BTS Arirang World Tour in LA...

 ...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.

***

Image credit: All the images in this post are mine.

***

Coming home...

 ...uhm, although not sure which is home now.

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by PAM

Yup, it's been quite confusing lately.  We have a second home in a place outside Metro-Manila that is also within "MegaMetro-Manila", and which is close to my workplace 'annex'.  So, I have been spending most of my time in the second home.  Whenever I need to be in the main workplace, however, I go back to our first home.  And when I need to shuttle back-and-forth between the old and new home, when people ask, "are you going home," I would not know exactly how to answer.  

So, where is home, really?  I guess, this song has the answer...

🎶 "But don't think of me not being around

Just listen for the sweet, sweet sound

of the taxi pulling up the driveway

I'm coming home soon..." 🎶

I guess it's about where your presence is awaited and welcomed... and where you feel awaited and welcomed.  Home is where you are surrounded by love - in many forms, through many forms.  Sometimes through the presence of family members, sometimes through the bits and pieces that evoke warm memories shared with loved ones, sometimes its the delicious smell of fresh cooking or that smell of cleanliness and freshness that seems to hug you to rejuvenation... many forms, indeed.  All lovely, cozy forms. 

Therefore, whether I was in our place in Metro-Manila or in Mega-Metro-Manila (or even in Pangasinan where I was born... or in New York where I studied and where I became the person that I am now), I'd be home.  And I am glad. 

***

Oh, and about the song...

I came across the song "Coming Home Soon" (CHS) by Adam Woodall by binge-watching the Hallmark drama series "Chesapeake Shores" (CS) on Netflix while I was convalescing from a bad, bad case of flu, and it's all I can do not to go insane from boredom and frustration.  CHS is the theme song of CS.  

"Chesapeake Shores" is a Hallmark series that started to air on Hallmark Channel in 2016, and streamed internationally on Netflix.  I've heard so much about it then but I just can't be bothered.  I was a 'woman on a mission', and paying attention to fiction-on-TV was not my cup of tea that time.  Well, unless it was Star Trek... and the likes.  Well, of course, knowing what I know now, I should've enjoyed life more then... and didn't give too many pieces of myself... to the carnivorous vultures that pretended to be gentle doves of peace.  Now that I can no longer retrieve those little pieces, I had to learn to grow more of myself within to fill out the voids and be stronger than ever.  It's not easy but it's only a matter of time now and the 'new version' of myself should be ready to roll.

Now, back to CS.  Chesapeake Shores is a 'tree' of stories of the big O'Brien family from a small town in Maryland called, yep, Chesapeake Shores. The story snaked to many branches of mini sub-stories following the lives of the five O'Brien siblings (Abby, Kevin, Bree, Connor and Jess), their parents (Mick and Megan) and their Irish grandmother, Nell O'Brien... with a whole bunch of people, mostly those in relationship with them. I think the general storyline of family, enduring family ties, love, and family love was very good and quite interesting given the widespread erosion of family as the basic building block of society... especially in many parts in the US.  It is just a little bit intriguing, too, given how the O'Briens, as a family, seem to embrace tightly their Irish foundation in a place that can be considered hardcore American.  It was mostly centered on the love story of the eldest O'Brien sibling, who was a divorcée based in New York City, Abby O'Brien-Winters, and her childhood sweetheart, Trace Riley.  A downturn in her high-flying career in New York made Abby decide to return to Chesapeake Shores with her two little daughters at the O'Brien's family home. Just before that, Trace returned from a colorful music career in Nashville.  It was a case of love, love lost, love-found-again, and what-now for Abby and Trace.  In the background was the O'Briens' broken family history, which inched its way to the surface, trying to mend itself... creating many emotional sub-plots in the process.  

