[J-Pop] Lands – Bandage PV

I know I’m such a loser since I only got to watch the PV now. Sorry, Jin, I’ve been really busy lately. XD The song, for me, was generic. It did not meet my expectations at all. But it’s still okay. The PV was simple but good.

 

[J-Pop] Kato Miliyah’s New Single “WHY”

This is currently my fave song. Kato Miliyah just recently released her single “WHY” ^_^

Here’s its PV:

And here’s the translated lyrics:

Kato Miliyah – WHY

Lyrics: Miliyah
Music: Miliyah

Oh
“I don’t need you.”
I wish I could say that
Oh, but don’t leave me behind

Beside the rusted scenery
I walk down the same old road
“It ends today”
I tell myself those words
On my way to see someone so selfish

But I still feel happy when I see you
And yet my heart’s in pain
I hurry to you, I put up with the lies
I know you don’t care for me
And you keep on doing this to me
Our relationship’s just selfish

“Why am I not the one?”
“Why? I love you so much”
“Why do you lie to me?”
“Why? Why? Why? Love me!”

The room’s a mess
The leather sofa smells like cigarettes
I’ve been here many times
But you can’t tell at all

You’re tender as always
Then you get a call from some new girl again
You seem so innocent
But you hurt me so easily
Even if I run out because I can’t stand it
I know you won’t come chasing after me
If I give up it’s all over

“Why do you blame me?”
“Why do you betray me?”
“Why do you hurt me?”
“Can’t I be your only love?”
“Tell me how you really feel”
“No more secrets. Who is she?”
“Please, don’t just throw me away”
“I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I’m such an idiot”

Hey, can you at least tell me
What I am to you?
If I ever lose you
I won’t be able to live

No, I don’t want to cry over you anymore
I don’t want to fall for your sweet words
But I still can’t say “Goodbye”
I just want to be with you

Let’s stop pretending we’re lovers
Don’t pretend to be nice to me
Stop messing with my mind
Don’t hurt me more than you already have

“Why am I not the one?”
“Why? I love you so much”
“Why do you lie to me?”
“Why? Why? Why? Why? Why!”

“Why am I not the one?”
“Why? I love you so much”
“Why do you lie to me?”
“Love me, love me, love me, love me”

Source: http://www.quartet4.net/?p=7616

 

[KOREA-PHILIPPINES] Kim Joon to Visit the Philippines

T-Max member Kim Joon, who also starred as one of the F4 members in hit TV series “Boys Over Flowers”, will promote South Korea and the Philippines joint television showcase taking place later this month.

The singer and actor was selected as a promotional ambassador for the “Korea-Philippine TV Content Showcase & Media Forum”, taking place as part of events marking the 60th year of friendly relations between the two countries, the Korea Internet & Security agency (KISA) said in a press release on Thursday.

“Kim is well-qualified to take on the position since he has the charm to appeal to various fans throughout Asia,” Song Byun-joon, producer of “Boys” explained of his reason for having recommended Kim.

The event, aimed at facilitating exchange of broadcasting material and expanding cooperation between the two countries, will take place for two days starting November 30 at Manilla’s Hyatt Hotel.

Kim has also been invited to attend the Viewer Choice Award hosted by Philippine broadcaster ABS-CBN as an awardee. He gained popularity with his role in “Boys” earlier this year after debuting as a member of the singing trio in 2007. Since then he has starred in a musical and currently appears on reality show “The Invincible Baseball Team.”

source: asiae

 

[K-Pop] Shinhwa’s Andy’s Advice to TVXQ

“Leaving the company is the second trial which is harder from the debut time.”

“It will be hard, like having to debut all over again.”

Andy, member of idol group Shinhwa with the longest career, who is in the middle of his solo activities, revealed his “personal opinion” about TVXQ’s situation which is a hot issue in the K-pop world.

Andy who debuted in 1999 under the same company as TVXQ, SM Entertainment, as Shinhwa, has gained lots of popularity. But as soon as the exclusive contract was over, he and the rest of the members had to move to another entertainment company and continuously did activities with passion.

Recently,in the interview with Sports Dong-A, Andy cautiously stated “I sincerely would like TVXQ and their fans who have been with them since the beginning to get back together and continue their activities.” and “They should know that if they find another way, they have to start all over again.”

The days after leaving Shinhwa’s debut company, Andy says, “It was a great difficulty,” and stressed “They should know that when they leave their debut company, it takes more effort and it is two – three times harder than when they first debuted.”

While Shinhwa’s group activity is on hold due to its members on army service, Andy has continued with his solo activities and scouted new singers, and has turned into a CD producer. In his own company, he has assembled a casting team, and together with (the casting team) has been searching for new entertainers/trainees.

Because of this, Andy is looking at the music industry as a producer. With his experience, he added, “Idol groups that gained popularity quickly think that their efforts are what’s important, but still thinking that it is dangerous,”and “You must acknowledge the fact that the company has capabilities and talent.”

