Hi guys, I’m opus.  It’s been a while since we’ve written in general.  We get whisked away by this uncanny thing called academics.  I do sing and play piano as hobbies.  My credentials do not go all too far.  Except, maybe an occasional youtube video.  I started listening to Asian music back when I was still an embryo (I kid you not, my  parents are into Asian music too, just they’re a bit more outdated than I am).  Since then, I’ve pretty much dedicated my life to chasing Asian music.  Why?  There are always the amazing diamonds in the rough, but more often than not, there are a lot of idol groups out there.  Contemporary music is a gray area in the Asian culture, so most of my time is spent sifting out music, and convincing my parents that the new is still worth a listen.

Hope you guys will enjoy our blog!

Kero One’s single will be release on May 18th and will release his full album,  Kinetic World, in June.

Here’s the official description of the actual single:

From his upcoming third album, Kero One is back with his first single, entitled “Asian Kids.” Known for his laid back grooves and jazzy hip hop sounds, Kero One throws a curveball here, experimenting with a dark, syncopated beat, cinematic synths, and a sped up rap flow. “Asian Kids” features Tablo (front man of the Korean group Epik High), MYK, and Dumbfoundead, bringing together various rap styles to address the often controversial issues of Asians in America.

Kero One states, “I rarely hear anyone address these sort of issues in the media, much less in music recordings, so I thought I would gather all my favorite Asian artists and have them drop their two cents.”

Kero One’s third full length album entitled Kinetic World releases June 2010.

Kero One’s album will be featuring Dumbfoundead, Tablo and MYK, who have come together to show some love for Kero One by introducing his new album and single, check it out:

If this hasn’t gotten you excited, I don’t know what will.  Kero One has been a fantastic Asian American artist, breaking ground for artists in the US.  Him plus Tablo, Dumbfoundead and MYK, we’re sure to be in for a treat, not only lyric and content wise but also musically.

This has officially made my week, if the fact that exams are over hasn’t yet.  Until then, show love and support to this talented artist on Twitter.

Thanks to takeki from pluglabel for the info!

Ironic thing is, the first post I ever posted on this blog was also about Jay.  So how about coming full circle after the clouds?

After much anticipation, Jay comes out with his collaboration with hot Asian American artists Dumbfoundead and Clara.  To be honest, this track is so much more than I expected, but I’ll leave that for you to decide.  Here’s to Jay, Dumbfoundead and Clara:

I absolutely love the lyrics for this track.  It’s cleverly written and very accessible while really showing each of their talents.  My only complaint will be Clara’s lack of diction, which seems to make her consonants drag and makes her total sound drag, but that is very minor in the whole scheme of things.

What’s even better, good news for all of us poor students! Dumbfoundead has graciously posted the track for us to download for free.  So as a token of thanks, drop a comment of thanks and encouragement on each of their youtube channels.

And if they weren’t famous enough, StirFryTV had their Youtube spotlight on Jay Park, where Jay personally confirmed his and AOM’s participation in Hype Nation and more.

I am very happy to see Jay coming back into the limelight on his own terms.  It has been enjoyable seeing him grow after he moved from Korea and coming back to support what he believes in and making his art possible with his own hands, giving thanks to God, friends and fans.  Obviously, I am looking forward to everything he comes out with.

With that, much love to Dumbfoundead and Clara.  They are absolutely talented.  I have so much respect for them for doing what they want to do in a world and society where Asians are stereotyped as the quiet smart kids who end up being engineers.

At the same time, much love to Jay Park!  Happy Birthday, Jay! You’ve come a long way since your last birthday.  Keep on persevering and doing what you do.

And to all our readers, thank you for staying with us.  Strophic and I have come a full year with this blog that was a random spin off of an idea I had.  Thanks for sticking with us through thick and thin, exam time and cram time!

2PM has gone through a lot- from leadja Jaebeom leaving Korea due to some comments on his MySpace, to the termination of his contract in February due to something else more serious that he had done wrong during the Again and Again promotions, to certain Hottests who took it upon themselves to blame fellow bandmates for the leadja’s terminated contract.

