My Random Reality

Read this before going for that dream online job of yours

2021-04-20T21:30:00.000+08:00

Hey everyone.

It's been a while since I haven't posted anything here at my blog, and now I am going to share to you this very personal post of mine: The pro's and con's of working online.

This is quite random compared to my old posts that were mostly music reviews of my favourite musicians. However this blog does not aim to focus on music alone. From the name itself, My Random Reality, expect more random posts to come your way very very soon, just like this one.

2020 was the year where online jobs boomed, from the highly anticipated employment of the e-commerce industry to the populated world of online teaching. It took me about almost 4 years to post this just to vent out my experience that most of you could probably relate to - for now at least.

Before I started with my current job as a pharmacist, I used to work as a full-time online ESL (English as Second Language) teacher for Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese students. During those years I was fixated to pursue my career as an English teacher because I enjoyed it a lot. But we all know that there's a saying "All good things come to an end", and due to some various personal reasons, I've decided to continue to practice my real profession.

To be honest there are so many things with that job that I miss, but prior to make the final decision of leaving my previous dream career, I realized that I've also missed out a lot in life.

DISCLAIMER: This is only limited to my personal experiences as an online English teacher and may contain some bias views. Good luck.

Starting with the good bits, a.k.a "The Pro's"

1.) You're the manager of your working hours.

This is a FACT. And to me I guess this is the best part of working online as a tutor. I used to teach only in the evening so I have a lot of free time in the morning to either go out with friends or do some shopping or binge watch Netflix shows on the internet. This is not applicable to all online jobs out there, but even in online freelance jobs they have the privilege to manage their own time as well. Looking back at it, being able to work at your own time is such a huge blessing, unlike now that I have to be at my shift for 10 to 12 hours a day plus travel time. But what can I say, we all made our choices.

2.) Less expenses and better pay.

If I were to compare my expenses before and now, I'd say I spent less on transportation and food when I was working online than being a part of the corporate world. However, when I go out to eat with my friends, that is where all of my money goes. I'm not implying that you can get a higher pay with all online jobs, but commonly you get compensated better than the usual local companies since you deal with international-based employers. Transportation expenses is an essential to me nowadays, and that means I have to add this to my monthly budget. Unlike with doing your job at home, you wouldn't have to think about that kind of stuff. At the end of the day it all goes down to your spending habits. You can only say you were able to save more when you have managed to handle your money well.

3.) More time for leisure.

Of course if you're the one who's in control of your working schedule, that means you can take a leave anytime you want. No bosses, no annual plot approvals, and no dreadful search for relievers. So whenever my friends would invite me to go out of town, I'd usually work about 8 to 10 hours straight for a week or so, and then take a break for 3 to 5 days depending on how long I'll be out travelling. When I started to work at my current job, I never had that "time" to gather all of my thoughts to make blog posts such as this one or make music and band reviews unlike before. As I've mentioned at the beginning of this post, it took me 4 long years to write my confessions. To be able to sit here and write or vlog is already a luxury.

Meanwhile the bad bits, a.k.a. "The Con's"

1.) Developed unhealthy lifestyle habits.

I am truly guilty that I have bad lifestyle habits and it worsen at that time when I was working online full-time. One example is the lack of discipline in all things especially with my diet. I would finish one whole family size pizza by myself or drink a bottle of wine in just one sitting while having a movie marathon. There was a period where I constantly do these things weekly. I don't exercise or get active. In other words I became LAZY AF because my whole body is just too heavy to move. My weight was 75 kg and that is already obese according to BMI. That was a turning point for me because when I finally came into my senses that I have developed these harmful habits, I just snapped out of everything and began to apply for corporate jobs left and right. I knew that I needed to change because that was not how I envisioned myself back then: an obese 25-year-old in stagnation.

2.) Socially distant.

People around me know that I'm sociable. I love expanding my network. Yes there is Covid now but that didn't stop me from meeting people online. Yet Covid was nonexistent when I was in the middle of this crisis 4 years ago. I do have my set of friends and most of them are introverts. I could say that I lost a lot of my social skills when I didn't have much opportunities to meet and mingle with people in person. There's a huge difference between getting to know someone virtually and getting to know them in a physical sense, and to me that's important.

3.) No financial security.

As harsh as it may sound but this is the sad reality of these fancy home-based jobs. Yes it's fancy considering that it pays higher than local companies. On the flip side, financial security is off the table. Though you may always have the option to talk to your friendly financial advisor to get insurance policies, that I can say is a wise decision. Unfortunately not everyone has access or knowledge on these things that could help them get that stability in the future, and I admit I'm quite ignorant for a time about it as well. When I was teaching online full-time, they only deduct the taxes off my salary, and sadly that doesn't contribute to any benefits and privileges in the long run. If you live here in The Philippines you'll understand.

...and that's all for this post.

I only mentioned a few, but believe me, there's more to that. The things I've cited above were the major ones that I have learned or experienced all throughout those years.

Whatever career you may choose in the near future, remember that there's always upsides and downsides to everything. Nothing is perfect at all as what they say.

Thank you so much for taking your time to read this.

Good luck on your future endeavours and I wish you the best! -k*

Intense colors

2017-03-06T20:20:00.000+08:00

Hey guys!

Last November, I did mention from my All About DYEing post that I change hair colors every three months, but this 2017 I made a vow to myself that I'll be more subtle when it comes to dyeing, and I think I just made the right decision to do so even if it breaks my heart. 💔

From late 2015 to 2016, I tried various hair colors that would express fully the fashionable side of me, but because of all the bleaching that has to be done, it caused a lot of damage to my hair. I did think long and hard about this and thank God L'Oreal released a line permanent hair dyes with a wide range of colors that would never go out of style.

L'Oreal Excellence Fashion in 5.62 Intense Violet Brown (Php 399 @ Watsons)

From browns to reds to blonde shades. Name it, they got it! I was torn between Ash Brown and Violet Brown, but the Violet brown was more of my taste since the color reminded me of merlot wine.

My dry blonde hair before dyeing

I didn't bleach my hair this time...YAY! My roots started to grow and it covers about 1/5 of my hair already, while the rest was still blonde. It seriously calls the attention for a hair emergency.

Letting it stay for 45 minutes

Result is 💜

It's not so clear on the photo but the black roots turned out to be a beautiful burgundy color, and the blonde part was a deep dark purple color.

Hair color result in low light

Overall: 10/10! 👍👍👍👍👍
I'm in looooooooooooooooooooooooooove with this color!
It still shows that changeable side of my personality. It's amazing how the color changes depends on the lighting. Some people say it's red, some would say it's purple or violet or wine color.

The L'Oreal hair dyes are known for their lasting power. I just hope that this beautiful shade would last longer than expected, and I might still choose intense violet brown for retouching my hair in the near future.

'till next post - k*

Top 10 picks from ONE OK ROCK's 'Ambitions'

2017-02-09T13:00:00.000+08:00

Hey guys!

As promised on my previous blogpost, I'm now going to share my TOP 10 picks from ONE OK ROCK's new album "Ambitions".

Well just for the fun of it though, nothing really personal. 😆

But this time, I decided to vlog it.

Yes, that's right - VLOG!

Unlike my previous posts where I just write them all here on my blog, this time I wanna try something different and ambitious just like what ONE OK ROCK did with their new album. So, please bear with my large moonlike face and annoying voice in this video and enjoy watching 😉

..and that's all for this video!
I hope you were pleased with my choices, but if you're not, please forgive me 🙏 These are all just my personal choices, and if you like you can share your faves from 'Ambitions' by commenting them down below. Thank you very much for taking your time to watch this :)
Keep rockin' you guys! \m/

'till next post! - k*

Read my "Ambitions" review: http://everything-randombykim.blogspot.com/2017/02/one-ok-rock-and-their-ambitions.html

Buy 'Ambitions' Japanese version limited edition
-> http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/AZZS-56
Buy 'Ambitions' Japanese version regular edition
-> http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/AZCS-1062
Buy 'Ambitions' International version
-> http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/NEOIMP-12974
Buy 'Ambitions' on iTunes
-> https://itunes.apple.com/ph/album/ambitions/id1176157333
Stream 'Ambitions' on Spotify for free:
-> https://open.spotify.com/album/0p1YL9nzIuKTonZH6Gq58i

ONE OK ROCK and their Ambitions

2017-02-03T13:00:00.000+08:00

Hi guys! I know it's quite late already but first, let me greet all of you a happy new year 🎆

Yes it's 2017 and you do know what that means right?
The most awaited new album of ONE OK ROCK is finally here!

screenshot from the MV of "We Are"

'Ambitions' is the eighth (8th) full length studio album of ONE OK ROCK and it comes in two (2) versions: the Japanese version (released on January 11, 2017 under A-Sketch), and the international version (released on January 13, 2017 under Fueled By Ramen). This album was produced by Colin Brittain, Dan Lancaster, and John Feldmann who produced the band's previous album '35XXXV'. Also this time, they worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry for this album such as Tyler Carter from ISSUES and Mark Shinoda from Linkin Park.
.. I'm stoked as hell!

Ambitions Japanese version limited edition CD + DVD.

FIRST IMPRESSION/S: I was quite curious about the title, written in black ink with a small pink 'x' mark at the center of a yellow cover. Out of all the ONE OK ROCK albums I've encountered, this is definitely the brightest one in appearance. If you're unfamiliar with the band, you'd probably think it's an all-girl group, or worse, a boy band. But music-wise, it couldn't be that bad or shocking right? Since they've already released a couple of music videos of some tracks included in this album, and I'm excited to listen to it once I finally got my hands on my own copy 😀

Ambitions Japanese version limited edition CD + DVD

So as mentioned earlier, 'Ambitions' comes in two (2) versions. Most songs are included in both versions, however there are about 2 or more tracks that are exclusive in each of them. The international version's tracks are all in English and it features Alex of All Time Low in one of the exclusive tracks. While in the Japanese version, all songs have Japanese lyrics and they had Avril Lavigne featured in the Japanese version of the song "Listen".

Ambitions International CD

Anyhow, let's move on to the tracks.

Let's start with the songs both versions had on them:

Ambitions (intro) – And now the journey begins. So get ready to listen to the ambitious side of ONE OK ROCK as they take you to a whole different level of musicality and versatility.

Bombs Away – As expected in every ONE OK ROCK album, the first track is always an upbeat one. Prior to the intro, this is where they are supposed to be now. The verses of the song kinda reminds me of Avril Lavigne’s song “Sk8er boi”, in the bridge part of it though. Seems like Avril is a huge influence in making this album too. Everyone can tell this song is opt to gather more audience in the west, but what I love about this one is that a part of this song shows that 'Niche Syndrome' roots of the band and they want to share that to their fans all over the world. Nice one, ONE OK ROCK! First track – totally nailed it!

