NKOTB, Infinite and anniversaries

Two years ago, precisely on June 1 2012, I watched New Kids On The Block (and Backstreet Boys, but who cares) in concert. It was their first concert in Jakarta in twenty years. As an eight-year-old, I came to the NKOTB concert at Istora Senayan on February 11 1992.

Their comeback was one of the best things that have ever happened in the realm of Blockheads. After they disbanded in 1995 following the departure of Jonathan Knight, there was little if any hope at all that they would reunite. But reunite they did in 2008, and unlike other old bands that cashed in on the "reuniting season" that was the late 2000s only for the sake of reuniting (here's looking at you, Spice Girls), the Kids proved that this second time around they were here to stay. Beginning with "The Block" in 2008, the Kids had solo projects between themselves (Jordan Knight and Donny Wahlberg notably had a duet in the single "Stingy"), before releasing a new album as a whole in April 2013 called "10" (it's their 10th album since debuting in 1986.)


MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE. Out of all my NKOTB faves. Not only does this song boast the musical maturity of the Kids, the video is also something out of the typical NKOTB videos that feature hot young girls (yes, even the MV of "Stingy" (which was out in 2011) features a girl that could pass for their young niece.)

Oh, and while we're at it...Jordan has also teamed with Nick Carter from Backstreet Boys and whipped out this single. I've never really liked BSB, but this one is worth checking out.


By the way, I found my way to NKOTB in 1990. I don't remember the exact date.

Exactly a year ago, June 2 2013, I discovered Infinite. You only need to check my previous Infinite entries to find out what attracted me to the seven Korean namjas. Infinite marks a new phase in my life that's groundbreaking on many levels. It revived my boyband phase, long dead since 1994. Infinite was also my first ever K-pop concert, and it wasn't like me to attend an artist's concert only about two months about discovering the artist. This June 9 will see the boys' fourth anniversary in the show business.


The spectacular "Last Romeo", the first single out of their latest full-length album "Season Two." This video is first Infinite video to achieve one million hits only within TWO DAYS after being released on May 21.

NKOTB and Infinite, two sets of boybands from different countries and eras - yet both hold a special place in my heart. These seemingly coincidental anniversaries (NKOTB's last concert in Jakarta, my discovery of Infinite and Infinite's debut anniversary) are not coincidences. To keep a long story short, it's God's way to show that He's planned to put them in my life, probably long before I came into existence.

Other NKOTB and Infinite coincidences related to me...
- NKOTB's maknae, Joey McIntyre, is exactly ten years and 4.5 months my senior. Infinite's maknae, Lee Sungjong, is exactly ten years and 3.5 months my junior.
- Both NKOTB and Infinite each has a Taurean member who's the main vocalist (Jordan Knight and Kim Sunggyu.) And I'm a Taurean myself.
- NKOTB's three-day concert in Jakarta ended on February 13 1992, exactly a month before my second favourite in Infinite, Kim Myungsoo, was born.
- The year I became a Blockhead was also the year Infinite's rapper, Jang Dongwoo, was born.
- This is not a coincidence but...no matter how old I am, I'll always be a kiddy Blockhead. Likewise, no matter how old Infinite boys will be, I'll always be a noona Inspirit <3

Yah Yeol-ah, I'm not the cheating type...Ask your NKOTB sunbaes!

NKOTBSB, concert and Old Navy...

I went to a NKOTBSB concert here in Jakarta on Friday, June 1. The concert was awesome, the kids and boys (ahem, men) are amazingly talented. It was good to re-live a fond part of my childhood, as I came to see NKOTB live in concert also in Jakarta in February 1992. By the time Backstreet Boys came on the scene, I was over boyband music, but I had a good time singing BSB songs on top of my lungs at the concert - something I'd never be caught doing during the band's heyday. The best part of the concert was the reunion with cousins and old friends. I came with a friend and my sister-in-law, before the concert I met another friend and some girls I went to school with. After the concert I met many of my cousins and a friend I went to diploma studies with.

The NKOTBSB concert was the first I came to in eleven years. The last concert I saw was The Corrs'. I have to be kind of fanatical about a musician before I go to his/her concert. That being said, the next concert I'll go to is most likely Debbie Gibson's, if she ever comes to Jakarta or wherever I'll be in the future.

Anyway. That's not what I really wanna talk about in this post, if you know me. Still in the light of the NKOTBSB world tour, I bet at least some of you have noticed that Jordan Knight is in the latest Old Navy commercial.



Taurus pride! Hahahahaha.

While I think Jordan looks great in the super cute commercial, a random search on Twitter makes one wonder if his appearance in said commercial is a sign of "how the mighty has fallen." One twit from a Twitter user I'd undisclose is particularly telling to me...

What the...Jordan Knight in an Old Navy commercial?! He couldn't be that hard up for cash...could he?

Hmm. Correct me if I'm wrong, but even during the heyday of NKOTBS the Kids were hardly in any commercial. The good thing about seeing Jordan Knight in an Old Navy commercial is that it shows he's still relevant to today's youth demographic...I think the target market for Old Navy is younger than those who actually grew up listening to NKOTB (again, correct me if I'm wrong.)

You know what I think really signals Jordan's fall from grace (and I thank heaven this is a thing of the past!)? This article, dating back to January 2006, which shows a drunken Mr. Knight amidst attempts to market one of his solo albums, "The Fix", and someone had to hail a taxi for him in the end. It's equally sad that in order to re-establish a successful solo career (he achieved success on his own in 1999), he had to turn to old material after "The Fix" on "Jordan Knight Performs New Kids On The Block" and "Love Songs" before, of course, reuniting with NKOTB in 2008...