Top 5 K-Pop Songs

August 11, 2020

Yes, this is the absolutely definitive top five K-pop songs of all time, according to someone who’s been listening to K-pop for, like, a year. I trust that this list will evolve as I continue on in my Koreaboo journey, so maybe I’ll make it a recurring feature. There’s just something about this music that makes me want to surrender to hyperbole, to shout superlatives and classify things as number one best, not to evangelize but simply to accurately express my feelings. And this isn’t a one-way thing, man. I need to know your top K-pop songs, however you reach me. Email, Twitter, a thrown brick upon the temple, message wrapped around it. Two notes before we begin: first, I’m doing one song per group, so that this doesn’t become a Red Velvet show. And second, you may be frustrated to discover that all these songs are by girl groups. Whenever I say “K-pop,” you know, on the street, a brick in your hand, that’s pretty much what I’m talking about, though that obviously makes for somewhat serious omissions. Whatever! Everybody ready? … More Top 5 K-Pop Songs

Do You Remember?

August 10, 2020

I don’t know if there’s any harm in being upfront with the mission, though I’ll certainly wonder. It’s nice to tease these things out, you know? I might just be speaking into a microphone, but I think in narrative, and perhaps we all do. There’s no intrigue if I just say everything at the start, but maybe that’s the difference between narrative and good narrative. No filler. Well, you’ll have to be the judge on that one. With Eyes East is a multimedia adventure with the aim of promoting Asian cinema and culture. It’s not a very ambitious aim, so I’ll endeavor to keep it that way. … More Do You Remember?

State of the Podcast Address!

August 4, 2020

And by that, I mean YouTube channel, but I’m used to saying “podcast.” I’d rather just shoot whatever I’m working on out there when it’s ready, but it seems these things are never ready. The October video is gonna be a goddamn cakewalk, but August and September (fka July and August) have been murder. The twin problems? My own writing creep and Disney. Goddamn Disney, moving Mulan around. Now it’s gonna premiere September 4th, on Disney+. After the abysmal failure of the video on The Departed (which has one big fan, so quality over quantity, for sure), I need some of that SEO. Gosh, and it’s not even gonna work, but I got to try something. I’m not used to viewcounts in the triple digits, double digits. I’m a quadruple digit YouTuber, goddamn it! … More State of the Podcast Address!

K-Pop Pick of the Day: “Dumhdurum”

July 16, 2020

I love everything about this song — the music itself, of course, and also the MV. The colors, the lavish detail, the frowny-girl scowls, and even Naeun’s cornrows (speaking of appropriative). This is a really bold outing for Apink, as far as I’ve seen (having missed a few of their more recent evolutionary steps, namely “%%”). It pops. There’s a big synchronized hair whip in the choreography, and I think that’s the quintessence of the piece. It’s fast and fun — it’s a real jolt. And it’s lean, maintaining a consistent vibe throughout, rather than peaks and valleys. … More K-Pop Pick of the Day: “Dumhdurum”

K-Pop Pick of the Day: “Jelly”

July 10, 2020

I have mixed feelings about “Monster.” I know — who asked me, right? Who am I? Well, how about Seulgi’s number one fan? That’s right. Now don’t you look silly. It’s got a certain earworm quality, and it is growing on me, maybe more like a parasite than what I’m used to. Even before you see the video, the cynic in me feels like they’re playing it safe for the new subunit, double-dipping into that “Psycho” bucket. And look, I love “Psycho,” but it’s a belter. “Monster” is far more low-key, as if “sexy” necessarily comes at the expense of “energy.” With a growing understanding of other groups, the label that most characterizes Red Velvet to me — in music and personality — is weird. These girls are some of the weirdest people I’ve ever beheld, with that conversation in Vietnam about crushing crickets to feed to the baby chicken ripped straight out of A Scanner Darkly*. Undoubtedly, that’s part of the charm, and that’s what’s reflected in the eclectic music. … More K-Pop Pick of the Day: “Jelly”

K-Pop Pick of the Day: “Into the New World”

May 31, 2020

My God, I’ve only been listening to this song since Friday and I already feel nostalgic about it. It’s just got that power, so I can’t imagine how it is for longtime Girls’ Generation fans who grew up with “Into the New World,” looking back at the full lives suggested in the video, now lived, through triumph and heartbreak (and probably less plane-flying, but given the nature of Korean variety shows, you never fucking know). … More K-Pop Pick of the Day: “Into the New World”

Veronica Ngô Alert!: “The Old Guard” on Netflix

May 27, 2020

Longtime readers of this illustrious website will know that we here at With Eyes East are big fans of Veronica Ngô, star of Vietnam’s Furie and best known to most in America as “Rose’s dead sister” in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. This July, she’ll make another small appearance in an American film while waiting for scripts to come together for further butt-kicking adventures. The Old Guard is a familiar-looking movie for all the right reasons: Charlize Theron reprises her role as Aeon Flux for this Highlander sequel, and Chiwetel Ejiofor also surfaces, because this is exactly the kind of movie he’d be in (not really, actually, I’m just reminded of Salt). … More Veronica Ngô Alert!: “The Old Guard” on Netflix

K-Drama Report: Man in the Kitchen (2017)

May 24, 2020

This writeup is destined to be a report card, something I’ll gladly refer back to once I’m more secure in my ability to assess Korean dramas — this is where it began. At the moment, I’ve had a spotty track record. The first drama I’ve watched to completion remains the only: Cheer Up!, which was my QNA pick for greatest entertainment experience of 2019. It’s a colorful, heartfelt melodrama that soars so high yet explores surprisingly wrenching emotional depths. Being used to the 13 or 24-episode counts of American TV shows, I was devastated to find Cheer Up! is 12 in total (and that was before I saw it ends in the middle). I’m currently watching Man in the Kitchen, and by episode three, a thought crossed my mind that draws the sharpest distinction between the two shows: “Okay, I understand why this is 50 episodes long.” It was not a good thought. … More K-Drama Report: Man in the Kitchen (2017)

K-Pop Pick of the Day: “The SOOTORY #3”

May 21, 2020

This day, our K-Pop Pick of the Day is a little different. Not a song, no. In fact, lately, I’ve been weighing which Girls’ Generation song to talk about here, and as a very newcomer, I’ve only got three favorites so far: “Girls’ Generation,” “Gee,” and “Hoot.” My number one is actually “Girls’ Generation,” which I can’t get out of my head. But as you may tell, that song is from the beginning of the group, and they are very much babies in the video (which looks like it was indeed filmed the year of their births, or perhaps on a videotape?). Half, or more than half, of my experience with K-pop so far is videos like this, glimpses into the idols’ non-stage personas (I hesitate, firmly, to say “the idols’ personalities,” because I’m trying very hard to not fall into parasocial traps). … More K-Pop Pick of the Day: “The SOOTORY #3”