And so, the lyrics of CHS fit how, after living a 'life on the road' for so long, Trace finally returns home to Chesapeake Shores to fulfill a dream that was mostly inspired by his love and early relationship with Abby.  They broke up when, after High School, Abby moved to New York without saying goodbye.  Trace followed his dream to New York but found her involved with someone else - the person she married, and with whom she shared two daughters.  He moved to Nashville where he found success.  Meanwhile, in New York City, Abby became successful in her career at Wall Street, but got divorced.  As she became a single Mom and was forced to resign from her position of power at work, she sought solace with family at home in Chesapeake Shores.  She found Trace rebuilding his life, after a tumultuous fast life in Nashville, and retracing the root of his music's inspiration.  

Abby and Trace came home to Chesapeake Shores... and, as fate would have it, they came home to each other.  It was sweet... beautiful and touching.  Until the story went this way and that... and beautiful it no longer was.  The theme song remained beautiful though... a good reason to keep binge-watching.

***

Alright, so... Chesapeake Shores    

I liked Season 1.  Seasons 2 was a decent follow-up for Season 1's success.  However, into Seasons 3 and 4... it started to feel drab... and exhausting as binge-watching goes, especially that storyline on Abby and Trace... and Jesse Metcalfe's one-dimensional portrayal of Trace's character.  It became agonizingly boring towards Season 4, and it almost brought the whole series down the drain.  Well, for me.  Add to that Emilie Ullerup's overacting portrayal of the queen of overthinking, Bree O'Brien - too annoying.  Everytime she was on screen, I felt that my energy gets zapped by all the facial expression and tone somersaults, argh.  Also, the back-and-forth emotional turmoil of Jess O'Brien (Laci J. Mailey) was quite unbearable... it was almost painful to watch David Peck (played by Carlo Marks) fall for her and put up with all that waste of emotional energy... he deserved better.  But, my goodness, Jess was so ethereally lovely though!  She had the most exquisite pair of eyes.  So, it's almost easy to forgive the mushy character.  Not that Ullerup was not beautiful because she was... just overacting, that's all.  Still, by Season 3, I almost gave up on the entire Series!  Thank goodness for Abby and Mick O'Brien, portrayed very well by Meghan Ory and Treat Williams, respectively, there was some respite from all the poorly acted melodrama.  By Season 4 and into Season 5, aside from Ory and Williams, I believe it was Andrew Francis (Connor O'Brien) that did most of the heavy weight lifting in the acting division.  Francis' Connor just shown through and just made his way to the surface of strength of character - very good character development and acting there.  The sweet and low key story subplot about Kevin, and Sarah, who became his wife, was also kind of easy to watch.  Brendan Penny is such a reliable actor.  He did a very good job, and he managed to make his character interesting without awkwardly 'stealing' the limelight like... yeah, Bree O'Brien.  

By Season 5, Hallmark saw the light, and eliminated the character of Trace Riley.  Hurrah!  Trace was becoming Abby's biggest 'child' that, by the end of Season 4, both Abby's daughter, Carrie and Caitlyn, have outgrown him.  Yep, that storyline was all that drab.  But the show runners introduced another big mistake though, Jay Ross (Greyston Holt) as a romantic character opposite Abby - man, not again!  And then, on Episode 3, Evan Kincaid (Robert Buckley), like a (weird) knight in a shining armor (well, more like Under Armour, actually) came on board to save the entire Series, making Jay Ross fade to oblivion!  Buckley's Evan - an eccentric self-made billionaire was a breath of fresh air.  His strong and commanding presence, and pushy-without-sounding-like-it-because-he-is-humurous-and-charming ways made Abby bristle, bringing up the very best of Meghan Ory in the acting division.  They had a very, very good chemistry - it didn't feel forced.  Their banters were so funny with Buckley's well-timed punchlines, and Ory's spirited returns.  I felt like I was in the same room, participating in the conversation.  I found myself laughing out loud whenever they are on screen together and bantering in high spirits, and especially when Mandrake (Wesley Salter), Evan's enigma of a chauffeur, was also involved. It was beautiful!  Mick and Evan had a very good chemistry, too. Their scenes together were easy, brilliant and, at times, surprisingly touching.  

