I wouldn't be caught dead having one of those slumber parties where my girlfriends sit around braiding my hair, promising to inflict serious damage on the jerk who made a move on me.
"Girl just be like, whatevs I'm first class. You's economy. Swerve."
But guys, that's exactly what happened, and the aforementioned line was one of many sagacious advice given to me by my friends that night. And though not a day this week seems to have gone by without them telling me they're going after the asswipe guy with metal bats, I was completely fine. Distracted, rather.
And what better way to keep my mind off the irrational logic (if any) behind guy codes than with ice cream and K-pop?
True to the innate restlessness found in entertainment, K-pop was just as abuzz with MV releases, controversies, and impending comebacks as it is ever. Here are the headlines that caught my teary eyes this week! (Jk, though. No tears split for the useless hombre).
Brown Eyed Girls open their 'Black Box' for the world to hear + unleash KILL BILL MV
The Brown Eyed Girls pay their tributes to the cinematic mastery of Quentin Tarantino with their feline prowess in their "Kill Bill" MV. The dramatic acting and the girl-on-girl combat renders the MV nothing short of the classy-sexy image the girls have set for themselves.
The Brown Eyed Girls make me giddy. Why? Well, they're talented, charming, and chic to begin with. But adding to that, they always seem to be coming back with these bizarre concepts that work flawlessly for them.
Kang Seung Yoon is 'Wild and Young' for his first title track MV
Kang Seung Yoon finally released his new single, "Wild and Young" and the accompanying MV. This is only the first title track, as he has two more title tracks geared up to be revealed in August and September. The "Wild and Young" MV displays an airy carelessness that brings to life the lyrics, which tell the story of falling in love with a girl and living in that moment of passion without worrying about what people say or what the future will bring.
A little rock and roll from YG Entertainment, I like how they're diversifying their sound from the standard hip hop they were doing for a long time.
T-ara took us by surprise when they announced they'll be making a guerilla comeback with a summer track. As promised, the girls released their music video for "BIKINI". Former member of Gangkiz, Lee Haein and actress Song Eun Chae star in the MV alongside breezy rapping by Skull and vocals by Davichi. The song, produced by Duble Sidekick, starts off with seagull noises that bring to mind clear blue skies and beaches that stretch out as far as the eye can see. Unfortunately, Core Contents Media mentioned, "T-ara are busy with their Hong Kong and Japan tour, so they won't be promoting the song. They'll just be releasing their MV and song online."
The song definitely has those nostalgic memories of lazy summer days, but watching the MV, I couldn't help thinking, "who in the world are these people...?" If they were going to use completely random actresses in the MV, at least pick faces that we're familiar with.
M.I.B. returns as 'Men in Black' for comeback MV
M.I.B chose to go for a chic and classy, yet humorous concept this time around for their new digital single album 'Men In Black'. Their title track, "Men In Black", which M.I.B. took part in creating, will get you in the mood to party with its catchy hook. Leader 5Zic also created the 'swallowtail butterfly' choreography for the track, which was inspired by Kim Heung Kook's classic song of the same title.
M.I.B's comeback was a pleasant surprise. The song is a fresh change of pace for the boys, and I think they pull it off incredibly well. The song has great vibes, and personally, I'd go so far as to say it's one of the better comeback songs this summer.
EXO reveal MV for follow up song 'Growl'!
EXO has simultaneously been winning over both fans and non-fans alike with the release of their MV for both the Korean and Chinese versions of "Growl". The "Growl" MV puts a remarkable spin on the standard SM "boxes" by using a one-take method with a steady-cam used to shoot the video in one shot.
I thought the music video was awesome, see here: Inspecting the moves: EXO's 'Growl' Music Video
Given SM has promised that more versions of the song will be released in the near future, I wouldn't bet against "Growl" being used as the follow-up to the "Wolf" drama version's cryptic endling, 'To Be Continued.'