Needless to say, this comeback was highly anticipated.

The song “Without U” is about a man who after being hurt by the lies and betrayal of the woman he loves, decides that it’s time for him to stand up again and move on.

Although the dark concept is something we’ve seen a lot in K-pop recently, 2PM is able to utilize it in a different way- using the piano in the beginning (water + piano = badddd) to create a somber mood as the man (or men, in this case) thinks about how he had given his everything to a woman who just threw it all away and to see nothing but various shades of black and gray as opposed to seeing it all in bright colors.

I am happy to hear an improvement in each member’s vocals- they’ve truly matured, each in their own ways. Nichkhun’s rap, in particular, was quite a surprise- it meshed well with the rest of the song, proving that he can switch it up and do more than just sing.

And Opus’ pet peeve, auto tuning? Non-existent- which really gives a chance for the members’ vocals to shine, instead of depending on a computer to help them along.

But of course, I have my complaints. The choreography, although good, seems a little too JYP-like for me. For those of you who have seen JYP’s MV “No Love No More“, you should know what I mean. The steps and moves seem a little too familiar to me- that and the dance for the chorus feels really out of place for a song like this. Especially the ‘OK’ signs- I don’t know about you, but that made me cringe every time I saw it.

Another thing would be turning from a piano/hiphop-like tune to dance music. In my opinion, I feel that the song should’ve followed the tune as it was in the beginning and stayed in the genre of R&B as the song title would make you believe, but I digress- the song’s growing on me already.

And although I love Taecyeon and all- maybe not yanking off your shirt should be an option for the next MV. It’s nice to see his chocolate abs, but it really gets old after a while.

How would this song rank on my list? Probably a 3.5/5. It’s not spectacular, but it’s a good start to their comeback.

And on a side note, even though I, as a Hottest, miss Jaebeom terribly and wish for his return, it’s time for all of us to stand up and move on. Yes, we have a right to be angry and upset about what happened in the end, but what’s happened has happened. Now, it’s time for us to look forward to 2PM’s future and continue supporting them until the end.

So 2PM fighting! We’ll be anticipating their live version of “Without U”, so until then!

WARNING: If you have coulrophobia PLEASE DO NOT watch the MV.

If you have coulrophobia, or fear of clowns, I sincerely apologize because the prevalent element in Hyori’s MV is a clown.  In contrast to the sexy image of her first three albums, Hyori has taken a very different route for her album.  Again, her teaser and the album’s first song seem to go in two different directions, which I am pretty thankful for.  While her teaser shows a very comic-y style with exaggerated makeup that make her look like Lady Gaga version 1.7 but Asian, the MV definitely exploits a softer retro side of her.  Better or worse?  Here’s the MV for your judging:

Let’s be honest, the MV and music style is a lot more mature than Hyori’s previous style: not mature as in the adult content way, but rather in depth and darkness.  But I like it this way.  It shows a Hyori that’s more than flaunting her physical attributes.  I personally believe that this change in music style, while odd and may take time to get used to, is wonderful and she does well to lend her voice to make that eerie retro feel.

My only problem with the song?  The minimalist approach to the music.  The melody twiddles around the same notes the whole way through.  The good thing about it: it makes it feel really eerie.  The bad thing: it can easily be poorly sung and turned into a platonic song.  Being that this is Hyori’s first hand at this style, props to her for pulling it off moderately well.

As an aside, I really like the makeup concept for this MV, especially the exaggerated makeup in the photo at the beginning of this post.  It’s been some time since I’ve seen a showcase of makeup to enhance the MV, but this definitely is one of times.  The exaggerated make up theme really brings out the darker side and adds to the eeriness of the entirety.  And with the exaggerated makeup in the concept photos and teaser, I have a gut feeling that this won’t be the end of it.