Taking Off – This song was used as an OST for the Japanese movie “Museum”. To be honest I’m not a huge fan of this track. Not even that outstanding for me. In my own opinion, there’s not much of the song that I can really relate to as of the moment I’m listening. BUT what really caught my full attention is the beats and how it is wonderfully produced. It’s clever they put this song as the third one for the album. Fits well for its heavy timbre.

We Are – THIS! I could totally declare that ONE OK ROCK slayed Ambitions with this track. I adore every part of it! What really touched me is that the fact they're bringing their brand to the whole world. We as fans know that OOR is known for its strong beats and emotional lyrics, and now they are letting each and every person in this planet experience that. Their songs have powerful messages that could move the hearts of many. I could never be more proud that they’ve made it this far already. My dream for them is to touch more people just like what they did to me, and this song is the key. I’m pretty confident that “We Are” could push barriers for them as a band. It’s a song that everybody needs to listen.

Bedroom Warfare – One word: SEXY. I don’t understand why a lot of fans are dissing this track. Maybe it’s just me, or I’m just into dancing too much. Honestly it was on loop for days. I think OOR did a great job of exploring what they can do with their music. "Bedroom Warfare" is one of those songs where I can envision remixes by today’s famous DJs and produce a sick dance/club track. What do you guys think? You may or may not disagree with me but hey! It’s all about ambitions this time, and I must say this song is way too ambitious in good way.

I Was King - Definitely a power track. The whole song itself is majestic which just makes it as one of the unforgettable songs that OOR will ever have. The song’s all about you’ll never know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone and now you’re fighting to retrieve everything you’ve got and letting go of all the regrets you had.

Listen – A song about friendship. Another winner from this album indeed! Not that much of a fave of mine, but its lyrics is so heavy, especially on the part where it says “I wish I could save you from the pain you’ve been through, and all I can tell you is the best thing to do.” But cheers to ONE OK ROCK for achieving another milestone. I know these guys are huge fans of Avril Lavigne, and now they finally have a collab with her. How cool is that?

One Way Ticket – Bittersweet. Why Taka? WHY??? YES it is a pop track, but not trashy one. I’m surprised that it blends well with OOR. Once I listened to it and got the lyrics by heart, God I fell in love! I could listen to it all day. Still not convinced? We’re used to OOR having ballads from their previous albums right? Consider this song as one, but mixed in a way that could fit into the western audience and you won’t get disappointed. A song about missing someone and longs to see that person, and desperately needs that one-way ticket home. If I were to choose between the two versions, I'd say the Japanese one is the best.

Bon Voyage - Supposedly a French phrase that means "have a nice trip", but it's total sarcasm as I listen to this. A bad break up I presume? haha. It was said in one of ONE OK ROCK’s radio interviews that this song is what Toru’s most excited about, and I can see why. The riffs are heavy on the bridge part which proves that this band is more than what the mainstream audience would expect of them to be.

Start Again - This track is a silent killer! Trust me, this is the second most relatable song in this album, or could be the first for some. Just when you thought this album will be in all-out pop rock genre, then think again. A bit of it song kinda reminds me of "Nobody's Home" though and I don't know why lml. I love the part where Taka passionately screams the line "I won't say I'm sorry for being who I AAAAAAAAAAAM!!! Is the EEEEEND a chance to start again?"

Take What You Want (feat. 5 Seconds Of Summer) - If you're a fan of 5SOS and reading his review, well first let me apologize because I'm never a fan of them to be honest. OOR having a collab with them is a total shocker for me, but what I find more shocking is that how beautiful this song turned out to be and I meant that.

Japanese version exclusive tracks:

20/20 – It was slow and chill at first. You’d probably think that it’s an acoustic ballad, but NO. It’s pretty much one of the hardcore songs from this album. The lyrics is somewhat related to “The Way Back” but with more angst. This is actually one of the popular songs from 'Ambitions'. A lot of fans loved it – and hey! So do I.

Always Coming Back – This song was the very first single released from this album and it has always been my personal favorite. It’s one of those sweet songs that ONE OK ROCK made, and if you listen to this one, whether you understand the lyrics fully or not, it will leave that special mark in your heart. It never fails to make me emotional. Probably I’d blame the cool vibe of Taka’s voice and the chills that the sound of the piano brings.

Lost In Tonight - Reminds me a lot of “Mighty Long Fall”, but a little more subtle. Not that much memorable song for me, but it's worth listening to.

The 'Hidden Track' - It can be found right after "Take What You Want". So don't hit that stop button yet and wait for Toru to pluck the strings of his acoustic guitar and let it serenade you with Taka's sweet voice and heartwarming lyrics.

International version exclusive tracks:

Jaded (feat. Alex from All Time Low) - As I'm listening to this song and writing this review, there's something about it that's deja vu. The song's kinda familiar to me. I just couldn't get the gist of it. If you guys feel the same way as I do now, please do leave a comment below so that I'd know I'm not the only one losing my mind here lml.

Hard To Love - A heartfelt song written by Taka for his father. See? I told you guys it's 'Niche Syndrome' 2.0 happening here. In that album, they had the song "Nobody's Home" that taka wrote about his relationship with his parents during his teenage years. This became a massive hit in Japan, and now the frontman of the band can't wait to share it to the fans from the west, but this song is a lot mellow compared to "Nobody's Home" consider that it's an acoustic one. This song was performed during the SLFL tour with 5SOS. Ryota used the ViolaFon during their live shows in the US. I was really amazed on how skilled Ryota was. He started with nothing, and now he plays not just the bass but also the cello, guitar, and the keyboard.

American Girls - I hate this. I REALLY HATE THIS!!! I DESPISE IT LIKE I COULD TURN MY BACK AWAY FROM THIS BAND FOR LIFE!!! But not until I put it on loop and got some major LSS issues with it. I learned to love it because it's catchy AF! I'm pretty surprised ONE OK ROCK was able to pull off with a song like this one. The ambiance of its tunes resembles a mixture of 50's music and this generation's pop-rock genre. But honestly speaking, this song gives me that 'Uptown Girl' vibe and it got me hooked. (BTW the MV for this song is badass!)

Overall: 9.5/10! I am NOT disappointed at all you guys. I consider 'Ambitions' as one of the best albums ONE OK ROCK has ever made. For me 'JinseixBoku=' is irreplaceable at my top spot, but 'Ambitions' will definitely leave you speechless. We are talking about the band breaking out to the international music scene for real this time and they are doing it as genuinely as they could. 'Ambitions' showed the ambitious side of the band and that's up to us fans whether to accept it or not. A few days ago I've seen that interview where Taka said that this is their best album, but to tell you the truth I don't fully agree with that. Probably what Taka meant to say in that interview is that 'Ambitions' is the best album for all audiences to enjoy. Because let's face it you guys, not all ethnicities can relate to their previous albums (unless you're a huge fan the Japanese culture), and because the boys are so eager to reach out to everyone in the world, they put out everything as best as they can, which leads us to the BEST international album of ONE OK ROCK and that's 'Ambitions'.

To sum up my thoughts about 'Ambitions':

Obviously the whole album is considered to be in the pop-rock genre because they are aiming for the mainstream audience. I know a lot of "good old fans" opposed to this one and says that ONE OK ROCK is now ONE OK POP. Okay, for starters the band's name is from the word ONE O'CLOCK and it's difficult for Japanese people to pronounce the letter 'L', that's how they ended up with ONE OK ROCK and now because of the genre. You as an old fan should know that first hand ugh!

Yes the album is westernized, but I'm not totally surprised with that anymore unlike '35XXXV' considering that they are working with non-Japanese people with different musical backgrounds and influences, so it's expected that this album would be the same. I'm happy that ONE OK ROCK took a leap of faith with that and look at where they are now. Those guys are the bravest people alive that I know.

I love the way how Taka, Toru, Ryota, and Tomoya worked really hard for this album to be a success. They pushed into their limits. They tried a lot of styles. Each track has its own flavor and personality which makes this whole album a memorable one. They never did it to please anyone and they want to share their craft to the world in the simplest way they could. The songs are easy-listening, and that's why the international version was made with full English lyrics because they want to make sure it's understandable for everyone. These guys are so generous with their time and effort and with that, they never fail to amaze and inspire me as a musician.

...and that's it! WHEW!

I hope you guys find my review interesting and helpful. Sorry if it took you 48 years to finish reading it 😂 If you have any comments or reactions please comment them all down below because I'd really love to hear from y'all.

In my next post, I will share to you guys my top 10 picks from this album because I love it so much and I just feel like I have to haha.

'till next post! - k*

check out my other ONE OK ROCK album reviews:

...and just in case you're interested, you can..

Buy 'Ambitions' Japanese version limited edition -> http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/AZZS-56

Buy 'Ambitions' International version -> http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/NEOIMP-12974

Buy 'Ambitions' on iTunes -> https://itunes.apple.com/ph/album/ambitions/id1176157333

Stream 'Ambitions' on Spotify for free:
https://open.spotify.com/album/0p1YL9nzIuKTonZH6Gq58i

Your Existence

2016-12-06T21:00:00.000+08:00

It is now 00:56 and as I listen to Taking Back Sunday's "Divine Intervention", all I can think about is this one particular day: tomorrow.

Wanna know why?

Because it has something to do with your existence.

First of all I want to thank you for everything.
I know this may sound weird, but have you ever asked this question to yourself: What if I never lived in this day and never existed in this world today? Would it be any different?

Well mister, let me answer that question for you :)

If you never lived and existed, I'd probably be lost and may never find my way back to my first love which is music. I keep on tracking back of everything and recalling each time how you, your band, and your music saved me so many times. So yes! Your existence does matter to me. I couldn't be more proud of what you have achieved so far through your music this past 11 years. You were able to gather fans from all around the world. There's Asia, Europe, America, and all of them are dreaming, wanting to go to Japan just to see you guys live on your special concerts just like what happened last September in Nagisaen. All of them made special bonds and friendships just because they love your band and your music, and I certainly think that's the best thing ever since I was able to experience exact same thing. Not only I get to discover such good music, but I also met a lot of interesting people along the way.

this birthday card I made for your birthday last year. I hope you got it though

So if you were not to exist, do you think your fans would experience the same thing as what they have now? In reality they could have, but it would be totally different you know. You see, your music moves hearts. The hearts of people who can't be touched in such empty promises. That's all I can feel through your craft, they're full of hope. I believe no other person in this earth can do that except for you, and that's why I am truly thankful for your existence.

