My Thoughts On: B.A.P’s Coffee Shop MV

What’s this? A new MV I’m talking about? Yes, people, yes. I love B.A.P, so I’m putting aside my laziness and getting this shit done now.

Coffee Shop is the first of three title tracks in B.A.P’s new album, released on 28^th June, Daehyun’s birthday. Dae I love you. Watch it on TS’s official channel.

Okay, first off, Coffee Shop doesn’t have a usual K-pop MV. There’re no dance scenes, everything is shot outside, and we barely even have any group shots. It was filmed in the U.S, and I think they had International fans in mind when they did it, so this is a bit of a treat for us!

This MV is pure eye-candy. The guys all look so super gorgeous, and we get so many shots of them, so I have to limit my screen-caps to 20. This will be hard. My ‘Why so Serious?’ MV review had… twenty-eight screenshots. What? 28? Coffee Shop MV is much prettier. So… maybe 25. Yeah.

The K-Pop Guide: Shipping

Ah, yes. One of the more divisive topics among fans, though generally viewed as harmless. Shipping.

You probably got a taste of it in my SHINee guide, but here’s a little refresher: shipping is basically making up couples, usually in the same band. Today I’ll expand a little more into it, as well as the good and the dangers of it.

Shipping is spread in different fandoms in different degrees. If you’re into SHINee, you’ll see ships everywhere. In B2ST they’re rare. You’ll have to dig if you want Block B ships. The reasons for why there’s little or more shipping vary, but usually it’s based on two factors: the members themselves and the company. SM (who own TVXQ!, Super Junior, SHINee, SNSD etc) promote shipping like crazy. They’ll make the members of the ship have same clothes or accessories, or the choreography or something will coincidentally have the ship members fall together. This is why SM bands generally have more ships. It also depends greatly on the members of course. When we have fan-service kings like Jonghyun and super-affectionate guys like Siwon, ships are bound to sail.

Ships usually have names. Since Korean first names are usually two-part, most ship names are made by joining two parts together. Like YunJae (Yunho and Jaejoong), EunHae (Eunhyuk and Donghae), JongKey (Jonghyun and Key)

JongKey

The sequence of names in the ship name also matter. If you’re more well-versed with yaoi (the standard name for male×male fiction) you’ll know that when things get… adult… there’s usually a top and a bottom. The ‘top’s name comes first, usually. For example, YunJae is sometimes made into JaeHo, where Yunho bottoms (but I find that kind of awkward to think about).

There’re a few categories of ships (well, in my mind anyway) so I’ll list them:

The Fan-Service Ship

This one is caused by the members actually doing their best to promote the ship, usually egged on by the company. Most ships, if they get popular enough, eventually roll on into this kind of ship. The members just get more touchy than usual, describe the other by more… suggestive terms. Since I adore Super Junior’s Kyuhyun, I’ll use his ships to describe. A proper example of a fan-service ship for Kyuhyun would be KyuMin, his ship with Sungmin. Kyuhyun’s a pretty good fan-servicer, and this ship goes far in SJ.

KyuMin

The Personal Ship

My favourite kind of ship. This one is a ship-starter, and might tumble into a fan-service ship, depending on popularity. This one is just genuine closeness, no fan-service. For example, JongKey of SHINee started as a personal ship, but then became a fan-service ship. The Kyuhyun ship would be KyuMi (yes, the names are close, it’s also called QMi), his ship with Zhou Mi. It’s the Kyuhyun ship I ship.

KyuMi

 

The Crack Ship

This one… just stems. From nothing really, it just occurred. We just need one frame, or one picture, or one word, and it booms. These are usually just fringe ships, difficult to find stuff for, and usually just done in good humour. Occasionally this is just done to make up ship names. I’ll just leave my once-shipped OnHo of SHINee here.

OnHo

 

The Cross-Band Ship

Most ships are in one band, but some cross-over to other bands. These are somewhat rarer than in-band ships. A nice example would be KyuMin, the Kyuhyun×Changmin ship. Kyuhyun’s from SJ, and Changmin TVXQ! They are quite good friends, which is usually the base of a cross-band ship. I ship this too, actually. Sorry Mimi. 

