...a prelude.
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by PAM
This is all that I can possibly show right now...
🎶 "...this is international, make it unforgettable..." 🎶
I will be back after I recover from my numbing 'state of ambivalence'... like a hooligan in a merry-go-round. Until then, I'll follow (you)... into the sun.
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Image credit: All the images in this post are mine.
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...not!
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by PAM
ATHK is a nine-year-old film. It stars the fabulous Jamie Chung as the LA-based Chinese-American Ruby Lin, and the brilliant but so underrated, Bryan Greenberg as that "Expat" in Hong Kong, Josh Rosenberg, from New York. I love both Chung and Greenberg... and they portrayed their roles in the film so brilliantly.
The plot is simple enough... just a case of "right person, wrong time": two people meeting unexpectedly and connecting so wonderfully in the chaos of Hong Kong nightlife. You rejoice at how they just hit it off so naturally... except that one of them is involved with someone else. It's like seeing two people enjoying each other's company who are perfectly matched with each other... in wit, in sense of humor, in values and views of the world. They were strangers, and yet, they managed to uplift each other's spirit, and brought confidence when there was doubt. You'd wish that, after that evening when they first met, they'd meet again in the future... and have a chance to be together. And when they did meet later after a year, it didn't feel forced and fairy-tale-ish. The chemistry between them is so strong... it felt as if they were really meant for each other even when the impediments in their becoming a couple were still there, and even more complex this time. Perhaps, it's because Chung and Greenberg are a real couple... and they made the film just before they got married. The chemistry between them just colored the entire film, and it's nothing else but lovely!
The script is fantastic in that it seems simple and straight-forward enough. It feels like eavesdropping in the engaging conversation of soulmates (if there is such a thing) who found each other one fine evening when the stars aligned. The way the two actors brought life to every word with their body language, every glance, every stare, every smile, their tone when they speak... every pause, every small hesitation, every discreet sigh of masked disappointment, every expression of fascination that is pure joy but restrained by a touch of sophistication and the desire for propriety, every playful banter... ahhh, it's too beautiful, I loved it!
The film sets the scenario in which a tug-o-war between what feels right and so natural, and what feels unjust for the people the lead characters are committed to, was central to the story. "Emotional cheating" was a thing in the film. The way the actors showed restrain in fully giving in to the natural course where life seems to take them, and the overpowering longing of being together just because it feels so right was awesome. In the end, they let the viewers decide the ending... and it's brilliant!
Have you already seen this film? Not yet? Intrigue? Good! Go watch... I promise you won't regret it.
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Video credit: The owner is indicated in the video itself. Thanks, YouTube, for the video link.
...drops of tears in Jupiter.
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by PAM
Train: "Can you imagine no love, pride, deep-fried chicken...?"
Me: Yeah, I can... and
JK: ..."it's a hard pill to swallow...."
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The Grammy award-winning "Drops of Jupiter (Tell me)" is one my favorite songs by Train (of the "Marry Me" fame)... maybe, one of my favorite songs ever, too. I just love the lyrics... the melancholy that it imparts but sang so beautifully in masked sadness by the brilliant Pat Monahan in a backdrop of easy, uncomplicated, and yet, terrific music that has everything - from dramatic piano to romantic violin to a thumping rhythm section. Here, have a listen...
These days, listening to "Shot Glass of Tears" (SGOT) from Jung Kook's debut solo album, "Golden"... I have these nostalgic feels that take me back to 14 years ago when "Drops of Jupiter (Tell me)" (DOJTM) was released. Although the songs are completely different in terms of music, tempo and general appeal... lyrically, there are similarities. The lyrics of SGOT and the way JK interprets it is in-your-face melancholic. And it's amazing how JK can make even the lowest register of his voice can sound so melodic... and beautiful, even when he is singing live. So gifted! His singing is quite different from Monahan's powered and nicely controlled screeches in DOJTM that show his mastery of his craft. Here, have a listen...