"Where words fail, music speaks"
You hold on to those words right? Despite of the language barrier we have, I can easily understand everything in just a single strum that you do with your guitar.
My wish for you is that I hope you'd continue to do what you love most. I believe that you can reach more people of all ages and touch their hearts with your music. Whatever you're doing now is a beautiful thing and truly the highlight of my existence. Well not only mine, but for many of your fans. I also wish you good health, more cars, more success and more WINE! (though I do hope to share one with you someday)

Gosh it's already 2:21 here in my country and I have to crash.

Happy birthday Toru! You may or may not read this..but I do hope it'll still reach out to you so that you can know that this annoying fan here in Davao appreciates your existence.
Have a great one and enjoy this day with your friends and the boys of ONE OK ROCK, Ryota, Tomoya, and Taka.
I love you! 😘

All About DYEing

2016-11-24T16:00:00.000+08:00

Hey guys~ Today's topic will be very interesting because it's all about COLOR.
Who doesn't like bringing a little color to your monochromatic life, right? Okay I'll get to the point now :)
A lot of you did ask me about dyeing my hair and so far the experience has been great. I'm quite addicted to trying different colors every 2-3 months. Sounds pretty crazy, right? I know that it could cause a lot of damage to my hair. Also, maintaining it is EXPENSIVE!
But if those two things don't really bother you, then please continue reading this post. :)

*DISCLAIMER* I am not a hair expert. Everything you are about to read in this blogpost is based on my experience on hair dyeing. If you have any other inquiries regarding hair bleaching and dyeing, you may always approach hair professionals on a hair salon near you.

Let's start with the hardest part: BLEACHING.
So what is bleaching? - Bleaching is a process where you're opt to remove your natural hair color to make it lighter using chemicals.
Why bleach? - Sad to say we people who are born with dark hair really need to do this process because if we don't then the desired hair color won't be visible.
I really hate bleaching you guys, but it's a must! But don't worry, I got a couple of tips for you to survive this wicked process.
At first I don't have any idea about hair bleaching, so I did a lot of research before I did it. I know I could've let the hair experts in the salon to do it for me, but I was extremely broke when I first tried dyeing extreme colors. I saw a lot of bloggers sharing their experiences and tips, however the one from xovain was the best for me (link here).
To summarize her post, these are the important points you need to remember in bleaching your hair at home:

TIP #1: COCONUT OIL. Yes guys that's right! All you need is your good old coconut oil from the cupboard in the kitchen. If you don't have one, you can always find it in your local grocery store. Make sure you put a generous amount from your scalp to your hair tips, then cover your hair with a plastic shower cap and let it sit for a minimum of 3-4 hours. I love to leave it overnight. The key here is that the longer number of hours, the better.

TIP #2: HOW TO BLEACH. You basically need one sachet of bleaching powder (anti-yellow one is better), oxidizing agent/developer in 12%, a plastic container (don't use a metal one because we're dealing with chemicals here and we don't wanna see some unusual reaction), an applicator, and gloves. - Just mix the bleaching powder and the oxidizing agent/developer together in the container. The amount of developer would depend on how long or thick your hair is. If you're not so sure about this, you can always ask assistance from your local hair and beauty shops. One of the legit shops in the country is Hortaleza, plus their products are affordable.
TIP #3: THE B*TCHY PROCESS. Please DO NOT rinse your hair after leaving it with the precious coconut oil. If you are not sure about applying bleach into your hair, you may ask your mom or sister or your aunt to help you. When applying it, make sure you don't include your roots 'cause that's gonna hurt - A LOT. Divide your hair into sections so that it would be a lot easier to apply. Once it's done, let it sit until you achieve your desired bleach-blonde color. *This actually depends on every person. I have very thick hair strands and bleaching my hair takes about an hour. Sometimes it needs to be bleached twice.

TIP #4: RINSE AND DRY. Rinse your hair with cold water and use shampoo to remove all that grease from the coconut oil. NEVER use conditioner. You may feel your hair a little crisp after but that's normal. That's exactly what bleach does to your hair. After rinsing, dry your hair with heat by using a hair dryer and you're good to go~

...So that's all for bleaching. And now we move on to the fun part: DYEING!

I was so excited to do this at home because I've always wanted to try and change my hair color to red. Yes, red was my first choice and always will be.

Honestly, I don't have any idea which hair dye brand I should use at that time, but now I know better of course. Sad to say my country has limited sources when it comes to hair dyes. Good thing I found rainbowheadph. They are known to be the authorized dealers of Manic Panic, Arctic Fox, Sparks, and many more.

Out of all the many choices they had in their online shop, I decided to go for Sparks color and bought Rad Raspberry (fuschia color) and Red Hot (bright red color).

I did mention above that I want to have red hair, but because I got overwhelmed by the colors and do want to try them all at once, I went for fuschia (a color that is a mixture of red, pink, and purple hues) as my first try.

Freshly dyed fuschia hair

...and I didn't just end there, guys. This photo above was taken a year ago and up until now, I STILL want to try different colors. Once you'll get used to the whole process, everything will be easy and you'll get to discover that bold and daring side of you ;)

Hair dye used: SPARKS Rad Raspberry (left); SPARKS Red Hot (center); Generic hair dye in Red (right)

As soon as my red hair started to fade, I decided to change colors again, because maintaining it cost me a lot of money. I went to the salon as soon as possible because I thought it would need help from professional hairstylists.

Brown-blonde balayage (left); Silver (center); Ash gray-purple ombre (right)

In other words I went BLONDE :) Yes that's right~ One thing I love about dyeing your hair silver or ash gray is that when it fades, it turns into blonde that will flatter any skin tone.

Other words of advice:

DO HAIR TREATMENTS FROM TIME TO TIME. Keratin treatment is the best for bleached hair. It will regain its shine and smoothness all over again. If you're on a tight budget, you can do the keratin treatment in your home. You may buy any keratin-infused products/treatments in the drugstore(price: Php 130-400 depending on the brand). I usually do it once a week if I'm really into saving money, but if I'd like to splurge, I'd go to the salon to get some keratin treatment (ranges about Php 1,500-2,500).
CHOOSE THE APPROPRIATE HAIR CARE. When I started to try outrageous colors, I absolutely have no idea what shampoo or conditioner I should use. But the one from L'oreal Everpure (the silver-colored tube) is a good one. If you really opt to not washing your hair everyday to maintain its color, you may also try the dry shampoo.
BUDGET. Yes guys, you really do need to budget. Dyeing your hair is fun but it will hurt your wallet a lot! Well this is just my side. But you wouldn't want your hair to look nice only in the photos, right? So save up money to buy proper hair care to maintain its healthiness.

...and that's it for this post!

I really do apologize for the lack of photos. Actually I did plan to blog about this since the first time I bleached my hair, but unluckily the memory card of my camera got corrupted and I couldn't retrieve my files and my photos with all the products I used were there T.T

I hope this one did satisfy your curiosity about hair dyeing.

If you have more questions, you can always leave it in the comments below or ask me directly through twitter (@kimsings69).

'till next post! - k*

From Keep It Real to Taking Off: ONE OK ROCK Singles

2016-11-16T20:00:00.000+08:00

Hey guys! I'm back~

Last week on twitter, I did a poll there asking what kind of post you guys would want me write on my blog first, and majority of you voted for ONE OK ROCK related kind of post (link of the post here). So as promised, here it is...

Today I'll be blogging about the ONE OK ROCK Singles.

What is a single?

When you say 'Single', it's very similar to EPs where it usually contains more or less five (5) tracks in a CD. It's not counted as an album, but most of the time the singles are released a few months before a band's major album debut, just to give the fans a little taste of what the band's next album will be like.

photo by Gus Black

In this post I will just go over the band's 14 singles from 2006 up to the present (2016). I don't intend to go much into details since you can check everything on the web. As for my sources, I used wikipedia and http://oneokrock.wikia.com/ to help me sort out the release dates of the singles and for some other details. And the rest? We'll it's all going to be me and my point of view.

Let's start off with the year 2006...

2006 was the start-off year for ONE OK ROCK. They released 2 of their EPs named 'ONE OK ROCK', which was released in July 26, and 'Keep It Real', released in December 16.

The band's first EP includes the tracks "Moshimo Taiyou ga Nakunatte Toshitara", "Nichijou Evolution", "You've Broken My Heart", and "Rose Blood". If you have listened to this EP you'd probably notice how the band is still struggling to find their original sound, and it's more of a product of...fun. Their songs here kinda remind me of the OPM band Siakol, especially with "You've Broken My heart". LOL I know some of you might be mad at me for this but hey! It's just my opinion. Their first EP may not be that good for some, but as a fan I'm proud of it. It just goes to show that at that time, they are capable of something. And, it's not bad for a start.

The other EP released was 'Keep It Real'. Songs include are "Keep It real", "Tsurai + Ichi = Shiawase" (辛い＋一＝幸せ), "P.P.S.H" (Please Please Stay Here), and "And I Know". From what I've noticed at this band's early years, it seems like most of their songs are in duets with Taka singing and Toru rapping, and there are times where Toru sings as well, just like in P.P.S.H.

I kinda missed the vibe of them having a duet. It's so original for me. So if you're still starting to listen to ONE OK ROCK, of you just became a new fan of them, you HAVE to listen to the tracks of these first two EPs. Well, just sayin'.

We head now to 2007...

In the year 2007, ONE OK ROCK released 3 singles before they had their first major album 'Zeitakubyou'. The singles were 'Naihi Shinsho' (April 25, 2007), 'Yume Yume' (July 7, 2007), and 'Et Cetera' (October 24, 2007). The tracks in 'Naihi Shinsho' included "Naihi Shinsho" (内秘心書) and "Kako wa Kyōkasho ni Mirai wa Shukudai" (過去は教科書に未来は宿題). 'Yume Yume' has
"Yume Yume" and "Karasu" (カラス). And finally 'Et Cetera' with "Et Cetera" and "Koukai Yaku ni Tatazu" (後悔役に立たず).
*the bold texts are part of the Zeitakubyou album
*click here for the "Yume Yume" PV

Now these singles shaped up the band's distinct sound we know today: It's J-rock with a western inspiration behind it. We can still feel that they're still trying to explore their genre, but there's just something in all these tracks that every time we hear it out of nowhere, we can easily guess "Oh! That's totally ONE OK ROCK!" from the beginning of each song. Is it because of the rap? The riffs? or must be Tomoya's powerful beat? Hmm...

Okay so the next single was supposed to be released last May 6, 2009, however it didn't happen at that time due to Alex leaving the band. 'Around The World Shounen' single would've include the songs "Around The World Shounen", "Hitorigoto Lonlina", and "Koi no Aibou Kokoro no Cupid" Live at Zepp Tokyo 2009.