Anyhow, April seems to be the big month of big name comebacks, with Rain and Hyori meeting on the battlefield again.  This time, they aren’t focusing on dance heavy songs but very different genres, so I am looking forward to seeing how this plays out.  Until then, Lee Hyori fighting!

Secret has always had amazing vocal power.  Of the girl groups, Secret definitely has one of the strongest vocalists, which has allowed them to forgo auto tuning (which is a major pro in my book).  They have amazing voices, but I wonder what their management is thinking at times.  Well, I’ll keep silent for a couple minutes while you guys check out their new MV:

This isn’t the first time I liked their album songs more than their titular song, and this is definitely one of those times.  With a minimalist style, I thought they’d go for something stronger, or darker per say.  I definitely did not expect this track to be it. I mean there’s nothing really wrong with it, it’s just that the retro throwback isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind when you see their MV teaser.

But being Secret, they pull off the song very well.  Magic has got to be one of the most vocally pure mainstream songs I’ve heard all year: not a hint of auto tuning and can be easily reproduced live with instruments.  This kind of song also puts forward Secret’s vocal strength, which seems to be the round for competition in April.  With Rain coming back with a ballad and Hyori coming back with a hip hop genre piece, dance will not take the contention spot.  Instead, it’s whatever appeals vocally and popularly.  To that point, their management has skilfully played their cards.

The down points? I think a different song  with a stronger style could have done it all the same. To be honest, this song gives off a very big B-side feel, but, surprisingly, Rain and Hyori’s comebacks do too.  Is April the ultimate battle of B-side songs? Perhaps, but I won’t make a huge argument over this since I’m not a marketing expert.  I think my biggest problem comes with Secret’s accent and the word magic.  Yes, I know they’re Asian and English is a second language (I mean I’m Asian and English is also my second language), but the sheer number of times the word “magic” is repeated, and said incorrectly drives me up a wall.  Give me a week, and maybe it’ll grow on me. Key word here is maybe.

Anyhow, Secret has done a wonderful job strutting their vocal skills (and dancing skills for that matter).  Much luck and love to them, as they will butt heads with the biggest names in the industry this April.  In the meantime, here’s a song from their debut album:

As an added treat, 2AM is set to release a 14 minute music drama, featuring the four members fighting over one girl. Check part one out:

This is definitely 2AM’s year.  After coming out with a mini album with a variety of new styles, this really blends well with their vocals and displays their talents so well.  It’s upbeat, it’s not your normal ballad, it’s 2AM.  What I also like is that they’ve taken this time to be different from everyone else: they aren’t going to a dark concept.  They’re keeping it fresh but going back to younger days of a high school look, which I really appreciate when everyone is marking out a dark, mature, sexy look.  From a personal point of view, I think this look is better for 2AM.  2AM has always been known as a diverse group, in bright personality and in talents.  For that reason, a dark theme just doesn’t fit them.  Here it exploits their good looks and adds to it without making them look like everyone else in the Kpop industry.  What’s more, 2AM has finally found the outlet for their rapping skills, albeit different but still a good listen.

Usually I would stick in my customary complaint about auto tuning (and I guess to a certain extent I am slightly disappointed that auto tuning had to be used), but with this type of song, it’s necessary: the techno, computerized beat in the background nearly calls for some auto tuning of the vocals.  However, I am very appreciative of the fact that the producers have kept most of main vocal parts untainted by auto tuning, keeping the ingenuity of each of these singers, which is key when 2AM is a vocally strong group.

I think the only thing I’m really not okay with is Jinwoon’s hair, but I think that will grow on me soon enough.  All in all, the music video is cute, and leaves enough of a question for fans to be up and looking for.  I am really curious as to how they will promote this song since it is different from their customary ballad.  Perhaps they’ll finally get their wish to become a dancing group with this song (with Seulong and JoKwon’s dancing skills, it will be no problem at all).

Looking forward to 2AM and wishing the best to the boys! 2AM daebak!

A lot of people say there is a clear Ne-yo “So Sick” throw back from this song.  I will admit, the beginning and the sound of the song does sound similar, but it definitely isn’t plagiarism.  Instead, I think it was a beautiful way to enhance the meaning of the lyrics.

