly. Their vocals may not be up-to-par to fully express this song yet, but I'm sure as they spend more time in the industry, as singers, as Infinite, they will surely be able to produce even better and tear-jerking performances.
P.S. Sungjongie-ah, Woohyun-ah! Uljima!

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So, these are my top 25 K-Pop songs which have kept me company for the whole of last year. I am looking forward to more good music this year - SHINee's comeback, Big Bang's comeback, EXO's debut, the new group by YG. It's not only K-Pop though which I am looking forward too though - Boys Like Girls' and Faber Drive's records are coming out soon. This is definitely gonna be a great music year for me, and I hope, for you too :)

Bucket List

This is on the top of my bucket list. The day I achieve this is the day my life is complete. I think I should include my bucket list in my blog's left column.