Guilty Pleasures List 15

Guilty Pleasures lists are my opportunities to air all my dirty laundry. Why? Because I don't listen to the Velvet Underground on vinyl all the time...and whoever says they do, is bullshitting you.

T-ara "Wait a Minute"

Crazy Korean dancing? Weird placements of English words? Catchy dance hook? I think you all know me well enough by now...




Britney Spears "I Wanna Go"

Yeahhhhh I like it...I waited till guilty pleasures list 15 to say so though...If you take Brit for what she is, a pop fluff queen who sells sex to 12 year old girls, I think we can all appreciate her a little more. This record is actually really well produced, and catchy, and just plain fun to listen to. On a non music-snob level, it delivers everything you want from a pop record, catchy hooks, cheeky lyrics, and you can dance to it! Whether Britney Spears can sing or not...who fucking cares...but I do suggest that you read the article on her titled "The Tragedy of Britney Spears" by Vanessa Grigoriadis...it may make you think about her in a different way.




Don Diablo - Animale

Not so much a guilty pleasure I guess, I LOVE Dragonette and seeing them in concert is totally worth the experience...but this song is definitely an addiction, the "orange junkies" are really amusing.



Martin Solveig - Boys and Girls

Before "Hello" Dragonette and Martin collaborated on this...and I dance to it in my basement on a regular basis...



Rihanna - Man Down

Yeah yeah I like this too...I mean the Reggae/Dance Hall vibe is really really awesome. I really think her voice/ accent with the beat is great, it adds a grittiness that other Rihanna songs lack.

Jojo Covers a Drake Song....and it Works.

You shocked I'm posting this? Because I am too...two names I thought I would never say in sequence Jojo and Drake, let alone in a post where I wasn't completely ripping apart their music...yeah...that's right...this is actually pretty good. I mean I still feel as if Drake may be the most over-hyped hip hop act of all time, but god damn Jojo has officially gone from teen idol pop tart to someone who I actually might take seriously? shocking indeed. In fact this song (not this version) has more views on youtube collectively than Drake's even more shocking.

Guilty Pleasures List 14

It seems that as soon as I start a new course/semester I revert back to K-pop...its catchy I don't know what they're saying...I don't mind shouting the lyrics in my basement...mostly because again, I don't know half the time what I'm saying. Anyways when it comes to most Korean music I have the taste of a 13 year old girl...but I've stated this before, I'm easily amused. And while I'm frantically searching for the "eutectic point" for a percent urea composition versus melting point graph as I am doing now...DAMN YOU WIKIPEDIA. I like simple songs that I don't have to think too hard about...and can pace frantically to when I'm frustrated.


Miss A - Bad Girl, Good Girl
They wear tight black clothing have bodies that I totally envy and prance around singing about how "you don't know them" so you should just "shut up." Plus the leader has pink hair...which I'm still on the fence about, I can't really decided if its cute or awful. I think I'll go with cute at the moment but it's 1 am...so...my decision making skills are impaired.




KARA - Jumping
They're jumping! And they made a song about it...along with a strange dance routine where none of them actually jump. god I love KARA if only for the weird song titles. I think this is the Japanese version...but they are a Korean girl group (there is also a Korean version).



KARA - Wanna
This was actually mashed up with a Rihanna song check out "I Wanna Rude Boy" (I will post that below too)anyways this is just so catchy...sorry. But I still don't understand the video...they sneak into the house of the guy the girl likes so they can break his leg? And then giggle about it?






2NE1 - Lonely
Probably my favorite Korean girl group ever and I normally don't put them on "guilty pleasures lists" mostly because their songs are wayyy too decent. But this on is sort of on the borderline. Anyways I can't hate on 2NE1...plus I realllly would love to steal one of those jackets they're wearing in the video...even though it would look absolutely ridiculous on me.