See, it worked!  Season 5 was like the renaissance of CS.  Everybody seemed to be at his/her best in Season 5.  Bree was not as annoyingly overacting as she was in the first four Seasons.  There were moments when she was actually funny, relatable... and, yeah, loveable.  Surely, Luke Tatum (Stephen Huszar) had a lot to do with it.  Luke did a very good job taming the wildly emotion-somersaulting queen of overthinking.  And if Bree can have that reinvented version of herself, imagine all the rest of the characters!  Perhaps, Ullerup went on an acting workshop, huh?  Good for her!  But I gotta say, Ory was at her best - in acting and in looks - just gorgeous!  I can say the same for Connor.  In fact, S5E3 was my favorite, not just because Evan was introduced in that episode but because Connor, the awesome lawyer that he became, was unveiled in that episode, too.  See?  All Hallmark had to do was get rid of Trace.  Too harsh? Uhm, okay, sorry!

I will certainly post more about Chesapeake Shores... although the final Season, Season 6, aired from August to October 2022, I am kind of wishing that Hallmark gives us another Season... or better yet, a spin-off.  C'mon, Hallmark, we want us more Evan Kincaid here!  And we want to see how little Mickey turned out.  Let's go, Hallmark!

***

Video credit:  The owner is indicated in the video itself.  Thanks, YouTube, for the link.

***

"This town"....

 ...or, should I say, "this City"?

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by PAM

Mood...

🎶 "And I want to tell you everything

the words I never got to say the first time around...

if the whole world is watching I'd still dance with you...

...everything comes back to you." 🎶

I just returned from a trip to New York City after, I dunno... three years... since my last visit?  Yeah, that sounds about right... three years.  And, as I tiredly lie in my own bed after several nights of sleeping on hotel and guest beds (a story for another post), the song "This Town" by Niall Horan comes to mind.  

I gotta say... I missed New York City.  It hasn't changed too much since my last visit... it was still very crowded and many parts still stank from tons of garbage and all that... but it remained awesome, so alive, so vibrant, so larger than life!  

I hope to visit again at some point... but just to hang out with friends and family rather than to visit for work.  Until then, I'll hum along Niall's sincerity with a beautiful tune.

***

Video credit:  The owner is indicated in the video.  Thanks, YouTube, for the video link.

***

Enduring the flu...

 ...again! Ugh!

==============================

by PAM

And here we go again... down with the flu. Man... insane.  

And as flu caught me alone in my second home, I have no

A sick person's meal, prepared by the sick person.

choice but to tend to myself.  I have been cooking my meals even when I feel like I am unable to lift the spatula.  I know I could just order food... but that's a lot of wrappers and wrappers and packaging and packaging, layer after layer - too much waste, I can't bare it... especially after enduring that 'parade of typhoons' that hit the Philippines over the last few weeks.  No, thank you.  It is time to take action and contribute in mitigating climate change... no matter how small the contribution is, it is still a step towards the right direction.  So, yeah, I'll do my best to cook.  So far, I am able to manage... without aggravating my health condition... I think... uhm, I hope! 😅 The effort is real, and the hunger that builds up while cooking progressed so very (very) slowly is like Smaug himself waiting to devour Bilbo Baggins!

One of the things that I really, really hate about coming down with the flu is that flu usually goes with a sore throat.  And if one had been terribly abusive of one's health (hence, the flu in the first place), the sore throat can be so terrible that it goes with a 'shut-off vocal cords'.  Air is blocked completely from creating sound waves... one can't make the smallest of sound no matter how hard one tries to scream.  It is totally frustrating that I just want to stuff my mouth with food to compensate... but swallowing is a labor, too.  So, yeah... did I mention frustrating?  'Cause it is! 

