Yeorobun annyeong haseyo! Oh, and hello Inspirits in particular!
As Indonesian Inspirits are well aware, Infinite had their second solo concert in Jakarta on November 15 2015. The day before that, I was very lucky to win an entry to a private press conference with Infinite, which was held as a joint venture by Mecima Pro and AMI Live, the promotors of Infinite Effect. I got the e-mail just a day before the press conference, and all the winners (about 35 Inspirits) were sworn to secrecy about the venue, so I guess even though the event is over now I still have to keep it a secret...(hint: a hotel somewhere in Central Jakarta.)
Once arrived at the venue, we were stripped off our bags, phones and cameras and so we walked into the press conference carrying nothing. We were also not allowed to ask the boys anything, so we made the most out of cheering for them (we weren't even allowed to scream!) and standing within our booth and holding out our hands to high five with the boys as they came in and walked out of the room.
I was particularly struck by Lee Sungjong, the maknae who first got me into Infinite. As with many Korean namjas, the boys had good facial skin but Jongie's was excellent. It was smooth and shiny like it was made of porcelain, making him look rather unnatural. And when he was asked to describe himself, our maknae said, "Lemon satang!" in reference to a comedy skit on anime channel Tooniverse that he did in 2011 in which he offered a little girl a lemon candy. He has since been known as "the lemon satang boy" by Inspirits worldwide, but nowadays many feel that he's outgrown that persona.
I was also struck by how dorky Kim Myungsoo, the visual member and second maknae, was. When asked by Sharon, a Korean who has lived in Indonesia for 14 years who was serving as co-host and interpreter, to say something to Indonesian Inspirits in attendance, he was silent for a second. Then he said something that sounded like gibberish, which Sharon later understood as his attempt to say, "Cinta kamu!" After that he took another second of silence before he laughed his famous dorky "haha!", which made him look even more adorable.
Now on to the concert!
If you haven't heard already, Infinite's rapper and main dancer Lee 'Hoya' Howon suffered from ligament damage and cartilage inflammation while filming KBS' variety show "Yoo Heeyeol's Sketchbook" last year and to date his legs haven't really healed. There were talks about him taking full rest, meaning he wouldn't be joining the rest of Infinite in Infinite Effect, but Hoya insisted on taking part in the concert. So far, most of the time he sat on a stool and performed his rap and singing bits from there, although when it came to songs that required light dancing he did dance. And that was exactly what he did at the Jakarta leg of Infinite Effect. There were moments where he seemed on be on the verge of tears, as projected on the two screens at either side of the stage, because his leg injury prevented him from dancing iconic moves such as the scorpion dance, which Hoya choreographed for "Before The Dawn."
However, Hoya made up for that by actually speaking VERY GOOD BAHASA INDONESIA! He was the one speaking Bahasa Indonesia the most and with THE CLEAREST PRONUNCIATION, and his memorable Bahasa Indonesia bits included....
"Saya minta maaf karena kaki saya sakit..."
(I apologize for my injured legs)
"Apakah kalian sedang menikmati pertunjukkan?"
(Are you enjoying the show?)
"Lantai satu, scream! Lantai dua, scream!"
(First floor, scream! Second floor, scream!)
"Kalian jaga kesehatan sampai kita bertemu lagi!"
(Please take care of your health until we meet again!)
Unlike the Jakarta leg of One Great Step two years ago during which Infinite spoke Indonesian without any help of an interpreter, this time again Sharon served as an interpreter, since most of the time the boys felt more comfortable speaking Korean. But this didn't mean Hoya was the only one with memorable Indonesian bits. Some memorable bits from the rest of the boys...
Kim Myungsoo: Halo, saya pacar kalian, L! (Hi, I'm your boyfriend, L!) - for those uninitiated, L is Myungsoo's stage name
Kim Sunggyu: "Pulangnya hati-hati ya!" (Have a safe trip home!)
Nam Woohyun: "Kalian jadian sama aku aja!" (slang for "let me be your boyfriend!")
All in all, it was a daebak concert. The fact that it was only two hours and 20 minutes long, much shorter than OGS' three plus hours, was indeed a good thing.
Showing posts with label Lee Sungjong. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lee Sungjong. Show all posts
Wednesday, 18 November 2015
Monday, 2 June 2014
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!
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!
Sunday, 5 January 2014
Birthday greetings...
Happy belated birthday to the CEO of Woollim Entertainment, Lee Jungyeop, who turned a year older on January 4!
Sangeil chukkae hamnida Lee Jungyeop sajangnim!
I haven't learned how to say "happy belated birthday" in Korean :p
A whole-hearted thank you from Inspirits and Twings for debuting Infinite, Tasty, Nell and Yoo Jiae, although some probably still can't forgive you for what you did to Tablo and about the Kim Myungsoo and Kim Doyeon dating "scandal."
