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KOREAN WAVE: WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY AND HOW?

                

The one thing that’s organized in my life so far is my phone’s K-Pop music folder. As a muso, I try to explore the different genres of music, but like everything else in this world, I tend to be unfair. Half of all the songs stored in my phone are all Korean music. Inside our class, only two other gal pals could relate to the excitement I felt every time a new group debuts or a senior group does a comeback. Everyone else think I’m crazy because I keep on playing these songs without the tiniest hint of their content. Well, it is quite odd. I usually hate people who are into those nonsensical songs with nonsensical contents. In short, I hate people who listen to the beat and not to the content. The funny thing is, it seems like I’m slowly becoming one of them. ‘Till it came to the point when I hated myself for that-becoming what you hated the most. But I got over the frustration and now I’m gonna share some facts and reasons and insights on K-Pop. This is neither to defend my love for K-pop nor to degrade American Pop. This is to explain and examine the K-Pop phenomenon from an awesome fan’s perspective.

#IDOL’S IDOL

                At the core of K-pop are “Idols”. The groups dominate over the solo acts. EXO, Bigbang, BTS, 2ne1 and Shinee are among the current popular K-Pop groups. But most people, even some K-Pop fans don’t really know when and how K-Pop began. It was 1992 debut of Seo Taiji and Boys, a trio of hip hop singers and rappers which pioneered the idol phenomenon. Theirs was a mix of Western and Eastern style and somehow they gained big popularity in Korea and seeing this fame, other music companies copied this new music style and created their own idol-groups. It’s also interesting to note that the owner of YG Entertainment, one of the top three music companies in South Korea, is actually one of the three members of Seo Taiji and Boys. 

#SUGAR, SPICE and EVERYTHING NICE

                Are the three words that best describes K-Pop music.  You can’t really give the best definition of K-Pop but from a fan’s perspective, it’s like the combination of all the good things in life. It’s like a sugar-coated candy-sweet and addictive. And there’s something about the beat that I couldn’t really explain. I mean I’ve heard Japanese  Pop (J-Pop), French and Chinese music. I couldn’t understand the song and so I wasn’t really interested in them but with K-Pop, it’s different. When you listen to beat, it’s as if you could relate and understand the song though you don’t understand the lyrics. The style and the tune bring this weird feeling of joy without knowing what and why. But the real K-Pop phenomenon is the fact that K-Pop, on a different level and way than mainstream American Pop does, appeals to not only the Koreans but to a global audience. Two words. Great and Awesome.

#WHY IDOLS ARE IDOLS

                K-Pop idols are the real idols. So many people ask why I love K-Pop. It is because there are so many things to love about them. They’re beautiful and handsome creatures. Their dancing and singing skills are to die-for. And their styles are so....so....so.... glob. I’m out of words. The thing is, every K-Pop idol is known for these things. And this defines the thick line between K-pop and American Pop. Most American pop stars are known only for one area. K-pop stars on the other hand are multi-talented artists and trend-setters as well. So how did they become the perfect pop artists that they are? Another interesting thing is that, K-Pop idols undergo intense training for years under music labels before they debut. They are scouted at a young age (10 and above) and trained to dance, sing, host and act well. In short, they are trained to become the perfect performers. Creepy and disturbing thought yes, but given the immense popularity they will gain when they debut, I’m quite sure they won’t mind the pain of the process. That adds up to their appeal to the fans. They are hard-workers and that’s why they earn a great fan base that idolizes everything about them.

                K-pop is the “new music”. And like all things, you wouldn’t understand it if you won’t give it a try. But I’m warning you, it’s really addictive. It’ also the “new drug”. Again, creepy and disturbing. But WTH, I like creepy things. I do hope that people will stop judging K-Pop because there is so much more to it that Psy’s “Gangnam Style”.

BTS (Bangtan Boys)

Pnoy delivers last SONA

               

             President Benigno S. Aquino III, despite the raucous non-supporters outside the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City, successfully delivered his last State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 27, 2015

President Benigno S. Aquino III highlighted several important points in his last State of the Nation Address including the passage of key legislations, appointment of competent officials and public posts, fast economy growth and a jab at the previous administration’s false achievements and anomalies.

BBL all the way

                Pnoy said on top of his list is the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law or the BBL which is currently a pending case in the Congress. He appealed for the support of the strong critics of the said bill otherwise they should begin suggesting good alternatives to it.

Crooked

                He warned against the “crooked path” in the light of the upcoming elections saying that he will not let his reforms be undone by a single election. Moreover, he wished for the pursuance of his Liberal Party’ reforms beyond the coming election.

Competitive

                The President also cited the country’s improvement in global competitiveness as well as high investment grade credit ratings. He noted that the country has been referred to as “Asia’s Rising Tiger. He took pride in saying that domestic investments had reached P 2.09 trillion from the third quarter investments of 2010-2014 also noting that all these are the result of reforms under “Daang Matuwid”.

The litany

                Like his previous SONA’s, Pnoy puts the blame again on his predecessor, former President now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and comparing his administration’s achievement to that of Arroyo’s scandals and anomalies like the 700 million fertilizer scam and the NBN-ZTE scandal, to mention.

Success

                He ended his speech with the recognition of noteworthy leaders and citizens who have contributed much to this country. In one silent moment, he asked for forgiveness amid the shortcomings of the administrations which led to some serious mishaps.