Super Junior - SPY Review

Super Junior finally released the music video of their follow-up song, SPY, a good one week after the single was released.

The first time I heard this song, I was so pleasantly surprised at the cowboyish introduction. It gave off such a happy vibe and I was so happy that there was an actual melody to it. However as it went on, especially when Kyuhyun started droning his insanely low notes in the verse, my mood took a 180 degree turn.
And by the end of the song I was totally unimpressed with what seemed like a mash-up of three songs - a cowboy/Wild Wild West inspired tune, a Bond inspired hook, and chanting similar to that of Superman and Gulliver (also songs by them).
The composer was probably going for a 'playful' and 'varied' song but honestly this doesn't do it for me at all. I feel that songs shouldn't have too many motifs (unless you are talking about concert band/orchestral music) and this song totally deviates away from that rule. It would have been a perfect song if the droning verses were replaced with something akin to the beginning. Or you know what? Scrap that, it would have been perfect if the entire song sounded like that. Words can't explain how much I love Eunhyuk's parts in this song. Gone are the days when Super Junior got quality songs like No Other and Mirror.

Alas, as much as I dislike the song, the SM effect has yet again hit me and this song is now stuck in my head, to the extent that I feel inclined to make a cover. Oh no. Hahahaha.

Now, on to the music video. There isn't really anything to say about it except that's a typical SJ-dancing-in-a-huge-box and close-ups of them singing their lines video. Of course the boys look dashing wielding pistols and shotguns all decked out in sleek suits but I am getting so tired of the low-budget production. Seriously, what's up with all the random squirts of blood coming out from nowhere? I know it fits the concept, but it turned out to be more of a distraction than a complement to the video.
The thing that irks me the most, however, is the fact that the video for this song could have easily been scripted into a storyline - but no - laziness just gets better of everyone and Super Junior once again ends up with a less-than-stellar recycled music video.

The choreography of the song though, is quite impressive to me - especially the part before Kyuhyun sings his verse where he has to pass through some sort of 'obstacle course', and also the part just before Ryeowook takes over his lines. The disappearing-and-reappearing-as-another-person act is just genius. All these Bond-inspired dance moves are what redeem the song, making their live performances really enjoyable.

It also seems like any new SJ single is not complete without a small solo dance part from Eunhyuk. Not that I mind though, because I really like them.

So all in all, terrible song and music video, but amazing choreography. But no matter what I, or anyone for that matter, say about SJ's songs, you know that they are still going to top the charts and sweep ELFs off their feet. While many are getting sick of this formula they are using, you have to admit that it works and I don't see any reason why they are going to change it, although a huge part of me still wishes that they will.

Till then, I will just continue replaying SPY and watch SJ snag all their awards. Go kick it in the butt, boys!

Tasty - Spectrum Review

Tasty, the twins (Jung Daeryong and Jung Soryong) from Woollim Entertainment, better known as the company which produced Infinite, finally dropped their debut mini album.

The boys of Infinite, along with Miss A's Min and Fei have been tweeting about them prior to the release of the album. Free promotion's great, but it is the music that will make people stay. For me, honestly, I'm still quite undecided about this debut.

Spectrum is the introduction to this album and preps listeners for what is to come. I was a little apprehensive at the beginning when I heard 'so sexy' and 'so hot' but when the beatbox came in I eventually got into it. Lots of electro-pop sounds and dubstep going on in this track. It then transits ever so smoothly into the title track, You Know Me.

The track is no different from what the teaser offered - electric drums, dubstep, and lots of synths. The beginning of the track was a little weird though, and I was really glad that it was over when the 'neona ara' hook as heard from the teaser came on. This track is basically a club jam, and unlike many K-Pop singles nowadays, it does not have a tasteful (no pun intended) melody or tune. In other words, this song is almost un-singable (the only part you actually hear them sing is the bridge). I find the song somewhat lacklustre - and don't even get me started on the lack of lyrics. The only thing memorable about this song is the 'neona ara' hook (and I have already listened to it around five times).
Bad points aside though, this song is a definite crowd-pumper. Just look at the amazing choreography and the charisma of these boys!