Also a very special thank you for not forbidding Lee Sungjong to do girlband dances, otherwise I wouldn't have found his "Adult Ceremony" performance and eventually my way to Infinite!
Sincere wishes for good health, more success for Woollim and its artists - and since I hear that you're still single, I hope you'll soon find a better half!
I do hope that in the future you'll let your artists speak for themselves regarding dating rumors and the like. Let them announce their relationships or publicly apologize if they're proven to be in possession of drugs. I'm sure you know by now that real fans will support their idols no matter what (or in some cases, wonder if it's all just a set-up.) Ignore the sasaengs and those who would just leave the idols once they're revealed to be mere humans.
Isn't it appropriate that my first entry for 2014 is one dedicated to the man behind Infinite, a group that made 2013 brighter for me :)
Sangeil chukkae hamnida Lee Jungyeop sajangnim!
I haven't learned how to say "happy belated birthday" in Korean :p
A whole-hearted thank you from Inspirits and Twings for debuting Infinite, Tasty, Nell and Yoo Jiae, although some probably still can't forgive you for what you did to Tablo and about the Kim Myungsoo and Kim Doyeon dating "scandal."
Also a very special thank you for not forbidding Lee Sungjong to do girlband dances, otherwise I wouldn't have found his "Adult Ceremony" performance and eventually my way to Infinite!
Sincere wishes for good health, more success for Woollim and its artists - and since I hear that you're still single, I hope you'll soon find a better half!
I do hope that in the future you'll let your artists speak for themselves regarding dating rumors and the like. Let them announce their relationships or publicly apologize if they're proven to be in possession of drugs. I'm sure you know by now that real fans will support their idols no matter what (or in some cases, wonder if it's all just a set-up.) Ignore the sasaengs and those who would just leave the idols once they're revealed to be mere humans.
Isn't it appropriate that my first entry for 2014 is one dedicated to the man behind Infinite, a group that made 2013 brighter for me :)
Sunday, 15 September 2013
Infinite OGS Jakarta short report
So here's my own account of Infinite's One Great Step (OGS) concert in Jakarta, which was held on August 31.
I'm gonna keep it short and focused on the things that grabbed my attention and have staying power.
Before the concert started, I was worried that I wouldn't understand a single thing except the English lyrics of Infinite's songs. OGS was my first K-pop concert and I'd always wanted to go to a K-pop concert (I actually considered going to see Miss A and SM Town when they came to Jakarta), but I never went to one because I was worried I wouldn't be able to sing along. It turned out that Infinite boys spoke to the audience in English and their English was FAR BETTER than expected, although if it was obvious that they practiced their English conversation before the performance. Hoya, the band's frequent "English announcer", particularly impressed me when he said towards the end of the concert, "We have sad news to break to you guys - our concert is coming to an end." For a guy who was often made fun of for his, "We're concept [sic] is unique," and "We're first travel [sic]," this was HELLA IMPRESSIVE.
After which the boys did the "sangat sedih" aegyo. "Sangat sedih" in Indonesian means "very sad."
Did I mention that the boys did more than saying the standard fares "terima kasih", "selamat malam" and "lebih keras"? Get this - they actually managed to talk to each other in Bahasa Indonesia. I don't remember most of their Indonesian conversation (because I was so filled with "fangirl feels"), but I clearly remember Sunggyu saying, "Tadi malam saya tidak bisa tiduru [sic]."
And if you're wondering, yes they did sing "Pelangi." Now that's a standard fare for international musicians having concerts in Indonesia. Needless to say, this was the only song I could sing along to.
And yes, Sungyeol and Sungjong's birthdays were celebrated on stage with a tiered cake that said "Happy birthday Sungyeol & Jong." Hahahahah. How hard was it to add "Sung" before "Jong"?
All this in addition to the performances (or "stages" as the seven princes called it), one word to sum it up: daebak.
Wait, that's an understatement...
I'm gonna keep it short and focused on the things that grabbed my attention and have staying power.
Before the concert started, I was worried that I wouldn't understand a single thing except the English lyrics of Infinite's songs. OGS was my first K-pop concert and I'd always wanted to go to a K-pop concert (I actually considered going to see Miss A and SM Town when they came to Jakarta), but I never went to one because I was worried I wouldn't be able to sing along. It turned out that Infinite boys spoke to the audience in English and their English was FAR BETTER than expected, although if it was obvious that they practiced their English conversation before the performance. Hoya, the band's frequent "English announcer", particularly impressed me when he said towards the end of the concert, "We have sad news to break to you guys - our concert is coming to an end." For a guy who was often made fun of for his, "We're concept [sic] is unique," and "We're first travel [sic]," this was HELLA IMPRESSIVE.
