Dual Life

It’s impossible to miss out on the sex, she stole the beginning of the MV from Madonna, the kitchen dance scene coreography is completely lol and random, and the track is amazing. Out of the blue comes Dual Life with long lost love Kim Sori.

Best release of 2013 so far?

So awesome

The Future is Idol

Sunday Evening Angst

I am going back to work tomorrow after a rather long vacation and the feeling is perhaps not the greatest. When you are gloomy as I have been for parts of this evening and the Sunday angst is spreading, it happens week after week for me, you can always have a chat with a friend and listen to your favourite tracks and get some strength back out of it. Thats what I did.

The Future is Idol  – L

 

 

Alexander and a new year.

My 2013 is starting off a little bit shaky. Probably still not gotten everything back to place after the new years celebration or from the last semester as I’m constantly tired and thirsty. But I have a feeling that not only this week but also the up coming months will be a bit shaky, with school, work and my personal life…

Alexander Lee Eusebio created his own YouTube channel! He is just saying hello in his first videomessage and I’m not sure but I think he has also had his part of shaky months in his life… It is hard to tell if the video message is something to be happy or sad over, I’m constantly changing my mind regarding this. He looks small and grown upp at the same time.

What will happen next?

The Future is Idol- L

End of the year, K-pop 2012. Key of The Year

There is no idol that catches my attention like this man does, Key. Even when there is not room in my head for updates about him I still think about him, appriciative and concerned. I do not love everything he does and most of the time I’m actually a bit scared for what might come next. It’s like a love with little trust. I know he is a great singer and dancer but those are just the basics. But, many of the things that he does are awesome and I probably like him because he is so far from perfect in many situations. He is awkward and sometimes not so nice in a way that reminds me a bit of myself. On the other hand he is the most beautiful human being on the planet and his sense of fashion is always interesting and most of the time amazing.

I have some favourite moments from 2012 with Key, the picture above for instance from his and Minhos Cosmopolitan photo shoot in April 2012. In general, 2012 was a great year when it comes to photos of Key. His solo photo shoot for Dazed & Confused is  my third place of the top three Key moments from 2012:

Exo, another SME-idol group made their debut in 2012 and Key was, as done before, used as a rapper on the track Two Moons. Key is not the most brilliant rapper in the world, but he is certainly not the worst either. He knows enough english and have a really good voice. I wonder who wrote his rap part though, the lyrics are a big LOL. This is my second favourite of Key moments from 2012, Keys part starts at 2:08:

The Key moment of the year placing first is the epic solo performance by Key at the Japanese concert tour from 2012. He has been performing a lot of great and funny tracks before as his solos, like Tik Tok by Kesha and Take a Bow by Rihanna. This time he took two tracks from the pop star he probably adore and love more then anyone else, Lady Gaga:

This performance is such a milestone. It created a happy roar through out the world of fangirls and fanboys. Like if all the pieces were finally put together correctly. Lady Gagas constant talk about everyones right to be allowed to be who ever they choose and the lyrics talk about freedom and rather queer attitude brings Key out to his very best as a peformer, idol and concept. I would prefer his versions to the original any time.

But what is he singing: wear an ear condom next time, or: wear your condom next time?

The Future is Idol -L

End of the year, K-pop 2012. Best Track of 2012

Mis knew it from the beginning of course, for Lars it took a bit longer to realize, but the important thing is that we now both know the truth about the best track of the year.

Orange Caramel released their Lipstick full-length album in September and Lipstick was a great single release, Orange Caramel tend to have great single releases, but Lipstick is not our favourite track of the year though. Which one is it?

Though the title may give you a hint of something light, cute and fun, this is not necessarily what it is. Not only at least. There is a slightly spooky feel to the meldoy and it is turning hypnotizing on you after a while. This combined with sweet voices and lyrics that tells the story about love that went bad, makes this track a complete success. There is usually something special happening when Orange Caramel takes the cute concept on, something intriguing if you like.

The track has been played over and over again by both of us and by others close by. For those, like Lars who counts everything carefully in his Itunes library, this track has achieved an all-kill on most played list EVER.

The first track on Orange Caramels full-length Lipstick album is called Bubble Bath and this is OUR best track of the year.

“Why is it still remaining here and there?
No matter how much I erase, you still remain
Like the rain, like the music, please flow out
All of your traces, please be washed away

Bubble by bubble, bubble bubble
You are still there like soap bubbles
Bubble by bubble, after you disappear
I will be clean from hateful you”

The Future is Idol

If you haven’t done it already, check out other End of the year, K-pop 2012 posts here.