***

The voiceless pain

Feverish, mightily uncomfortable from body ache and painful throat, dizzy and weak, watery eyes and no voice... that's me today.  And I am very, very frustrated. 😞  As I write this post this very moment, I am binge-watching one of my ultimate favorite TV shows, the "Gilmore Girls" (GG) series, because I have been so bored staring at the ceiling in my bed. And I am extremely frustrated that I am unable to sing along with the show's theme song, "Where you Lead" by the brilliant Carole King (CK).  

🎶"I always wanted a real home with flowers in the window sill.

Well, if you wanna live in Stars Hollow, baby, you know I will...

Where you lead, I will follow, anywhere that you tell me to...."🎶

I do enjoy singing the theme song. In fact, for hardcore Stars Hollow fans, it is one of the highlights of watching GG.  Every episode begins with some sort of an overview of what the next 45 minutes will be about... and then just when you are about to say, "huh? What?  Whaaat??", the theme song rolls in, and you know you are, indeed, at the right place.  So, you cozy up with a bucket of popcorn on your lap, and all other concerns in life far, far away from your mind.  Every episode also ends with some sort of an "aaaww" or an "oh, nooo" moment that made us want to speed up the week back in the early 2000s in order to see the next episode.  These days, with Netflix stringing the episodes per season in a binge-worthy array, the "aaawww" or "oh, no" moment is followed real fast by the "whaaaat" moment.  And something has to relieve a fan from such heightened emotion.  I guess I do not have to emphasize that the relief comes from the theme song.  A moment when one's sanity says bye-bye momentarily as one sings along with the fabulous CK while watching highlights of the show.  

So, imagine how painful it is for an avid GG fan like myself when he/she is unable to get the smallest of sound to sing along with CK - argh, torture!     

***

The sweetness of working from home

As I mentioned before, I have been appreciating my new surroundings in my second home, close to my new primary workplace.  I have been realizing in the past days as I work from home

Through the sheer curtain at the window,
it seems that something is 'on fire' outside.
But it is just the sunset... in its glorious beauty.

that wherever I sit to work in my new home, I see the very green sceneries outside through the 'countless' windows we have.  I have been complaining to my sister that I have no blank walls to hang paintings and pictures, and there are very few spaces where I can park my favorite art pieces.  These days, I am beginning to accept... and appreciate the big windows that allow me to see my green surroundings.  At the moment, that relieves my painful and watery eyes, and I'm grateful.  The small lanai by the side of the house, or the small backyard, allows me to soak in the healing warmth of sunrise.  Also, in many places where I can sit to work in the afternoon while I eat snacks before taking medicine (again), I have a view of the lovely sunset in this part of the world... and enjoying the sunset is one of my 'guilty pleasures'.  I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to enjoy these things... even if what afforded me to enjoy them is a health issue.  There is always something good in any of our experiences.  Sometimes the goodness is an immediate outcome that we can enjoy, other times, we need to dig deep to discover it.  And the greatest gift is experiencing goodness without having to dig too deep.  These days, I appreciate that enjoying sunrise and/or sunset does not require digging deep. So, again, I am grateful.

My 'voiceless pain'... or 'painful voicelessness' is kind of taken over by the sweetness of working from home... even when the reason for working from home is the 'voiceless pain'.  And yes, I am grateful. Indeed, I am.

If you have gotten this far, uhm... I am so sorry but did I just waste three minutes of your life?  I did?  I knew it!  I am extra-incoherent today.  But, hey, I am grateful... to you for enduring my incoherence.  I appreciate you.   

***
Image credit:  The photos in this post are mine.  I took them, they belong to me.

***

Speaking of MTV...

 ...here's something significant.

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by PAM

After speaking in my recent post here about how Duran Duran and their contemporaries in the second 'British Invasion' dominated the beginning of the MTV era in the '80s, I got reminded of the iconic collaboration between one of the best guitarists the world has ever seen, Mark Knopfler, and his famous band, Dire Straits, and the one and only legend himself, Sting.  Their song is called, "Money for Nothing"... which started with Sting filling the airwaves with his peculiar voice declaring how he wants his MTV.  And the very best time they shared the stage to perform their iconic song is at the historic Live Aid concert on 13 July 1985 in front of 72,000 people at the Wembley Stadium in London while 100,000 more watched them live via satellite from the other venue of Live Aid, at the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, PA.  It was watched all over the globe via satellite... and it dropped on our TV set in the Philippines, too.  And what an amazing experience it was!   