B2ST - Fiction

I was never a big fan of these guys, but as you know Korean group 'concepts' change with each new album release. The one thing about Korean groups that I'm really fascinating with are their electronic song compositions. The pop scores written in Korea are far more imagniative than the ones being churned out of American music companies here. Sure, there have been a fair share of lawsuits involving American copy write infringement laws and Korean songs, however the Koreans really are more innovative. This score almost sounds like it could belong on a Kitsune Maison skit (neglecting the coordinated dancing and whiny boy band voices). I really like the jumpy synthesizer riff and the piano.

But yeah this still belongs with my 'guilty pleasures" tags.

Guilty Plasures List 13

Its finals season!!! You know what that means...guilty pleasures list 13!!! Be prepared for my deepest darkest musical sins...


Don Omar featuring Lucenzo Danza Kuduro
Yes Kuduro is a Portugese thing and this is a reggaton cover of a Portugese "Kuduro" dance song...addicting.



F(x)-Danger
Um extremely embarrassing...but I still listen to it...


Shinee- Hello
I don't know what's worse the fact that this boy band dresses better than me or the fact that they are way prettier than any girl I know...
Plus they are so cutsey!!! It creeps me out, and yet I still listen to the song...a ton (puts hands in face).



Co-Ed _ Bbiribbom Bbiribbom
WHY DOES THIS LIST KEEP GETTING WORSE. But yes I like this too....




The Script - For the First Time
Super corny, I know I knowwwww



Ok ok so after humiliating myself on the internet I neeeeeeed to finish this physics lab and this last paper and a whole bunch of other crap...so long! Promise some new (cooler) stuff soon. But hey I'm a Music Geek, not a Music Snob.

Nom Nom Nom Taeyang may actually Release an album in the US....

I think I posted Wedding Dress the Korean Version a while ago (a year or so?) Anyways I mentioned that out of all the members of Big Bang he has the most potential for making it anywhere in the US. And then I found this! The English version of "Wedding Dress" And it's just as good as the Korean original:



"Squeal!" Taeyang is soooooo hot!!!! I am after all a 13 year old Korean fan girl at heart. How sad.

And then I found this:



woah woah! Ok not as good as wedding dress...but I can at least appreciate a man with killer abs and awesome dance skills.

I Am Nocturnal

So can I just say that these last three weeks have sucked? At least for me...and yes I am awake at 5:30 am on a MONDAY and I have been pulling a series of all nighters-early mornings for a while now. So why have I been torturing myself with limited amounts of sleep and a high sodium diet of ramen noodle cups? Well it may have to do with that 15 page research paper due last week which turned into 30 pages with images and then the five paged one that followed two days later plus the chem labs and photo projects (I seriously destroyed like 3 rolls of film in the dark room). Anyways I just finished up a really fun physics lab write up on induced electric fields. So yes, I have dark circles under my eyes and I get startled really easily, I am going to be soooooo happy when this semester is over!!! Anyways the only music that has been keeping me focused is ugh...that new Britney song...(bows head in shame). It's not my fault its so catchy...or that I now know all the words from playing it over and over again as I do homework...

I know I know what has happened to my otherwise (with the exception of the K pop addiction) superb and flawless taste? Am I going to start bedazzling my pants and dying my hair peroxide blond too!!!! Well finals week hasn't started yet so...that transformation has yet to manifest itself. But hell this Britney song is still super catchy...

Korean Music Post!

Haven't done one for a while, but 4minute released their newest album today. I remember when I called them the 2NE1 wannabes (by the way that new 2NE1 album is AWESOME. So awesome they may tour the US...well I'd go see them...) anyways 4minute has slowly grown on me. It's not my fault that all these Korean music companies produce better pop music than we do!!! Although, I really thought the video for "Heart to Heart" was about a lesbian couple at first...yeah I think it's time for the "love interest" to get a new haircut...And another point of complaint...the rapping. Seriously stop, it's embarrassing, hate to say it but at this point 2NE1 is the only Korean girl group I've seen who can actually make it work. And, although their new songs are semi catchy I still think I prefer their old stuff...meh maybe I'm not being "open" enough, but I rather listen to "huh" or "hot issue" than most of their new singles.




