FT Island Sentimental at Fan Event

I wanted to share this article that I saw tonight on AllKpop.

It was about, one of my fave's, FT Island, at their latest fan signing event at Youngdeungpo Times Square.

Photo Credit: AllKpop via Naver and Chosun News

What immediately caught my eye was how happy the fellas looked. They were smiling genuinely, it seems, and they were even acting a little bit silly. (Hong Ki was wearing a black and purple polka dotted bat head band. Perfect for Halloween!) Indeed they looked like they were having a good time.

They later commented: “It was fun and great to meet that many fans up close. We are so thankful to our fans who always worry about us and give us so much love“.

So sweet... I'm sure their Korean fans in attendance were very happy.

Source: AllKpop

G-Dragon Getting His "Crayon"

"Get your crayon get your crayon get your cray get your crayon..."

This is the song that I heard this morning during my morning drive. As I listened to G-Dragon rap and sing, he kept on repeating the phrase above.

Odd...I know the song is called "Crayon", but it sounded like he was saying two separate words. Like "get your cray-on get your cray-on".

I then concluded that K-Pop artists can pretty much rap and sing about anything. Including a crayon. Just put a beat to it, add someone cute that can rap/sing, and there you go.

Just kidding, I know it's not that easy. And I don't mean to offend. But it does amaze me the different things that K-Pop artists sing about. (Another example? Orange Caramel's "Lipstick".)

If only I were that talented.

Source: Video credit to BigBang. For the full lyrics to G-Dragon's song "Crayon", click here to see the English and romanization.

Celebrating CNBlue!

Well, the concert is over and done with. And survey says...CNBlue is a hit in London!

According to a review in the Korean Times, it is "the best live K-rock gig" they've ever enjoyed. Considering this is the first time that a live K-PopRock band has ever played in Europe, it seems that CNBlue had made quite a first impression! Who's next? They're already asking for FT Island!

To celebrate their successful completion of their first European concert, I've complied a video playlist of sorts on this post which includes some of their most popular songs.

Please enjoy! And keep on rocking!

I'm A Loner

Love Girl

Hey You

In My Head

Note: I do not own any of the videos. Rights go to FNC Entertainment, CNBlue and the respective parties that posted each video.

Article Source: Korean Times

Breaking Down "Primadonna"

I was singing through my repertoire of musicals, just cause I was bored while doing laundry, and as I was singing "Primadonna" from the Phantom of the Opera I thought of something.

In Italian, it means "first lady" of the opera house (prima=first, star, one and only. Donna=lady)

In the U.S. it has received a more negative connotation, meaning "diva" or a spoiled star.

Being brought up in the U.S., I naturally thought of our interpretation of Primadonna when I heard this was the name of FT Island's fan club, and also the name of one of their songs for their fans. I really thought it was odd, and felt insulted for all their fans. Why in the world would you name your fans spoiled ladies?

Then, as I was watching an interview, English subbed of course, FT Island members explained that they named their fans this because they are their friends for life or "BFF's". Basically saying that these fans were their one and only. And it made sense. How appropriate if you think of it.

Pri's are constantly there for FT Island. Dedicated and die hard. Cheering them on through thick and thin, good times and bad. Trying to take care of them with gifts. To be raised on such a pedestal by an idol band, it's a lot to live up to. To be one, is difficult, as they do not offer membership outside of Asia. (As far as I know. I can say I'm one, unofficially.)

In this noona's eyes, FT Island is lucky to have their fans. And Pri's are lucky to be a part of FT Island's lives. I hope they never let each other down.

On a similar note, is there any way of starting up a Primadonna club here in the States?

CNBlue Stunned By Fans Awaiting at Airport

The members of CNBlue (minus bassist Lee Jung Shin, who is currently wrapping up a drama) were taken by surprise when they arrived at London's Heathrow Airport on Thursday, September 20th.

So were the airport security as they had only anticipated the initial 50 or so fans. But thanks to social networks, more fans flocked to the airport as soon as they knew that the band had arrived. A mass had arrived so fast, more than 400 fans, that security had a hard time escorting the young men safely to their transportation.

