Oddness/Weirdness

Watch 20 Minutes Of SHINee's 5th Anniversary Party On ETN Star File

2013-06-18T23:50:00.000-04:00

Alright guys, I almost posted this to Facebook only but I refrained, mostly because I wanted to fangirl over it with everyone here. This is just what the title says: 20+ minutes of all of SHINee's performances at their 5th Anniversary Party on May 24th, courtesy of ETN Star File. Apparently ETN Star File does a lot of concert footage and things like that. Well, enjoy and be sure to post your fangirl/fanboy feels in the comments!

Click for more SHINee 5th Anniversary Party fun.

Source: KMusicMain.

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G-Dragon Is A Haute Mad Scientist In Cosmopolitan's July Issue

2013-06-18T23:11:00.000-04:00

G-Dragon recently teamed up with Glaceu Vitamin Water to be their most recent spokesperson and has already released a series of commercials for the brand. Next up for GD? A Cosmopolitan spread (and interview) featuring him as what I take to be a mad scientist, cooking up some of that good old Vitamin Water.

GD did Instagram some outtakes from his shoot last week but it looks even better in HQ.

G-Dragon for Cosmopolitan Magazine (July 2013)

GD’s Cosmopolitan Photoshoot concept is a science experiment of GD making Vitamin Water. It’s a GD x Vitamin Water collaboration.

GD designed the label of Vitamin Water and he even created a new taste for his collaboration with Vitamin water!

GD: I like someone w/a good sense. Even when she’s saying a word or wearing something, she should have a good sense. Even better if she’s pretty.

GD cosmopolitan interview: I think musicians should never grow up. I think I’ll still be wearing red clothes even when I become a grandpa.

Just like normal people my age, I relieve stress by meeting my friends and talking and drinking with them.

Wild&Young is my life’s motto.

When I meet with my friends, I talk about girls, life, American dramas that I watched yesterday. Our talk is endless.

I can’t really go places as I wish. So I play at hotel swimming pools &go out to eat. I feel like I can bond with my staffs in this way.

I was worried that I might harm the good reputation of BB’s tour, I saw the potential in me and I had a firm belief that solo is worth the try.

Pressure and worries only exists in first few concerts and as my body gets used to the atmosphere, I get more relaxed. If I get stressed out about musical things, I must relieve it with music. Whether I can or not, I keep writing songs. I get relieved when I can finally write a good song that I can be satisfied with. It’s like my occupational disease.

When I spend time with my non-celebrity friends I feel relaxed because I feel like a normal person, not a celebrity. I get inspirations from ‘people’ That’s why I enjoy meeting others. Especially I get a lot of inspiration as I eat and talk with others

Sometimes I watch movies or read & get inspirations from a certain quote or a word. Late but I really liked the movie, Midnight in Paris.

I get addicted to different things everyday. Last year I only skateboarded. I think I’ve been reading comics (mangas) all this year.

Source: @kor_celebrities, @BIGBANGGisVIP & Weibo via koreanghetto.

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Kpop WTF: B.A.P To Make A Summer Comeback With 3 Songs

2013-06-18T11:50:00.001-04:00

TS Entertainment announced yesterday that their not-so-rookie-anymore super group, B.A.P, would be staging a large scale comeback on June 28th with their 3rd mini album. They were recently caught filming an mv in Las Vegas and it's been revealed that they'll be releasing and promoting 3 songs from the new album. What??!

B.A.P's 1st teaser was released today.

I'm a little bit shocked and a lot dismayed, because weren't they just out with "One Shot" in February?? Didn't they release and promote "Rain Sound" in January? Before that, it was "Stop It" in October of 2012, "Crash" in August and "No Mercy" in July and... well, you get the gist.

B.A.P having way too much fun in "No Mercy".

They've been promoting almost non stop since they first debuted in January of 2012 and I'm quite sure they're super tired. I mean, I know these entertainment agencies like to work their groups to the bone but this seems excessive.

One of the best Kpop debuts ever, B.A.P with "Warrior".

I'm well aware that B.A.P, and by extension TSent, is trying to capitalize on their successes so far. They're trying to solidify their place in the current Kpop landscape and to make sure that no one forgets about them anytime soon, and they've done that by releasing a shit ton of mini albums and single albums (8 to be exact). The only problem with this strategy is that instead of releasing a lot of good quality stuff, they've run the risk of putting out some great music and videos mixed in with some duds.

B.A.P's "Crash" leaves a lot to be desired.

So far, the "One Shot" mv has been B.A.P's crowning glory. I'm not sure how they could possibly top that, especially since they just recently wrapped up their whirlwind Live On Earth world tour. Instead of getting a break, they seem to have been immediately whisked away to prepare for this new album.

On June 17th, in a statement from TSent, a rep said:

"It wasn't an easy decision for B.A.P to go with three title songs, as they've just entered their 2nd year, but they wanted to show a variety of their musical colors through this album, and we're confident none of the songs will disappoint."

I'm sure it wasn't "their" decision, now was it?

Don't get me wrong, I like B.A.P... a lot. I want the best for them and want them to win awards and all that good stuff, I'm just worried for them. I don't want them to end up collapsing on stage or getting more injured than they already have been. I also want them to get some sleep. They don't need to be looking like this again anytime soon:

They also run the risk of over exposure with all the comebacks, albums and music show appearances they've made over the past year.

