FLIGHT LOG: ARRIVAL

Photo from Got7's Twitter Account

Hello guys! This is the continuation of my blog last week about my favorite group GOT7. I shared some information about the trilogy series and now I would focus on the last episode which is the FLIGHT LOG: ARRIVAL. This album consists of eight tracks including the title track entitled ‘NEVER EVER’ and the music video has now 17M views. They performed their comeback stage in different music shows including MCOUNTDOWN, MUSIC CORE, THE SHOW etc. and they have now 4 wins in different music shows and it ranked 1 on World Albums Chart and this is their 4^th time ranking 1^st.

Photo from Got7's Twitter Account

Photo from Got7's Twitter Account

‘NEVER EVER’ was written by their producer Park Jinyoung and other writers while the members participated in producing the remaining six songs because the fifth song ‘GO HIGHER’ was written by JYP writers. The second song in the album is ‘SHOPPING MALL’ was written by JYP writers, Jackson Wang, Bambam, and Mark. This song was banned by KBS for broadcast because the song contains different brands.

Photo from Got7's Twitter Account

Photo from Got7's Twitter Account

We, IGOT7s noticed that Jackson followed different brands on Instagram and we think that he used that way to produce that song. The third song is ‘PARADISE’ and Jinyoung participated in writing and composing the song. This song is the opposite of the song ‘MAYDAY’ in the previous album that was also written and composed by Jinyoung. The fourth song is ‘SIGN’ and ARS/Youngjae participated in writing this song and the sixth song is ‘Q’ and Defsoul/Jaebum participated in writing and composing this song. The first time I heard this song I already knew that it was written by JB because he loves producing R & B songs. The seventh song is ‘WITHOUT CONSCIENCE’ by Yugyeom and the last song ‘OUT’ was written and composed by Jackson Wang. I think that this song was inspired by their iconic line ‘I’m out!’

Photo from Got7's Twitter Account

Photo from Got7's Twitter Account

IGOT7s including me, were sad in the past few days because Jackson Wang was not able to join the members on their first stage because he was hospitalized after he vomited and collapsed in their fan meeting in Japan last March 11. But now our Wang Puppy is back! Yesterday he joined the other members on their comeback stage in The Show Music Core and he even hosted the show together with Jinyoung. He repeatedly saying sorry to the fans because of his absence in the past few days and it made me so touched because I felt the sincerity in his voice. I missed my Wang Puppy and now that he is back, I hope that this would be the last time that they would perform incomplete because I believe that GOT7 would never be the same without one member . 

Photo from Got7's Twitter Account

GOT7 has finally completed the series and I hope that this comeback would be a successful one like their previous albums since they will be promoting the album for a month. I know that this is just the beginning of their year. GOT7 JJAI! <3

Photo from Got7's Twitter Account

The FLIGHT LOG Journey

As an Ahgase/IGOT7, I am so proud that I will feature my babies today. Yes my favorite boy band group GOT7 is back! They are back with their new album ‘FLIGHT LOG: ARRIVAL’ with its title track entitled ‘NEVER EVER.’ With this FLIGHT LOG: ARRIVAL, they completed their year-long trilogy that started last March 2016. Words couldn’t express my feelings because it’s been 6 months since their last comeback and I am sure that this would be great. So today I would like to introduce the three albums.

The first part is FLIGHT LOG: DEPARTURE with its title track entitled ‘FLY’ that ranked 1^st on different music shows and World Albums. During their promotion, they got their 1^st
win on M Countdown which is one of the biggest shows in Korea. They got super emotional because they didn’t expect that they would win. They also held their first ever concert in South Korea and also their world tour including Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, and US. This album also showcased their talents as songwriters, they contributed in different songs in the album; each member has either participated in a song or wrote and composed a song. My favorite songs among the tracks are See the Light, FiSH, and Can’t.

Next is FLIGHT LOG: TURBULENCE, it features their title track entitled ‘HARD CARRY.’ This album has 13 songs and 10 of them were written and composed by GOT7. ‘HARD CARRY’ placed 1^st on World Albums, 3^rd on World Digital Song Sales, and topped in different music shows including M Countdown, The Show, and SBS Inkigayo. They also had a 10 episode-show entitled ‘GOT7’s Hard Carry’ that showcased their true selves that I love the most. I love the 13 songs but my ultimate favorite songs are Mayday, Dreamin’, and My Home.

The last is FLIGHT LOG: ARRIVAL that was released last Monday, March 13, 2017 at exactly 12:00 pm KST. The MV has now more than 11M views and they uploaded their choreography video last night and it has now more than 500K views. They are breaking their own record and it makes me so proud of the fandom that I belong in. I am happy that they are being more recognized not only in Korea but in other countries as well.