For those of you not in the know, South Korean K-PopRock band, CNBlue, is now in London for their concert on Saturday, September 22nd.

Fans and die hard Boices, pronounced as "voices" but beginning with a letter "b", (CNBlue's official fan club) will certainly be in for a treat. If their performance earlier in the United States was any indication, the young men of CNBlue are no ordinary boy band. They actually rock on the stage, actually interact with the audience, and not just "perform". They are the real deal.

I hope they get to perform a lot of Jung Yong Hwa's songs since he's been actively composing since promotions for their album, "Ear Fun", ended earlier this year. But I also hope they'll perform their oldies but goodies such as "Alone" and "Love Girl" for their fans.

I'll be interested to know how many times Leader Jung Yong Hwa screams "make some noise!" to all the attending fans. He seemed to love that expression! I'm sure he's added more expressions since then.

Get ready to rock, London!

Source: AllKpop

For more information on the group, the Korean Times actually wrote up a nice little article. Click here to read it.

CNBlue Going to London!

Photo courtesy of FNC Entertainment

Are you ready London?? Make some noiiise!! As I posted earlier, one of my favorite bands, CNBlue, will be holding it's first concert in London, England on September 22nd. That's this weekend already! How exciting!

The group is getting ready to leave South Korea. I'm sure the fab four has a great concert planned and I hope their fans in Europe mop up whatever tickets are left over.

The guys will be nervous being in a new country and all, so please be kind to them. And don't forget to rock out!

Jung Yong Hwa, Lee Jong Hyun, Lee Jung Shin, Kang Min Hyuk, hope you won't be scared. Have fun, do your best! CNBlue, hwaiting!

Source: AllKpop

Super Junior's Siwon Shows Kindheartedness

Super Junior's Choi Siwon surprised his soon to be daily family (for the next few months anyway) with cake and drinks for the actors and production staff on the set of his new drama, "King of Drama".

This Soldier of Light is too much! And I mean that in a good way. Who wouldn't be charmed by such a personality like his?

If I were working on set, I would sure be grateful and at the same time would look forward to working with this kindhearted fella.

Anyone notice that this is a trend among stars? Give presents or serve meals to well-deserving and hard working staff. Such great appreciation. (Rarely hear about this in the States) Although, I haven't heard of a star begin to take care of the cast and crew at the beginning of production. Brownie points for Mr. Choi!

I'm currently enjoying watching "Faith" with Lee Min Ho, but I'll be sure to tune in to watch Siwon in this drama when it replaces "Faith" in November.

Source: AllKpop

Actress Kim Haneul Bullied as a Child

I've been writing a bunch about FT Island recently so I decided to take a break. Tonight I read an article on AllKPop about Kim Haneul.

Kim Haneul is one of Korea's top actresses, but that's not what caught my eye. What caught my eye was that she was opening up about some bad experiences as a child.

She revealed in an interview that she had been bullied a couple of times in elementary and junior high school.

She had tried to get closer to kids, but when she tried to, kids would ask why she was staring at them. I'm thinking there was more that they said thant that, but it didn't come over in translation. She became so withdrawn, ate alone at lunch, and didn't want to talk to anyone after those incidents.

Eventually, she transferred schools and was able to make new friends.

Why am I writing about this? Cause I was a victim of bullying and I know a couple of others who were bullied when they were younger.

Kids are so innocent. Sometimes they forget their actions hurt other people. Some may do it intentionally, like pull hair or take personal things away.

It's not cool. It wasn't cool then, and it certainly isn't cool now.

Bullying is a problem in schools all over the world. We need to realize when someone needs help, realize our actions may have scarring effects. And always remember the Golden Rule about doing to others as they would to you.

If you or another person you know love to bully someone, let Kim Haneul serve as a reminder that the person you may be bullying could very well be the next star, country president, or even your doctor, one day. And wouldn't you be crap out of luck if you ever met them again layer in life?

FT Island's "Five Treasure Box" Sales Exceed 30,000

Photo Courtesy of FNC Entertainment

Whoo hoo! Congratulations to FT Island! Since releasing their 4th full length Korean album on September 10th, their album, "Five Treasure Box" has sold more than 30,000 copies!