Solo is the whiff of fresh air to this mini album. Still retaining the synth, this song is based on R&B beats and is definitely my favourite. It showcases their vocals much, much more than any of the other tracks - and damn, these boys do have the voice!

Buster, an upbeat track (the beginning kind of reminds me of Nicki Minaj's Stupid Hoe oh why) provides a good closing to the album. While many may argue that this should be the title track, I beg to differ, even though I prefer this song. I feel like this song will not be able to bring out their charisma as much as You Know Me and it somehow does not pack as much punch. I really dig this song if not for the overbearing and over-repetitive 'buster buster buster' going on in the background.

All in all, I feel that this is a really mediocre debut, but I do believe that Tasty is capable of more than this. I sincerely hope that their next single will be one that showcases their vocals. They are amazing dancers and I am sure Woollim Entertainment will be able to stretch these guys to their full potential, as they have done with Infinite.

P.S. I think I like Soryong already. Hahahaha.

Kyle Patrick - Kyle Patrick EP Review

Just like the album cover, Kyle Patrick's very first solo EP is bright, happy and about as pop as you can get.
Kyle Patrick, better known as the lead singer of powerpop band, The Click Five, embarked on a solo project which has been in the works for five years. The result? A well-produced album with five tracks written, arranged and performed by this talented man.

Follow Your Heartbeat is the opener for this EP and it starts with Nintendo-like digital sounds. The song is wholly about having fun and basically following your heart. The song did not really leave an impression on me but after a few listens, the chorus, the 'ready now, ready now, ready now' hook, and the reggae-inspired instrumental were stuck in my head.

Go For Gold is the lead single from this EP and is easily my favourite track. Uplifting lyrics, a catchy tune and the 'ohhh ohhh ohhh' hooks are definitely what makes the song so enjoyable. With Kyle writing this song in line with the 2012 London Olympics in mind, he has achieved his purpose. I personally enjoy this song more than the theme song for London Olympics (Muse's Survival).

The track is accompanied by a not-as-stellar music video but it is enjoyable all the same. There was also a 3D version released so that fans can watch it with the personalised 3D glasses shipped out by the man himself (Mine's still in great condition, accompanied with the envelope). What I found interesting about the video was that it was done in (almost) one take. The flashing lights towards the end of the video were really distracting and it hurt my eyes a little though. That aside, have I mentioned that Kyle looks absolutely dapper in that full blue suit?

Wild Ways is the last of the upbeat tracks in this EP. The song is catchy but predictable. As soon as the track started, I expected a few 'HEY!'s and 'HO!'s and the first one comes within 5 seconds of the song. The constant beat and synths in the backing track complement Kyle's vocals and he displays some neat falsetto in the chorus. It is one of those feelgood songs which makes you want to jump around your room in a gig and just let your hair down.

The mood changes drastically with the next song, Baby Don't Board That Plane. It did not really do it for me at first, but as the track went on, I started to appreciate it. Kyle's deep voice brings out the emotions in the song really well and the use of the instruments is amazing. For example, the use of the percussion in the beginning was not as significant and fades off during the chorus but as the song progresses, it builds up and the military-like beats from the snare drum adds on the to desperation as depicted by the lyrics of the song. If Kyle ever sung this to me, I'd definitely not board that plane.

The EP closes with a cover of Bill Withers' Ain't No Sunshine. I personally love the original and I feel that I may like this version even more - it has the same feel as the previous track and Kyle's vocals were showcased so well thanks to the stripped down percussion in the instrumental. A strong finish to an amazing EP.

Honestly I wasn't expecting much from this album but trust me, I was totally floored by it! Definitely one of the best albums this year. Here's to more good music from Kyle!

Get this EP on Bandcamp or iTunes!

P.S. I really hope I get to see him perform for MTV Sessions in Singapore next month!

Long Live The Reckless and The Brave

So last week was a great music week... at least for me!