I'm still looking forward to see what they have in store for us with their Live On Earth-Wanted album, so I guess we'll have to wait and see how it turns out. Good luck guys, but I hope you don't need it.

Source: enewsworld, koreaboo, MBCkpop, ricky lee, akp

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Kpop Rookie Face Off: LC9 vs. Bangtan Boys

2013-06-18T00:16:00.001-04:00

As it stands this year over 30 rookie Kpop groups have debuted and only a very few have even made it to the public consciousness. A couple of them have managed to catch my eye in the past few weeks, and those two would be LC9 and Bangtan Boys. The why of it lies solely in their debut music videos. The two groups have surprised me with their brash, bold and take-no-prisoner videos and I'm pretty hard pressed to pick a favorite. So... why not have them battle it out?

In the left hand corner we have LC9, aka League of Competition #9, who were formed by entertainment company Nega Network. They started out by teasing us with photos like the following:

They don't make a great first impression do they?? I, and many others, were understandably unenthused by these horribly photoshop-ed images (I mean, ugghhh... really?), which meant I barely paid attention when they made their debut with the mv for "MaMa Beat" in early May.

I was finally told to check it out by a lovely blog reader and I'm quite glad that I did. The song is nothing to write home about but they sure did come out swinging, didn't they? I was not expecting that at all, but was suitably impressed. LC9 have a few more versions of "MaMa Beat" floating around but none so riveting as this one. In fact, I think I'm going to have to pause to watch it again...
Ok I'm back. Phew!
In the corner on the right we have the Bangtan Boys, aka BTS, aka Bulletproof Boy Scouts (I know, I know...).

BTS were debuted by Big Hit Entertainment, a subsidiary of JYP Entertainment. These boys also came out fighting with their mv for the surprisingly hard rap song "No More Dreams".

What are they, like 15? Ok, their ages range from 15-20, but my mouth was still left kind of open after watching this. One thing though... why is one of them nicknamed Suga? That's not even cute.

I hear references to old school rap like the Black Sheep, Dr. Dre and Wu Tang Clan in this song. At first I was like, "Who do these upstart babies think they are??" but now it kind of pleases me.

The obligatory references can, and have, been made to Block B and B.A.P for both groups. I do see the similarities in video style to B.A.P's "Warrior" mv, and the copying of some of Zico's rapping style but the similarities stop there. I hope these two groups have made enough a splash with their videos for them to be able to gain some notoriety and we'll be able to hear more from them.

If I had to pick between the two, I'd go with LC9's mv combined with BTS's song, but that's what I'm thinking. Now it's your turn:

Source: LOENENT, wikipedia, BulletBoys.BigHit Facebook, bangtan.

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Mega Post: SHINee x Beatburger At Ultra Music Festival Korea

2013-06-15T22:53:00.000-04:00

Today SHINee had the honor of appearing on stage at UMF Korea, or the Ultra Music Festival, with Beatburger. UMF, which takes place annually, is the world's most famous outdoor electronica festival. The festival was originally created with a focus on electronica, but it has grown over the years to showcase music from the biggest and best EMD (electronic dance music) artists to crossover EMD artists. The festival takes place in Miami, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Ibiza and Korea, and thousands of people come from all over to attend. So, to have SHINee perform there is pretty much a big deal.

Now if you don't know who Beatburger is, I'll tell you. Beatburger consists of SM Entertainment's Performance Director Shim Jae Won (dj & vocal), Stephen Ju, Flashfinger, MQ, King Gu, Kyu Yong and Jung Mo and they call themselves a dance dj live performance team. They've remixed a few of SHINee's hits into techno songs, so you might have heard their stuff without realizing it (go here to listen to more Beatburger music).

With that being said, I've got some pics and fancams for you from the event. SHINee performed to remixes of "Lucifer", "Dream Girl" and "Beautiful" and I've got some close up fancams and some farther away fancams but they all give you differing viewpoints on their performances. Enjoy!

Full SHINee x Beatburger set:

Taemin focus:

Minho focus:
Copious underarm hair alert!

Damn Minho! I could almost braid that mess.

Onew focus:

Key focus:

Jonghyun focus:

Various:

My thoughts:

I haven't watched all the fancams yet, just snippets, but I have to say that Key's fancams give me life. All that thrusting and hair flipping is something else! Minho's fancam is also killing me. He's trying to be oh so cool and it is just awesome. I actually kept laughing out loud as I watched these because watching them bounce around to techno versions of their songs is epic and mad funny at the same time. These have to be the best fancams I've seen in awhile, in terms of content.

Let me know how you liked the mini SHINee x Beatburger UMF concert in the comments below!

Source: ultramusicfestival, ryukey923, sweethingtm, TheOnewsama, Beautiful Days, saya2735, vanillalattekr, realminekey, keysyou key, RingDiggi3Ding3, cameralucida12091214, suji90yun, canusmile1209, mute4146, closer, sign-jh, lsp.lovely, my fairy, cuzonew, felicity.

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SHINee's Jonghyun Hijacks EXO's 2nd Winning "Wolf" Stage On Music Core

2013-06-15T20:33:00.000-04:00

So EXO won for the 2nd time with "Wolf" on Music Core today... yayyyy! I'm extra happy for them because they are some hard working dongsaengs. However I have to admit that my favorite part of this whole thing was when SHINee's Jonghyun appeared out of nowhere with a gigantic bouquet of flowers for them and ended up kind of taking over.