Source: donga.com
Translation: ndy @ OneTVXQ.com
Special thanks: 2MY @ OneTVXQ.com
Credits: OneTVXQ.com { One World. One Red Ocean. One TVXQ! }

 

[Announcement] I’m Back! ^_^

Woot!   Hello, Lara here   Sorry for not updating this site for a long time >_<  I’ve been busy with school and stuff.   So now I’m back to give some updates from time to time, still on Asian Entertainment, of course

 

About the Boys Over Flowers Cast visting the Philippines that I posted before, apparently it was only Kim Bum who visited here, and it’s not even BOF-related.  I’m sorry for getting your hopes up, but don’t blame me, it’s what KBS and ABSCBN announced. Hehe.

 

So yeah, I still welcome music requests. Just post away   Keep on reading my blog. Thanks ^_^

 

[Asia] Big Bang vs Super Junior at the Asia Song Festival

Yahoo! News

During the recent 2009 Asia Song Festival at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Sangam-dong, a total of 13 idol groups from all over Asia performed at this annual event. It featured the likes of Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, Big Bang, 2NE1, Gackt, mihimaru GT, K-Otic, Ekin Cheng, Show Luo and many more international artistes.

To match up to the performances from the different participating groups, Taiwanese artiste Show Luo revealed that he invested in an S$28,300 outfit for the performance. He was glimmering from head to toe as he danced to his titular hits, “One Man Show” and “Best of the Bunch”, receiving rave reviews for his routine.

Show revealed that he was particularly impressed by the multi-hyphenate Japanese performer (singer, composer, lyricist, actor), Gackt, who conversed with him in fluent Mandarin. The Japanese singer explained that his proficiency in Chinese came from his Taiwanese relatives and frequent trips to Taiwan.

Gackt even spoke a mouthful of Korean when he took the stage and brought the atmosphere of the event to an all-new high. Shocked by Gackt’s multi-linguistic capabilities, Show vowed to learn from Gackt and work doubly hard to master a foreign language.

According to Show, there was a little brush-off between Korean boybands, Super Junior and Big Bang as both groups wanted to perform the finale act. As there was no fixed performance sequence, in order to placate the members of Big Bang, the organizers of the event decided to give them the opportunity to perform the closing act.

When Big Bang’s performance ended, the host asked fans if they would like to listen to another song and fans were greeted with a final performance from Super Junior. Big Bang felt cheated about their supposed “closing act” and reportedly left the event in a huff without collecting their award.

 

[K-Pop] The Japanese Woman Behind K-Pop Bands’ Moves

Behind the powerful performance and dance skills of many manufactured K-pop bands, there is a woman: Rino Nakasone, a Japanese dancer and choreographer. She is best known for choreographing several songs of popular Korean music bands SHINee and Girls’ Generation but also recently choreographed one of songs of SM Entertainment’s new girl group f(x).

Nakasone was first recognized by Korean music fans in June 2008, when she gave SHINee dancing lessons for their debut with “Replay.” At the time, she had been a backup dancer for the Harajuku Girls and featured in stage shows and music videos for Gwen Stefani in the States, earning some attention for her brilliant performance.

Born in Okinawa, she moved to the U.S. when she was 19. “I am a huge fan of Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson,” she says. “They’re like my teachers. I never took any dance classes when I was in Japan, I just watched them and started copying what they do. And I knew I had to move to America, so I did in 1999. I had to be close to Michael Jackson and all the inspiration was in the U.S. I got to meet, learn, and work with people that I was fan of and respect, so it really has been a dream come true being here in Los Angeles.”

She says becoming a dancer or choreographer was a “natural step.” “It didn’t happen overnight. I just kept doing what I love to do, which was taking classes, going auditions, or teaching my own class. Then many opportunities came to me.”

She says it’s fun to work with Korean artists. “When I was in Seoul working with SHINee, I was very impressed how hard they worked. I love their songs. They were great at picking up choreography fast and were able to do anything that I taught them.”

She also created the choreography for Girls’ Generation’s popular song, “Tell Me Your Wish” in collaboration with SM Entertainment’s dance team. “They learned off the video tape that I dance in and we all went over it together later. Soo-young of the band speaks Japanese and Jessica speaks English, so I had no problem communicating with them, but I just listened to the song first and the move came up. Music tells me what to do. When I look back, it could look like tango or salsa inspired. That’s what I do. I see some dance movement that I like and I tweak it and change to make it my own.”

Nakasone says Girls’ Generation’s music and dance “make people want to do what they do. It’s unique to see nine beautiful girls performing on stage. It’s a lot for a band, but their formations are well-organized and they all look together, which is very important in a group.”

Personally, she is more of an old school lover and always will be. “I still listen to Michael. Any good music that catches my ears, I listen to it,” she says. “I’m learning Korean because I want to be able to sing their songs at karaoke. Working with SM Entertainment, I got to know Korean entertainment a little bit. I think I know more K-pop than Japanese pop these days. I love dance and I love watching any dancers. I enjoy challenging and trying new things to bring different flavors on each artists and each songs.”