They are currently doing comebacks on various stages. If you missed them, Google or YouTube their performances from Music Bank, Inkigayo and M Countdown where they perform their title track, "I Wish" and various songs off of their album such as "Life" (written by Choi Jong Hoon), "Compass" (written by Song Seung Hyun, Choi Min Hwan and Lee Hong Ki), and "Paper Plane" (written by Lee Jae Jin).

Support these guys online too! You can find "Five Treasure Box" on iTunes, along with their other albums.


Way to go FT Island, so happy for those guys!

Source: Mnet

FT Island: Break Ups and Heartaches

Oh the woes of being an idol.

In a recent interview on Yoo Hee Yeol's Sketchbook, FT Island's bass guitarist, Lee Jae Jin confessed that he had recently broken up with his girlfriend. How recent, I have no idea. But I'm wondering if this is the cause of the new "mature" manner I recently noticed him. He explained that his ex-girlfriend had told him that she was not happy, so he had to "let her go". Hmm...was this the inspiration to one of the tracks on "Five Treasure Box"?

Also, when Yoo Hee Yeol asked who has had the most heart wrenching breakup, the members all turned to Leader Choi Jong Hoon who explained that his ex-girlfriend stopped contacting him after her birthday party.

One can only speculate the reason's why these young ladies left Jae Jin and Jong Hoon. I only know from experience that it is not easy to date someone who is a local celebrity. For idols like FT Island, they hardly have any free time to spend with a significant other. It's worse when they are promoting an album. They are off to interviews, TV shows, appearances, photo shoots, parties. And when that's done, they are off on a plane on their way to performances in places you can only dream of going to. The time difference sucks, reception can be bad for cell phone calls and conversations are often brief. They are more than likely exhausted. You're exhausted as well perhaps waiting for their call till the early morning (note that I mentioned the time difference sucks) Not what one would call quality time. And the fans, oh my goodness the fans...some of them will flirt to no ends with your guy and you either grin and bear it or step in (like I did) and cause a scene (not recommended by the way).

Poor Jong Hoon...I was sad when I heard that he hasn't heard from his ex-girlfriend at all. Why in the world would you treat a guy like that? He either must have done something really bad or embarrassing, treated her awful, or she was just not that into him. (meaning she was only using him)

I hope that these two fellas, and the rest of FT Island, find their true loves. And I hope they will treat each other with respect, adore each other and experience a lot of happiness. For as much that they work on their talents and crafts, they deserve to be happy in their private lives.

Source: AllKpop

FT Island's "I Wish" Has Stick

I've only heard FT Island's new song, "I Wish" a couple of times through my searches online and through YouTube. And although I was originally intrigued, later not as impressed, I found myself humming the chorus.

Ah...*ding the light bulb goes on* now I know why they chose this song. It sticks to you. It's catchy chorus, the Latino/Spanish infusion, the whole song has a stickiness factor.

If you didn't catch them at their comeback stage on Music Bank, check out the performance on AllKpop.

I had to laugh at the set for "I Wish". The guys were on smaller stage pieces than yesterday's performance. They only had enough room to stand, maybe move a foot or two, that was about it. I don't know how they could have "rocked out" on those things.

FT Island's Song "Life"

While searching online the other night I came across another song off of FT Island's new album, "Five Treasure Box" named "Life".

It was a song that sounded reminiscent, yet hopeful. Another heart tugger. (See my previous post FT Island's "Your Words") So I naturally had to look up the lyrics online. What I found, to me, was profound and packed with such emotion I wanted to share it.

I've always been a firm believer that songs are windows to an artist's soul. And if that holds true, FT Island is speaking volumes. Here's a couple of snippets.

My life
We are also people who dream of our future
One by one, my future is getting fulfilled
But there were days when I wanted to rip it apart and throw it out
But I can’t just give up when I came all the way here

I crazily shout, asking for the missed miracles to come back
But nothing returns

.......

If you can’t go back to the past
Cherish this moment right now everyday
So you won’t be embarrassed with yourself that you always protect

I don’t want to remain as an ambiguous existence
Why do I lie and deceive myself everyday like a fool?
Look carefully, this isn’t me – someone please tell me
I want my true self – my life

For the full song lyrics go to kpoplyrics.net.