The cross-band ship is also the root of:

The Hetero Ship

Most ships are homosexual, since co-ed bands (bands with both guys and girls) are rare. They’re usually done for fun– very few ships are viewed as ‘real’ by usual shippers. Hetero ships (where it’s actually male×female) are sometimes viewed as just fun, but also sometimes viewed seriously. Some stem from dating rumours, like Kyutoria (Kyuhyun and f(x)’s Victoria) or from shows like We Got Married, like Yongseo (CN: Blue’s Yonghwa and SNSD’s Seohyun). 

YongSeo

  

Now remember, shipping is usually done just for fun. Very few actually think their ships are real. It’s just fun to squee over some of your favourite members of your band acting all sweet or lovey with each other, or just saving some pictures or writing some (occasionally hilarious) fanfiction. Most shippers usually have a multitude of ships they support, usually with overlapping members. Just don’t take it too seriously, don’t bring down other people’s ships, and you’ll be fine. 

For example, my recent cross-band crack ship of B.A.P's Daehyun and B2ST's Gikwang. People, they wore the same shirt in a very short amount of time! Couple matching!

Gikwang extreme right

Daehyun on the right. Same shirt.

 

But of course, there always is a section of those who take it too seriously, and it gets completely out of control.

YunJae was a ship in TVXQ! (DBSK), and it was immensely popular. In 2009, three members of TVXQ! left, Jaejoong one of them. So the ship ended, right?

Nope. A great deal of YunJae shippers believed YunJae was real, and it followed the two of them. Matching them up, rumours flying every time they happened to be in the same country. People went to TVXQ! and Jaejoong concerts (his solo concerts, plus ones with his new band JYJ) and held up YunJae banners, went to fanmeets and randomly yelled out the other’s name. People, the TVXQ! split up was really painful, I’m sure, for the members as well, so I think the least we could do is not keep yelling out ‘Yunho’ or ‘YunJae’ at their concerts, whether or not YunJae was ever real.

Though Jaejoong is totally gay and Yunho is questionable.

Well, I hope my guide on shipping did something for you, and if not, I’m just happy to say a little about my favourite ships.

Hot K-Pop Guys Born In: June

First off, am I seeing this right? My Dongwoon post has more views than my Siwon post?

Of course, I'm pleased. Don't get me wrong, I love Siwon, but for too long I feel BEAST has been overlooked by international K-Pop fans. It's like they don't even recognise that Dongwoon's gorgeous.

Gorgeousness, people.

So, just as a little show of love to Dongie Pongie, I shall be having a little feature on all the K-Pop stars I know that were born in this month though I'm so dumb and this month is already ending.

Micky Yoochun (JYJ)- 4th June 1986

Confession: I don't find Micky Yoochun attractive, especially not recently. But he was adored for his looks in Korea, and honestly, it would be a crime not to include him.

AJ (U-KISS)- 4th June 1991

This picture is so adorable I can't

 Gather around, KissMes, as we fangirl over our charismatic kitty rapper that went to an Ivy League University.

Kim Hyun-joong (SS501/Solo singer)- 6th June 1986

Certified one of the best-looking idols out there, one of the stars of his generation, you must know Kim Hyun-joong.

Dongwoon (B2ST)- 6th June 1991

Oops, almost forgot our Dongie-Pongie! (The B2ST guys came up with the nickname, guys, not me) Shirtless picture, because I am kind. Started this whole post, and wow... just look at that guy.
Also, B2uties, spread the hotness. Tell people. He deserves more love. You can read my little feature on him, too.

CNU (B1A4)- 16th June 1991

Our handsome classical scholar, Shin Dong-woo, always in our hearts. And that hairstyle we will never forget.

Ryeowook (Super Junior)- 21st June 1987

Our cutie pie Ryeowook, we just have to have you, even if you're not exactly... 'hot'.

Yonghwa (CN: Blue)- 22nd June 1989

Nothing sexier than a man in a rock band, and lead vocalist to boot.

Nichkhun (2PM)- 24th June 1988

I have so many good Nichkhun pictures, but I've decided to go with the least touched-up and most adorable one

Love him or hate him, he was named the best face by plastic surgeons in Korea, and we cannot deny he is gorgeous.

Rain (Solo singer)- 25th June 1982

You must know Rain. If not for his fame, then at least for his scandals. He is Rain. Period.