B.A.P gives fans a peek at upcoming MV with 'BADMAN' video teaser
After a series of puzzling teaser photos, we can start to make sense of B.A.P's concept with the MV teaser for their upcoming title track. The boys are going all out for their full return with a large-scale music video that was shot in Detroit as well as the same filming location as the movie 'Transformers'. 100 extras were also brought in for the filming, and the MV is said to be directed by Hong Won Ki Won of ZanyBros, who has produced countless hit MVs before. The expectations for their return are soaring high, to say the least. Moreover, "BADMAN" is said to be written by Bang Yong Guk himself to point out issues in society that we often hear of on the news, but tend to forget, adding an even more personal feel to the upcoming release.
2NE1 to release 'Do You Love Me' on August 7th
f(x)'s 2nd album 'Pink Tape' is finally out!
f(x) released their new album, 'Pink Tape'. As hinted in their art film, everything about their 2nd album - from the jacket images to album packaging - all has to do with first love. The album's supposed to be like a romance movie with f(x) in it. As you all know already, "Rum Pum Pum Pum" is a pop dance song with an addictive guitar sound and percussion rhythm. And with this release, the girls are ruling the real-time charts. The title track, "Rum Pum Pum Pum", has taken over the #1 spot in all 9 of Korea's major charts, including Melon, Mnet, Bugs, Soribada, Olleh, Naver, Daum, Monkey3, and Cyworld.
It's a great album and the infectiously catchy title track, "Rum Pum Pum Pum" is a pretty good song but after their creative teasers, I couldn't help but be a little let down.
KBS offers an ambiguous response to the possibility of JYJ's future broadcast appearances
KBS has released a statement concerning JYJ's potential broadcast promotions following fans' demands made to the broadcast station after the Fair Trade Commission issued a sanction against SM Entertainment and Korean Federation of Pop Culture and Art Industry.
With FTC announcing their sanction calling out SME and KFPCAI's interference with JYJ's activities, hopeful fans rushed to boards of broadcast stations to demand an answer about whether JYJ will finally be allowed on various TV programs. KBS responded, but their answer has left fans raising their eyebrows with the vague nature of the response.
KBS stated on their official homepage, "As we understand it, The Fair Trade Commission's sanction is directed towards SM Entertainment,the 'Korean Federation of Pop Culture and Art Industry (KFPCAI)', and the organizations and companies that make up the KFPCAI. Also, the possibility of artists' broadcast appearances are determined by the individual programs' coordinators. Actors and singers will be invited according to the individual program's needs."
This whole situation is a bit confusing but it's good to see that the FTC is trying to enforce fairness. As for the future of JYJ being on TV broadcasts, I'll believe it when I see it.
YG Entertainment responds to controversy over G-Dragon's selca 
You may or may not recall G-Dragon's recent selca that brought him quite a bit of mixed reactions from the international audience, even gaining attention on media outlets like SPIN magazine and LA Times, which suggested the selca may be a tastelessly carried out tribute to Trayvon Martin.
The photo stirred up a debate on the idol's Instagram, where it was originally posted, with fans arguing with one another about whether the idol had intentionally 'blackfaced' himself or whether it was just a dark colored facial mask.
In response to the controversy brewing, YG Entertainment reached out to SPIN to clarify the matter at hand, stating that this was all just a big misunderstanding.
The reps said,
"GD was simply wearing different face paint colors and this is a huge misunderstanding. The face paint is only a color variation for his album cover which includes black, white, and red. It is in no way meant to be a political or racial statement... It's being derived by a simple photo shoot where GD was using different face paint colors for his upcoming album."