FT Island's "Your Words"

Been listening to the tracks online and although I wasn't thoroughly impressed with their title track, "I Wish", there were a couple here and there that I actually felt an emotional connection to.



(Sorry about the video folks. If you do a search online though, I'm sure you will be able to find the song with no trouble at all.)

Now, I don't judge songs I like just by if there's a cute guy singing the song (although it certainly does help). I also judge by my heart tugs. I close my eyes and block out everything else. If I feel the instrument's melodies and harmonies and the lyrics tug at my heart, I begin to feel a connection to that song and I end up really liking or loving the song. Weird, I know.

I felt such a connection to "Your Words". The lyrics are repetitive, but it's something about the way it interweaves with the guitars and drums that, even without knowing the words at first, began to move me.

Makes me kind of wish they went with this song instead of "I Wish". But hey, that's just my opinion.

FT Island FTW! (I mean this in the positive way)

Credit to trangcay12 for the upload. For lyrics and translation, go to kpoplyrics.net.

Review: FT Island's "I Wish" M/V

FT Island's last album, "Grown Up", seemed to be a step forward in their maturity level. Although I found "I Wish" and the music video cute, it felt a little young and innocent, a sort of step back from their hit song, "Severely".

As the song opens, Song Seung Hyun is seen ripping deftly through a latin inspired run. I thought, oo, this is going to be great, I've never really heard anything latin coming through an Asian group before.

As you get into the song, the latin influence is still there in the background with the sweet tones of a trumpet. However, entering the chorus, it turns into what I call "pop-rock". Strong guitar and drums take over with Hong Ki charismatic voice singing over them. Signature FT Island.

The video and song overall, is very, bubble gum. All five guys vying for the attention of one girl, each hoping that they will be the one she will want to be with.

The group members each show a different maturity. None of them are running around crazy, goofing off, as in their previous videos. Song Seung Hyun teaches the girl how to play the guitar, Hong Ki is seen talking with the girl (a bit awkwardly) seriously, Min Hwan is showing off his photography skills by doing an impromptu photo shoot of the girl, Jae Jin's character is manly, but a bit innocent compared to the rest as he shyly takes the girl's hand, and Jong Hun (has the best scene I think) is lying on the girl's lap being taken care of the girl of the hour. And by the way, what is up with the head band in Hong Ki's hair? A head band? Really? That sort of detracted from his manly visage.

To me, the video isn't as visually striking and the story line isn't as strong as "Severely", but the song is catchy nonetheless. Primadonna's will certainly like it.

I am interested in hearing/seeing the rest of the songs on the album. I like "I Wish", but it's kind of a let down from "Severely". Just my humble opinion.

I'm still rooting for these guys to make a splash this Thursday at their comeback stage!

Video credit to FNC and FT Island's Official YouTube

Spooky Lee Hong Ki Selca

Has anyone really looked closely at the new album cover photo of FT Island's "Five Treasure Box"? If not, take a close look at Lee Hong Ki's head. He is sporting a tousled hairstyle with wisps of curls coming out of his head. Curls that oddly resemble... Horns?? Someone please talk to the hairstylists? How could they let this go by? And why in the world wouldn't you try to fix it by photo shopping his hair a bit?

Following that, Hong Ki posts a Selca of himself riding in a car, with the car mirror flipped down. He looks absolutely adorable in it, except for what looks like a ghostly face next to his in the reflection. Take a look at the photo below. If you look carefully in the lower left area of the mirror, you will see what I mean. Spooky!

Photo courtesy of Lee Hong Ki's Twitter.

Anyone got chicken skin?

FT Island Unveils a Teaser Video for New Album

I was so excited when I saw this online last night!

FT Island is making a comeback next week with a new album entitled "Five Treasure Box" and they have just released a teaser video of their title track "I Wish"!

It's a less rocker sound from their last title song, "Severely" off of their "Grown Up" album. And they incorporated some Latin flavors in there with some deft guitar playing by one of the maknae's, Song Seung Hyun, but to me it's different enough and I like it!