The lyrics really talk about forgetting a part of yourself and how painful it is to forget about that significant other.  While “So Sick” has the same idea, by using a familiar tone, it just makes the listener strain to grow accustomed to the new sound, not that it isn’t good, but it’s different playing on an old familiar.  The brilliance of the song comes from that point: life after separation takes time to wake up to the new reality without the other.

Props to Matsushita Yuya for his amazing voice that sets him apart in the Jpop industry.

After weeks of hoping, praying, and wishing for 2PM’s return as their original 7-member group, the one thing that Hottests all around the world feared came true.

2PM’s leadja, Park Jaebeom, decided to permanently leave the group. According to JYPE’s official online letter posted on February 25th, it was because Jaebeom confessed to a representative on December 22, 2009 that he had done something wrong during the Again and Again promotions.

And apparently it was even more serious than the MySpace controversy.

Obviously, the news hasn’t been boding well with Hottests- after all, they had been holding out their faith that Jaebeom would reunite with 2PM again, performing flash mobs, making tributes, and declaring, “Time will always stop at 1:59PM until Jay returns”.

So what happened after the news came out?

2PM’s fancafes and fansites have been in complete chaos- and 2PM’s official fan site on Daum lost 46,000 members (with the numbers still going) from its original 329,000 members in a matter of five hours. Taecyeon shut down his Cyworld while Junsu closed the photo and comment sections of his off from the public.

And JYPE’s Youtube channel? Ever since the announcement, comments (or should I say flames?) are rushing in- bashing JYP and JYPE for lying to the fans and giving them hope for the leadja’s return.

This seems to be the right time for the Hottests to stand as one and to unify their forces internationally, right? Sounds rather logical.

But alas, some of the Hottests have turned into Antis- all because their former Hottest selves were disappointed with the fact that JYPE and Jaebeom had come to this decision after the issue had dragged on for so long.

After JYPE officially terminated the contract for Jaebeom, “some people have spread malicious attacks and false rumors on the Internet about the remaining six members of the group and illegally used their personal information, including resident registration numbers,” the agency reported, “We decided to ask police to investigate the matter to prevent further damage.” [Quote taken from Asianfanatics.net]

…Seriously? This is how we deal with disappointment- with the sad feeling that someone who we’ve hoped to see come back, someone we were willing to forgive no matter what he did in the past?

Yes, I understand- JYPE could’ve handled the whole situation a little better. Writing “We are revealing these details through this message now because if we had lied and gave false information, we would have lost any trust that we held with the fans” in their online letter wasn’t exactly wise- considering they had already lost a lot of supporters. [Quote also taken from Asianfanatics.net] And saying that the other group members also decided alongside JYPE that it wasn’t possible for Jaebeom to continue activities with 2PM? Way to drag the rest of the members into the situation.

But the people who are spreading attacks and rumors on the net about the rest of the group and using their personal information? Now, I hear it may be Hottests-turned-antis doing this, but either way- seriously?

Because things don’t go the way we hoped it would be- with leadja coming back and 2PM returning into their original 7-member band- we take it out on the remaining members? What did they do to deserve this? It’s not their fault that this happened. I’m pretty sure that no one ever expected this.

If you are a fan of a certain band, you wouldn’t support just one individual- every person that is in the group is just as important as the next- as they work together to reach their dream. HOTTESTS, this is YOUR time to prove that the fans will carry 2PM through this storm and come out stronger than ever- not making them disband because they’re getting no support from their so-called fans. Yes, without Jaebeom, there is a hole in the group- but what about Chansung, Nichkhun, Taecyeon, Junho, Junsu, and Wooyoung? They’re just as vital to the survival of 2PM as much as JaeBeom was.

And in comes the letter from Jaebeom’s mother that was posted on 2PM’s joint fanclub, UnderGround:

“Please tell all fans ‘thank you’. Please tell them to often check up on him and keep interest in him.
Through out all these rumors Jaebum could have been despaired but seeing him strong gave me more hope than despair.
Thank you to all the fans.