All Time Low released their newest single which is off their upcoming record, and the best thing? It was up for free download from their official website! Still is, I reckon.

Absolutely loving the song! Definitely different from the songs in their Dirty Work album - one can't help but wonder if it is because they are not under a major label anymore (they recently left Interscope Records which is part of Universal Music and Dirty Work was the only album they released within their two years under the label). Somehow I tend to appreciate songs produced by them when they are under a small or independent label. It feels as if it is music that they REALLY want to make, and that they are not writing songs just so it fits into the 'mainstream' category. The Reckless and The Brave is one such example, where the lyrics are much more mature compared to lines like "Everybody gettin' kinda crunk, I think some dude just grabbed my junk..." Yeah. I can't deny that I love the music video for that song though. Hahaha.

The next awesome song release has gotta be Big Bang's Monster!

Ignore the uber weird concept of their costumes - okay actually just GD and Taeyang's hair (someone just bring back the mohawk, please) - this is a great song and I could remember the hook in the chorus after just one listen! Really loving the piano introduction and riffs as well. I would go on but you know what? I'll just leave you with a review done by eatyourkimchi aka Simon and Martina! If you haven't heard of them, do definitely check them out because their reviews are always so entertaining and, and... argh just watch.

I had a pleasant surprise when I saw new GIFs of the B1A4 boys seemingly from a new music video. So I went to check it out and it turned out to be the music video of the Japanese version of Beautiful Target!

I'm liking the music video more than the Korean version because this one has more of a story line. No fireman Baro, newscaster Gongchan, pilot CNU, judge Sandeul, prisoner Jinyoung or sprout dances in here - just them being adorable and Jinyoung trying all sorts of perfume potions on them in his bid to find the perfect love potion for the girl he has a crush on. Oh, did you see that Chanro (yes that is my pairing name for Baro and Gongchan) interaction at the end of the video?! My passion for them has reignited once again. And I honestly started smiling to myself when I saw Baro wearing the same cap that I bought from Seoul!

Hehehe.

Anyway, the Euro fever is back! Yes I'm talking about football here! As expected, I'm rooting for Spain all the way!

David Villa is not gonna be playing due to an injury unfortunately, but this Euro 2012 team is still a stellar one and I am very happy that Torres scored against South Korea. We need El Niño! And El Niño is back, and he is staying! P.S. Pique needs a shave, badly.

I'm also very happy because I get to see more Sernando (that's Sergio Ramos and Fernando Torres for those of you who don't know - yes there are pairings in football too...)

Sigh. :)

Also, in related news, Ramos recently cut his hair, and he looks amazing! I was surprised though because he said that his hair was his lucky charm so I'm wondering why he cut it right before something as big as the Euros. No matter though, just make sure all of you haters don't blame any Spain match loss on him! /touchwood/

Thank you for cutting off your locks.

Alright enough fangirling. I'm just gonna do some shameless promotion. Below is my cover of Teen Top's newest single, To You! Hope you dig it!

Goodnight! x

Got Somewhere To Be

So the past couple of weeks have been pretty hectic - honestly I was still really tired because I hardly had any time to rest after coming back from Seoul but it's all good now!

I should probably use this post to continue updating on the stuff I've been doing since after Graduation.

The day after Graduation, Stef, Rachy, Keith, Mel, Jiaqi and I met up at Clarke Quay for K-Pop Night Out which was one of the programmes of Music Matters, a three-day event which brings performers and those in the music industry together to perform and discuss about the industry via seminars which is not open to the public (unfortunately). The performances, though are a different story and they are totally free! The venues for the performances are the main fountain stage and various bars around Clarke Quay. I went for last year's too! Read my really fangirlish experience here.

So K-Pop Night Out featured RhythmKing (an indie band), BTOB (a 7-member group), DJ Clazzi from the band Clazziquai, and many Hip-Hop artistes - J'kyun, Bizzy, M.I.B, Drunken Tiger and Yoon Mirae! Every act was impressive and I truly enjoyed all the performances!

RhythmKing! 

The lead singer, BumKey, has sick sick falsetto notes! 