This FLIGHT LOG series showcased three different sides of GOT7 and this is their most successful era since their debut and I am sure that this will continue because I believe that they can and I believe in their talents. FIGHTING!

GOT7 <3 IGOT7

These are the three music videos that I mentioned above; from Departure to Turbulence to Arrival. Thank you!

Diversity in K-POP

We all know that music can also be considered as the universal language because it can overcome different cultural barriers. In KPOP industry there are many idols that came from different parts of the world like my favorite group, GOT7. Another group proved that even more named VARSITY; they debuted on January 3 this year with their debut song “U R MY ONLY ONE”

Photo from Varsity's Official Facebook Account

Photo from Varsity's Official Facebook Account

VARSITY consists of twelve members; seven Korean members and five Chinese members. Their group can communicate with their fans using different languages like Korean, English, Chines, Arabic, and French. The maknae of the group named Manny is from China and he is the first ever Muslim idol in KPOP Industry. Korean and their international fans were shocked when they revealed that during an interview in “Music Bank” During the interview, they were asked what they would eat for lunch and they suggest different kinds of food including meat, chicken and sea foods. One member said that they have one member that cannot eat pork and they revealed that Manny is a Muslim that is why he cannot eat pork.

Photo from Varsity's Official Facebook Account

When I read the news about this, I was shocked because I never thought that KPOP groups will have a Muslim member ever. Muslim fans also shared their thoughts saying that this news made them proud and it’s something beyond borders. For me it’s a very good thing because KPOP Industry helps the people from different countries and races to be connected. It gathers international fans that vary with their religion. I hope that this will continue in the future. J FIGHTING!

Not Today

Good day! This is the continuation of my blog last time about BTS because up until now, I still can’t move on with their new song entitled ‘Not Today’ that was published on February 19, 2017. And as of today the music video has now 40,278,247 views. I will talk about the music video itself because for me the MV is so lit and also the beat and dance steps. I will give a reaction based on my learnings in our subject ‘Film Theories’ about the technical aspects like cinematography, editing and visual design. Even though the MV is not a film I think it can be applied in the MV.

The MV has several aerial shots that helped the choreography to be seen clearly; the scene when they were dancing with their back-up dancers, when they were running on the first scene and also when the MV was about to end. Panning and tilting can also be seen throughout the MV, from the very first scene of the MV up to the scene of Rap Monster walking in the basement. The MV has also different shots but I will not mention those. The color of the MV is also great; from the scene of Jungkook, the color was pinkish white and also the scene of Rap Monster in the second verse of the song, the color was blue-ish. When they are dancing the color is quite pink and white. The dance steps were greatly executed because it was edited in a good way. The impact of the dance steps were clearly seen because of the way the video was edited.

For me, the whole music video was great and I think I watched the music video several time. Whenever I am watching on YouTube, I always play this MV it’s just that I can’t move on. I just want to apologize because I didn’t put GIFs of the scene that I mentioned because I can’t convert the video itself. So, I will let you watch the MV here so enjoy! BTS FIGHTING! <3

SPRING DAY

Photo from Facebook

In NBA there is what they call ‘THE BIG 3’ but in KPOP there is also a thing like that; SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment are the biggest entertainments and they are ‘THE BIG 3’ in K-pop. Most of the successful and popular groups were produced by them; they are popular not only in Asia but in different countries as well. But in the past few years, there is one group that is now being popular worldwide. Their group is not from those entertainments that I’ve stated they debuted on June 13, 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. I’m talking about this group named BTS or Bangtan Sonyeondan which means ‘Bulletproof Boy Scouts’ that is why their fandom name is A.R.M.Y. Their group consists of seven members named Rap Monster, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, V, Jimin, and Jungkook.

Photo from BTS Official Twitter Account

Their group is my second favorite group next to GOT7 because they are friends especially the two maknaes, Jungkook and Yugyeom. I just noticed them when I watched their collaboration with GOT7 last MAMA 2015. Their style is different from GOT7’s style. They have more manly and sexy concepts than GOT7. Their songs are so cool and their dance steps are not that easy to follow. With their strong and manly concepts, they have received more than 12 awards not including their small wins in different music shows. I have many favorite songs of BTS including BOY IN LUV, DOPE, I NEED U, FIRE, and BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS. Their last comeback which was Blood Sweat & Tears made a huge impact to all K-poppers. I love everything about their song, their vocals were so lit and also their dance steps. I believe that they deserve this kind of popularity because they work so hard just to release an album. They even write their own songs in their album just like what GOT7 are doing.