"Listen here, now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it.  You play the guitar on the MTV.  That ain't workin' that's the way you do it. Money for nothin' and your chicks for free."

The Live Aid concert was the coming together of the greatest music artists of the '80s across the Atlantic, organized by Sir Bob Geldof of the Irish band, Boomtown Rats, of the "I don't like Mondays" fame, and the Scottish musician, Midge Ure of Ultravox, to raise funds for and awareness of the famine in Ethiopia, Africa.  It started with the gathering of the frontrunners in the 'British Invasion 2' as a 'charity supergroup' called, Band Aid, to record the song, "Do they know it's Christmas?" (DTKIC) in 1984.  I remember, I was freshman in College.  I stepped out of my classroom one December morning to listen to it when it was played for the first time on radio... because I knew it was history unfolding.

One of the very best performances at  Live Aid happened in Wembley Stadium.  It was that of Queen with their larger-than-life late frontman, Freddie Mercury, showing why they are one of the very best music legends of all time.  And, of course, the genius guitar player that is Sir Brian May showed up, too, as well as their painfully awesome drummer, Roger Taylor, and their great bass player, John Deacon, strutted his thing on stage, too. 

"Mama, ohh, didn't mean to make you cry.  If I'm not back again this time tomorrow, carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters."

Ahh... didn't that make you feel nostalgic?  And speaking of MTV and other music media that sort of pushed back that classic music medium that endured many generations: the good old radio, how does this make you feel...

"You had your time, you had the power, you've yet to have your finest hour.  Radio, radio..."

Ahh... man, what I wouldn't do to go back to the '80s!  Queen is too good, right?  Right!  Alright!

Of course, the great Irish band, U2, with their legend of a frontman, Bono, and their legend of a guitarist, The Edge, also made their mark in Wembley as they performed two of their greatest hits, "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Bad".

"How long, how long must we sing this song?  ...'cause tonight we can be as one..."

Powerful, isn't it?  Then and now, U2 and U2 music are just so iconic... in so many ways.  They are absolutely brilliant!  I saw them in the Manila leg of their Joshua Tree World Tour... and I lost it, I wept! 

Let me end with a song that was staple in the '80s, "Everytime you go away", by the owner of the voice who sang the first line in DTKIC, Paul Young.  He just turned 68 yo... and he just got married for the second time, too.

Ah... there so many challenges in this world, but with great music such as these, it just makes our burden a bit lighter.  Thank goodness for good music, and thank God for brilliant music artists!

***

Video credit:  All videos belong to Live Aid - thanks, YouTube, for the video links.

*** 

Friday Night Music...

 ...with long-time faves.

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by PAM

All these 'whispers' about one of my favorite bands ever, Duran Duran (DD), coming to the Philippines to give our current President a private performance on his 67th birthday is just distressing!  It is putting DD in bad light.  However, until I hear DD's side of the story, I give them the benefit of the doubt, and I remain a loyal Durannie!  

Anyway, I am now reminded about a milestone in DD's career that I missed to chronicle here.  Now, after enduring a very long week, indeed, I am definitely in the mood to talk about them and listen to their old and most current songs... and watch some of those interviews that show what incredible artists they are, indeed.  So, yep, it's a Friday Night Music time!

One of the things that my 'rock chick' self is very proud of is that day when I finally managed to set foot on the 'hallowed grounds' of Rock Hall - home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), in Cleveland, OH back in July 2019.  It was incredible... I absolutely went crazy!  But what is crazier is that, two years ago, the stars did align... and Duran Duran was inducted to the Hall of Fame, Performance Category, to join the illustrious RRHOF Class of 2022 with the likes of Carly Simon, Pat Benatar, Lionel Richie, Eminem and Dolly Parton.  The all-British band that originated from Birminghan, England was inducted to the RRHOF by none other than Iron Man himself, Robert Downey, Jr... thank you very much!

