FT Island to Release 6th Mini Album!

It was announced though their official Facebook site that the handsome K-PopRock group, FT Island, will be releasing their 6th and newest Korean mini album titled, "Thanks To"!

As a sort of tribute to their fans, the five have embarked on a tour specially for the fans who have given them so much support called, "FTHX" or FT Thanks. It seems that they've translated this to their new anniversary album as well. 

They will be doing a Q and A on their Facebook site from September 9th through 13th. Fans will be able to post a question and the members will select questions to answer personally. The answers will be posted when the album releases on September 23rd.

Post post post!

So excited to see what the questions and answers will be. (Btw, please be thoughtful and respectful in your questioning.)

Even more excited for their new album!

Source: FT Island Facebook

CNBlue and FT Island at Summer Sonic 2013

FNC Artists CNBlue (Top) and FT Island (Bottom) circa 2012

FNC is promoting both of their top artists once again! K-PopRock groups CNBlue and FT Island have been selected as the South Korean representatives and will be performing at the Summer Sonic concert in Japan on August 10th and August 11th.

These two have basically made FNC popular in the K-Pop mainsteam with their more edgier rock type of tunes and soulful voices. Not to mention both groups have men full of youthful energy and charisma.

They will be performing with a lineup of superstars such as Muse (FT Island's Leader Choi Jong Hun likes to listen to them a lot!), Linkin Park (one of my personal faves) and Metallica!

Summer Sonic tickets for the July 11th show are already sold out. Get them while they're still available if you can!

Source: Soompi.com, photo credits to their rightful owners.

FT Island's Choi Jong Hun Bares It, Again!

What do we know about FT Island's Leader and lead guitarist, Choi Jong Hun?

We all know that he rocks on the guitar....

Jong Hun Rocking Out to His Guitar Solo in "Like Birds"/"Sadeul Cheoreom"

And can croon a tune that will make a girl's heart melt....

Taking the Mic On Accoustic Guitar In Concert

He's shown that he can be a romantic, sometimes a cheesy and hard to read one, but a romantic....

On His First Date With K-Pop Singer Choi Gina (aka G.Na) on the reality show, "The Romantic and the Idol Season 2". Sadly, they didn't work out.

And to keep up his strength for all the performances and appearances, he obviously tries to look good by keeping fit....

Keeping Fit. Even For an Album Sleeve. (Note: Extremely filtered)

He's stunned with his megawatt smile, his charms and killer body once before....

Baring it for Elle Girl

And now he's done it again....this time for Elle.

And again for Elle's upcoming issue.

So go on ladies/gals/girls, enjoy the post! And if you see any other photos from the shoot, please share!

Cute gif. I had to put it in. Nice work to whoever did this.

On another note, wasn't Lee Hong Ki supposed to be working out with him? Wonder what his results are like?

Note: I do not own any pictures. All credit goes to their rightful owners.

Happy Birthday to Jung Yong Hwa and Lee Min Ho!

Selcas of CNBlue's Leader Jung Yong Hwa and Actor Lee Min Ho

Fans take in a deep breath...and now scream "Yong Hwa-sshi wa Min Ho-sshi saengil chukka habnida!" Do you think they heard it??

Yong Hwa and Min Ho Taking the Mic

Both of these cuties celebrate their birthday on June 22nd. Actor Lee Min Ho is older at 26 and CNBlue's Jung Yong Hwa is slightly younger at 24.

Yong Hwa celebrated his birthday a little earlier with Boice's in the Philippines.

If you see them online, drop them a line to wish them happy birthday! You can find them on Twitter at @CNBlue4 and @ActorLeeMinHo.

Peacoat Styles

Source: Drama Fever

FT Island in Animated Film "Toriko"

I haven't been posting a lot in the past couple of months since I've been busy at work, so I apologize. I'm slowly starting to get back into trying to post at least a couple per week. And of course, in order to do that, I have to keep up with the news.

Well, as I was browsing through the internet, I came across a news article about FT Island. (I have to confess, I pretty much only look at K-pop and Asian culture news when I'm trying to relax.)

Seems that they will be again lending their musical talents to another anime (this time a movie) called "Toriko". They will be singing the ending song to the movie. The anime is by Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro and will feature this character, Toriko, on his adventures all around the world.