Can't wait to see more! You can click on the "AllKPop" hyperlink below to go to the article I found the video on. Or, if the browser allows, you can try to watch the video below. (I don't own the video, all credit goes to FNC and FT Island)

Enjoy!

Source: AllKpop

Please Reply

If you've read any of my other posts, please respond to me if you've been able to read a current one. For instance, I can't tell if I'm blocked, but I find it strange that I haven't had traffic on any of my newer posts when I've had at least some before. I'm trying different methods to find out what may be wrong with my site and any feedback or help you can give me would be really appreciated!

Thanks in advance!
Solgeumi

Nichkhun Tweets to Fans

After settling on his DUI charges last month, 2pm's Nichkhun tweeted from his personal twitter account his love.

"Thank you always and forever"

This is in response to all the support Hottest and thousands of adoring fans around the world have shown to not only Nichkhun, but the rest of 2pm as they celebrate their 4th anniversary together!

See you soon Nichkhun!

Source of image: Nichkhun's Twitter

Nichkhun to Return?

I know fans have been anxiously waiting for 2pm's Nichkhun to return to full time performing status. The group has had to perform without him for the past couple of months. They were originally supposed to do their comeback in September, but decided to wait until Nichkhun was available.

Today, it was announced that he will be paying a settlement fee to the injured man.

This basically means that they investigated as much as they could and both parties have come to an agreement.

For Nichkhun, this means that he has the chance to get into his normal routine and get his life back. Whether he is up to it is his call and his agency.

One thing is for sure, he will definitely use this as a learning experience and hopefully matures and grows wiser from this.

Khunnie, your fans miss you! Won't you give a shout out?

FT Island Completes Concert, Reveals New Album

South Korean K-PopRock group, FT Island, rocked it on the home front with their 2-day concert entitled "Take FT Island" on September 1st and 2nd.

It was the group's comeback concert in about a year, and fans, like myself, had been anticipating something good. (although, since I don't live in Korea, I was out of luck for a ticket) Fans were anticipating the concerts so much that the concert tickets sold like hotcakes, selling out in a manner of minutes.

Fans that were able to nab these hot tickets were treated to a full concert that included previews of songs off of the groups next album which will be coming out on September 10th.

It is rumoured that it will be at least a 10 song album, with 5 new songs and 5 songs written by members Lee Hong Ki, Choi Jong Hoon, Lee Jae Jin, Choi Min Hwan and Song Seung Hyun. But, whether or not the 5 songs written by the members are all new and original songs, have yet to be seen.

Earlier in August, Hong Ki had tweeted from his account that they were back in the studio recording, to which Leader Jong Hoon tweeted from his account, "Let it go!" which caused fans to wonder if they were rejiggering the same song off of their Japanese album.

New songs or not, I don't think these fellas could do no wrong. It's very apparent that they are loved and loved very well by their fans.

I am hoping they continue to mature in their sound. After their last album, "Grown Up", they showed that they were no longer the shy, bubble pop rock group that debuted years before. Instead, they established themselves as men who were ready to declare their own individuality, ready to set themselves further apart from groups still stuck in the dance hall music techno sound.

I have a high hopes for their next album, and I will look forward to any news and/or reviews of it when it finally breaks in Korea on September 10th. I hope FNC Entertainment will make a smart move and make it available to the rest of the world via iTunes.

Sources: Lee Hong Ki's Twitter, Choi Jong Hun's Twitter and KpopStarz

KARA Handicap Parking

I am not a huge fan of KARA, but I do like their music. But if I were a fan, I would be a bit upset with the latest news.

Their van was seen parked for fifteen minutes or so in a handicap zone. What's worse is that the girls were seen snacking in the back leisurely and taking restroom breaks. And they were even asked to leave.

Now, granted, none of the girls were driving. But driver, come on! If you can't find parking, keep on driving! And girls, if you have to use the restroom, what is wrong with the driver just dropping you off? Can't the van cruise slowly until parking is found?

How could they think it would be ok?

Let me say that if the girls and the driver had any compassion, they would have spoken up and not had parked there.