Minhyuk (CN: Blue)- 28th June 1991

Second CN Blue birthday of the month, and this time it's the drummer! God, the good-looking guys in this band never end. (Actually, they do. They're only four members, after all)

Mika and Karam (The Boss)- 28th June 1990 and 1991

Left: Mika and Right: Karam

Another confession: I am not a fan of The Boss. But being rather versed in Yunho-Jaejoong-DBSK gossip, I know them (or more specifically, Karam). And I think it's so cute that they both have the same birthday, just one year apart. Especially since they have a ship, that is so cute I'm going to die.

Daehyun (B.A.P)- 28th June 1993

Daehyun! My great B.A.P bias, I adore him so. He's so loud, and always eating, and his voice is so deep and beautiful.

With his birthday still coming up, what we're gonna trend is still undecided, so think about casting a vote at this poll.
Also, B.A.P's new music video's coming out on his birthday, so give him and the band lots of love!

Dongho (U-KISS)- 29th June 1994

Second U-KISS birthday, and this time it's our adorable maknae. How we love this knitting, embroidering, slightly whiny kid.

N (VIXX)- 30th June 1990

Last June birthday, this time it's VIXX's leader N. Too many caps, but that silver hair still gets me, even if it is red now.

Well, that's all we have for this month. Next month we'll have Leeteuk, Doojoon and so many more.

My Thoughts on: Xia Junsu’s Tarantallegra

Junsu’s releasing an album. You are excited. That’s all there is to it.

Don’t say that you’re not excited. You are. If you say you aren’t you’re lying to yourself and to me.

Okay. Sorry about that, I’m alright now. Just got caught up in the craze. But yeah, Junsu’s releasing another solo album soon, and I’m be gonna sharing my thoughts on the title track of his previous one, Tarantallegra.

Bit of a mouthful, eh? Tarantallegra. Don’t worry, just enter ‘Junsu T’ in Google, and ‘Junsu Tarantallegra’ should be one of the recommended searches. Or click here to watch.

Actually, the name of the song comes from a spell in the Harry Potter series, one that makes you dance uncontrollably. Draco apparently used it on Harry in the second movie.

It’s an appropriate name.

Right, so this MV… let’s just say it’s pretty awesome. I downloaded it May 4^th this year, and I have watched it pretty much everyday since. Usually twice or three times. Because I’m weird and addicted.

Okay, in this MV, Junsu wears a lot of different outfits. I’m actually gonna count them as they come up, yeah?

The K-Pop Guide: SHINee

What, two SHINee posts in one day? Yes, because their five-year anniversary is coming up and I love these guys too much.

Bio

SHINee are a five-member Korean boyband under SM Entertainment. Formed in 2008, they debuted with Replay, probably the best debut song I’ve ever heard. They were all pretty young then (the youngest was fifteen, the oldest two were 18), and so Replay’s alternative title was ‘Noona you’re so pretty’. (noona is what guys in Korea call girls that are older than them). They pretty much stole everyone’s hearts. It’s not hard to get why.

SHINee is pronounced just like ‘shiny’, and the name came from the CEO of SM, who was thinking about the words ‘employer’ and ‘employee’. One employs, one is employed. And the name SHINee is used to mean that they are not the ones shining, but the ones being shined upon, by the fans and the spotlight.

Their official fanclub name is SHINee World, shortened to Shawol (weird name but you get used to it– we’re one of the proudest fandoms out there). The SHINee lightstick colour is blue-green. Very pretty.

Style

In some ways you can say SHINee is the pinnacle of everything you might associate with K-Pop. They are five very good-looking guys, singing some pretty stay-with-you songs, and they dance in sync wearing matching outfits. Except SHINee are so much more. SHINee’s songs aren’t just the catchy stuff you want to get out of your head because you actually dislike it– their songs are good. Their dancing is unparalleled. The MV review Why so Serious? That is one of their easier dances. Just watch Lucifer.

Hardcore SHINee haters are also very few and far-between. This is because they’ve been recognized as an elite band in the K-Pop world, even by critics. They’ve never had a true scandal, and their appearance is so wonderfully friendly that their leader was voted as the guy most girls would want to take home to their mom.

Musically, SHINee have had a lot of styles, but recently they’ve switched to a more rock-heavy style, with their newest album. It’s worked out pretty well for them, but then again, what can these guys not pull off?

My thoughts on: SHINee’s Why so Serious? MV

Another MV review-thing. This time it’s SHINee, with their new MV, Why so Serious? Yes, I know I’m late, but screw it! I love SHINee.