Despite of continuing as a four-member band, on February 02, 2010, ONE OK ROCK released their 4th official single 'Kanzen Kankaku Dreamer'. The song, along with the same title of the single, was known to be a trademark song for the band in Japan and they became a lot popular. Other tracks include "Hitorigoto Lonlina" and "Ring Wanderung".

Prior to the success of their album 'Niche Syndrome' and their first ever show in Budokan, in the year 2011, ONE OK ROCK released two singles. The first one was released in February 16. 'Answer is Near' includes the tracks "Answer is Near", "Silent World", "Answer is Clear" (acoustic version of Answer is Near), and a cover of as Stevie Wonder hit "To Feel The Fire".
Their sixth single, 'Re:make/NO SCARED', was released in July 20 which includes the two songs from the title and "Rock, Scissors and Paper".
At the very same year, they also released their fifth album 'Zankyou Reference'. And based on my observation this was the time where the band started to garner a lot of attention to international fans, and their story of success goes on...

2012 is 'The Beginning' of it all. ONE OK ROCK became a worldwide hit when they did Rurouni Kenshin's OST "The Beginning". Along with its release in August 22, the songs "Notes 'n' Words" and "Ketsuraku Automation" were included as well.

As the band's success continues, it took them a long time to release their 6th album. On January 9, 2013, they finally released their 8th single 'Deeper Deeper/Nothing Helps'. Songs included are the 2 songs in the title and the emotional track entitled "Kasabuta" (カサブタ).

release date: July 30, 2014

At 2014, The movie Rurouni Kenshin had its sequel and ONE OK ROCK was chosen again to be a part of the movie's OST. The PV for "Mighty Long Fall" was then released a month before the single did. Tracks also included in this single were "Decision" (FOOL COOL ROCK theme song), and "Pieces Of Me". Am I the only one who notices that as time passes by, the song titles in their singles and albums are in English?

The following year was indeed busy for ONE OK ROCK. In 2015 they started to reach out more to the US fans. They even signed up with Warner Bros. in order for them to release the '35XXXV Deluxe Edition' which all tracks are in English.

And now we move on to the present - 2016.

It was a dope year for ONE OK ROCK. They did a lot of tours in Asia, Europe, and the US. They even played on the stages of Rock Am Ring, Pinkpop Fest, and Download Festival. Their fanbase keeps on growing, not only in Japan and its neighbouring countries, but also in the west. Since the band was very busy promoting their international breakthrough album '35XXXV', they have released two (2) digital singles so far..and it's already half of November.

First was "Always Coming Back" (release date: March 11, 2016). Now this track was exclusively released in iTunes Japan, and was used for docomo's commercial. I have to be honest to you guys, but this is actually one of my personal favorites. Ever since this song was released, I'm dying to hear it LIVE!.. Well I hope that happens soon :)

The second single is "Taking Off" (release date: September 16, 2016). They have this both on English and Japanese versions, and I assume this song will be included in their next album. For me, "Taking Off" is quite different. It's like the band really wanted to explore more on what they can do with their music. It's obviously waaaaaaaaay different from their previous songs and I don't see anything bad with that. But from what I've observed, the only trademark left from their familiar sound that we most fans know here is the beat of Tomoya's drums, and that's why we fans can still say "OMG! That's so ONE OK ROCK!"

*BTW I didn't include "Hard To Love" in this post since it was not released as an official single, and the band only performed it live during their tour with 5SOS in the US*

So what do you think about their singles guys?

Do you have any faves from their previous EPs?

What do like about their sound?

Please let me know through the comments below. Thank you very much ;)

photo by Cazrow Aoki

...and that's it! I hope you had fun reading though it's a bit long >.<

'till next post! - k*

Always Coming Back to music

2016-10-10T15:08:00.002+08:00

So it ends with this song...

My band, SOMdream, made a cover of ONE OK ROCK's "Always Coming Back" last August.

download the mp3 here for free:
https://soundcloud.com/kimycuporiginal/somdream-always-coming-back-one-ok-rock-cover

We made our own acoustic version of this amazing ONE OK ROCK song. Tbh it's one of my personal favorites from the band. So I hope you like it :)

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:

Unfortunately this may be the last video that we've made for this year and you can't expect a new video from us in the near future. :(

We've been so busy with our personal lives lately and it's kinda hard for us to find time to be together to make some music. So we've decided to take a break and God knows when will be the time we'll all be together again :(

But I'm grateful for you guys that you've continued to support us up to now. It surely does mean a lot to me and to this band. From the bottom of my heart, thank you very much!

Just stay tuned on this blog for more updates and whatnot :p

'till next post! - k*

The Three of Us with Good Goodbye

2016-08-24T18:00:00.000+08:00

...and then there were three.

Hey guys!

Here's another ONE OK ROCK cover from my band, SOMdream. It's from their 35XXXV album, and the title is "Good Goodbye".

download the mp3 for free:
https://soundcloud.com/kimycuporiginal/somdream-good-goodbye-one-ok-rock-cover

We tried stepping up our game this time by recording the song in a studio. It's a new experience for us as a band, but it's kinda sad because Julius and Gia is not with us in this video. We never thought it'd be tough. We learned a lot about recording and how it works in the studio and stuff. It's something that we will carry on for the rest of our lives, and if fate permits, we'd love to do it over and over again :)

We made an emo acoustic version. Just the cello, acoustic guitar and bass, and it's slower than the original one. The song was supposed to be about saying goodbye without regretting anything, but I think this version of ours is quite ironic. To be honest for me it's sounded like a sad break up song. I hope you'd still like it though ;)

By the way the video is currently linked to our Youtube channel. Yes that's right - SOMdream has a Youtube channel now!!! (click here to subscribe ^_^)

We're really inspired to make more videos, so hopefully you guys will support us from here on out. To be able to make this step is a challenge for us because to have an official Youtube channel is like we can finally be open to the international audience and not just the local audience that we're used to. We're 101% sure that we can't please everyone with our covers, but we promise to do our best in all of them. So please do spread the word - like, comment, subscribe, and share if you feel like it 'cause it would mean a lot to us :)

Thank you so much and enjoy listening!

'till next post! - k*

it goes on with Et Cetera

2016-08-22T18:00:00.000+08:00

Hey guys!

My band, SOMdream, is back with another ONE OK ROCK cover!!!

Are you excited? It's a full band version this time. I repeat - FULL BAND! XD

From left to right: Yirmeyah (strings), Julius (drums), Kurt (bass), and yours truly

We are finally complete! Well, sorta~ Still Gia is not around because she's busy with stuff, but anyways, in this cover, Julius the aspiring power drummer joined us together with SOMdream's new member, Yirmeyah The Maestro! XD

I am so proud to share this cover to you guys. This time we did "Et Cetera" from the album Zeitakubyou. Our inspiration is the one from their 2012 Zankyo Reference tour, since we got Yirmeyah to do the violin for us (btw that version rocks! \m/).

By the way the video is currently linked to our Youtube channel. Yes that's right - SOMdream has a Youtube channel now!!! (click here to subscribe ^_^)

Thank you so much and enjoy listening!

'till next post! - k*

The LAST DANCE of Summer

2016-08-18T18:00:00.000+08:00

Hey guys what's up?!

FINALLY! We made a cover from ONE OK ROCK's 35XXXV Deluxe Edition - the latest album from ONE OK ROCK yet!

Title is "Last Dance". I have to say this is one of my personal favorites from the album. I had a great time playing this song in the piano. It's playful, yet dramatic. I dream of playing this in a grand piano someday :D
So we're back to our basics with our bass + piano routine where we feel more comfortable. I have to be honest with you guys, but I had a hard time singing this time. >.<
Here's the video:

By the way the video is currently linked to our Youtube channel. Yes that's right - SOMdream has a Youtube channel now!!! (click here to subscribe ^_^)

Thank you so much and enjoy listening!

'till next post! - k*

Yokubou ni michita seinendan cover by SOMdream

2016-08-16T18:00:00.000+08:00

Hey everyone!

It's been a long time since I posted our cover here on my blog.

So, how have you been? Did you miss me posting here? LOL XD

For now I will be sharing this ONE OK ROCK cover we made. The title of the song is "Yokubou ni Michita Seinendan" (trans: Youth full of desire) from their Zeitakubyou album.

Our version is kinda similar with what the band did in their 2014 Mighty Long Fall Live in Yokohama Stadium - minus the beatbox and bass hehe~

By the way the video is currently linked to our Youtube channel. Yes that's right - SOMdream has a Youtube channel now!!! (click here to subscribe ^_^)

Thank you so much and enjoy listening! - k*

The PARAMORE Experience (repost)

2016-08-14T20:17:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone! So this is actually a repost of my Paramore experience. It's been 5 years since that unforgettable day of my life and this is one of the experiences that I'd love to retell over and over again XD (For the full version of this post, please click here.)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

(August 14, 2011) OMG! I can't believe that I'm here already. I've got like a few hours away from the concert at the Asia World Expo.

Oh yes! that's me holding my ticket :) aaahhh!!! excited!

After going to church, we went home and then I started to get all dolled up for the concert. We took a taxi to IFC mall, then Quoi treats me for a Bubble Tea.

It's about time for me to go to the Asia World Expo, and it's like 4:30 in the afternoon. I have to take the airport express train, and just in time when I arrived there around 5:30 in the afternoon I saw this girl struggling her way to the concert. She looks like she's in a hurry. I asked her "Where's the entrance to hall 8?", then she replied "follow me".

We exchanged stories with each other. I found out that she flew all the way from London just for this concert. Wanna know why? Because she was the winner of that meet and greet Paramore promo by Warner Music. She was alone and that promo is gives two passes for the winner to meet the band in person. I told myself "Oh my God! I have to be with this person so that I can meet the band!". She was running so fast because she was wearing sneakers, and I'm wearing damn heels! I can't run! She went ahead of me and I can't catch up with her. Damn it!

I finally found the queue and there were so many fans queuing up for the event. Luckily, I was just on time to be a part of the crowd A, meaning I'm one of those who can get in first so that I'll be closer to the stage.

While in line I met another fan and she's also alone, her name was Yasmin and she's from HK, new territories to be specific. We talked for hours 'til at 7 PM we were all allowed to come in at hall 8.

The concert started around 8:20 PM. Well, not exactly the concert, but the front act started to play their songs. It's a good thing it's an American band. They are The Swellers.

When they are finally over, there was a break for about 15 minutes, and then the event that I waited for years has finally started!

"PARAMORE! PARAMORE! PARAMORE!"

At that moment, that is all I can hear from the people around me. I can say that they are also die-hard fans like me. Since I was in high school I have always been dreaming to watch them perform live. When they had a concert in Manila, it was a very bad timing because I had my final exams that time, but this opportunity, even if it is NOT in Manila, I have to go! It's a very good timing.