OLDER:

FINE! I Am Addicted to the new Super Junior song.

Well it's not THAT new anymore...it's been out for over a month...and it is super Auto-Tuned...but boy can they dance...and it's pretty catchy...so kill me, I am allowed my vices. And if you're wondering if I was excited when I heard Super Junior was making a come back than you are god damn right! And with over 3 million views I guess I'm not the only one...

Guilty Pleasures List 12

It has been about 3 months maybe even more since I created one of these lists, why? Because I haven't been listening to ANY Korean pop at all...my musical diet has consisted of angry West Coast rap and mellow indie folk rock for the last few months...but I'm tired of that now, and have have been craving something lighter. Plus I missed airing my dirty musical laundry over the Internet.

Girls' Generation - Run Devil Run
if you can remember, I posted Girls' Generation's "Oh!" a while ago (and it's also quite an addicting song. anyways the MV for "oh!" had the girls running around in cheerleader uniforms acting like stereotypical "girls" which I semi resented, but the song was so good, I ignored the obvious "gender" roles. Anyways this song, which is equally addicting changes things up and has the girls as the alternate 'bad girls.' I like. I will also post "Oh!" below.





KARA - Lupin
You have no idea how happy I am that KARA have returned to their bad girl roots...the cutsey image was beginning to annoy me.



TVXQ! - Mirotic
So yeah...haven't been listening to K-pop for a minute and boy do I miss the horrible haircuts and cheesy dance routines, I'm sort of nostalgic haha.



2NE1 - Follow Me
It's no secret that I'm obsessed with the group, and I will freely admit this in public. The South Korean "TLC?" I think so.



T-ARA - I Go Crazy Because of You
As you can imagine, I haven't been following K-pop for a few months...so there is a ton of stuff I'm listening to now...and I HATED Bo-Peep, but I love this.



After School - Bang
You know what I miss most from K-pop? The horrible misplacement of English words...this song covers it.



Lee Hyori - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
I missed Lee Hyori, and she's back just in time for me to get reacquainted with K-Pop...perfect. Although I could do without the "Lady Gaga" inspired hair. Digging the song though.



Gummy - There is no Love
Ok, on a more errm "serious" note, Gummy is an older South Korean artist that I really like on a not so superficial level. In fact she has a very strong, fresh voice and sound.

The Pretty Reckless

I hate admitting this...really I do...but Taylor Momsen, you know that chick from Gossip Girl? Has actual talent, no lie, April Fool's day has passed. And no, she isn't a "cutesy pop rock chick" she's gritty and dark...and errm actually rocks? You have no idea how much I wanna take back this blog post. But honesty is my policy and you know what? I'm listening to her now...so shoot me. (plus you got to give her props for referencing Garbage's "I would die for you" on "You make me wanna die")

New Girls Generation (SNSD)

And I actually really like it but I can also understand why people might be annoyed by it. It has a more J-pop sound compared to their previous material. However there really is no point in analyzing Girls Generation songs since in the end it's all just bubble gum pop music anyways...and yeah it's pretty lame too although that really hasn't stopped me from listening to it on repeat.

SNSD releases “Oh!” full song!

Guilty Pleasures List 11

Girls Aloud - Call The Shots
they are no strangers to this list...and there is good reason. they make super catchy songs that I can only listen to in my basement with headphones on and the shades drawn. They are pretty lame...especially since I profess to having stellar "taste."



Lee Hyori - 10 Minutes
Just listening to her pronounce 'ten minutes" is painful (I didn't realize she was speaking in English in this song AT ALL until recently) however I still remain an avid Lee Hyori fan...I'm not THAT ashamed...she's pretty gangster.



Jewelry - One More Time anddd Everybody Shhh
I think my shame for listening to this group stems from the fact that they can't even "pronounce" their name correctly...just listen to them on Vari2ty "we are Joool-er-eeee" yikes. But I still listen to them so I don't know what's worse the fact that they can't pronounce their own name or the fact that I actually listen to them and openly admit to it over the web. I always find it amusing when K-pop groups integrate English words in their songs that have NOTHING to do with the overall concept of the songs and Jewelry is on of the worst offenders.