FT Island will also be featured in the movie as themselves. They have really handsome likenesses to each member! Some anime don't stay true to the real people, but I really like the way the artists drew them. (see photo)

I believe this will be the first time they will be featured in a movie of this sort. The last time they had a hand in an anime was when they had done the song, "Neverland" for the opening theme song to the anime series, "Ozuma" in early 2012.

So proud of these guys!

Source: TenAsia

Review: FT Island's New Japanese Single "You Are My Life"

Here I go again, FT Islanding up my blog! For fans and Pri's, the next musical chapter in these 5 treasures' career is coming up very soon. They will be releasing a new Japanese single called, "You Are My Life".

It's soft rock ballad that starts off with leader Choi Jong Hun on the piano and moving throughout. Mixed with Seung Hyun's rock chords on guitar, Jae Jin's back-up harmonies and Hong Ki's vocals carrying the simple melodic line, it's certainly touching and sentimental. "Listen to my heart...Even till this day, even when you are far away from me...You are my life..." (Sorry, my Japanese is a little rusty. I still have a hard time gathering gists of songs in Japanese, especially slow songs because they break up the syllables. And it's been years since I tried to speak semi-fluently. I'll try to post the English subs when they're available.)

I, for one, love this song. Not just because it's FT Island and Lee Hong Ki, but I like the types of songs that you can listen to and know the theme of the song just by listening to the music. Even though it's in a different language, it touches your soul.

Here's the video released by Warner Music Japan. All right's to them and FT Island. I wish they sold the music on iTunes in the States, but this will have to do.

On sale March 27, 2013!

FT Island Fans Miss Lee Jae Jin

Sometime in the latter part of 2012, FT Island's bassist Lee Jae Jin closed his Twitter account. Or did he?

Primadonnas and music fans alike are lamenting over this by tweeting their sadness (and crying, too!) as another star has been cut off. There are handles that say "comeback". Fans that still tweet to @saico011 or #saico011 in hopes he will see their messages and respond one day. They really seem to miss any small little tweet from him.

There are some that are understanding, some that are begging him to come back onto Twitter, and some (like myself) wondering why and what happened?

Fans are speculating that it may be the result of saesang fans (obsessive fans) that may have cause the sudden shutdown.

Whether the FT Island members have any influence in the matter remains to be seen.

It's possible that even the members themselves are at a loss. Guitarist Song Seung Hyun tweeted that as a group they don't know why and that they are not happy about it either. Although whether or not he was directly referencing this situation is uncertain.

Why would a star shut down their account without even an explanation to the fans? At first, I was upset, but after some thought figured there must be some good reason behind it. I hardly think it was done frivolously. It's just a shame really.

But why in the world would vocalist Lee Hong Ki be tweeting to all of his band mates, including to Jae Jin's old Twitter handle? Could it be that he's hinting that this is just temporary?

Whatever the reason is, I'm going to throw my two cents in, hoping that this noona's words will help in someway to restore the hope for fans:

"Jae Jin-sshi...if somehow this message reaches your eyes I'll be grateful. I know you know that your fans love you. Whatever your reasons, your fans are here for you. After following FT Island and reading about your loyal fans, I know that most of them are kindhearted and mean well. They are very dedicated to you and in part, you wouldn't be where you are if not for them. You know that too. If it were because of sasaeng fans, then you did what you thought best. And those fans should be ashamed of themselves. But as a gentle reminder, these situations come at the price of being a star. So one should try to adjust as best as possible and with a thicker skin, ne? I only hope that they didn't go too far and can still be forgiven.

For any other reason, won't you please reconsider coming back to Twitter? For fans outside of Asia (like myself) it is one of the few ways we hear news about you. And I'm sure your fans appreciate any updates you have for them. Even if it means opening another account, won't you please think about it?"

Ok, that is my two cents. If anyone has any updates, let me know?

Photo credit to rightful owner.

Video: FT Island's Year in Review by Mnet

FT Island Bundled Up (Don't own this pic)

Thought I'd share this with all my fellow FT Island fans.

It's a year in review that Mnet had thrown together. It's funny, I'm watching the video as I type and all I see is their most recent single, "I Wish". Where's everything else? Like their songs "Severely", "Top Secret", "Stay"?