What can I say about the band is..First, Hayley is a very good performer, and as a rocker chick, I love her! Her voice is so amazing when I heard it live and she really knows how to rock the crowd like there is no tomorrow. She told the audience that in every show they have she always goes home losing her voice, that is why her goal at the end of the concert is to lose all of our voices which was very effective because I almost lost mine due to excitement and crowd pressure. And of course, I won't forget Jeremy and Taylor. Those guys are amazing. Real pros I can say. How I wish I could get a jam with these guys.

I’ve always wanted to hear their songs Ignorance, Misery Business, Where The Lines Overlap, The Only Exception, Monster, CrushCrushCrush, and Turn It Off LIVE!

The band's first song was Ignorance which really made me burst into happy tears because I didn't expect that. Because from the start I really wished that they'd play that song first, and when it happened, it made me realize that this concert was really meant for me.

They played When It Rains, Where The Lines Overlap, and Misguided Ghosts in their acoustic session.

They wrapped up their concert with The Only Exception, but they made an encore and they sang Misery Business, and on that encore they requested two people to come up on stage, and again I saw that lucky girl who won that meet and greet promo. I'm so jealous.

But nah! Why get so jealous when I can brag about it in the whole world that I've watched such a great concert. It was really worth the wait. Really worth of everything.

I promise to myself, when they get back to Manila, I'll definitely watch these guys again. They simply rock my world. \m/ I love PARAMORE! -k*

Oh wait! Did I forget to mention that I watched the whole concert barefooted? I removed my very high heels and I don't care if I'm wearing Steve Madden ones 'cause all I want to do that night is to rock out :p

Can you be ALL MINE?

2016-04-27T23:55:00.000+08:00

Hi guys!
We're back with a new ONE OK ROCK cover...yay!
I know some of you have been waiting for this and to be honest we're overwhelmed by the response of this cover so far. I've already posted this video in Facebook and Youtube last week, so I do apologise for the delay :(

This time we chose ALL MINE from the JinseixBoku= album. Actually the plan was out of the blue. It just came to me and I chatted Kurt that I wanna make a cover of "All Mine", then he said "okay, let's do it!"

Obviously Gia and Julius are STILL so busy that's why they're not in this video haha~

By the way the video is currently linked to our Youtube channel. Yes that's right - SOMdream has a Youtube channel now!!! (click here to subscribe ^_^)

Thank you so much and enjoy listening!

'till next post! - k*

SOMdream's PIERCE cover

2016-04-15T01:00:00.000+08:00

Hi guys!
In my previous post, I did share there our cover of "Notes n' Words", which is actually one of my faves from ONE OK ROCK.
As March came, we came down to a decision that we should do a cover of "Pierce".

Why?...Because it's the total b-side of the lovey-dovey February month!

Imagine a scene like this: In February, you got all the courage to confess your love to that one special person, and because of the love-filled atmosphere, the two of you started going out together even though the answer wasn't clear yet for the both of you. Then March came - about time to know the real answer to that person's feelings. And just when you thought you'd get the answer that you've always wanted to hear, unfortunately things didn't work out that way :'(

Sad right? But yeah, it happens in real life bruh >.< Anyways, here's our video:

As usual our version is just piano, bass, and vocals (because Gia and Julius are STILL busy at that time).

Anyways, enjoy watching!

Don't forget to like, comment, and share if you feel like it :)

'till next post! - k*

Notes n' Words for love

2016-04-13T01:00:00.000+08:00

Hi guys!
A few days ago I did mention about our band, SOMdream, in one of my posts. We're not really pros but we love music just as much as other musicians do, and each day we do whatever we can to improve our skills with this thing we are very passionate about.

Last Valentines day we released a cover video of ONE OK ROCK's "Notes n' Words" online.
Kurt suggested this song since hearts' day is all about love and sweetness and I think it was the perfect one - A cheesy English love song from my favorite band.

Our version is just piano, bass, and vocals (because Gia and Julius are so busy at that time).

Anyways, enjoy watching!

Don't forget to like, comment, and share if you feel like it :)

'till next post! - k*

singing my heart out

2016-04-11T18:03:00.004+08:00

Hi guys :)
So today I'mma share to you this crazy thing I've been doing since last year:

...SINGING MY HEART OUT...

*If you wanna read my previous post about my band SOMdream, just click here.

I know! People around me, especially the ones that are very close to me, call me crazy, useless, good-for-nothing b*tch every time I sing in front of the crowd, the camera, or even in front of my cat :p
Probably because I am not THAT good. I just really love to sing that's all XD

It all started last July of 2015 when one of my closest friends in the fandom, Kirst, convinced me to join the JPop singing contest. Well, deep inside I've always wanted to try, but I AM REALLY SHY. Her push somewhat gave me enough courage to sing in front of many people. Basically the only thing on my mind that time is the ONE OK ROCK fandom. I am super stoked to know if there are any people in the crowd who are familiar with the band that I love.
For the very first contest I attended was an impromptu one. I decided to go for "The Beginning" since it's the band's most popular song. I was surprised by the crowd's reaction 'cause some of them do know the lyrics of the song. "YAY! We're not alone!" - my exact thoughts as I was singing the song.

photo taken last July 11, 2015

There was no video of me singing that time, but whatever. All that mattered to me was the crowd's response. Got all giddy and overwhelmed because there were also fans of the band in that event. So after I sang, me and my friends left. Then that night, one of the organizers of Ambox sent me a message saying that I won. "Me? - Damn! SEEEEEEEERIOUSLY?!"

So there goes that invitation. There was an upcoming cosplay event and then they asked me to sing again. The songs that I chose were of course from ONE OK ROCK. It's "Heartache", and the ever crowd favorite "The Beginning".

photo taken last July 26, 2015

...and that didn't stop there. By August, I joined another JPop singing contest and sang the song that changed my view in life forever - "Clock Strikes".

...and for the second time I won :)

...and the latest contest that I attended was one month after ONE OK ROCK in Manila. Yes! I did join that JPop singing contest last February 20 at the World Cosplay Summit in Davao.

me and the ever supportive fangirl-friend, Kirst

So for this time, I chose to sing my favorite ballad which is "Wherever You Are".

...and again I won - first place :)

The result of me joining singing contests plus the efforts of fandom friends reaching out to more fans did pull off. The ONE OK ROCK fanbase in Davao city did grow and we're currently having such fan meetings, and I think that's a very cool thing. For some people, they may think it's all dumb and stupid to do these things, but they'll never understand how the band's music touch, move, and inspire us to become a better version of ourselves. And it never fails to amaze me that they can save one person's bad day, or probably one's sh*tty life.

Spread ONE OK ROCK.

Spread the music.

Spread the love.

'till next post! - k*

we are SOMdream

2016-04-09T22:58:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone! Yes, to be honest I'm still hung up with ONE OK ROCK Live in Manila all this time. It's hard to move on from such memorable experience - EVER!
But did you wonder why this band made such big impact into my ever-boring-plain-black-and-white life? It's their music :) Their music gave a tinge of color in my monochrome world.

So with that, I made friends with such amazing people here in Davao city. So great, we even became BANDMATES. It's not that we're into fame or something, but simply the four of us really love ONE OK ROCK, that's why we clicked.

from left to right: Julius, Kurt, yours truly :)

Our story? Well, it's kinda long, but I'll just summarize it for you guys...

Last March 2015, I joined this Facebook Group called Philippines' ONE OK ROCKers or P.O.O.R. for short. I posted there "Is there anyone here from Davao city?", and to my surprise many people replied to my post. So there I met some new friends, including our drummer, Julius. Then by July of 2015, he introduced me to his friend who happens to like cosplaying a lot, Kurt, who now is our bassist). The last person I met was Gia, our guitarist. Julius and Kurt introduced me to her last August of 2015, and we became really close...(she's a bad-ass girl).

me and Gia
(taken last August 2015)

So as months passed, a lot has happened to the four of us but even though we're busy with our own stuff, there's one thing that keeps us intact and that's ONE OK ROCK's music. Last December 2015, me and Kurt talked about making covers of the band's songs and probably just post it online, and I did agree with him so as the rest of us.

Then January 2016 came. Me, Kurt and Julius (Gia was busy with school stuff haha), gathered together for a jam session. I'mma share to you guys our very first video we made together as a band. This is ONE OK ROCK's "Wherever You Are"...

I get that we are still a long way from what you can call "Pros", but at least we managed to do this despite of all the hardships we've been through. We do love making music together, and I think that's a great thing for the four of us. Hey! We can still practice, right? It never hurts to practice, and doing this music thing with friends is such one hell of an experience in this life that I'll never trade.

..so that's it! We're are called SOMdream.

I'll blog more of our videos in a few days ;)

'till next post! - k*

My First ONE OK ROCK Live Experience

2016-01-29T00:00:00.000+08:00

"Is that it? No!!! I don't want it to be over!" says my brain after the concert.

Hi guys...I AM BACK!
Happy new year~ My 2016 started with a bang! The last 3 months of 2015 I was really busy with some personal stuff, and just when January started, I became more excited than ever because of the most anticipated event that we ONE OK ROCKers of the Philippines have waited for - none other than ONE OK ROCK's 2016 35XXXV Tour Live in Manila.

MANILA! Photo by Julenphoto

YES! It happened. IT FINALLY HAPPENED!
The long wait for us Filipino fans was already over last January 19, 2016 when ONE OK ROCK rocked the Mall of Asia Arena that evening.

So me and my fellow Davao ONE OK ROCKers flew all the way to Manila to see the boys live.

Davao ONE OK ROCKers ready to rock out!
from left to right: Julius, Nico, yours truly, fellow P.O.O.R. co-admin Kirst, Bang-Bang, Alex, Darlene, and Sally

Wow! I could really call this as a big achievement of our fandom. I didn't expect that we'd be able to make it in such short period of time in preparing just to attend the concert. Some of us took leave from our work, while some of us went absent in school for a few days just to witness this awesome band.

I seriously don't know where to start. It's been more than a week but my mind is such a blur to be honest. Still in the state where I'm having "Post-Concert Depression". Call me abnormal, but I guess that's how just ONE OK ROCK's magic affect me that night.

My Pulp Royalty ID, magazine, and VIP 2 ticket

I'm not sure if I have mentioned it before, but I actually availed the Pulp Royalty ticket for this concert so that I can have that opportunity to meet and greet the band.

Below is a photo of me with some of the Pulp Royalty holders. Nervous and excited at the same time!