Okay, let’s get something very important out of the way. During this MV’s production, SHINee’s main vocalist Jonghyun was injured, so he doesn’t appear in it. In fact, they even re-recorded bits of the song with his vocals in it, so his voice isn’t even there. Being a proper Shawol (SHINee fan, for those who don’t know– the word is a shortened form of ‘SHINee World’), I was very upset. I miss Jjong. But, I will, though, try to be as unbiased as possible.

We miss you, Dino

 Since ‘Why so Serious?’ is the second part of their album, I just can’t help but compare the MV to Dream Girl, the first part of the album. And as amazing as the boys look here, I really felt Dream Girl was better– and not just because of their wicked mike-stand dance.

My Pick: Heart-touching K-Pop Songs

The general notion about K-Pop is that it’s all generic, catchy music, all dance or pop songs, that get stuck in your head but aren’t really that great. While it’s true there are a lot of songs like that, there’re also quite a few really good ones as well, and I’d like to list some of them here.

Please know, I really don’t listen to that many bands, and don’t know a hell of a lot of good songs. So don’t burn me for missing out on some good ones.

Blue- BIGBANG

Video link. Lyrics link. 

 

Of course a BB song was going to be here, but no, it’s not either of their eternal classics Haru Haru or Lies. It’s much newer, off their latest album Alive. This song… this song. This one actually has a bit of a story for me.

The first ever BIGBANG song I got was their biggest hit Lies. Honestly, I was underwhelmed. Still, I was totally in love with Seungri’s face, so I went ahead and got Bad Boy. Another unimpressive song. I wouldn’t give up, though, and got Blue, the most amazing song ever. It let me know just how talented these guys are, how beautifully G-Dragon can sing, and that Seungri actually doesn’t look too bad with the ‘Spock’ haircut.

J-rock band SID are my absolute favourite band in the world, and they make the most amazing rock ballads and sad songs. I think SID would be proud of Blue.

 I told myself I wouldn't talk about the lyrics, 'cause you shouldn't need them to get the feel of the song, but freaking hell. "I was born and I met you. And I have loved you to death."

Movie’s Over- Block B

Video (unofficial) link. Lyrics link.

 

Block B aren’t really known for their more touching songs, and this song wasn’t released as a single. But it is absolutely amazing. It’s super cool to hear Zico sing instead of rap, and everyone’s vocals just come really well together. Taeil, especially, our little superstar, got to show off a little in this one.

Fiction- BEAST

Video link. Lyrics link.

BEAST are really good at these types of songs, but really, nothing beats Fiction. Junhyung's rap in this is just amazing. You can really feel the emotions in everyone's voices in this song. Really, nothing like a BEAST song when you really wanna feel. I was actually gonna mention a couple of things I liked in this song, when I realized I loved everything about this song.

Rain Sound- B.A.P

Video link. Lyrics link.

The first song of B.A.P I ever heard, the one that actually made me a fan. This song... is amazing. So amazing. Daehyun impresses with his vocals, and the rap... wow. If the song doesn't get you, the video will. It's not just that the boys look gorgeous--which they do--but just the emotions they portray visually, along with what they're putting in their voices. And Himchan.

I Wanna Love- TeenTop

Video link. Lyrics link.

Not really as... sad as the other songs here, but they should still be here. I think what really makes this song a winner is the guys' voices. Their voices are so sweet, so fresh, you can't help but be carried away with them. My only peeve with this song is that there just isn't enough of it-- and I mean that literally! They had to fill up some seconds with that bit that the rappers sing. 

Heartbeat- 2PM

Video link. Lyrics link.

I wasn't really sure if I should include this, because I might just have fooled myself into liking this song simply because I like the 2PM guys. But I really do like this song. The video, especially, really gets me. I just feel there's something kind of... unique about 2PM? Their videos, their dances. I really like the part where they're like puppets, moving around like on the girl's whim. 

Special:

Love Song- BIGBANG

Video link. Lyrics link.

Damn. I really didn't wanna include two BIGBANG songs on this, since everyone just keeps going on and on about them, but damn. I love this song. There is something super-special about it. T.O.P's opening bit gets me every time, and Seungri with his sweet voice is just really too much for me. The video, also, understated and not distracting, really lets you enjoy the song.

Well, that's all I've got for now. There're a ton of other great K-Pop songs out there, and I really recommend you go out and search. You will find some amazing ones.