You have worked very, very hard.

Please forward our heart to the fans and I will pray for the wound in the fan’s heart to be healed quickly. Thank you for trusting and loving our Jaebum. This is not a good ending for Jaebum but my heart is lighter now that this issue has ended. I wish that after this entry, Jaebum will not become a bad issue. Please love the 2PM dongsaengs too. They and their families will have had a hard time because of Jaebum.”

[Credit given to Asianfanatics.net, Naver; UnderGround (Source) ; Bajaebum@2ONEDAY.COM (Trans)]

This was UnderGround’s response:

“After we read this message, we realized that no matter how big the company, they cannot compete with Jaebum. Even though those people found one small fault and thoroughly shook up his life, instead of being hurt, we can see that he is just looking ahead towards his future and so we believe that no matter where he is, no matter what happens, he will become great. Before worrying about the huge wound that hurt their son more than anyone, the hurt that their son will have to continue to live with, his parents first thanked the fans. When we see how Jaebum’s parents have taken pains to take care of the other members since they were together with Jaebum once upon a time, even though they turned their backs now, we can see why, besides these people, there has only been good words about Jaebum.

Instead of believing the words of the company JYPE and the rest of the members that came out as their representatives, the company that throughout the six months, we couldn’t find the “honesty” that they consistently responded with, with statements that what they were saying is true for four hours, we choose to believe in Jaebum’s honesty, as he is the one who has shown us his unchanging self ever since his debut. That is why we believe that the way to show him [that we believe in him] is like we have done until now, we need to continue to support and root for the person Park Jaebum.

Like we have done until now, Underground will continue to do good things for Jaebum and we will be his wings. We believe that Jaebum will be able to find his lost reputation through him continuing to show us his truthful self. Instead of supporting JYPE’s 2PM’s Leadja Park Jaebum, we will instead support “the person Park Jaebum” and we will support and hope that he will be happy wherever he goes. We hope that Jaebum and Jaebum’s parents can lay down this burden and go back to the way they were. We will never forget Jaebum and we will help him become happy. This is the best way to protest against JYPE, the company that from beginning to end only disappointed us.

From last September to February 27th, even though we were unable to get the results we wanted from these last six months, all of us from where we are currently, have done all we could for Jaebum. We are fully aware of the disappointment we all feel for being unable to get what we earnestly wished for. However, turning that sense of loss into anger and acting rashly will only come back to haunt Jaebum and all of us. We would be tearing down all of our own hard work through our own actions. We hope that you all will think twice before acting so that we and Jaebum can stand tall until the end.

We hope that the six members of 2PM will continue to have a good relationship with Park Jinyoung PD, the one that they admire so much and hope that they become the first entertainers to resign with JYPE. We earnestly hope that JYPE treats them as humans and not as a product that they are going to use and throw away.”

From Underground Emily, HeyJ

[Credits: UnderGround (Source) ; ___@2ONEDAY.COM (Trans)]

I, like opus, admire Jay’s talent, as well as the rest of 2PM. Although I am unhappy with the fact that he will not be returning, I feel that he’s brave enough already to have confessed to have done something that would’ve affected him, as well as his bandmates, negatively should it have come out like his MySpace comments.

Perhaps this was his way of ‘cleaning the slate’, and starting anew.

In my opinion, 2PM will always be 1:59PM without Jaebeom- there’s just a sense of something missing when it’s only 6 members we see on stage. But I’ll continue supporting the remaining 6 members of 2PM- as should all Hottests- and wish them the very best in their careers. Whether Jaebeom returns to the music industry in the future…that’s something that he’ll have to decide.

…Life has never really been a field of roses.