Photo from BTS Official Twitter Account

And now they are back with their ‘Spring Day’ that was released last February 13 at midnight. The MV smashed BTS’s own record for the most views of MV in 24 hours. It also became the fastest K-pop group music video to hit 10 million views beating out the previous record of Twice with their song ‘TT’. They also released the list for their “WINGS” World Tour. BTS is set to rock Manila at the Mall of Asia Arena on May 6 and 7, 2017. It will be their 3^rd time to visit Manila and I am sure that all Filipino A.R.M.Ys are all excited for this event. I am also sure that the 2-day concert will be worth watching for. I hope for their success to continue and grow more. BTS FIGHTING!

Here are some of their dance practice videos. Enjoy!

*Blood Sweat & Tears and Fire*

Yes No Maybe

Photo from JYP Official Facebook Account

Just like what I’ve said on my last entry, I am a JYP stan so now I will feature another JYP’s star Bae Suzy also known as Suzy. She was born on October 10, 1994 and she is the main vocal of the girl group ‘Miss A’ under JYP Entertainment and debuted on 2010. Suzy is also an actress; she was casted in different Korean Dramas like Dream High, Gu Family Book, and her latest drama Uncontrollably Fond with Kim Woo Bin that was ended last year. Aside from her sweet voice and great acting skills, she is also widely known because she is the girlfriend of the one of the most handsome and in demand actors in Korea, Lee Min-Ho. They confirmed their relationship last 2015 after they were spotted by Dispatch.

     After many years of waiting for her solo debut, now all the wishes have been granted because Suzy finally released her first solo album entitled, “Yes? No?” last January 24, 2017. Her title song “Yes No Maybe” has been sitting on #1 spot in all Korean Music charts and her music video on YouTube has 2,195,521 views as of today and she also uploaded her “Dance Practice Video” on YouTube 4 days ago and now has 1,011,210 views. This truly shows how famous she is not only in Korea but also in other countries as well.

Photo from JYP Official Facebook Account

Photo from JYP Official Facebook Account

As part of her solo promotions, she is currently starring on a reality show entitled, “Off the Record, Suzy”; this show focuses on her daily life as an idol and a simple lady. One of the episodes showed her simple life; drinking, sleeping, and watching television in her luxurious house in Samseong, Seoul.

Photo from Google

Photo from Google

For me, she is one of the most beautiful idols/actresses in Korea because she has a natural beauty and she never undergone plastic surgery. She is beautiful even without makeup and she can also pull-off any fashion styles and for me that is the real beauty. Although I’m not an avid fan of her, I wish for her solo success. SUZY FIGHTING!!!

Every day with DAY6

Photo from Google

I’m not sure if everyone is familiar with this boy band group. They are not the type of group that can sing and dance at the same time unlike GOT7 and BIGBANG that I featured before. This group is a rock band formed by JYP Entertainment, honestly I’m a JYP stan and I don’t know why. This group is the junior of GOT7 since they debuted last 2015 after GOT7 debuted. I would like to introduce to you my favorite Korean rock band DAY6! This group consists of six members of course but Junhyeok left the group due to dating controversy that’s why only five members were left named Sung Jin, Jae, Brian/Young K, Won Pil, and Do Woon.

Photo from Google

I’ll just give you guys some information for you to be familiar with them. Park Sung Jin, the leader of the group, is the main vocalist and is in charge with the guitar. He’s from Busan South Korea. Next is Park Jae Hyung, he’s the main guitarist, rapper and also the vocalist of the band. He’s from California. Third is Brian Kang or Kang Young Hyun, he’s the bassist, vocalist and the main rapper of the band. He is from Toronto Canada. Fourth is Kim Won Pil, he is the synthesizer and also the vocalist of the band. He is from South Korea. The last is Yoon Do Woon, he's the drummer and the maknae of the band. He's also from South Korea.

Par Jae Hyung (Photo from Google)

Kang Young Hyun (Photo from Google)

When I heard their song ‘Letting Go’, I was mesmerized with the melody but when I saw the English translation of the lyrics, I felt the sadness and pain. Even in their song ‘Congratulations’, I felt the heartache that they want all the listeners to feel. I started to become curious because for me, they are so cool and their voices are so lit. I watched all their performances and even their radio guesting.  I also love their playfulness and their k-pop songs cover. My favorite members are Jae and Young K because I love their voice and their cover of English songs. Their group can sing English songs and that’s the main reason why I love them. I love Jae and Young K’s cover of ‘She Will Be Loved’ by Maroon 5 and also ‘Lost Star’ by Adam.

One thing that I noticed about them is that most of their songs are about heartbreaks and I am so curious why they wrote this kind of songs.  I want this group to be recognized worldwide and I know that they deserve it because they are all great singers. They released a new song entitled ‘I wait’ and I hope that this will be a success.