4minute - Hot Issue
Fine....I know I wrote a post a few months ago titled "4minute the 2NE1 Rip Offs" and I still feel as though they do still steal a lot of their style from 2NE1 but this song is too catchy. I cave, and you have to dig the "gang hand sign" they do when they count down to "4minute guuuurl!" it's pretty hardcore. oh and remember it's not 4minutes...because that would actually semi make sense it's 4minte! I also just realized that there are more than 4 members in 4minute so shouldn't it be called 5minute or something? I really do want to know how these Korean Music Companies pick their names.



HyunA - Change
HyunA is part of the girl group 4minute (see above) and has recently debuted her first track as a solo artist and it's pretty catchy as well...now hopefully you don't mind if I bow my head in shame.

Guilty Pleasures List 10

Yeah yeah so you might have noticed that my Guilty Pleasures list came VERY late this month but there are reasons! I started making them because EVERYONE has songs they are embarrassed they like...you know you do. But this month I spent most of my time listening to indie folk (as you can probably tell from my recent posts) and making my end of the year lists (which YOU SHOULD check out). Anyways here you go...


After School - Because of You
Essentially they are the South Korean version of the Pussycat Dolls, but at least everyone gets a chance to sing (seriously Nicole maybe you guys should try that...). The video is kind of weird...it's supposed to be about a boy (like all Kpop girl groups sing about) the video makes it look like it's about a girl...



Dashboard Confessional - Belle of the Boulevard
I'm a sucker for Dashboard Confessional but I still feel weird listening to him from time to time, because sometimes his songs sound too personal...almost like a letter to a loved one.



Brown Eyed Girls - Sign
Yeah my friend Emily got me addicted to this song. The track is equally as cheesy as the first After school track, but the video is way more disturbing.



Big Bang - Koe Wo Kikasete
This is from Big Bang's Japanese debut and is more ballad "like" than a lot of their K-pop stuff, it definitetely showcases the guys vocal talents especially Taeyang's and Daesung's.

Tae Yang - Wedding Dress

A latest guilty pleasure of mine. Tae Yang is from Big Bang and also is pursuing a solo project. This is his latest effort, and I am addicted. Songs like this could become successful on the US top 40 charts if Koreans knew how to market their music better in the West. However most of the big companies rely on American C Sides and producers to package their artists for Western "success" the result is sub par pop that gets almost no attention from the mainstream Western audience.

Guilty Pleasures List 9

Super Junior M-Super Girl
This is the sub group of the super group..."Super Junior" (confusing right?). The "M" stands for Mandarin so this is the sub group of the 13 member Korean pop group that sings in Mandarin...get it? good. If all K-pop boy bands dressed like these guys I think we would all be better off. Super Junior seem to look really dapper lately choosing smart cut suits, vests and button downs over feathers and sparkle...THANK YOU GOD!



Lee Hyori - U Go Girl
So there have been rumors about her getting double eyelid surgeries, nose jobs, boob jobs...basically the works. However and unfortunately this is now standard in K-pop culture. Regardless I still like the song in all its lameness and strange placements of English phrases that don't belong what so ever (including a very awkward dance routine involving the word "ok")...pshhh its all part of the fun.



Namie Amuro feat A.I. and Suite Chic - Uh...Uh...
Namie Amuro is sort of like the Japanese version of Jennifer Lopez, except she also writes and produces her music as well as singing and acting. She also has a street style very similar to early J-lo and Destiny's Child.

Guilty Pleasure: Tinchy Stryder and Taio Cruz - Take Me Back

Tincy Stryder can't rap, it's a known fact. In fact almost all his songs SOUND EXACTLY THE SAME. However I love me some Taio Cruz....and that's what makes this song worth listening to. Although in all truthfulness it is still quite generic even with the British Auto-Tuned Akon on the track...but then again that is what makes it pedestrian. Ohhhh well, I could care less either way this song is still on repeat on my PC.