Watch quickly before they get taken down (all other copies have)!

Winning stage:

Fancam of EXO's "Wolf" winning stage (Suho focused but you can see most everything):

Way to steal the limelight there, Jonghyun!

Cute puppy Jonghyun is cute.

Has anyone else noticed that Kris has been very subdued these days? I read a comment somewhere that it's very possible that, even though he's EXO's leader, Kris hasn't been saying much because he and the rest of EXO-M were told to stay in the background for these promotions. Even though I like to think that's not true, it could very well be possible. I did notice that Lay and Yixing are not having the same issues, so I could be wrong. What do you think?

Anyway, I wish EXO even more music show wins in the future. Good luck, guys!

Source: IngatanVersiHD, Skyblue0522ify, @Fanjonghyun, @_jh0408, smtown weibo.

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EXO Wins For The First Time Ever With "Wolf" On Music Bank

2013-06-14T10:04:00.000-04:00

EXO has won their first comeback stage win ever with "Wolf" on KBS's Music Bank today and I'm so proud of them! You can tell these boys have practiced their singing and dancing so hard and it has finally paid off. Watch their full interview, performance and ending stage below:

I realized they were singing and rapping live over the backing tracks a little bit into it and was suitably impressed. They all sounded really great, especially Chen, D.O. and Baekhyun. I never get over how those big voices come out of those little bodies.

Aww poor Suho! I can't believe they forced him to talk through his tears for so long. I just wanted to hug him. Did you catch Kai making Taemin come dance the chorus with him at around 7:25? So cute. Little Henry was back there too.

I want a pair of those Wolf harem shorts, btw. Someone make it happen!

What did you think of EXO's 1st win?

Source: TanVuFull. Screencap by Oddness/Weirdness. Take out with full credit.

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Idol Style: G-Dragon's Off-Duty Fashion

2013-06-12T19:01:00.000-04:00

Love him or hate him, you have to admit that G-Dragon is one stylish mother f-er. When on stage, or out promoting, G-Dragon's outfits can veer from moderately outlandish to extreme eccentricity; he's in your face and he likes it that way. But when he's out and about, hitting up those invitation only parties as GD, or at the airport as plain old Kwon Ji Yong, he's a tad bit more subdued... up to a point.

Today is all about off-duty G-Dragon, but I like him any which way. How about you?

Source: Images credited as tagged and where due.

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UPDATED: SHINee Designed Skechers Wares Will Soon Be Out

2013-06-11T12:10:00.000-04:00

SHINee has been spokespeople for Skechers since March of this year but now they're taking their partnership a bit further:

UPDATED: With individual HD pics from the Skechers design photoshoot.

Pics of the boys drafting up their own designs for Skechers popped up on the 'net yesterday, and it was revealed that they'd be releasing products featuring SHINee's unique designs.

A rep from Skechers said:

“The 5 members of SHINee actively participated in the design process from start to finish, and left the staff feeling stunned. The designs will focus on SHINee’s unique sense of style, so we believe that we can definitely produce something that will reflect on each member’s personality.”

SHINee's Skechers hats and t-shirts will go on sale through Naver's online shopping mall at the end of June.

Scroll down for all the pics of SHINee designing for Skechers.

Source: Yahoo! Phillipines, akp, forevershiningshinee0525 via Skechers' Naver blog.

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EXO Is Always At The Airport: A Fashion Retrospective

2013-06-10T17:23:00.004-04:00

It's true.... The members of EXO-K and EXO-M are ALWAYS at the airport. I'm never sure where they're going or what they're going to be doing when they get there, but I'm forever seeing the pics. There's often some major fashion moments taking place in these pics; some good, some bad but always notable. Enjoy:

This post is image heavy

Source: All images credited as tagged and where due.

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INFINITE Announces A For Real World Tour!

2013-06-10T15:10:00.001-04:00

Damn guys! There's so much good Kpop news these days, I don't even know what to do! Today my feels are all about INFINITE and their newly announced 1st World Tour, One Great Step.

We're talking an actual, FOR REAL, world tour, in which they'll go to other countries besides just Asia. I'm so frickin' excited! Check it out:

They'll be going to all these great places and more, starting in August of this year:

New York means I get to go, which is awesome. I don't tend to write about them a lot on here but I consider INFINITE to be one of my top 5 Kpop groups, considering that they're all so talented. Plus their super synchronized dancing and trademark angled choreography is incredible. I couldn't pass this opportunity up for anything.

Infinite at their One Great Step press con 130610.

As Hoya said at their press conference today:

"We debuted on June 9, 2010, and yesterday was our third anniversary. I can′t believe we′ll be going on the world tour we′ve dreamed of since we were trainees, and it′s like a dream. I′m excited and happy."

Sungyeol let us know how the title came about:

"Niel Armstrong said his first step on the moon was ′one small step for a man′. We took that phrase and made it ′one great step′. It upgrades the meaning, and it means you can look forward to what′s coming."

I cannot wait to see songs like "Be Mine" performed in person:

INFINITE- Be Mine Music Core 110723:

Or how about seeing them do the Scorpion Dance live?

