By The Bel: (Korean) Popcorn-ish #1

Published February 19, 2013
Category: By the Bel, Columns

Pop corny! #1

I’m a child of the 80’s which means my musical tastes run heavily from the 1990’s. The latest stuff from the music industry hasn’t really had me bolting to the radio. If anything the majority of new music has been making me long for some Hanson, of all things (My Friday Ketchup co host tells me constantly I need help for my lack of musical taste!). I have been starved for a good pop group, since nobody does pop music like Savage Garden.

Until… I stumbled upon a music program on SBS which reminded me of RAGE (a program that is no longer the place to get all your musical needs in one hit). However, in my then migraine-addled state, I thought I was missing something; I couldn’t understand a thing anyone was singing about.

Checking the TV guide once said migraine had passed I discovered the reason for the confusion. The program was called Pop Asia and let me tell you, my musical tastes and I are happy as pigs in mud.

I’ve only had time to catch a few episodes and I want to share some of the best clips I’ve seen so far.

Today we head to Korea

I am in love with the cinematography, concepts and costuming for the Seoul based band, Big Bang and their clip Fantastic Baby. Guys on thrones with looooong red hair… yes please!

How about a little dance and Adam Labert-ish vocals… TVXQ, a duo from South Korea, covered almost all the bases with an industrial type soundtrack, an almost identical vocal style as Adam Lambert (who I LOOOOVE) and topped of with an awesomely choreographed dance sequence… Can you see the snake?

Got a hankering for Duffy, but don’t know the words? (Don’t worry neither do I) How about trying a cover version of Mercy called Dancing Queen by Girls Generation. You get the retro sound and a bit of weird dancing with cute fashions. Best of all you get that great tune, and new lyrics.

And last but certainly not least is Mine by Kim Jaejoong. This clip gives me goosebumps. Again with the Adam Lambert glam rock sound, but the production value of slow motion vision and a set of fangs never fails to send me to my happy place. It would not surprise me if this song ends up on the soundtrack to one of the many book to movie adaptations in the near future. It can almost tell a story all by itself. This clip has the English translations.