After which the boys did the "sangat sedih" aegyo. "Sangat sedih" in Indonesian means "very sad."
Did I mention that the boys did more than saying the standard fares "terima kasih", "selamat malam" and "lebih keras"? Get this - they actually managed to talk to each other in Bahasa Indonesia. I don't remember most of their Indonesian conversation (because I was so filled with "fangirl feels"), but I clearly remember Sunggyu saying, "Tadi malam saya tidak bisa tiduru [sic]."
And if you're wondering, yes they did sing "Pelangi." Now that's a standard fare for international musicians having concerts in Indonesia. Needless to say, this was the only song I could sing along to.
And yes, Sungyeol and Sungjong's birthdays were celebrated on stage with a tiered cake that said "Happy birthday Sungyeol & Jong." Hahahahah. How hard was it to add "Sung" before "Jong"?
All this in addition to the performances (or "stages" as the seven princes called it), one word to sum it up: daebak.
Wait, that's an understatement...
Tuesday, 3 September 2013
Our maknae is officially not a baby anymore! Or will he forever be?
Today is the 20th birthday of Infinite's maknae Lee Sungjong. Even though he's 21 in Korean age, to me his real age is the international one. So yeah, congratulations Jongie on officially becoming a 20-something!
Here's a slew of videos highlighting my favourite Jjong moments!
Predebut Sungjong dancing to Wonder Girls' "Tell Me." He's in right there in the middle, dancing very comfortably in a mini skirt.
Jongie was only 16 when he performed this and Infinite had just debuted, but he's all smiles and confident. Boy was born to be a performer.
Yes, this performance again. A fancam this time. Gotta credit Sungjong for awakening my long-comatose boyband phase!
Oh by the way I DID go to see The Jakarta OGS on August 31. Fan account coming soon!
Here's a slew of videos highlighting my favourite Jjong moments!
Predebut Sungjong dancing to Wonder Girls' "Tell Me." He's in right there in the middle, dancing very comfortably in a mini skirt.
Jongie was only 16 when he performed this and Infinite had just debuted, but he's all smiles and confident. Boy was born to be a performer.
Yes, this performance again. A fancam this time. Gotta credit Sungjong for awakening my long-comatose boyband phase!
Oh by the way I DID go to see The Jakarta OGS on August 31. Fan account coming soon!
Thursday, 18 July 2013
The baby maknae and all those pairings...
This is the video that first got me into Infinite. I fell in love with Lee Sungjong almost right away (despite the fact that he's ten years younger than me and yes, I'm waiting for him to jump out of the closet), but I was reluctant to get to know Infinite. I watched his clips from an array of variety shows such as Sesame Player, and until I felt I was ready to introduce myself to Infinite. I browsed Infinite reviews, stumbled on one about "The Chaser" and the rest is history...
I find it unique that K-pop fans readily accept the PDA's between Sungjong and Infinite second maknae Kim Myungsoo, better known as L. L and Sungjong publicly hug each other from the back, caress each other's hair on stage and fans seem to like that. They nickname the pair "Myungjong" (Korean fans name them "LSung") and create Facebook and Tumblr fanpages for them. I really would like to learn why fans' approval of MyungJong flourishes while it is still hard for South Korea to accept homosexuality. Meanwhile L and SungJong continue with their PDA's, and it turns out that fans now are pairing Kim Sunggyu and Nam Woohyun, also from Infinite, since Sunggyu appeared solo on an episode of Mnet's Jjang where he mentioned Woohyun every five minutes...
Oh, in case you're wondering what song Sungjong is singing in the video, it's a cover of "Adult Ceremony" by Park Jiyoon, which was released in 2000. Funny that such a raunchy song was released when Jiyoon was only 18, and while the whole world might think she was legal already, she wasn't. The legal age in South Korea at the time was 20, and only this year it's been lowered to 19.
I find it unique that K-pop fans readily accept the PDA's between Sungjong and Infinite second maknae Kim Myungsoo, better known as L. L and Sungjong publicly hug each other from the back, caress each other's hair on stage and fans seem to like that. They nickname the pair "Myungjong" (Korean fans name them "LSung") and create Facebook and Tumblr fanpages for them. I really would like to learn why fans' approval of MyungJong flourishes while it is still hard for South Korea to accept homosexuality. Meanwhile L and SungJong continue with their PDA's, and it turns out that fans now are pairing Kim Sunggyu and Nam Woohyun, also from Infinite, since Sunggyu appeared solo on an episode of Mnet's Jjang where he mentioned Woohyun every five minutes...