Both songs talk about one's fascination... and love... for an incredible woman. And it's beautiful... both. The lyrical genius of DOJTM is subtle and sweet, "And tell me, did Venus blow your mind? Was it everything you wanted to find? And did you miss me while you're looking for yourself out there?" So loving and indulging of one's subject of affection... and yet so tenderly longing for some affection, too. It's like a precarious balancing act between selfless love and the quiet desperation for just the smallest hint of reciprocation of one's deep affection. One can tell that whoever wrote the lyrics (and I'm quite sure it was Monahan), possesses a love that is tamed by maturity.
SGOT is a bit more juvenile in its hurried desire to let the subject of his affection know of his desperation to be healed by being loved, too: "Need something strong for the sorrow, something strong for the pain so I can wash it away. I was cold, now I'm freezin'. Stuck in permanent season, and we both know you're the reason. I'm not the same as before, I don't feel anymore."
Both songs are worth spending a Friday Night of music... lovely music - a "soul vacation".
***
Video credit: The owners of the videos are indicated in the video themselves. Thanks, YouTube, for the video links.
...country music and many more! And by 'more', I mean, 'Jungkookie more'!
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by PAM
Ah, it feels like a lifetime ago since I last wrote a 'nostalgic' post here. I have been preoccupied with so many things - important, unimportant depending on whose perspective... big things and small things, imagined and real... fun and agonizing, and everything in between... 'this and that'. Yep, I have been totally buried six feet below 'grown-up stuff'... including stuff that makes grown-ups appear irresponsible to some... such as sleeping. Ah, well...
There are so many things about the debut studio album by JungKook (JK), "Golden", that inspires musing and nostalgic feels... the most surprising of them all are the country music-sounding songs, "Yes or No" (YON) and "Too Sad to Dance" (TSTD), especially TSTD.
I am mostly a 'rock chick', and I listen regularly to pop music. I have soft spot for R&B. Uhm, actually, I am a sucker for R&B. I never thought of myself as a fan of country music... but having lived in the US for several years in three separate decades and in three different States (and visited a whole bunch of other States), too, without knowing it, I developed some leanings towards country music... okay, 'country pop' is probably the more accurate description of the songs that I like in the country genre, and definitely a lot of 'country rock'. Then again, even Taylor Swift is, first of all, a country music artist, too! But if you take a listen to some country songs, you gotta admit, they do have their distinct charm, and they make you suffer from "last song syndrome (LSS)...
Hmmm... 'distinct charm', and that pinch of 'Americana' flavor. You would think that it is an exclusive 'American thing'. But then, even that beautiful New Zealand-born Aussie country music phenomenon, Keith Urban, who sings with such soulful depth can give justice to this country con Americana music. After all, he lived in Nashville for a chunk of his life. This is one of my favorite songs of his: his first Grammy award-winning song from more than 10 years ago, "You'll think of me".
He is a native english speaker, and a country music artist, too. So, his music mind is beautifully wired as such... every note shows it, and it's awesome! I am totally a big, big fan. 💖
Now, came "Golden"... it is astounding how JK - a S. Korean singer who is not an english speaker with a brain that is "hard-wired K-Pop" could sing a song that is quite obviously written for a country singer, or a country pop singer, in a way that sounded authentic country, or country pop. The song TSTD is a formulaic country: all that acoustics complete with whistling, the narrative way by which the lyrics are written, the melancholy but romantic words, and that bit about an older and more experienced person imparting wisdom to a younger person foolishly in love, etc. - it has 'country' written all over it. And yet, JK took it on... wore it, and slayed it!
See? C'mon, you can say it! It's good, right? It is. I love it! Some friends of mine in the US who hailed from country music-inclined rural America cannot believe that this country pop song, TSTD, that has thin slices of 'Americana' meat, was sang by a K-Pop artist who is unable to guest on American talk shows without an interpreter in tow. That is not a bad thing... it a great thing, and I'm so proud of JK! 💜
Here, this is one of those country songs (well, country rock, to be exact) that I like... I even sang it live with a band on stage at some point in my crazy life! My band and I prepared hard for it... and we did quite well (c'mon, a girl can dream!). 😉😅 It's "Play It Again" by Luke Bryan - a 10-year-old song that I only discovered about six years ago while on a roadtrip in rural Idaho, USA.
