I think this might turn into a new feature xD
So I was checking YouTube uploads as I do now to see what to post on YAM Magazine, and saw this new Avex upload of MinxZone, whom I’ve never heard of. The intro (after the text) is kinda cool with the literal Paper Piano (the song title is Kami PIANO 紙ピアノ), but I thought it sounded familiar. Funny to find that one of the comments in it was the same.
See for yourself~
I am obsessed with this music video… as you can see since I’m posting it here AND posting it in YAM Magazine. And especially now that I found that BOUNCE has a newly opened YouTube account that I hope doesn’t go POOF because of some wonk copyright issue.
I mean, this video is beauuuuuutiful in HD. And the song has rapidly grown on me — haven’t heard the album yet, but from all the singles released… it feels like this is one of the few songs that I can truly say WOW.
I know about Stefanie Sun, but I had never been actively interested in listening to her music. Like many of the Asian artists I followed, I saw her in the Beijing Welcomes You MV that came out for the Olympics… but then, I was more taken by that little girl in kind of a tux and glasses with the deep voice. Stephanie Sun is there — so young and cute, that it just never registered.
Call it a surprise to know that she’s got 12 albums, and that she’s 32. Amazing. I have become so cliché that whenever I ask my mom “guess how old this and that is” She just knows now. She knows when to add age, and when to subtract it. No fun anymore. xD
Here you go, watch the video – glorious HD.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xifVlgSAdQE
Also, as a side note. You wouldn’t believe how LONG it took me to get the director’s name in characters and then figure out it’s BOUNCE who also directed MISSTER‘s Super Lover video. I was so crazy about this video, that I went name-hunting instead of doing my Chinese homework. LOL
After DBSK pretty rocking dance tune of Keep your Head Down, the guys decided to release — alongside a repackaged version of their album — the single for Before U Go with a music video styled as a slick action crime drama. The regular 5min. version of the video is actually pretty interesting, because it’s packed with some fighting, and some sort of story that we can follow.
It’s like the teaser of a quality Korean drama. LOL
And then… they decided to release the long-form video. I like to talk about it when MVs get turned to short films. So we must talk about it. Yes, the long version is still pretty slick, but there’s one BIG problem.
The remaining DBSK guys Yunho and Changming end up the 16min run of the MV looking like lousy one-dimensional goodies, while the baddie is an anti-hero. I actually felt a lot worse for him than the “good” guys. What’s up with that?
Triple threat post!
Kate Winslet + Kate Winslet’s hair + Mario Testino x)
I gotta say I love that haircut, and my shortsightedness has never been able to imagine Kate Winslet would rock such a haircut. But wow, plus~ Mario Testino.
Always said I like his portraits more than his fashion photography, but then again I’m not into fashion. Unless it’s totally fierce, they look fake to me. I usually hate them.
But these? *swoon*
Pure fierce~
Heh, heh.
You know I love hair. And I love The Sounds (not as much as I used to, but still like them). Plus, she looks very rocking, even if it’s the same coloring… I just like the emphasis on the hair xD
I don’t recognize you.
I swear that if I ran into this video without knowing what your name is in characters, I wouldn’t know it’s you. I also have stated that when you released Time, and many people complained that it was boring, I said that it was a well-produced album expanding your vocal range.
I like your two last albums, but your performance of the songs is not up to par with what you’ve previously performed, and it’s because you’re letting the production overpower your talent. And I don’t mean it so you stick to R&B – I actually really REALLY love your duet with Priscilla Chan. One of the most quality presentations vocally you’ve ever done.
FYI, I’m aware this is a fan-shot video.
But even if production and video quality are better than the other between the examples, you have to admit that the big dress and big hair is overpowering her presence on that stage, and the song is too mellow to be presented like that.
I’ve said her album Time would be better suited for an acoustic.
I grew up with a song by Vico C called Me Acuerdo, which was on constant rotation those days when we still listened to the radio. I listen to that song, and I immediately think of those days.
So when clicking on the video for Ken the 390 titled 壊れやすいもの (Koware Yasui Mono) – Breakable, it brought me back to that song. Must be the male vocal, the slow hip hop thing, and the female backing vocals.
(more…)
I have another confession to make.
As you may have already figured out, I grew up in a time when there was barely any stability. When things settled down, we had about 4 or 5 networks, usually broadcasting local productions.
But there was also syndication.
American television loves syndication, they ensure making a living with it. What’s a better example of syndication than… Baywatch. Yup, that’s my confession. I grew up with Baywatch. Especially the first season and the second… maybe the third. They re-ran those seasons a lot those years, so I’m pretty sure I’ve seen them more than once.
So when I was like 5 or 6, we would all watch the show — most likely for different reasons LOL — since we kids liked going to the beach, we would always joke that our local lifeguards looked like they had floatability devices inside them. We would laugh, and move on.
Then there was Shauni. Before there was Stephanie Holden… Shauni was the only girl in the cast — pretty sure, I could be wrong. I was Team Shauni! As a kid, I don’t know why I thought she was awesome. She seemed nice, no problems — I’m seeing a pattern here — and she had Eddie xD
I just realized I’m a crazy shipper… almost since I was born. LOL
Anyway, time passed. Country got better, we got cable. Sony had just launched their signal, and were re-running Baywatch. Browsing channels, there was this episode – or was it a movie? – of Tales from the Crypt: Bordello of Blood. Ha! I didn’t know what a bordello was at the time. I didn’t speak any English, all I remember saying was “Hey! That’s Shauni!” And I watched it. The memory of it — me watching that — is hilarious.
So yeah, I like Erika Eleniak.
Very much like on the other tales, I was browsing channels and ended up on Sony. What a surprise it was to see Erika Eleniak on the latest season of Desperate Housewives. Color me surprise. Even if I have stopped watching the show, I… for a split second or more, considered watching the show again. Then I didn’t when I found out it was a one-ep gig.
There’s a pretty personality-insightful making-of article in regards of Taiwan’s first and brand-new Boi-band, who in their second single Super Lover are urging a pretty lady to not give up on love.
I think I’ve finally figured out who is who. Ha!
First, there’s leader Jin Tai (the one with the glasses). Then there’s Qiu Qiu the former dance instructor (top third on the left), Milk is the one with the blueish tones on her hair, Chris (? Zi Lun?) (the one with the humping face), and finally Chiao (Qiao) the one with the blond hair.
And I’ve already picked my favorite. LOL
Today, while watching Chinese news — yes, I know… hardly unbiased opinion — I saw that China had deployed military airplanes, cargo ferries, and commercial flights in order to mobilize over 35k people out of Libya.
While violence and unrest is rampant, and expats from everywhere in the world are trying to get out, and people outside are “celebrating” freedom of speech, people are left without jobs, and families are left without income. Chinese expats have been uncommunicated with their families since the unrest began, waiting in the airports that have no running water.
Now, they’re back home.
When trying to look for the news to post, googling “China” to check the latest news from there, I only ended up seeing negative items. I ended up with Xinhuanet.com and by looking for “China Libya” I found some tiny articles from the West barely mentioning this.
I thought it’s an important news item to highlight.