How I got into K-pop:
It probably began two years ago, when a group mate for a school project showed me an SNSD video (Oh! to be precise). He had succeeded in charming all in the group except for me. However, to look "cool" I decided to do my research on the group and their actions. One thing led to another, and soon I was following group after group, and it got harder and harder to hide my understanding of things.
Things eventually reached a point where I did an individual feature project on K-Pop fan clubs. As I was giving the class my post project reflections, it then dawned on me that I was not speaking from research, but from my passion from it.
It was then I decided to "admit it" and speak on K-Pop issues and album reviews honestly.
Why the blog:
This blog is my first in my 20 years of life, and I am still getting to grips with it. However, my drive to nurture it and grow it into a credible source is strong, for two major reasons.
1) My writing skills:
Since I graduated, I have been writing on a semi active basis for the last six months. Over the period, I felt that the standard with which I wrote had dropped. I went from the ability to write paragraph long feelings, to just spewing sentences. Also my mind had become less sharp and able to perceive. So with this blog, I aim to arrest this worrying loss.
2) My desire for another objective voice
Over time many objective writers have slowed down due to other commitments. My aim is to fill this void and become another "fair" source.
Too often, I saw blogs that claimed a review, or fair analysis of K-pop, only for them to fall into the trap of criticising because of not understanding the artiste (resulting in unnecessary flaming by fans), or to be too much of a fan, and praise the album (neglecting or dismissing big flaws in the work)
I have nothing against fan support, and I do have my biases. However, when reviewing an album, I put aside my biases and look at the songs as an artistic product, and how would a music listener and potential buyer feel about it.
Sections:
Reviews: The flagship of the blog, a long and in-depth analysis of an album or song. Usually reserved for the more prominent or talk-worthy releases, or an album I bought.
Short spins: New songs by lesser-known/newer acts, I'll look at a few at a go and give a short write-up on them, with some quick recommendations.
Opinion-Editorial (Op-ed) : Could be a spin off an issue I found when doing a review, or just something interesting worth touching on.
Replay: I look at a song from recent years, and see if time has improved it or lessened its impact.
Rewind: I look at past classics from the 80s and 90s (Yes I do enjoy the finer aspects of K-pop)
With my introduction done, you can either read the rating system to understand how I work, or just head off to read away.