From left to right: Tin, Ayra, Sigrid, Kat, and yours truly

Actually, I didn't document the whole meet and greet thing. I did that on purpose so that I can savor each moment of it. Yes, I know it's a bit selfish of me, but I guess those were my feelings at that time. But luckily, some of my friends were able to document the whole thing, like my friend Mei (you can check her blogpost here).

So I guess I will just narrate the whole thing now. It was exactly 4 in the afternoon on that perfect Tuesday afternoon that the gates were officially opened for us royalties so that we can queue up outside the arena for our meet and greet. So I was fifth on the line, while my co-admin Kirst, was fourth. As we ran into our places, we can hear the band having their soundcheck at that time.

"Oh my God! Is that really them?...Is that Taka singing?...oh my...unbelievable.."

Truly unbelievable! We can hear him singing "Last Dance" at that time. I cried. I really did because I'm there! I remember last year I was still wishing for this moment to happen, but at that minute, it's really happening. That moment made me so emotional, but I need to calm down haha. The soundcheck took about 2 hours. The band was playing "Last Dance" and "Stuck in the Middle" over a couple of times. We can actually here them talking and for sure Taka was really trying to get that perfect sound for the concert. My feet were sore but I didn't mind.

6 PM came then it was time for the meet and greet. The first fifteen people were the first batch at that time, and I was part of that batch. We queued up in this small room inside the arena. My whole body was shaking and my mouth was utterly dry. I craved for water so bad, but before I was able to scream for water, one by one the band members passed by my side. First was Toru, then Taka, followed by Tomoya and Ryota. I can't help but stare at Toru! He was so tall as if he was a model. It made me speechless actually. While my friends we're howling their names, I was the last one to shout "TORU!", but yeah, I'm not so sure if he heard that though.

Moving on to the next phase of the meet and greet. As the guys prepare for the picture taking and us fans were still on the queue, I saw Julen, the band's photographer, across the room. So I shouted "HI JULEN!" then he nodded, then I fixed my eyes to the guys, but the very first person that really caught my attention was Toru. So, after Kirst fangirling moment, it was my turn. The scene was like this:

me: Hi! *shakes both hands of Tomoya*

Tomoya: Hey there! *with a very cute smile*

me: Hi Taka! *shakes both hands of Taka*

Taka: Hi! Nice to meet you. Thank you very much for coming! *smiles BIG* etc... (my ears were blocking to whatever he's saying at that time 'cause I want to move on to the next person)

me: *holds both hands of Toru* Hi Toru! I'm Kim.. *smiles*

Toru: Hi Kim *smiles + with a deep voice...I REPEAT: with a deep voice!*

me: Hey Ryota *shakes his hand*

Ryota: Hey! *smiles*

...then photo!!!

ONE OK ROCK with yours truly ;)
from left to right: Tomoya (drums), Taka (vocals), me, Toru (guitars), Ryota (bass)

Then I said thank you to them, but I looked at Taka, because if I looked at Toru, I'd probably faint on the spot, and that'd be bad.

"Whew! So that was it? IT WAS EFFIN' QUICK! Barely sinking in my system! Can I go back?...God! I wish I could.... AWWWWWW TAKE ME BAAAACK!!!!" - my exact thoughts while I was in front of the stage near the barricade waiting for the show the start.

I'm this close!

making sure that I was in front of Toru

from left to right: Tin, Kat, and yours truly

The next batch of the photos are from Julenphoto and Stephen Lavoie of Rappler.com during the concert.

Heartache on the sea of lights. Photo by Julenphoto

The sexy bassist. Photo by Julenphoto

Group shot! Photo by Julenphoto

Tomoyaaaaaaa!!! God I love him! He's the best! Photo by Julenphoto

Wherever you are, Toru, you know I'm always by your side. Photo by Julenphoto

The "kulit" moments of Toru and Tomoya. Photo by Julenphoto

Is this our last dance? I hope it's not. Photo by Stephen Lavoie

It's just...amazing. Photo by Stephen Lavoie

The banner! Photo by Stephen Lavoie

It was awesome ONE OK ROCK! Thank you very much! Photo by Stephen Lavoie

The show was incredible! ONE OK ROCK's energy on stage was amazing. They were all hyped the whole time, fueled by the crowd's passion for the band. The moment was perfect, although it was a bit noisy because everyone really loved to sing along to every song. It's as if it wasn't a concert for me, it's more of a "sing-along-with-Taka" night! The volume of Taka's mic was almost up to the level of the crowd's roar. A fun night indeed! Me as a fan, I can really see the look at each member's face. They were amazed by us Filipino fans. Like we were the most irreplaceable crowd they've ever encountered in their lives.

See that?! Even Julen says so haha!
*Screenshot from my photo comment on Facebook*

...and I could never be more proud. ONE OK ROCK was there to deliver us some great entertainment, but instead, the band was the one in awe because of our love for them. HOORAY PHILIPPINES! YOU MADE IT!!!

my signed poster from the band

Us Pulp Royalty holders, we were allowed to give gifts to the band, so me and Kirst decided to give this customized Disney Princess x ONE OK ROCK clay keychains to each member of the band. Cute isn't it?

made by The Tiny Clay Factory

And as for me, I also did have individual gifts for each member and with a letter attached to it as well. But last December I made a HUGE birthday card for Toru with birthday messages from Davao ONE OK ROCKers. Plus! I also have a special gift for him. I hope he gets it by now ;)

le birthday card *___*

That night was more magical than a trip to Disneyland.
A year ago, I only watched them on DVD or in Youtube, but nothing compares to their live performance. My eyes, ears, and feet never got tired. I enjoyed every moment of it. I don't want the night to end, but at some point I knew it had to be over.

I jumped, screamed, shouted, sang, did some dangerous headbanging, clapped, raised my hands...and sang more to their songs that night. Taka's voice is a million times better in live. His voice was big enough to captivate the hearts of the fans. Ryota was unknowingly sexy. He smiles then sticks his tongue out to the audience. He's got that HD abs alright. Tomoya was like a kid, but when it comes to drum-playing, man he's the best! He may be at the back playing, but there were moments that he couldn't help but look at the crowd and flashes his smile out. And there's Toru. The ultimate guitar hero for me. 80% of the time my attention was his. He's a show-stopper. People were in amazed by his presence, even I myself was surprised by it. He was more that what I expect him to be. Just can't get enough of him really :D

So this was my very first ONE OK ROCK live experience...and I can't wait to experience more of it in the future! Once you'll get a taste of them, you'll definitely crave for more.

See you again soon Taka, Ryota, Tomoya, and Toru!
I love you. We love you. Philippines love you!

...so that's it, guys!
'till next post! - k*

That fan talk with Mei

2015-12-22T00:00:00.000+08:00

Hi guys!
Whoa! And now we're down to 28 days to go for the very first ONE OK ROCK concert here in the Philippines. So are you guys excited? I know I am :D
For today's post it's all about revenge...well, the good kind of way ;) Actually last October, my amazing friend Mei Manuel (owner of Autumn Sky X ONE OK ROCK), featured an interview of me as a fan of ONE OK ROCK on her blog. *To read my interview, click here.

Lately Mei has been featuring random fans on her blog for an interview about their love for ONE OK ROCK. Better check it out you guys. It's really interesting to read the fans' stories, and some lucky ones like me, got featured in Pulp magazine's December 2015 issue.

...and now it's my turn to interview the majestic Mei as a huge fan of this band. So here's how it went...
_________________________________________________________________________________

Kim: Where did you first hear about ONE OK ROCK and how?

Mei: Like many fans here in the country, I heard about OOR in the ending credits of the first Rurouni Kenshin movie.

Kim: I know that for every fan there's always that ONE song from this band that changed their life forever, so what song was that for you?

Mei: Hmmm. I cant say for certain as to what song got me. But I would definitely say its The Beginning since after that one song, that was it coz it could also be Mighty Long Fall or Heartache.

Kim: Wow! but how about your most favorite song from the band then?

Mei: Hmmm I have loads. Right now Im rallying between The Way Back japanese version and Juvenile.

Kim: Favorite member of the band and why?

Mei: Definitely Taka. There is just this aura on him that glues the band together. As he sings, you know its not just him making the music, its the entire band. Plus he is admittedly handsome.

Kim: Did their music moved you in a particular way as a person?

Mei: Yes definitely. It gives you another niche to try out new things. As the lyrics of Juvenile go, "dont be shy whenever you want something. what you waiting for?"

Kim: So I'm gonna ask this to you, because to us fans the band merchandise is like the "Holy Grail" for us, right? So out of all the merch you have, which one's your favorite or the one that you are most proud of to have? 'coz mine would be that Toru shirt HAHAHAHA

Mei: I guess right now its the Vans X OOR shoes 'coz only a few could safely say we have it hahaha

Kim: wow lucky you! That shoes was designed by Taka also, right?

Mei: Yup! as you are aware, I sold my first pair but i did get another one. right now those shoes are worth 15000 yen so haha yes, its my holy grail at the moment.

Kim: Nice one! Okay, so next question, out of all the ONE OK ROCK albums released from Zeitakubyou up to the latest 35XXXV Deluxe Edition, which one is your favorite and why?

Mei: JinseiXBoku=. The raw emotions in that album is straight up. You know the band is in their next frontier and they are giving it all they have before they move to that frontier.

Kim: Well said with that one. And yes, jinseixboku= is my fave from them as well :) I'm done with all the fan questions, so let's move onto the most awaited event of 2016! How did you feel about when OOR announced that they will be having their concert at the Mall of Asia Arena this coming January 19th?

Mei: Elated! I have seen the fillers from P.O.O.R. and rumors that Amuse would be announcing something extraordinary sometime June. I originally wanted to watch them in Makuhari Messe last September, but I didnt go out of another thing. When it was finally confirmed, I thought it was a birthday gift fulfilled as the tickets would be sold a day before my birthday.

Kim: Now we're down to my final question, Mei. If you get to meet the guys from OOR in person, what would you like to say to them in person? Since I know we'd all be like speechless when that time comes *laughs*

Mei: After thanking them profusely, I'd say "Never let the criticisms get to you guys. Just keep making the music you know feels right and us fans will support you all the way. Don't stop and keep moving forward. But never forget to look back every once in a while when you need guidance. Rock Manila down hard and we hope you come back for more. From the bottom of my heart, I love you guys so much as your music brought me out of my comfort zone and challenged my limits"

Kim: Thank you mei...いい上です!

__________________________________________________________________________________________

...and that's it!

I had a blast talking to her about our favorite band and it was indeed my pleasure to feature her on My Random Reality.

Can you tell? Mei herself is super excited for ONE OK ROCK 2016 35XXXV Asia Live Tour.