Despite that, there are some funny clips of the guys in this video.

Check it out here.

http://mama.interest.me/player/twitter_player?id=151078

Commentary: Why FT Island?

If you've read my other posts, you will notice that I write a lot about FT Island. I am an unofficial Primadonna. Yep, I said it. They are one of my favorite artists right now.

Honestly, I used to be a die hard SS501 fan, and a big fan of Kim Hyun Joong. But when they "disbanded", it just wasn't the same anymore. They will always sound better as one to me, none of this solo activities crunk.

So...I started searching for another K-Pop group. Which was kind of hard to do since most of them danced to techno or cutesy music. Anyways, I was at home, sick, re-watching "You're Beautiful" starring the one and only Jang Geun Suk and Park Shin Hye. I was thinking of what a shame it was that Go Minam ended up with Hwang Tae Kyung instead of Shin Woo when the scene, where a karaoke singing Go Minam gets soaked up on stage, comes on.

To save a bit of face, one of the A.N.Jell members, Jeremy (Lee Hong Ki), takes over on "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and goes to stand next to Minam onstage. She is joined by Shin Woo (Jung Yong Hwa) and Tae Kyung (Jang Geun Suk) who wraps a tablecloth around the shivering Minam. Btw, that moment where he rips the tablecloth off the table is so gallant.

It got me thinking, Shin Woo and Jeremy actually sing pretty well. I wondered if they were multi-talented as well. So I did a bit of Google searching on them and found out that they were members of two groups (CNBlue and FT Island) under FNC Entertainment. Interesting that two FNC artists were acting together in the same drama.

This led me to a couple of their videos. CNBlue's "Oettoriya" (Loner) and "Jidokhagae" (Severely) by FT Island.

CNBlue's M/V of "Oettoriya" was a bit confusing for me, I don't think I got the concept as clearly as I would have liked. But the song was very catchy.

FT Island's "Severely" was a different story. Let me back up a bit and just say that the first thing I saw on YouTube for this M/V was a comment from a viewer saying "Noooo! Hong Ki!" or something to that effect. I thought, what the heck is this about?

I watched the video and I understood. Right from the beginning, that scratched in guitar intro had me hooked. The music was strong and powerful and the music video was so heart wrenching. I got immediately that Hong Ki's character was trying to go back in time to change things. (I wish he wouldv'e tried harder, but that's all moot now.)

I thought to myself, this is what I have been looking for. I was sick and tired of hearing the same sort of country and R & B and Pop music in American pop culture. Same songs that the stations feed us over and over and over. Blech!

Finally, there was a K-Pop group I could relate to. None of this dance club upbeat techno crunk. Their sound was unique, raw, real and downright emotional. I connected with their music on this level and also as a musician. They looked like they really loved what they did, that's something that's rarely seen in American music nowadays so I really appreciated that.

From there, I wanted to know everything about Lee Hong Ki, Choi Jong Hun, Lee Jae Jin, Choi Min Hwan and Song Seung Hyun. I read articles, I watched videos, listened to their music, watched them on variety shows. There was loads of information on the internet about them and they were hilarious! Just as I imagined a band of brothers would be. (Now granted, CNBlue was also all over the internet, but they weren't promoting as much at that time.)

All this while being sick in bed for a few weeks. Such a short time to convert, haha. In a way, I hated being sick, but in a way, I am glad I was. I found hope in music again.

FT Island, kahmsahabnida!

FT Island To Release New Japanese Album

South Korean K-PopRock group, FT Island, will be releasing a new Japanese album towards the end of November.

About a month ago, it was tweeted by lead vocalist Lee Hong Ki that he had called all the members over to do a bit of work. In the tweeted message was a photo of Song Seung Hyun and Lee Jae Jin in front of a computer hard at work at composing. Could this new album be the result of their efforts? Possibly so.

The single, "Polar Star" will be released on November 28th along with the full album. "Polar Star" is the group's 9th album in Japan.

Included on the album is a song composed by bassist, Lee Jae Jin called, "Fallin' For You" which he describes as a song about a man wanting to be close to his love. Another song, "Beautiful World" is a song composed by leader, Choi Jong Hun, who describes his song being about a man looking at his beautiful love.