 BTOB! 

Performing 'Irresistible Lips' live for the very first time!

 J'kyun. He was really funny but I wasn't entertained much. Was trying to figure what he was trying to say most of the time.

DJ Clazzi. Was a little bored at this point of time since I am not a fan of club tunes.

 M.I.B!

 Joint stage with Bizzy, Drunken Tiger and Yoon Mirae. It was insaneeee!

The following weekend saw us belting out our favourite songs at Teo Heng. Mel brought her Thai friend, Queen along and we all got along really well! She told us that she took a photo with Nichkhun, earning jealous wails from Brenda hehehe.

A couple of days later, I met up with Felicia and Sziyi at Timbre@Old School. It was a short but good one - especially since there was good food and...drinks! Hehe.

Buffalo wings! Argh I love these so much.

Duck pizza. Gahh I'm hungry.

My Mojito. Wasn't as satisfactory as the one I had before. Too much vodka me thinks.

Sigh my red face.

Rushed off to SCAPE after that to find the Poly bunch because it was Jean's birthday and I wanted to be present even if it was only for an hour. I would have went for the hike in the afternoon (which almost everyone bailed out on lol lazy pigs) but I had to be at the hospital so.. yeah.

The next day, Rachy, Brenda and I went for Song Joongki's open press conference at Square2. I thought he was pretty boring for a host but I'm gonna attribute it to fatigue because the poor dude did look a little tired. Photos below taken from Brenda's Tumblr!

Read an article that Rachy wrote about the event here!

Random toilet pic.

On Wednesday, we had a mini farewell gathering for Queen at Mulligan's at Clarke Quay. It was a great night filled with banters, games where we all felt comfortable with each other. And the drinks there weren't that strong either lol none of us felt tipsy or anything.

Whee~

Hahahaha

So cute!

Picture credits to Mel.

The next day was the premiere of SMTown's I AM.

It was a nice movie though I felt disappointed with the exclusion of some of the SM artistes - notably Kangta (okay he did have screen time but I felt he deserved more), SJ's Henry and Zhoumi, CSJH and TRAX. I particularly enjoyed the SHINee parts for obvious reasons (absolutely loved it that there was 2Min in there) and the parts where the dancing machines, Taemin, Yunho and Eunhyuk would dance alongside their younger self. Ryeowook's segment made me cry and I'm not even a Super Junior fan, eesh. The movie was very well-paced and it gave the audience a lot of insight into the artistes minds and feelings. Okay I shall not turn this into a movie review although I have a burning desire to.
The audience was nothing short of annoying and there was this girl sitting two seats behind agitating the crap out of me with her incessant shouts and screams of 'Jonghyun oppa!' whenever he appeared on screen. And the fanchants for SNSD's Genie was really scary lol I wonder if anyone took an audio recording of all those guys chanting...

The weekend was a pretty good one as my Poly bunch (oh god I keep seeing the same people) spent our time together before the guys enlist - although there were a few missing ones. We had a BBQ which turned out to be a not-so-surprise-two-weeks-early-birthday celebration for Brenda, which her mum organised. And we were all supposed to be in the act as well which honestly wasn't very difficult because... I don't know I guess we have good poker faces. Hahaha!

Part of the Awfully Chocolate cake.

Had a pretty heavy workout in the form of Just Dance 3 and trying to learn the choreography for EXO's History with Keith! We ended the night early morning with two Japanese movies - Battle Royale and Death Notice (Ikigami). Seriously, how the Japanese come up with these kind of psychological thrillers and concepts is beyond me. I much preferred Ikigami over Battle Royale because the latter was just really twisted.
In Ikigami, all Japanese students receive an inoculation in first grade. A small percentage of these inoculations includes a nano capsule which via radio-control will kill the receiver somewhere between the ages of 18-24. The government believes that the threat of unexpected death will increase prosperity and productivity in its citizens. These unfortunate citizens are given 24 hour notification of their impending death. These notifications are known as "ikigami". Kengo Fujimoto is an Ikigami delivery man, and he tells the stories of three individuals he had to deliver the death notices to.
Below is my favourite part of the movie - also the scene which made me cry like a baby.