'till next post! - k*

ONE OK ROCK's 35XXXV Deluxe Edition REVIEW

2015-10-27T12:58:00.002+08:00

Hey there my fellow OORers!!! Today I'm sharing to you my thoughts about ONE OK ROCK's latest album which is the 35XXXV Deluxe Edition.

Released last September 25, 2015, the most-awaited US debut album of ONE OK ROCK under Warner Bros. was selling like crazy! Fans of the band all over the world rushed thru the stores and instantly bought hard copies of the CD, while some just purchased the album via iTunes, and some fans, like me, pre-ordered the CD via online thru CDJapan (because records stores don't sell them here in the Philippines even though this album was already under WB T^T).

Anyways, so what's with this album? The 35XXXV Deluxe Edition still covers the same songs from 35XXXV, but all of the tracks are in English. Plus they added two (2) new tracks that were not included on the previous album, entitled "Last Dance" and "The Way Back".

The Tracks:

35XXXV
Take Me To The Top
Cry Out

Suddenly
Mighty Long Fall
Heartache
Memories
Decision (feat. Tyler Carter of ISSUES)
Paper Planes (feat. Kellin Quinn of Sleeping With Sirens)
Good Goodbye
One By One
Stuck In The Middle
Fight The Night
Last Dance

The Way Back

So, what are my thoughts about this new album?

Hmm...I must say, ONE OK ROCK did a very smart move on this one. To be honest I'm really proud of them. It's true that the 35XXXV is not really my favorite album from them, but when they released the deluxe edition, I totally understand why.

From my previous post, I did mention there that it was "too Americanized", but that is if I was not open to the changes the band makes. But when the deluxe edition was out and finally was able listen to the English tracks, the songs did fit for the American taste.

Yes, I get it! The band really does want to make it big in the US. Truly the 35XXXV was all about battling for their dream. I remember watching one of their live concerts, (I think that was the 'Zankyo Reference' tour) Taka did say there that their goal is to be the best band ever and they want everyone in this world to hear the wonderful music ONE OK ROCK makes.

Awww..I couldn't be more happier for them.

I have to say, I have a few faves from the deluxe edition, and that's:

Cry Out - Okay, when I first heard 'Cry Out', the song did sound better when all of the lyrics are in English! Well, for me though.
Heartache - The Japanese version made me shed tears, but the English version just breaks my heart everytime I hear it.
Decision - it was totally a solid duet.
Last Dance - Trivia: Taka did mention in one of his interviews that this was a prom-inspired song.
The Way Back - They did explore their sounds in this song and that's the main reason why I love it, and also this track kinda reminded me a bit of Paramore.

...and those are my thoughts about the 35XXXV Deluxe Edition of ONE OK ROCK. If you want to check out my review of their previous album '35XXXV', you may click here :)

You may also listen to 35XXXV Deluxe Edition for FREE via online streaming! Click here \m/

photo from @10969taka's IG

So that's it guys! Hope you enjoyed reading this one ;)

Damn! I can't wait to see these guys LIVE soon!

'till next post! - k*

ONE OK ROCK Live in Manila

2015-09-14T14:39:00.000+08:00

Last August 31, 2015, my Facebook page was flooded with excitement and tension because of Amuse Inc.'s long-awaited announcement of all: the ONE OK ROCK 2016 35xxxv Asia Tour!

photo by Amuse Inc. Asia

Would you look at that?! The Philippines is on the list!

This means that ONE OK ROCK will be having their very first concert in Manila on January 19, 2016!!!

photo courtesy of Pulp Live World Inc.
the official producer of ONE OK ROCK Live in Manila

I'd surely thank the heavens for this, and to all the people who took all of their time, effort, and patience on persuading the concert producers and admins to make this all possible.

The long wait is over, my fellow Filipino OORers! These boys are ready to rock out the stage at the Mall of Asia Arena next year. I can't hardly wait, and to tell you the truth, I find it really hard to sleep at night because of the excitement.

And not long enough, that very same week when the announcement was released, Pulp Live World already released the seat plan and ticket prices for the concert.

I'm pretty sure any Filipino fan like me was totally stoked, and probably - no, but surely, will try to aim for VIP standing to get that full ONE OK ROCK concert experience.

photo courtesy of Pulp Live World Inc.
the official producer of ONE OK ROCK Live in Manila

photo courtesy of Philippines' ONE OK ROCKers Facebook page

I know most people around me (except for my friends who happen to be fans of the band), won't understand how I feel right now. Deep inside I was panicking and I'm all fired up, but outside I have to keep down my cool or else my mom would think that I'm clearly obsessed with them. Well, I am already though and no one could deny that fact ;p

This concert is actually like a good timing for me, because on January 2016, it will be my first anniversary as a total fangirl of this band, and it would be really great to celebrate that with having the opportunity to see these guys perform live...awwww like a dream come true!

So if you haven't heard anything about this band, might I suggest that you watch this new MV from them. It's one of their songs on their upcoming new album, the 35xxxv Deluxe Edition (release date: September 25, 2015). Yes, they are a Japanese band, but this song has pure English lyrics, and I totally love this one than the Japanese version.

I've gotta say, these guys have the best fans in the world! I can't wait to see them live!!!

For more info about their upcoming live concert here in Manila, check out these websites:

ONE OK ROCK's website: http://www.oneokrock.com/
Pulp Live World: http://pulpliveworld.com/shows/2016/one-ok-rock
Amuse Inc. Asia: https://www.facebook.com/Amuse.Inc.Asia

Tickets will go on sale on September 26, 2015 at exactly 10 AM on all SM ticket outlets nationwide. For more info, visit https://smtickets.com/

If you truly love music and would really love see true talented artists, I really do recommend you guys to watch ONE OK ROCK live. These guys are worth it! Truth is, I fell in love with them more when I saw their live performances on Youtube. They gave me chills and I had that feeling that these guys are one of a kind.

KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~ Some songs that I would really love to hear live are 'Deeper Deeper', 'Clock Strikes', 'Let's Take It Someday', 'Kimi Shidai Ressha', 'Mighty Long Fall', and the best song ever - 'KANZEN KANKAKU DREAMER' \m/

So, what songs are you longing to hear them play live?

Let me know through the comments below. :)

'till next post! - k*

Heartaches and Pancakes

2015-06-22T00:23:00.000+08:00

Hi guys!
So I've been busy these past few weeks and I do miss blogging...A LOT!. That's why right now I am going to share to you the recipe of my current obsession: PANCAKES.

source: http://totalbeverage.net/wp-content/uploads/Pancakes.jpg

What about these pancakes?
Hmm...Actually I don't know really. But I find them very comforting, though. It may be a bit weird that I am associating them with heartaches but pancakes are known to be the ultimate comfort food in almost any time of the day. It may be everyone's favorite breakfast, but I could eat this stuff all day long whenever I feel down, or just plain hungry :P

...and here it is!

Ingredients (for 3-4 large pancakes or 5-6 medium-sized pancakes):

1 cup cake flour (or all purpose flour)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 large egg
3 tbsp. sugar
140 ml milk
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
maple syrup
butter
jam (optional)

Steps on how to make the ultimate homemade pancakes:

Mix all the dry ingredients together (flour and baking powder), then sieve them into a bowl with a mesh strainer.
In a separate bowl, beat one large egg using a balloon whisk, then add the sugar. Mix it very well and make sure that the sugar is complete dissolved.
After the sugar is completely dissolved, pour in the rest of the wet ingredients (milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract), then mix them thoroughly.
Slowly pour the egg mixture into the flour. Using a balloon whisk, gradually mix the flour from the center to the outside to avoid pockets of dry flour. When the flour is completely moistened, it is ready to cook in a pan.
Thinly coat the pan with a vegetable oil using a paper towel, then turn on the burner (in low heat) and heat the pan.
Ladle the batter into the pan. Now this is the part where you get to decide the size of the pancake that you are going to make.
When small bubbles begin to form on top and the bottom is golden brown, flip it over. To make the both sides puff up, it is best to do this when the top is still in a fluid condition.
Repeat steps 6 and 7 until you are completely satisfied with the number of pancakes.
Once you are done, you can now stack them all in one plate, put on some butter and maple syrup if you like..and then, it is ready to eat!

Tips:

If you think that the batter is a bit rough and sticky, you can add milk gradually until the desired thickness of the batter is achieved.
To make blueberry pancakes, add 2 tbsp of blueberry jam and mix into the batter before cooking them.

To make chocolate chip pancakes, spread some fair amount of chocolate chips into the batter while it is being cooked in the pan.
Be creative! Aside from the traditional butter and maple syrup, you may put on some jam, Nutella, whipped cream, ice cream, cookie butter, nuts, icing sugar, bananas, bacon, fried eggs, etc... Whatever your taste buds are craving!

...and that's pretty much it!

Me I like my pancakes with Nutella, strawberry jam, bananas, maple syrup, and butter. Ugh! Eating it can make me forget all of my problems :D

I hope you would try this recipe. It has been proven and tested. I've tried this several times and family loved it! I know that buying a pancake mix would be a whole lot easier, but I think making pancakes from scratch is better, especially when you are going through heartache.

...so how about listening to this song while making it? It'll definitely help you ease that pain haha

'till next post! - k*

ONE OK ROCK Top 12 picks

2015-04-25T20:03:00.001+08:00

Hi guys and fellow ONE OK ROCKers!

First of all, I want to thank you guys for checking out my reviews of the ONE OK ROCK albums. I have received some feedback from some other fans, and with that at least I can say that ONE OK ROCKers all over the world are very active, and I'm so happy with that.

So for today's blogpost, I'm going to share to you my top 12 favorite songs from the band ONE OK ROCK. I know that in my previous post, I've mentioned there "top 10", but I can't just get enough of them! Plus, 12 is my favorite number.

All ONE OK ROCK songs are great (I guarantee that!), but you know as a fan, we all do have our own personal preferences, right? Again, this blogpost is just based on my own opinion and I don't intend to offend anyone with this post (...but if you're a die-hard fan, and you don't agree with my picks, forgive me, okay? T.T)

..and if you're a newbie, you can also make this top picks of mine as your guide, if you ever feel lost and you don't know which songs to listen first.

...and here are my Top 12 favorite songs of ONE OK ROCK!!!

12.) "Notes'n'words" - This track was included on the band's single 'The Beginning'. The very first time I heard this one, I keep on asking myself "seriously, is this Taka singing?". It's a very sweet ballad from ONE OK ROCK. If you're a hopeless romantic, you'll really love this one. I really find it amazing that the band does enjoy doing some songs that are out of their comfort zone.

11.) "Yokubou ni michita seinendan" (欲望に満ちた青年団/trans: Youth full of desire) - From the album Zeitakubyou. For me, I just love the vibe of this song. You'll know why when you listen to it. I can never get enough of it! I've gotta say I have to blame the acoustic version of this song played during the Mighty Long Fall in Yokohama Stadium last 2014.