Here are the videos of them singing ‘She Will Be Loved’ and ‘Lost Star’. J

One last “Good Bye” from 2NE1

Photo from Google

November 25 last year is the day when the K-pop industry was blown by sudden news about 2NE1’s disbandment. Many k-poppers especially the ‘Blackjacks”- 2NE1’s official fan club name, feel so disappointed towards YG Entertainment. 2NE1 is one of the iconic girl groups in k-pop industry. They captured their fans’ heart through their strong girl power concepts. They debuted last 2009 with their single “Fire” which also became popular here in the Philippines. Sandara Park or Dara is one of the reasons why many Filipinos recognized them because we all know that Sandara started her career here in the Philippines on which her title is “Pambansang krung-krung ng Pilipinas”. Throughout their journey, they faced so many struggles that challenged their group; from Park Bom’s issue to Minzy leaving YG Entertainment.

Photo from CL's Twitter Account

Photo from Sandara' s Fanclub Twitter Account

Photo from Bom's Twitter Account

Even though I’m not a blackjack, I feel so sad because I also love their songs and it’s been 2 years since their last single. Another reason why many fans are ranting about YG Entertainment is because they thought that 2NE1 will soon make a comeback because of some hints on social media posted by the members. But then, the disbandment made them disappointed. The three remaining members posted their thoughts about their disbandment. They expressed how sorry they are; they said that they will not forget all the blackjacks who supported them ‘till the end. They apologized for not releasing their final album before their disbandment. And January 5 this year, the news broke out about 2NE1’s final comeback. YG Entertainment announced that 2NE1 will have their final comeback before they officially disband.

Photo from Google

2NE1 will release their last song entitled “Good Bye” on January 21, 2017. The insiders revealed that this song was originally for CL, 2NE1’s leader. They said that this song was for CL’s solo promotion in U.S. Only the three remaining members are doing the comeback since Minzy left the entertainment and also preparing for her solo promotion. I am sure that all the blackjacks are celebrating because of this news; they are excited to see their idols performing on stage. Honestly, I am also excited because I believe that they deserve that comeback. When I watched their last performance on MAMA last 2015, I witnessed how great they are. All of their fans were shocked after they saw the four members and started to scream at the top of their lungs just to shout their names and as a fan, I feel so proud because if I were in the shoes of them I will do the same thing. Even though they're finished as a group, I believe that all the members will continue to support each other’s activities; they will continue their passion as a solo idol, they will not forget all their fans and I also believe that all the blackjacks will not forget them and they will always there to support them. 2NE1 x BLACKJACK FIGHTING!

BLΛƆKPIИK IN YOUR AREA

Photo from Google

The title says it all; “BLΛƆKPIИK IN YOUR AREA” is the first line in the debut song of the one of the famous rookies last year, BLΛƆKPIИK – is the second girl group after 2ne1 produced by YG Entertainment. They debuted on August 8, 2016 with their single album “Square One”. The group consists of four members named Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa. “Pink Mafia/ Blink” were the fandom name used by their fans since Blackpink’s fandom name is not yet official. With their sexy and unique concepts, I would say that they differ from other girl groups because most of the girl groups these days are sticking on their cute and sweet concepts which is too common for me.

Photo from Google

Photo from Google

I just noticed them last month because I’m not really into girl groups but after I listened to their song “STAY”, I became curious and I started to watch their performances. Their song “STAY” is my favorite among their songs because of the lyrics, I don’t know I just find it so sweet. Even though they are still a rookie, they received many awards in different shows like MMA and MAMA. They received the “Best New Artist Award” in Melon Music Awards/MMA, they also received the “Best Music Video” and “Best Of Next Artist Award” in Mnet Asian Music Awards/MMA. I also watched their first ever guesting on “Weekly Idol” and through that, I became more interested to them because they are so jolly especially Jisoo and Lisa. They showed their crazy side by impersonating their CEO and I found it so cute. They also joined “Running Man” and they enjoyed every missions, they gave their best just to win the last mission and I love how they showed their closeness even though they are divided into two.



Lisa is my bias because she’s a great dancer, I love how she moves in every beat and I love her rap style because I see G-Dragon in her whenever I hear her rap. Aside from being a great dancer, I also love her because she’s a friend of GOT7’s Bambam. They were part of the group “We Zaa Cool” in Thailand. She is also the first non-Korean artist in YG Entertainment. But I love them all because they are so cool and they remind me of 2NE1. I’m looking forward to their upcoming unique songs and I hope that they will show more of their sides for them to have more fans. BLACKPINK Fighting! <3

Here is the song that I'm talking about, entitled "Stay". There's`` an English translation so don't worry. Hope you have fun! <3