INFINITE- Before the Dawn Music Bank comeback stage 111104:

I'm gonna start saving from now... who knows who else will be announcing world tours between now and then??

Will they be releasing a new album before then? What special stages do they have in store for us? So many questions I can't wait to find out the answers to, so check back soon for more INFINITE news!

Will you be going to see INFINITE in concert?

Source: woolliment, enewsworld, MBCkpop, vietanhmsg1.

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Kpop Dance Video: Block B's B-Bomb X Repter

2013-06-08T18:00:00.000-04:00

More dance stuff (yay!) and this time it's Block B's B-Bomb doing Repter's choreography to Zion-T's "Gray". This video was posted on June 1st but it's too good to overlook.

I'm always up for a mix of contemporary + hip hop choreography, especially when it's done well. I also love the white one white on black... very Michael Jackson of them but in an updated way.

That song is also really nice... I need it in my life and on my iPhone.

Fyi, this comes from All Eyes On Me dance crew, which you can learn a little bit more about here:

They say there'll be more to come, and I look forward to it!

Source: ALLeyesONMEchanneLL. Screencap by Oddness/Weirdness. Take out with full credit.

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Kpop WTF: Stardom Entertainment Beats The Crap Out Of Block B

2013-06-08T10:40:00.000-04:00

Remember all the way back in January of this year when it came out that Block B filed an injuction against their company, Brand New Stardom (aka Stardom Entertainment) for not paying them all their well earned money? Well, guess what happened yesterday? You guessed it... Block B lost. I figured this was coming but DAMN is it f*cked up!

Block B’s application for the suspension of their exclusive contract dismissed:

7-member male idol group Block B had filed an application for an injunction against their agency for the suspension of their exclusive contract, but it was rejected.

On the 7th, the Seoul Central District Court Civil Case Department headed by chief justice Kang Hyunjoo, dismissed Block B’s injunction against their agency Stardom for the suspension of their exclusive contract.

Previously, Block B applied for an injunction this past January stating that, “they signed the exclusive contract in September 2009, establishing that [the agency] would provide proper training opportunities and facilities, along with the responsibility of distributing income. However, when activities started in April 2011 and up until almost a year, they did not even once fulfill their responsibility of balancing accounts”.

They asserted that, “[Stardom] paid a portion of their earnings only after member Zico sent a notification for the cancellation of his contract last March, due to the agency not fulfilling their duty to balance the accounts. However, since then they were not paid monthly.” Also, “money from all sorts of activities and from singing in drama OSTs were left out”.

However, the justice department disclosed, “Stardom has been abiding the contract by calculating Block B’s profits on a quarterly basis,” and “as [Stardom] is testifying that they will pay if they find out that there are missing payments that need to be paid, there is a high likelihood that they can pay any unpaid accounts.

They added, “There is not enough evidence that shows ‘lack of proper practice rooms, work rooms, and dorms’ or that ‘they were not provided with proper training and coaching’. As there is not enough material on record that Block B’s entertainment activities were not appropriately managed, it is difficult to see that the management obligation was breached.”

Trans: Youngha@ BLOCKBINTL

So messed up! I don't even know what to say about all of that. So what happens now?? Read on for Block B's statement from yesterday:

First, we want to tell all the fans that love and support Block B that we are very sorry.

The court made their decision even though they accepted that about 430,000,000 KRW (approximately $385,000 USD) from the musical income and a part of the event income were left out. We believe this is because they wanted us to follow an official ruling that was decided after additional battles on the original lawsuit and thinking deeply about it.

For example, even though evidence was provided about the management contract on Japan's Bauhaus, they have mistakenly stated that it is difficult to determine if they had violated their management obligation because the contract was not submitted. There are other various decisions that the members cannot accept. One such example is saying that unlike the basic royalties paid in advance, the royalties paid in advance by LOEN Entertainment cannot be seen as income that should be paid to the members.

From this, we will be calmly fighting the original case to confirm the legitimacy of the contract nullification. We will be demanding responsibility from Stardom Entertainment of the violation of management obligation and violating the exclusive contract.

Also, the court decided, "The Block B members have fought over the status of the contract nullification while they independently promoted, so there is also a possibility that these promotions can be checked for legitimacy later."

This is because if the Block B members are blocked from promoting independently, it is violating our lawful right to work and our general right to freedom of action.

The Block B members have no intention to promote under Stardom Entertainment, so they will be preparing independent promotions. If the legitimacy of the contract nullification is not acknowledged in the original case, then we will be taking responsibility for the due damages.

We want to tell you again that we apologize for worrying our fans. The Block B members will be giving back to the fans' worries, love, and support by showing a more mature side.

In other words, Block B refuses to promote under Stardom Entertainment anymore. Does this mean that they'll go out and do their own thing? That remains to be seen.

Of course, netizens are still talking shit about Block B.

1. [+227, -100] I think it's actually the company that should be compensated. They invested in the group and got them good concepts for a decent debut but it was the boys that caused all the scandals on TV ㅋ

2. [+178, -78] They're not even popular top stars, what income would they even have to be distributed?? ㅋㅋ Obviously the company was running them on a deficit

3. [+169, -77] If only they didn't act like dogs in Thailand, their company CEO could still be alive today. It's all because of what you guys did so don't act so regretful.