SEE ALSO: G-Dragon goes on a selca spree and sparks some mixed reactions along the way
If I may, I find that G-Dragon's Blackface controversy was blown exceedingly out of proportion. I'd like to believe that things becomes offensive when it's carried out with a malicious intent. But how are we to decide what his intent was when all we have to work with is a picture? No explanations, no context, but simply an Instagram post. Granted, blackface is an incredibly insulting gesture that evokes painful memories of the past treatment of African Americans in the US. And though some would point fingers at G-Dragon, claiming he travels the world and interacts with people of different cultures enough to know that what he was doing was wrong, I'd say otherwise. G-Dragon is essentially of a different culture - despite all his travels or befriending of intercultural people. And that alone makes him an outsider to the nuances of our culture. But you live and learn.
Wheesung sentenced to 3 days in military prison for possession of an illegal cell phone
His lawyer said, "Wheesung used his cell phone while he was at the hospital for a herniated disc and hair loss, and he has been sentenced to 3 days in military prison for that. With this, his discharge date of August 6 has been pushed back to August 9."
His lawyer explained, "The fact that Wheesung used his cell phone not at the training facility but at the hospital, the fact that he used his cell phone to talk to witnesses who would prove his innocence on the propofol case, the fact that he didn't harm the security of his reserve, as well as the fact that he had been working hard and had been respected as an assistant instructor were all taken into consideration [to make his sentence lighter]."
Wait, does anyone else find humor in the fact that Wheesung was charged for having in his possession an illegal cell phone? Anyways, I respect that the military has a set code of conduct and that it's in the nature of military training to abide by the rules. But, I mean, this is semi-ridiculous. Going off a whim here, I don't think Wheesung was spilling exclusive secrets about the military reserve. He was in the hospital and it just so happened he needed to talk to a witness who would prove his innocence on the propofol case. I say it's harmless, but to each his or her own, I guess.
Song Joong Ki to enlist this August!
Song Joong Ki reached out to fans through his agency, writing, "How are you? This is Song Joong Ki. Recently, I received the enlistment notice from the Military Manpower Administration. I will enlist on August 27. I will conclude my promotional activities well during the time I have left and plan to enter the training facility. I sincerely thank everyone who has supported and loved me. Since I can't give my farewell greeting to each and every one of you, I am delivering my thankful heart through this message. I will return after carrying out my military duties for 2 years. ^^ Until I can greet you all with a good production, please be healthy and well."
Although the news come as a short notice, those attending his fan meeting on August 17 will have a chance to say goodbye to the actor before he enlists.
'I Hear Your Voice' Lee Bo Young to tie the knot with actor Ji Sung
Actress Lee Bo Young and actor Ji Sung will take their 6-year relationship into holy matrimony as they tie the knot this September!
Lee Bo Young made a timely announcement, right after the finale of 'I Hear Your Voice'. She posted a handwritten letter on her fan cafe, a portion of which reads, "I will tie the knot on September 27th. You will congratulate me a lot right?... I was originally going to announce it in June and take time to prepare for [the wedding], but after coming across the good production I couldn't let slip by me, I have ended up preparing for [the wedding] last minute."
Her husband-to-be, Ji Sung, also notified his fans on his own fan cafe, writing,"I'm standing at the beginning point of a new start to create a family. This feeling of nervousness and excitement, not just me but everyone who is about to get married probably feels like this too right? Even writing these few words is shaking me up so much so that I keep crumpling up the paper. My heart is nervous and excited."
Congrats to Lee Bo Young and Ji Sung, who will tie the knot at W Seoul Walkerhill Hotel on September 27!
New girl group Wassup to bring twerking to the K-pop scene + demonstrates with 2 video clips
So you may or may not have heard, but new girl group Wassup will be coming your way soon and they're aiming for a sensational debut by bringing the dance craze of twerking to Kpop!
Sony Music Korea and Mafia Record joined forces to create the 7-member hip hop girl group which will stick out from the crowd with their 'dancehall' genre of music. The group has been training for the past 3 years and is set to bring in all eyes as they utilize twerking for their debut.
This concept may or may not be heading towards a fate of certain disaster, but I suppose we'll have to wait to find out for sure. At least it's drawing interest and that's always a good thing for a new group.
That's it for the week, guys! Here's hoping the weekend treats you well.
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