Today, my fifth and sixth grade returning students presented me with a list of Korean pop songs they felt I should listen to. Um...lets just say I am FAR from disappointed. They are catchy, and (more often than not) hilarious. So here they are (with a link to their YouTube vidoes) for your listening and viewing pleasure.
MC Mong: Indian Boy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxY6GcBgbeQ
Vaguely offensive...and SO RANDOM. What is with the dancing football players?!
MC Mong: Ice Cream
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYhLfJtjelg
Totally bizarre and hilarious. The translated lyrics made my life. It is also SOOOO KOREAN! I love that he's up late playing Starcraft.
Big Bang: Lies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Cv3phvP8Ro&feature=fvw
You know what American music videos need more of? Roller skates.
Big Bang: Haru Haru
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzCbEdtNbJ0
What happened to the rest of the bill on that baseball hat?! Why is everything SO DRAMATIC? These are the boys that literally make my third and fourth grade girls DISSOLVE into a fit of giggles, shrieks, and clapping. Who am I to judge? They can come sing to me in the hospital.
Wonder Girls: Tell Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlHv3BbBv6A
You may think to yourself "Whoa, those girls looks like they are 13! Especially the one in the glasses." Not far from the truth. All of the Wonder Girls are apparently in high school. When they debuted, some were in middle school. Crazy! I am not sure I trust their juvenile super powers to protect my city.
Wonder Girls: So Hot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmun5PO54VE
For being based in a conservative society, those girls are in some pretty skanky skirts! I also love that they have embraced the vogue so whole heartedly. I have said before (and I will say again) that the 80s never really left Korea.
2PM: Again and Again
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUgReo37ECw
Somebody get that girl some curtains! But seriously, this is one of my favorites. I am going to have to do some deeper investigation into 2PM. (As a funny side note, there is, apparently, also a group called 2AM. Awesome. A kid told me that 2PM was boys and 2AM was girls, but that was later proven to be false.)
2ne1 AND Big Bang: Lollipop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIRW_elc-rY&feature=fvst
This is a big deal collaboration in Korea. Two GIANT bands getting together to make this song. And they play the shit out of it at stores, in ads, etc. I personally love that the early 90s threw up all over this music video.
2ne1: I Don't Care
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MgAxMO1KD0&translated=1
Apparently we have huge fans of chunky jewelry, absurd hair styles, and bizarre vests here. I love this song. And their English is both intelligible and used correctly, so that is a PLUS. Actually this is also one of my favorites. Also, why don't we have blooper reels at the end of our music videos?
Girls Generation: Genie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJHrsD0-Y_U
This one is for you, Carl. Seriously, these girls are gorgeous! And there are NINE of them! Insanity. This song is also played EVERYWHERE. And it is damn catchy. I kind of love it.
Outsider: Alone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eMVFYp-Zjg
I heard "Korean rapper" and immediately laughed a little. But I take back my initial instinct, as this guy is pretty beast. According to unsubstantiated YouTube comments, he can rap 17 syllables per second, which is obscenely fast. And check out those weepy rap lyrics! Awesome!
Super Junior: Sorry Sorry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6QA3m58DQw
I am not even going to address that bizarre ass opening. Any group that has 13 people should be totally insane, and yet Super Junior some how makes it work. I am picking up what they are putting down. I LOVE the repeated synchronized dance in a variety of suits.
Super Junior: It's You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ErgffP0wVw
Mmhmm, yeah. Yeah. I definitely love them. Look at those little sad faces! How can you resist?! You know how the boy bands in the US all had the same "roles" in them, no matter the group? How do you fill 13 different roles? How do you even design 13 different roles? "We need the baby faced guy, the guy with the crazy asymmetrical hair, the tall guy, the feminine guy, the guy with an earring, the guy..."
Well, I hope you've enjoyed this little trip into K-Pop as much as I have. What a great way to waste a couple hours of my afternoon! Thanks kids!
Your legs tired, I piggyback you home.
ReplyDelete(I only got to #2, I'll check out the rest later).
If only when a flasher popped out of my locker in hs I had someone there to save me from him... is that an issue in korean schools? haha. I enjoyed the Wondergirls video. And the genie song by the other girls. Amaze.
ReplyDeletebtw, that post was by me, Monica, of course.
ReplyDeletehey, just found ur blog and im having a good time reading it....im with smoe too..im glad you like Super Junior...I really like them too, but my kids think theyre too old even though most of them are younger than me...i guess im too old for my kids too...
ReplyDelete