Oh, in case you're wondering what song Sungjong is singing in the video, it's a cover of "Adult Ceremony" by Park Jiyoon, which was released in 2000. Funny that such a raunchy song was released when Jiyoon was only 18, and while the whole world might think she was legal already, she wasn't. The legal age in South Korea at the time was 20, and only this year it's been lowered to 19.
Monday, 15 July 2013
Raving on Infinite - part 1
Hi everyone!
A lot has happened since I last blogged. I've added another hat in addition to teaching, that of the President University International Collaborations Office staff member. Right now we're working on a student exchange program MOU with Webster University, USA. Hopefully this goes swimmingly.
It's so hard to squeeze in time to blog lately!
I'm sooo in love with Korean boyband Infinite at the moment. Yes, I'm a new Inspirit, converted about a month ago. My favourites are the leader, Kim Sunggyu, and the maknae Lee Sungjong, but basically I like all seven members. I'm also in love with Kim Sunggyu's mini solo album "Another Me", which is deemed by many as a failure because it's only sold roughly 100,000 copies since its release in late 2012.
The fact that Sunggyu is a fellow Taurean wins him a soft spot in my heart. He's nicknamed Grandpa Gyu because he nags his dongsaengs a lot, disciplines them military style, gets sick easily (his skin is allergic to metal and he travels with a bagful of vitamins and medicine) and wears cardigans a lot. People make fun of this, the size of his eyes and the low sale of his solo album. Sunggyu always defends "Another Me" as a classic, since he poured his heart into it and worked with his long-time inspiration, Korean rock band Nell, for the album. And indeed it's a classic since all the songs show a more mature side of Gyu, with a bit of a rock touch which sees the 24-year-old going back to his rock roots (Gyu fronted to a rock band called "Beat" back in high school, and yes there's actually a video of the band performing, shot in 2008!)
I don't think Gyu cares about people making fun of him and the things he does, which is very typically Taurean. He might not be the best looking in Infinite (Kim Myungsoo, nicknamed "L", is the group's visual), the best dancer (Lee Howon, nicknamed "Hoya", holds that title), but his voice is without a doubt the best (Gyu fanatics don't call him "honey-voiced leader" for nothing.) It's that honey voice and his awesome piano skills (showcased in the solo album's opening track) that are the main selling points. Taureans rely on their talent and don't need other people's approval to keep going.
By the way, this is just the first part of my Infinite-spazzing...I'm awkward about the term "spazzing" - is it the word kids use nowadays to describe raving about their idols? Whatever it is, there will be more Infinite entries coming soon - a treat to fellow Inspirits!
A lot has happened since I last blogged. I've added another hat in addition to teaching, that of the President University International Collaborations Office staff member. Right now we're working on a student exchange program MOU with Webster University, USA. Hopefully this goes swimmingly.
It's so hard to squeeze in time to blog lately!
I'm sooo in love with Korean boyband Infinite at the moment. Yes, I'm a new Inspirit, converted about a month ago. My favourites are the leader, Kim Sunggyu, and the maknae Lee Sungjong, but basically I like all seven members. I'm also in love with Kim Sunggyu's mini solo album "Another Me", which is deemed by many as a failure because it's only sold roughly 100,000 copies since its release in late 2012.
The fact that Sunggyu is a fellow Taurean wins him a soft spot in my heart. He's nicknamed Grandpa Gyu because he nags his dongsaengs a lot, disciplines them military style, gets sick easily (his skin is allergic to metal and he travels with a bagful of vitamins and medicine) and wears cardigans a lot. People make fun of this, the size of his eyes and the low sale of his solo album. Sunggyu always defends "Another Me" as a classic, since he poured his heart into it and worked with his long-time inspiration, Korean rock band Nell, for the album. And indeed it's a classic since all the songs show a more mature side of Gyu, with a bit of a rock touch which sees the 24-year-old going back to his rock roots (Gyu fronted to a rock band called "Beat" back in high school, and yes there's actually a video of the band performing, shot in 2008!)
I don't think Gyu cares about people making fun of him and the things he does, which is very typically Taurean. He might not be the best looking in Infinite (Kim Myungsoo, nicknamed "L", is the group's visual), the best dancer (Lee Howon, nicknamed "Hoya", holds that title), but his voice is without a doubt the best (Gyu fanatics don't call him "honey-voiced leader" for nothing.) It's that honey voice and his awesome piano skills (showcased in the solo album's opening track) that are the main selling points. Taureans rely on their talent and don't need other people's approval to keep going.
By the way, this is just the first part of my Infinite-spazzing...I'm awkward about the term "spazzing" - is it the word kids use nowadays to describe raving about their idols? Whatever it is, there will be more Infinite entries coming soon - a treat to fellow Inspirits!
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