Nakasone says she would love to keep working with Korean artists when opportunities arise. Currently she is focusing more on doing some stuff with her crew Beat Freaks and her dance partner Maryss from Paris.

source: chosun

 

[J-Pop] 70,000 people go wild for Arashi’s 10th anniversary at Kokuritsu!

The popular group Arashi has welcomed the first day of “ARASHI Anniversary Tour 5×10″, their 10th anniversary concert tour, at Tokyo’s Kokuritsu Kyogijo (until the 30th). “We want to become a group that is known throughout the world 10 years, 20 years from now.” Just as they had vowed at their debut 10 years ago, these five people are stirring up a storm not only in Japan, but Asia as well. A million sales of their best of album is also right before their eyes. The hottest five people right now held a magnificent celebration of their memorial year with 70,000 fans.

The final stage. “We are blessed to have received support over these 10 years.” Overcome with emotion and moved to tears, leader Ohno Satoshi (28) was hugged by Aiba Masaki (26). It was a very Arashi-like scene.

The tour title, “5×10″, represents the 10 years they had gone through together. With three consecutive days of performances at the Kokuritsu for the first time in history for starters, it was a brilliant curtain-dropping to their following 5 dome commemorative tour that will attract 760,000 people.

It was a masterpiece from the very beginning. Just as you wonder if you can see their figures high up in the sky on the stage constructed beside the main stand, they flew 200 metres all the way to the Olympic flame platform at a height of 30 metres. Taking in the view of the seating below them, they hyped up the 70,000 strong audience with “Kokuritsu, let’s have fun!!”

With “Raising a storm in the world” as their catchphrase, they debuted in November of 1999 with an average age of 16.6 years. They have literally created a “storm” on this island, but while their national popularity has reached the top, the road they’ve traveled to get this far had not been smooth.

September of 1999. Starting with a flashy debut conference in Hawaii, they were offered one topic after another. On the other hand, there were periods where their CDs did not sell as many as expected as well. Up until now, the number of both singles and albums that became million-sellers is zero. To Arashi, their first million-seller is right before their eyes with the best of album that went on sale this month, “All the BEST! 1999-2009″.

It had taken time for their big break. After their debut, they had taken the train to their jobs for 4 to 5 years. During their 2002 tour, all the members would gather in leader Ohno’s hotel room after their shows ended each night to worry over “What should we do to be Arashi-like?” “How can we become like our senpais?” and so on, holding discussions over the direction they should take. It was there that the self-awareness of the members became unified for the first time, and began to move forward in a single direction.

“All of us are diligent. I believe that this is the fruit born from doing everything with care.” Like Matsumoto Jun (25) had said, it is the accumulation of hard work and achievements. With Ninomiya Kazunari (26)’s appearance in “Iwojima kara no tegami” (released in 2006) directed by Clint Eastwood and Matsumoto’s “Hana yori dango” series that caused a social phenomenon, they succeeded in reaching a new, wider demographic of fans as well.

At the news conference before their show, Sakurai Sho (27) spoke his mind frankly and honestly: “We’re a group that took its time a bit. We took the roundabout way, but we’re glad to have finally arrived here. We feel all the more joyous.” The 10th year is just a single checkpoint. “Arashi’s Era” still has yet to end.

Source: daily sports online
translations credits to ames_909 @ LJ

 

[K-Pop] G Dragon Releases New Solo MV “Heartbreaker”

Big Bang’s G Dragon made a surprising comeback by winning in various music programs despite the on-going girl groups war.  Moreover, his new album “Heartbreaker” sold over 100,000 copies already! Way to go, GD! ^_^

He also dyed his hair to blonde/white-ish XDDD I love it! XD It reminds me of HYDE’s Roentgen era ^_^

Here’s his new MV “Heartbreaker”:

 

[J-Pop] BoA to Have Christmas Concerts in Japan

South Korea’s top pop star BoA will have her first Christmas live concerts in Tokyo in two years.

BoA announced on her Japan Web site earlier this week that she will hold the live concerts under the title of “BoA The LIVE X’mas.” More recently, she has been active with “Girlfriend,” her new collaboration song with Crystal Kay, Japan’s top singer.

BoA’s Christmas live concerts will take place in Tokyo on Dec. 4-5 and in Osaka on Dec. 8.

BoA, 22, who had been performing in Japan, released her U.S. album on March 17 amid high expectations and has since been stepping up her American activities.

She is struggling to repeat her success in Japan in the United States. Specifically, she has signed a contract with Creative Artists Agency (CAA), the No. 1 Hollywood entertainment agency.

Under the agreement, within North America CAA is representing BoA in all areas, including music, film and merchandising. The agency is mulling a U.S. tour in the second half of the year.

source: koreantimes