Seems as if there are still a lot of bad feelings in Korea over their controversy in Thailand. Here's the thing: I know those boys realize they were wrong for all of that. They've matured and they are not the same bumbling idiots that would say and do anything to get a laugh. I'm with them all the way and I hope they eventually get to break free of all this negativity.

I need more Block B in my life, how about you?

Source: MONEY TODAY via bontheblock @ tumblr, akp via Newsen via Nate.

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SHINee Talks About Their "Boys Meet U" Album

2013-06-08T09:36:00.001-04:00

Yesterday Universal Music Japan posted up a little video of our favorite boys, SHINee, talking about their soon to be released Japanese album "Boys Meet U". You can watch it here with English subs, so take a look:

Click on "cc" for English subs:

Some info on their special events for the "Boys Meet U" album has also been released:

10/8 (Tuesday) - Fukuoka - Zepp Fukuoka
10/9 (Wednesday) - Osaka - Zepp Namba
10/11 (Friday) - Nagoya - Zepp Nagoya
10/15 (Tuesday) - Tokyo - Zepp Tokyo
10/21 (Monday) - Sapporo - Zepp Sapporo

Applicants may enter to win tickets from of June 25 at 12:00 JST to July 8 at 23:59 JST.

Click here for more info on "Boys Meet U", and be sure to check back soon for more.

Source: universalmusicjapan, aci310, shinee.jp.

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Watch Henry Lau's "Trap" MV And Music Bank Debut

2013-06-07T11:44:00.001-04:00

Henry Lau's mv for "Trap" is finally out! He also participated in a little Music Bank comeback action, with the help of his good chingus, Taemin and Khyuhyun. Watch both videos below:

Can someone please change Henry's ash blonde hair color back to brown? His current tone makes him look beige from head to toe, and that's not a good look.

What I dislike: Besides Henry's hair, this song reminds me of something Justin Beiber would sing, which equals a no for me. Also, Kyuhyun gets one line. What's up with that? Why even have him in it?

What I like: The piano part in the intro is lovely. I don't mind the song until the chorus starts happening; then it's a wrap for me.

I was hoping for more from Henry, to be honest, but it's definitely teen friendly so that's probably a good thing. It's the antithesis of everything EXO is about, so it makes sense that SMent would have both of them promoting right now.

Welp, that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.

What do you think of Henry's "Trap" mv and Music Bank debut?

Source: SMTOWN, KMusicLiveKBS3

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CL Works It Out In Her "The Baddest Female" Dance Practice Video

2013-06-07T00:17:00.001-04:00

Now this is what I'm talking about right here! By this I mean that YG Entertainment unleashed CL's dance practice video for "The Baddest Female" on us mere mortals today and I am loving it.

I loved seeing the choreography up close and personal like this, and I always do. I like to see the intricacies of the choreo and I'll watch it a few times, paying attention to CL and everyone around her as well.

You know what else I love? Watching people dance well, whether it be hip hop dance, contemporary or ballet. I'll watch it all. But you want to know what really gets me? Kids dancing like this:

Oh my gawd, I could just snatch them up and put them in my pocket (in a not weird way, of course). They must be baby YG trainees... Train 'em up right, YG!

I'm probably the only person that would rather see CL (or anyone) doing her thang in sweats and a tee than in all her finery, but . She looks happy here, she's having fun and all the dancers are having fun, and that's the best part of all.

Source: 2NE1.

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UPDATED: Henry Lau's "Trap" MV Is Delayed, So Listen To The Album Instead

2013-06-06T23:32:00.001-04:00

SM Entertainment announced yesterday that they would be delaying the mv for Henry Lau's debut song, "Trap" (featuring SHINee's Taemin and Super Junior's Kyuhyun) because of quality issues. They wanted to release the best mv they possibly can, so they're making us wait. Booooo! Hisss! What's up with that? Well some enterprising people uploaded the album to their YouTube page, which means we get to listen to it. This also means that you need to listen quickly before SMent shuts those accounts down like they never existed before.

My opinion: This song is cute. SMent's songs tend to be a lot more dramatic than this one, so I consider it a breath of fresh air for them. I like the piano and the singing is nice, but would I download it? Nope... but it's cute.

I don't know if it's just me but I'm hard pressed to tell which part Taemin and Kyuhyun are singing. I assume they're helping with the chorus, but other than that I'm stumped. Alright internet sleuths, help me out!

Listen to the rest of Henry's "Trap" album here (but be sure to support Henry by buying it if you like it!):

Henry will be debuting "Trap" on Music Bank later today with Taemin's help, so be sure to check that out. Stay tuned for more!

What do you think of Henry's "Trap"? Would you download it or no?

Source: SMTownglobal, BubbleFeetBeatCH1, mykikiikyu6.

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Watch Some Of SHINee's 5th Anniversary Party Talk Cuts With English Subs

2013-06-06T10:53:00.001-04:00

It's been a few weeks since SHINee's 5th Anniversary Party took place but it hasn't completely left my mind. I'm still marveling that these boys are going strong 5 years later, since so many Kpop bands disappear quickly. As I sat here thinking about it, I decided to take a look to see if any English subs had appeared and, what do you know?? Our favorite subber has done it again. Take a look at Airyarielle0718's subs of some of nudepencil's talk cuts from the fan party and enjoy!

SHINee sure does know how to make me laugh and smile, how about you?

Source: airyarielle0718 via nudepencil. Image credit where due.