"The origin (of the) story of this iconic band comes down to two words: confidence and faith... and the fact that they have always been transparent about being a work in progress like we all are, I feel that's why I adore these men.  That's the gift they've given us.  They bestowed that on their fans: permission to grow, and change, and age out of one mode and embrace the next... I'm grateful that these gifted souls are finally receiving long-deserved cementing of their legacy."

Listening to them accept their award brought back a deluge of memories from those days when my siblings and I would wait patiently for the publication of our favorite music magazines to see articles about Duran Duran... and to see whether our comments from the previous issue, which we sent via snail mail would be featured in the latest issue; and those days when we worked ferociously on our school homeworks in order to merit watching MTV and American Top 40, and all other shows that might feature them, their songs and their music videos... as our late Mother has the "undone homework, no TV" policy.  In a way, Duran Duran and our other favorite music artists helped us become good students.  Duran Duran were one of the first few artists that made MTV the iconic music platform that it is today.  As such, they revolutionized the music industry... and I am glad to be a part of that revolution!  

Some forty years later... here we all are, finally seeing Duran Duran get inducted to the RRHOF.  What a milestone - for them and for us, Durannies! 

"I am so very proud of these four brothers... the essence of our job is this: we get to make people feel better about themselves... music nourished us and gave us identities... we finally got here, it's a long way from Birmingham - thanks a lot... we are all driven by fans, and we were fans - thank you to all the fans."

While I got to see them perform live at the height of their fame in 1989 at the Araneta Coliseum in the Philippine segment of their "Arena" World Tour, I may never afford to have them perform for me privately on my birthday. It is enough though that I have been a loyal fan for more than four decades now, and my siblings and I have an incredible amount of memorabilia and a vault in our heads full of great memories as we grew with this band... and as they kept going until passing this incredible milestone.  

Ahh... the rhythm section is tight, tight, tight! Whew!  How is it possible that they sound even better now than some forty years ago?  I am sure that this is a product of hard work in continuously polishing their gifts as music artists. Ah, such a commitment to one's craft - amazing! I am sure that, brilliant music artists that they are, their journey continues... and our own journey as Durannies continues as well, and that feels absolutely fantastic!

***

Video credit:  The videos are from the RRHOF website - thanks, YouTube for the video links.

*** 

Friday night is music night...

 ...not!

=================================

by PAM

Friday night is normally 'music night' for me.  Uhm, not that anything in my life's schedule is 'normal'.  I usually spend Friday night listening to my favorite songs and discover new ones... except that all my Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube premium accounts are dedicated to Jungkook's music.  That has been the 'norm' for almost a year now when "Still with you" and "My you" came out in July last year.   So I am just letting JK own all my accounts... except when his hyungs release new singles or albums.  In those cases, I kind of let the hyungs 'borrow' one or two of the accounts in support to and to show appreciation of their efforts.  I am still an ARMY - the authentic kind.  The kind that cares about all seven guys but with a 'bias'... and a 'bias wrecker' (or 'wreckers', to be accurate, in my case).  Obviously, JK is my bias... although he's never been 'wrecked' really, just 'co-biased' every now and then.

***

Friday night, movie night

Anyway, this evening is not about music... it's about movies this time.  

It's been a very busy, challenging... and exciting week for me - all rolled into one short week.  Seriously, I need more days in a week!  As darkness crept in, the day got drenched in a late afternoon heavy rain that is becoming more and more a 'regular' thing as we approach the 'wet season' in this tropical country of ours.  Too tired to mind all the attention-seeking events of the early evening, including my endlessly beeping phone as it notifies me with this and that, I fell asleep after praying my favorite prayer: the Angelus.