I think the complexities and hardships of love work very well for these two. Isn't it quite a coincidence that they release these two songs about love after they have experienced break-ups of their own within the last year?

Here's the teaser again with the article that was released through Yahoo. I do not own the video, the credit goes to FT Island and Warner Music Japan.

CNBlue Still On Hot Streak

Compounding on their successful concert stint in London, England, K-PopRock group CNBlue sold out their 8,000 Seoul concert "2012 CNBlue Live Blue Night in Seoul" within 10 minutes.

Yes, that's 1-0 minutos. For 8,000 seats. How many groups do you know that can do something like this? (Well, I can think of one other, but that's another story.) I don't even think that an American group would be able to pull this off. It is simply amazing!

A couple of years ago, these guys were just coming off of the streets of Japan. They were gigging on the streets. And now, they all have acting roles under their belts and are global stars. (At least, that's what the MAMA's are considering them as.)

These fans can't get enough of them. And they only have to wait a mere couple of months for their next album debut in January 2013. (I'm pretty excited about that!)

So proud of these guys. I hope they can continue this streak of theirs!

Go go go CNBlue!

Source: AllKpop

FT Island's "Love Sick" Covered by Lee Young Hyun

Veteran singer Lee Young Hyun covered "Love Sick", a popular tune from one of my favorite groups, FT Island on "I Am a Singer 2".

I am gonna be up front and just say it. I did not like the version at all. I felt it did not do the original justice. During the first verse I thought it started off nicely. But as the tempo picked up, it fell to pieces.

The tempo wasn't the issue for me. Let me be clear. The issue was the tone of the voice. It was just...screechy. No backing to it. I understand Lee Young Hyun is a veteran singer, and she packed emotion behind the lyrics for sure. But I have to shake my head at her tone. It was like nails grating over a chalkboard.*shiver*

Nonetheless, as an FT Island fan, I am happy she covered it. When singers cover other artist's songs, it is paying them a huge compliment. And I hope FT Island and Primadonnas are happy about that.

Here's the link to the performance below with the article that broke with the story on AllKpop. (As always, I don't own the video)

Lee Young Hyun Performs FT Island's "Love Sick".

Tell me, what are your thoughts?

Jong Hun Snaps a Photo With Juniel

Pretty, talented and innocent FNC Entertainment artist, Juniel, broke onto the music scene this year and gave FNC it's first female solo artist. Showing off her talented guitar skills and teaming up with CNBlue's Yong Hwa, she proved she wasn't to be dismissed, that she was legit.

Choi Jong Hun, the leader of FNC's idol group FT Island, is currently finishing up promotions for their 4th Korean album "Five Treasure Box". Known for his impressive guitar and piano playing skills and flower boy face, he is showing the world that he can hold his own as a lyricist and composer as well.

Two talented young artists in their prime. Promoting under the same company. They're bound to run into each other at events and such.

But I wonder if their fans, especially Jong Hun's fans, would feel so comfortable? In a tweet Saturday, November 3rd, Jong Hun tweeted a picture of himself with Juniel.

"Pretty as always" Juniel and Choi Jong Hun

From what I could tell (translation and straight reading), he was complimenting Juniel by calling her "pretty". To which some fans responded with "you're an idiot", "Jong Hun...I will not let this go". Implying that his fans were uncomfortable with the closeness of the two in the pic.

On one note, they do make a fairly cute couple. On another note....well, Jong Hun...I can't say it's the smartest thing he has done. He doesn't have as much of a friendly reputation that CNBlue's Yong Hwa does. Because of his handsome looks, he's known as more the ladykiller. I can see why his fans wouldn't exactly be supportive. Jong Hun doesn't tweet pictures with women very often. In fact, I can only remember one instance within the past year and even then, fans tweeted back "ack! You're so close??" and "why are you close to each other?"

Although I agree that stars should be able to have their own lives. I would think by now that he would understand that he is still a very public figure. Even though it may have been a very innocent picture, many fans (including myself at first) may misunderstand at first glance.

I hope this doesn't escalate. Do readers feel the same?

Source: Choi Jong Hun's Twitter

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