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CL Is A Bad Mama Jama On Inkigayo + A Revealing Interview

2013-06-05T00:41:00.000-04:00

Love CL's "The Baddest Female" or hate it, you have to admit the girl can perform the hell out of a song. She did just that on her first solo Inkigayo comeback stage, which took place on June 2nd, and if you've watched it already, you should watch it again:

{ROYALACES} 130602 CL - Interview on SBS... by YGSRASubs

I finally figured out EXACTLY who CL seems to be fashioning herself after nowadays. That would be none other than '90s RnB songstress Aaliyah.

Aaliyah was the originator of the sports-bra-with-big-pants-and-abs-showing look. She also did the long flowing hair with the side part, the gold chains, the nails, and the Adidas/Nike pants thing first. CL is doing a credible copy though. Not bad, girl... not bad at all.

YG Entertainment's official blog, YG Life, put out an interesting interview with CL on June 4th. Check it out:

2NE1’s leader CL releases her first debut solo song “The Baddest Female” since her debut as 2NE1 four years ago.

The phrase “Bad Girl” is a popularly used term today in the music world. But the word “bad” is simply a decorative expression, and it actually connotes an enthralling woman who goes against the society’s norm. The connotation certainly can and should be applied to the leader of the female group 2NE1, CL, who on May 28 debuted with her very first solo song.

On stage she radiates a powerful charisma that can rarely be seen in other singers. Her music boldly refuses to cage herself in conventions. Her first solo song “The Baddest Female” is an exceptional legacy of YG Entertainment’s (YG) main producer Teddy. Many experts say that she has penetrated the hip-hop genre that was usually dominated by male artists, and she does it with her very own color and personality.

Her slow hip-hop release of BMP 70 is almost like a ballad song, but its Dougie and Dubstep style makes it a fresh approach, which is also a familiar sound for most music lovers.

CL, who has always been including the phrase “The Baddest Female” in her autograph, prefers “cool” to “sexy.” Her love for hip-hop was more passionate than anyone else’s since she was a little girl. And that special affection helped her embark on her her solo journey with such confidence. As this is the very first solo song since her debut as 2NE1 four years ago, she paid undivided attention to blending in her values and motto into the song.

We met with CL face to face at YG’s studio in Seogyo-dong, Seoul. With thick and dark eyeliners that matched her large earrings, she began by saying, “I wanted to break the perception that Asian women are introverted and quiet.”

-You performed your solo song for the first time on SBS’s Inkigayo on June 2. How did the kick-off go?

▶I can’t say I’m completely satisfied but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was great being back on stage after such a long time. So many fans joined me, which made me feel like I was performing at a concert, not on television.

-Your alluring charm stands out even more than when you performed as part of the group, 2NE1.

▶I don’t really aim to be “sexy” or “alluring.” I actually like “cool” a lot better. I’m not saying that I take it for granted when people tell me I’m sexy, I do appreciate it a lot, but I do feel uncomfortable saying it myself.

-When you were first handed the title “The Baddest Female,” how did it feel?

▶The phrase “The Baddest Female” first came up when producer Teddy was playing around. Last year, he joked, “if you get to do something on your own, it would be funny if you jumped up on stage screaming, ‘The Baddest Female!’” And that led to him writing a song with that title. I am absolutely happy with it. I love it.”

-Many of your fans expected an album, but you only released a single. Anything you wanted to do more?

▶It is still my dream to produce an album that will mean a lot even after 10 years. But after releasing the song, I think my boss (CEO of YG) was right. His decision to make me approach the public with a song that best expresses me was wise.

-The slow hip-hop beat could be unfamiliar to the public. Did you put a lot of thoughts in making it mainstream?

▶When it comes to producing music, music video and the setting, we do what we want to do. We do keep in mind that gaining support from the public is important, but we try not to make that a factor of inhibition for us. We just want to enjoy it, and we want to make good memories from the process.

-To you, what does “The Baddest Female” mean?

▶I think “The Baddest Female” is someone who does her best in what she does, and a passionate person who is not afraid to voice her opinion with confidence.

-Your power and confidence on stage almost make you appear like a feminist.

▶It’s my motto and belief. Having gone to international schools my entire life, I realized that people have a certain image of Asian women in mind. Like, they expect Asian women to be introverted and quiet. That could work to an advantage, but I wanted to show them there are different sides to Asian women. I think I wanted to break that conventional perception of Asian women.

-What made you think that way?

▶I think those thoughts grew on me naturally as I got older. Jeremy Scott and Will.i.am both mentioned that they didn’t know a woman like me would even existed in Asia. Meeting these people made my belief go stronger. There are so many wonderful Asian women, and I wanted to show them more of what we’ve got.

-You stood out even as a member of 2NE1. What took you so long to do a solo?

▶I always thought that I would someday want to work as a solo. But instead of just diving in, I wanted to be fully prepared with a good song and a satisfying content. So when my boss (Yang Hyun-suk, the CEO) told me to do a solo with “The Baddest Female,” I was thrilled. But everything happened so quickly, it took us less than a month to prepare for it.” (laughter)

-It seems like you put a lot of thoughts into the visual aspect of your stage and the music video. What kind of work did you have to do?