10.) "All Mine" - From the album Jinsei x Boku =. I have so many reasons why this song should be on my top 12 list. First of all is that I fell in love with the arrangement of the song. The piano, the violin, and the cello really stole my heart. Plus Taka's vocals is the best! I find this one very unique. Since ONE OK ROCK is known to be as a rock band, who would've thought that they would nail such pretty ballads?

9.) "Wherever You Are" - From the album Niche Syndrome. I'm not just a romanticist, I'm a ONE OK ROCKer. Whatever the band is up to, I'll definitely give them my 1000% support in everything. This song is definitely a classic. I guess every ONE OK ROCKer, non-OORer, and newbie love this song! It's a catchy song and also a sweet rock ballad that will melt the hearts of people.

8.) "The Beginning" - This list would not be complete if I don't include this one. Just joking! 'The Beginning' is definitely one of my faves, and it'll always be. The very first time I heard this one was 3 years ago, and ever since that day, I actually thought that this band is very cool, even though I'm still not a die-hard fan of theirs at that time.

7.) "Deeper Deeper" - Oh how I would really love to see them perform this song LIVE! I think it's going to be really fun. This song really makes me wanna dance with my head bangin' haha.

6.) "Juvenile" - From the album Jinsei x Boku =. The reason why I included this song is that I really love the lyrics. ONE OK ROCK never fails to encourage me to follow my dreams. It may be a rock song, but whatever! I love rock anyway. It's one of those ONE OK ROCK tracks written in English so that their fans from other parts of the world could understand the song. So, whenever you feel demotivated, you have to listen to this!

5.) "Kaimu" (皆無/trans: Nothingness) - From the album Kanjou Effect. The very first time I heard this one was on their Zankyo Reference Tour, and I have to say, by the way they write their songs, this band will really make it big. The lyrics may be in Japanese, but even if you don't understand the song, you'll definitely get hooked! This is one of the ONE OK ROCK songs that is beautifully written.

4.) "Kimishidai Ressha" (キミシダイ列車/trans: Your own train) - From the album Zankyo Reference. I super love this song! It sure brings a positive outlook in life if ever you feel down, and that's why this song has to be on my top 4.

3.) "Heartache" - From the album 35XXXV. Because of this song, I'm addicted to this band. Thank you very much, 'Heartache'! Don't worry, this song did not give me a heartache. The reason why I fell in love with the track was that Taka delivered it perfectly. When you listen to this, I'm sorry, but I guess you will really remember the person who broke your heart.

2.) "Clock Strikes" - From the album Jinsei x Boku =. Another song that made me fell in love more with ONE OK ROCK. The LIVE version just feels like you're out of this world. And the lyrics are really nice. Whenever I hear this one, I became really nostalgic about things. I guess that's one of the criteria that makes a great song, and 'Clock Strikes' is one of them.

....and the no. 1 spot goes to....

1.) "Kanzen Kankaku Dreamer" (完全感覚Dreamer/trans: Perfect Sense Dreamer) - All I can say is that, THIS IS THE BEST ONE OK ROCK SONG EVEEEEEEER!!!! Well, for me of course. I have heard all of their songs, including the collabs, but nothing beats ever 'Kanzen Kankaku Dreamer' for me. First, my heart beats for the intro, when Taka starts to sing, I'm instantly in my own world. Whenever I play this one, I can't seem to stop! From the mp3 version, to the music video, to the live version, 'till I find myself watching a ONE OK ROCK live concert all over again. Trust me, it's addicting.

...and that's it! I hope I did justice with this post. I was just sharing my own list of favorite tracks of ONE OK ROCK to you guys, and I hope you liked it.

To my fellow ONE OK ROCKers, what are your favorite songs from this band?! Let me know through your comments below.

So guys, I really really really do hope you enjoy this post of mine. If you want to share this to people who wanna listen to something new or who are interested on listening to ONE OK ROCK, please do so :) I might be busy for the next few weeks or months, so I guess I won't be blogging much again *sighs*, but...

KEEP ROCKIN' YOU GUYS! \m/

'till next post! - k*

The all new "35XXXV " of ONE OK ROCK

2015-04-22T20:30:00.000+08:00

Hi guys and fellow ONE OK ROCKers!

It all comes down to this. After a several reviews/insights of OOR albums, it's now time for the album, 35XXXV, to be on the spotlight.

35XXXV (read as thirty-five) is the 7th full-length studio album of ONE OK ROCK, which was just released last February 11, 2015. This is the very first album of the band that was primarily recorded in the US, and it was also co-produced by John Feldmann.

Finally, ONE OK ROCK is now on the top of their game! They have been dreaming of this and they have worked so hard for it to come true. Only a few Japanese artists get to have the chance to make it to the US, and ONE OK ROCK is so blessed to make it this far.

So now, I'm gonna do my best to express my feelings with this American-produced album of OOR... and here it goes..

The Tracks:

3xxxv5 - Taka said that this was the last track they made before the album was released. Must be because they were trying to figure out the whole story of the album and I can feel a lot of mixed emotions with this intro since this is like a stepping stone for them. I love the part where they mixed the Japanese and English rap together.
Take Me To The Top - Just like the previous albums, Niche Syndrome and Zankyo Reference, they start it off with a pure English track in this album, and that's not really shocking because I know they are trying to target the American market this time. A very powerful track that showcases all of the band's strengths. There's a lot of screams which is not bad at all.
Cry Out - This track is one of my favorites because I love the lyrics, but....there's a big BUT! the back up vocals, I find it a bit disturbing and I don't even know why T.T

Suddenly - It's one of those tracks in the album where I'm so-so. It's not really a bad track, it's actually catchy, plus the lyrics are in English, but this one kinda reminds me of some punk-rock bands in the US. Expect that this track is highly influenced by them.
Mighty Long Fall - This is the OST of 'Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno'. I find this track very cool. Definitely a ONE OK ROCK original when you hear it, but again something annoys me, must be that there's too much effects in the song. I would've want it to be a bit raw, but hey! Again, they wanted to try new things, right? That's not bad at all. When I heard the acoustic version of this song, I really loved it!

Heartache - The best track in the album everrrr!!! When I first heard this one, I almost broke down inside (know more about it here). 'Heartache' is the OST of 'Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends', and it's this song the main reason why I am THIS addicted to the band right now! (If you hear it, you'll know why). This is the album's ballad. When Taka was interviewed about their new album, he said that he was tired of singing 'Wherever You Are' during live concerts and that they really worked hard on making a new ballad piece that they can perform during lives, and it's going to be this 'Heartache' track. The part that really struck me most is the chorus.."so this is heartache...so this is heartache".. awww the chills, dude!

Memories - I like this track from the album. There's full of teenage angst on it, and I was actually expecting that this was going to be a sucky American-influenced track, but once again, ONE OK ROCK nailed it!
Decision (featured in FOOL COOL ROCK) - Hmmm...Yes, I know this song is one of the best in the album. I actually like it, but I prefer the acoustic version more than the full band. The only thing I hate about the full band version is that it reminded me more of Fall Out Boy, than OOR.

Paper Planes (feat. Kellin Quinn of Sleeping with Sirens) - Trust me, this is a pop song. I'm a bit disappointed with this track. No offense to Kellin Quinn, I mean he's great, but this song is just too Americanized for me. At first, I thought this track was catchy, but at the end of the day, it's annoying! I was expecting that their collab was going to be something like whoa and not a shitty pop track.
Good Goodbye - It's one of those tracks in the album where you are allowed to rape the replay button as much as you like. I find this one to be very relaxing. It's like if you're too disappointed with 'Paper Planes', 'Good Goodbye' is going to chill you out. Imagine that one perfect song that you want to play in your car for a long drive in a one Sunday afternoon. Taka's falsetto in the chorus is the thing!
One By One - Are we going to a war?! haha! These guys are really fighting for their dreams, and they know that it's not going to be easy. When I first heard this one, I was trying to picture something on my mind, like the fight to achieve your dreams. It must be one hell of a war. The screams are just, ugh! Very powerful and I call it as "beautiful desperation".
Stuck in the Middle - After going to that war, there is always a point where you're gonna think if what you're fighting for is worth it all now that you're left with nothing. I get it all in this song, and this is definitely one of those meaningful songs in the album. If you're in the middle of a mid-life crisis and you want to shout it all out, then this track must be the one for you. Take time to listen to it.
Fight The Night - What a perfect way to end things. 'Fight The Night' is one of my faves from this album. When you hear it, you can say it's a ONE OK ROCK original, even though the intro is kinda of a Maroon 5-ish. It seems like that they really want to reach out to their fans in the west. Since ONE OK ROCK make songs not just for pure fun, but also to inspire people, they have already accomplished that here in Asia and Europe, and I can really tell that this time, they are hoping that they will also touch the hearts of their fans in America. This song is full of hope, and I know Taka is really good at making lyrics with those kind of songs in Japanese and Japlish, but this song blew me away because it was beautifully written in English.

Overall: 7/10. I love ONE OK ROCK, I really do. It's just that this album was too Americanized for me. But that's okay. I know that the band's goal with this album is to expand their popularity in the US, and I couldn't be more happy with that.

ONE OK ROCK: Mighty Long Fall in Yokohama Stadium

To summarize my thoughts about '35XXXV':

It's not that I hate it, I'm just so-so with this album. There were great tracks, and there were also not-so-great tracks, but I have a great respect for the band for their craft.
I love the fact that they have included six (6) English tracks this time to gather more attention to their non-Japanese fans. Those tracks were Take Me To The Top, Suddenly, Paper Planes, Good Goodbye, One By One, and Fight The Night.
I know most songs from this album have more sound effects compared to their previous albums, and that's what made this album more westernized. But whatever! I know that this band really sound better when they perform live!

...and that's it! THE END.

haha! Just kidding :)

So guys, if you haven't heard about this awesome band, ONE OK ROCK, you really gotta check 'em out. Trust me, you'll thank me one day. :P

And for those who are die-hard fans of the band, what do you think about their new album '35XXXV'? Let me know through your comments below.

check out my other ONE OK ROCK album reviews:

By the way... There's going to be a '35XXXV' Asian tour soon, right? I'm still waiting for the announcement of dates. I really really REEEEEAAAAAAALLLLLLLLYYYYY want to see them perform LIVE! I know it's going to be awesome! I'm sure all fans of ONE OK ROCK are dying to meet them in person, and I'm definitely one of them.

Stay tuned for more blog posts! I'll share my top 10 favorite songs of ONE OK ROCK very soon :)

'till next post! - k*