Let me first say, “wow.”  When I first heard their clips, I was completely blown away by their talent and charisma.  A lot of Korean singers have tried the R&B style, but these guys really take the crown jewel for it: making their own music and taking it to the edge. As an Asian American, I get the full blast of the American and Asian music: both sides.  While I love when the two mix in the middle, there is also something missing.  For Asian R&B singers like Taeyang, it has always been the fullness of voice and strength of vocals to round out the true R&B sound.  However, these guys bring that full Neyo-like  R&B sound that has eluded so many in the Korean entertainment system.  Along with this fuller sound, they have mellowed it out a tiny bit with a jazzier spice of their own, which makes it mainstream but special all at the same time.

Another added bonus is their fluidity in English since they hail from Australia and the US.  There have been a lot of times when artists will add English to their music, and the native accent will detract clarity and cleanliness from the sound, but that obviously does not happen with these guys.  Now don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against accents because I am sure I have an accent myself, but I do believe it detracts ever so slightly from the overall cleanliness that R&B calls for.

But with all good things, there are slight down sides.  My major pet peeve is auto tuning and phlangers.  I personally believe that these guys can make their music without auto tuning; however, the auto tuning they have used has been effectively employed to enhance their vocals rather than to take away take away from the sincerity of each vocalists’ instrument.  In addition to that, I was not the biggest fan of how the verses were sung.  The staccato method of singing made their voices seem unnaturally nasally and breathless: for Chance, it added the singing vibration that comes from singing upward through the nasal cavity, while Peter sounded as if he were fading on each of the phrases, making the phrase either seem messy in comparison to the clarity of the higher embellishment of the guitar.  It might have been better, in comparison, to add slight bits of vibrato while singing to help add control over the vocals in that section.  Whatever the case, the both of them sound absolutely amazing on longer, legato passages, but the staccato and perhaps the digital effects caused the most problems.  If they keep singing, I believe they will open up their voices and tap into an even stronger natural full chest voice that will serve their R&B style, adding to their already dazzling resume.

Contrary to norm, their live was spectacular, only marred by singing under the tone slightly in certain parts of the verses.  I won’t complain about that since it is very common for debuts and comebacks to be marred by tone offsets and One Way has really out done other groups by keeping a stronger consistent tone throughout and working with MBC’s EQ-ing.

The rest of their mini album is absolutely amazing and really does display the wide variety of styles they draw from.  It’s like a portfolio of artwork they have done, and each is a jewel in itself.  My only complaint in that aspect is the slight use of profanity in certain songs.

I fully appreciate these guys writing and making their own music.  With the current entertainment industry that is saturated with idols, it has been a wonderful breath of life to see these guys write and produce their own sound.  In that sense, they give the same appeal of Epik High, Teddy and Tiger JK: they keep it real by adding their own minds to what they are singing and rapping about.  It’s that genius of being able to come up with your own creations.  For that, major props to them and I can’t wait to hear what else they’ll put out in the coming years.

Individually, they are amazing.  Peter’s dancing accomplishments, Change’s previous gigs with Xtacy Xport and Young Sky’s own major in piano have a lot to say about these men.  Together they give off a very friendly and down-to-earth vibe, which is a great plus for fans.  Even above that, they are respectful and really pay homage to those who have influenced their own success, especially Peter’s very obvious homages to Michael Jackson in his dancing and debut single Showman.

After seeing some older videos and how much Peter and Chance have grown from their previous gigs, I have a feeling that we’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg of talent from these guys: they will continue to grow and mature in style and technique, perfecting their own skills and challenging all new heights.  They are not entertainers but artists and musicians of their own, which adds a different perspective because it makes them so much more invested in their music.  Like the Epik High that has grown from its Black Swan Song days into it’s new Epilogue single, One Way will only get better and continue to prove odds wrong and win over fans time and time again with their humbleness and abilities.  I think the only thing I think can permanently seal the deal for me is if it’s announced that Peter choreographs the dances that appear in the MVs; then I will have fallen for this group hook, line and sink for the time being.

In the mean time, the best of luck to them in all their endeavors.  I cannot wait to hear more from this group in the future!  ‘Til then: One way, One sound.