▶I didn’t consider the prepping process as work. When we made the final decision to do a solo, I talked a lot with Teddy, the stylist, and the music video director. We just chatted about simple things like “this is in these days,” or “this suits you well.” And then I became really eager, and when I realized we I had picked 15 different outfits for the music video. But no one pushed me to do it; everything just came to me naturally.

-Some say you are the “female version of G-Dragon”.

▶I am grateful for that comment. When I come back with another solo, I want to discover more of my own color. People look at me as “a part of 2NE1,” but in the future I hope they can also discover that I have my very own style. As a female rapper, I want to be a musician who can handle any songs who crosses the boundaries.

-Dara personally promoted your song through Twitter and other members are proactive in cheering you on.

▶It is so reassuring to have them by my side. Dara actually calls herself the president of my fan club. The members from 2NE1 are always with me, and they keep telling me my song is good. Dara and Bom came to the studio to see me perform for the first time. They didn’t make any comments, but when I asked them how I was, they simply told me, “of course it was awesome.” Because we always hang out together, it actually feels weird cheering each other on verbally.

To be continued in Interview #②

2013. 6. 4.
What do you think about CL's performance and interview? Leave me a comment below.

Source: ygladies, 2NE1, yg-life, LiyahVideoVault.

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Henry Lau's "Trap" Teaser Medley + More News

2013-06-04T23:23:00.000-04:00

Henry Lau of Super Junior M recently surprised us with the news about his upcoming solo album.

(I hope I'm not the only one that finds it incredibly amusing that his mouth is wide open in every single teaser pic.)

As I mentioned before, Henry composed and apparently produced most of the songs on this album. After listening to this teaser medley, I have decided to not make any judgement until I hear the actual songs. It's been my experience that SM Entertainment makes the teaser medleys sound just ok... they like to surprise you with the real deal.

It's been announced that SHINee's Taemin and Super Junior's Khyuhyun will be joining Henry for his "Trap" stages, with Taemin joining him on his first comeback stage on KBS's Music Bank.

Oh and guess what?? The mv is coming out today instead of the 7th. Very nice, SMent! I wonder if they're trying to cover for something that might not be going so well... Hmm.

Henry's album will be released online on June 7th, with the physical album dropping on the 10th. Check back soon for my "Trap" mv review and album review!

Source: SMTOWN, akp.

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Henry Lau's Teaser For "Trap" Is Out!

2013-06-01T00:50:00.001-04:00

Super Junior-M's Henry Lau continues to make a bid for freedom from SM Entertainment's basement by releasing the teaser for his mv, "Trap". Take a look:

Are you trapped, Henry, or is it a trap? I'm just wondering.

The teaser was released on May 31st and it features camoes from SHINee's Taemin and Super Junior's Khyuhyun.

Yep, I'm just including a huge screencap of Taemin and not one of Kyuhyun. :shrug:

This snippet manages to sound completely unlike anything I've heard from SMent before, especially with all that piano. The beginning kind of sounds like a slowed down version of Sistar's Alone to me, to be honest, but I'm truly curious to hear the rest.

Rumor has it that Henry's music production team, Noize Bank, produced most of the songs on this album, which makes me even more curious to hear the result. An album full of non-SMent music from SMent? Shocking!

Alright Henry, I'm all ears. Please don't disappoint.

The "Trap" mv and album will be out on June 7th, so stay tuned!

Source: SMTOWN. Screencaps by Oddness/Weirdness. Take out with full credit.

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Videos of the Day: EXO's "Wolf" MVs And Comeback Stage

2013-05-31T01:00:00.000-04:00

EXO released their mv for their much anticipated new song, "Wolf" this morning and, even though it seems that so many people dislike it, I think I'm going to have to (as a reader called it) "pull an Erika". "Pulling an Erika" is apparently what happens when I talk shit about the teasers to a new song, mv or album leading up to it's release, and then backpedal and say that I like it afterwards.

:Deep sigh:

This happens so often. When will I learn?

EXO's Wolf Korean version:

EXO's Wolf Chinese version:

Here's what I started out thinking as I watched the videos this morning:

"Oh.. interesting. Oh wait, that's a tree! Wow."

"The song isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Except the chorus... that's still bad."

Towards the middle I was like:

"Damn, this choreography is incredible!"

"I will take one of all of the outfits, thanks... except Kai's rope jacket because ugh."

"Chen, D.O. and Bacon's voices... what?? Whattt???"

"Who did this choreography again??"

And at the end:

"Wowwwww."

I even said "wow" out loud.

So in a nutshell, I liked it quite a bit. Now that doesn't mean I'll download the song like I did when my jams "What Is Love" or "MAMA" came out or anything, but I like it. Meanwhile, I LOVE the choreography with a passion.

"Wolf" reminds me of a darker version of SNSD's "I Got A Boy" in that it's got all these parts to it that make it sound frenetic as all get out. Somehow it works better for me than "I Got A Boy", which didn't match SNSD's style at all so they didn't pull it off as well (I think so, anyway). This is EXO's style all the way. This is what they train for so they pull it off in spades. Parts I could have done without: The "sarangheo" in that weird voice and the chorus.

This time around I prefer the singing on the Chinese version over the Korean version. I also really like that the boys are all performing together this time around. I guess SMent realized that having them be separate wasn't quite working out like they thought it would.