I definitely know what's goin' on here. JK just won the world over. Are we falling in love? Damn, do you really need to ask? But if you insist, the answer is a definite and a huge, huge "YES"! So, yeah, let's keep listening... going back and forth between nostalgia and what is fresh and current - JK's music, that is.
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Video credit: The owners of the videos are indicated in the videos themselves. Thanks, YouTube, for the video links.
...marching forward - through excellent music!
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by PAM
Just a few minutes into the New Year, the BBC via YouTube has gotten us 'all-nostalgic' and 'sappy'... but 'happy-sappy'... and party-mode happy as well.
One of the biggest hits of the '80s, "Never Gonna Give You Up" (or simply NGGYU) by the incomparable, Rick Astley, was featured by BBC to close 2023 and usher in 2024... and, oh, boy, what a treat it was, indeed!
Ah, would you believe that that song was from the '80s? It still sounds good and fresh, right? And, you can't help yourself, you just gotta stand up, and dance. It has that power to get anyone into party mode - a very apt New Year's Eve party song. Love it! Rick's voice is so fantastic... he still has 'it' after all these years! And, he looks good, too... maybe, even better than how he was back in the days, huh? Ah... '80s guys, they mellow so awesomely and so beautifully!
Trivia: Rick A. is just a few years older than me. 😉😊 We are in the same age bracket, and yeah... our love for music - in all its fun and happy variants - is as strong as ever. I love it that he is still around... and doing what he does best!
NGGYU is not just our party-party song back in the '80s. It's a 'love song', too. Guys back in the days would use it to express their love and devotion to their loved one... while keeping it fun and not all that sappy. If you're a girl back then pursued by someone through NGGYU, you'd feel like you're special, loved and fun 'cause the pursuit is done on the dancefloor. It was always fun to watch the guys trying to be cool or make a complete fool of themselves on fun note with what they believed were their cool moves. By the end of the song, you know whether the guys are cool or lame. Whatever it is though... girls always had fun. Well, we all did!
Back to 2024... these days, NGGYU has an equivalent - a song that is also professing love and devotion. It's a song by Jung Kook, "Standing Next to You", or simply "SNTY". It is the main cut in JK's now epic debut album, "Golden". Like NGGYU, it is also a totally danceable song. It's just a bit more difficult to sing because JK totally flexed his wide range of vocal strength in SNTY. Nevertheless, SNTY is a worthy party-party song as well. Here, see/listen for yourself...
Aww, so awesome, right? Yes, it is! My recommendation: celebrate 2023 with NGGYU and get into the 2024 groove with SNTY. If you feel all great and awesome, then you did it all right! Happy New Year!
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Video credit: Video 1 is owned by BBC while video 2 is owned by M-Net. Thanks, YouTube, for the video links.
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...'reloaded'.
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by PAM
The whole world already knows by now: whatever the ultra-talented golden maknae of BTS, Jung Kook (or simply "JK"), touches, it turns to gold, as in solid gold! Therefore, his first solo album, "Golden", is aptly titled as such. And, just before embarking on his Military Service in the early days of December 2023, when we thought his "Golden" campaign was coming to a close, he did it again! He had two huge surprises in a row: "3D (Justin Timberlake Remix)" and "Standing Next To You (Usher Remix)". For the two pillars of the music industry today taking interest in remixing JK's work, puts the golden maknae on a different level as a solo artist. No amount of hating from 'antis' can deny that. In fact, the hating confirms it... haters hate good things and successful people.
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3D with JT iteration
"3D (feat. Jack Harlow)" is the second single to come out of "Golden", which was released prior to the launching of the album itself. It has this lively rhythm that entices one to sing along, get up and dance... and party! The song reminds fans what pop music is about - meant to be enjoyed, first and foremost. Jack Harlow's verses ruffled the feathers of many... but, like I said in another post, the verses were merely misunderstood. JH was showing how a pathetic, inconsiderate and selfish rake of a dude can be completely turned around by true love... and the hope of being loved as well. Some people listened to the rake part, and stopped! Naturally, that turned them off, and never saw the budding of a sweet love... in 3D! JK showed what he can do with his deep arsenal of voice power with fun beat and delicious mix of mild hiphop, dance and R&B genres. Because of that, it is a personal favorite of mine.