As a daughter of parents that have been or still are handicapped I am outraged! I'm not sure how many areas there are in Korea for handicapped parking, but I'm pretty sure it's way less than there are for non-handicapped people.

If they only knew how hard it is to get out of a car when you're handicapped, how much room you would need for a walker or someone to assist you, they wouldn't have parked there. If they only knew how far some of these folks, like my parents, would have to walk to entrances because someone was parked there, they wouldn't have parked there. If only they knew how it felt to squeeze out of a closely fit parking stall when you're disabled, they wouldn't have parked there.

I'm glad their management company, DSP, issued an apology. It's only right that they do. Good grief!

T-ara Apologizes Through Letter

After weeks of controversy following the rumours of bullying of former member Hwayoung (which turned publicly ugly really quickly), the slandering of Hwayoung's as a prima donna and being generally uncooperative and Eun Jung being dropped from her drama, T-ara and their company Core Contents Media have opened another can of worms.

On August 29th, T-ara allegedly penned an apology letter apologizing to their fans for all of the public scandal.

What fans are jumping all over them now is that the letter doesn't seem to be valid. Die hard fans have been comparing handwritten letters that have been received before to the apology letter and have been finding many handwriting discrepancies.

Core Contents Media responded saying that group member Qri wrote the letter for the group. But in another statement indicated that member Hyomin had written the letter.

If their agency can't get their facts straight, and netizens are saying that there are inconsistencies with the letter itself, how can the public be absolutely certain this is a sincere apology?

It seems kind of fishy that this letter has been released right before the group is to make a comeback.

A couple of things frustrate me as I read the articles. They are glossing over the rumours of bullying as nothing more than a misunderstanding. When I read something like that, I think that is just PR damage control. Furthermore, other than releasing Hwa Young from her contract, they don't seem to have resolved any of their issues within the group. They allude that there were many misunderstandings, but did not specify in any way what they are doing to rectify those issues. How do fans know that they won't be able to handle their business in a professional manner? I mean, look at what happened when everything was laid out as fodder for the public eye?

I can't trust what they say, and until they actually take some action to show they can be worthy of idol status, I'm not sure other fans should either.

For one of the articles I'm referencing, click here.

Movie "Battleship" Brings Together Two Countries

I love movies that mesh together history and cultures into the realm of fiction. It's like an oxymoron, mixing fantasy and reality. The movie "Battleship" brings that together.

(If you haven't watched the movie, you should not read on, this will contain spoilers)
Set on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, we are drawn in the middle of RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific) exercises. This is an international maritime warfare set of exercises.

While on exercises, a group of Navy ships (destroyers and battleships) encounter an unknown ship in the waters. Unbeknownst to the ships, what they had come upon was actually an alien species that had come to Earth in answer to a signal that was sent by NASA. The Navy attempts to initiate contact with the aliens and are eventually fired upon setting off a war.

What I liked about this movie was that 1) It used actual ships (like the Battleship Missouri, aka Mighty Mo) 2) it was shot in Pearl Harbor, a place of historic significance to the U.S. and Japan and 3) it brought together two countries to Pearl Harbor that were previously at war.

The Mighty Mo and its replicate were used in several scenes (ceremonies) including battle scenes towards the end of the movie. What an honor for this battleship. This battleship is a significant part of U.S. Naval history as it was the last battleship built by the U.S. and it was also a witness to the end of World War II.

Pearl Harbor, for those who are not familiar with U.S. history, is the location of the surprise early morning bombing by the Japanese in their successful attempt to disable the U.S.'s Pacific fleet, and therefore started World War II.

It was awesome to see two countries (U.S. and Japan) that were formally at war, who at one time absolutely hated each other, working together on screen. Who knew we would end up being friends with Japan? Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano played Captain Nagata, a smart as a whip Naval officer who was once at odds with the Americans, in particular the main character "Hopper" played by Taylor Kitsch, but  eventually grew to respect and become friends with Hopper during the movie. To me, the initial animosity turned peaceful teamwork was quite symbolic of actual history.

All in all, the movie wasn't bad. Really Transformers meets the Navy type of movie. But the inital theme of teamwork overcomes obstacles is really apparent.