Now For Something Completely Different ...

[+ quoththeraven]

Another thing I did during my recent "hiatus" was watch Kpop videos. Here's an over-the-top one that includes watersports (no nudity, though):

 

 

Artists: G.D. (short for G-Dragon) and T.O.P. a subgroup of Big Bang, one of the biggest acts in Kpop.

Link to English translation of the lyrics.

 

Yes, it's hip-hop, with all that hip-hop swagger. I have to admit, it took me a few listens to warm up to. But the video -- which is out there, even for Kpop -- is just whack.

[sincitymix]

welcome back QTR :)

[+ quoththeraven]

I don't know if I'd call this a "more typical song" because it's a more of a straight-out rock song than their usual, but here's my favorite of the MVs Big Bang has released as a precursor to their latest album, MADE:

 

 

English lyrics here. BTW, despite the joyful sound and colorful MV, it's actually quite a sad song. This is typical of Big Bang, which may have the largest catalog of songs with sad lyrics but upbeat music of any pop group around.

 

T.O.P. appears last in this one. Yes, his hair color is different. These guys change hair color and hairstyles like some women change shoes.

 

Also, unlike some Kpop groups, Big Bang members write (or co-write) their lyrics and often help compose the music as well. Their producer Teddy Park and his cohorts do the arranging. On this song, G-Dragon, T.O.P. and Teddy Park wrote the lyrics; G-Dragon, Teddy Park, and Choice37 composed the music.

[+ quoththeraven]

Last Big Bang song: "Let's Not Fall in Love." T.O.P. starts this one off.

 

 

English lyrics here. The girl's words are translated; the man's voice is gibberish in Korean but when played backwards is (supposedly G-Dragon) saying "It's not you, it's me" in English.

[+ Keith30309]

Another thing I did during my recent "hiatus" was watch Kpop videos. Here's an over-the-top one that includes watersports (no nudity, though):

 

 

Artists: G.D. (short for G-Dragon) and T.O.P. a subgroup of Big Bang, one of the biggest acts in Kpop.

Link to English translation of the lyrics.

 

Yes, it's hip-hop, with all that hip-hop swagger. I have to admit, it took me a few listens to warm up to. But the video -- which is out there, even for Kpop -- is just whack.

 

Love it!

 

The blonde guy (who is on the left at the top of the video) vaguely reminds me of a 'scort I met.

[+ quoththeraven]

Love it!

 

The blonde guy (who is on the left at the top of the video) vaguely reminds me of a 'scort I met.

 

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.

 

That's T.O.P. (real name: Choi Seung-hyun). In addition to his music endeavors with Big Bang, the G.D.&T.O.P. subunit, and as a solo artist, he's also an actor. He's got a deep voice, a wry sense of humor, and a cool demeanor. It's hard to say who's more popular or considered more sexy: him or G-Dragon. But before he joined Big Bang, he was overweight -- losing weight was a condition of their agency/record label even considering him -- and as a result he's less willing to show skin and go shirtless than other band members.

[+ quoththeraven]

Did someone say shirtless? Big Bang members Taeyang, Daesung, and Seungri show off their abs in this video. Taeyang is the guy with the tats, some of which are his but many of which were "applied" for the purpose of this video. Daesung is the blond guy (once again, not his natural hair color) who's chained to the wall. Seungri is the guy with scratches on his torso surrounded by catgirls.

 

 

This video is also the fourth most viewed Kpop video of all time. Ahead of it are Psy's "Gangnam Style," "Gentleman," and the Hyuna/Psy remake of "Gangnam Style," "Oppa is Just My Style." (Hyuna is the woman Psy meets on the subway in "Gangnam Style.")