Filed under: Uncategorized
1. 
Tohoshinki – Five In The Black
Oldie but so good. I’ve been jamming like a crazed fan. Plus, I’ll fangirl over Yunho as much as I want to. Leave me alone. I have no shame.
Favorites: “Miss You”, “Choosey Lover”, “High Time” and “Proud”
2. 
SHINee – The SHINee World
I tried not to like them because their look is a little too cutie-pie for my taste, but I fell instantly and hard. Their music is not how I expected it to be at all! I am pleasantly surprised.
Favorites: “Love’s Way”, “Yi Si Fuera Ella”, “One For Me” and “Four Seasons”
3. 
Utada – This Is The One
The album art isn’t too great and the lyrics are quite silly, but I will always adore Utada and anything she puts her hands on. Her cover songs are some of my favorites.
Favorites: “Taking My Money Back”, “Dirty Desire”, “Apple and Cinnamon” and “This One (Crying Like A Child)”
That’s about it. I’ll maybe post something real someday soon.
Filed under: free writing | Tags: diversity, korean, opinion/free write, pop music
If you’re a personal friend of mine, you will know that I love music from other countries. Last year I was absorbed with everything German, particularly Tokio Hotel and German hip-hop music. And more recently I have been on an obsessive Korean pop music kick. The K-Pop tunes of people like Big Bang, DBSK, Lee Hyori, etc. have currently taken over my iTunes, Last.fm and my life respectively. I don’t understand most of what they say in the music seeing as I’m very much a beginner to the Korean and German languages, but as long as it’s fun to dance to and has a good beat, I’m all ears. Amidst all of my addictive tendencies and constant music downloading, I began to think of the fact that American pop music charts have very little diversity.
Back in my day, which isn’t very long ago considering I’m only 23, I could probably name about five to 15 musicians, give or take, who were not white or black and have had success in the pop music industry and are still relatively well known. I’m sure the numbers have changed somewhat, but overall not too dramatically. If I’m wrong, please prove me wrong.
The point is, I’d love to see more than the Britneys or Justins have well-known, popular reputations – be them good or bad – in pop music. Korean artists Se7en and BoA are both attempting to debut English-speaking albums to the U.S. this year and it’s quite sad that they will most likely fail because there is no market for them. Both of their hopeful debuting singles are catchy and club-friendly, and had they been by Britney Spears or Justin Timberlake they’d most likely be instant hits. I’m sure someone could argue that most countries stick to their “own kind” in the media as well, but I think a lot of those countries are at least a little more accepting. I’m going to be bold and say that there is hardly anyone who doesn’t know the two American artists I have listed above and one of their songs, at least in the teenage to young adult age range.
Overall, I would appreciate people to open their minds, their hearts and their ears and realize that there are amazing things in the world that aren’t confined within our borders. Explore. You might encounter something you’d never imagine enjoying in a million years.
This is a completely opinionated, written-out-of-insomnia blog. Most of my facts have probably been tweaked in my mind or have no significance at all. I don’t mean to offend anyone or anything.