What truly matters

Kpop has given me a lot of things. It has helped me through recovery from eating disorders. It has given me new, awesome friends. It has provided me with role-models when I have needed to push myself through heavy workloads in school. It has given me incentives to learn not one, but two new languages. It has given me friends all over the world and made me travel far away on my own in a way that I could never previously have imagined. All in all, it has given me a more beautiful outer world. But that is not why I’m in it.

Let me explain.

A common way of defending young nerds’ interest in low-status hobbies is saying that it will lead to something with higher status. Computer games will improve your English and problem solving skills. Manga will let you know “Asia”, which appearantly is the World of the Future. Vampires will give you a sense of community, although this might also be seen as something destructive. Technology will eventuelly make you rich – just look at Bill Gates!

I guess all of this might seem the only way to defend these things against sceptical parents and teachers and classmates, and to encourage children who are ashamed of liking them and feel that they should spend more time on sports, gossiping, or whatever is considered more appropriate for their gender and age. But even so, it is beside the point.

As for me, the indirect effects of kpop are doubtlessly nice to think about when I spend yet another evening doing seemingly pointless things. Scrolling through Tumblr instead of studying. Reading kceleb gossip instead of going out with friends. Missing Girls or whatever show that apparantly is currently what you’re supposed to watch because I’m busy watching kdrama. Especially as I haven’t had a real relationship in years, as that seems to be the true stamp of approval from Life Agency.

But seriously, that is not what matters.  I have said this before, but I’ll say it again – if not else but because I have to remind myself of this every day. The true value is no language skill, no networking, no cross-cultural know-how or future work prospects. The true value cannot be described with terms as achievements or benefits. The point of it all is how it feels. It is about being instantly cheered up from playing that certain song and imagining the awesome video. It is, also, about losing breath and crumbling to pieces over an animated gif. About the excitement of finding the fancam for a performance you have been jealous of. About giving the pillow a beating to let out your embarressment. About getting all giggly just thinking about a certain idol. About the feeling of intense interest talking about them. About crying. It is about worries and joy and love. The other stuff is just there for us to point out when we are questioned.

/Mis

The Wet Dream of a Fanboy

I’m Swedish, born and raised, still living in this northern part of Europe with it’s chilly climate and welfare state. I’m a man who just turned 30, a teacher and more important for now – I’m kind of a fanboy. In a K-pop kind of sense that is. Key(of SHINee) is so obviously my bias and I sometimes find it hard to understand how this works. What is it about that man/idol that keeps me captivated? Don’t know. Do I want to know?

Earlier this evening, Mis sent me the Key-gif to the left. Attached were the words: “Thought he was inserting snus from the beginning.” (Snus = Swedish snuff) Snus is the most macho kind of tobacco there is in Sweden and the layers of Key perhaps using that kind tobacco is mind blowing, the Swedish fanboy I am.

Key is in the fandom rather portrayed in a feminine kind of way then in a macho. His interest in clothing and the quirky personality his got makes this version of him understandable and a classic gay characteristic, which also is a common way to describe him. SHINee Key gay is by the way one of the highest ranking search terms at this blog. This is perhaps not for me the most exciting Key version I could think of. Rather, the wet dream of a fanboy like myself could be “Key doing “manly” stuff” and my reaction to this gif was instant and thrilled, even though both me and Mis could see that Key was probably not inserting snus after all…

Important to point out is that I do not want to rank a manly version of Key higher then a more feminine one. But as the clichés of him and being gay is usually twisted towards the later one I always find it liberating and awesome when things comes along disturbing the cliché. It could be him being pshysically strong in an old episode of Maknae Rebellion or the picture of him with his unshaved moustache as seen in the picture below in the middle. Also, being a man/or manly AND being feminine is another great combo if thats what is prefered.

The Future is Idol – L

btw. Key doing “manly” stuff could of course also be the wet dream of a fangirl, even if it might be rare.

Watch Key do all of these things here.

Key Key Key Key Key Key Key Key Key

I’m obscenly tired and feel a bit sick at the moment(yes I have myself to blame and Mis is also hungover btw), but at last nights party I did my best celebrating the birthday of the only idol truly in my heart.

Happy birthday Kim Kibum!

this love… du är så jävla bra

The Future is Idol /L

A Song Calling for You

Randomly ended up watching and listening to an old favourite and it takes me back to the beginning of my fandom. I did not really understand who they were or what it was all about, but I watched it over and over again almost as obsessively as with Sorry Sorry and Genie. I became obsessed with this groups remodeled faces and listened to this song every day on my way to work (it still happens though). It makes me very happy and I take it as a sign that I was not wrong falling in love with this scene.

/The Future is idol

Key, Dazzling Girl

This awesome man. ♥ SHINee Japanese comeback Dazzling Girl on October 10th.

/The Future is Idol