As if that wasn't enough, the great Justin Timberlake (JT) made the already engaging song to an ultra-loveable one with an added hip verse where JK tried his golden voice in rapping. Aww-inducing lines such as, "now let me fly you out to Seoul, South Korea. I just wanna get into your soul like Aretha," pasted instant smiles on listeners' lips... and sent avid listeners to cloud 9! Whew!
Awesome job, JK and JT! Congrats!
Wouldn't it be nice to see these two 'boy band alums' go on singing and dancing spree to the tune of 3D (Justin Timberlake Remix)? Ah, that's like bringing icons of two generations on a sweet talent per talent 'bout' - winner takes all! Can't wait until JK returns to 'pick a fight' - the beautiful collab kind - with JT!
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SNTY, soulful with Usher
"Standing Next to You", or simply "SNTY", is the main track of "Golden". It is a great song - a personal pick for a great song of 2023. As sung by JK, it is a feast to the ears... but it's hard to sing it. One has to have a wide range of vocal prowess to pull it off: from a soft feathery caressing vocals to rhythmic R&B style that invites one to get up, take to the floor for some moves... to soft rocking growl that pleasantly surprises... to that smooth Swan Song-ish falsetto that astounds. JK sang 'em all... and nailed 'em all! What is even more amazing is that he can pull off singing it live while dancing with a challenging choreography.
He performed SNTY live a few times during his "Golden" campaign. He did great in all of them but my favorite was the very first one at iHeart Radio. Why? It was an awesome surprise! A few months before the release of "Seven (feat. Latto)", the first single from "Golden", I remember commenting on one of RM's IG stories where he shared a song by Bon Jovi. At that time, we were still waiting and wondering about JK's solo project, and RM was one of those nudging him to work on his album already. As JK was so well-known for "Euphoria", "My Time" and "Still with You", naturally, people were expecting him to work on songs similar to these old hits. I think I was one of the few who were imagining something different. So, I commented on RM's post, "imagine if JK does a Bon Jovi-like song in his solo album, huh. That would be the day!"
Fast forward to the "Golden Age": In his performance at iHeart Radio... he came in dragging a microphone stand, clad in ripped jeans and a leather jacket like a rockstar! And then he started drawling SNTY like a rockstar, too. By the time he got to the now-famous "t-t-t-take off" part (2:18 - 2:28 min), he sounded like he was so ready to give the likes of Jon Bon Jovi, Eddie Vedder and Myles Kennedy a run for their money! Man, is there anything that JK cannot do? The outcomes of his 'BTS Chapter 2' stint proved his versatility as a singer and performer! He can even act well! Chapter 2 brought out the best of JK - in every aspect, including having the confidence to go abroad on his own to perform and promote his songs. The most important strength that he demonstrated is his maturity. He now can muster the courage to ignore all the negativities and leverage the flood of positive things that came his way... winning many hearts and amassing new fans. 
Last Dec. 15, he once again showed us how much he has grown as an artist as he performed SNTY alongside a legendary R&B artist: the one and only, Usher, in a music video! 'Proud' is an understatement... we, real ARMYs are utterly in awe of our golden maknae, and we thank Usher for recognizing his talent and helping to elevate JK to where he is after BTS Chapter 2. Those of us who followed the growth of this young man together with his BTS brothers, and on his own, too, were left in a flood of tears-of-joy as we watched the SNTY Usher Remix music video!
Usher sang his part so beautifully... well, per Usher's usual high standard, of course. He made the R&B and mild rock-ish sound of SNTY so soulful! JK pitched SNTY masterfully with his mix of vocal ranges, Usher elevated it to an ultra-smooth cloud nine-ish sound with his beautiful voice and vibe-worthy adlibs. In the MV, JK performed as if he is equal in talent and superstardom as Usher, because he is getting there... in only a few months into his solo stint. Usher did not hold back, he did push JK to be at his best. The R&B virtouso that Usher is showed up, turning the choreography to feel like a freestyle dancing. The budding R&B specialist that our JK is played it safe in the beginning, sticking to the choreography, but stood his ground when left alone with Usher by demonstrating his own freestyle as well. It was a beautiful collaboration: two legends from two generations, side by side in an epic of a song! It was so enjoyable to watch!