I'm refraining from writing a movie review yet again so I'd just like to say that it is a really good movie which gives the audience something to reflect about. I thought about what I would like to do if I only had 24 hours to live - I'd like to spend my last second on stage, performing. Haha so cliché. But whatever.

The next afternoon, after less than two hours of sleep, I satisfied my craving for Ampang Yong Tau Foo near Brenda's place! ^^

Ahh hungry again.

This has been an amazingly long update. Hope I didn't bore you. My next post will probably be on some new music that has just been released. Be back real soon!!

Hello & Goodbye

So rookie boy group MYNAME just released their newest track, "Hello & Goodbye" after eight months! It is a really nice R&B dance ballad, which is a totally different genre from their debut single, "Message". I have been looking forward to their comeback so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the music video on my YouTube subscription feed.

The music video is a typical 'guy and girl fall in love with each other, there's someone who disapproves, girl gets captured, girl dies, guy is sad' story. Yup.

The male lead in the video is none other than the group's leader, Gunwoo! I'd commend him on his acting, but something else distracts me from that - his hair and his green eyebrows. On a side note, anyone else finds that he looks a little like Super Junior's Heechul from some angles with that hair?

Okay so now, a few things I found weird about the plot of the video:
Firstly, why did the old guy let the girl take Gunwoo away and later disapprove? What was their relationship exactly?
Second, why did Gunwoo have a gun and why was the gun in the car even shown when he was not gonna use it?
Thirdly, why did the old guy shoot the girl? I mean, if he was really jealous, she must have meant something to him, right? (oh by the way that was a awkward place to be shooting at - it must have hurt a lot)
Lastly, why did the older guy not kill Gunwoo when he had the chance? Instead he just shot him once in the back and left. I wouldn't believe anyone if they said that he was having mercy on Gunwoo because he did not even flinch when his men were shot dead!

The fight scene was convincing, just that the guy pointing a gun at Gunwoo is really lousy. Seriously, you have a gun - so why did you get owned by the person who was at your mercy?
Another thing that irks me is that the guys in the music video do not ever have a change in clothes. Too small a wardrobe I see.

Really loving the choreography of the song as well. The dance fits the song well and there is also a dance break in there which ends off with their signature b-boying! Nice handstand, boys!

So all in all, I love the song, choreography but not so much the music video. Oh, not to mention, the boys look really really good - except for Mr. Male Lead - his hair and green eyebrows have to go.

Looking forward to their comeback stage! Great to have you back, boys!
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I really should start on my Seoul posts soon but I have just been so busy and lazy at the same time! And Keith just passed me Sims 3 and Civilization so... I'm guessing that'll have to wait. Gahh first world pains. Oh, and happy June! :)

Making History

So this post is gonna be about SM's newest boy group - EXO.

EXO definitely caught my attention with their gazillion number of teasers released. By the tenth teaser I think many people were getting bored and irritated but as for me it really just made me look forward to their debut even more. When they finally debuted on April 8 - both EXO-K in Korea and EXO-M in China, I was really excited.

EXO-K's first stage was well...lip-synced, as with many other SM artistes but I knew they'd sing live soon so I waited. I didn't have to wait very long though - they showed their prowess earlier this evening during Music Bank!

It may not be perfect but it is sure darn good for a rookie group. And woah, Baekhyun (my bias in EXO-K, along with Kai) sure pulled off all those high notes flawlessly. What a beast.

Baekhyun. 

Kai the dancing machine.

On the other hand, compared to their group mates promoting in Korea, EXO-M has visibly less coverage and exposure. I feel kinda bad for them since they have been off to a rocky start in China so far, and they are still so reserved during interviews and all but I am sure they will break out of their shy selfs soon. And speaking of shy, somehow I find myself drawn to the two most reserved members of the lot - Tao and Chen. It is kinda weird considering how most of my biases aren't what you would call shy haha.