Brown Eyed Girls - Abracadabra and Other Korean Addictions

Another embarrassing k-pop confession...it's so Auto-Tuned and yet I am hooked. I have listened to this song at least five times within the span of an hour...ohhh boy. I have a problem.



Brave Brothers feat. Son Dambi and Minwoo - Invisible
Another class track produced by the Brave Brothers and featuring Son Dambi...



Jiggy Fellaz, Double Trouble and Vasco - Yo Ye Yo
It's Korean rap.

Guilty Pleasures List 8

Nelly Furtado - Manos Al Aire
I like old Nelly Furtado, that is "Whoa Nelly!" and "Folklore" her two lowest grossing albums...I guess that's why she called on Timbaland to work on her colossal third release. However this new latin album brings back memories of the highly underrated Folklore. I like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttRmn84uv-I


Young Love - Discotech and Find A New Way
He can sing and the beat is great...but seriously STOP writing your own songs. This is why Young Love is on my guilty pleasures list, he can sing, its well produced but the song writing is too lame.





Hilary Duff - Stranger, Wake Up
Ok I know what you are thinking..."MusicGeek! You have posted some pretty messed up artists in your sorry excuse for a blog...but this is the final straw! I am unsubscribing!" But please don't unsubscribe...I can explain...please!!! Although there is no excuse for the Hilary Duff music fetish, and she is a product of the fascist Disney music machine, some of her songs are quite catchy. And she is no Miley Cyrus...I mean at least she can carry a tune.

Stranger

Wake Up

Timbaland - Throw it On Me, and Time
This is from his extremely pretentious album. it got slammed by critics but I thought the collaborations with The Hives and She Wants Revenge were quite good.

Throw It On Me




Natalie Imbruglia - Want
I'm a sucker for Natalie. She may be a pop artist but she has some depth at least...then again I just listed Hilary Duff above her so anyone that comes after Hilary has more depth! Her newest single from her up coming album, is miles better than her first single "Wild About It." Its dark and brooding, and I like it even though its co-written by Chris Martin.

Want

Gabriella Cilmi - Sweet About Me
She has been compared to Amy Winehouse, and they both have powerful voices, however that's where the similarities end. Amy's style is much messier, and that's how she rose to fame, her sloppy take on soul, Galbriella is more cleaned up. Although she lacks Winehouse's edginess she has her own take on the genre playing up her "good girl gone bad image." I would also like to point out that Gabriella is only 18! And her voice is already so powerful! Unlike the Disney brood (although I do have Hilary up there) Gabriella gets by on her talent, not her daddy and preteen fan base. Take that Miley Cyrus.

Sweet About Me

Son Dambi - Cry Eye
Stupid song title but oh so catchy. Son Dambi definitely my favorite Korean pop singer at the moment.



T-ara & Supernova 티아라 & 초신성 - TTL Time to Love
Yeah so the beginning of the MV kind of reminds me of 2PM's "Again and Again" and the Supernova is sort of like a Big Bang rip off, but I like the song.



2NE1 - Pretty One
I love them, they kind of remind 0f the Korean version of TLC...

4minute the 2NE1 Rip Offs

This is a relatively new girl group that is piggy backing off of the success of Korean hip hop girl group 2NE1. The song "Muzik" is catchy...and I probably will end up listening to it since at this point I am a K pop fiend, but its not quality. And on another note what the fuck is up with these K pop group names??? We have 2pm, 2am, 2NE1, 4minute and then all the strange names like Big Bang, Supernova, Wonder Girls, Super Junior...who the hell is naming these groups?! I can just imagine South Korean record executives sitting in a room with an English-Korean dictionary randomly combining English words and pop phrases until they find something "marketable." And that's how you get an idiotic name like "4minute" not even "4 minutes" no, just "4minute."