Congratulations, JK and Usher!
We did get that distinct feeling that the "SNTY Usher Remix" will not be the last collaboration between these two legends. To show our excitement, we streamed SNTY MV to 60M on the eve of the "SNTY Usher Remix" MV release. And, roughly 48 hours later, we streamed the new Remix MV to 5M.
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Image credit: The music video above is from Bangtan TV posted on YouTube while the photo is a screenshot from the SNTY official mv on YouTube - thanks, Bangtan TV, Hybe and YouTube.
...for "Golden" by Jung Kook of BTS.
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by PAM
As the world holds its collective breath for the official release of the first solo album of the ultra talented golden maknae of BTS, Jeon Jung Kook (or simply "Jung Kook" or "JK"), I would like to look at videos of the iconic live performance of the late 'King of Pop', Michael Jackson (MJ), and the heir apparent from the early 2000s, Bruno Mars (BM), and see how JK compares to these legendary artists. I think this is the best way to dissipate tension, and to keep the long wait bearable.
First up, the late 'King of Pop' in his legendary performance of his multi-awarded song,"Billie Jean", at the 25th anniversary of Motown back in 1983 where he unveiled his iconic dance step, "moonwalk", which changed many things in pop music and pop culture per se.
...days a week, starting today. Game?
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by PAM
...as life goes full circle.
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by PAM
I think that I already established the fact of my 'shallowness' in happiness. Simple little things make me happy... the simpler, the bigger the happiness.
Six years ago, 2017, on the same day as today, June 27, I found this wonderfully heartwarming TV movie by Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. It is titled "Christmas with Holly", and it starred one of my fave Hallmark actors of all time, Sean Faris, who played the character of Mark Nagle, and that versatile actress, Eloise Mumford, who portrayed Maggie. The movie came out in 2012 as a 'Hallmark Hall of Fame' movie but I only got to discover it on YouTube in 2017 while recuperating from a terribly 'jealous of a flu'. For some reason, that seemingly simple TV movie had an incredible impact on me, and I began watching it every year on the same day that I found it on YouTube. I never talked about this favorite 'personal tradition' of mine though... until today.
It's amazing that, after six years, I still found the movie engaging, touching, beautiful... magical!
These days, it amazes me that one of my favorite BTS songs, "Magic Shop", which was partly produced by Jungkook, has an almost the same name as the toy shop owned by Maggie,
Indeed, this is all that we need in life... nah, not magic. It's love. It is central to the story... love in many forms... but in whichever form, love's effect is the same - beauty and happiness in life - in all forms.
So, yeah... this is a sweet tradition that I intend to keep for the rest of my life.
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Video credit: Thanks, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, for the video and photos. Thanks, YouTube, for the video links.
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| How our purple hearts bleed... longing for our golden maknae. |
It's been more than two months since we saw this young man 'doing his thing' in the cyberspace that brings happiness in our lives... in that distinct way that only he can possibly do. As the youngest in the family, he will always be 'the baby'... no matter what, and whatever the circumstances, he will always be that one 'kid' who is capable of making everyone happy with his antics, sweet gestures and golden maknae-ish perfection. He will always be that one who can bring smile to any family member's face - even in his 'brattiest' moment... not that JK is ever bratty. We are also protective of him, and we hope and pray for his happiness, safety and well-being. And so, when we don't see him often enough, we worry about him, we miss him... we long for his company. Right now, that's how I feel... and I hope to see him soon.
In the meantime, I hope and pray that he is keeping well... happy and healthy, and enjoying life as he always should.
Come home, JK. 😊💜
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P.S.
This is not the post about the 'freakin' shop' that I was referring to in the previous post. 😁
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Photo credit: I created the collage of photos in this post, which may not be used elsewhere. JK's photo is from Weverse - available exclusively for members - thank you for the loan. The background is my own photo.
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...at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
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by PAM
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| A souvenir from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH |
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| Up close and personal... |
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| A bagful of souvenirs from the Cleveland Museum of Art, including a set of coasters designed with the work of some of my favorite impressionists. |