Chen. I liked him ever since last year's SM Orchestra Stage in SBS Gayo Daejun when he awed me with his crazy vocals.

And this is Tao, the maknae. He was the first member of EXO-M I was able to remember easily due to his sharp features and his stare that pierces right through you. He looks really intimidating but from all the interviews and showcases so far, he has shown that he is really the opposite from what he seems to be. 

I was intending to buy their mini albums actually but they only ended up having six tracks so I'm gonna wait for a full album. Sigh they have like at least fifteen songs already can't they just release a full album. Eeesh.

But anyway, these boys are destined for great things and they are gonna be big just like their SM seniors and I wish them all the best!

P.S. I really need to hear them sing What Is Love, Angel and Baby Don't Cry live. Still my favourite songs from them although History and MAMA are brilliant. Hurhur.

Till The Very End

As the credits rolled, a sensation that I have never felt before while watching a movie swept over me. It was like my heart was breaking and I couldn't believe I stuck with the series for ten years. After all, my childhood was Harry Potter (and Pokemon, hahaha).

One thing I really love about this series was that the main cast never changed. And just like us, they grew up with Harry Potter, except they were part of the amazing experience. Sigh, the things I would do to be part of the cast.. I don't even mind if I'm the screaming girl in Deathly Hallows Part 2.

The only qualm I have is that they didn't show the scene of Fred, Tonks and Remus dying. Not being sadistic or anything but I feel that it would have made a greater impact. After all, Fred and Remus are part of my favourites in the film and I felt it didn't do them much justice. Still, I cried upon the demise of these characters - including Snape, following Dobby's death in Part 1 (I bawled my lungs out all right? Silently at least).

(I was gonna embed a video of Dobby's death here but all the videos with that same content have disabled embedding, but you can see it here if you want)

This is no doubt the most amazing series ever. As with many other adaptations, the books are still way better in terms of being able to convey emotions and it also explains more than the films, although I still haven't read the last book. Hahaha I fail as a Potterhead.

Not all films are perfect, As seen on Tumblr and on the web, there are a considerable amount of mistakes in shooting the film like Lily's young self's eyes not being the same as Harry's (lol 'you have your mother's eyes') but the story is just flawless. Somehow it may seem a tad complicated and you would want to go take the effort to find out about them (like horcruxes, the prophecy, why Voldemort couldn't kill Harry with the Elder Wand, etc etc) which is in actual fact not difficult to understand at all even if you don't read the books since I understood everything fully though I didn't read the last book.

From the Sorcerer's Stone to the Deathly Hallows, the series has had a total of four directors and four soundtrack composers. I've always like the works of Chris Columbus and John Williams a bit more than the rest and I would have liked them to continue directing and writing the songs for the whole series, but of the rest of them did an awesome job too.

I think the thing I will miss most about this is the anticipation of waiting for the release of the book/movie and all the geeking out. To my generation, Harry Potter will always be more than a series of films and for me, it takes up a significant part of my childhood - from reciting lines from the films to pretending to do spells. And not forgetting Quidditch. I'd totally be a sick chaser and I'd totally love to have a Firebolt of my own. And how cool would it be to be in Dumbledore's Army? And of course the Order!

Haha I totally feel like I need another Harry Potter movie marathon and I totally need to watch Deathly Hallows Part 1 again. I'm still wondering when my Hogwarts letter will come or maybe what I need to do is find a small little room under some staircase and stay there for a while.

Thank you JK Rowling for writing this amazing series and bringing us on a crazy roller coaster ride. Thank you to Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Tom Felton, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Bonnie Wright, Matthew Lewis, Alan Rickman, Gary Oldman, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Carter, Evanna Lynch, Michael Gambon, Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith, and the rest of the cast for portraying their roles so well throughout the whole journey.

Thank you to the directors (Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cauron, Mike Newell, David Yates), composers of very epic scores (John Williams, Patrick Doyle, Nicholas Hooper, Alexandre Desplat), scriptwriters, cinematographers, and all the crew members.

And to you too, if you have stuck with Harry till the very end ;)