The imagery of the choreography in this mv is astounding. The trees, the wolf cave, the circling of the pack member, the wolf bounding out of the cave, the stalking of the wolves on the ground. Just stunning. Standing ovation for you, Tony Testa.

Did you notice how long they hold the tree pose for? That takes stomach muscles of steel, my friends. Now I know why they took so long to stage a comeback, if this is what they had to work on and perfect. I just hope they took the time to perfect their live singing while they were at it.

And here I was thinking the "Sherlock" choreography was hard!

Kai and Lay... you're killing me. Your dancing is just beyond words. Kai manages to make the wolf look believable. He's fierce, his lines are impeccable and he hits every move so hard. Damn, I love him ever so. Lay is more fluid and has a sleekness to his work. If they were an actual wolf pack, Kai would be the chillingly hungry wolf pack leader while Lay would be the favored wolf that gets all the attention and love.

I love this part.

I love this part too.

I especially love this part.

Here's where I make myself unpopular: I know people love the heck out of Kris but he is so awkward when he dances and his rapping ain't all that great either. Why is he in the front every single time?

Don't hate me, it's just an opinion.

Moving right along to their comeback stage.

EXO performs "Wolf" on M! Countdown:

Well done, guys. I just really hope that they've done a lot of working on their live singing, because their last music show stages were atrocious. I cringed everytime, until I just stopped watching. That's just sad. When SHINee first hit the stage they could sing, and if they couldn't they just danced and pretended to sing or rapped. They came off like they'd been doing it for a long time. EXO needs some of that confidence in their singing. Let's hope they've gotten it.

What did you think of EXO's "Wolf"?

Source: SMTOWN, loveonew4ever2. Screencaps by Oddness/Weirdness. Take out with full credit.

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Taeyang, G-Dragon and 2NE1 At A VIP Chrome Hearts Party 130529

2013-05-30T02:06:00.000-04:00

On May 29, GD and YB, along with their good friends 2NE1, showed up to the opening of the new Chrome Hearts in Shinsegae department store in Seoul today. This was a VIP only event, so only the coolest of the cool were in attendance.

This post is image heavy.

CL performed at the event with the help of 2NE1.

2NE1 with Richard and Laurie Lynn Stark.

All of the photographs on display were taken by Laurie Lynn Stark, co-founder of Chrome Hearts brand along with her husband Richard Stark.

Taeyang at the Chrome Hearts party:

Source: @xxxibgdrgn, @IBGDRGN, @haroobomkum, @junxxxjun, @kaikwansayhi, @haroobommi, @izpeng, @chenluv, @krungy21, bigbangupdates, bigbangworld, yb518yb. Credit as tagged and where due.

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EXO's 2nd Teaser For "Wolf" Is Hilarious

2013-05-30T00:30:00.000-04:00

On May 28 SMent dropped EXO's newest teaser for their not yet released new single, "Wolf". I watched it last night and I was thinking I'd be able to be nice and just mention the facts but I really can't. I have to admit it. I think this is so.... damned... FUNNY and you know you do too.

Let's be real here. I'm sure that the choreography will probably be excellent and Kai and Lay will demolish it but come on! What is this even?? Did you seriously think this was ok, SMent? Please let this teaser be a fake out and the song sound totally different, because so far this is sounding really, really bad.

Some of the choreo worries me though.

They are making wolf mouth gestures with their hands here. Enough said.

This is a wolf stance, those are wolf ears. Wtf? Also, are they wearing spats or spats-like shoe coverings?? Wtf?

Are you supposed to be scary or freaky in any way, Luhan? Because you're not, sorry:

I wonder how the guys feel about all this?? I mean, Chen is side eyeing it:

... and D.O. looks pretty pissed off:

So yeahhhhh.... Call me worried.

It's being said that the "Wolf" mv will be released today at 6 pm Korean time. That would be 5 am my time so I'll be dead asleep but I'll sure to post my thoughts tomorrow.

I cannot wait, how about you?

Source: SMTOWN. Screencaps by Oddness/Weirdness. Take out with full credit.

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Super Junior M's Henry Lau Is Finally Out Of The SM Entertainment Dungeon

2013-05-29T23:26:00.001-04:00

SM Entertainment revealed today that their solo male artist will be no other than that Canadian cutie pie Henry Lau. His first solo album, which is called "Trap", will be released on June 7th through all the usual major music sites and he'll be touring the world to promote the album.

Congratulations Henry!! It has been 13 lonnnnggg years since he first became a trainee for SM. Can you imagine? I sure can't.

Good for him for sticking it out that long because I know I couldn't have. I mean, yeah he's a part of Super Junior M but they barely promote so that doesn't count. Who knows what he's been doing with all that time??

Actually, besides doing random things like attending Berklee College of Music in Boston and starring in a movie, I'm sure he's been getting a lot of practicing in. If you're not all that familiar with what Henry can do, check this out:

Henry's violin solo on Master Chef Korea Celebrity:

Henry's solo at Super Show 4 in Osaka:

Yeah the boy is talented. He's got a really nice tone to his voice, he's incredible on the violin and the piano, AND he's also a songwriter and composer (amongst other things). Wait... Is that all?? Pfft.

Seriously though, I'm extremely excited for him, especially since he seems like such a sweet guy. I'm dying to see what direction SM is going to let him take with his music, so bring on June 7th!

Source: Yahoo Philippines via bnt news, chesungie, sumgminful1.

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