I awoke just before 9:00 pm, and I felt so much better.  Rather than going back to work, I decided to just call the night a 'me time'.  JK's voice still fills my house... but, rather than watching his music videos, I decided to watch a movie instead.  I scanned and scanned Netflix and my YouTube subscription... so many 'serious' films, but I paid them no attention.  About five years ago or so, I decided that my days of watching, analyzing and getting emotional talking about  serious films are over!   No more 'intellectual' films for me... I just want entertainment because, anyway, which film can top the "Godfather" series, "Love Story", "The Way We Were", "Good Will Hunting", and the likes?  Of course, all variants of the Avengers, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Star Trek films, and the likes are exception.  Not to say that the movies I watch these days are shallow... I just want straight-forward message, no pretensions and trying-(too)-hard-to-be-deep scripts... and no 'artsy-wannabe' either... to pass the time while getting much needed relaxation and updates on 'pop culture'.  I still rave over a number of films, of course... but if it's more than one-and-a-half hour film... I'd think twice.  This is why, these days, I go for TV movies.

There are films that are as short as TV movies but as substantial as my old faves.  I found one of these gems this evening, and I am so happy!  The film is entitled, "Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong" (ATHK), and it's absolutely brilliant!

"You took a chance, and you went for it.

You never have to look back and wonder 'what if'."

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.     

***

Video credit:  The owner is indicated in the video itself.  Thanks, YouTube, for the video link.   

Friday Night Music with JK and Train...

 ...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...." 

***

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...

"Now that she's back in the atmosphere with drops of Jupiter in her hair...
she listens like spring and she talks like June..."

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...

"She got some dangerous hobbies like chasin' after the sun
and making me fall in love."

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.

Wednesday Nostalgia...

 ...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)...

"In case you didn't know, baby, I'm crazy 'bout you..."
and I'd be lyin' if I said that I could live this life without you."

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".

"I went out driving trying to clear my head

I tried to sweep out all the ruins that my emotions left

I guess I'm feeling just a little tired of this

and all the baggage that seems to still exist..."

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!      

"So last night I went to the club

Had a couple too many, threw up

Now, everybody's laughing at me

'Cause I'm way too sad, way too sad to dance

I'm way too sad to dance..."

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. 

"She was like, 'oh my God, this is my song

I've been listenin' to the radio all night long

Sittin' 'round, waitin' for it to come on, and here it is.'

She was like, 'come here, boy, I wanna dance.'

'Fore I said a word, she was takin' my hand 

Spinnin' me around 'til it faded out

And she gave me a kiss."

That was fun, right?  Ah, I love it... and singing it live on stage with a full band and a big crowd was one of the highlights of my craziness!  Uhm... I did sing "Blank Space" by Taylor Swift live on stage, too, at some point in this crazy life of mine! Haha... I had so much fun!  

And then I heard JK's, YON.  I knew right away that, after "3D", YON will be my biggest favorite from the "Golden" album, but I do like all songs.  YON isn't country, it's really a pop song... and yet, the lyrics do give a 'country feels', and the beautiful way that JK sang it can actually compel hardcore country fans to add it in their playlists, and it's great!  Here, have a listen...

"Everybody in this club so faded, I'm trippin' over getting lost on you

If we forever started out as strangers, I think my ever after just came true...

...and I gotta know, are you feeling the rush?

If so, then I think I know what's goin' on.

Are we falling in love?  Say yes or no..."

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.

***

Video credit:  The owners of the videos are indicated in the videos themselves.  Thanks, YouTube, for the video links.

Looking back...

 ...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!

🎶"Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down

Never gonna run around and desert you..." 🎶

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...

🎶 "... they can't deny our love
They can't divide us, we'll stand the test of time

I promise I'll be right here." 🎶

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!

***

Video credit:  Video 1 is owned by BBC while video 2 is owned by M-Net.  Thanks, YouTube, for the video links.

***  

JK + JT and JK + Usher = 3D + SNTY...

...'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.

***

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!  

"Stop, can you feel that?

It's like heaven and earth move whenever we touch..."

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.